The Coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic, caused by severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2), is an international public health emergency. Although respiratory symptoms predominate the clinical manifestations of COVID-19, gastrointestinal symptoms have been observed in a subset of patients. Notably, some patients have nausea/vomiting as the first clinical manifestation of

Since the initial emergence of coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) in Wuhan, Hubei province, China, a rapid spread of the disease occurred around the world, rising to become an international global health concern at pandemic level. In the face of this medical challenge threatening humans, the development of rapid and accurate methods for early screening and diagnosis of COVID-19 became crucial to containing

Streptococcus pneumoniae is one of the primary causes of community-acquired pneumonia. The vaccine serotypes were dominant and could be isolated in 14% of adult patients, with serotype 3 being the most predominant (25%), followed by 6A, 6B, and 7F. Approximately, 44% of the isolates showed resistance to tetracycline.

Mycoplasma pneumoniae is a common pathogen that causes community-acquired pneumonia. In the past, M. pneumoniae was sensitive to macrolide antibiotics, and M. pneumoniae pneumonia (MPP) was usually a benign and self-limiting disease. However, despite use of the appropriate antibiotics, persistent fever and clinical deterioration may occur, leading to severe disease. Two major complicated conditions

Increased heme levels, anemia, and desaturation occur during infection. We aimed to compare the levels of heme, heme oxygenase-1 (HO-1), ferritin, and bilirubin in coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) patients at different saturation levels. Heme and HO-1 enzyme levels significantly increased in the low SpO2 group, but further studies are required.

This study aimed to determine if the crossing point of the initial positive SARS-CoV-2 PCR test correlated with patient demographics, subsequent hospitalization, or duration of positivity. Seventy-three patients with two or more positive PCR tests had a median time of 23 days to a two consecutive negative results.

Chlorhexidine is one of the most essential ingredients in infection control applications. Except qacA, the effects of other various efflux-medicated biocide genes (including qacB, qacC, qacEΔ1, qacH or norA) on biguanides resistance are still controversial. In addition, most of the studies have discussed the effect of qacA/B on clinical S. aureus isolates but not that qacA or qacB individually. In

Purpose Nontuberculous mycobacteria (NTM) infection is an important issue after lung transplantation. However, a large-scale epidemiological study on this issue in Korea is lacking. We aimed to evaluate the epidemiology of NTM infection after lung transplant surgery in Korea. Methods Between October 2012 and December 2018, we retrospectively evaluated lung transplant recipients in a referral hospital

Severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2), the causative viral pathogen of coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19), appears to have various clinical presentations and may result in severe respiratory failure. The global SARS-CoV-2-associated viral pneumonia pandemic was first reported in December 2019 in China. Based on known pharmacological mechanisms, many therapeutic drugs have been

Community-associated methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (CA-MRSA) threatens human health. A local CA-MRSA with ST8/SCCmecIVl (CA-MRSA/J) has emerged in Japan, being associated with progression from bullous impetigo to potentially fatal invasive infection. We found that CA-MRSA/J has unique bacterial surface structures, spikes, spikes with a cap, and long spikes, reflecting clinical origins

No specific therapy is available for COVID-19. We report the effectiveness and adverse effects of triple therapy with hydroxychloroquine, azithromycin, and ciclesonide for COVID-19 pneumonia. The patient’s clinical condition improved within 5 days in response to therapy.

Bacterial or virus co-infections with severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) have been reported in many studies, however, the knowledge on Aspergillus co-infection among patients with coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) was limited. This literature review aims to explore and describe the updated information about COVID-19 associated with pulmonary aspergillosis. We found that

Background FimH adhesin is proposed to enhance Escherichia coli kidney infection by acting with PapGII adhesin, but genetic epidemiology study and animal study have not been widely conducted to confirm this hypothesis. Methods We compared the prevalence of adhesin gene and their coexistent pattern between upper and lower urinary tract infection (UTI) strains. fimH mutant (EC114FM), papGII mutant (EC114PM)

Background Group A Streptococcus (GAS) is an important pathogen causing morbidity and mortality worldwide. Surveillance of resistance and emm type has important implication to provide helpful information on the changing GAS epidemiology and empirical treatment. Methods To study the emergence of resistant GAS in children with upper respiratory tract infection (URTI), a retrospective study was conducted

Purpose This study aimed to compare the safety and efficacy of clarithromycin-naproxen-oseltamivir combination therapy to that of oseltamivir therapy alone in hospitalized pediatric influenza patients. Methods This prospective, single-blind study included children aged 1–18 years hospitalized with influenza, in MacKay Children’s Hospital, Taiwan, between December 2017 and December 2019. The primary

Arbekacin minimum inhibitory concentrations (MICs) were determined for 296 drug-resistant Gram-negative bacilli. The MIC50 and MIC90 were 16 and >128 μg/ml, respectively. Compared to previously determined MICs for other aminoglycosides, arbekacin showed similar MIC50 values to amikacin and gentamicin, a lower MIC50 value than tobramycin, and a higher MIC50 value than plazomicin.

Cases of co-infection and secondary infection emerging during the current Coronavirus Disease-19 (COVID-19) pandemic are a major public health concern. Such cases may result from immunodysregulation induced by the SARS-CoV-2 virus. Pandemic preparedness must include identification of disease natural history and common secondary infections to implement clinical solutions.

Autoimmune diseases are considered as one of the most important disorders of the immune system, in which the prolonged and chronic processes eliminate self-tolerance to the auto-antigens. The prevalence of autoimmune diseases has been increasing worldwide in the recent years. According to the literature, biological processes such as the host genome, epigenetic events, environmental condition, drug

Objectives Procalcitonin (PCT) is an early diagnosis marker of sepsis/bacteremia. However, some reports refer to its lower responsiveness to gram-positive bacteremia. We retrospectively evaluated the PCT values at the onset of bacteremia in relation to severity index. Methods Patients with bacteremia caused by two gram-negative bacteria (46 E.coli and 50 K. pneumoniae) and three gram-positive bacteria

Three (60%) of five patients with coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) had olfactory disorder. Two exhibited anosmia at the onset of COVID-19, while one had hyposmia 4 days after the onset of COVID-19. All patients with olfactory disorder were completely recovered with a mean recovery length of 11.3 days.

Introduction The novel coronavirus disease (COVID-19) could cause a severe acute respiratory infectious disease, showing a high mortality rate of 12-45% among cases who required intensive care unit admission. COVID-19 pneumonia Patients and methods For the purpose of identifying clinical manifestations and radiological findings of COVID-19 pneumonia, we reviewed all cases of COVID-19 pneumonia which

Background Despite studies on low immunoglobulin G (IgG) levels in critically ill patients, their association with clinical outcomes in sepsis patients remains disputed. Herein, we determined the association between low IgG levels and clinical outcomes and investigated the 28-day mortality in patients with low IgG levels. Methods We retrospectively identified 238 patients whose serum IgG levels were

Background The causative pathogen of pediatric osteomyelitis is often unidentified despite culturing attempts. This study evaluated and compared the clinical characteristics, therapeutic approach, and outcomes of osteomyelitis caused by unknown pathogens and identified microorganisms. Method This 17-year retrospective study was conducted at a tertiary hospital in central Taiwan. Medical records of

Background Gastroesophageal reflux disease (GERD) may cause airway symptoms and some airway diseases exacerbate GERD symptoms. Asthma and allergic rhinitis (AR) have been identified as united airway disease because of their similar epidemiology and pathophysiology. Asthma has been considered a risk factor to develop GERD. However, the association between AR and GERD is not clear. We tried to investigate

Background African Swine Fever (ASF) is a highly contagious and lethal viral disease of swine, the presence of which in groups of pigs leads to enormous economic losses in the farming industry. However, vaccines and drugs to treat ASF have yet to be developed. To control the spread of the African Swine Fever Virus (ASFV), a diagnostic method that can be applied rapidly and can detect the disease during

Background Methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA)-associated central nervous system infections are potentially devastating. Linezolid has good penetration into cerebrospinal fluid and brain tissue. In clinical practice, linezolid may be used to treat central nervous system infections caused by MRSA resulting from glycopeptide intolerance or treatment failure. However, the clinical experience

Background Despite the increasingly recognized impact of novel coronavirus disease (COVID-19), caused by severe acute respiratory syndrome (SARS) coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2), on many aspects of health in adults and children, its effects on neonates born to infected mothers remain unclear. We conducted this study to investigate the outcomes of neonates born to mothers with COVID-19. Methods We searched

Periodontitis, an inflammatory disease of the oral cavity, was caused by microbes from bacteria to protozoa. In this study, we detected protozoa, Entamoeba gingivalis and other three common pathogenic bacteria, Porphyromonas gingivalis, Treponema denticola, and Tannerella forsythia by the Polymerase chain reaction (PCR) on patients.

Background Infections of Staphylococcus aureus (S. aureus) often result in osteomyelitis, which is the acute or chronic infections of the bone marrow or bones. TNF-α is long recognized as a key factor contributing to the pathogenesis of osteomyelitis, but little is known about the underlying molecular mechanism. Methods Expression levels of TNF-α, and several candidate genes, including endothelial

Background Respiratory viruses (RVs) are among the most common pathogens for both upper and lower respiratory tract infections (RTIs). However, the viral epidemiology of RV-associated RTIs in adults has long been under-recognized. Through a sensitive molecular assay, it would be possible to have a better understanding of the epidemiology of RV-associated RTIs. Material And Methods Respiratory tract

Background It is unclear about the impact of recreational drug use on the adherence, drug-drug interaction and the occurrence of sexual transmitted diseases (STDs) among people living with HIV. Material and methods A retrospective study was conducted between Dec 2016, and July 2018 to assess the clinical impact of recreational drug consumption in people living with HIV with antiretroviral therapy.

Background Clostridium difficile infections (CDIs) cause significant mortality and morbidity. Critically ill patients are susceptible to CDIs and tend to have severe CDIs, and their clinical presentations are not merely diarrhea. Materials and Methods From September 2017 to March 2018, the adults with CDIs in the ICUs were included. Fecal specimens with positive results of glutamate dehydrogenase assay

Backgroud Toxocara canis, a source of visceral larva migrans, causes toxocariasis and induces respiratory symptoms. The reasons by which the pulmonary pathological alteration in the lungs infected with T. canis remain unclear. Methods The involvement of the pulmonary pathological alteration by histology, enzyme activity, and western blot analysis in the lungs of BALB/c mice after the infection of 2

Background Norovirus is a common acute gastroenteritis (AGE) pathogen across all age groups worldwide, which is difficult to differentiate from other pathogens. This study aimed to understand the clinical characteristics and risk factors of norovirus gastroenteritis among children in Taiwan. Methods A prospective AGE surveillance study was conducted in children aged ≤ 5 years who were hospitalized

Background Group B streptococcus (GBS) is a leading cause of serious infection in infants. Understanding its regional molecular epidemiology is helpful for regulating efficient prevention practice. Methods A retrospective study was conducted to collected data from infants and pregnant women with culture-proven GBS disease in the largest women and children’s medical center in Shanxi between January

Background oxacillin-susceptible mecA-positive Staphylococcus aureus (OS-MRSA) represents an important issue, as its oxacillin susceptibility has contributed to misidentification by conventional susceptibility tests and consequently potential therapeutic failure, but limited data on the current status of OS-MRSA infection in Chinese hospitals are available. Methods this multicenter study performed

Background During the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic, Iran reported its first confirmed cases of syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) infections on 19 February 2020 in Qom. Although the numbers of cases are increasing, no report about clinical manifestations, laboratory results, and imaging findings of the children infected with COVID-19 in Iran has been published. The aim of this study

Background Antibiotics have been widely and efficaciously used for febrile neutropenia in pediatric patients. However, reports are scant regarding the risk factors for recurrent fever after discontinuation of antibiotics in a neutropenic state. Here, we investigated these factors using data from our previously reported randomized study regarding meropenem and piperacillin/tazobactam for pediatric patients

A case who revealed the longest duration of viral shedding (67 days) in current reports, presented complicated characteristic on the relapse of COVID-19 due to the inconsistent performance of chest radiography and SARS-CoV-2-RNA detection after discharge. Lopinavir-interferon α2b boosted ribavirin following with lopinavir boosted budesonide might be a potent treatment for viral clearance.

Purpose To assess and compare the efficacy and safety of posaconazole with fluconazole for the prevention of invasive fungal infections in children who were undergoing induction therapy for acute lymphoblastic leukemia (ALL). To develop an approach to predict invasive fungal infections in ALL patients who accepted posaconazole prophylaxis. Methods This was a single-center, retrospective cohort study

Human papilloma viruses (HPV) are the main culprit in cervical and oropharyngeal cancers. HPV positive (+) cancers are regarded as ‘oncogene addicted’, displaying an absolute requirement for the continued expression of the oncogenes for their viability owing their survival, and thus making these genes salient targets for developing specific therapeutic agents. There is a strong association between

The COVID-19 outbreak has led to a focus by public health practitioners and scholars on ways to limit spread while facing unprecedented challenges and resource constraints. Recent COVID-19-specific enhanced Traffic Control Bundling (eTCB) recommendations provide a cogent framework for managing patient care pathways and reducing health care worker (HCW) and patient exposure to SARS-CoV-2. eTCB has been

Background Asthma is a consequence of complex gene–environment interactions. Exploring the heterogeneity of asthma in different stages is contributing to our understanding of its pathogenesis and the development of new therapeutic strategies, especially in severe cases. Objective This study aimed to further understand the relationship between manifestations of acute and chronic asthma and various endotypes

Background/purpose Although Streptococcus gallolyticus subspecies pasteurianus (SGSP) is a rare pathogen in children, it can cause invasive infections among neonates and infants. Herein, we report bacteremia/meningitis caused by SGSP in three neonates and review the literature on bacteremia and/or meningitis caused by this organism. Methods Three neonates, referred from an obstetrics clinic within

Leishmaniasis is prevalent in Southern Europe, the Middle East, India, Africa, and Central and South America. Cutaneous leishmaniasis may spontaneously heal over time without treatment; however, risk of visceral dissemination and the impact of cosmetic defect are important concerns. We report a Case of cutaneous leishmaniasis in a patient who ever traveled to Mexico before the onset of a deteriorating

Background Our aim was to characterize etiologic diagnoses obtained from bronchoalveolar lavage fluid (BALF) and blood specimens, and to identify risk factors for mortality in systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE) patients with pneumonia and respiratory failure. Methods We conducted a retrospective analysis of SLE patients with pneumonia and respiratory failure. Clinical characteristics, laboratory profiles

Background Norovirus (NoV) and rotavirus (RV) are among the most common causes of acute gastroenteritis (AGE) of all ages worldwide. There have been scanty reports of the epidemiology data of NoV AGE from clinical virologic laboratory. Methods All stool specimens sent to the virologic laboratory in a medical center in Taiwan for detection of both NoV (by reverse transcription-polymerase chain reaction)

Clinical applicability of rapid diagnostic test kit for SARS-CoV-2 antibodies was evaluated. The kit detected antibodies from day 9 to 56 of illness. IgG bands were observed up to 1: 1,000 dilutions. The kit could detect 90.5% of IgG and 61.9% of IgM antibodies of mild febrile patients without pneumonia.

Background /purpose (s): Nosocomial pathogens can develop biofilms on hospital surfaces and medical devices; however, few studies have focused on the evaluation of mono-and dual-species biofilms developed by nosocomial pathogens under different growth conditions. Methods This study investigated biofilm development by nosocomial pathogens (Acinetobacter baumannii, Staphylococcus aureus, Escherichia

Background Single dose hepatitis A virus (HAV) vaccine had been proven its efficacy in immunocompetent but not immunocompromised hosts. We aim to investigate the effectiveness of one dose versus 2 doses HAV vaccine among people living with HIV (PLHIV). Method We conducted a 1:1 single center retrospective case-control study for PLHIV in Northern Taiwan. Case patients were those who received single

Objectives This study evaluated the efavirenz (EFV) mid-dose plasma concentration (C12), clinical efficacy, and safety after the switch to a single-tablet regimen containing tenofovir disoproxil fumarate (TDF), lamivudine (3TC), and 400-mg EFV in virally suppressed HIV-positive Taiwanese who were receiving co-formulated TDF, emtricitabine (FTC), and 600-mg EFV. Methods In this single-arm, open-label

Background Severe illness can occur in young children infected with certain types of enteroviruses including echovirus 11 (Echo11) and coxsackievirus B5 (CoxB5). The manifestations and outcomes of Echo11 and CoxB5 diseases across all ages of children remained not comprehensively characterized in Taiwan. Methods Culture-confirmed Echo11 (60 patients) or CoxB5 (65 patients) infections were identified

EuDxTM ufPCR Flu & RSV Detection Kit (EUDIPIA, Chungcheongbuk-do, Republic of Korea) is a recently developed molecular assay for simultaneously detecting influenza A/B and respiratory syncytial virus (RSV). We evaluated this assay in a clinical setting and demonstrated its excellent performance for diagnosing influenza A/B and RSV infections.

Background Betel quid chewing is known as a crucial risk factor for oral diseases such as periodontal diseases, oral cancer, and precancerous lesions in Southeast Asian countries. Although abnormal oral bacterial flora may be linked to betel quid related-oral diseases such as oral cancer, precancerous lesions, and periodontal diseases, little information is available on alterations of their oral flora

Background /Purpose: Allergen-specific immunotherapy (SIT) is now considered curative to allergic diseases such as asthma. Mechanistically, our previous work showed DNA hypermethylation of cytokine genes, in T-helper cells, in allergic asthmatic children treated with allergen-SIT. In this study, we extended to work to assess possible changes in the DNA methylomes of peripheral blood mononuclear cells

Background Pneumocystis pneumonia (PCP) is a common opportunistic infection with high mortality in individuals with decreased immunity. Pulmonary coinfections with PCP are associated with poor prognosis. The study aims to identify radiological predictors for pulmonary coinfections in patients with PCP and risk factors for mortality. Methods This is a retrospective, five-year study was conducted in

Coronavirus disease-19 (COVID-19) caused by the severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus-2 (SARS-CoV-2) is now a pandemic threat. This virus is supposed to be spread by human to human transmission. Cellular angiotensin converting enzyme 2 (ACE2) is the receptor of SARS-CoV-2 which is identical or similar in different species of animals such as pigs, ferrets, cats, orangutans, monkeys, and humans

The homeostasis of CD8+CD122+ T cell requires IL-15 trans-presentation. We use Il15ra mutant mice and bone marrow chimeras to assess the role of IL-15 trans-presentation level in CD8+CD122+ T cells homeostasis. We demonstrate that CD8+CD122+ T cells require different levels of IL-15 trans-presentation to support their homeostasis.

Coronavirus Disease-19 (COVID-19) has been in a global pandemic currently and relating symptoms were reported variously around the world. We reported a previously healthy man of COVID-19 presenting with anosmia as the obvious symptom with relevant radiological findings on brain magnetic resonance imaging.

Crude secondary attack rate (SAR) of COVID-19 in Taiwan was 0.84% using nationwide contact-tracing data till April 8, 2020. The random-effect Bayesian metaanalysis yielded 95% credible intervals of 0.42%-1.69% and 0.08%-8.32%, respectively, for estimated SAR pooling from 15 case series and for predicted SAR in the future if pandemic continues.