A young odd-jobs man presented with cough for 3 months, associated with weight loss and fatigue at work. Finally seeking medical attention at a public hospital, he was found to have cavitation and infiltrates in the right upper lobe of the lung, with sputum microscopy showing high counts of acid-fast bacilli (AFB 4+). He was […]
Vancomycin-resistant enterococci (VRE) belong to the current “pantheon” of “superbugs” causing human infections primarily in the hospital setting. Enterococci are a type of Gram-positive bacteria that are part of the intestinal flora. They are opportunistic pathogens, causing infections primarily in immunocompromised patients, especially when the gut mucosal barrier has been broken. Two species cause virtually […]
Tuberculosis, Singapore Curiously, a report of 2 SMRT train drivers and a crew manager being diagnosed with TB made it to the news today. Only one among them had active disease – the other two were diagnosed with latent tuberculosis which is non-infectious. Such cases are rarely highlighted in our mainstream media. The risk of tuberculosis […]
A non-systematic mention of outbreaks that have caught my attention this week. For a more comprehensive search, there is ProMED Mail. One can also skim through the MOH’s weekly infectious diseases bulletin, which is only about local notifiable diseases (where one can quickly see that we have had more dengue and HFMD cases compared to […]
It was nice to receive a certificate of appreciation from the SG50 Steering Committee half a year after our project was completed (although the signature is likely an electronic one). Our various interview videos and the documentary are still available on YouTube on our own channel. The hardcover book is still available at Kinokuniya (although […]
An outbreak of canine leptospirosis in Singapore made it to the news yesterday. There were 17 suspected and 1 confirmed case for the year to date (up from 2 cases in 2015), 12 of which were linked to a single dog daycare centre. There may also have been a case of dog-to-human transmission – According […]
I attended my first NUS Commencement last Sunday evening as one of the faculty for the School of Public Health. It was a joint commencement for both the old School of Medicine and the new School of Public Health, held at the University Cultural Centre. Everyone was dressed in antiquated-looking (but somehow impressive) academic gowns, […]
There are many criticisms made of our local press, but it is clear that we have good journalists. Ms Kelly Ng from Today has figured out what MOH appeared to have left out from its press release, which is that the Ang Mo Kio MDR-TB cluster ultimately has its roots in the 2012 Parklane cybercafe outbreak. The index […]
News of this outbreak – involving 6 MDR-TB cases to date – was released to the press yesterday evening by the Singapore Ministry of Health. The Channelnewsasia report also includes video footage of our Director of Medical Services as well as Prof Sonny Wang, long-term director of the TB Control Unit. These 6 cases were […]
MIPHIDIC 