Nasty Viruses
Fungus Among Us
Negative Attitudes (Gram Negatives)
100
This rodent-borne virus linked to recent cruise ship exposure concerns can cause a rapidly progressive cardiopulmonary syndrome characterized by severe hypoxemia and cardiogenic shock.
What is Hantavirus?
100
This dimorphic fungus is classically associated with bird or bat droppings in the Ohio and Mississippi River valleys.
What is Histoplasma capsulatum?
100
This new agent is considered first-line therapy for carbapenem-resistant Acinetobacter baumannii (CRAB).
What is Sulbactam-durlobactam?
200
This antiviral used for CMV prophylaxis in stem cell transplant recipients has no activity against HSV or VZV.
What is Letermovir?
200
This fungus causes broad-based budding yeast forms and can present with pulmonary and skin disease.
What is Blastomyces dermatitidis?
200
This carbapenem/beta-lactamase inhibitor combination is preferred for KPC-producing Enterobacterales.
What is Meropenem-vaborbactam?
300
In an immunocompromised transplant recipient without measurable measles immunity following exposure to measles, this treatment should be administered within 6 days of exposure.
What is IVIG?
300
This organism classically associated with near-drowning events can cause delayed CNS infection with brain nodules and meningitis weeks to months later; this antifungal is considered first-line therapy.
What is Scedosporium apiospermum and Voriconazole?
300
This antibiotic is preferred over cefepime or piperacillin-tazobactam for invasive ESBL bloodstream infections.
What is Meropenem?
400
This live attenuated vaccine is contraindicated in moderately to severely immunocompromised transplant recipients traveling to endemic regions of Africa.
What is Yellow Fever vaccine?
400
This mold associated with neutropenia and hematologic malignancy classically demonstrates acute-angle branching septate hyphae.
What is Aspergillus fumigatus?
400
This carbapenemase, increasingly encountered in patients with prior healthcare exposure in India, is often treated with ceftazidime-avibactam plus aztreonam, though a newer aztreonam-avibactam combination (Emblaveo) is now emerging as a targeted option.
What is New Delhi metallo-β-lactamase (NDM)?
500
This HIV antiretroviral class has been associated with greater weight gain, especially in women and Black and Hispanic individuals.
What are Integrase Strand Transfer Inhibitors (INSTIs)?
500
This endemic fungus is associated with “captain’s wheels” on microscopy.
What is Paracoccidioides brasiliensis?
500
This Gram-negative pathogen associated with freshwater exposure and rapidly progressive hemorrhagic bullous skin infection can cause fulminant myonecrosis and sepsis.
What is Aeromonas hydrophila?