Articles

Protective population behavior change in outbreaks of emerging infectious disease

During outbreaks of emerging and re-emerging infections, the lack of effective drugs and vaccines increases reliance on non-pharmacologic public health interventions and behavior change to limit human-to-human...

Authors: Evans K. Lodge, Annakate M. Schatz and John M. Drake

Comparison of capillary, venous and buffy coat blood samples in detecting Plasmodium species among malaria suspected patients attending at Hamusite health center. A cross-sectional study

Both capillary and venous blood samples have been interchangeably used for the diagnosis of malaria in Ethiopia. However, Plasmodium parasites are thought to be more concentrated in capillary than in venous blood...

Authors: Getu Abeje, Woyneshet Gelaye and Getaneh Alemu

Adenosine deaminase negative pleural tuberculosis: a case report

A pleural fluid adenosine deaminase (ADA) has been used globally to assist in the diagnosis of a tuberculous pleural effusion (TPE) with a notable negative predictive value.

Authors: Zachary H. Boggs, Scott Heysell, Joshua Eby and Christopher Arnold

Correlation between white blood cell count at admission and mortality in COVID-19 patients: a retrospective study

Coronavirus disease-19 (COVID-19) has become a world health threaten. Its risk factors with death were still not known. White blood cells (WBC) count as a reflection of inflammation has played a vital role in ...

Authors: Bin Zhu, Xiaokai Feng, Chunguo Jiang, Song Mi, Liya Yang, Zhigang Zhao, Yong Zhang and Liming Zhang

Clinical and experimental phenotype of azole-resistant Aspergillus fumigatus with a HapE splice site mutation: a case report

The recent increase in cases of azole-resistant Aspergillus fumigatus (ARAf) infections is a major clinical concern owing to its treatment limitations. Patient-derived ARAf occurs after prolonged azole treatment ...

Authors: Yuya Ito, Takahiro Takazono, Satoru Koga, Yuichiro Nakano, Nobuyuki Ashizawa, Tatsuro Hirayama, Masato Tashiro, Tomomi Saijo, Kazuko Yamamoto, Yoshifumi Imamura, Taiga Miyazaki, Katsunori Yanagihara, Koichi Izumikawa and Hiroshi Mukae

Burden of illness in US hospitals due to carbapenem-resistant Gram-negative urinary tract infections in patients with or without bacteraemia

Urinary tract infections (UTIs) are the most common infections caused by Gram-negative bacteria and represent a major healthcare burden. Carbapenem-resistant (CR) strains of Enterobacterales and non-lactose fe...

Authors: Ryan K. Shields, Yun Zhou, Hemanth Kanakamedala and Bin Cai

Antibiotic prescriptions and risk factors for antimicrobial resistance in patients hospitalized with urinary tract infection: a matched case-control study using the French health insurance database (SNDS)

Antibiotic resistance is increasing among urinary pathogens, resulting in worse clinical and economic outcomes. We analysed factors associated with antibiotic-resistant bacteria (ARB) in patients hospitalized ...

Authors: Marion Opatowski, Christian Brun-Buisson, Mehdi Touat, Jérôme Salomon, Didier Guillemot, Philippe Tuppin and Laurence Watier

Three transmission events of Vibrio cholerae O1 into Lusaka, Zambia

Cholera has been present and recurring in Zambia since 1977. However, there is a paucity of data on genetic relatedness and diversity of the Vibrio cholerae isolates responsible for these outbreaks. Understanding...

Authors: John Mwaba, Amanda K. Debes, Kelsey N. Murt, Patrick Shea, Michelo Simuyandi, Natasha Laban, Katayi Kazimbaya, Caroline Chisenga, Shan Li, Mathieu Almeida, Jacquelyn S. Meisel, Aaron Shibemba, Timothy Kantenga, Victor Mukonka, Geoffrey Kwenda, David A. Sack…

Evaluation of Geenius HIV-1/2 Confirmatory Assay for the confirmatory and differential diagnosis of HIV-1/HIV-2 in Japan and reliability of the Geenius Reader in the diagnosis of HIV-2

NEW LAV BLOT I and II (LAV I and LAV II), they were only option for human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) confirmatory test, following HIV screening test using HIV Ag/Ab combination test in Japan. We evaluated th...

Authors: Shigeru Kusagawa, Ai Kawana-Tachikawa, Keiji Matsubayashi, Yuji Hoshi, Ken Ishimaru and Isao Hamaguchi

Diagnostic tools for neurosyphilis: a systematic review

Increasing incidences of syphilis highlight the preoccupation with the occurrence of neurosyphilis. This study aimed to understand the current diagnostic tools and their performance to detect neurosyphilis, in...

Authors: Gustavo Henrique Pereira Boog, João Vitor Ziroldo Lopes, João Vitor Mahler, Marina Solti, Lucas Tokio Kawahara, Andre Kakinoki Teng, João Victor Taba Munhoz and Anna S. Levin

Short-term and long-term safety and efficacy of tenofovir alafenamide, tenofovir disoproxil fumarate and entecavir treatment of acute-on-chronic liver failure associated with hepatitis B

There is limited evidence on the efficacy and safety of nucleos(t) ide analogues (NAs) in the treatment of HBV-ACLF. Our objective was to evaluate the outcomes among TAF, TDF and ETV, three first-line antivira...

Authors: Juan Li, Chunhua Hu, Yi Chen, Rou Zhang, Shan Fu, Mimi Zhou, Zhijie Gao, Mengjun Fu, Taotao Yan, Yuan Yang, Jianzhou Li, Jinfeng Liu, Tianyan Chen, Yingren Zhao and Yingli He

Vitamin D and COVID-19 severity and related mortality: a prospective study in Italy

Vitamin D deficiency has been suggested to favor a poorer outcome of Coronavirus disease-19 (COVID-19). We aimed to assess if 25-hydroxyvitamin-D (25OHD) levels are associated with interleukin 6 (IL-6) levels ...

Authors: Irene Campi, Luigi Gennari, Daniela Merlotti, Christian Mingiano, Alessandro Frosali, Luca Giovanelli, Camilla Torlasco, Martino F. Pengo, Francesca Heilbron, Davide Soranna, Antonella Zambon, Marta Di Stefano, Carmen Aresta, Marco Bonomi, Biagio Cangiano, Vittoria Favero…

A case of peritoneal dialysis-associated peritonitis caused by Rhodococcus kroppenstedtii

Rhodococcus kroppenstedtii is an aerobic, gram-positive bacterium firstly identified in the environment, which has not been reported in human-related infection. Herein, we reported the first case of peritoneal di...

Authors: Yi Kang, Yuxin Chen, Zhifeng Zhang, Han Shen, Wanqing Zhou and Chao Wu

Isolation and characterization of Listeria monocytogenes among women attending Jimma University medical center, Southwest Ethiopia

Listeria monocytogenes (LM) has come to be a major public health issue of at-risk groups, causing high morbidity and mortality. Despite this data, studies are very limited in developing countries like Ethiopia. T...

Authors: Lencho Girma, Alene Geteneh, Demisew Amenu and Tesfaye Kassa

Prevalence and associated factors of psychological distress in tuberculosis patients in Northeast China: a cross-sectional study

Psychological distress, a major comorbidities of tuberculosis (TB) patients, has posed a serious threat to the progress being made in global TB programs by affecting treatment adherence and health outcomes. Ho...

Authors: Xu Chen, Ruiheng Wu, Jia Xu, Jiawei Wang, Mingcheng Gao, Yunting Chen, Yuanping Pan, Haoqiang Ji, Yuxin Duan, Meng Sun, Liang Du and Ling Zhou

Import and transmission of Mycobacterium orygis and Mycobacterium africanum, Norway

The aim of the current study was to improve our understanding of the origins and transmission of Mycobacterium africanum (MAF) in Norway.

Authors: Vegard Eldholm, Janne O. Rønning, Anne Torunn Mengshoel and Trude Arnesen

Immunological and virological discordance among people living with HIV on highly active antiretroviral therapy in Tigray, Northern Ethiopia

People living with human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) with immuno-virological discordant responses are at an increased risk to develop acquired immunodeficiency syndrome (AIDS) and severe non AIDS events which...

Authors: Genet Gebrehiwet Hailu and Araya Gebreyesus Wasihun

Clinical, laboratory, and chest CT features of severe versus non-severe pediatric patients with COVID-19 infection among different age groups

This study was performed with the intention of comparing the clinical, laboratory, and chest computed tomography (CT) findings between severe and non-severe patients as well as between different age groups com...

Authors: Meisam Hoseinyazdi, Saeid Esmaeilian, Reza Jahankhah, Arash Teimouri, Farzaneh Ghazi Sherbaf, Faranak Rafiee, Reza Jalli and Sedighe Hooshmandi

Antimicrobial resistance and molecular epidemiological typing of Neisseria gonorrhoeae isolates from Kyrgyzstan in Central Asia, 2012 and 2017

Gonorrhoea and antimicrobial resistance (AMR) in Neisseria gonorrhoeae are significant public health concerns globally. Nearly no gonococcal AMR data are available from Central Asia, and no data from Kyrgyzstan h...

Authors: Saliya Karymbaeva, Iryna Boiko, Susanne Jacobsson, Galina Mamaeva, Ainagul Ibraeva, Dilara Usupova, Daniel Golparian and Magnus Unemo

Comparison between RT-qPCR for SARS-CoV-2 and expanded triage in sputum of symptomatic and asymptomatic COVID-19 subjects in Ecuador

The quantitative reverse transcriptase-polymerase chain reaction (RT-qPCR) effectively detects the SARS-COV-2 virus. SARS-CoV-2 Nevertheless, some critical gaps remain in the identification and monitoring of a...

Authors: Ariel Torres, Martha Fors, Tamaris Rivero, Karina Pantoja and Santiago Ballaz

Inflammation and microbial translocation measured prior to combination antiretroviral therapy (cART) and long-term probability of clinical progression in people living with HIV

Despite the effectiveness of cART, people living with HIV still experience an increased risk of serious non-AIDS events, as compared to the HIV negative population. Whether pre-cART microbial translocation (MT...

Authors: Esther Merlini, Alessandro Cozzi-lepri, Antonella Castagna, Andrea Costantini, Sergio Lo Caputo, Stefania Carrara, Eugenia Quiros Roldan, Maria A. Ursitti, Andrea Antinori, Antonella D’Arminio Monforte and Giulia Marchetti

Bacteraemia variation during the COVID-19 pandemic; a multi-centre UK secondary care ecological analysis

We investigated for change in blood stream infections (BSI) with Enterobacterales, coagulase negative staphylococci (CoNS), Streptococcus pneumoniae, and Staphylococcus aureus during the first UK wave of SARS-CoV...

Authors: Sarah Denny, Timothy M. Rawson, Peter Hart, Giovanni Satta, Ahmed Abdulaal, Stephen Hughes, Mark Gilchrist, Nabeela Mughal and Luke S. P. Moore

COVID-19 and gastrointestinal symptoms in Mexico, a systematic review: does location matter?

Covid-19 in Mexico is on the rise in different parts of the country. We aimed to study the symptoms and comorbidities that associate with this pandemic in 3 different regions of Mexico.

Authors: Antonio Pizuorno, Nora A. Fierro, Edgar D. Copado-Villagrana, María E. Herrera-Solís, Gholamreza Oskrochi, Hassan Brim and Hassan Ashktorab

Human papillomavirus genotypes and the risk factors associated with multicentric intraepithelial lesions of the lower genital tract: a retrospective study

Multicentric intraepithelial lesions of the lower genital tract (multicentric lesions) were defined as intraepithelial lesions of two or three sites within cervix, vagina, and vulva occurring synchronously or ...

Authors: Jing Zhang, Guangcong Liu, Xiaoli Cui, Huihui Yu and Danbo Wang

Inequities in childhood immunisation coverage associated with socioeconomic, geographic, maternal, child, and place of birth characteristics in Kenya

The global Immunisation Agenda 2030 highlights coverage and equity as a strategic priority goal to reach high equitable immunisation coverage at national levels and in all districts. We estimated inequities in...

Authors: Simon Allan, Ifedayo M. O. Adetifa and Kaja Abbas

Clinical application of cell-free next-generation sequencing for infectious diseases at a tertiary children’s hospital

Children affected by infectious diseases may not always have a detectable infectious etiology. Diagnostic uncertainty can lead to prolonged hospitalizations, inappropriately broad or extended courses of antibi...

Authors: Julianne Wilke, Nanda Ramchandar, Christopher Cannavino, Alice Pong, Adriana Tremoulet, Leidy Tovar Padua, Helen Harvey, Jennifer Foley, Lauge Farnaes and Nicole G. Coufal

Risk factors for measles outbreak in Ataq and Habban districts, Shabwah governorate, Yemen, February to May 2018

Recent conflict and war in Yemen lead to collapse of the health system, decrease of immunization coverage and spread of many outbreaks. On May 22, 2018, the surveillance officer in Shabwah governorate reported...

Authors: Abdulkareem Ali Hussein Nassar, Mohammed Abdullah Al Amad, Mohammed Qasim and Fekri Dureab

What is the burden of osteomyelitis in Germany? An analysis of inpatient data from 2008 through 2018

The epidemiology of osteomyelitis in Germany is unknown, which makes it difficult to estimate future demands. Therefore, we aimed to analyse how the numbers of cases have developed over the last decade as a fu...

Authors: Nike Walter, Susanne Baertl, Volker Alt and Markus Rupp

Associated risk factors with disease severity and antiviral drug therapy in patients with COVID-19

Due to the latent onset of novel coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19), it is important to identify patients with increased probabilities for disease progression early in order to implement timely medical strate...

Authors: Xiaowei Gong, Shiwei Kang, Xianfeng Guo, Yan Li, Haixiang Gao and Yadong Yuan

Containing pandemics through targeted testing of households

While invasive social distancing measures have proven efficient to control the spread of pandemics failing wide-scale deployment of vaccines, they carry vast societal costs. The development of a diagnostic met...

Authors: André Voigt, Nikolay Martyushenko, Emil Karlsen, Martina Hall, Kristen Nyhamar, Stig William Omholt and Eivind Almaas

Prevalence and risk factors associated with multi-drug resistant organisms (MDRO) carriage among pediatric patients at the time of admission in a tertiary care hospital of a developing country. A cross-sectional study

The rise of Multidrug-resistant organisms (MDROs) poses a considerable burden on the healthcare systems, particularly in low-middle income countries like Pakistan. There is a scarcity of data on the carriage o...

Authors: Sonia Qureshi, Noshi Maria, Mohammad Zeeshan, Seema Irfan and Farah Naz Qamar

Risk factors for the development of neonatal sepsis in a neonatal intensive care unit of a tertiary care hospital of Nepal

Sepsis is an overwhelming and life-threatening response to bacteria in bloodstream and a major cause of neonatal morbidity and mortality. Understanding the etiology and potential risk factors for neonatal seps...

Authors: Sulochana Manandhar, Puja Amatya, Imran Ansari, Niva Joshi, Nhukesh Maharjan, Sabina Dongol, Buddha Basnyat, Sameer M. Dixit, Stephen Baker and Abhilasha Karkey

The role of combination therapy in the treatment of severe infections caused by carbapenem resistant gram-negatives: a systematic review of clinical studies

Effective treatment of sepsis due to carbapenem-resistant Gram-negative bacteria (CR-GNB) remains a challenge for clinicians worldwide. In recent years, the combination of antibiotics has become the preferred ...

Authors: Alessia Savoldi, Elena Carrara, Laura J. V. Piddock, Francois Franceschi, Sally Ellis, Margherita Chiamenti, Damiano Bragantini, Elda Righi and Evelina Tacconelli

Prospective Assessment of SARS-CoV-2 Seroconversion (PASS) study: an observational cohort study of SARS-CoV-2 infection and vaccination in healthcare workers

SARS-CoV-2 is a recently emerged pandemic coronavirus (CoV) capable of causing severe respiratory illness. However, a significant number of infected people present as asymptomatic or pauci-symptomatic. In this...

Authors: Belinda M. Jackson-Thompson, Emilie Goguet, Eric D. Laing, Cara H. Olsen, Simon Pollett, K. Monique Hollis-Perry, Santina E. Maiolatesi, Luca Illinik, Kathleen F. Ramsey, Anatalio E. Reyes, Yolanda Alcorta, Mimi A. Wong, Julian Davies, Orlando Ortega, Edward Parmelee, Alyssa R. Lindrose…

Two-dose varicella vaccine effectiveness in China: a meta-analysis and evidence quality assessment

The objectives of this review were to evaluate the vaccine effectiveness (VE) of the two-dose varicella vaccine for healthy children in China and explore the application of the approach of Grades of Recommenda...

Authors: Zhujiazi Zhang, Luodan Suo, Jingbin Pan, Dan Zhao and Li Lu

Increased risk factors associated with lower BMD in antiretroviral-therapy–naïve HIV-infected adult male

Low BMD (bone mineral density) has been described as a non–AIDS (Acquired Immune Deficiency Syndrome)-related event in HIV (human immunodeficiency virus)-patients but it is poorly studied in young HIV-infected...

Authors: Patricia Atencio, Alfonso Cabello, Francisco M. Conesa-Buendía, Ramón Pérez-Tanoira, Laura Prieto-Pérez, Irene Carrillo, Beatriz Álvarez, Rosa Arboiro-Pinel, Manuel Díaz-Curiel, Gabriel Herrero-Beaumont, Aránzazu Mediero and Miguel Górgolas

Bacterial and fungal bloodstream infections in pediatric liver and kidney transplant recipients

Bacterial and fungal bloodstream infections (BSI) are common after pediatric liver and kidney transplantations and associated with morbidity and mortality. However, knowledge about incidence rates, pathogen co...

Authors: Dina Leth Møller, Søren Schwartz Sørensen, Neval Ete Wareham, Omid Rezahosseini, Andreas Dehlbæk Knudsen, Jenny Dahl Knudsen, Allan Rasmussen and Susanne Dam Nielsen

Challenging diagnosis of leprosy in a psychotic homeless patient with atypical clinical manifestations: an interesting case report

A decision to diagnose certain skin diseases in patient undergoing psychotic break is challenging; this includes establishing the diagnosis of leprosy. Diagnosis of leprosy is established if there is at least ...

Authors: Hendra Gunawan, Reyshiani Johan, Pati Aji Achdiat and Oki Suwarsa

The African Network for Improved Diagnostics, Epidemiology and Management of common infectious Agents

In sub-Saharan Africa, acute respiratory infections (ARI), acute gastrointestinal infections (GI) and acute febrile disease of unknown cause (AFDUC) have a large disease burden, especially among children, whil...

Authors: Grit Schubert, Vincent Achi, Steve Ahuka, Essia Belarbi, Ouattara Bourhaima, Tim Eckmanns, Siobhan Johnstone, Firmin Kabore, Ouffoue Kra, Adriano Mendes, Abdoul-Salam Ouedraogo, Armel Poda, Arsène Satouro Some, Sara Tomczyk, Emmanuel Couacy-Hymann, Jean-Marie Kayembe…

Correction to: The health-related quality of life in Iranian patients with COVID-19

Authors: Cyrus Alinia, Safura Yaghmaei, Farman Zahir Abdullah, Asad Ahmadi, Nasrin Samadi, Sima Pourteimour, Hossein Safari, Hassan Mahmoodi, Ghobad Moradi and Bakhtiar Piroozi

An unexpected intracerebral lesion – case report of a superinfected aspergillosis mimicking a brain metastasis

Invasive aspergillosis of the central nervous system is a rare but increasingly prevalent disease. We present the unusual case of an immunosuppressed patient suffering from unexpected superinfected invasive as...

Authors: Basil Erwin Grüter, Anna Maria Reuss, Elisabeth Jane Rushing, Athina Pangalu and Markus Florian Oertel

Pathogenesis-based preexposure prophylaxis associated with a low risk of SARS-CoV-2 infection in healthcare workers at a designated COVID-19 hospital: a pilot study

At present, no agents are known to be effective at preventing COVID-19. Based on current knowledge of the pathogenesis of this disease, we suggest that SARS-CoV-2 infection might be attenuated by directly main...

Authors: Michael V. Dubina, Veronika V. Gomonova, Anastasia E. Taraskina, Natalia V. Vasilyeva and Sergey A. Sayganov

Web-based, rapid and contactless management of ambulatory patients for SARS-CoV-2-testing

During the SARS-CoV-2 pandemic a mass casualty incident of ambulatory patients occurred at the COVID-19 rapid response infrastructure (CRRI) facility at the University Hospital of Cologne (UHC). We report the ...

Authors: Jannik Stemler, Oliver A. Cornely, Torsten Noack-Schönborn, Corinna Fohrholz, Sofie Schumacher, Leonard Poluschkin, Bernd Binder, Clara Lehmann and Georg Langebartels

Infection related catheter complications in patients undergoing prone positioning for acute respiratory distress syndrome: an exposed/unexposed study

Prone positioning (PP) is a standard of care for patients with moderate–severe acute respiratory distress syndrome (ARDS). While adverse events associated with PP are well-documented in the literature, researc...

Authors: Guillaume Louis, Thibaut Belveyre, Audrey Jacquot, Hélène Hochard, Nejla Aissa, Antoine Kimmoun, Christophe Goetz, Bruno Levy and Emmanuel Novy

A comparison of five epidemiological models for transmission of SARS-CoV-2 in India

Many popular disease transmission models have helped nations respond to the COVID-19 pandemic by informing decisions about pandemic planning, resource allocation, implementation of social distancing measures, ...

Authors: Soumik Purkayastha, Rupam Bhattacharyya, Ritwik Bhaduri, Ritoban Kundu, Xuelin Gu, Maxwell Salvatore, Debashree Ray, Swapnil Mishra and Bhramar Mukherjee

Legionnaires’ disease arising with hirsutism: case report of an extremely confusing event

Legionella bacteria is a common cause of pneumonia, but the infection may affect several organs in the most serious cases. A systemic involvement ab initio could be non-specific, leading to a diagnostic misint...

Authors: Gabriella Serio, Francesco Fortarezza, Federica Pezzuto, Luigi Santacroce, Pietro Nazzaro, Emilio Bellitti, Domenica Cavone, Andrea Marzullo and Luigi Vimercati

Pediatric sepsis cases diagnosed with group B streptococcal meningitis using next-generation sequencing: a report of two cases

Group B Streptococcus (GBS) is an important cause of invasive infection in neonates and infants. Cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) findings and culture may not show evidence of infection early in GBS meningitis. Next-...

Authors: Kazuhiro Horiba, Michio Suzuki, Nobuyuki Tetsuka, Yoshihiko Kawano, Makoto Yamaguchi, Toshihiko Okumura, Takako Suzuki, Yuka Torii, Jun-ichi Kawada, Makoto Morita, Shinya Hara, Tomoo Ogi and Yoshinori Ito

Multiple thrombosis associated with Cytomegalovirus enterocolitis in an immunocompetent patient: a case report

Cytomegalovirus (CMV) is reported to have thrombogenic characteristics that activate factor X in vitro and stimulate the production of factor VIII and von Willebrand factor (vWF). Thrombosis associated with CM...

Authors: Kaisei Kamatani, Tsuneaki Kenzaka, Ryu Sugimoto, Ayako Kumabe, Akihito Kitao and Hozuka Akita

Geographical distribution of risk factors for invasive non-typhoidal Salmonella at the subnational boundary level in sub-Saharan Africa

Invasive non-typhoidal Salmonella (iNTS) is a growing health-concern in many parts of sub-Saharan Africa. iNTS is associated with fatal diseases such as HIV and malaria. Despite high case fatality rates, the dise...

Authors: Jung-Seok Lee, Vittal Mogasale, Florian Marks and Jerome Kim

Unusual erythematous plaque with white scales, a case of acquired syphilis in a child and literature review

Syphilis in children is uncommon with the mode of infection for this rare condition likely being congenital or acquired. While most acquired cases of syphilis in children result from sexual abuse, children can...

Authors: Wen-Jia Yang, Hong-Hao Hu, Yang Yang, Jiu-Hong Li and Hao Guo