Press releases 2017


'Antibiotic stewardship teams' must be planned and paid for worldwide to halt the spread of dangerous infections

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ESCMID supports the Belgian Society for Infectiology and Clinical Microbiology (BVIKM - SBIMC) in their efforts to gain recognition of Infectious Diseases as a medical specialty in Belgium.

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ESCMID supports the Spanish Society of Infectious Diseases and Clinical Microbiology (SEIMC) in their efforts to gain recognition of Infectious Diseases as a medical specialty in Spain

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Market pressures and inadequate production are hampering access to essential antibiotics, including those for treating babies and children

Antibiotics used to treat a variety of common bacterial infections are becoming more difficult to access, mostly because the drugs are less profitable for manufacturers to produce and market. Writing in a commentary in Clinical Microbiology and Infection [1],researchers say the problem is particularly acute for formulations needed to treat sick babies and children. They say doctors increasingly have to use alternative antibiotic treatments, which may have worse side-effects for patients, including encouraging the growth of drug-resistant bacteria – one of the greatest threats to public health.

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WHO report on pathogens is major step forward in fight against drug-resistant bacteria

A new report by the World Health Organization lays out, for the first time, which antibiotic-resistant bacteria pose the greatest risk to global health and urgently need new effective treatments. The report was chaired by Prof. Evelina Tacconelli, executive committee member of the European Society of Clinical Microbiology and Infectious Diseases (ESCMID) in collaboration with the WHO and with input from several ESCMID experts.

The WHO Global priority list of antibiotic-resistant bacteria to guide research, discovery, and development of new antibiotics report is targeted at pharmaceutical companies, research institutions and policy-makers around the world. It is part of broader efforts to tackle the rising tide of infections that have become resistant to the drugs commonly used to treat them.

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TAE survey: young doctors working in clinical microbiology and infectious diseases are suffering burnout, bullying and poor work-life balance

One in five physicians working in medical microbiology and infectious diseases is suffering from burnout, bullying and poor work-life balance, according to a study published in European Journal of Clinical Microbiology & Infectious Diseases.The findings, which come from a survey of more than 400 young doctors working across Europe, also show that women’s experiences are worse than men’s, and that the situation is worse for doctors working in southern and eastern European countries.The survey, which included responses from 416 participants with an average age of 32, was conducted anonymously online by the Trainee Association of ESCMID.

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ESCMID funds research on antifungal resistance, genetic evolution of the human papillomavirus

The European Society of Clinical Microbiology and Infectious Diseases (ESCMID) through its annual grant programme helps young investigators pursue ground-breaking research to advance our understanding of microorganisms and find better approaches to diagnose, prevent and treat infectious diseases. At the end of 2016 the society is highlighting two outstanding projects that have been funded through its research grants; one was a study on resistance after treating patients with antifungal drugs and another on the genetic evolution of the human papillomavirus (HPV) genotype 16 causing most of the HPV-related anogenital cancers in humans.

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