Clinical Microbiology and Infection最新文献

Objectives: The aim of this study was to determine predictors for helminthiasis among travellers and migrants with eosinophilia for which a visto to tropical regions or endemic regions for common helminthiasis had been registered.

Methods: A retrospective cohort study was performed using electronic health records of 23,905 patients with eosinophilia (January-2011 to August-2021) at Karolinska University Hospital, (Stockholm), including patients tested for helminthiasis with a registered stay in a helminth endemic region. Outcomes were diagnosis of any helminthiasis, and diagnosis of schistosomiasis and strongyloidiasis. Multivariable logistic regression was used to assess associations between potential predictors and helminthiases with a backwards stepwise elimination approach until a predictive model was reached in which each variable had a p-value<0.15.

Results: Of 1,112 eligible patients with eosinophilia and documented stay in endemic regions, 219 (19.7%) had been diagnosed with helminthiasis, most frequently schistosomiasis (n=95, 43.4%) and strongyloidiasis (n=64, 29.2%). A stay in Sub-Saharan Africa (SSA),(OR 8.2 [95%CI 2.44-27.56]), malaise and fatigue (OR 2.65 [0.77-9.09]) and high-grade eosinophilia >1500cells/μl, (2.26, [1.54-3.32]) were the most important predictors for any helminthiasis (AUC: 0.77 [0.74-0.80). A SSA origin (2.97 [1.11-7.95]), malaise and fatigue (5.48 (1.13-26.63) and high-grade eosinophilia, (1.53, [0.86-2.71]) were predictors for schistosomiasis (AUC: 0.74 [0.70-0.77]; whereas SSA origin (5.68 [3.04-10.59]), itching symptom (5.05 [1.32-19.36], and high-grade eosinophilia (2.42, [1.33-4.41]) were predictors for strongyloidiasis (AUC: 0.73 [0.69-0.76]).

Conclusions: A stay in an endemic region, specifically SSA, having high-grade eosinophilia, and malaise and fatigue were the most important predictors for helminthiasis. Itching was an additional predictor for strongyloidiasis.

Objectives: This study aimed to assess the long-term persistence of neutralizing antibodies (nAb) titres and seroprotection proportions after the fourth and fifth doses of inactivated polio vaccine (IPV).

Methods: Serum samples from 299 children in Hong Kong were collected and used to estimate the persistence of nAb titres and seroprotection proportions by neutralisation test.

Results: The mean nAb titres against poliovirus types 1, 2, and 3 (PV1, PV2, and PV3) 1 month after receiving the fourth dose of IPV at 19 months of age were 2068 (95% credible interval, 1517-2864); 4705 (3439-6436); and 2758 (1894-4086); respectively, but declined substantially in 4 years to 268 (222-325), 751 (630-900), and 411 (323-521), respectively. Administration of the fifth dose of IPV restored nAb titres among children aged 6 to 7 years, and the decline in nAb titres was slightly slower with the estimated mean titres of 355 (272-462), 538 (427-681), and 548 (378-786) against PV1, PV2, and PV3 at 4 years post the fifth dose. We estimated that the proportion of children who were seroprotected against PV1, PV2, and PV3 would drop below 90%: (i) 8.2, 10.8, and 8.7 years after the fourth dose; and (ii) 11.6, 11.2, and 11.0 years after the fifth dose.

Discussion: The results revealed the immuno-persistence after the fourth and fifth doses of IPV and highlighted the importance of completing immunization series to ensure high vaccination coverage, particularly among children in the developing countries affected by the COVID-19 pandemic.

Background: Viral diseases represent a substantial global health challenge, necessitating the urgent development of effective antiviral medications.

Objectives: This review aims to present a thorough examination of systemic antiviral drugs approved by the European Medicines Agency (EMA) since its founding, excluding those targeting HIV, with a focus on preclinical and clinical studies in the drug development process.

Sources: Data was extracted from the European Public Assessment Reports and Summary of Product Characteristics issued by the EMA.

Content: In total, 21 currently approved agents were analysed with a focus on preclinical and clinical studies. The majority of substances have been approved for hepatitis C (38%) and B (19%) followed by influenza and SARS-CoV-2 (14% and 10%, respectively). A smaller subset obtained approval for the indications of hepatitis D, cytomegalovirus, and pox viruses. As for preclinical studies, heterogeneity in the methods used for efficacy studies was observed, which is at least partly explained by the diverse nature of viruses and their hosts and the lack of general guidelines for antiviral pharmacokinetics and pharmacodynamics studies by the EMA. Clinical studies varied in sample sizes, ranging from a few hundred to several thousand patients. Many antiviral agents have a high potential for cytochrome P450 (CYP) and other enzyme interactions, resulting in the need for a high number of drug-drug interaction studies. Special market authorizations are available, including conditional approval for urgently required drugs such as nirmatrelvir/ritonavir for the treatment of COVID-19, and authorization under exceptional circumstances when comprehensive data cannot be provided, as seen with tecovirimat for pox viruses.

Implications: Streamlining the drug development process of antiviral substances and providing more guidelines would be crucial given the ongoing demand for effective treatment options for existing and new viral diseases.

Objectives: In high tuberculosis (TB) burden countries such as Bangladesh, research and policy tend to focus on rifampicin (RIF)-resistant TB patients, leaving RIF-sensitive but isoniazid (INH)-resistant (Hr-TB) patients undiagnosed. Our study aims to determine the prevalence of INH resistance among pulmonary TB patients in selected health care facilities in Bangladesh.

Methods: This study was conducted across nine TB Screening and Treatment Centres situated in Bangladesh. Sputum samples from 1084 Xpert-positive pulmonary TB patients were collected between April 2021 and December 2022 and cultured for drug susceptibility testing. Demographic and clinical characteristics of Hr-TB and drug-susceptible TB patients were compared.

Results: Among available drug susceptibility testing results of 998 culture-positive isolates, the resistance rate of any INH regardless of RIF susceptibility was 6.4% (64/998, 95% CI: 4.9-8.2). The rate was significantly higher in previously treated (21.1%, 16/76, 95% CI: 12.0-34.2) compared with newly diagnosed TB patients (5.2%, 48/922, 95% CI: 3.8-6.9) (p < 0.001). The rate of Hr-TB was 4.5% (45/998, 95% CI: 3.3-6.0), which was also higher among previously treated patients (6.6%, 5/76, 95% CI: 1.4-13.5) compared with newly diagnosed TB patients (4.3%; 40/922, 95% CI: 3.1-5.9) (p 0.350). Most importantly, the rate of Hr-TB was more than double compared with MDR-TB (4.5%, 45/998, vs. 1.9%, 19/998) found in the current study.

Discussion: This study reveals a high prevalence of Hr-TB, surpassing even that of the multi-drug-resistant TB in Bangladesh. This emphasizes the urgent need to adopt WHO-recommended molecular tools at the national level for rapid detection of INH resistance so that patients receive timely and appropriate treatment.