Challenges in Managing Gonorrhea and New Advances in Prevention.

Gonorrhea is the second most common bacterial sexually transmitted infection in the United States. Rates are increasing, and multiple challenges compound management, including worsening antimicrobial resistance. New therapeutics, enhanced screening and partner notification, and treatment through point-of-care testing and expedited partner therapy, as well as primary prevention efforts provide opportunities for success in combating these trends.

Leishmaniasis in the United States: Emerging Issues in a Region of Low Endemicity.

Leishmaniasis, a chronic and persistent intracellular protozoal infection caused by many different species within the genus Leishmania, is an unfamiliar disease to most North American providers. Clinical presentations may include asymptomatic and symptomatic visceral leishmaniasis (so-called Kala-azar), as well as cutaneous or mucosal disease. Although cutaneous leishmaniasis (caused by Leishmania mexicana in the United States) is endemic in some southwest states, other causes for concern include reactivation of imported visceral leishmaniasis remotely in time from the initial infection, and the possible long-term complications of chronic inflammation from asymptomatic infection. Climate change, the identification of competent vectors and reservoirs, a highly mobile populace, significant population groups with proven exposure history, HIV, and widespread use of immunosuppressive medications and organ transplant all create the potential for increased frequency of leishmaniasis in the U.S. Together, these factors could contribute to leishmaniasis emerging as a health threat in the U.S., including the possibility of sustained autochthonous spread of newly introduced visceral disease. We summarize recent data examining the epidemiology and major risk factors for acquisition of cutaneous and visceral leishmaniasis, with a special focus on implications for the United States, as well as discuss key emerging issues affecting the management of visceral leishmaniasis.

Switch from efavirenz to nevirapine associated with resolution of efavirenz-related neuropsychiatric adverse events and improvement in lipid profiles.

In a large HIV-specialty private practice, patients with undetectable or low-grade-positive viral loads with neuropsychiatric side effects or elevated lipids were switched from efavirenz-to nevirapine-based antiretroviral regimens. This is a retrospective analysis of virologic efficacy and changes in adverse neuropsychiatric effects and serum lipid levels after this switch. Forty patients were evaluated. Thirty-six had undetectable viral loads prior to the treatment switch, and their levels remained undetectable after the switch for a median of 25 months (range, 6 to 59 months). Four patients had persistently low-grade-positive viral loads before the switch; viral loads in two of the four patients remained low-grade-positive, while the levels in two patients became undetectable. Twenty patients reporting neuropsychiatric symptoms (depression, anxiety, or fatigue with or without sleep disturbances) before the switch demonstrated significant improvement, with complete resolution of symptoms in 15 patients. Four patients with isolated sleep disturbances had significant improvement. No rash developed in any patient during the switch. Mean lipid levels improved significantly following the switch. Mean total cholesterol decreased 17.8 mg/dL; low-density lipoprotein cholesterol decreased 25.5 mg/dL; triglycerides decreased 70.1 mg/dL; and high-density lipoprotein cholesterol increased 5.3 mg/dL (all p < 0.05). These results demonstrate that patients who are virologically controlled on efavirenz-containing regimens with treatment-associated side effects can be successfully switched to nevirapine-containing therapy with maintenance of virologic control, reduction in neuropsychiatric side effects, and improvement in dyslipidemia.