October 2014

This week, ATS Microbiology, Tuberculosis and Pulmonary Infections Assembly chair,Richard Wunderink, M.D. and ATS DC office staff participated in a forum convened by the Infectious Disease Society of America on antibiotic resistance in Philadelphia, PA. The meeting brought together representatives from health professional, public health, and industry organizations with the main federal agencies involved in the National Plan to Combat Antibiotic Resistance, including the FDA, CDC, CMS, VA, AHRQ, HRSA and NIH. Agency representatives provided reports on the key issues being implemented in the national plan, including antibiotic surveillance, stewardship and prevention, and research and new antibiotic product development.

Dr. Wunderink called for increased input from the pulmonary and critical care community in implementing the National Plan to Combat Antimicrobial Resistance and for the creation of clinical research networks to study resistant pneumonia and sepsis infections. The ATS's partners in TB elimination efforts, Stop TB USA and the National Tuberculosis Controller's Association, called for more research and development of new diagnostics to detect drug resistant TB and support to maintain an adequate TB drug supply in the U.S.