Category: News

Clostridioides difficile (C. diff) is a leading cause of hospital associated infections nationally, and a significant burden at UNC Hospitals. Patients with C. diff infections (CDI) frequently experience recurrent or prolonged diarrhea following antibiotic exposures. They are also at a high risk for adverse outcomes and prolonged hospitalizations, with high...

Asher Schranz, MD, MPH, and Claire Farel, MD, MPH, discuss the responses to their study, stating that there is diversity in how outpatient parenteral antimicrobial therapy (OPAT) exists and how they are structured. To their knowledge, there is no defined optimal team structure for OPAT, and practice models vary based on clinical...

Mycobacterium abscessus (MAB) is a rapidly growing, non-tuberculous mycobacterium that has emerged as a significant pathogen in both pulmonary and extrapulmonary infections. It is rising in prevalence, especially among individuals with underlying lung conditions such as cystic fibrosis and chronic obstructive pulmonary disease, highlighting its growing clinical importance. Anne Friedland, MD,...

Carbapenem-resistant Enterobacterales (CRE) are an important threat to the health of solid organ transplant recipients (SOTr). However, data comparing outcomes of SOTr with CRE to non-SOTr with CRE is lacking. David Van Duin, MD, PhD, performed a cohort study within 2 prospective, multicenter, cohort studies. The epidemiology, desirability of outcome rankings,...

The earliest months of HIV infection are characterized by high viral loads and elevated transmissibility, particularly during the acute (preseroconversion) phase. Transmission prevention during early HIV requires diagnostic tools that narrow the window between viral acquisition and a reactive test, followed by rapid linkage to effective antiretroviral therapy (ART). Sarah...

Human Immunodeficiency virus (HIV) infection is regulated by various host cell factors that combine to influence viral transcription and latency. To understand the complex relationship between the host cell and HIV-1 latency, Edward Browne, PhD, Nancie M. Archin, PhD, and David Margolis, MD, performed a lentiviral CRISPR screen that targeted a...

Monica Maria Diaz, MD, MS and Deanna Saylor, MD, MHS, are reviewing recent advances in diagnosis and treatment of chronic meningitis, focusing on tuberculous meningitis (TBM), cryptococcal meningitis (CM), syphilitic meningitis, neuroborreliosis, and recurrent chronic meningitis. Diagnosis and management of chronic meningitis remain significant challenges, and further research is needed to...

Klebsiella pneumoniae is an opportunistic pathogen and a leading cause of healthcare-associated infections in hospitals, which are frequently antimicrobial resistant (AMR). Exacerbating the public health threat posed by K. pneumoniae, some strains also harbour additional hypervirulence determinants. Virginia Miller, PhD, is investigating the genetic diversity, evolution, mobilisation, and prevalence of rmpADC in a...

Lisa Woodley, PhD, MSN, associate professor of nursing and a member of the Institute for Global Health and Infectious Diseases, received a faculty award for global excellence from UNC Global Affairs. The award recognizes exceptional contributions to the University’s mission of “leading change to improve society and to help solve the world’s greatest problems.” Vice Provost...

Dr. Mina Hosseinipour’s interest in infectious diseases and medicine began when she was a medical resident in Houston, Texas. Many patients were immigrants, and she was treating several for HIV using a new combination of anti-HIV drugs commonly known as HAART. “It made me want to understand why certain diseases...

The Office of Global Health Education is collecting gently used clothing for migrant/farm workers in Western North Carolina. In early June, a group of UNC Health students, residents, and faculty/staff will travel to Cullowhee, NC, to volunteer with Vecinos, an organization whose mission is to provide equitable culturally centered health care and wellness...

Two UNC neurologists are making significant strides in understanding neurological disorders across diverse global populations, from Latin America to Sub-Saharan Africa.  Monica Diaz, MD, MS, and Deanna Saylor, MD, MHS, are neuro-infectious diseases and neuro-immunology specialists. They are the newest members of the Institute for Global Health and Infectious Diseases,...