Background Most epidemiologic studies and clinical testing use a single nasal/nasopharyngeal swab for RSV detection. Previous studies have documented that RSV detection improves if a single additional specimen is added to nasal/nasopharyngeal swab, but the impact of using multiple specimen types has not been assessed. We quantified RSV the increase in RSV detection using multiple specimen testing compared

We detected St. Louis encephalitis virus (SLEV) in 0.16% (3/3,375) of Aedes and Sabethes spp. mosquitoes captured during 2016–2018 in São Paulo State, Brazil. We also isolated and confirmed that the SLEV strains belong to genotype III. Continued surveillance is required to clarify the burden of SLEV in Brazil.

Two exemplary cases of mixed urogenital and intestinal schistosomiasis in Malawi show hybridizations of Schistosoma mattheei with S. haematobium and S. mansoni, indicating newly emerging genetic diversity. Complex egg excretion patterns in feces expose current diagnostic gaps and alert to future sampling needs for effective surveillance of zoonotic schistosomiasis.

Background Even after successful treatment, individuals surviving tuberculosis (TB) disease experience elevated mortality rates. However, there is limited evidence on how these risks vary over time and by individual characteristics. Methods We conducted a retrospective cohort study of individuals diagnosed with TB in Brazil, using national TB notifications and linked mortality records for 2007-2016

Introduction Human Herpesvirus-6 (HHV-6) DNAemia is not rare in intensive care unit (ICU) patients. However, evidence for a causal association of HHV-6 DNAemia with organ disease and with mortality is limited in this setting. In ICU patients with HHV-6 DNAemia, we sought to 1) assess the prevalence of HHV-6 disease, 2) identify risk factors for HHV-6 disease and 3) investigate its association with

The study investigates therapeutic strategies for managing chronic Mycobacterium abscessus infections, particularly in people with cystic fibrosis (PWCF) who are ineligible for standard elexacaftor, tezacaftor, ivakaftor (ETI) treatments. Apoptotic body-like liposomes loaded with phosphatidylinositol 5-phosphate (ABL/PI5P) were tested in vitro in M. abscessus-infected macrophages from PWCF as potential

Assessing the time-varying effectiveness of COVID-19 vaccines is critical to guiding vaccine strategies and public health policies. We developed a Bayesian framework to estimate the waning vaccine effectiveness of various doses of CoronaVac and Comirnaty based on population-level surveillance data. We applied this framework to data on a large Omicron BA.2 epidemic in Hong Kong from January to May 2022

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Lactational mastitis is a common condition during breastfeeding, which, in rare cases, can progress to life-threatening necrotising mastitis, particularly in cases where Streptococcus pyogenes is involved. The development of streptococcal toxic shock syndrome (STSS) is associated with a fatality rate of approximately 50%. In this Grand Round, we present the case of a healthy mother, aged 35 years,

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Background To reduce atherosclerotic cardiovascular disease (ASCVD) among US people living with HIV (PLWH), it is critical to assess shortfalls in statin initiation. We aimed to describe patterns in clinically-indicated statin initiation among demographically similar people with, or at increased vulnerability to, HIV. Methods Using data from the Multicenter AIDS Cohort Study and Women’s Interagency

BACKGROUND Clostridioides difficile infection (CDI) primarily affects older patients with comorbid conditions and has a high mortality rate. Fecal microbiota transplantation (FMT) is effective and cost-effective for CDI. In a recent study, we demonstrated the clinical benefits of combining hospital-at-home care with FMT for older patients with CDI, but its cost-effectiveness remains unknown. The current

Background Despite universal influenza vaccine recommendation in the US, vaccination coverage rates (VCR) in working-age adults (18–64 years) remain suboptimal. Studies have suggested that recombinant influenza vaccines (RIV) offer better protection than standard-dose inactivated influenza vaccines (SD-IIV) in those ages. We explored the potential added benefit of recommending RIV for the US working-age

Background Lower respiratory tract infections (LRTI) in infants are commonly caused by viral and bacterial infections, alone or in combination. We investigated associations between LRTI and infant nasopharyngeal (NP) viruses and bacteria in South African infants. Methods In a case-control study of infants enrolled in a birth cohort, LRTI cases were identified prospectively and age-matched with controls

Background Limited estimates exist on population-level impact of partner notification (PN) for gonorrhea with uncertainty in the influence of local epidemiology on PN effectiveness. An ecological study in New York found a 6% reduction in diagnoses with a 10% increase in PN coverage. We estimated gonorrhea incidence reductions via partner notification across different epidemiological conditions to compare

The Middle East respiratory syndrome coronavirus (MERS-CoV) was first identified in 2012 and has since spread worldwide. To date, no vaccines or therapeutics against MERS have been approved for clinical use. The spike (S) protein of MERS-CoV facilitates attachment and fusion with target cell membranes. Therefore, inhibiting S protein attachment represents a key therapeutic strategy for treating early

Increasing artemisinin partial resistance (ART-R) due to mutations in the gene encoding Kelch13 (Pfk13) protein in eastern Africa is of urgent concern, and mutations, such as Pfk13 P441L, continue to emerge. We used an amplicon deep-sequencing panel to estimate the prevalence of validated and candidate ART-R Pfk13 mutations in samples collected between 2018 and 2023 in southern Zambia. Pfk13 P441L

Background Variability in the pharmacokinetics (PK) of first-line anti-tuberculosis drugs (rifampicin -RIF, isoniazid -INH and pyrazinamide (PZA)) is high and may be influenced by pharmacogenetic polymorphism. We performed a pharmacogenetic substudy in 90 participants with PK data from the HIRIF trial in Peru. Methods Relevant single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) in the NAT2, SLCO1B1, AADAC and AOX1

In 2023, an outbreak of highly pathogenic avian influenza occurred among critically endangered California condors (Gymnogyps californianus), and >21 died. We evaluated safety, immunogenicity, vaccination strategies, and correlates of antibody response of an influenza vaccine for poultry in black vultures (Coragyps atratus) and then California condors. We noted differences in antibody titers between

We report a case of a 61-year-old man in New York, USA, who had recurrent Aerococcus urinae endocarditis that first involved his native and then his bioprosthetic tricuspid valve. We demonstrate that a complicated A. urinae endocarditis case can be successfully treated with single-agent antimicrobial drug therapy and surgery.

In Brazil, Leishmania (Leishmania) infantum causes canine visceral leishmaniasis; the primary vector is the Lutzomyia longipalpis sand fly. We describe a case of canine visceral leishmaniasis caused by Leishmania (Viannia) lainsoni in a dog from Barra Mansa municipality, Rio de Janeiro state. Better specificity of serologic diagnostic techniques is needed for diagnoses.

We administered L-type bovine spongiform encephalopathy prions to macaques to determine their potential for transmission to humans. After 75 months, no clinical symptoms appeared, and prions were undetectable in any tissue by Western blot or immunohistochemistry. Protein misfolding cyclic amplification, however, revealed prions in the nerve and lymphoid tissues.

AbstractThe identification of a novel virus related to the family Tombusviridae, provisionally named human tombus-like virus (hTLV), is significant in the context of ongoing surveillance for respiratory pathogens. Meta-transcriptomic sequencing was utilized to detect respiratory pathogens in patients with lower respiratory tract infections (LRIs) in Jinan, China, from 2022 to 2023. The additional hTLV

AbstractThe serum complement system is a cornerstone element of the innate immune response. Bacterial resistance to this system is a multifaceted process involving various proteins and molecular mechanisms. Here, we report several genes required for the growth of Yersinia pestis in serum. Among them, we found that ypo0337 encodes an outer-membrane-associated lectin that recruits factor H, C4BP and

BACKGROUND Non-sputum-based, point-of-care triage tests for pulmonary tuberculosis could enhance tuberculosis diagnostic programs. We assessed the diagnostic accuracy of 2 finger-stick blood tests: the Cepheid 3 gene host-response cartridge (Xpert-HR), which measures 3 host messenger RNA transcripts, and the 3-host protein multibiomarker test (MBT). METHODS We performed a prospective diagnostic accuracy

Background TB APPRISE (IMPAACT P1078), a Phase IV randomized, multi-country non-inferiority trial assessing the safety of 28 weeks of isoniazid preventive therapy (IPT) initiated during pregnancy (immediate IPT) versus deferring to week 12 postpartum (deferred IPT) in people living with HIV on antiretroviral therapy, showed higher than expected hepatotoxicity. We investigated the potential roles of

BACKGROUND Early-childhood antibiotic exposure has been implicated in the development of chronic pediatric conditions, but many studies leave concerns about unmeasured confounding. We evaluated associations between early-childhood antibiotic exposure and allergic, autoimmune, or neurodevelopmental/psychiatric conditions. METHODS We performed a retrospective cohort study using electronic health records

Antiretroviral therapy (ART) suppresses HIV replication, reverses immunodeficiency, and reduces AIDS-related symptoms, but non-AIDS co-morbidities like cardiovascular diseases remain a major challenge for people living with HIV (PLWH). The pathogenic mechanisms driving these co-morbidities are poorly understood. We previously showed that the HIV protein Nef contributes to chronic inflammation in PLWH

Introduction Gut pathogen colonization with Vancomycin-resistant Enterococcus (VRE) is common in the intensive care unit (ICU) and is associated with worse clinical outcomes, yet the timing of VRE colonization and its collateral effects on the gut microbiome are incompletely understood. Methods Medical ICU patients admitted with sepsis and receiving broad-spectrum antibiotics were sampled via deep

Etymologia

We detected Histoplasma capsulatum in 2 bat-inhabited tunnels of a tourist route in northern Spain. This finding confirms that the geographic distribution of this fungal pathogen is wider than previously thought. Our results highlights the need for surveillance and assessment of the potential infection risk for workers and visitors.

We screened 1,972 febrile patients from the Peruvian Amazon in 2020–2021 for Venezuelan equine encephalitis virus (VEEV). Neutralizing antibody detection rate was 3.9%; 2 patients were PCR positive. Genome identity compared with VEEV subtype ID strains was 97.6%–98.1%. Evidence for purifying selection and ancestry ≈54 years ago corroborated VEEV endemicity.

We report 1.3% (19/1,511) of Egyptian rousette bats (ERBs) in Uganda and Sierra Leone were co-infected with different combinations of Marburg, Sosuga, Kasokero, or Yogue viruses. To prevent infection by those viruses, we recommend avoiding ERB-populated areas, avoiding ERBs and ERB-contaminated objects, and thoroughly washing harvested fruits before consumption.

SARS-CoV-2 case surveillance in the United States did not distinguish first infections from reinfections. In a large blood donor cohort, self-reported first infections and reinfections during 2020–2022 mirrored public health case count surveillance, and reinfection incidence peaked in 2022. Blood donor data could aid in SARS-CoV-2 and emerging infectious disease surveillance.

During the 2022–23 winter season, >1,500 endangered cranes, including hooded crane (Grus monacha) and white-naped crane (Grus vipio), were found debilitated or dead in the Izumi Plain, Japan. Most of the cranes, particularly those collected in November, were infected with highly pathogenic avian influenza (HPAI) H5N1 viruses; virus shedding was higher from the trachea than from the cloaca. The isolation

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention’s Arctic Investigations Program evaluated whole-genome sequencing (WGS) workflows and bioinformatics pipelines developed by the Centers’ Streptococcus Laboratory. We compared WGS-based antimicrobial drug resistance predictions with phenotypic testing for group B (n = 130) and group A (n = 217) Streptococcus and Streptococcus pneumoniae (n = 293). Isolates

Sequencing and bioinformatic analysis of mpox virus (MPXV) remain challenging in resource-limited settings. We developed and validated a PCR-based sequencing assay that targets a 12.5 kilobase (kb) region that is phylogenetically representative of the whole ∼ 200 kb MPXV genome. We combined this sequencing assay with a lightweight, downloadable, on-and-off-grid-bioinformatics pipeline for rapid phylogenetic

We studied the spatio-temporal distribution of dengue at the micro-scale, along with other important factors for disease transmission, like vector prevalence, seasonality, breeding behaviour, entomological indices, and its relation with environmental and climatic factors in Kolkata, one of the most populous metropolitan cities in India, facing dengue upsurge in recent years. We analysed dengue data

Bartonella spp. are emerging, potentially zoonotic pathogens that are most often transmitted by arthropod vectors or animal bites and scratches. However, the vector species involved in the transmission of human bartonellosis remain poorly understood. This study investigated the presence of Bartonella in Triatoma rubrofasciata from Guangxi and Hainan provinces in China, evaluating its potential role

ABSTRACTSince β-lactam antibiotics are widely used, emergence of bacteria with resistance to them poses a significant threat to society. In particular, acquisition of genes encoding β-lactamase, an enzyme that degrades β-lactam antibiotics, has been a major contributing factor in the emergence of bacteria that are resistant to β-lactam antibiotics. However, relatively few genetic targets for killing

The dynamics of the immune response to severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) breakthrough infections remain unclear, particularly when compared to responses in naive individuals. In this longitudinal prospective cohort study, 13 participants were recruited. Peripheral blood samples were collected every other day until day 7 after symptom onset. Transcriptome sequencing, single-cell

Influenza A hemagglutinin (HA), neuraminidase, and/or M2e-containing virus-like particles (VLPs) induce immune responses that contribute to protection against multiple influenza A virus subtypes. In this study, we investigated the protective efficacy of influenza A/H1H3 VLPs against influenza B virus infections (B/Colorado/06/2017 and B/Malaysia/2506/2004, Victoria lineage) in mice. A/H1H3 VLP immunization

Background Treatment guidelines recommend rapidly treating all patients with suspected sepsis with broad-spectrum antibiotics. This may contribute to antibiotic overuse. We quantified the incidence of antibiotic overtreatment and possible antibiotic-associated harms among patients with suspected sepsis. Methods We reviewed the medical records of 600 adults treated for suspected sepsis with anti–methicillin-resistant

BACKGROUND Vaccine immunogenicity is reduced in kidney transplant recipients (KTRs), especially in those using mycophenolate mofetil (MMF). Whether replacement of MMF by everolimus improves vaccine immunogenicity is unknown. METHODS KTRs were randomized 1:1 to continue MMF or switch to everolimus. Participants received one coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) booster vaccination and two herpes zoster

Background Hepatitis C virus (HCV) is a leading cause of infectious disease death in the United States. Although highly effective direct-acting antiviral (DAA) regimens are well established, retreatment among people who inject drugs (PWID) has not been sufficiently studied. This study assessed DAA retreatment outcomes and associated factors. Methods We performed analyses of longitudinal data from the

Background Incarcerated people are disproportionately burdened with hepatitis C virus (HCV) infection and experience elevated risk of re-infection following treatment. Medication for opioid use disorder (MOUD) has been shown to reduce, but not eliminate, re-infection. Research is lacking on patient-level factors associated with HCV re-infection in incarcerated populations in the United States receiving

Routine screening for any condition in a clinical setting should be pragmatic, meaning that the screening is feasible, relevant, and actionable to patients and providers. Glasgow et al. proposed a set of criteria to evaluate whether or not a screening tool can be considered pragmatic. Although recent guidelines recommend screening for frailty among older adults with HIV, routine frailty screening may

Background There are inconsistencies in guidelines concerning the necessity for anti-syphilis re-treatment during pregnancy for women who tested seropositive despite having received treatment before pregnancy. While global guidelines indicate that no further treatment is necessary, Chinese guidelines advocate for an additional treatment course. Methods A prospective nested case-control study was conducted

Background Classical scrapie in sheep is caused by several different strains rather than a single strain, as is the case for epidemic classical bovine spongiform encephalopathy (BSE). Polymorphisms R171 and K176 located in the β2-α2 loop region of sheep-PrP have been associated with potential protection for the propagation of classical scrapie. Methods The protective role of R171 and K176 polymorphic

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BackgroundThe 2017 WHO Bacterial Priority Pathogens List (BPPL) has been instrumental in guiding global policy, research and development, and investments to address the most urgent threats from antibiotic-resistant pathogens, and it is a key public health tool for the prevention and control of antimicrobial resistance (AMR). Since its release, at least 13 new antibiotics targeting bacterial priority

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