Infectious Disease Reports最新文献

{"title":"Prevalence and Antimicrobial Resistance of <i>Pseudomonas aeruginosa</i> Recovered from Respiratory and Urinary Specimens in a Lebanese Hospital (2020-2025).","authors":"Rana Barakat, Zeinab Ezzeddine, Rana El Haidari, Samara Hassan, Ghassan Ghssein","doi":"10.3390/idr18040087","DOIUrl":"10.3390/idr18040087","url":null,"abstract":"<p><strong>Background: </strong>Respiratory tract infections (RTIs) and urinary tract infections (UTIs) are among the most common infections in humans. It is estimated that millions of deaths occur each year worldwide due to these infections. <i>Pseudomonas aeruginosa</i> (<i>P. aeruginosa</i>), in particular, represents a public health threat since it has a high ability to acquire resistance to different antibiotic classes. The aim of this study was to determine the prevalence and antimicrobial resistance patterns of <i>P. aeruginosa</i> isolates from patients with RTIs and UTIs in Lebanon.</p><p><strong>Methods: </strong>This retrospective study was performed during 2020-2022 and 2024-2025. Samples were collected from both inpatients and outpatients, where identification and isolation of bacteria were performed along with antibiotic susceptibility testing.</p><p><strong>Results: </strong>The overall prevalence of <i>P. aeruginosa</i> isolates in RTI cases over the study period was 10.9%, and that of UTI cases was 1.3%. The general antimicrobial resistance profile of <i>P. aeruginosa</i> isolates from RTI and UTI cases showed the highest resistance for Piperacillin-Tazobactam and Aztreonam, respectively. For RTIs, antibiotic resistance decreased from 48.1% in 2020 to 36.7% in 2025 and increased from 16.7% to 19.4% for UTIs.</p><p><strong>Conclusions: </strong>According to our research, <i>P. aeruginosa</i> with low antibiotic susceptibility is frequently found in isolated samples, highlighting the significant challenge in treating severe infectious illnesses. To choose focused and efficient antibiotic therapy for RTIs and UTIs and to stop the emergence of multidrug-resistant (MDR) bacteria, it is essential to accurately identify the pathogenic microorganisms and their antibiotic susceptibility patterns.</p>","PeriodicalId":13579,"journal":{"name":"Infectious Disease Reports","volume":"18 4","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":2.6,"publicationDate":"2026-08-13","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC13512891/pdf/","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"148827808","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"OA","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Application of Outer Membrane Protein Omp25 in Serological Diagnosis of Brucellosis.","authors":"Qianhao Zhou, Dongqi Xiong, Xuandong Wang, Qingmei Zhu, Nadira Dolkun, Zureguli Tuxun, Zehao Zhang, Qian Wang, Xuejun Xiao","doi":"10.3390/idr18040086","DOIUrl":"10.3390/idr18040086","url":null,"abstract":"<p><strong>Background: </strong>Brucellosis remains a widespread zoonotic disease where serodiagnosis is critical for control. Outer membrane protein 25 (Omp25) has emerged as a promising diagnostic antigen, yet the optimal antigen format for Omp25-based serological assays remains unclear.</p><p><strong>Methods: </strong>We performed a systematic review and meta-analysis of diagnostic accuracy studies following PRISMA-DTA 2020 guidelines. Four electronic databases were searched through July 16, 2026. Risk of bias was assessed using QUADAS-2. Diagnostic accuracy was synthesized using the bivariate binomial model, with subgroup analyses stratified by host species and antigen format.</p><p><strong>Results: </strong>Ten diagnostic accuracy studies comprising 23 study arms were included. Substantial heterogeneity was observed (I² = 86.2% for sensitivity, 68.4% for specificity). In human serum, pooled sensitivity was 0.93 (95% CI: 0.89-0.96) and specificity was 0.97 (95% CI: 0.93-0.99). In ruminant serum, pooled sensitivity was 0.89 (95% CI: 0.81-0.94) and specificity was 0.95 (95% CI: 0.91-0.97). Multi-protein formats demonstrated narrower confidence intervals and more consistent diagnostic reliability than monomeric Omp25, despite a marginally lower pooled sensitivity point estimate. Single Omp25 exhibited the widest cross-species performance variation. Reference standard heterogeneity affected apparent specificity, with RBT + SAT dual standards yielding higher specificity than single RBT.</p><p><strong>Conclusions: </strong>Multi-protein antigen formats offer more consistent diagnostic reliability than monomeric Omp25 for brucellosis serodiagnosis, though performance varies significantly by host species. Clinical translation requires standardized antigen preparation protocols, uniform reference standards, and cautious species-specific application. Future research should prioritize larger, species-stratified, multi-center validation and prospective trials to establish Omp25-based DIVA capability.</p>","PeriodicalId":13579,"journal":{"name":"Infectious Disease Reports","volume":"18 4","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":2.6,"publicationDate":"2026-08-11","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC13511875/pdf/","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"148827496","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"OA","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Pulmonary Artery Mass Caused by <i>Aspergillus fumigatus</i> Infection After Heart Transplantation: A Case Report.","authors":"Gang Liu, Zhongkai Liao, Jie Huang, Zhiyuan Zhu, Mingzhu Liu, Sheng Liu, Ru Liu","doi":"10.3390/idr18040085","DOIUrl":"10.3390/idr18040085","url":null,"abstract":"<p><p><b>Background</b>: Invasive aspergillosis (IA) is a severe complication after solid organ transplantation, especially in patients receiving long-term immunosuppressive therapy. Pulmonary artery involvement caused by <i>Aspergillus fumigatus</i> is extremely rare and may mimic pulmonary artery thrombosis or malignancy, resulting in diagnostic challenges. <b>Case Presentation</b>: A 61-year-old male developed fatigue, intermittent fever, cough, and chest discomfort seven months after orthotopic heart transplantation. Computed tomography pulmonary angiography revealed a mass-like filling defect involving the main pulmonary artery and left pulmonary artery, which was initially suspected to represent pulmonary artery thrombosis or tumor. Whole-blood next-generation sequencing identified <i>Aspergillus fumigatus</i> and <i>Streptococcus mitis</i>. The patient was treated with voriconazole, anticoagulation therapy, and adjustment of immunosuppressive therapy. Follow-up imaging demonstrated progressive regression of pulmonary artery lesions and disappearance of pulmonary nodules without evidence of graft rejection. <b>Conclusions</b>: Pulmonary artery aspergillosis should be considered in heart transplant recipients presenting with pulmonary artery-occupying lesions, particularly when imaging findings are atypical. Early pathogen identification combined with appropriate antifungal therapy, individualized immunosuppression adjustment, and careful monitoring may improve clinical outcomes.</p>","PeriodicalId":13579,"journal":{"name":"Infectious Disease Reports","volume":"18 4","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":2.6,"publicationDate":"2026-08-10","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC13511923/pdf/","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"148827831","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"OA","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"First Report of <i>Ignatzschineria indica</i> Infection in Greece and Review of the Literature.","authors":"Alexandra Vasilakopoulou, Evaggelia Oikonomoula, Vasiliki Anagnosti, Pavlos Siozos, Ioannis Liakopoulos, Eleni Kalogeropoulou, Sofia Damianidou, Polyxeni Karakosta, Sophia Vourli, Panagiota-Christina Georgiou, Anastasios Ioannidis, Spyros Pournaras","doi":"10.3390/idr18040083","DOIUrl":"10.3390/idr18040083","url":null,"abstract":"<p><strong>Background: </strong><i>Ignatzschineria</i> species are rare emerging human pathogens that are typically associated with myiasis.</p><p><strong>Methods: </strong>We report the first case of <i>Ignatzschineria indica</i> bacteraemia in Greece in a male patient presenting with maggot-infested wounds of the thorax, shoulders, and arms. The isolate was identified by matrix-assisted laser desorption/ionization time-of-flight mass spectrometry (MALDI-TOF MS), and antimicrobial susceptibility testing was performed according to EUCAST guidance. A review of the published literature on <i>I. indica</i> bacteraemia was also conducted.</p><p><strong>Results: </strong>The patient was diagnosed with bacteraemia caused by a multisusceptible <i>I. indica</i> isolate and was successfully treated with antibiotic therapy, resulting in complete recovery. This represents the first reported case of <i>I. indica</i> infection in Greece. Review of the literature showed that most published <i>I. indica</i> isolates were susceptible to a broad range of antimicrobial agents, and all reported patients survived, although some required limb amputation because of severe underlying soft tissue disease.</p><p><strong>Conclusions: </strong><i>Ignatzschineria indica</i> infection should be considered in patients with neglected, maggot-infested wounds. Increased awareness of this emerging pathogen, together with the use of modern microbiological identification methods, may improve recognition of these uncommon infections. Socio-economic inequalities and the changing distribution of insect vectors due to climate change may contribute to the occurrence of such infections.</p>","PeriodicalId":13579,"journal":{"name":"Infectious Disease Reports","volume":"18 4","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":2.6,"publicationDate":"2026-08-07","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC13511850/pdf/","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"148827771","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"OA","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Concomitant Borreliosis and Invasive Amoebiasis: A Rare Case with Suspected Sexual Acquisition.","authors":"Luisa Cavalletto, Sara Valpione, Chiara Giraudo, Claudia Mescoli, Valeria M Besutti, Liliana Chemello","doi":"10.3390/idr18040084","DOIUrl":"10.3390/idr18040084","url":null,"abstract":"<p><strong>Background: </strong>The movement of endemic diseases from tropical and disadvantaged areas is gradually spreading to developed countries as well. Amoebiasis, in particular, represents a significant threat to public health, amplified by globalization and increasing contact between humans and animals or vectors. In this way, atypical diseases may emerge in our country, also through an unusual mode of transmission-likely sexual, as \"sexually transmitted enteric (STE) diseases\".</p><p><strong>Objective: </strong>We report and discuss the clinic approach to a rare case of dual human infestations by ecto- and endo-parasites with multiple liver abscesses presentation in a young truck driver residing in Northern Italy.</p><p><strong>Methods: </strong>The patient underwent a comprehensive screening with laboratory and microbiological tests, and CT images.</p><p><strong>Results: </strong>In July, the patient was admitted to our hepatology unit following the ultrasound identification of two hypoechoic lesions in the right lobe of the liver. In his medical history, in April, after a seemingly harmless infestation of body lice, effectively treated, he suffered from a prolonged and debilitating episode of acute diarrhea, lasting a month. This status was also accompanied by intestinal cramps, weight loss, and recurring fever episodes. Afterwards also appeared a Quincke's-like angioedema involving the lips and mouth mucosa, with evening time exacerbation.</p><p><strong>Conclusions: </strong>The differential diagnosis of this complex and unusual clinical picture, together with the temporal evolution of the patient's signs and symptoms, led us to hypothesize the presence of concomitant infections. These were most likely borreliosis and a STE disease, the latter ultimately diagnosed as amebiasis with hepatic invasion, allowing appropriate treatment and a favorable clinical outcome.</p>","PeriodicalId":13579,"journal":{"name":"Infectious Disease Reports","volume":"18 4","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":2.6,"publicationDate":"2026-08-07","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC13512518/pdf/","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"148827659","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"OA","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Associations of Influenza Illness During Pregnancy with Pregnancy Loss and Program-Defined Child Health Monitoring Indicator: A Matched Cohort Study.","authors":"Yuanyuan Zhang, Yan Shao, Suizan Zhou, Qianlan Wu, Ningning Du, Mingzhi Zhang, Qian Feng, Lin Bao, Yuanyuan Pang, Yayun Tan, Pengwei Cui, Jun Zhang, Haibing Yang, Suping Zhang, Liling Chen, Ying Song, W William Schluter","doi":"10.3390/idr18040082","DOIUrl":"10.3390/idr18040082","url":null,"abstract":"<p><strong>Background/objectives: </strong>This prospective cohort study assessed the impact of seasonal influenza during pregnancy on fetal and infant health outcomes.</p><p><strong>Methods: </strong>Pregnant women with laboratory-confirmed influenza were matched (1:4) by age and pregnancy loss history with women without influenza from annual cohorts in Suzhou, China, during 2015-2018. Participants underwent twice-weekly follow-up for influenza illness, and medical records were linked to ascertain outcomes. Multivariable regression models were used to estimate associations.</p><p><strong>Results: </strong>We included 441 pregnant women with influenza and 1764 without it. Four (0.9%) in the influenza group had late pregnancy loss, whereas one (0.1%) in the non-influenza group did. Influenza was associated with late pregnancy loss (adjusted hazard ratio [aHR] 31.1, 95% Confidence Interval [CI]: 1.3-756.8, <i>p</i> = 0.035). Four (0.9%) in the influenza group experienced early pregnancy loss, while five (0.3%) in the non-influenza group did. Influenza was not significantly associated with early pregnancy loss (aHR 2.1, 95% CI: 0.4-10.4, <i>p</i> = 0.374). By 8 months of age, infants born to 198 of the 441 mothers (44.9%) in the influenza group met the criteria for the program-defined child health monitoring indicator, compared with infants born to 650 of the 1764 mothers (36.8%) in the non-influenza group. Overweight/obesity was the largest contributor: 142 (32.2%) versus 470 (26.6%). Maternal influenza was associated with higher odds of meeting program-defined child health monitoring indicator in offspring (adjusted odds ratio [aOR] 1.4, 95% CI: 1.1-1.8, <i>p</i> = 0.006), with a significant contribution from overweight/obesity (aOR 1.3, 95% CI: 1.0-1.7, <i>p</i> = 0.045).</p><p><strong>Conclusions: </strong>In this cohort, influenza during pregnancy was associated with an increased risk of late pregnancy loss and program-defined child health monitoring indicator in offspring, particularly overweight/obesity. Because the observed association with pregnancy loss was based on a small number of events and had a wide confidence interval, it should be interpreted cautiously and confirmed in larger studies. These findings are consistent with current recommendations supporting influenza vaccination during pregnancy to protect maternal and infant health.</p>","PeriodicalId":13579,"journal":{"name":"Infectious Disease Reports","volume":"18 4","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":2.6,"publicationDate":"2026-08-05","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC13512286/pdf/","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"148827597","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"OA","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Maternal and Perinatal Outcomes Associated with Maternal HIV Infection in a Tertiary Hospital in Eastern Cape Province, South Africa.","authors":"Viwe Sodo-Mbotya, Ntandazo Dlatu, Geoffrey A B Buga","doi":"10.3390/idr18040081","DOIUrl":"10.3390/idr18040081","url":null,"abstract":"&lt;p&gt;&lt;p&gt;&lt;b&gt;Background&lt;/b&gt;: Despite substantial progress in prevention of mother-to-child transmission (PMTCT) programmes and widespread access to antiretroviral therapy (ART), maternal HIV infection remains associated with adverse maternal and neonatal outcomes in many high HIV-burden settings. This study compared maternal and perinatal outcomes among women living with HIV and HIV-negative women delivering at a tertiary referral hospital in the Eastern Cape Province, South Africa. &lt;b&gt;Methods&lt;/b&gt;: A retrospective comparative cohort study was conducted using routinely collected clinical records of 600 women (300 HIV-positive and 300 HIV-negative) who delivered at Nelson Mandela Academic Hospital between January and December 2019. Maternal, obstetric, and neonatal characteristics were compared according to maternal HIV status. Associations were evaluated using chi-square tests, multivariable logistic regression, Kaplan-Meier survival analysis, and Cox proportional hazards regression models. &lt;b&gt;Results&lt;/b&gt;: Women living with HIV were older, had higher parity, and were more likely to have documented anaemia and delayed antenatal care attendance than HIV-negative women. HIV-exposed pregnancies had higher frequencies of preterm birth (26.3% vs. 20.3%) and low birthweight (LBW). In adjusted analyses, maternal HIV-positive status remained independently associated with increased odds of LBW (AOR = 1.88; 95% CI: 1.18-3.00; &lt;i&gt;p&lt;/i&gt; = 0.008). LBW was independently associated with neonatal intensive care unit (NICU) admission (AOR = 2.45; 95% CI: 1.46-4.11; &lt;i&gt;p&lt;/i&gt; &lt; 0.001) and an increased hazard of in-hospital neonatal mortality (HR = 2.40; 95% CI: 1.55-3.70; &lt;i&gt;p&lt;/i&gt; &lt; 0.001). Maternal HIV-positive status (HR = 1.75; 95% CI: 1.12-2.71; &lt;i&gt;p&lt;/i&gt; = 0.015) and unsuppressed maternal viral load (HR = 2.05; 95% CI: 1.13-3.73; &lt;i&gt;p&lt;/i&gt; = 0.018) were also associated with increased hazards of neonatal mortality. However, these findings should be interpreted cautiously, given the limited number of neonatal mortality events (&lt;i&gt;n&lt;/i&gt; = 32). Among HIV-exposed infants with documented HIV test results, the observed mother-to-child transmission rate was 1.7%. However, incomplete infant follow-up and HIV testing data limited the precision of this estimate. Among women living with HIV, birthweight did not differ significantly according to the timing of ART initiation. &lt;b&gt;Conclusions&lt;/b&gt;: In this tertiary referral hospital cohort, maternal HIV infection was associated with adverse maternal and neonatal outcomes, particularly anemia, preterm birth, and LBW. LBW emerged as an important predictor of neonatal morbidity and mortality. These findings support continued efforts to strengthen integrated HIV and maternal healthcare services, promote early antenatal care engagement, maintain maternal viral suppression, and improve monitoring and care of high-risk neonates. Given the retrospective observational design, incomplete follow-up for selected outcomes, limited numbers of neona","PeriodicalId":13579,"journal":{"name":"Infectious Disease Reports","volume":"18 4","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":2.6,"publicationDate":"2026-07-30","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC13512250/pdf/","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"148827766","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"OA","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Human Infections Caused by Flavobacteriales: Clinical Characteristics and Antimicrobial Susceptibility Patterns.","authors":"Grant Whitmer, Maria Joyce","doi":"10.3390/idr18040080","DOIUrl":"10.3390/idr18040080","url":null,"abstract":"<p><strong>Background/objectives: </strong>Bacteria of the order Flavobacteriales are environmental Gram-negative bacilli. Several organisms within the order represent rare but clinically important causes of infection in human hosts, particularly in immunocompromised and hospitalized individuals. Eight genera have been implicated in human infections: <i>Elizabethkingia</i>, <i>Capnocytophaga</i>, <i>Chryseobacterium</i>, <i>Myroides</i>, <i>Bergeyella</i>, <i>Flavobacterium</i>, <i>Empedobacter</i>, and <i>Weeksella</i>. Despite their clinical relevance, there has been, as yet, no consolidated summary of clinical characteristics or resistance patterns across pathogens within the order.</p><p><strong>Methods: </strong>This narrative review examines the currently published data on human infections caused by organisms within Flavobacteriales. 63 sources, including 57 peer-reviewed articles, were included.</p><p><strong>Results: </strong>The clinical associations of infections caused by each of the above genera are discussed. In addition, available antimicrobial resistance data for the same organisms are summarized. Knowledge gaps are identified, including the lack of dedicated antimicrobial susceptibility breakpoints and limited data on rare categories of organisms.</p><p><strong>Conclusions: </strong>Human pathogens within Flavobacteriales display a number of commonalities, including a predilection for immunocompromised hosts, and frequently display resistance to carbapenems and aminoglycosides. Additional studies to better characterize these pathogens and optimize the approach to their treatment are strongly warranted.</p>","PeriodicalId":13579,"journal":{"name":"Infectious Disease Reports","volume":"18 4","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":2.6,"publicationDate":"2026-07-30","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC13512226/pdf/","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"148827803","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"OA","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"A Rare Case of Acute Rheumatic Fever Diagnosed After Recent Travel Abroad.","authors":"Debora Agreiter, Stefan Fuchs, Franziska Marti","doi":"10.3390/idr18040079","DOIUrl":"10.3390/idr18040079","url":null,"abstract":"<p><strong>Background: </strong>Acute rheumatic fever (ARF) is a clinical syndrome triggered by <i>group A streptococcal</i> (<i>GAS</i>) infections and characterized by fever, carditis, and arthritis as its main manifestations. Diagnosis relies on the revised Jones criteria. We report a rare case of ARF diagnosed in Switzerland.</p><p><strong>Case presentation: </strong>An 18-year-old woman presented to the emergency department five days after returning from a one-week stay in Egypt with intermittent fever and a transient sore throat, followed by migratory joint pain. Laboratory testing revealed leukocytosis, elevated C-reactive protein (CRP) and erythrocyte sedimentation rate (ESR). Chest X-ray, urine analysis, and (travel-associated) pathogen-testing (<i>Epstein-Barr virus</i>, <i>Cytomegalovirus</i>, <i>human immunodeficiency virus</i>, <i>Malaria</i>, <i>Dengue</i>, <i>Zika</i>, <i>Chikungunya</i>) were unremarkable. Blood cultures remained negative. Initially, a viral respiratory infection was suspected and symptomatic treatment established. Days later the patient was re-evaluated due to persistent symptoms. Leukocyte count (Lc) and CRP further increased and subcutaneous nodules appeared. The antistreptolysin-O (ASO)-titer was elevated more than three times higher than the normal upper limit and proofed serological evidence of a preceding streptococcal infection (<i>GAS</i> throat culture had not been performed). ARF was diagnosed according to the Jones criteria. Treatment with amoxicillin and a high dose of acetylsalicylic acid (ASA) led to a rapid clinical improvement. Secondary prophylaxis with depot penicillin (benzathine penicillin G; 1.2 million units; once monthly) was initiated to prevent rheumatic heart disease.</p><p><strong>Conclusions: </strong>This case highlights a rare occurrence of ARF following travel to Egypt, with probable acquisition of <i>group A streptococcal</i> infection during the trip. It emphasizes consideration of ARF even in Western countries with low ARF-prevalence if clinical history is suggestive. Early recognition and initiation of antimicrobial and anti-inflammatory therapy is crucial to prevent cardiac involvement. To the best of our knowledge, this represents one of the first cases diagnosed in Switzerland in the past 20 years.</p>","PeriodicalId":13579,"journal":{"name":"Infectious Disease Reports","volume":"18 4","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":2.6,"publicationDate":"2026-07-27","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC13512616/pdf/","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"148827429","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"OA","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Deep Learning-Based Malaria Parasite Image Classification on Real Microscopy Data.","authors":"Francesco Branda, Lilia Andriani, Riccardo Lucis, Annamaria Defilippo, Ugo Lomoio, Barbara Puccio, Giancarlo Ceccarelli, Massimo Ciccozzi, Fabio Scarpa, Pierangelo Veltri, Pietro Hiram Guzzi","doi":"10.3390/idr18040078","DOIUrl":"10.3390/idr18040078","url":null,"abstract":"<p><p><b>Background</b>: Accurate and timely malaria diagnosis with species-level identification of <i>Plasmodium</i> parasites is critical for guiding effective treatment and disease management. Although light microscopy remains the diagnostic gold standard, its dependence on highly trained personnel limits accessibility, particularly in resource-constrained settings. Recent advances in deep learning have enabled automated image-based diagnosis with promising performance; however, reliable differentiation among <i>Plasmodium</i> species continues to pose a major challenge. This study aims to evaluate and compare the effectiveness of different deep learning architectures for automated species identification from microscopy images. <b>Methods</b>: Three deep learning architectures were systematically assessed: a convolutional backbone (ResNet50), a Vision Transformer (ViT), and a hybrid ResNetViT model. All models were trained from scratch, without using pretrained weights, on a dataset comprising real-world thick blood smear images augmented with publicly available microscopy data from Kaggle. In the hybrid architecture, the ResNet module was used to extract robust local morphological features, while the ViT component captured long-range dependencies and contextual relationships within images. <b>Results</b>: In cross-validation experiments, all three architectures consistently achieved high diagnostic performance. ResNet50 attained the highest accuracy (96.9%), an F1-score of 96.3%, and an ROC-AUC of 0.997. The Vision Transformer achieved 93.1% accuracy, 91.7% F1-score, and an ROC-AUC of 0.989. The hybrid ResNetViT reached 95.2% accuracy, 94.2% F1-score, and an ROC-AUC of 0.995. These results confirm that all architectures can reliably distinguish among <i>Plasmodium</i> species. Although ResNet50 achieved the highest raw accuracy, the hybrid model showed the most stable calibration and the closest qualitative agreement between its attention maps and expert-annotated parasite locations. <b>Conclusions</b>: The findings demonstrate that convolutional, transformer-based, and hybrid deep learning architectures can be successfully trained on real microscopy data for species-level malaria diagnosis. These results support the feasibility of deploying scalable, automated diagnostic systems to improve both accuracy and accessibility of malaria detection, particularly in resource-limited healthcare settings.</p>","PeriodicalId":13579,"journal":{"name":"Infectious Disease Reports","volume":"18 4","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":2.6,"publicationDate":"2026-07-27","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC13512370/pdf/","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"148827662","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"OA","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}