DASH to Protect Antibiotics

DASH to Protect Antibiotics A Global Initiative for Antimicrobial and Diagnostic Stewardship

🔹About Andes Virus⬩ Definition: A highly severe, specific strain of hantavirus native to South America.⬩ The Danger» Pro...
20/05/2026

🔹About Andes Virus
⬩ Definition: A highly severe, specific strain of hantavirus native to South America.
⬩ The Danger
» Progresses rapidly
» High mortality rate (35% to 40%)
🔹What It Causes
⬩ Primary Condition: leading cause of Hantavirus Cardiopulmonary Syndrome (HCPS / HPS).
⬩ Severe Complications: The virus causes lung capillaries to leak fluid, triggering acute respiratory failure, fluid accumulation in the lungs (pulmonary edema), and severe hemodynamic shock.
🔹How It Transmits to Humans
⬩ Zonootic (Animal-to-Human)
Primarily contracted by inhaling aerosolized virus particles from the urine, f***s, or saliva of infected wild rodents, specifically the long-tailed pygmy rice rat.
⬩ Human-to-Human
Andes virus is the only hantavirus capable of spreading person-to-person. It requires prolonged, close contact or exposure to the bodily fluids of a symptomatic individual.
⬩ Recent Cruise Outbreak
A 2026 outbreak onboard the cruise ship MV Hondius showcased this rare human-to-human transmission. An initial patient caught the virus in Patagonia from a landfill site and subsequently passed it to others in the ship's close, enclosed quarters.
🔹Symptoms
⬩ The incubation period can last up to 42 days, with illness presenting in two distinct phases:
⬩ Early Phase (Flu-like): Sudden fever, fatigue, severe muscle aches (especially in the thighs, hips, and back), headaches, and occasional gastrointestinal issues like vomiting or diarrhea.
⬩ Late Phase (Cardiopulmonary): Coughing, intense shortness of breath, chest tightness, and a rapid descent into respiratory failure as the lungs fill with fluid.
🔹Basic Case Numbers World Over
⬩ Historical Baseline: Prior to 2026, the virus was considered rare, with only a few hundred cases ever diagnosed, mostly isolated to rural Chile and Argentina.
⬩ 2026 Cruise Cluster: The recent international maritime outbreak has accounted for 11 to 12 cases globally (including 9 fully confirmed) and resulted in 3 deaths.
⬩ Regional Spike: Separate from the cruise ship, Argentina has seen a sharper seasonal spike on land, recording over 100 cases in their recent 2025 - 2026 tracking season.

Therapeutic Alternatives for Acinetobacter baumannii (CRAB):🔸 Sulbactam-Durlobactam.Inhibits >96% of CRAB isolates inclu...
17/05/2026

Therapeutic Alternatives for Acinetobacter baumannii (CRAB):

🔸 Sulbactam-Durlobactam.
Inhibits >96% of CRAB isolates including those resistant to colistin, imipenem, and ciprofloxacin making it the first agent to demonstrate a mortality benefit in a dedicated CRAB trial.

🔸 Cefiderocol.
A siderophore cephalosporin with potent in vitro CRAB activity; real-world data show cefiderocol-containing regimens carry significantly lower 30-day mortality than colistin-based therapy (34% vs. 55.8%).

🔸 Ampicillin-Sulbactam + Meropenem + Polymyxin B.
A high-sulbactam-dose triple combination (sulbactam 9g/day) used where newer agents are unavailable.

🔸 Eravacycline.
A synthetic fluorocycline with lower MICs against CRAB than tigecycline, eravacycline evades classical tetracycline efflux pumps.

🔸 Tigecycline.
A glycylcycline with broad-spectrum CRAB coverage but plagued by low serum levels and high volume of distribution, making it inadequate as monotherapy for bacteraemia.

🔸 Polymyxin B.
A last-resort agent with rapid bactericidal activity against CRAB via membrane disruption; colistin monotherapy clinical failure rates reached 83% in one trial, with 28-day mortality of 46%, establishing that polymyxin monotherapy has no role if used, it must be part of a combination regimen with dose optimisation to overcome serum level variability and poor lung pe*******on.

🧼 Who Are the Propellors of Change for Hand Hygiene? | Effective hand hygiene doesn't happen in isolation. It requires ...
11/05/2026

🧼 Who Are the Propellors of Change for Hand Hygiene? |

Effective hand hygiene doesn't happen in isolation. It requires a coordinated effort across healthcare systems and communities alike.

In the healthcare sector, our focus spans:
🏥 Public Sector: Specialized care at large Centers of Excellence and tertiary hospitals
🏘️ District & Community Facilities: District hospitals, primary health centers & Anganwadi centers
💊 Small & Informal Providers: Nursing homes, GPs, alternate medicine & informal practitioners
🏢 Private Sector: High-volume facilities, including Centers of Excellence

Beyond the clinic, change begins in the community:
📡 Media: Amplifying expert advice to national audiences instantly
📱 Social Media: Driving viral change through influencers and creative challenges
👥 General Population: Normalizing frequent handwashing through collective peer influence
🎓 Educational Institutes: Embedding proper hand hygiene techniques in students early to build lifelong habits

From hospitals to classrooms, from screens to communities, hand hygiene is everyone's responsibility.

Together, we can DASH toward a future where clean hands protect lives and preserve the power of antibiotics. 💪

Happy World Hand Hygiene Day 2026! 🌍The most powerful weapon against AMR isn't a new drug, it's soap and water.We're rem...
05/05/2026

Happy World Hand Hygiene Day 2026! 🌍

The most powerful weapon against AMR isn't a new drug, it's soap and water.
We're reminding the world that clean hands are the first line of defense against the antibiotic resistance crisis. No lab. No prescription. No cost barrier.

Low-tech. High-impact. 🧼
Hand hygiene is the most cost-effective infection prevention tool we have, whether you're in a world-class hospital or a school classroom. The barrier isn't technology. It's awareness.

Clean hands slow resistance. 🛡️
Every time we stop a pathogen from spreading, we reduce the need for antibiotics. And every antibiotic we don't overuse is one that still works when we need it most.

The maths is simple:
Fewer infections → Fewer prescriptions → Antibiotics that last. 💊

The future of medicine starts with a 20-second habit. Let's protect it.

👇 Share this with someone who needs the reminder.

Once inside a host, A. baumannii uses advanced nutrient acquisition systems to scavenge essential metals like iron and z...
04/05/2026

Once inside a host, A. baumannii uses advanced nutrient acquisition systems to scavenge essential metals like iron and zinc. Coupled with metabolic adaptability and robust stress response pathways, the pathogen remains resilient even in nutrient-limited environments.

Acinetobacter baumannii is officially classified as a Global Priority 1 Threat. This hardy, Gram-negative bacterium has ...
03/05/2026

Acinetobacter baumannii is officially classified as a Global Priority 1 Threat. This hardy, Gram-negative bacterium has earned the title of "superbug" due to its extensive resistance to most standard antibiotics and its ability to cause serious infections in healthcare settings, particularly among the critically ill.

A major challenge is its environmental persistence. It exhibits high desiccation tolerance and the ability to form biofilms, allowing it to survive for long periods on dry hospital surfaces and medical devices. It can even enter a "VBNC" (viable but non-culturable) state to withstand disinfection.

Acinetobacter baumannii: A Critical Challenge in Antimicrobial ResistanceAcinetobacter baumannii is classified as a Glob...
29/04/2026

Acinetobacter baumannii: A Critical Challenge in Antimicrobial Resistance

Acinetobacter baumannii is classified as a Global Priority 1 Threat due to its extensive resistance to standard therapeutic options. This hardy, Gram-negative bacterium is a notorious "superbug" in healthcare settings, capable of prolonged survival on dry surfaces and primarily affecting critically ill or immunocompromised patients.Its pathogenesis is driven by a sophisticated array of virulence factors, including:Biofilm formation on medical devices and abiotic surfaces.

Regional data highlights a severe burden, with Carbapenem-Resistant A. baumannii (CRAB) accounting for up to 70-90% of ICU isolates in certain areas, leading to crude mortality rates exceeding 40-60% in ventilated patients.Understanding these mechanisms is vital for developing effective clinical interventions and antimicrobial stewardship protocols.

Carbapenem resistance is a global health challenge designated as an "Urgent Threat" by the CDC and WHO. Traditional diag...
20/04/2026

Carbapenem resistance is a global health challenge designated as an "Urgent Threat" by the CDC and WHO. Traditional diagnostic workflows often require a 48 to 72 hour wait for culture results. During this "blind spot," clinicians frequently prescribe broad-spectrum antibiotics like Meropenem empirically. If a pathogen is already resistant, this delay significantly increases mortality risk. Conversely, if the pathogen is susceptible to a narrower agent, unnecessary selection pressure is applied, which can breed further resistance.

Point-of-Care Testing (POCT) provides a critical countermeasure by delivering rapid results at the site of care. Technologies such as molecular PCR assays, biochemical tests, and lateral flow immunoassays can reduce turnaround times to under two hours or even minutes. This speed empowers real-time antibiotic stewardship, allowing for earlier de-escalation to narrower drugs or immediate escalation to specialized agents to improve patient outcomes.

14/04/2026

Advancing Patient Safety through Education: Blood Culture Collection Workshop at SQU

We are thrilled to announce the successful completion of our specialized workshop on Blood Culture Collection & Handling, held today, April 13th, 2026, at the Sultan Qaboos University College of Medicine.

The session focused on empowering nursing staff with the gold-standard techniques required to diagnose and manage blood stream infections accurately. By bridging the gap between clinical and laboratory practice, we take a giant step forward in the fight against Antimicrobial Resistance (AMR).

Highlights of the day:

* Interactive Learning: Dynamic teaching sessions led by Azza Al Mamari (PhD Student) and Fatama Al Aamri (Masters Student).

* Data-Driven Insights: Participants engaged in a comprehensive survey questionnaire to identify practice trends and educational needs.

* Skill Mastery: Focused training on reducing contamination and optimizing diagnostic yields.

This initiative was organized under the aegis of Sultan Qaboos University, the American Society for Microbiology (ASM), and DASH to Protect Antibiotics.

A heartfelt thanks to the amazingly engaged audience and the Directorate General, Nursing, Siter Asila Al Busaidi and Sister Fatiya Al Tobi for the support. Dr Zaaima as usual was a pillar of support.

This was a fruition of months of effort in crafting an elegant questionnaire and then honing the teaching skills of our students. Super proud of them.

Together, we are safeguarding the future of antibiotics!

25/11/2025

Veterinary stewardship is a continuous improvement model which focuses on infection prevention and well-thought-out use of antimicrobials. Presently, AMS research in veterinary medicine focuses on enhanced bio-security and improved disease prevention.

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