GERMS最新文献

{"title":"Attitudes and acceptance of COVID-19 vaccination among Serbian medical students.","authors":"Katarina Maksimovic, Sandra Šipetić-Grujičić, Jelena Ilić Živojinović, Milena Tomanić, Isidora Vujčić","doi":"10.18683/germs.2024.1449","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.18683/germs.2024.1449","url":null,"abstract":"","PeriodicalId":45107,"journal":{"name":"GERMS","volume":"14 4","pages":"402-405"},"PeriodicalIF":1.7,"publicationDate":"2024-12-31","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC12013667/pdf/","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"144029541","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":"Segmenting attitudes toward vaccination - behavioral insights into influenza vaccination refusal in Romania.","authors":"Gheorghe Gindrovel Dumitra, Sandra Adalgiza Alexiu, Dorica Sănduţu, Cosmina Berbecel, Monica Curelea, Cristina Vasilica Barbu, Anca Deleanu, Adrian Grom, Maria Lup, Ioana Budiu, Mădălina Vesa, Roxana Surugiu, Anca Lăcătuş, Adina Turcu-Stiolica","doi":"10.18683/germs.2024.1446","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.18683/germs.2024.1446","url":null,"abstract":"<p><strong>Introduction: </strong>Vaccine hesitancy remains a significant public health challenge, particularly in rural populations where geographic and socioeconomic barriers exacerbate the issue. This study aimed to examine the factors influencing vaccine hesitancy, focusing on influenza vaccinations in rural and urban communities in Romania.</p><p><strong>Methods: </strong>The study was conducted between October 4 and October 30, 2024, across 16 family medicine practices, including seven in rural and nine in urban areas from Romania. A 13-item vaccine hesitancy questionnaire, assessing factors such as fear of adverse effects, distrust in vaccines, and perceived necessity included 272 responses. Latent Class Analysis (LCA) was used to identify distinct subgroups of hesitancy, while Chi-square and odds ratio analyses assessed geographic differences. We performed logistic regression for the most observed root attitudes on influenza vaccination refusal.</p><p><strong>Results: </strong>Rural residents were significantly more likely to refuse influenza vaccination compared to urban residents. The LCA revealed three distinct latent classes, characterized by varying levels of agreement with key hesitancy items. Class 1 demonstrated low hesitancy, Class 2 exhibited high hesitancy driven by beliefs in natural immunity and perceived lack of necessity, and Class 3 showed intermediate hesitancy, influenced by distrust in vaccines and past negative experiences. Among the key significant triggers underlying vaccine refusal were fear of adverse effects, parental status, chronic diseases, and previous vaccination experiences, while factors such as age and gender showed limited impact.</p><p><strong>Conclusions: </strong>Vaccine hesitancy persists as a complex, multidimensional issue, with rural populations disproportionately affected. Targeted, context-specific interventions addressing key drivers such as distorted risk perception, fear of adverse effects and distrust in vaccines are critical for improving vaccination rates These findings underscore the importance of tailored public health strategies to promote equitable vaccine uptake.</p>","PeriodicalId":45107,"journal":{"name":"GERMS","volume":"14 4","pages":"362-374"},"PeriodicalIF":1.7,"publicationDate":"2024-12-31","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC12013666/pdf/","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"144002247","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":"The influence of farnesol and tyrosol on <i>Candida</i> spp. virulence traits.","authors":"Cristina Nicoleta Ciurea, Anca Delia Mare, Mihai Mareş, Felicia Toma, Irina-Bianca Kosovski, Anca Cighir, Adrian Man","doi":"10.18683/germs.2024.1444","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.18683/germs.2024.1444","url":null,"abstract":"<p><strong>Introduction: </strong>Intercellular communication helps regulate the cell density and the virulence traits in yeasts and bacteria. The study aims to identify the effects of quorum sensing molecules (QSMs) like farnesol and tyrosol on <i>Candida</i> spp. virulence traits.</p><p><strong>Methods: </strong>The effects of farnesol and tyrosol were studied on the growth rate of <i>Candida albicans</i>, <i>Candida parapsilosis</i>, <i>Candida krusei</i>, <i>Candida auris,</i> and <i>Candida guilliermondii</i> at different time points, on a 48 hours incubation period. The growth rate was assessed spectrophotometrically. The biofilm formation abilities of <i>Candida</i> spp. were assessed by crystal violet staining technique. Moreover, the expression of <i>C. albicans</i> virulence genes (<i>ALS3</i>, <i>HSP70</i>, <i>SAP2</i>) was analyzed as a response to 100 μM farnesol and tyrosol, by RT-PCR.</p><p><strong>Results: </strong>Generally, farnesol was found to inhibit the growth rate and biofilm formation mostly in non-<i>albicans</i> species, while tyrosol exerted a non-consistent response on the different <i>Candida</i> species. The expression of <i>ALS3</i> and <i>HSP70</i> in <i>C. albicans</i> was upregulated by the QSMs.</p><p><strong>Conclusions: </strong>Both farnesol and tyrosol are involved in the regulation of <i>Candida</i> spp. virulence mechanisms, dependent on the used concentration and exposure time and in a species-dependent manner.</p>","PeriodicalId":45107,"journal":{"name":"GERMS","volume":"14 4","pages":"344-351"},"PeriodicalIF":1.7,"publicationDate":"2024-12-31","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC12013662/pdf/","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"143988735","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":"The infectious disease burden among war related internally displaced people in the Lviv region of Ukraine.","authors":"Marta Vasylyev, Hanne Lamberink, Ivanna Svyst, Oksana Khlypnyach, Oleksandra Sluzhynska, Maryana Sluzhynska, Iryna Shtoiko, Oleksandra Hrushynska, Dmytro Demianenko, Casper Rokx","doi":"10.18683/germs.2024.1443","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.18683/germs.2024.1443","url":null,"abstract":"<p><strong>Introduction: </strong>Armed conflicts exacerbate the spread of infectious diseases. We assessed the impact of the 2022 armed conflict in Ukraine on common sexually, bloodborne, and respiratory-transmitted infectious diseases in internally displaced people (IDP) in Ukraine.</p><p><strong>Methods: </strong>A cross-sectional study (#aware.id) was conducted in Lviv, Ukraine, from 3 May 2023 to 24 June 2024, including IDP seeking care for HIV, hepatitis B and C, COVID-19, tuberculosis, and sexually transmitted infections. After medical screening to evaluate disease risk, we used rapid point-of-care tests followed by confirmatory standard of care testing. The main endpoints were the infectious disease case positivity rate in IDP compared to a local at-risk population, the association with war related risk factors including shelter use and experienced violence, and linkage to care.</p><p><strong>Results: </strong>Among 695 enrolled participants (250 IDP and 445 locals), the median age was 37 years (IQR 30-45) and 58.7% were women. Both groups disclosed a high HIV and viral hepatitis disease risk. Among IDP, rates of HIV (4.8% in IDP vs. 7.1% in local at-risk population), hepatitis C (33.9% vs. 40.0%) and syphilis (4.7% vs. 2.7%) were comparable with the local at-risk controls (all p>0.05), while the hepatitis B rate was lower in IDP (6.3% vs. 26.9%, p<0.01). COVID-19, tuberculosis, chlamydia, and gonorrhea were infrequent and comparable (all p>0.05). Despite higher war-related risk factors, we found no clear association with infectious disease burden in IDP disclosing these factors. All those diagnosed were linked to care within 4 weeks.</p><p><strong>Conclusions: </strong>The undiagnosed infectious disease burden in IDP was high and comparable to a high-risk local population.</p>","PeriodicalId":45107,"journal":{"name":"GERMS","volume":"14 4","pages":"322-343"},"PeriodicalIF":1.7,"publicationDate":"2024-12-31","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC12013661/pdf/","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"144032318","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":"Prevalence of <i>icaADBC</i> genes, and correlation with biofilms and antibiotic resistance in <i>S. aureus</i>: a systematic review and meta-analysis.","authors":"Khadijeh Bamneshin, Mohsen Poudineh, Roya Haji Alibabaei, Mohammad Reza Jabbari Amiri, Zahra Sadat Fateminasab, Zahra Ghorbani, Reyhaneh Maleki, Azad Khaledi","doi":"10.18683/germs.2024.1448","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.18683/germs.2024.1448","url":null,"abstract":"<p><p>We evaluated the gene prevalence of the <i>icaADBC</i> operon, its correlation with biofilm formation and antibiotic resistance through a global meta-analysis. We searched for articles that reported the prevalence of <i>icaADBC</i> operon, biofilm, and antibiotic resistance in <i>S. aureus</i> from 2000 up to 1^st March 2024. The search was done in scientific databases such as PubMed, Scopus, Google Scholar, EMBASE, and Web of Science. The MESH keywords were: <i>icaADBC</i> operon, biofilm, methicillin-resistant <i>Staphylococcus aureus</i>, antibiotic resistance. Comprehensive Meta-Analysis Software was used for data analysis. The estimation of the combined prevalence of each desired variable was performed by depicting a forest plot through the random-effects model with a 95% confidence interval. Data heterogeneity was estimated by Q and I² indices, and p-value <0.05 was reflected as statistically significant heterogeneity. Fifteen articles were eligible for inclusion. The prevalence of <i>ica</i> operon genes varied between 28-51.5%. The prevalence of total <i>ica</i> operon genes in <i>S. aureus</i> was reported at 42.4% (95%CI: 29.4-56.5). Biofilm formation prevalence of <i>S. aureus</i> isolates in different studies was reported between 10-100%. The rate of total biofilm in <i>S. aureus</i> was 95.8%. The rate of total strong, moderate, and weak biofilm in <i>S. aureus</i> was reported at 35.4%, 35.3%, and 23.9%, respectively. Most reviewed studies reported a correlation between <i>ica</i> genes and biofilm. We found that many studies reported a correlation between the high prevalence of <i>ica</i> operon genes, phenotypic biofilm production, and antibiotic resistance. Also, regardless of whether the strains were MRSA or not, the high biofilm formation ability was reported at 95.8% by most studies.</p>","PeriodicalId":45107,"journal":{"name":"GERMS","volume":"14 4","pages":"387-401"},"PeriodicalIF":1.7,"publicationDate":"2024-12-31","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC12013665/pdf/","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"144057358","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":"Updates in viral hepatitis in 2024 - summary of education, research and leadership activities of the ESCMID Study Group for Viral Hepatitis (ESGVH).","authors":"Oana Săndulescu, İmran Hasanoğlu, Mojca Matičič","doi":"10.18683/germs.2024.1442","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.18683/germs.2024.1442","url":null,"abstract":"","PeriodicalId":45107,"journal":{"name":"GERMS","volume":"14 4","pages":"320-321"},"PeriodicalIF":1.7,"publicationDate":"2024-12-31","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC12013663/pdf/","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"144019531","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":"Isolation of Shiga toxin-producing <i>Escherichia coli</i> O157 and non-O157 from retail imported frozen beef marketed in Saudi Arabia using immunomagnetic separation and multiplex PCR.","authors":"Ahlam Almulhim, Amer Alomar, Ibrahim Alhabib, Lamya Zohair Yamani, Nasreldin Elhadi","doi":"10.18683/germs.2024.1445","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.18683/germs.2024.1445","url":null,"abstract":"<p><strong>Introduction: </strong>Shiga toxin-producing <i>Escherichia coli</i> (STEC), particularly <i>E. coli</i> O157:H7, is a major contributor to foodborne outbreaks globally. Both <i>E. coli</i> O157 and non-O157 strains can lead to severe health issues, including hemolytic colitis and hemolytic uremic syndrome, which can result in kidney failure.</p><p><strong>Methods: </strong>Two hundred and one frozen beef samples were purchased from various supermarkets located in the Eastern Province of Saudi Arabia and subsequently enriched in tryptic soy broth (TSB). From the enriched samples in TSB, 1 mL portion was mixed with immunomagnetic beads (IMB) coated with specific antibodies targeting the <i>E. coli</i> O157 O antigen. The beads, which contained the captured bacteria, were then streaked onto CHROMagar O157 and Sorbitol MacConkey (SMAC) agar. The DNA extracted from these samples was examined using multiplex PCR to identify potential virulence gene markers, specifically <i>stx</i>-1, <i>stx</i>-2, and <i>eae</i>.</p><p><strong>Results: </strong>Of the 201 examined samples, 88 (43.8%) and 106 (52.7%) were positive for <i>E. coli</i> and produced colorless and mauve colonies on SMAC agar and CHROMagar O157, respectively. Out of 298 isolates in total, 174 isolates of <i>E. coli</i> were isolated with IMB enrichment. The highest detection rate of virulence gene markers was found among isolates that had been isolated using IMB enrichment, where 25 (8.4%), 2 (0.7%) and 12 (4%) isolates tested positive for <i>stx</i>1, <i>stx</i>2, and <i>eae</i> genes respectively. Among 42 isolates harboring potential virulence gene markers, 11 isolates were identified as <i>E. coli</i> O157 (<i>stx</i> ₁ ⁺/<i>eae</i> ⁺ or <i>stx</i> ₂ ⁺/<i>eae</i> ⁺). ERIC-PCR genotyping was able to determine the genetic relatedness among 42 isolates of <i>E. coli</i> O157 and <i>E. coli</i> non-O157 into 10 types with four identical related clusters and a genetic similarity rate above 90% homology from the identified isolates.</p><p><strong>Conclusions: </strong>The present study gives a clear perspective on STEC contamination in imported frozen beef marketed in Saudi Arabia. Because of the many possibilities of STEC contamination in imported frozen beef, further studies on the spread of STEC at various levels of imported frozen meat are needed on a long-term basis.</p>","PeriodicalId":45107,"journal":{"name":"GERMS","volume":"14 4","pages":"352-361"},"PeriodicalIF":1.7,"publicationDate":"2024-12-31","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC12013668/pdf/","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"144001137","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":"Comparison of microbial preservation methods: a narrative review.","authors":"Wijesundara Mudiyanselage Thilini Nimansala Senaratne, Jayaweera Arachchige Asela Sampath Jayaweera","doi":"10.18683/germs.2024.1447","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.18683/germs.2024.1447","url":null,"abstract":"<p><p>Many microorganisms are used to produce antibiotics, vaccines, and medicines for various diseases, and preserving these microorganisms and viruses can ensure that the development process is streamlined. We have reviewed the short-term and long-term microbial and viral preservation methods including novel and emerging technologies. Short-term preservation methods of microorganisms are designed to maintain the viability of the organisms for periods ranging from a few days up to one year. The novel microfluid systems allow for the creation of microenvironments that support the growth and proliferation of specific microorganisms and the isolation of individual cells or small populations of microorganisms for studying microbial behavior and interactions. Long-term preservation involves storing the organisms for an extended period, ranging from months to decades, while retaining their viability and genetic stability. The mineral oil or liquid paraffin storage, storage in distilled water, storage in sterile soil, lyophilization, and cryopreservation are well known, and encapsulation of nanoparticles to preserve microorganisms, electrospinning, and electro spraying and supercooling are novel and emerging methods. Each short and long-term microbial and viral preservation method has advantages and disadvantages, and, based on the requirement, the appropriate method can be chosen.</p>","PeriodicalId":45107,"journal":{"name":"GERMS","volume":"14 4","pages":"375-386"},"PeriodicalIF":1.7,"publicationDate":"2024-12-31","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC12013664/pdf/","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"143988731","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":"Comparative phenotypic and proteomic analysis of colistin-exposed <i>Pseudomonas</i> <i>aeruginosa</i>.","authors":"Nguyen Bao Vy Tran, Thuc Quyen Huynh, Hong Loan Ngo, Ngoc Hoa Binh Nguyen, Thi Hiep Nguyen, Thi Hang Tong, Thi Truc Ly Trinh, Van Dung Nguyen, Le Nhat Minh Pham, Prem Prakash Das, Teck Kwang Lim, Qingsong Lin, Thi Thu Hoai Nguyen","doi":"10.18683/germs.2024.1436","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.18683/germs.2024.1436","url":null,"abstract":"<p><strong>Introduction: </strong>The emergence of colistin resistance threatens the treatment of <i>Pseudomonas aeruginosa</i> infections.</p><p><strong>Methods: </strong>In this study, in vitro development of colistin resistance was investigated using comparative phenotypic and proteomic analysis of <i>P. aeruginosa</i> ATCC 9027, its 14-day colistin sub-MIC exposed strain (Col-E1), and 10-day antibiotic-free cultured Col-E1 strain (Col-E2). Antibiotic susceptibility, morphology, virulence factors, and proteomic changes were assessed using disc-diffusion, agar-based, spectrophotometry, SEM, and iTRAQ-LC-MS/MS methods.</p><p><strong>Results: </strong>Colistin-exposed strains decreased susceptibility to colistin while remaining susceptible to other antibiotics. Col-E1 reduced the cell lengths by 17.67% and the colony size by 36.16% compared to the initial strain. The reduction remained in Col-E2. The pyocyanin production was reduced in Col-E1 (p=0.025, Tukey HSD) and increased again in Col-E2 (p=0.005, Tukey HSD). In contrast, no significant changes in elastase, protease, rhamnolipid, pyoverdine, and biofilm production were observed (p>0.05, Tukey HSD). In Col-E1, the proteome analysis showed 135 differentially expressed proteins (DEPs) of which 94 DEPs (69.23%) maintained their expression change in Col-E2. Among DEPs, 82 were involved in metabolism and protein synthesis. Some DEPs (6/135) played a role in stress response such as GrpE (fold change: 14.93) and Hmp (fold change: 12.08). In particular, membrane proteins like OprD, DdlB, and OprI showed significant colistin response with fold change of -8.47, 6.43 and 6.19, respectively.</p><p><strong>Conclusions: </strong>In summary, colistin response in <i>P. aeruginosa</i> seemed to affect morphology, production of pyocyanin, and proteins of metabolism, protein synthesis, stress response and membrane.</p>","PeriodicalId":45107,"journal":{"name":"GERMS","volume":"14 3","pages":"246-266"},"PeriodicalIF":1.7,"publicationDate":"2024-09-30","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC11703588/pdf/","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"142956470","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":"Varicella zoster virus central nervous system infection - a retrospective study from a tertiary center in Greece.","authors":"Konstantinos Alexakis, Petros Ioannou, George Sourvinos, Diamantis P Kofteridis","doi":"10.18683/germs.2024.1437","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.18683/germs.2024.1437","url":null,"abstract":"<p><strong>Introduction: </strong>Central nervous system (CNS) infection due to the varicella zoster virus (VZV) can complicate the primary infection or the reactivation, leading to significant mortality and morbidity. This study aimed to describe the clinical, laboratory, and radiological characteristics of patients with confirmed VZV CNS infection in a tertiary hospital in Greece.</p><p><strong>Methods: </strong>Data about patients hospitalized from January 2018 to September 2023 with CNS infection by VZV, confirmed by a syndromic polymerase chain reaction in the cerebrospinal fluid (CSF), were retrospectively collected and evaluated.</p><p><strong>Results: </strong>In total, 14 patients were recorded. The median age was 49 years, and 35.7% were male. Headache was present in 71.4%, a rash in 57.1%, and fevers, nausea or vomiting, and disorientation in 35.7%. The CSF showed lymphocytic pleocytosis in all patients. Brain magnetic resonance imaging was performed in 53.8%. Empirical antivirals were given in 69.2%, and intravenous acyclovir was given to all patients after identification of VZV in the CSF. Only 7.1% (1 patient) required intensive care unit admission, and 7.1% (1 patient) died. Patients presenting without a rash may be slightly younger, have a slightly lower Charlson comorbidity index, be more likely to present with photophobia or phonophobia, and have lower serum CRP.</p><p><strong>Conclusions: </strong>Patients presenting with VZV CNS infection have lymphocytic pleocytosis in the CSF and usually have a favorable outcome with antiviral treatment. Those presenting without a rash may have a different overall clinical phenotype from those with a rash; however, this must be evaluated in larger studies in the future.</p>","PeriodicalId":45107,"journal":{"name":"GERMS","volume":"14 3","pages":"267-276"},"PeriodicalIF":1.7,"publicationDate":"2024-09-30","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC11703585/pdf/","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"142956489","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}