Newsroom: Press Conference Video
PLEASE NOTE: All Press Conferences at the Joint Meeting are being videotaped and will be available as streaming flash video on this page by 3:00 p.m. each day.
11:30 a.m. – The Success of the Rotavirus Vaccine Rotavirus is the most common cause of severe diarrhea among children, resulting in the hospitalization of approximately 55,000 children each year in the United States and the death of over 600,000 children annually worldwide. In the late 1990s a vaccine for rotavirus was introduced but quickly taken off the market because of reported adverse events. In early 2006 a new vaccine was approved and the Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices (ACIP) to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) recommended that infants receive three doses of the oral vaccine at two, four, and six months of age. How effective has the vaccine been? Researchers will present two national studies showing vaccination associated with a 94 percent reduction in hospitalizations and emergency room visits for gastroenteritis and an 83 percent reduction in the total number of positive test results at a national reference laboratory during peak season after vaccine implementation.
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1:15 p.m. – Overview Briefing
Members of the Joint Meeting Program Committee will give an overview of the meeting and discuss sessions of particular interest. Lunch will be served.
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10:00 a.m. – New Drugs in the Pipeline for MRSA
Methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA) is a bacterium responsible for difficult-to-treat infections in humans. Some strains are so resistant that they respond only to drugs of last choice, such as vancomycin. Previous ICAAC meetings and IDSA's 2004 report, Bad Bugs, No Drugs, have called attention to the rise in the spread of drug-resistant infections and the decline in the development of new drugs to fight them. Participants will present and discuss the latest clinical trial data on new drugs in the pipeline to treat one of these bad bugs--MRSA.
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11:00 a.m. – Update on Vaccines
Researchers will discuss the latest updates in the development of the malaria vaccine, as well as the disturbing news that protection offered by the mumps vaccine may be waning. Participants in the press conference will also discuss current and future approaches in prevention of pneumococcal disease in all ages, including vaccines in development and those in early research phases.
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12:00 noon – HIV Updates
Since the inception of highly active antiretroviral therapy (HAART) in the mid-1990s the management of HIV infection has changed dramatically. No longer are doctors focused on treating numerous opportunistic infections that result from a compromised immune system. Instead they focus their efforts of managing HAART drug regimens: determining the best time to start therapy, changing combinations to stay one step ahead of emerging resistance and dealing with the new symptoms that occur as a result of long-term exposure to HIV and HAART drugs. Participants will present new data that suggests current guidelines for starting drug treatment may not start it soon enough for maximum effectiveness and will also address new issues in HIV drug resistance.
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10:00 a.m. -- C. difficile: Have We Reached Bottom Yet?
Clostridium difficile bacteria are a common cause of antibiotic-associated diarrhea, especially in hospital settings. According to the CDC, each year in the United States C. difficile is responsible for tens of thousands of cases of diarrhea and at least 5,000 deaths. It's also a growing problem among otherwise healthy people. And although the infection can usually be controlled with antibiotics, virulent strains of C. difficile are now appearing that resist treatment with common medications. Has this epidemic peaked or will things continue to get worse before they get better? Researchers will examine current trends in C. difficile epidemiology, assess what we have learned thus far about these infections, and discuss novel strategies for controlling outbreaks and treating infection.
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11:00 a.m. -- Emerging Infections
The infectious disease landscape is constantly changing. As we develop treatments for and work to eradicate existing diseases, invariably new ones arise to take their place and sometimes old ones resurge. Public health researchers will discuss the most important emerging and reemerging infections including the continuing global spread of dengue fever and chickungunya virus as well as the emergence of Streptococcus suis, an infection from pigs that appears to be the cause of a toxic-shock-like syndrome in southeast Asia.
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12:00 noon -- Update on MRSA
Once, MRSA skin infections were primarily found in hospital patients. Recently, they have been found more often in the community setting. Researchers will present the latest data on the epidemiology and pathogenesis of community-acquired MRSA. Participants will also report the latebreaking research on an outbreak of MRSA resistant to the antibiotic linezolid, a drug of last choice held back for use only against serious bacterial infections that are resistant to all other antibiotics.
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10:00 a.m. – New Drug Latebreakers
ICAAC and IDSA meetings have historically served as venues for the announcement of new drugs and clinical trial results. Participants in this press conference will present latebreaking data on phase III clinical trial results for a new drug to treat travelers’ diarrhea and late phase II data on a novel single-dose intravenous drug for treating influenza.
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11:00 a.m. – Environmental Molds and Human Disease: Is There a Connection?
According to a recent report from the American Academy of Microbiology scientific research on fungi, including molds, and the role they play in human health is seriously neglected. In addition to deadly fungal infections, environmental molds could also play a role in sinusitis and asthma. Participants will present data on the ongoing monitoring of of molds in the region where Hurricane Katrina struck as well as evidence that could link certain molds to sinusitis and evidence from experimental models that could link infection with Cryptococcus neoformans to the pathogenesis of asthma.
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12:00 noon -- Seasonal Influenza: Controversies in How to Protect the Population On average, every year in the United States between 5% and 20% of the population gets influenza, approximately 200,000 people are hospitalized for complications from influenza and 36,000 people die from the disease. The CDC now recommends that all children aged 6 months to 18 years get vaccinated against the disease and also recommends vaccination for adults over 50 years of age. But does adult immunization really save lives? And what are the implications of the new recommendations to immunize younger and can the vaccine manufacturing and supply infrastructure handle the increased demand? Participants will review the current epidemiologic data on the effectiveness of influenza vaccine in adults, discuss the current epidemiologic data on the effectiveness of influenza vaccine in children and outline the global supply and demand on seasonal influenza vaccine.
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