In the news

Just about every day, I take a look at what's appearing in the mainstream media so that readers of this blog can link to the latest, hottest happenings in the world of infectious diseases and infection prevention. Today's foray yielded a treasure trove:

• First it was Christmas decorations. Then aquariums. Now British hospitals are banning flowers on wards in the name of infection prevention. I suggest they next ban food, water, and air, since none of those are sterile either.
• Two of four patients who received organs from a patient who died at the University of Mississippi Medical Center last month have been diagnosed with infections due to Balamuthia mandrillaris, a free-living amoeba that can cause encephalitis. Both patients are critically ill. Infections with these organisms are rare, and these are the first to be transmitted via transplanted organs.
• Dr. Sidney Wolfe, the well known patient advocate at Public Citizen, has added Tamiflu to his list of worst pills. The title of the press release says it all--"Tamiflu? More like Scamiflu."
• In Scotland, three injection drug users have developed cutaneous anthrax, one of whom has died of the infection.
• Lastly, if you are planning on having plastic surgery anytime soon in Connecticut, be careful! A plastic surgeon there has been cited because inspectors found mouse poop on her surgical instruments. I didn't make this up, really! See the link here.