Tamsin Lovelock, Mignon du Plessis, Clinton van der Westhuizen, Jacques T Janson, Charlene Lawrence, Arifa Parker, Alfonso Pecoraro, Hans Prozesky, Anne von Gottberg, Jantjie Taljaard
{"title":"Non-toxigenic <i>Corynebacterium diphtheriae</i> endocarditis: A cluster of five cases.","authors":"Tamsin Lovelock, Mignon du Plessis, Clinton van der Westhuizen, Jacques T Janson, Charlene Lawrence, Arifa Parker, Alfonso Pecoraro, Hans Prozesky, Anne von Gottberg, Jantjie Taljaard","doi":"10.4102/sajid.v39i1.539","DOIUrl":"10.4102/sajid.v39i1.539","url":null,"abstract":"<p><strong>Background: </strong>Classical toxin-mediated respiratory diphtheria has become less common because of widespread effective vaccination globally but invasive disease as a result of non-toxigenic strains of <i>Corynebacterium diphtheriae</i> is not prevented by vaccination and may result in severe disease, including infective endocarditis (IE).</p><p><strong>Objectives: </strong>To describe the outbreak and subsequent investigation of a cluster of five cases of non-toxigenic <i>C. diphtheriae</i> endocarditis.</p><p><strong>Method: </strong>A retrospective observational case series of five cases of non-toxigenic <i>C. diphtheriae</i> endocarditis identified in the rural West Coast district of the Western Cape province of South Africa between May 2021 and June 2021.</p><p><strong>Results: </strong>Non-toxigenic <i>C. diphtheriae</i> IE had an aggressive clinical course with high mortality in this cohort. Only one of five patients survived to hospital discharge. The surviving patient received a prompt diagnosis with early surgical intervention but still had a complicated clinical course. Notably, only one case had a pre-existing risk factor for IE, namely a prosthetic valve. Whole genome sequencing of clinical isolates confirmed that all isolates were of the same novel sequence type of non-toxigenic <i>C. diphtheriae</i> but despite a thorough investigation no epidemiological link was ever found between the cases.</p><p><strong>Conclusion: </strong>Non-toxigenic strains of <i>C. diphtheriae</i> are less well known but may be highly virulent and cause severe invasive disease.</p><p><strong>Contribution: </strong>This is the largest cluster of non-toxigenic <i>C. diphtheriae</i> IE ever described in South Africa and expands the body of literature on this unusual but possibly emerging infection.</p>","PeriodicalId":44007,"journal":{"name":"Southern African Journal of Infectious Diseases","volume":"39 1","pages":"539"},"PeriodicalIF":0.9,"publicationDate":"2024-02-21","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC10913159/pdf/","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"140040539","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}
Rixongile R Rikhotso, Emma M Mitchell, Daniel T Wilson, Aubrey Doede, Nontokozo D Matume, Pascal O Bessong
{"title":"Erratum: Prevalence and distribution of selected cervical human papillomavirus types in HIV infected and HIV uninfected women in South Africa, 1989-2021: A narrative review.","authors":"Rixongile R Rikhotso, Emma M Mitchell, Daniel T Wilson, Aubrey Doede, Nontokozo D Matume, Pascal O Bessong","doi":"10.4102/sajid.v39i1.575","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.4102/sajid.v39i1.575","url":null,"abstract":"<p><p>[This corrects the article DOI: 10.4102/sajid.v37i1.363.].</p>","PeriodicalId":44007,"journal":{"name":"Southern African Journal of Infectious Diseases","volume":"39 1","pages":"575"},"PeriodicalIF":0.9,"publicationDate":"2024-01-30","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC10839195/pdf/","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"139698548","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}
Abraham J. le Roux, Anneke van der Spoel van Dijk, Motlatji R B Maloba
{"title":"Characterisation and antimicrobial susceptibility pattern of non-tuberculous mycobacteria","authors":"Abraham J. le Roux, Anneke van der Spoel van Dijk, Motlatji R B Maloba","doi":"10.4102/sajid.v39i1.525","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.4102/sajid.v39i1.525","url":null,"abstract":"","PeriodicalId":44007,"journal":{"name":"Southern African Journal of Infectious Diseases","volume":"24 11","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":0.9,"publicationDate":"2024-01-05","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"139383343","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":"A young adult with leptospirosis associated acute inflammatory demyelinating polyneuropathy","authors":"Herman Bagula, Ismail A. Banderker, M. S. Moosa","doi":"10.4102/sajid.v38i1.569","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.4102/sajid.v38i1.569","url":null,"abstract":"Leptospirosis is a zoonotic disease that commonly affects the liver and kidney. It can rarely affect the neurological system with aseptic meningitis being the commonest neurological presentation. We present the case of a patient with leptospirosis complicated by acute inflammatory demyelinating polyneuropathy.Contribution: To our knowledge, this is the first reported case of acute inflammatory demyelinating polyneuropathy as a complication of leptospirosis in South Africa.","PeriodicalId":44007,"journal":{"name":"Southern African Journal of Infectious Diseases","volume":"25 16","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":0.9,"publicationDate":"2023-12-21","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"138950176","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":"Microbe Mail: A microbiology and infectious diseases podcast for clinicians and students","authors":"V. Chibabhai, Gert J.K. Marais, V. Alex","doi":"10.4102/sajid.v38i1.570","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.4102/sajid.v38i1.570","url":null,"abstract":"Microbe Mail medical podcast is an audio-only informal educational platform, which addresses widespread topics in medical microbiology and infectious diseases (ID), with a particular focus on low- and middle-income settings. Podcasting has become a common form of informal learning in healthcare education and for continual professional development (CPD).Contribution: In this article, we discuss the development of the Microbe Mail podcast, its informal microbiology and ID education impact in the 2 years since commencement and future directions to improve uptake in Africa and low- and middle-income countries.","PeriodicalId":44007,"journal":{"name":"Southern African Journal of Infectious Diseases","volume":"91 8","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":0.9,"publicationDate":"2023-12-21","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"138951391","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}
V. Chibabhai, Adrie Bekker, Marianne Black, Despina Demopoulos, A. Dramowski, N. D. Du Plessis, Veshni Pillay-Fuentes Lorente, T. Nana, Helena Rabie, G. Reubenson, Reenu Thomas
{"title":"Appropriate use of colistin in neonates, infants and children: Interim guidance","authors":"V. Chibabhai, Adrie Bekker, Marianne Black, Despina Demopoulos, A. Dramowski, N. D. Du Plessis, Veshni Pillay-Fuentes Lorente, T. Nana, Helena Rabie, G. Reubenson, Reenu Thomas","doi":"10.4102/sajid.v38i1.555","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.4102/sajid.v38i1.555","url":null,"abstract":"No abstract available. ","PeriodicalId":44007,"journal":{"name":"Southern African Journal of Infectious Diseases","volume":" 6","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":0.9,"publicationDate":"2023-12-19","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"138961814","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":"Adverse event reporting practices in drug-resistant tuberculosis facilities across South Africa","authors":"R. Gaida, Adlai S. Davids, R. Sewpaul","doi":"10.4102/sajid.v38i1.564","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.4102/sajid.v38i1.564","url":null,"abstract":"Background: The reporting of adverse drug reactions associated with drug-resistant tuberculosis (DR-TB) medication is important for pharmacovigilance, especially in high-burden countries such as South Africa. With DR-TB treatment being so dynamic, it is important to understand adverse event reporting practices at specialised facilities.Objectives: The study aimed to understand the adverse drug reaction (ADR) reporting practices at DR-TB treatment facilities in South Africa.Method: Interviews were conducted with healthcare workers at specialised DR-TB facilities. This was to collect data on demographics, pharmacovigilance training, and determine attitudes and practices towards reporting adverse events. A checklist was developed to review the most recent adverse event forms captured at the facility.Results: Most participants did not have adverse event reporting training since their initial training but were confident that they could complete a form themselves. Most participants could correctly identify the major adverse events associated with DR-TB medication, but some deemed non-adverse events as plausible. Adverse event report forms were not standardised with most participants deeming further training and regular feedback as reasons to report ADRs.Conclusion: Standardisation of adverse event report forms used and the establishment of regular reporting will increase adverse event reporting at DR-TB facilities. Continuous training, empowerment and expansion of staff categories eligible to report adverse events will enhance and sustain such practice.Contribution: The study highlights challenges faced by healthcare professionals in reporting adverse events.","PeriodicalId":44007,"journal":{"name":"Southern African Journal of Infectious Diseases","volume":" 17","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":0.9,"publicationDate":"2023-12-19","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"138960661","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":"After action review of the COVID-19 pandemic response in North West province, South Africa","authors":"John M. Tumbo, Indiran Govender, D. Nzaumvila","doi":"10.4102/sajid.v38i1.571","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.4102/sajid.v38i1.571","url":null,"abstract":"Background: Severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) caused coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic with major disruptions globally. Northwest Province Department of Health (NWDoH) in South Africa set up comprehensive epidemiological emergency response plans for preventing, finding, containing and stopping the spread of COVID-19 in accordance with the National Disaster Management Act.Objectives: This After-Action Report (AAR) describes the provincial response to the pandemic from September 2020 to October 2022.Method: The AAR was conducted using the World Health Organization AAR methodology. Focus groups discussed five items: coordination, leadership and governance; epidemiology, surveillance and laboratory; case management and continuity of essential services; risk communication and community engagement and COVID-19 vaccination.Results: The timely establishment and activation of provincial intergovernmental and intersectoral coordinating structures led to effective coordination, resource mobilisation, leadership, decision-making and intervention. The effective communication in the department and other stakeholders resulted in improved surveillance data quality, timelier response and increased ownership of data. Dissemination, training and implementation of case management protocols ensured standardised case management. The multi-channel information dissemination targeting different audiences empowered people with real-time knowledge on the infection and encouraged health-seeking behaviours.Conclusion: The AAR demonstrated the importance of coordinated epidemiological, laboratory and communication response that requires significant public health reserve capacity in peacetime for rapid expansion in an emergency.Contribution: This review contributes to the body of knowledge emerging from the COVID-19 pandemic and provides guidance on enhanced public health response to future emergencies.","PeriodicalId":44007,"journal":{"name":"Southern African Journal of Infectious Diseases","volume":"246 1","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":0.9,"publicationDate":"2023-12-18","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"139173251","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}
Lucas E. Hermans, Petro Booysen, L. Boloko, Marguerite Adriaanse, T. D. de Wet, Aimee R. Lifson, Naweed Wadee, N. Papavarnavas, G. Marais, N. Hsiao, Michael-Jon Rosslee, Greg Symons, Gregory L. Calligaro, A. Iranzadeh, Robert J Wilkinson, N. Ntusi, Carolyn Williamson, Mary-Ann Davies, Graeme Meintjes, Sean Wasserman
{"title":"Changing character and waning impact of COVID-19 at a tertiary centre in Cape Town, South Africa","authors":"Lucas E. Hermans, Petro Booysen, L. Boloko, Marguerite Adriaanse, T. D. de Wet, Aimee R. Lifson, Naweed Wadee, N. Papavarnavas, G. Marais, N. Hsiao, Michael-Jon Rosslee, Greg Symons, Gregory L. Calligaro, A. Iranzadeh, Robert J Wilkinson, N. Ntusi, Carolyn Williamson, Mary-Ann Davies, Graeme Meintjes, Sean Wasserman","doi":"10.4102/sajid.v38i1.550","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.4102/sajid.v38i1.550","url":null,"abstract":"Background: The emergence of genetic variants of SARS-CoV-2 was associated with changing epidemiological characteristics throughout coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic in population-based studies. Individual-level data on the clinical characteristics of infection with different SARS-CoV-2 variants in African countries is less well documented.Objectives: To describe the evolving clinical differences observed with the various SARS-CoV-2 variants of concern and compare the Omicron-driven wave in infections to the previous Delta-driven wave.Method: We performed a retrospective observational cohort study among patients admitted to a South African referral hospital with COVID-19 pneumonia. Patients were stratified by epidemiological wave period, and in a subset, the variants associated with each wave were confirmed by genomic sequencing. Outcomes were analysed by Cox proportional hazard models.Results: We included 1689 patients were included, representing infection waves driven predominantly by ancestral, Beta, Delta and Omicron BA1/BA2 BA4/BA5 variants. Crude 28-day mortality was 25.8% (34/133) in the Omicron wave period versus 37.1% (138/374) in the Delta wave period (hazard ratio [HR] 0.68 [95% CI 0.47–1.00] p = 0.049); this effect persisted after adjustment for age, gender, HIV status and presence of cardiovascular disease (adjusted HR [aHR] 0.43 [95% CI 0.28–0.67] p 0.001). Hospital-wide SARS-CoV-2 admissions and deaths were highest during the Delta wave period, with a decoupling of SARS-CoV-2 deaths and overall deaths thereafter.Conclusion: There was lower in-hospital mortality during Omicron-driven waves compared with the prior Delta wave, despite patients admitted during the Omicron wave being at higher risk.Contribution: This study summarises clinical characteristics associated with SARS-CoV-2 variants during the COVID-19 pandemic at a South African tertiary hospital, demonstrating a waning impact of COVID-19 on healthcare services over time despite epidemic waves driven by new variants. Findings suggest the absence of increasing virulence from later variants and protection from population and individual-level immunity. ","PeriodicalId":44007,"journal":{"name":"Southern African Journal of Infectious Diseases","volume":" 4","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":0.9,"publicationDate":"2023-12-18","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"138964387","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}
Philile F. Buthelezi, Fathima Naby, Yashodhara Kannigan
{"title":"Retrospective review of bacteriological profiles and antibiogram in a tertiary neonatal unit","authors":"Philile F. Buthelezi, Fathima Naby, Yashodhara Kannigan","doi":"10.4102/sajid.v38i1.537","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.4102/sajid.v38i1.537","url":null,"abstract":"Background: Neonatal sepsis remains a major cause of morbidity and mortality. Therefore, early detection and initiation of appropriate empirical antibiotic therapy are crucial.Objectives: The aim of this study was to describe the antibiogram of the neonatal intensive care unit at Grey’s Hospital, a tertiary hospital in KwaZulu-Natal.Method: This was a retrospective descriptive study, reviewing positive cultures from Grey’s Hospital tertiary neonatal intensive care unit (NICU) in KwaZulu-Natal, South Africa for a 3-year period (01 January 2017 to 31 December 2019). All positive cultures from all sites were included.Results: There were 1314 positive organisms cultured. Late-onset sepsis (89.3%) predominated over early-onset sepsis (10.7%). Blood was the source for 55.2% (725/1314) of positive cultures. Of the 1314 organisms cultured, 53.7% (706/1314) were Gram-positive, 45.7% (601/1314) were Gram-negative and 0.5% (7/1314) were Candida species. Klebsiella pneumoniae, 23.5% (313/1314) was the most frequent Gram-negative organism. It was noted to have high resistance to the unit’s first-line antibiotic regimens; 99% were resistant to ampicillin and 92% resistant to gentamicin.Conclusion: Blood cultures yielded most positive results with a predominance of Gram-positive organisms and late-onset sepsis. A significant proportion of the cultured organisms were resistant to the first-line antimicrobials utilised in the unit, ampicillin and gentamicin.Contribution: Ongoing surveillance on positive cultures is recommended to assess the effectiveness of the unit’s current empirical antimicrobial guideline.","PeriodicalId":44007,"journal":{"name":"Southern African Journal of Infectious Diseases","volume":"46 43","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":0.9,"publicationDate":"2023-12-08","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"138588459","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}