Infectious Disease Reports最新文献

{"title":"Hemophagocytic Lymphohistiocytosis (HLH) in Patients with Tick-Borne Illness: A Scoping Review of 98 Cases.","authors":"Dorde Jevtic, Marilia Dagnon da Silva, Alberto Busmail Haylock, Charles W Nordstrom, Stevan Oluic, Nikola Pantic, Milan Nikolajevic, Nikola Nikolajevic, Magdalena Kotseva, Igor Dumic","doi":"10.3390/idr16020012","DOIUrl":"10.3390/idr16020012","url":null,"abstract":"<p><p>Hemophagocytic lymphohistiocytosis (HLH) secondary to tick-borne infections is a rare but potentially life-threatening syndrome. We performed a scoping review according to PRISMA guidelines to systematically analyze the existing literature on the topic. A total of 98 patients were included, with a mean age of 43.7 years, of which 64% were men. Most cases, 31%, were reported from the USA. Immunosuppression was present in 21.4%, with the most common cause being previous solid organ transplantation. Constitutional symptoms were the most common, observed in 83.7% of the patients, while fever was reported in 70.4% of cases. Sepsis was present in 27.6%. The most common laboratory abnormalities in this cohort were thrombocytopenia in 81.6% of patients, while anemia, leukopenia, and leukocytosis were observed in 75.5%, 55.1%, and 10.2%, respectively. Liver enzyme elevation was noted in 63.3% of cases. The H-score was analyzed in 64 patients, with the mean value being 209, and bone marrow analysis was performed in 61.2% of patients. <i>Ehrlichia</i> spp. was the main isolated agent associated with HLH in 45.9%, followed by <i>Rickettsia</i> spp. in 14.3% and <i>Anaplasma phagocytophilum</i> in 12.2%. Notably, no patient with Powassan virus infection or Lyme borreliosis developed HLH. The most common complications were acute kidney injury (AKI) in 35.7% of patients, shock with multiple organ dysfunction in 22.5%, encephalopathy/seizure in 20.4%, respiratory failure in 16.3%, and cardiac complications in 7.1% of patients. Treatment included antibiotic therapy alone in 43.9%, while 5.1% of patients were treated with immunosuppressants alone. Treatment with both antibiotics and immunosuppressants was used in 51% of patients. Appropriate empiric antibiotics were used in 62.2%. In 43.9% of cases of HLH due to tick-borne disease, patients received only antimicrobial therapy, and 88.4% of those recovered completely without the need for immunosuppressive therapy. The mortality rate in our review was 16.3%, and patients who received inappropriate or delayed empiric therapy had a worse outcome. Hence, we suggest empiric antibiotic treatment in patients who are suspected of having HLH due to tick-borne disease or in whom diagnostic uncertainty persists due to diagnostic delay in order to minimize mortality.</p>","PeriodicalId":13579,"journal":{"name":"Infectious Disease Reports","volume":null,"pages":null},"PeriodicalIF":3.2,"publicationDate":"2024-02-21","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC10961790/pdf/","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"140206787","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":"Excess Mortality Stratified by Age and Sex for Croatia and Croatian Counties during the 2020-2021 COVID-19 Pandemic.","authors":"Mara Šošić, Zvonimir Boban, Marijan Erceg, Nataša Boban","doi":"10.3390/idr16020011","DOIUrl":"10.3390/idr16020011","url":null,"abstract":"<p><p>Excess mortality is often used to estimate the effect of a certain crisis on the population. It is defined as the number of deaths during a crisis exceeding the expected number based on historical trends. Here, we calculated excess mortality due to the COVID-19 pandemic for Croatia in the 2020-2021 period. The excess was calculated on the national and county level for different age and sex categories. In addition to the absolute number, the excess mortality was also expressed as a ratio of excess deaths to the predicted baseline and excess mortality rate. We showed that using both measures is necessary to avoid incorrect conclusions. The estimated excess mortality on the national level was 14,963, corresponding to an excess percentage of 14.3%. With respect to sex, there was a higher excess mortality rate for men compared to women. An exponential relationship was observed between age and the excess mortality rate.These trends wee representative of most counties as well, with large variations in the magnitude of the effect. However, there were also exceptions to the general rule. The reasons for these deviations were discussed in terms of between-county differences in demographic structure, population density and special events that took place during the pandemic.</p>","PeriodicalId":13579,"journal":{"name":"Infectious Disease Reports","volume":null,"pages":null},"PeriodicalIF":3.2,"publicationDate":"2024-02-20","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC10885044/pdf/","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"139931009","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":"Respiratory Syncytial Virus (RSV) and Intention to Recommend RSV Vaccination: A Cross-Sectional Survey of Cardiologists and Cardiac Nurses in Southern Italy","authors":"Domenico Ponticelli, Lorenzo Losa, I. Antonazzo, Anna Zampella, Fabio Di Marino, Gaetano Mottola, Mara Noemi Fede, Fortuna Gallucci, Roberto Magliuolo, Antonio Rainone, Antonella Arcari, Carmine Del Giudice, P. Ferrara","doi":"10.3390/idr16010010","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.3390/idr16010010","url":null,"abstract":"As respiratory syncytial virus (RSV) vaccine distribution gains traction in Europe and Italy, healthcare workers (HCWs) can strategize about vaccine promotion to increase uptake among patients at risk of RSV consequences, such cardiac patients. This cross-sectional survey investigated the knowledge about and attitude towards RSV and RSV vaccines, and the intention to recommend vaccination within a cardiological hospital in Italy. To explore factors associated with the outcomes of interest, multivariate logistic regression analyses were conducted. Of 197 invited HCWs, 78.2% returned the survey. The knowledge about market authorisation for new RSV vaccines for older adults (present in 46.9% of respondents) was significantly associated with the HCWs’ age, education, and previous update on vaccinations. HCWs with a higher educational level and those with a positive attitude towards RSV vaccines safety reported a higher attitude towards the importance of vaccinating people at risk. The willingness of recommending RSV vaccination to patients (70.5% of respondents) was more likely in HCWs who were knowledgeable about market authorisation for RSV vaccines and in physicians. This tempestive research sheds light on current factors influencing the strategies of cardiac HCWs regarding RSV vaccination. The results suggest the need for training events on the protective role of RSV vaccination in cardiac patients.","PeriodicalId":13579,"journal":{"name":"Infectious Disease Reports","volume":null,"pages":null},"PeriodicalIF":3.2,"publicationDate":"2024-02-15","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"139775484","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":"Respiratory Syncytial Virus (RSV) and Intention to Recommend RSV Vaccination: A Cross-Sectional Survey of Cardiologists and Cardiac Nurses in Southern Italy","authors":"Domenico Ponticelli, Lorenzo Losa, I. Antonazzo, Anna Zampella, Fabio Di Marino, Gaetano Mottola, Mara Noemi Fede, Fortuna Gallucci, Roberto Magliuolo, Antonio Rainone, Antonella Arcari, Carmine Del Giudice, P. Ferrara","doi":"10.3390/idr16010010","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.3390/idr16010010","url":null,"abstract":"As respiratory syncytial virus (RSV) vaccine distribution gains traction in Europe and Italy, healthcare workers (HCWs) can strategize about vaccine promotion to increase uptake among patients at risk of RSV consequences, such cardiac patients. This cross-sectional survey investigated the knowledge about and attitude towards RSV and RSV vaccines, and the intention to recommend vaccination within a cardiological hospital in Italy. To explore factors associated with the outcomes of interest, multivariate logistic regression analyses were conducted. Of 197 invited HCWs, 78.2% returned the survey. The knowledge about market authorisation for new RSV vaccines for older adults (present in 46.9% of respondents) was significantly associated with the HCWs’ age, education, and previous update on vaccinations. HCWs with a higher educational level and those with a positive attitude towards RSV vaccines safety reported a higher attitude towards the importance of vaccinating people at risk. The willingness of recommending RSV vaccination to patients (70.5% of respondents) was more likely in HCWs who were knowledgeable about market authorisation for RSV vaccines and in physicians. This tempestive research sheds light on current factors influencing the strategies of cardiac HCWs regarding RSV vaccination. The results suggest the need for training events on the protective role of RSV vaccination in cardiac patients.","PeriodicalId":13579,"journal":{"name":"Infectious Disease Reports","volume":null,"pages":null},"PeriodicalIF":3.2,"publicationDate":"2024-02-15","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"139835209","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":"Impact of the COVID-19 Pandemic Surveillance of Visceral Leishmaniasis in Brazil: An Ecological Study","authors":"Josefa Rayane Santos Silveira, Shirley Verônica Melo Almeida Lima, A. D. dos Santos, Luana Silva Siqueira, Guilherme Reis de Santana Santos, Álvaro Francisco Lopes de Sousa, Layze Braz De Oliveira, I. Mendes, C. Ribeiro","doi":"10.3390/idr16010009","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.3390/idr16010009","url":null,"abstract":"The aim of the study was to assess the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on the notification of new VL cases in Brazil in 2020. It is an ecological and time-series study (2015–2020) with spatial analysis techniques, whose units of analysis were the 5570 Brazilian municipalities. The study population consisted of all new cases of VL recorded between 2015 and 2020. The P-score was calculated to estimate the percentage variation in new VL cases. Global and local univariate Moran’s Indices and retrospective space–time scan statistics were used in spatial and space–time analyses, respectively. It was expected that there would be 3627 new cases of VL in Brazil in 2020, but 1932 cases were reported (−46.73%). All Brazilian regions presented a negative percentage variation in the registration of new VL cases, with the Southeast (−54.70%), North (−49.97%), and Northeast (−44.22%) standing out. There was spatial dependence of the disease nationwide in both periods, before and during the first year of the COVID-19 pandemic. There was a significant reduction in the incidence of new VL cases in Brazil during the first year of the COVID-19 pandemic. These findings reinforce the need for better preparedness of the health system, especially in situations of new epidemics.","PeriodicalId":13579,"journal":{"name":"Infectious Disease Reports","volume":null,"pages":null},"PeriodicalIF":3.2,"publicationDate":"2024-02-09","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"139787842","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":"Impact of the COVID-19 Pandemic Surveillance of Visceral Leishmaniasis in Brazil: An Ecological Study","authors":"Josefa Rayane Santos Silveira, Shirley Verônica Melo Almeida Lima, A. D. dos Santos, Luana Silva Siqueira, Guilherme Reis de Santana Santos, Álvaro Francisco Lopes de Sousa, Layze Braz De Oliveira, I. Mendes, C. Ribeiro","doi":"10.3390/idr16010009","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.3390/idr16010009","url":null,"abstract":"The aim of the study was to assess the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on the notification of new VL cases in Brazil in 2020. It is an ecological and time-series study (2015–2020) with spatial analysis techniques, whose units of analysis were the 5570 Brazilian municipalities. The study population consisted of all new cases of VL recorded between 2015 and 2020. The P-score was calculated to estimate the percentage variation in new VL cases. Global and local univariate Moran’s Indices and retrospective space–time scan statistics were used in spatial and space–time analyses, respectively. It was expected that there would be 3627 new cases of VL in Brazil in 2020, but 1932 cases were reported (−46.73%). All Brazilian regions presented a negative percentage variation in the registration of new VL cases, with the Southeast (−54.70%), North (−49.97%), and Northeast (−44.22%) standing out. There was spatial dependence of the disease nationwide in both periods, before and during the first year of the COVID-19 pandemic. There was a significant reduction in the incidence of new VL cases in Brazil during the first year of the COVID-19 pandemic. These findings reinforce the need for better preparedness of the health system, especially in situations of new epidemics.","PeriodicalId":13579,"journal":{"name":"Infectious Disease Reports","volume":null,"pages":null},"PeriodicalIF":3.2,"publicationDate":"2024-02-09","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"139847737","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":"The Subcutaneous Administration of Beta-Lactams: A Case Report and Literary Review-To Do Small Things in a Great Way.","authors":"Gabriele Maria Leanza, Beatrice Liguoro, Simone Giuliano, Chiara Moreal, Luca Montanari, Jacopo Angelini, Tommaso Cai, Rita Murri, Carlo Tascini","doi":"10.3390/idr16010007","DOIUrl":"10.3390/idr16010007","url":null,"abstract":"<p><p>The subcutaneous (s.c.) route is a commonly used method for delivering various drugs, although its application in the administration of antibiotics is relatively uncommon. In this case, we report a successful treatment of nosocomial pneumonia using piperacillin/tazobactam via continuous subcutaneous administration. Furthermore, this article provides an overview of the current literature regarding the s.c. administration of beta-lactam antibiotics. Based on our analysis, we identified only 15 studies that described the s.c. use of beta-lactam antibiotics in human subjects. Among these studies, cephalosporins were the most extensively investigated antibiotic class, with 10 available studies. According to the study findings, all three antibiotic classes (cephalosporins, penicillins, and carbapenems) demonstrated a similar pharmacokinetic profile when administered via the subcutaneous route. The subcutaneous route appears to be associated with a lower peak serum concentration (C_max) but a comparable minimum blood concentration (C_min) and an extended half-life (t_1/2) when compared to conventional routes of antibiotic administration. Further research is necessary to determine whether subcutaneously administered beta-lactam antibiotics in human subjects achieve pharmacodynamic targets and demonstrate clinical efficacy.</p>","PeriodicalId":13579,"journal":{"name":"Infectious Disease Reports","volume":null,"pages":null},"PeriodicalIF":3.2,"publicationDate":"2024-01-29","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC10887887/pdf/","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"139931008","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 Simple Risk Formula for the Prediction of COVID-19 Hospital Mortality.","authors":"Jiří Plášek, Jozef Dodulík, Petr Gai, Barbora Hrstková, Jan Škrha, Lukáš Zlatohlávek, Renata Vlasáková, Peter Danko, Petr Ondráček, Eva Čubová, Bronislav Čapek, Marie Kollárová, Tomáš Fürst, Jan Václavík","doi":"10.3390/idr16010008","DOIUrl":"10.3390/idr16010008","url":null,"abstract":"<p><p>SARS-CoV-2 respiratory infection is associated with significant morbidity and mortality in hospitalized patients. We aimed to assess the risk factors for hospital mortality in non-vaccinated patients during the 2021 spring wave in the Czech Republic. A total of 991 patients hospitalized between January 2021 and March 2021 with a PCR-confirmed SARS-CoV-2 acute respiratory infection in two university hospitals and five rural hospitals were included in this analysis. After excluding patients with unknown outcomes, 790 patients entered the final analyses. Out of 790 patients included in the analysis, 282/790 (35.7%) patients died in the hospital; 162/790 (20.5) were male and 120/790 (15.2%) were female. There were 141/790 (18%) patients with mild, 461/790 (58.3%) with moderate, and 187/790 (23.7%) with severe courses of the disease based mainly on the oxygenation status. The best-performing multivariate regression model contains only two predictors-age and the patient's state; both predictors were rendered significant (<i>p</i> < 0.0001). Both age and disease state are very significant predictors of hospital mortality. An increase in age by 10 years raises the risk of hospital mortality by a factor of 2.5, and a unit increase in the oxygenation status raises the risk of hospital mortality by a factor of 20.</p>","PeriodicalId":13579,"journal":{"name":"Infectious Disease Reports","volume":null,"pages":null},"PeriodicalIF":3.4,"publicationDate":"2024-01-29","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC10887710/pdf/","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"139931006","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":"Characterization of <i>Lophomonas</i> spp. Infection in a Population of Critical Care Patients.","authors":"Francisco das Neves Coelho, João Borralho, Teresa Baptista-Fernandes, Cristina Toscano, Maria Eduarda Carmo","doi":"10.3390/idr16010006","DOIUrl":"10.3390/idr16010006","url":null,"abstract":"<p><p><i>Lophomonas</i> are flagellated protozoa that have been increasingly associated with upper and lower airway infection in humans. The prevalence and characterization of this disease in the critically ill remains poorly understood. We present a series of eleven ICU patients with confirmed <i>Lophomonas</i> spp. identification in respiratory samples.</p>","PeriodicalId":13579,"journal":{"name":"Infectious Disease Reports","volume":null,"pages":null},"PeriodicalIF":3.2,"publicationDate":"2024-01-26","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC10888071/pdf/","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"139931007","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":"Management of Cytomegalovirus Infections in the Era of the Novel Antiviral Players, Letermovir and Maribavir.","authors":"Jocelyne Piret, Guy Boivin","doi":"10.3390/idr16010005","DOIUrl":"10.3390/idr16010005","url":null,"abstract":"<p><p>Cytomegalovirus (CMV) infections may increase morbidity and mortality in immunocompromised patients. Until recently, standard antiviral drugs against CMV were limited to viral DNA polymerase inhibitors (val)ganciclovir, foscarnet and cidofovir with a risk for cross-resistance. These drugs may also cause serious side effects. This narrative review provides an update on new antiviral agents that were approved for the prevention and treatment of CMV infections in transplant recipients. Letermovir was approved in 2017 for CMV prophylaxis in CMV-seropositive adults who received an allogeneic hematopoietic stem cell transplant. Maribavir followed four years later, with an indication in the treatment of adult and pediatric transplant patients with refractory/resistant CMV disease. The target of letermovir is the CMV terminase complex (constituted of pUL56, pUL89 and pUL51 subunits). Letermovir prevents the cleavage of viral DNA and its packaging into capsids. Maribavir is a pUL97 kinase inhibitor, which interferes with the assembly of capsids and the egress of virions from the nucleus. Both drugs have activity against most CMV strains resistant to standard drugs and exhibit favorable safety profiles. However, high-level resistance mutations may arise more rapidly in the <i>UL56</i> gene under letermovir than low-grade resistance mutations. Some mutations emerging in the <i>UL97</i> gene under maribavir can be cross-resistant with ganciclovir. Thus, letermovir and maribavir now extend the drug arsenal available for the management of CMV infections and their respective niches are currently defined.</p>","PeriodicalId":13579,"journal":{"name":"Infectious Disease Reports","volume":null,"pages":null},"PeriodicalIF":3.4,"publicationDate":"2024-01-18","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC10801527/pdf/","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"139512349","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}