Fungal Keratitis Prevalence Twice as High in Rural Versus Nonrural Areas
FRIDAY, Feb. 23, 2024 (HealthDay News) -- Fungal keratitis prevalence appears to be twice as high in rural versus nonrural areas, according to a research letter published online Feb. 15 in JAMA Ophthalmology.
Kaitlin Benedict, M.P.H., from the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention in Atlanta, and colleagues estimated fungal keratitis prevalence among commercially insured U.S. patients. The analysis included Merative MarketScan Commercial and Medicare Databases claims data (Jan. 1, 2016, through Jan. 31, 2023).
The researchers identified 870,810 individuals with continuous enrollment and a diagnostic code for keratitis. Of these, 0.8 percent had a natamycin prescription. Overall fungal keratitis prevalence was 1.8 per 100,000 enrollees but was higher among males (1.9), adults aged 65 years and older (6.6), and patients living in the South (2.7) and rural areas (3.6). Corneal ulcer was the most common associated condition (94.2 percent). Common medications included ophthalmic antibiotic (80.7 percent) or corticosteroid (43.5 percent). More than one in seven (15.0 percent) had contact lens-associated diagnostic codes. Nearly three-quarters (74.9 percent) underwent diagnostic testing, and 10.6 percent received a corneal transplant.
"Given the potential for poor vision outcomes and the possibility of climate change-associated geographic expansion of pathogenic fungi, monitoring fungal keratitis trends, improving rural eye care access, and promoting early diagnosis and treatment are crucial," the authors write.
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Maternal Booster COVID-19 Vaccination Protects Infants Through 6 Months
FRIDAY, Feb. 23, 2024 (HealthDay News) -- Maternal booster COVID-19 vaccination protects infants from infection in the first six months of life, according to a study published online Feb. 9 in Pediatrics.
Cristina V. Cardemil, M.D., M.P.H., from the National Institutes of Health in Rockville, Maryland, and colleagues quantified protection against infection from maternally derived vaccine-induced antibodies in the first six months of an infant's life. Full-length spike (Spike) immunoglobulin G (IgG), pseudovirus 614D, and live virus D614G and omicron BA.1 and BA.5 neutralizing antibody (nAb) titers were measured at delivery among infants born to mothers vaccinated during pregnancy with two or three doses of a messenger RNA COVID-19 vaccine.
The researchers found that Spike IgG, pseudovirus, and live nAb titers were significantly higher at delivery for 204 infants of boosted mothers than for 271 infants of nonboosted mothers; infants of boosted mothers were 56 percent less likely to acquire infection in the first six months. The infant's risk for acquiring infection was reduced by 47 percent for each 10-fold increase in Spike IgG titer at delivery, irrespective of boost. Risk reductions of 30, 46, 56, and 60 percent were seen in association with 10-fold increases in pseudovirus titers against Wuhan Spike, live virus nAb titers against D614G, and omicron BA.1 and BA.5 at delivery, respectively.
"We show that a monovalent booster dose during pregnancy leads to higher binding and nAb titers at delivery that are effective against omicron, for an age group that has the highest COVID-19-associated hospitalization rate in pediatrics since the emergence and ubiquitous spread of omicron variants," the authors write.
Several authors disclosed ties to the pharmaceutical industry.
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No Increase Seen in HPV Vaccination Coverage From 2019 to 2022
THURSDAY, Feb. 22, 2024 (HealthDay News) -- Human papillomavirus (HPV) vaccination rates did not increase from 2019 to 2022, according to a study published online Feb. 20 in JAMA Network Open.
Kalyani Sonawane, Ph.D., from the Medical University of South Carolina in Charleston, and colleagues analyzed data for U.S. participants aged 18 to 26 years from the 2018, 2019, and 2022 National Health Interview Survey to examine HPV vaccination coverage during the pandemic.
In 2022, 2,159 adults aged 18 to 26 years with HPV vaccination information were identified. The researchers found that 47.4 percent of these adults reported receiving one or more vaccine doses. The HPV vaccination rate increased from 2018 to 2019 (39.9 to 47.0 percent), but no significant change was seen for 2019 to 2022. More women than men were vaccinated in 2022 (57.2 versus 37.3 percent). In 2022, coverage was similar for Hispanics, non-Hispanic Blacks, and participants of other races and ethnicities compared with non-Hispanic Whites. Higher coverage was seen for lesbian, gay, bisexual, and other sexual orientation groups versus heterosexual women (70.6 versus 53.6 percent) and for gay, bisexual, and other sexual orientation versus heterosexual men (52.7 versus 36.2 percent). Uninsured men and women had lower coverage than their insured counterparts.
"Human papillomavirus vaccination coverage among young adults did not increase during the COVID-19 pandemic compared with prior years," the authors write. "This finding likely reflects pandemic-related disruptions in initiating the HPV vaccine among young adults."
Two authors disclosed ties to Value Analytics Labs; one disclosed ties to Merck.
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