Longitudinal studies regarding the reproducibility of Interferon-gamma release assay (IGRA) T-SPOT.TB for the diagnosis of Mycobacterium tuberculosis (M. tb) infection in serial testing are limited. We retrospectively analysed results of serially tested subjects in a medical laboratory in Germany over a time period of 14 years. From October 2004 to December 2018, a total of 5440 subjects were identified

Supplementary nucleic acid amplification tests for Neisseria gonorrhoeae (NG) are widely used to circumvent specificity problems often associated with extragenital sites. This study was prompted by our observations and concerns from local sexual health physicians over increased discrepancies between Roche cobas 4800 CT/NG (c4800) and our in-house supplementary NG-PCR (NG-duplex) for oropharyngeal samples

Panton-Valentine leukocidin (PVL) appears to be a virulence factor which, among others, can exacerbate the pathogenicity of Staphylococcus aureus infections, especially inducing severe necrotic, deep-seated skin infections, abscesses, and recurrences. These peculiarities have some overlaps with hidradenitis suppurativa (HS). Our main aim was to assess if S. aureus producing PVL could have some role

Quorum sensing (QS) inhibition is an essential strategy to combat bacterial infection. Previously, we have synthesized a series of thymidine derivatives bearing isoxazole and 1,2,3-triazole rings (TITL). Herein, the inhibitory effects of TITL on QS of Pseudomonas aeruginosa PAO1 were evaluated. In vitro results demonstrated that TITL effectively inhibited biofilm formation and reduced the virulence

Since the outbreak of novel coronavirus infection pneumonia in Wuhan City, China, in late 2019, such cases have been gradually reported in other parts of China and abroad. Children have become susceptible to severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) because of their immature immune function. As the outbreak has progressed, more cases of novel coronavirus infection/pneumonia in children

Respiratory tract infections (RTI) can take a serious course under immunosuppression. Data on the impact of the underlying pathogens are still controversial. Samples from the upper (n = 322) and lower RT (n = 169) were collected from 136 children and 355 adults; 225 among them have been immunocompromised patients. Exclusion criteria were presence of relevant cultivable microorganisms, C-reactive protein

We report a series of Staphylococcus argenteus infections from Saarland, Germany. Travel histories were unremarkable for extra-European sojourns, indicating an autochthonous transmission mode. Multilocus sequence typing revealed that all isolates were members of the clonal complex CC2250. In only one case, guideline-adherent treatment with an isoxazolyl penicillin was prescribed. Our report illustrates

Prescribing antibiotics for febrile patients without proof of bacterial infection contributes to antimicrobial resistance. Lack of clinical response in these patients often leads to antibiotic escalation, although data supporting this strategy are scarce. This study compared outcomes of modifying, withholding, or continuing the same antibiotic regimen for such patients. Febrile or hypothermic stable

Porphyromonas gingivalis, a major subgingival plaque bacterium in periodontitis, has recently attracted much attention as a possible microbial driver in Alzheimer's disease. In the present paper, another common neuroinflammatory disease, Parkinson's disease (PD), is discussed. A recent study found major virulence factors of P. gingivalis such as gingipain R1 (RgpA) and lipopolysaccharide in the blood

An autochthonous case of lymphocutaneous sporotrichosis caused by Sporothrix schenckii is reported. The patient developed skin lesions localized along the lymphatics that appeared after he suffered an injury while collecting wicker canes in marshy water. The fungus was identified as Sporothrix schenckii by MALDI-TOF and sequencing. Phylogenetic analysis was also performed. Low MIC values were detected

Skeletal tuberculosis (STB) is one of the most common forms of extrapulmonary tuberculosis; however, limited epidemiological data are available on this public health concern worldwide, especially in developing countries. The aims of this study were to analyze the epidemiological characteristics of STB cases and to identify risk factors associated with drug resistance among STB cases in China. We included

Helicobacter pylori (H. pylori) infection is associated with some gastric diseases, such as gastritis, peptic ulcer, and gastric cancer. CagA and VacA are known virulence factors of H. pylori, which play a vital role in severe clinical outcomes. Additionally, the expression of outer membrane proteins (OMPs) helps H. pylori attach to gastric epithelial cells at the primary stage and increases the virulence

The purpose of this study is to collect information on the bacterial resistance to antibiotics of bacteria isolated from urine cultures of patients treated for upper urinary tract calculi. Data of patients with urinary tract infection and urolithiasis were retrospectively reviewed to collect information on age, gender, stone size, location, hydronephrosis, procedure of stone removal and antibiotic

Interest in the detection of specific anti-Pneumocystis jirovecii antibodies has emerged as less-invasive alternative diagnostic approaches. Here is presented the performance of an ELISA based on a recombinant synthetic multi-epitope kexin 1 (Kex1) antigen of P. jirovecii, previously developed. Results showed that IgM anti-Kex1 levels were found significantly increased in patients with Pneumocystis

In recent years, the prevalence of tuberculosis worldwide has increased, and with it, the number of drug-resistant tuberculosis strains. This has brought new challenges towards prevention and control of the disease. Therefore, it is urgent to find reliable and rapid diagnostic methods for tuberculosis in general, and for the drug-resistant forms of the disease. To this aim, we assessed 17 tuberculosis-specific

Staphylococcus aureus is a virulent gram-positive organism, which rarely involves the biliary tract. This study aimed to analyze the clinical characteristics and outcomes of S. aureus bacteremia (SAB) originating from the biliary tract by comparing them with those of catheter-related SAB and biliary Klebsiella pneumoniae bacteremia. A matched case-control study within a prospective observational cohort

This study was designed to compare the performance of GeneXpert® and GenomEra® group B streptococcus (GBS) PCR assays, held up against standard culture of GBS performed with and without broth pre-enrichment. In Denmark, the strategy for preventing early onset GBS infection (EOGBS) is risk factor based. Three hundred and sixty six women fulfilling one or more of the criteria for presence of risk factors

The use of daptomycin (DAP) in septic pulmonary emboli (SPE) remains controversial. We analyzed 29 cases of MRSA bacteremia complicated by SPE treated with DAP (n = 14) or DAP-ceftaroline fosamil (CPT; n = 15). Initial treatment with DAP monotherapy was found to have a success rate comparable with DAP-CPT (71% vs. 80%; p = 0.68).

We conducted a systematic review and meta-analysis to determine the rate of polymyxin resistance among Acinetobacter baumannii isolates causing infection in hospitalized patients around the world during the period of 2010-2019. The systematic review was performed on September 1, 2019, using PubMed/MEDLINE, Scopus, and Web of Science; studies published after January 1, 2010, were selected. The data

Polymyxins play a significant role against carbapenem-resistant Enterobacteriaceae (CRE). A total of 121 clinical samples yielded growth of CRE that were included in the study. Rapid Polymyxin NP test was performed on all the isolates as described by Nordmann P et al. and results were compared with broth microdilution method. Majority of the isolates were Klebsiella pneumoniae (70.2%) followed by Escherichia

The diagnosis of Helicobacter pylori infection can be made by using noninvasive tests. The detection of bacterial antigens in stool samples is a technique proposed by some suppliers. The objective of this study was to evaluate retrospectively the performances of the commercially available RIDA®QUICK Helicobacter and RIDASCREEN® Helicobacter (R-Biopharm) kits in detecting H. pylori antigens in stool

To increase the knowledge about S. capitis in the neonatal setting, we conducted a nationwide 3-month survey in 38 neonatal intensive care units (NICUs) covering 56.6% of French NICU beds. We demonstrated 14.2% of S. capitis BSI (S.capBSI) among nosocomial BSIs. S.capBSI incidence rate was 0.59 per 1000 patient-days. A total of 55.0% of the S.capBSIs were late onset catheter-related BSIs. The S. capitis

The MODIFY I/II trials demonstrated that bezlotoxumab, a human monoclonal antibody against Clostridioides difficile toxin B, given during antibiotic treatment for Clostridioides difficile infection (CDI) significantly reduced C. difficile recurrence (rCDI) in adults at high risk for rCDI. Efficacy of CDI-directed intervention may depend on ribotype regional epidemiology, and patient characteristics

Chikungunya (CHIKV) reemerged in India after a gap of 32 years, in 2005-2006 and has established endemicity in Pune. To assess the degree of CHIKV exposure, we estimated age-stratified prevalence of IgG antibodies to CHIKV in Pune population. This retrospective study utilized age-stratified serum samples collected from 15 wards of Pune in 2017 for dengue (DENV) virus study. Indirect anti-CHIKV-IgG

Influenza was recently reported as a risk factor for invasive aspergillosis (IA). We aimed to describe prognostic factors for influenza-associated IA (IAA) and poor outcome and mortality in critically ill patients in Switzerland. All adults with confirmed influenza admitted to the ICU at two Swiss tertiary care centres during the 2017/2018 influenza season were retrospectively evaluated. IAA was defined

Neisseria gonorrhoeae antimicrobial resistance (AMR) and gonorrhea disease burden remain major public health concerns worldwide. To contribute to the supranational demands to monitor and manage the spread of antimicrobial-resistant N. gonorrhoeae, the Portuguese NIH promoted the creation of the National Laboratory Network for Neisseria gonorrhoeae Collection (PTGonoNet). The present study reports the

The urgent need for rapid antimicrobial susceptibility is broadly apparent from government reports to the lay press. Accordingly, we developed a flow-cytometry assay (FCM) for evaluating ceftolozane-tazobactam (C/T) susceptibility directly on blood cultures (BC) requiring < 2 h from flag positivity to report. The protocol was optimized with C/T-susceptible and C/T-resistant gram-negative bacilli inoculated

Several commercial assays for SARS-CoV-2 RT-PCR are available but few of them were assessed. We evaluate the Allplex 2019-nCoV (Seegene) assay using 41 nasopharyngeal samples. The rates of agreement were 92.7% and 100% with the GeneFinder COVID-19 plus (Elitech) and the diagnosis of the infectious disease specialist respectively. Four samples display a Ct < 22.0 for the E and RdRp genes while the N

Capnocytophaga canis is an uncommon cause of septic shock. Only three cases have been previously reported in the literature. In this article, we describe the case of a 70-year-old male admitted to the intensive care unit for septic shock of unknown origin. On day 2, one anaerobic bottle out of the two sets taken at admission turned positive with Gram-negative bacilli. The pathogen was identified by

Ureaplasma parvum is the most prevalent genital mycoplasma in women of childbearing age. There is debate around the relevance of its presence in male or female genitals for disease development and as a cofactor. The objective of this study was to determine the prevalence of colonization/infection by U. parvum and its possible relationship with reproductive tract infections. We retrospectively analyzed

Invasive meningococcal disease (IMD) is a vaccine-preventable devastating infection that mainly affects infants, children and adolescents. We describe the population epidemiology of IMD in Malta in order to assess the potential utility of a meningococcal vaccination programme. All cases of microbiologically confirmed IMD in the Maltese population from 2000 to 2017 were analysed to quantify the overall

To conduct a survey of the local prevalent bacteria and antibiotic resistance in a referral tertiary neonatal intensive care unit (NICU), in order to assess the efficacy of local antibiotic policies. We reviewed all positive blood and cerebrospinal fluid cultures obtained between January 2007 and December 2017 in the NICU of Schneider Children's Medical Center of Israel. Early and late-onset bacteremia

The aim of our study was to investigate phenotypic and genotypic features of streptococci misidentified (misID) as Streptococcus pneumoniae, obtained over 20 years from hospital patients in Poland. Sixty-three isolates demonstrating microbiological features typical for pneumococci (optochin susceptibility and/or bile solubility) were investigated by phenotypic tests, lytA and 16S rRNA gene polymorphism

Emergence of multidrug resistance (MDR) in uropathogenic E. coli (UPEC) demands alternative therapeutic interventions. Bactericidal antibiotics at their sub-inhibitory concentration stimulate production of reactive oxygen species (ROS) that results in oxidative stress, generates mutations, and alters transcription of different genes. Sub-inhibitory concentration of antibiotics facilitates selection

Rapid identification of uropathogens is needed to determine appropriate antimicrobial therapy. This study evaluated performance of the Alfred 60 system combined with matrix-assisted laser desorption/ionization-time-of-flight mass spectrometry (MALDI-TOF MS) technology for rapid identification of uropathogens. The Alfred 60 system was used to screen urine cultures, followed by identifying the microbial

The taxonomy modification of Propionibacterium sp. with the description of new species, especially Cutibacterium namnetense, raises the question of species distribution in routine clinical samples. We performed a retrospective study during 3 years before the implementation of MALDI-TOF. Two hundred sixty-nine isolates were included in the study. MALDI-TOF identification, 16S rRNA, and new developed

We aimed to report a 32-month laboratory experience with the eazyplex® CSF direct panel assay for the rapid diagnosis of meningitis due to six most common bacterial species (Escherichia coli, Haemophilus influenzae, Listeria monocytogenes, Neisseria meningitidis, Streptococcus agalactiae, and Streptococcus pneumoniae). We included all cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) samples from patients admitted with a

Candida is the most implicated fungal pathogen in the clinical setting. Several factors play important roles in the pathogenesis of Candida spp. Multiple transcriptional circuits, morphological and phenotypic switching, biofilm formation, tissue damaging extracellular hydrolytic enzymes, metabolic flexibility, genome plasticity, adaptation to environmental pH fluctuation, robust nutrient acquisition

Endoscope contamination is infrequent but can be the source of nosocomial infections and outbreaks. In August 2016, an unexpected increase in the incidence of amikacin-resistant P. aeruginosa isolates (AK-Pae) was observed at a tertiary care center in the south of Spain. An epidemiological and microbiological investigation (August-October 2016) was performed to explain this finding. Isolates from clinical

Despite constituting part of the human commensal flora, Corynebacterium pseudodiphtheriticum has been recognized as a potentially infectious agent, most frequently in immunocompromised patients or individuals with other morbidity factors, but significant association to comorbid states remains unproven. This study's purpose was to assess clinical significance, risk factors for infection and antimicrobial

Tsukamurella spp. are gram-positive rods that can be isolated from the environment in soil and moist areas. In rare instances, they are known to cause infections in immunocompromised hosts. We present the first reported case of Tsukamurella endocarditis in an immunocompromised patient who was successfully treated with a 6-week course of imipenem and trimethoprim-sulfamethoxazole.

Infectious meningitis is a medical urgency and rapid detection of the causative pathogen into the cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) is mandatory to guide the management of patients. We compared the performances of the multiplexed PCR FilmArray® ME panel with standard microbiological analyses, for rapid diagnosis of infectious meningitis. All the CSF samples received in our routine laboratory for the diagnosis

In vitro studies suggest that certain probiotic bacterial strains have potential activity against opportunistic infections such as Candida. There are few in vivo trials using probiotics as a single treatment for acute Candida vulvovaginitis (CV). In this open-label, proof-of-concept study, selected Lactobacillus strains were tested in women with acute Candida vaginitis. Twenty women diagnosed with

Antibiotic resistance of bacterial pathogens isolated in China is a major concern. Omadacycline is a novel tetracycline derivative that has been approved for use in skin infections and community-acquired pneumonia. This study was conducted to determine the in vitro activity of omadacycline against a large collection of patient isolate medical centers across Mainland China. A total of 1041 recent clinical

Especially in recent years, the intensive use of antibiotics has caused multiple drug resistance in Klebsiella pneumoniae. In the absence of a new antibiotic, alternative treatment options have emerged. The aim of this study was to investigate the efficacy of mesenchymal stem cell (MSC) treatment of carbapenem-resistant K. pneumoniae sepsis in neutropenic murine model. BALB-c mice were divided into

The present study aims to employ a multiplex PCR-based method for phylogenetic typing of Shigella and determine the frequency of several virulence genes among Shigella phylogenetic clades and species. Species identification, phylogenetic typing of 44 previously diagnosed Shigella isolates, and frequency of virulence genes and loci, virA, virB, virF, ipaBCD, ial, sen, and set1A were investigated through

Coagulase-negative staphylococci, ubiquitous commensals of human skin, and mucous membranes represent important pathogens for immunocompromised patients and neonates. The increasing antibiotic resistance among Staphylococcus epidermidis is an emerging problem worldwide. In particular, the linezolid-resistant S. epidermidis (LRSE) strains are observed in Europe since 2014. The aim of our study was to

Leprosy, or Hansen's disease, is a chronic granulomatous disease caused by Mycobacterium leprae and the recently discovered Mycobacterium lepromatosis. In Spain and other countries, where leprosy has been eliminated, an increasing number of imported cases have been documented, especially from South Africa and South America. The diagnosis of leprosy is mainly clinical, based on the signs established

In a preliminary clinical study, we observed that the combination of hydroxychloroquine and azithromycin was effective against SARS-CoV-2 by shortening the duration of viral load in Covid-19 patients. It is of paramount importance to define when a treated patient can be considered as no longer contagious. Correlation between successful isolation of virus in cell culture and Ct value of quantitative

Early classification of 2019 novel coronavirus disease (COVID-19) is essential for disease cure and control. Compared with reverse-transcription polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR), chest computed tomography (CT) imaging may be a significantly more trustworthy, useful, and rapid technique to classify and evaluate COVID-19, specifically in the epidemic region. Almost all hospitals have CT imaging machines;

Coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19), caused by severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2), is a new infectious disease that first emerged in Hubei province, China, in December 2019, which was found to be associated with a large seafood and animal market in Wuhan. Airway epithelial cells from infected patients were used to isolate a novel coronavirus, named the SARS-CoV-2, on January

Tuberculosis (TB) can manifest prolonged fever or fever of unknown origin, especially when it is located extrapulmonary. We report a case of disseminated TB complicated by iliac bone osteolysis and a gluteal abscess in a 75-year-old female patient with fever and bone marrow dysplasia. Diagnosis of TB was made despite transient false-positive high-titer agglutination tests and ELISA antibodies to Brucella

To evaluate the ground susceptibility of urinary Escherichia coli and Klebsiella pneumoniae to temocillin, the susceptibility of temocillin and comparators against 500 clinical isolates (231 E. coli and 269 K. pneumoniae) was tested. Temocillin was either found as the most active antibiotic (susceptibility rate of 92%) or the fourth most active antibiotic (65%), as per its urinary and systemic breakpoint

Pharyngeal carriage is the reservoir for Neisseria meningitidis in the population and the first step in disease transmission. Especially in young infants and adolescents, N. meningitidis can cause serious invasive infection with high fatality rates and high rates of long-term sequelae among survivors. The aim of this study was to determine N. meningitidis colonization rates in asymptomatic health care

The emergence of multidrug-resistant (MDR) strains is a major health problem worldwide. There is an urgent need for novel strategies to combat bacterial infections caused by MDR strains like Pseudomonas aeruginosa and Acinetobacter baumannii. Quorum sensing (QS) is a critical communication system in bacterial community controlling survival and virulence. The awareness of the importance of QS in bacterial

To analyze the susceptibility of SARS-CoV-2 in pregnancy and the drugs that can be used to treat pregnancy with COVID-19, so as to provide evidence for drug selection in clinic. By reviewing the existing literature, this paper analyzes the susceptibility of pregnant women to virus, especially to SARS-CoV-2, from the aspects of anatomical, reproductive endocrine and immune changes during pregnancy and

Distinguishing between hypervirulent Klebsiella pneumoniae (hvKp) and classical Klebsiella pneumoniae (cKp) is a challenge to clinical laboratories. The aim of this study was to determine the practicability of combining the G. mellonella killing assay with a string test to differentiate hvKp from cKp. One hundred and three clinical K. pneumoniae isolates were collected. PCR amplification and wzi sequencing

Polymyxins are becoming an added value for treating infections due to multidrug-resistant Pseudomonas aeruginosa. Therefore, the Rapid Polymyxin/Pseudomonas NP test was developed for the identification of polymyxin resistance in P. aeruginosa isolates. This test detects the bacterial growth in a medium containing a defined concentration of colistin. Formation of basic metabolites is visually detected

Homeless people are often exposed to unhygienic environments as well as to animals carrying arthropods which both transmit zoonotic infections and human louse-borne pathogens. We attempted to determine the prevalence of antibodies against several vector-borne and zoonotic pathogens among homeless adults living in Marseille. During the 2005-2015 period, we collected sera samples from 821 homeless adults