Articles

Hypervirulent Streptococcus agalactiae septicemia in twin ex-premature infants transmitted by breast milk: report of source detection and isolate characterization using commonly available molecular diagnostic methods

Group B Streptococcus (GBS) infections caused by Streptococcus agalactiae is a leading cause of meningitis and sepsis in neonates, with early-onset GBS symptoms emerging during the first week of life and late-ons...

Authors: Edward P. C. Ager, Eric D. Steele, Lindsey E. Nielsen, Matthew A. Nestander, Katrin Mende and Steven E. Spencer

Antimicrobial resistance in hospitalized surgical patients: a silently emerging public health concern in Benin

Surgical site infections are related to high morbidity, mortality and healthcare costs. Because the emergence of multidrug-resistant bacteria in hospitals is becoming a worldwide challenge for surgeons who tre...

Authors: Carine Laurence Yehouenou, Arsène A. Kpangon, Dissou Affolabi, Hector Rodriguez-Villalobos, Françoise Van Bambeke, Olivia Dalleur and Anne Simon

Clinical outcomes and prognostic factors in bloodstream infections due to extended-spectrum β-lactamase-producing Enterobacteriaceae among patients with malignancy: a meta-analysis

The colonization of Extended-spectrum β-lactamase-producing Enterobacteriaceae (ESBL-PE) in bloodstream infections (BSIs) has been increased dramatically worldwide, and it was associated with worse clinical ou...

Authors: Ai-Min Jiang, Na Liu, Rui Zhao, Hao-Ran Zheng, Xue Chen, Chao-Xin Fan, Rui Zhang, Xiao-Qiang Zheng, Xiao Fu, Yu Yao and Tao Tian

Ex vivo infection of murine precision-cut lung tissue slices with Mycobacterium abscessus: a model to study antimycobacterial agents

Multidrug-resistant infections due to Mycobacterium abscessus often require complex and prolonged regimens for treatment. Here, we report the evaluation of a new ex vivo antimicrobial susceptibility testing model...

Authors: Carmen Amelia Molina-Torres, Oscar Noé Flores-Castillo, Irma Edith Carranza-Torres, Nancy Elena Guzmán-Delgado, Ezequiel Viveros-Valdez, Lucio Vera-Cabrera, Jorge Ocampo-Candiani, Julia Verde-Star, Jorge Castro-Garza and Pilar Carranza-Rosales

Editorial Expression of Concern: Comparative effectiveness of β-lactam versus vancomycin empiric therapy in patients with methicillin-susceptible Staphylococcus aureus (MSSA) bacteremia

An amendment to this paper has been published and can be accessed via the original article.

Authors: Davie Wong, Titus Wong, Marc Romney and Victor Leung

Differential effects of antibiotics on neutrophils exposed to lipoteichoic acid derived from Staphylococcus aureus

Persistent bacteremia occurs in at least 30% of patients with Staphylococcus aureus bloodstream infection (SAB) and may be attributable to a dysregulated host immune response. Neutrophils interact with a variety ...

Authors: Marquerita Algorri and Annie Wong-Beringer

Severe vivax malaria trends in the last two years: a study from a tertiary care centre, Delhi, India

Plasmodium vivax, once considered benign species, is recently being recognised to be causing severe malaria like Plasmodium falciparum. In the present study, the authors report the trends in malaria severity in P...

Authors: Monika Matlani, Loick P. Kojom, Neelangi Mishra, Vinita Dogra and Vineeta Singh

A high prevalence of multi-drug resistant Gram-negative bacilli in a Nepali tertiary care hospital and associated widespread distribution of Extended-Spectrum Beta-Lactamase (ESBL) and carbapenemase-encoding genes

Multi-drug resistance (MDR) and extensive-drug resistance (XDR) associated with extended-spectrum beta-lactamases (ESBLs) and carbapenemases in Gram-negative bacteria are global public health concerns. Data on...

Authors: Sulochana Manandhar, Raphael M. Zellweger, Nhukesh Maharjan, Sabina Dongol, Krishna G. Prajapati, Guy Thwaites, Buddha Basnyat, Sameer Mani Dixit, Stephen Baker and Abhilasha Karkey

Methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus nasal carriage among janitors working in hospital and non-hospital areas: a comparative cross-sectional study

Nasal colonization of Methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA) plays a key role in the epidemiology and pathogenesis of both healthcare-associated and community-acquired MRSA infections in various popul...

Authors: Seid Abie, Moges Tiruneh and Wondwossen Abebe

Features and associated factors of bacterial skin infections in hospitalized patients with pemphigus: a single-center retrospective study

Infections were the primary cause of death (34.3–55.5%) in patients with pemphigus. Skin was usually the origin of infections. The study aimed to explore features and associated factors of bacterial skin infec...

Authors: Furong Li, Yejun Wu, Wenjie Bian, Lei Huang, Xuejun Zhu, Xixue Chen and Mingyue Wang

Bacteriophage therapy against Pseudomonas aeruginosa biofilms: a review

Multi-Drug Resistant (MDR) Pseudomonas aeruginosa is one of the most important bacterial pathogens that causes infection with a high mortality rate due to resistance to different antibiotics. This bacterium promp...

Authors: Zahra Chegini, Amin Khoshbayan, Majid Taati Moghadam, Iman Farahani, Parham Jazireian and Aref Shariati

Selective digestive decontamination solution used as “lock therapy” prevents and eradicates bacterial biofilm in an in vitro bench-top model

Most preventing measures for reducing ventilator-associated pneumonia (VAP) are based mainly on the decolonization of the internal surface of the endotracheal tubes (ETTs). However, it has been demonstrated th...

Authors: María Jesús Pérez-Granda, Beatriz Alonso, Ricardo Zavala, María Consuelo Latorre, Javier Hortal, Rafael Samaniego, Emilio Bouza, Patricia Muñoz and María Guembe

Beta-lactams susceptibility testing of penicillin-resistant, ampicillin-susceptible Enterococcus faecalis isolates: a comparative assessment of Etest and disk diffusion methods against broth dilution

This study aimed to evaluate the accuracy of disk diffusion and Etest methods, compared to that of the broth dilution reference method for identifying beta-lactam susceptibilities of Penicillin-Resistant, Ampi...

Authors: Natália Conceição, Wellington Francisco Rodrigues, Kessys Lorrânya Peralta de Oliveira, Lucas Emanuel Pinheiro da Silva, Laís Rezende Cardoso de Souza, Cristina da de Cunha Hueb Barata Oliveira and Adriana Gonçalves de Oliveira

The accuracy of four commercial broth microdilution tests in the determination of the minimum inhibitory concentration of colistin

Colistin is considered as one of the last-resort antibiotics and reliable antimicrobial susceptibility testing is therefore crucial. The reference standard for AST according to EUCAST and CLSI is broth microdi...

Authors: Erlangga Yusuf, Mireille van Westreenen, Wil Goessens and Peter Croughs

Low biomass microbiota in the upper genital tract of reproductive age women: fact or fiction?

Authors: Thor Haahr, Jørgen Skov Jensen, Signe Altmäe and Peter Humaidan

SARS-CoV-2/COVID-19 and advances in developing potential therapeutics and vaccines to counter this emerging pandemic

A novel coronavirus (SARS-CoV-2), causing an emerging coronavirus disease (COVID-19), first detected in Wuhan City, Hubei Province, China, which has taken a catastrophic turn with high toll rates in China and ...

Authors: Ali A. Rabaan, Shamsah H. Al-Ahmed, Ranjit Sah, Ruchi Tiwari, Mohd. Iqbal Yatoo, Shailesh Kumar Patel, Mamta Pathak, Yashpal Singh Malik, Kuldeep Dhama, Karam Pal Singh, D. Katterine Bonilla-Aldana, Shafiul Haque, Dayron F. Martinez-Pulgarin, Alfonso J. Rodriguez-Morales and Hakan Leblebicioglu

Majocchi’s granuloma on the forearm caused by Trichophyton tonsurans in an immunocompetent patient

Majocchi's granuloma is an uncommon fungal infection of the dermis and subcutaneous tissue. The most frequently identified cause of Majocchi’s granuloma is anthropophilic Trichophyton rubrum, and it is most commo...

Authors: Yun-yan Zheng, Yue Li, Ming-yan Chen, Qian-yun Mei and Ru-zhi Zhang

Nocardia takedensis: a newly recognized pathogen responsible for skin and soft tissue infections

Nocardia takedensis was first isolated in 2005, from soil in Japan. We report here two cases of lymphangitis in France (2012–2017) caused by N. takedensis both occurring after skin injury while gardening, which e...

Authors: Romain Lotte, Alicia Chevalier, Sabine Dantas, Nicolas Degand, Alice Gaudart, Pierre-Simon Rörhlich, Laurent Boyer, Veronica Rodriguez-Nava, Pascal Del Giudice and Raymond Ruimy

Safety and bactericidal efficacy of cold atmospheric plasma generated by a flexible surface Dielectric Barrier Discharge device against Pseudomonas aeruginosa in vitro and in vivo

Cold atmospheric plasma (CAP), which is ionized gas produced at atmospheric pressure, could be a novel and potent antimicrobial therapy for the treatment of infected wounds. Previously we have shown that CAP g...

Authors: Gabrielle S. Dijksteel, Magda M. W. Ulrich, Marcel Vlig, Ana Sobota, Esther Middelkoop and Bouke K. H. L. Boekema

CTX-M-9 group ESBL-producing Raoultella planticola nosocomial infection: first report from sub-Saharan Africa

Raoultella are Gram-negative rod-shaped aerobic bacteria which grow in water and soil. They mostly cause nosocomial infections associated with surgical procedures. This case study is the first report of a Raoulte...

Authors: Tafese Beyene Tufa, Andre Fuchs, Torsten Feldt, Desalegn Tadesse Galata, Colin R. Mackenzie, Klaus Pfeffer and Dieter Häussinger

The effect of an antibiotic stewardship program on tigecycline use in a Tertiary Care Hospital, an intervention study

A drug-oriented antibiotic stewardship intervention targeting tigecycline utilization was launched at Makassed General Hospital, Beirut, Lebanon, in 2016 as a part of a comprehensive Antibiotic Stewardship Pro...

Authors: Rima Moghnieh, Dania Abdallah, Lyn Awad, Marwa Jadayel, Nicholas Haddad, Hani Tamim, Aline Zaiter, Diana-Caroline Awwad, Loubna Sinno, Salam El-Hassan, Rawad Lakkis, Rabab Khalil and Tamima Jisr

Prevention of cytomegalovirus infection after solid organ transplantation: a Bayesian network analysis

Cytomegalovirus infection is one of the most common complications after solid organ transplantation. There have been several classes of antiviral drugs for the prevention of cytomegalovirus infection, such as ...

Authors: Yu Zhang, Tao Zhou, Mingzhu Huang, Guangxiang Gu and Qiang Xia

Nasal decolonization of Staphylococcus aureus and the risk of surgical site infection after surgery: a meta-analysis

To assess the effects of nasal decontamination on preventing surgical site infections (SSIs) in people who are Staphylococcus aureus carriers undergoing different types of surgeries and diverse measures of decolo...

Authors: Jia Tang, Jiangjin Hui, Jing Ma and Chen Mingquan

Complications of peritonsillar abscess

The vast majority of patients with peritonsillar abscess (PTA) recover uneventfully on abscess drainage and antibiotic therapy. However, occasionally patient´s condition deteriorates as the infection spread in...

Authors: Tejs Ehlers Klug, Thomas Greve and Malene Hentze

Case report on a swift shift in uropathogens from Shigella flexneri to Escherichia coli: a thin line between bacterial persistence and reinfection

Urinary tract infections (UTI) are mostly caused by bacteria. Urine cultures are usually a definitive measure to select the appropriate antibiotics for the elimination of a uropathogen and subsequent recovery ...

Authors: Kukwah Anthony Tufon, Djike Puepi Yolande Fokam, Youmbi Sylvain Kouanou and Henry Dilonga Meriki

Changes in the spatial distribution of COVID-19 incidence in Italy using GIS-based maps

Authors: Cecilia Acuti Martellucci, Ranjit Sah, Ali A. Rabaan, Kuldeep Dhama, Cristina Casalone, Kovy Arteaga-Livias, Toyoaki Sawano, Akihiko Ozaki, Divya Bhandari, Asaka Higuchi, Yasuhiro Kotera, Zareena Fathah, Namrata Roy, Mohammed Ateeq Ur Rahman, Tetsuya Tanimoto and Alfonso J. Rodriguez-Morales

In vitro estimation of superfluid critical extracts of some plants for their antimicrobial potential, phytochemistry, and GC–MS analyses

Along with swift economic evolution and continuous amelioration of lifestyle, people at present are paying more attention to health issues. Synthetic drugs will be compensated with other natural ones that belo...

Authors: Waleed Bakry Suleiman

Hemophagocytic lymphohistiocytosis is associated with Bartonella henselae infection in a patient with multiple susceptibility genes

Adult-onset hemophagocytic lymphohistiocytosis (HLH) is a rare and life-threatening condition, which is often triggered by certain types of infection, cancer and numerous autoimmune diseases; however, of the n...

Authors: Tianjun Yang, Qing Mei, Lei Zhang, Zhendong Chen, Chunyan Zhu, Xiaowei Fang, Shike Geng and Aijun Pan

Nomogram to predict multidrug-resistant tuberculosis

Multidrug-resistant tuberculosis (MDR-TB) is burgeoning globally, and has been a serious challenge in TB management. Clinically, the ability to identify MDR-TB is still limited, especially in smear-negative TB...

Authors: Saibin Wang and Junwei Tu

Coagulase-negative staphylococci (CoNS) as a significant etiological factor of laryngological infections: a review

This review article shows that coagulase-negative staphylococci (CoNS) are widely responsible for laryngological diseases. General characteristics of CoNS infections are shown in the introduction, and the path...

Authors: Michał Michalik, Alfred Samet, Adrianna Podbielska-Kubera, Vincenzo Savini, Jacek Międzobrodzki and Maja Kosecka-Strojek

Multi-drug resistant and extended-spectrum β-lactamases producing bacterial uropathogens among pregnant women in Northwest Ethiopia

Above 80% of urinary tract infections are caused by enteric bacteria, which are known for years by their drug-resistant ability. Though the prevalence of drug-resistant strains is increasing in the world, it i...

Authors: Sirak Biset, Feleke Moges, Demeke Endalamaw and Setegn Eshetie

Emerging high-risk ST101 and ST307 carbapenem-resistant Klebsiella pneumoniae clones from bloodstream infections in Southern Italy

Carbapenem-resistant Klebsiella pneumoniae (CR-KP) is an urgent public health issue in Italy. This pattern of resistance is due mainly to dissemination of carbapenemase genes. Molecular characterization of carbap...

Authors: Daniela Loconsole, Marisa Accogli, Anna Lisa De Robertis, Loredana Capozzi, Angelica Bianco, Anna Morea, Rosanna Mallamaci, Michele Quarto, Antonio Parisi and Maria Chironna

Ivermectin, a new candidate therapeutic against SARS-CoV-2/COVID-19

Authors: Khan Sharun, Kuldeep Dhama, Shailesh Kumar Patel, Mamta Pathak, Ruchi Tiwari, Bhoj Raj Singh, Ranjit Sah, D. Katterine Bonilla-Aldana, Alfonso J. Rodriguez-Morales and Hakan Leblebicioglu

Presence of Borrelia miyamotoi infection in a highly endemic area of Lyme disease

A series of cases in the Northeast of the US during 2013–2015 described a new Borrelia species, Borrelia miyamotoi, which is transmitted by the same tick species that transmits Lyme disease and causes a relapsing...

Authors: Luis A. Marcos, Kalie Smith, Kelsey Reardon, Fredric Weinbaum and Eric D. Spitzer

Anticipating the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on TB patients and TB control programmes

The COVID-19 pandemic has currently overtaken every other health issue throughout the world. There are numerous ways in which this will impact existing public health issues. Here we reflect on the interactions...

Authors: Toyin Togun, Beate Kampmann, Neil Graham Stoker and Marc Lipman

New ST623 of Cryptococcus neoformans isolated from a patient with non-Hodgkin’s lymphoma in the Brazilian Amazon

Cryptococcosis is a disease of wide geographic distribution. It is most critical when it affects immunocompromised patients, with AIDS, tuberculosis or other diseases that require prolonged hospitalization.

Authors: Lucyane Mendes Silva, William Antunes Ferreira, Roberto Alexandre Alves Barbosa Filho, Marcus Vinícius Guimarães Lacerda, Guilherme Motta Antunes Ferreira, Maria de Nazaré Saunier, Marielle Machado Macedo, Denise de Almeida Cristo, Marla Jalene Alves, Ani Beatriz Jackisch-Matsuura and Cristina Motta Ferreira

Venezuelan equine encephalitis virus: the problem is not over for tropical America

The equine encephalitis viruses, Venezuelan (VEEV), East (EEEV) and West (WEEV), belong to the genus alphavirus, family Togaviridae and still represent a threat for human and animal public health in the Americ...

Authors: Camilo Guzmán-Terán, Alfonso Calderón-Rangel, Alfonso Rodriguez-Morales and Salim Mattar

Plasma CRP level is positively associated with the severity of COVID-19

The coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) is characterized as highly contagious and deadly; however there is no credible and convenient biomarker to predict the severity of the disease. The aim of the present st...

Authors: Wei Chen, Kenneth I. Zheng, Saiduo Liu, Zhihan Yan, Chongyong Xu and Zengpei Qiao

Characterisation of antibiotic resistance, virulence, clonality and mortality in MRSA and MSSA bloodstream infections at a tertiary-level hospital in Hungary: a 6-year retrospective study

Staphylococcus aureus bloodstream infections (BSI) cause significant morbidity and mortality due to the frequent antibiotic resistance, toxin and adhesin production of the bacterium. These characteristics differ ...

Authors: Andrea Horváth, Orsolya Dobay, Judit Sahin-Tóth, Emese Juhász, Júlia Pongrácz, Miklós Iván, Enikő Fazakas and Katalin Kristóf

Successful recovery of COVID-19 pneumonia in a patient from Colombia after receiving chloroquine and clarithromycin

COVID-19 pandemics is a challenge for public health and infectious diseases clinicians, especially for the therapeutical approach that is not yet adequately defined. Amid this situation, investigational agents...

Authors: José Millán-Oñate, William Millan, Luis Alfonso Mendoza, Carlos Guillermo Sánchez, Hugo Fernandez-Suarez, D. Katterine Bonilla-Aldana and Alfonso J. Rodríguez-Morales

Microbiota composition and distribution along the female reproductive tract of women with endometriosis

Endometriosis (EMS) is a multifactorial disease that affects 10%–15% women of reproductive age and is associated with chronic pelvic pain and infertility. The pathogenesis of EMS has not been consistently expl...

Authors: Weixia Wei, Xiaowei Zhang, Huiru Tang, Liping Zeng and Ruifang Wu

In vitro activity of ceftazidime–avibactam and comparators against Gram-negative bacterial isolates collected in the Asia–Pacific region as part of the INFORM program (2015–2017)

Antimicrobial resistance among nosocomial Gram-negative pathogens is a cause for concern in the Asia–Pacific region. The aims of this study were to measure the rates of resistance among clinical isolates colle...

Authors: Wen-Chien Ko and Gregory G. Stone

The risk of vancomycin toxicity in patients with liver impairment

The influence of liver disease on the pharmacokinetic profile, the risk of acute kidney injury, and excessive drug exposure in patients treated with vancomycin was examined.

Authors: Luigi Brunetti, Jong Hwa Song, David Suh, Heui Jae Kim, Yeon Hee Seong, Dae Song Lee, Seung-Mi Lee and Dong-Churl Suh

The emergence of the hypervirulent Klebsiella pneumoniae (hvKp) strains among circulating clonal complex 147 (CC147) harbouring bla_NDM/OXA-48 carbapenemases in a tertiary care center of Iran

Klebsiella pneumoniae is a public health concern because of its ability to develop multidrug resistance and hypervirulent genotypes, of those capsular types K1 and K2 cause community and nosocomial life-threateni...

Authors: Omid Pajand, Narges Darabi, Maedeh Arab, Raheb Ghorbani, Zakaria Bameri, Ali Ebrahimi and Zoya Hojabri

Comparison of fungal and bacterial keratitis between tropical and subtropical Taiwan: a prospective cohort study

Fungal keratitis (FK) has been shown to be a climate-sensitive disease. The differentiation between FK from bacterial keratitis (BK) was difficult. The purpose of this study was to compare the bacteriology and...

Authors: Chih-An Chen, Shiuh-Liang Hsu, Ching-Hsi Hsiao, David Hui-Kang Ma, Chi-Chin Sun, Hun-Ju Yu, Po-Chiung Fang and Ming-Tse Kuo

Investigation of biofilm production and its association with genetic and phenotypic characteristics of OM (osteomyelitis) and non-OM orthopedic Staphylococcus aureus

Staphylococcus aureus is a primary pathogen of orthopedic infections. By mediating antimicrobial resistance, S. aureus biofilm plays an important role in the recalcitrance of orthopedic infections, especially for...

Authors: Shengpeng Yu, Bei Jiang, Chao Jia, Hongri Wu, Jie Shen, Xiaomei Hu and Zhao Xie

Ceftobiprole: a potential empirical post-operative monotherapy in prosthetic joint infections

This study aimed to evaluate in vitro susceptibility to ceftobiprole of clinical strains identified from prosthetic joint infections (PJIs) compared to that of the associations currently recommended for post-o...

Authors: Claire Duployez, Frédéric Wallet, Henri Migaud, Eric Senneville and Caroline Loiez

A rapid and simple method for routine determination of antibiotic sensitivity to biofilm populations of Pseudomonas aeruginosa

Treatment of infections by Pseudomonas aeruginosa forming biofilms after antimicrobial testing on planktonic bacteria can result in substantial failure. Therefore, we offer a robust and simple experimental platfo...

Authors: Dhammika Leshan Wannigama, Cameron Hurst, Parichart Hongsing, Lachlan Pearson, Thammakorn Saethang, Naphat Chantaravisoot, Uthaibhorn Singkham-in, Sirirat Luk-in, Robin James Storer and Tanittha Chatsuwan

Antimicrobial utilization and antimicrobial resistance in patients with haematological malignancies in Japan: a multi-centre cross-sectional study

Infection is a major complication for patients with haematological malignancies. It is important to better understand the use of antimicrobial agents and antibiotic resistance for appropriate treatment and pre...

Authors: Wataru Mimura, Haruhisa Fukuda and Manabu Akazawa

Microbiota in vaginal health and pathogenesis of recurrent vulvovaginal infections: a critical review

Recurrent vulvovaginal infections (RVVI) has not only become an epidemiological and clinical problem but also include large social and psychological consequences. Understanding the mechanisms of both commensal...

Authors: Namarta Kalia, Jatinder Singh and Manpreet Kaur