Infectious MedicinePub Date : 2025-12-01Epub Date: 2025-11-05DOI: 10.1016/j.imj.2025.100215
Qiongbin Mao , Lin Li , Hongling Wen
{"title":"Beyond monotherapy: Combination therapies for HIV-1 cure through joint application of neutralizing antibodies, genome editing, and reservoir management","authors":"Qiongbin Mao , Lin Li , Hongling Wen","doi":"10.1016/j.imj.2025.100215","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.imj.2025.100215","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>Despite its potency in suppressing HIV-1 replication, antiretroviral therapy (ART) cannot eliminate latent viral reservoirs and is associated with several limitations, such as the need for lifelong treatment and the inherent risk of drug resistance. The quest for an HIV-1 cure has progressed from monotherapeutic approaches to the combinations of multimodal strategies, including neutralizing antibodies, precision genome editing, and management of latent reservoirs. Antibody-based interventions primarily involve inducing broadly neutralizing antibodies (bNAbs) through native-like envelope (Env) trimer vaccines, with their efficacy further enhanced by mRNA-lipid nanoparticle delivery systems. Precision genome editing can be achieved by using clustered regularly interspaced short palindromic repeats (CRISPR)/CRISPR-associated protein (Cas) along with long-acting slow-effective release antiretroviral therapy. Reservoir-targeted therapies are typically implemented by reactivating latent viruses using the “shock and kill” strategy. Engineered cellular therapies include chimeric antigen receptor T (CAR-T) cells or bispecific antibodies (bsAbs) for subsequent immune clearance, immune system reconstitution via stem cell transplantation, and reversal of T-cell exhaustion using immune checkpoint inhibitors. Despite these advances, challenges remain, including suboptimal immunogenicity of Env vaccines, off-target effects and inefficient delivery of gene editing tools, incomplete reactivation of latent viruses, and limitations of preclinical models. Future research should focus on optimizing synergistic effects by improving Env trimer design, enhancing the targeting specificity of CRISPR systems, and developing preclinical models that more accurately reflect human immunity, thereby facilitating the transition from lifelong ART to a functional cure. This review summarizes recent progress in multimodal synergistic strategies and proposes a framework for an HIV-1 cure that may also offer insights into the treatment of other chronic viral infections.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":100667,"journal":{"name":"Infectious Medicine","volume":"4 4","pages":"Article 100215"},"PeriodicalIF":0.0,"publicationDate":"2025-12-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"145579275","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Infectious MedicinePub Date : 2025-12-01Epub Date: 2025-10-12DOI: 10.1016/j.imj.2025.100212
Yicheng Peng , Guoyin Fan , Di Jin , Junrong Liang , Yibing Fan , Shuilin Sun
{"title":"The use of tNGS in the diagnosis of Q fever: A case report and review of cases of liver injury","authors":"Yicheng Peng , Guoyin Fan , Di Jin , Junrong Liang , Yibing Fan , Shuilin Sun","doi":"10.1016/j.imj.2025.100212","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.imj.2025.100212","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>This report describes a case of Q fever with predominantly liver injury presentation. We used targeted next generation sequencing (tNGS) and immunologic methods to identify a case of acute stage infection of Q fever with liver injury; prompt diagnosis and treatment significantly improved the patient's prognosis and life quality. Further, to predict the homology and genetic diversity, the patient's sample was partially sequenced for insertion sequence (IS)<em>1111</em> gene. Additionally, we reviewed similar cases in the past five years, aiming to provide evidence-based evidence for subsequent accurate diagnosis and treatment.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":100667,"journal":{"name":"Infectious Medicine","volume":"4 4","pages":"Article 100212"},"PeriodicalIF":0.0,"publicationDate":"2025-12-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"145425720","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Infectious MedicinePub Date : 2025-12-01Epub Date: 2025-11-16DOI: 10.1016/j.imj.2025.100217
Caren Challita , Nour El Moussawi , Maya Dagher , Nelly Rubeiz , Souha S. Kanj
{"title":"An isolated Mycobacterium tuberculosis vulvar lesion: A case report","authors":"Caren Challita , Nour El Moussawi , Maya Dagher , Nelly Rubeiz , Souha S. Kanj","doi":"10.1016/j.imj.2025.100217","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.imj.2025.100217","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>Vulvar tuberculosis is an exceptionally rare manifestation of extrapulmonary <em>Mycobacterium tuberculosis</em> infection. We describe a 28-year-old woman from Republic of the Philippines presenting with a painful vulvar lesion of 3 months' duration unresponsive to several courses of antibiotics for a presumed sexually transmitted disease. A diagnosis of isolated vulvar <em>Mycobacterial tuberculosis</em> was made based on findings of caseating granulomas on vulvar biopsy and positive mycobacterial culture. The patient achieved complete resolution following standard antituberculous therapy. This case highlights the importance of suspecting tuberculosis in chronic vulvar lesions from endemic areas and underscores tissue biopsy and prolonged culture when initial stains are negative.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":100667,"journal":{"name":"Infectious Medicine","volume":"4 4","pages":"Article 100217"},"PeriodicalIF":0.0,"publicationDate":"2025-12-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"145693817","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
{"title":"Comparative analysis of non-invasive fibrosis markers: Insights from chronic HBV, HBV+HDV, and HCV infections","authors":"Aziza Saydullaevna Khikmatullaeva , Krestina Stepanovna Brigida , Nargiza Mirzakhidovna Мirrakhimova , Muazzam Alievna Аbdukadirova , Nargiz Sapievna Ibadullaeva , Allabergan Kadirovich Bayjanov , Nataliya Georgiyevna Kan , Malika Erkinovna Khodjaeva , Nargiza Anvarovna Yarmukhamedova , Ulugbek Khudayberdievich Mirzaev","doi":"10.1016/j.imj.2025.100220","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.imj.2025.100220","url":null,"abstract":"<div><h3>Background</h3><div>Chronic viral hepatitis remains a significant global health burden, with accurate assessment of liver fibrosis being crucial for patient management. This study aimed to evaluate the diagnostic accuracy of non-invasive tests (NITs) for liver fibrosis assessment in patients with chronic hepatitis B (HBV), hepatitis B and D co-infection (HBV + HDV), and hepatitis C (HCV) infections.</div></div><div><h3>Methods</h3><div>A prospective study was conducted on 78 patients with chronic viral hepatitis (22 HBV, 34 HBV + HDV, 22 HCV). Participants underwent magnetic resonance elastography (MRE), transient elastography (TE), and serum biomarker testing (APRI, FIB-4, PIIINP, COL4). MRE was used as the reference standard for liver fibrosis staging.</div></div><div><h3>Results</h3><div>Transient elastography demonstrated the highest diagnostic accuracy for detecting advanced liver fibrosis across all etiologies (AUC 0.95, cutoff 10.2 kPa). The performance of serum biomarkers varied among different viral hepatitis etiologies. In chronic hepatitis B, APRI and FIB-4 showed moderate performance (AUC 0.64), while PIIINP and COL4 demonstrated poor diagnostic accuracy. In HBV + HDV co-infection, all markers showed moderate performance. In chronic hepatitis C, COL4 demonstrated excellent diagnostic accuracy (AUC 0.93), while FIB-4 and APRI showed moderate performance.</div></div><div><h3>Conclusions</h3><div>This study highlights the complex relationship between viral hepatitis etiologies and the performance of non-invasive fibrosis tests. While TE demonstrates high accuracy across all groups, the utility of serum biomarkers varies significantly. These findings underscore the importance of considering the specific viral etiology when selecting and interpreting NITs for liver fibrosis assessment in chronic viral hepatitis patients.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":100667,"journal":{"name":"Infectious Medicine","volume":"4 4","pages":"Article 100220"},"PeriodicalIF":0.0,"publicationDate":"2025-12-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"145750068","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Infectious MedicinePub Date : 2025-12-01Epub Date: 2025-11-20DOI: 10.1016/j.imj.2025.100221
Di Wu , Zhaonian Tan , Yanhui Liu , Mengmeng Ma , Zhitao Chen , Dedong Wang , Lei Luo , Pengzhe Qin
{"title":"Estimated incidence of influenza in Guangzhou, China, 2019–2022","authors":"Di Wu , Zhaonian Tan , Yanhui Liu , Mengmeng Ma , Zhitao Chen , Dedong Wang , Lei Luo , Pengzhe Qin","doi":"10.1016/j.imj.2025.100221","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.imj.2025.100221","url":null,"abstract":"<div><h3>Background</h3><div>Influenza is a significant public health issue, particularly for vulnerable groups like children and the elderly. Despite widespread vaccination and public health measures, age-specific incidence data-crucial for targeted interventions—are limited in many areas, including Guangzhou. The epidemiological patterns of influenza have also been affected by non-pharmaceutical interventions during the COVID-19 pandemic, underscoring the need for updated local estimates. This study aimed to estimate the age-specific incidence of influenza infection in Guangzhou from 2019 to 2022—a period covering both pre-pandemic and pandemic phases—to inform regionally tailored prevention and control strategies.</div></div><div><h3>Methods</h3><div>This study analyzed surveillance data on influenza-like illness (ILI) and virological test results from sentinel hospitals in Guangzhou covering the period from 2019 to 2022. A previously established multiplier model was employed, which integrated age-specific consultation rates, influenza positivity rates, as well as parameters related to symptom presentation and detection sensitivity. Monte Carlo simulations were utilized to estimate annual age-stratified influenza infection and incidence rates, accompanied by 95% confidence intervals. The population denominators were derived from the national census conducted in 2020.</div></div><div><h3>Results</h3><div>7.78% of the total population in Guangzhou were infected by influenza in 2019, 1.40% in 2020, 1.85% in 2021 and 12.13% in 2022 and incidence rates were 5.15% in 2019, 0.93% in 2020, 1.23% in 2021 and 8.04% in 2022. The highest influenza infection and incidence rates were observed in 2022 and the lowest in 2020. Infections in the 0–14 age group were 27.19%, 3.57%, 11.16% and 66.15% during 2019–2022 and respective incidence rates were 18.00%, 2.37%, 7.41% and 43.84%.</div></div><div><h3>Conclusions</h3><div>0–14-year-old infants and children were the main victims of influenza. Targeted strategies should be developed to prevent the spread in this age group.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":100667,"journal":{"name":"Infectious Medicine","volume":"4 4","pages":"Article 100221"},"PeriodicalIF":0.0,"publicationDate":"2025-12-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"145693814","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Infectious MedicinePub Date : 2025-09-01Epub Date: 2025-08-19DOI: 10.1016/j.imj.2025.100198
Xiuhua Kang , Huaming Guo , Shanting Zhao , Wenzhen Zhang , Peng Liu , Yanfang Mei , Ling Zeng , Dandan Wei
{"title":"Prevalence, microbiological features, and clinical characteristics of Elizabethkingia isolates in a tertiary hospital, Jiangxi Province, China","authors":"Xiuhua Kang , Huaming Guo , Shanting Zhao , Wenzhen Zhang , Peng Liu , Yanfang Mei , Ling Zeng , Dandan Wei","doi":"10.1016/j.imj.2025.100198","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.imj.2025.100198","url":null,"abstract":"<div><h3>Background</h3><div><em>Elizabethkingia</em> infections have become life-threatening hospital-acquired infections worldwide, marked by rising morbidity, multidrug resistance, and poor prognoses. However, information on the epidemiological and clinical characteristics of <em>Elizabethkingia</em> infections in mainland China is limited. This study aimed to analyze the molecular and clinical characteristics, and drug susceptibility of clinical <em>Elizabethkingia</em> isolates from a hospital in Jiangxi Province, China.</div></div><div><h3>Methods</h3><div>A total of 103 <em>Elizabethkingia</em> isolates, identified by conventional methods, were collected from patients at a university-affiliated hospital in 2022 and 2023. Species identification was conducted using 16S rRNA gene sequencing. The feasibility of the Vitek MS was also evaluated. Antimicrobial susceptibility testing, resistance gene identification, and pulsed-field gel electrophoresis were performed.</div></div><div><h3>Results</h3><div>The mean age of the patients was 61 years (excluding one 13-day-old infant) and 75.3 % were men. In total, 86.4 % of patients admitted to the intensive care unit were infected with <em>Elizabethkingia</em>. COVID-19, respiratory disease, and ICU admission were significantly different between the surviving and dying groups (<em>p</em> < 0.05). Sequencing of 103 isolates identified 92 strains of <em>Elizabethkingia anophelis</em>, eight strains of <em>Elizabethkingia meningoseptica,</em> two strains of <em>Elizabethkingia bruuniana</em>, and one strain of <em>Elizabethkingia ursingii.</em> The Vitek MS had a correct identification rate of 87 % for <em>Elizabethkingia anophelis</em>. More than 90 % of the <em>Elizabethkingia</em> isolates were susceptible to minocycline, but resistant to other drugs, including ceftazidime, aztreonam, and imipenem. Resistance genotype analysis showed that <em>blaBlaB</em> and <em>blaCME</em> were highly prevalent in the <em>Elizabethkingia</em> isolates. Molecular typing revealed 29 different pulsed-field gel electrophoresis types with clonal transmission between wards.</div></div><div><h3>Conclusions</h3><div>Multidrug-resistant <em>Elizabethkingia</em> is being increasingly detected. Therefore, a larger database is required for <em>Elizabethkingia</em> strain identification. This database could be beneficial for the subsequent determination of optimal antimicrobial drugs for treating infections caused by various <em>Elizabethkingia</em> strains. Our pulsed-field gel electrophoresis model showed that most <em>Elizabethkingia</em> isolates exhibit sufficient genetic diversity and clonal transmission. Therefore, adequate attention should be directed towards this pathogen.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":100667,"journal":{"name":"Infectious Medicine","volume":"4 3","pages":"Article 100198"},"PeriodicalIF":0.0,"publicationDate":"2025-09-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"145018764","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Infectious MedicinePub Date : 2025-09-01Epub Date: 2025-09-05DOI: 10.1016/j.imj.2025.100201
Zian Lin , Weiyi Cai , Yanan Liu , Juan Liu , Hongbiao Chen , Shaojian Xu , Qiuju Xie , Danting Lou , Yuying Zhang , Hairong Nan , Jiahui Li , Lixian Su
{"title":"Pentavalent rotavirus vaccine effectiveness among children in Shenzhen, China: A population-based test-negative design with directed acyclic graphs bias adjustment","authors":"Zian Lin , Weiyi Cai , Yanan Liu , Juan Liu , Hongbiao Chen , Shaojian Xu , Qiuju Xie , Danting Lou , Yuying Zhang , Hairong Nan , Jiahui Li , Lixian Su","doi":"10.1016/j.imj.2025.100201","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.imj.2025.100201","url":null,"abstract":"<div><h3>Background</h3><div>China's Notifiable Disease Reporting System comprehensively collects data on pediatric acute gastroenteritis cases from all levels of healthcare. This study evaluated the effectiveness of the pentavalent rotavirus vaccine against rotavirus gastroenteritis in children under five years of age during seasonal epidemic periods.</div></div><div><h3>Methods</h3><div>Using a test-negative design, we analyzed laboratory data from diarrhea patients aged 2–59 months who sought medical care in Longhua District, Shenzhen, Guangdong Province, China between January 2020 and March 2024. Vaccination history and potential confounders, including sex, household registration status, prematurity, and birth weight, were collected retrospectively. Directed acyclic graphs were used to identify adjustment variables. Vaccine effectiveness was calculated as (1 − adjusted odds ratio) × 100 % using unconditional logistic regression, comparing rotavirus-positive cases with rotavirus-negative controls.</div></div><div><h3>Results</h3><div>The incidence of rotavirus gastroenteritis peaked and then progressively declined from January 2020 through March 2023, with no seasonal resurgence observed in the first quarter of 2023. Analysis of 928 epidemic-season cases (674 RV+; 254 RV–) revealed an overall pentavalent rotavirus (RV5) vaccine effectiveness of 79.6 % (95 % CI: 68.9 %–86.6 %). Dose-specific vaccine effectiveness varied substantially: 1 dose vaccine effectiveness registered at 26.7 % (95 % CI: −162.1 %–79.5 %), rising to 76.6 % (95 % CI: 46.2 %–89.8 %) for 2 doses, and reaching 82.7 % (95 % CI: 72.2 %–89.2 %) for 3 doses. Age-stratified analysis showed vaccine effectiveness of 79.5 % (95 % CI: 56.8 %–90.3 %) in children aged 2–11 months, 83.8 % (95 % CI: 66.4 %–92.2 %) for 12–23 months, and 79.6 % (95 % CI: 68.9 %–86.6 %) in those aged 24–35 months, while vaccine effectiveness was 31.2 % (95 % CI: −251.8 %–86.5 %) in children aged 36–59 months.</div></div><div><h3>Conclusions</h3><div>A three-dose regimen of pentavalent rotavirus vaccine provides significant effectiveness against rotavirus gastroenteritis for children under 36 months of age during epidemic seasons, thereby alleviating the burden on public health systems.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":100667,"journal":{"name":"Infectious Medicine","volume":"4 3","pages":"Article 100201"},"PeriodicalIF":0.0,"publicationDate":"2025-09-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"145049356","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Infectious MedicinePub Date : 2025-09-01Epub Date: 2025-06-22DOI: 10.1016/j.imj.2025.100194
Lu Li , Jialin Wu , Jianghui Cai , Muhammad Arif Asghar , Rui Xiao , Jingwei Wu , Qinjian Zhao , Xiao Zhang
{"title":"The growing interests in Epstein–Barr virus: A bibliometric analysis of research trends, collaborations, and emerging hotspots","authors":"Lu Li , Jialin Wu , Jianghui Cai , Muhammad Arif Asghar , Rui Xiao , Jingwei Wu , Qinjian Zhao , Xiao Zhang","doi":"10.1016/j.imj.2025.100194","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.imj.2025.100194","url":null,"abstract":"<div><h3>Background</h3><div>Epstein–Barr Virus (EBV) is a widespread human γ-herpesvirus linked to cancers and autoimmune diseases, but limited comprehensive bibliometric analysis appear to have been conducted in this field.</div></div><div><h3>Methods</h3><div>Using Web of Science data, 16,318 EBV-related documents (2014–2023) were analyzed via VOSviewer, Bibliometrix, and Citespace following the Strengthening the Reporting of Observational Studies in Epidemiology reporting guideline.</div></div><div><h3>Results</h3><div>This cross-sectional bibliometric analysis of 16,318 EBV-related documents (2014–2023) revealed a consistent upward trend in annual publications, reflecting growing global interest in EBV research. Collaborative networks demonstrated strong international partnerships, particularly between the United States and China. Keywords co-occurrence and burst analysis highlighted enduring focus on EBV pathogenesis, immune evasion mechanisms, and EBV-associated diseases like nasopharyngeal carcinoma, Hodgkin lymphoma, and multiple sclerosis. On the basis of this comprehensive bibliometric analysis, it showed that the emerging hotspots included immunotherapy, biomarkers, viral reactivation, and vaccine development, with clinical trials evaluating immune-checkpoint inhibitors of toripalimab, mRNA-based therapeutic vaccines targeting LMP2 and EBNA1, and prophylactic strategies such as glycoproteins-based ferritin nanoparticles or mRNA vaccines, indicating a shift toward precision interventions.</div></div><div><h3>Conclusions</h3><div>EBV research has grown exponentially, driven by insights into structural-function relationships and immune evasion. Advances enable targeted prophylactic/therapeutic strategies. The analysis highlights needs to decode virus-host interactions, optimize vaccines, and translate findings clinically, aiming to raise disease awareness, guide immunotherapies, and reduce global health burdens.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":100667,"journal":{"name":"Infectious Medicine","volume":"4 3","pages":"Article 100194"},"PeriodicalIF":0.0,"publicationDate":"2025-09-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"144634368","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Infectious MedicinePub Date : 2025-09-01Epub Date: 2025-06-25DOI: 10.1016/j.imj.2025.100195
Shuang Wang , Xiaolin Yu , Ming Fang , Hengjie Xie , Lu Liu , Ziqing Liu , Guangjian Wu , Yuzhen Chen , Ti Liu , Peng Yang
{"title":"A foodborne outbreak of Salmonella Paratyphi C in a Chinese middle school: Genomic tracing and epidemiological characterization","authors":"Shuang Wang , Xiaolin Yu , Ming Fang , Hengjie Xie , Lu Liu , Ziqing Liu , Guangjian Wu , Yuzhen Chen , Ti Liu , Peng Yang","doi":"10.1016/j.imj.2025.100195","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.imj.2025.100195","url":null,"abstract":"<div><h3>Background</h3><div><em>Salmonella</em> Paratyphi C is an infrequent etiological agent of enteric fever, with sporadic cases primarily reported in Asia and Africa. Documented outbreaks remain exceedingly rare, and epidemiological data on such events are notably scarce.</div></div><div><h3>Methods</h3><div>This study investigated a paratyphoid fever outbreak caused by <em>S.</em> Paratyphi C at a secondary school in China in 2023. Comprehensive field epidemiological investigations were conducted, including environmental sampling and the collection of clinical specimens. All outbreak-associated isolates underwent antimicrobial susceptibility testing, whole-genome sequencing, and in-depth bioinformatics analysis. Single-nucleotide polymorphism profiling and core genome multilocus sequence typing were employed to elucidate the genetic relatedness of the isolates.</div></div><div><h3>Results</h3><div>A total of 11 <em>S.</em> Paratyphi C strains, characterized by the antigenic formula 6,7:c:1,5, were recovered from a variety of sample sources. Genomic analyses revealed striking homogeneity across all isolates, with uniform multilocus sequence types, identical antimicrobial resistance patterns, and shared virulence-associated genes. Phylogenetic reconstruction demonstrated a tightly clustered lineage, corroborated by highly similar circular genome structures, suggesting a common source of infection.</div></div><div><h3>Conclusions</h3><div>This investigation offered critical insights into a rare foodborne outbreak caused by <em>S.</em> Paratyphi C, bridging significant knowledge gaps regarding its epidemiology and genetic characteristics. The findings underscored the global diversity and potential public health threat of <em>S.</em> Paratyphi C, reinforcing the urgent need to enhance food safety monitoring and improve outbreak preparedness strategies both in China and internationally.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":100667,"journal":{"name":"Infectious Medicine","volume":"4 3","pages":"Article 100195"},"PeriodicalIF":0.0,"publicationDate":"2025-09-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"144679824","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
{"title":"Effect of fasting duration on mortality after COVID-19 infection: A retrospective analysis at a single institution","authors":"Naoko Takaku , Koji Hayashi , Hiromi Hayashi , Toyoaki Miura , Kouji Hayashi , Yasutaka Kobayashi , Mamiko Sato , Ippei Sakamaki","doi":"10.1016/j.imj.2025.100202","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.imj.2025.100202","url":null,"abstract":"<div><h3>Background</h3><div>The fasting duration in aspiration pneumonia negatively affects the patient's treatment duration and swallowing function. The relationship among serious COVID-19 infection, fasting duration, and patient prognosis remains unclear. We aimed to determine the effect of the fasting duration on mortality after COVID-19.</div></div><div><h3>Methods</h3><div>We included patients who underwent rehabilitation after COVID-19 infection between March 1, 2021 and June 30, 2023. We retrospectively extracted data from medical records, including age, sex, albumin levels, fasting duration, Charlson Comorbidity Index (CCI), Revised Hasegawa Dementia Scale score, care level, total hospitalization period, time since disease onset, time to speech therapy intervention, time to death, and ability to eat at disease onset and discharge. Univariate analysis was conducted for each variable. To investigate the relationship between fasting duration and outcomes, we performed logistic regression analysis, adjusting for confounding factors such as age, CCI, and care level. We also divided patients into groups based on fasting duration: ≤ 5 days and > 5 days. We performed logistic regression analysis using fasting duration as the dependent variable and age, CCI, care level, and clinical outcome as independent variables.</div></div><div><h3>Results</h3><div>There were 71 patients in the survival group and 31 in the mortality group. Fasting duration (<em>p</em> = 0.00826, odds ratio [OR]: 1.01, 95 % confidence interval [CI]: 1.01–1.11) and age (<em>p</em> = 0.0377, OR: 1.07, 95 % CI: 1.001–1.15) were significant independent factors associated with COVID-19 outcomes. In the classification based on fasting duration, higher care level (<em>p</em> < 0.001, OR: 1.65, 95 % CI: 1.24–2.20) and clinical outcome (<em>p</em> < 0.001, OR: 9.19, 95 % CI: 2.80–30.20) were significant independent factors in the group with fasting duration > 5 days.</div></div><div><h3>Conclusion</h3><div>Fasting duration was independently associated with outcomes after COVID-19 infection. Early rehabilitation intervention may contribute to improved clinical outcomes.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":100667,"journal":{"name":"Infectious Medicine","volume":"4 3","pages":"Article 100202"},"PeriodicalIF":0.0,"publicationDate":"2025-09-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"145095301","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}