Handenur Ulukan, Rufig Hasanli, Dilan Cumert, Sena Algın, Sidre Erganiş, Elif Ayça Şahin, Fatma Bozdağ, Sultan Pınar Çetintepe, Ayse Kalkanci
{"title":"Adaptive susceptibility shifts in Candidozyma auris following biocidal exposure: Exploratory effects on antifungal and biocidal susceptibility.","authors":"Handenur Ulukan, Rufig Hasanli, Dilan Cumert, Sena Algın, Sidre Erganiş, Elif Ayça Şahin, Fatma Bozdağ, Sultan Pınar Çetintepe, Ayse Kalkanci","doi":"10.1007/s10096-026-05571-9","DOIUrl":"10.1007/s10096-026-05571-9","url":null,"abstract":"<p><strong>Purpose: </strong>Candidozyma (Candida) auris has emerged as a multidrug-resistant pathogen with the capacity to persist in healthcare environments. This study investigated bidirectional interactions between biocidal exposure and antifungal susceptibility, including both minimum inhibitory concentrations (MICs) and minimum fungicidal concentrations (MFCs), in a real-life disinfection scenario, and further evaluated membrane dynamics and efflux pump activity using rhodamine 6G (R6G) uptake/efflux assays.</p><p><strong>Methods: </strong>Four clinical isolates and one reference strain were exposed to ethanol (EtOH), chlorine (CHLOR), chlorhexidine (CHX), and triclosan (TRC) for 30 s, 5 min, and 24 h. Post-exposure MIC and MFC values were determined for antifungals-amphotericin B (AMB), voriconazole (VOR), and anidulafungin (ANI)-as well as for the same biocides, following CLSI M27-A3 guidelines. Data were expressed as log₂ fold changes relative to baseline. All experiments were performed in technical triplicates to ensure reproducibility of MIC/MFC measurements. Statistical analyses were conducted using biological comparisons across the five parental isolates and their corresponding post-exposure derivatives.</p><p><strong>Results: </strong>In this exploratory proof-of-concept study, a total of 64 isolate-condition datasets derived from five parental C. auris isolates were evaluated under 12 biocidal exposure conditions, allowing assessment of time-dependent adaptive susceptibility shifts across multiple exposure scenarios. In total, 30 short-term (30 s / 5 min) and 2 long-term (24 h) derivatives were generated from 4 different biocides (EtOH, CHX, TRC, and limited CHLOR data). All 32 biocide-exposed isolates underwent MIC/MFC testing against three antifungals (AMB, VOR, ANI) and three main biocides (EtOH, CHX, TRC), followed by biocide-free serial passaging to assess stability. Baseline MIC distributions were as follows: AMB 0.25-2 µg/mL, VOR 4-16 µg/mL, and ANI 0.01-0.25 µg/mL. After exposure, VOR MICs showed significant reduction to 3.05-4.22 mg/L with TRC exposure being nominally significant before FDR adjustment (raw p=0.043). AMB remained stable (0.47-0.67 mg/L, all p>0.05), while ANI showed non-significant variability in MIC values to 0.04-0.09 mg/L (non-significant, p>0.05). Biocidal MICs also showed changes: EtOH remained heterogeneous (p>0.05), CHX decreased significantly with CHX pre-exposure (p=0.042), and TRC showed non-significant increases. Biocidal exposure produced agent-specific antifungal effects: ANI demonstrated modest non-significant directional shifts in MIC values across all biocides, AMB remained stable with heterogeneous responses, and VOR displayed significant MIC reduction only with TRC exposure. TRC and CHX yielded the most consistent effects in both antifungal and biocidal susceptibility. R6G assays suggested alterations in efflux activity after TRC and CHX exposure, whereas EtOH impaired efflux. Most changes","PeriodicalId":11782,"journal":{"name":"European Journal of Clinical Microbiology & Infectious Diseases","volume":" ","pages":"3081-3093"},"PeriodicalIF":3.2,"publicationDate":"2026-10-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"148359968","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":3,"RegionCategory":"医学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
{"title":"Unraveling clade-specific differences in Candida auris: evolution, adaptation, and pathogenicity.","authors":"Preeti Sharma, Vinay Kumar Bari, Ritu Pasrija","doi":"10.1007/s10096-026-05569-3","DOIUrl":"10.1007/s10096-026-05569-3","url":null,"abstract":"<p><p>Since its 2009 emergence, Candida auris (now also known as Candidozyma auris) has evolved from a rare isolate into a global \"critical priority\" pathogen. This rapid expansion is defined by its unique population structure consisting of six distinct genomic clades with starkly different evolutionary trajectories, phenotypic traits, and clinical risks. We conducted a systematic synthesis of literature from PubMed, Scopus, and Google Scholar (2009-2026), focusing on comparative genomics, clade-specific virulence, and diagnostic accuracy. A total of 64 studies were analyzed to identify patterns in clade divergence and antifungal resistance. Our analysis reveals that C. auris is not a monolithic threat but a complex of diverse lineages with specialized adaptations. Clade I (South Asian) and Clade IV (South American) represent the highest clinical risk due to hyper-virulence and high rates of multi-drug resistant (MDR) strains. In contrast, Clade II (East Asian) was initially associated with localized ear infections; recent genomic data show an expanding pathogenic profile with emerging bloodstream infections. Our review also identifies Clade V (Iranian) as a genetically distinct group and highlights the recent identification of Clade VI (Indomalayan) as a distinct lineage, suggesting a long-standing environmental reservoir. Furthermore, we identify critical \"blind spots\" in automated diagnostic platforms (VITEK<sup>®</sup> 2, BD Phoenix) where phenotypic variations in Clades II and III lead to frequent misidentification as Candida haemulonii or Candida famata. This review proposes a \"clade-aware\" framework for public health. While frontline antifungal treatment remains standardized regardless of lineage, we argue that effective long-term management and outbreak containment require integrating genomic surveillance with clade-specific infection control. By identifying high-biofilm clades (Clade I) or hyper-virulent lineages (Clade IV), public health systems can implement more targeted containment strategies, moving toward a precision-based approach to managing this fungal pathogen.</p>","PeriodicalId":11782,"journal":{"name":"European Journal of Clinical Microbiology & Infectious Diseases","volume":" ","pages":"3241-3250"},"PeriodicalIF":3.2,"publicationDate":"2026-10-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"148316384","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":3,"RegionCategory":"医学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
{"title":"Aeromonas dhakensis as an emerging invasive pathogen: a case series highlighting distinct carbapenem resistance and diagnostic challenge.","authors":"Sheetal Verma, Kalpana Kuntal, Harsh Deep, Vimala Venkatesh, Somil Jaiswal, Anand Kumar Mishra","doi":"10.1007/s10096-026-05573-7","DOIUrl":"10.1007/s10096-026-05573-7","url":null,"abstract":"<p><strong>Background: </strong>Aeromonas dhakensis is an emerging and potentially more virulent species within the Aeromonas genus, frequently misidentified in routine laboratories, leading to underrecognition and suboptimal management.</p><p><strong>Objectives: </strong>To describe the clinical spectrum, laboratory characteristics, and antimicrobial susceptibility patterns of A. dhakensis isolated from clinically significant specimens in a tertiary-care setting.</p><p><strong>Methods: </strong>A retrospective case series was conducted at a tertiary-care teaching hospital during November-December 2025. Clinical and microbiological records of patients with A. dhakensis isolated from clinically relevant specimens were reviewed. Species identification was performed using MALDI-TOF MS with updated databases, and antimicrobial susceptibility testing was interpreted according to CLSI guidelines.</p><p><strong>Results: </strong>Four cases of clinically significant A. dhakensis infection were identified (median age 43 years), involving pleural fluid, pus aspirate, endotracheal aspirate, and urine. Clinical presentations included hydropneumothorax, breast abscess, neurosurgical complications, and urinary tract infection. Two patients required ICU care and mechanical ventilation. Laboratory findings showed mild anemia and leukocytosis in select cases. All isolates demonstrated uniform resistance to carbapenems and piperacillin-tazobactam, while retaining susceptibility to fluoroquinolones, aminoglycosides, third- and fourth-generation cephalosporins, aztreonam, trimethoprim-sulfamethoxazole, and doxycycline. All patients improved with appropriate therapy and survived to discharge.</p><p><strong>Conclusion: </strong>A. dhakensis is an emerging invasive pathogen with a characteristic resistance profile marked by intrinsic carbapenem resistance. Accurate species-level identification using MALDI-TOF MS and susceptibility-guided therapy are essential. This study provides region-specific evidence highlighting the need for increased clinical awareness, diagnostic stewardship, and surveillance.</p>","PeriodicalId":11782,"journal":{"name":"European Journal of Clinical Microbiology & Infectious Diseases","volume":" ","pages":"3019-3026"},"PeriodicalIF":3.2,"publicationDate":"2026-10-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"148327792","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":3,"RegionCategory":"医学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
{"title":"Probiotic-associated Bacillus subtilis subsp. subtilis catheter-related bloodstream infection in a preterm infant: a caution for neonatal intensive care units.","authors":"Jiajia Chen, Xuelan Liu, Xiang Huang, Manzhi Huang","doi":"10.1007/s10096-026-05574-6","DOIUrl":"10.1007/s10096-026-05574-6","url":null,"abstract":"<p><p>We report the case of catheter-related bloodstream infection (CRBSI) potentially associated with probiotic administration of Bacillus subtilis subsp. subtilis. A 32⁺⁵-week preterm infant developed systemic inflammation during oral probiotic therapy. CRBSI was definitively diagnosed via differential time to positivity between peripheral and catheter-drawn blood cultures. Microbiological analysis demonstrated that clinical isolates and the probiotic strain shared identical antimicrobial susceptibility profiles; however, this is not definitive proof of strain identity. This novel case suggests a potential infectious risk for B. subtilis in neonates with central venous access and underscores the necessity of considering probiotics as a potential source of catheter-related sepsis.</p>","PeriodicalId":11782,"journal":{"name":"European Journal of Clinical Microbiology & Infectious Diseases","volume":" ","pages":"3251-3255"},"PeriodicalIF":3.2,"publicationDate":"2026-10-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"148327808","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":3,"RegionCategory":"医学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Kim Callebaut, Taeyang Chin, Jorn Hellemans, Astrid Muyldermans, Vanessa Verbeke, Manon Verhulst, Marijke Reynders
{"title":"Consensus-based evaluation of RIDASCREEN<sup>®</sup> TB ELISA compared with two interferon-gamma release assays in a low-incidence setting.","authors":"Kim Callebaut, Taeyang Chin, Jorn Hellemans, Astrid Muyldermans, Vanessa Verbeke, Manon Verhulst, Marijke Reynders","doi":"10.1007/s10096-026-05582-6","DOIUrl":"10.1007/s10096-026-05582-6","url":null,"abstract":"<p><strong>Purpose: </strong>Interferon-gamma release assays (IGRAs) are widely used to detect Mycobacterium tuberculosis infection by measuring antigen-specific T-cell responses through interferon-gamma (IFN-γ) release. Interferon gamma-induced protein 10 (IP-10), an IFN-inducible cytokine released in higher concentrations after antigen stimulation, may improve assay robustness and sensitivity. We evaluated the performance of the novel IP-10-based RIDASCREEN<sup>®</sup> TB in comparison with T-SPOT<sup>®</sup> TB and QuantiFERON<sup>®</sup>-TB Gold Plus (QFT<sup>®</sup>-Plus).</p><p><strong>Methods: </strong>In this prospective study, 209 patients undergoing routine T-SPOT<sup>®</sup> TB testing at AZ Sint-Jan Hospital Bruges were included. For each participant, T-SPOT<sup>®</sup> TB, QFT<sup>®</sup>-Plus, and RIDASCREEN<sup>®</sup> TB were performed. In the absence of a diagnostic gold standard, assay performance was assessed using a consensus classification defined by agreement between at least two of the three assays. Overall, positive, and negative percent agreement and kappa values were calculated relative to the consensus.</p><p><strong>Results: </strong>According to the consensus classification, 19/209 (9.1%) samples were positive, 186/209 (89.0%) negative, and 2/209 (1.0%) equivocal. Full three-way concordance was observed in 83.7% of patients, and true discordance was uncommon (7.7%). RIDASCREEN<sup>®</sup> TB showed a higher positivity rate (12.9%) than T-SPOT<sup>®</sup> TB (8.7%) and QFT<sup>®</sup>-Plus (7.7%). Agreement with the consensus classification was high for all assays, with overall percent agreement of 98.4% for T-SPOT<sup>®</sup> TB, 97.5% for QFT<sup>®</sup>-Plus, and 96.6% for RIDASCREEN<sup>®</sup> TB.</p><p><strong>Conclusion: </strong>RIDASCREEN<sup>®</sup> TB showed high agreement with established IGRAs and may improve detection of low-level immune responses. Its higher positivity rate may reflect increased sensitivity rather than reduced specificity.</p>","PeriodicalId":11782,"journal":{"name":"European Journal of Clinical Microbiology & Infectious Diseases","volume":" ","pages":"3095-3102"},"PeriodicalIF":3.2,"publicationDate":"2026-10-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"148381835","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":3,"RegionCategory":"医学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
M Sousa-Pinheiro, I Martins-Oliveira, D Abreu, R Gomes, A Silva-Dias, F Passos-Carneiro, P Poeta, C Pina-Vaz, A J Soares
{"title":"Rapid identification directly from urine using QUICKprep kit.","authors":"M Sousa-Pinheiro, I Martins-Oliveira, D Abreu, R Gomes, A Silva-Dias, F Passos-Carneiro, P Poeta, C Pina-Vaz, A J Soares","doi":"10.1007/s10096-026-05535-z","DOIUrl":"10.1007/s10096-026-05535-z","url":null,"abstract":"<p><p>Urinary tract infections are common, mainly caused by E. coli. Conventional diagnosis based on culture, delays result for 48 h, promoting empirical, often inadequate, treatments. This study validated the QUICKprep<sup>®</sup> (FASTinov<sup>®</sup>) kit, which concentrates viable microbial cells and removes debris in under five minutes for MALDI-TOF-MS identification. A total of 281 positive urine samples, screened positive on Sysmex, were tested. In inoculated samples, results were fully concordant with culture; in clinical samples, 13/155 were not identified by MALDI-TOF-MS. QUICKprep<sup>®</sup> enabled accurate identification direct from urine in around 15 min, offering faster diagnosis, potential for antimicrobial testing, and improved therapeutic decisions.</p>","PeriodicalId":11782,"journal":{"name":"European Journal of Clinical Microbiology & Infectious Diseases","volume":" ","pages":"3235-3239"},"PeriodicalIF":3.2,"publicationDate":"2026-10-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC13676647/pdf/","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"148276569","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":3,"RegionCategory":"医学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"OA","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Mateo Dutarte, Charlotte Genestet, Gérard Lina, Oana Dumitrescu, Elisabeth Hodille
{"title":"Nocardia antimicrobial susceptibility testing by microdilution: evaluation of ready-to-use plate including tedizolid and meropenem.","authors":"Mateo Dutarte, Charlotte Genestet, Gérard Lina, Oana Dumitrescu, Elisabeth Hodille","doi":"10.1007/s10096-026-05588-0","DOIUrl":"10.1007/s10096-026-05588-0","url":null,"abstract":"<p><strong>Purpose: </strong>Nocardiosis is a rare but serious infection occurring predominantly in immunocompromised patients. The CLSI microdilution antimicrobial susceptibility testing is recommended for all nocardioses. Ready-to-use plates are available (Sensititre™ RAPMYCOI), but antimicrobials of interest (e.g. tedizolid, meropenem) are lacking. At the request of the French nocardiosis reference medical biology laboratory, a plate including meropenem and tedizolid was produced (Sensititre™ FRNOCAR1).</p><p><strong>Methods: </strong>FRNOCAR1 was compared to RAPMYCOI using 133 clinical Nocardia isolates containing predominantly N. farcinica (23.3%), N. cyriacigeorgica (24.8%), and N. nova complex (21.1%). Acceptability was assessed using the FDA criteria (essential/category agreement; major, and very major error [VME] rates).</p><p><strong>Results: </strong>All criteria were respected for 6 antimicrobials; for 5, the upper limit of the VME rate exceeded the criteria, despite a point estimate of 0.0%, due to a lack of resistant strains in the collection. For linezolid, the VME rate could not be calculated due to the absence of linezolid-resistant strains. Tedizolid minimal inhibitory concentration (MIC)50/MIC90 were 2-3 dilutions lower than that of linezolid (0.5/0.5 µg/mL and 2/4 µg/mL, respectively). Imipenem was better than meropenem for N. farcinica; meropenem MIC was at least 2-dilutions lower than that of imipenem for N. gamkensis (8/8), N. gipuzkoensis (2/4), and N. wallacei (4/6).</p><p><strong>Conclusion: </strong>For the antimicrobials common to both plates, the FRNOCAR1 demonstrated good agreement compared with RAPMYCOI. FRNOCAR1 includes tedizolid and meropenem, for which MIC could be reported upon justified request, with a comment indicating that these results are pending further validation.</p>","PeriodicalId":11782,"journal":{"name":"European Journal of Clinical Microbiology & Infectious Diseases","volume":" ","pages":"3103-3115"},"PeriodicalIF":3.2,"publicationDate":"2026-10-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC13676515/pdf/","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"148387313","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":3,"RegionCategory":"医学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"OA","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Sahar Bakhiet, Emmanuel Siddig, Carole Pab Minlekib, Rihab Mohammed, Willemien Zandijk, Andrew K Watson, Mickey Konings, Ahmed Fahal, Maguette Faye, Fatehmeh Mazraati Tajabadi, Jeffrey Errington, Doudou Sow, Wendy W J van de Sande
{"title":"A qPCR identification scheme to differentiate actinomycetoma from eumycetoma.","authors":"Sahar Bakhiet, Emmanuel Siddig, Carole Pab Minlekib, Rihab Mohammed, Willemien Zandijk, Andrew K Watson, Mickey Konings, Ahmed Fahal, Maguette Faye, Fatehmeh Mazraati Tajabadi, Jeffrey Errington, Doudou Sow, Wendy W J van de Sande","doi":"10.1007/s10096-026-05572-8","DOIUrl":"10.1007/s10096-026-05572-8","url":null,"abstract":"<p><strong>Background: </strong>Mycetoma is a Neglected Tropical Disease of the skin. It is characterized by large tumorous lesions in the subcutaneous tissue which hinder the patients in their daily activities. The disease can be caused by either bacteria (actinomycetoma) or fungi (eumycetoma), and treatment depends on the entity. Therefore, in 2022, a Target Product Profile was published by the World Health Organisation in which it was stated that there is an urgent need to develop a diagnostic tool that can differentiate the two reliably within a day.</p><p><strong>Objectives: </strong>To develop a qPCR that can not only differentiate actinomycetoma from eumycetoma but can also identify the actinomycetoma causative agents to the genus level.</p><p><strong>Methods: </strong>We developed singleplex, quadruplex and triplex qPCRs that can be used, depending on the endemic region and validated this against a large strain collection and grains.</p><p><strong>Results: </strong>The limit of detection (LOD) of each of the probes ranged from 0.000002 ng for the fungal probe to 0.002 ng for the Nocardia genus probe in a singleplex reaction. Higher LODs were obtained in the multiplexes. The sensitivity and specificity were both 100% for most combinations, although some cross-reactivity with the Actinomadura and Streptomyces genus probes was noted, mainly with non-mycetoma causative agents.</p><p><strong>Conclusion: </strong>The developed qPCR meets the requirements set in the Target Product Profile from the World Health Organisation.</p><p><strong>Importance: </strong>In this study a qPCR is developed which can differentiate actinomycetoma from eumycetoma and identify actinomycetoma causative agents to the genus level. This qPCR adheres to the minimal requirements set in the Target Product Profile for a mycetoma diagnostic test by the World Health Organisation. When the qPCR is used on mycetoma grain it reduces the time to identification to only a few hours. With hand-held qPCRs this can also be performed in the field.</p>","PeriodicalId":11782,"journal":{"name":"European Journal of Clinical Microbiology & Infectious Diseases","volume":" ","pages":"3045-3055"},"PeriodicalIF":3.2,"publicationDate":"2026-10-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC13676668/pdf/","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"148338251","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":3,"RegionCategory":"医学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"OA","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Thea Kippersund Rønningen, Frode Width Gran, Jan Kristian Damås, Jan Egil Afset, Birgitta Ehrnström
{"title":"In-depth analysis of sampling practice and yield of blood cultures.","authors":"Thea Kippersund Rønningen, Frode Width Gran, Jan Kristian Damås, Jan Egil Afset, Birgitta Ehrnström","doi":"10.1007/s10096-026-05568-4","DOIUrl":"10.1007/s10096-026-05568-4","url":null,"abstract":"<p><strong>Purpose: </strong>To describe BC collection practices at a tertiary care university hospital in a prospective observational study and examine the association between blood volume and culture yield.</p><p><strong>Methods: </strong>Analysis of all blood cultures collected during a 6-week period in 2023 at St Olav's University Hospital, Norway. Additionally, we analysed impact of antimicrobial treatment prior to sampling, sampling department, bottle type, sampling time and method, microorganisms isolated as well as patient age and sex.</p><p><strong>Results: </strong>Only 19.7% of BC bottles were filled with the recommended 8-10 mL of blood. The overall pathogen positivity rate of all BC bottles was 6.8%, while 13.3% of the patients had at least one positive BC bottle. Patients >60 years were twice as likely to have a positive blood culture as those aged 18-60 years (16.2% vs 8.1%). Recommended filling volumes were positively associated with recovery of microbes, whereas particularly overfilling >14 mL was associated with reduced microbial yield. Overall, bottles with no growth contained a significantly higher mean blood volume than bottles with growth.</p><p><strong>Conclusion: </strong>This study highlights the gap between established recommendations for BC collection and current practice at our hospital. Preanalytical optimisation of BC collection is needed to improve diagnostic yield in this seriously ill patient population. Overfilling of BC bottles was negatively associated with microbial yield and should be avoided.</p>","PeriodicalId":11782,"journal":{"name":"European Journal of Clinical Microbiology & Infectious Diseases","volume":" ","pages":"3027-3036"},"PeriodicalIF":3.2,"publicationDate":"2026-10-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC13676665/pdf/","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"148327767","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":3,"RegionCategory":"医学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"OA","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Anastasios E Chaldoupis, Vasilios Petrakis, Petros Ioannou, Konstantina A Tsante, Deny Tsakri, Aglaia Domouchtsidou, Stella Baliou, Marianna Vlachaki, Alexandra Mpakosi, Sotirios P Fortis, George Samonis, Rozeta Sokou, Stefanos Bonovas, Gerasimos Siasos, Andreas G Tsantes
{"title":"Reply to the comment on: \"Dalbavancin for infective endocarditis: a systematic review of effectiveness, safety, and dosing\".","authors":"Anastasios E Chaldoupis, Vasilios Petrakis, Petros Ioannou, Konstantina A Tsante, Deny Tsakri, Aglaia Domouchtsidou, Stella Baliou, Marianna Vlachaki, Alexandra Mpakosi, Sotirios P Fortis, George Samonis, Rozeta Sokou, Stefanos Bonovas, Gerasimos Siasos, Andreas G Tsantes","doi":"10.1007/s10096-026-05597-z","DOIUrl":"10.1007/s10096-026-05597-z","url":null,"abstract":"","PeriodicalId":11782,"journal":{"name":"European Journal of Clinical Microbiology & Infectious Diseases","volume":" ","pages":"3279-3280"},"PeriodicalIF":3.2,"publicationDate":"2026-10-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"148419609","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":3,"RegionCategory":"医学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}