New Microbiologica最新文献

{"title":"Rhodococcus equi in Advanced Antiretroviral Therapy-Naïve HIV-Positive Patients: Differential Diagnosis and Clinical Findings.","authors":"Hazal Erdem, Kaya Koksalan, Gokhan Aygun, Nuray Kepil, Fehmi Tabak","doi":"","DOIUrl":"","url":null,"abstract":"<p><p>We present the case of a 47-year-old man living with HIV who had experienced fever, night sweats, cough and occasional haemoptysis for the previous two months. Computed tomography of the chest revealed a lesion measuring 57 mm in diameter with cavitation in the left lower superior segment. His CD4+ T cell count was 220 cells/mm³ and his HIV RNA level was 406,756 copies/ml. Acid-resistant coccobacilli were isolated from the transthoracic biopsy of the lesion and were initially identified as Mycobacterium lentiflavum. However, 16S rDNA sequence analysis identified it as Rhodococcus equi. A histopathological examination revealing malakoplakia with Michaelis-Gutmann bodies supported the diagnosis. The patient responded dramatically to a 3-month course of treatment with azithromycin and moxifloxacin. The most obvious epidemiological risk factor in this case was that the patient regularly took care of multiple stray cats. Rhodococcus equi should be considered in differential diagnosis of cavitary pneumonia in patients with cellular immunodeficiencies, especially when there is a contact history not only with horses, but with other herbivores.</p>","PeriodicalId":54723,"journal":{"name":"New Microbiologica","volume":"48 4","pages":"361-365"},"PeriodicalIF":1.0,"publicationDate":"2025-12-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"145812277","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":4,"RegionCategory":"医学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Amino acids and acylcarnitine profiles associated with the response to Oxacillin in susceptible and resistant strains of Staphylococcus aureus.","authors":"Mayra A Gómez-Govea, Oscar R Fajardo-Ramirez, Licet Villarreal-Treviño, Andrea Zambrano-Arizpe, Laura E Martínez de Villarreal, Margarita L Martinez-Fierro, Ivan Delgado-Enciso, Antonio Guzmán Velasco, Iram Rodríguez-Sánchez","doi":"","DOIUrl":"","url":null,"abstract":"<p><strong>Background: </strong>Methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus has become significant due to its prevalence as one of the main causes of nosocomial infections, provoking both human and economic losses; therefore, a better understanding of its biology will allow the proposal of new strategies of control.</p><p><strong>Objective: </strong>To analyze the metabolic profiles of two strains of Staphylococcus aureus under exposure to sub-inhibitory concentrations of oxacillin.</p><p><strong>Method and materials: </strong>Methicillin-susceptible Staphylococcus aureus and Methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus strains were exposed to oxacillin at 0.125 mg/L; afterwards, tandem mass spectrometry was used to analyze their metabolic profiles (12 amino acid [AA]s and 28 acylcarnitine [AcC]s).</p><p><strong>Results: </strong>Exposure to oxacillin in both strains generated osmolytes such as proline and carnitine, in response to osmotic stress generated from the damage on the cellular wall. Moreover, they presented a capacity to modify their intra-cellular composition of both amino acids and AcCs in response to exposure to the drug.</p><p><strong>Conclusion: </strong>Exposure of MSSA and MRSA strains to oxacillin modifies their metabolome.</p>","PeriodicalId":54723,"journal":{"name":"New Microbiologica","volume":"48 4","pages":"299-306"},"PeriodicalIF":1.0,"publicationDate":"2025-12-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"145812126","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":4,"RegionCategory":"医学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Primary Cutaneous Cryptococcosis Mimicking Vasculitis in a Patient with Rheumatoid Arthritis.","authors":"Fatmanur Pepe, Derya Seyman, Sacide Nur Aksoy, Betül Çelik, Ekin Ayan, Nefise Öztoprak Çuvalcı","doi":"","DOIUrl":"","url":null,"abstract":"<p><p>Opportunistic infections caused by Cryptococcus spp. are well-documented among people with HIV. However, the incidence of cryptococcosis has also recently risen among other immunocompromised patients. Here, we reported a rare case of primary cutaneous cryptococcosis in a 73-year-old man who had been taking corticosteroids long-term for rheumatoid arthritis (RA). Despite receiving antimicrobial treatment, he developed painful, non-healing ulceronecrotic lesions accompanied by haemorrhagic bullae on his right forearm and upper arm. Initially, it was thought that the patient had RA-associated vasculitis. A skin biopsy showed numerous small round structures that were stained with periodic acid-Schiff in the dermis. The wall of round structures had positive mucicarmine stain, consistent with the presence of mucopolysaccharides capsule of yeast. Also, the cryptococcal antigen test was positive in the serum. On the 14th day of fluconazole treatment, there was an improvement in the clinical picture, including a reduction in pain. However, he died from complications arising from his pre-existing systemic disease, specifically heart failure. This case highlights the importance of considering cutaneous fungal infections in immunocompromised patients with non-healing skin lesions despite antimicrobial treatment.</p>","PeriodicalId":54723,"journal":{"name":"New Microbiologica","volume":"48 4","pages":"366-370"},"PeriodicalIF":1.0,"publicationDate":"2025-12-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"145812210","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":4,"RegionCategory":"医学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"In vitro Control of RNA Virus Infections by M1-Polarized Human Monocyte-Derived Macrophages.","authors":"Hellen Kivandi Abisi, Silvia Ghezzi, Isabel Pagani, Elisa Vicenzi, Guido Poli","doi":"","DOIUrl":"","url":null,"abstract":"<p><p>Human macrophages are credited with a dual ontogeny: tissue-resident macrophages (TRM) derive from embryonal structures and are endowed with both high resistance to pathogen-induced cell death and homeostatic proliferation in response to self-secreted cytokines. Conversely, circulating monocytes of bone marrow origin can differentiate into macrophages (MDM) upon migration to tissues in response to chemotactic signals triggered by infections or tissue damage. Both TRM and MDM can undergo differential cell activation programs, i.e., \"M1/M2 polarization,\" leading to pro-inflammatory or anti-inflammatory and tissue-remodeling activities, respectively. We here will review the events following in vitro infection of human primary MDM by two unrelated RNA viruses: the human immunodeficiency virus (HIV), a retrovirus causing acquired immunodeficiency syndrome, and Zika virus (ZIKV), a flavivirus associated with microcephaly in newborns. M1 polarization of MDM before infection resulted in a clear-cut containment of the replicative capacity of both HIV-1 and ZIKV, whereas M2-MDM showed a complex modulation of HIV-1 replication and did not affect ZIKV production in human MDM. These findings suggest that M1 polarization of human macrophages contributes to the containment of diverse RNA virus infections, as here exemplified for HIV-1 and ZIKV, and could be harnessed to develop potential host-directed antiviral strategies.</p>","PeriodicalId":54723,"journal":{"name":"New Microbiologica","volume":"48 4","pages":"287-292"},"PeriodicalIF":1.0,"publicationDate":"2025-12-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"145811923","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":4,"RegionCategory":"医学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Designing Resilience for Overlapping Respiratory Epidemics: A One Health Perspective from Seasonal Influenza.","authors":"Gioacchino Galardo, Cecilia Ceccarelli, Francesco Branda, Luca Bortolani, Riccardo Renna, Massimo Ciccozzi, Gabriella d'Ettorre, Luigi Petramala, Giancarlo Ceccarelli, Gabriele d'Ettorre","doi":"","DOIUrl":"","url":null,"abstract":"<p><p>Recent European winter seasons have been characterized by the simultaneous circulation of influenza A virus, SARS-CoV-2, respiratory syncytial virus, Mycoplasma pneumoniae, and an unusual rise in group A streptococcal infections, including invasive disease. This overlap has transformed seasonal influenza from a largely predictable event into a complex clinical and epidemiological scenario where viral-bacterial interactions amplify disease severity, extend risk to previously healthy individuals, and stress both surveillance and diagnostic systems. We analyse this evolving landscape through an integrated One Health perspective, examining how local epidemiology, rapid multiplex diagnostics, adaptive antimicrobial stewardship, occupational health surveillance, and infection-prevention-oriented architectural design converge to mitigate the impact of overlapping respiratory epidemics. Such multidimensional preparedness is essential to prevent avoidable mortality, protect healthcare workers, and ensure the resilience of healthcare infrastructures facing concurrent viral and bacterial outbreaks.</p>","PeriodicalId":54723,"journal":{"name":"New Microbiologica","volume":"48 4","pages":"293-298"},"PeriodicalIF":1.0,"publicationDate":"2025-12-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"145812256","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":4,"RegionCategory":"医学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Seroprevalence of COVID-19 Among Sanitation and Janitorial Workers During the Early Pandemic Phase in Saudi Arabia.","authors":"Thamir A Alandijany, Arwa A Faizo, Ahmed M Hassan, Youssef A Al-Zahrani, Abrar A Al-Ghamdi, Maha A Badawi, Sayed Sartaj Sohrab, Sherif A El-Kafrawy, Esam I Azhar","doi":"","DOIUrl":"","url":null,"abstract":"<p><p>During the early phase of the COVID-19 pandemic in Saudi Arabia, sero-epidemiological studies focused primarily on healthcare workers and blood donors, leaving significant gaps in understanding risk factors for other vulnerable groups. This study aimed to assess the seroprevalence of COVID-19 among sanitation and janitorial workers. A total of 2,597 serum samples were analyzed, including 1,279 from sanitation and janitorial workers, collected from 1 April to 30 June 2020, and 1,318 samples collected from healthy blood donors from 1 April to 5 August 2020 as a control group. The seroprevalence of COVID-19 antibodies was higher among sanitation and janitorial workers: 32.21% (412/1,279) compared to 4.78% (63/1,318) in the blood donor control group. Sanitation and janitorial workers had a markedly higher likelihood of contracting COVID-19 (odds ratio = 0.11, 95% CI=0.08011-0.1397, p<0.0001). A minor but statistically significant effect of gender was observed, with males showing higher susceptibility (odds ratio = 1.74, 95% CI = 1.162-2.660, p = 0.01), while nationality had no significant impact on seroprevalence rates (odds ratio = 0.94, 95% CI = 0.6705-1.323, p=0.8). This study highlights sanitation and janitorial workers as a high-risk group for COVID-19, reporting the highest seroprevalence rate locally during the early pandemic phase.</p>","PeriodicalId":54723,"journal":{"name":"New Microbiologica","volume":"48 4","pages":"307-313"},"PeriodicalIF":1.0,"publicationDate":"2025-12-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"145812263","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":4,"RegionCategory":"医学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Anti-SARS-CoV-2 IgG Cut-off Value for Predicting Neutralizing Antibodies and Reinfection Risk in Natural and Hybrid Immunity: A Longitudinal Observational Study.","authors":"Arzu Nazlı, Özgür Appak, Ahmet Naci Emecen, Ahmad Nejat Ghaffari, Gökçen Ömeroğlu Şimsek, Arzu Sayıner, Vildan Avkan-Oguz","doi":"","DOIUrl":"","url":null,"abstract":"<p><p>Understanding immune responses to SARS-CoV-2, particularly the dynamics of natural versus hybrid immunity (infection plus vaccination), is essential for shaping public health strategies. A prospective cohort of 171 adults with mild to moderate COVID-19 was followed from February to July 2021. Participants were grouped as having natural (without COVID-19 vaccination, n=129) or hybrid (vaccinated before and/or after infection, n=42) immunity. Anti-RBD IgG and neutralizing antibodies were measured at the 1st, 3rd, and 6th months. ROC analysis identified an IgG cut-off to predict neutralizing antibody positivity. Reinfections were monitored for 12 months. Hybrid immunity was associated with significantly higher IgG levels across all time points. IgG and NAb levels were strongly correlated (r=0.86 at 1st, r=0.80 at 3rd month). An IgG threshold of 303.8 AU/mL predicted NAb positivity with 91.9% sensitivity and 90% specificity. Reinfection occurred in 4.6% of participants during the Omicron wave, often despite high antibody levels. An IgG level ≥303.8 AU/mL is a strong predictor of NAb positivity and can serve as a practical surrogate marker of functional immunity, especially where neutralization testing is unavailable. Reinfections despite high IgG/NAb levels highlight the limitations of static thresholds, particularly against different variants.</p>","PeriodicalId":54723,"journal":{"name":"New Microbiologica","volume":"48 4","pages":"314-321"},"PeriodicalIF":1.0,"publicationDate":"2025-12-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"145812174","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":4,"RegionCategory":"医学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Determinants of loss to follow-up among pregnant women living in a high malaria burden setting in Northern Uganda.","authors":"Jerry Ictho, Francesco Vladimiro Segala, Roberta Novara, Nelson Olung, Giulia Patti, Roberta Papagni, Gloria Atim, Valentina Totaro, Lameck Olal, Elda De Vita, Jacqueline Adongo, Mariangela L'episcopia, Samuel Okori, Giovanni Dall'Oglio, Giovanni Putoto, Annalisa Saracino, Francesco Di Gennaro, Peter Lochoro","doi":"","DOIUrl":"","url":null,"abstract":"<p><p>Malaria remains a significant global health challenge, disproportionately affecting Sub-Saharan Africa. Pregnant women represent one of the most vulnerable populations. Despite numerous advances in malaria control measures, lost-to-follow-up (LTFU) in antenatal care (ANC) programs poses a critical barrier to achieving optimal maternal and neonatal outcomes and the success of public health interventions. The factors driving LTFU, particularly in rural, high-burden settings, are not completely understood. This study investigates the determinants of LTFU among pregnant women receiving malaria screening in the context of the ERASE-Rise Against Malaria project in Northern Uganda. An observational retrospective cohort study was conducted on 1,558 women, recruited from July 2022 to June 2024, during the operational research held to assess the impact of antimalarial resistance on malaria care among pregnant women in three healthcare facilities in Oyam and Kole districts. Data on individual level (sociodemographic and clinical) and health care-related factors were analyzed using a multilevel logistic regression model to identify predictors of LTFU, defined as the absence of cohort outcome data 30 days after the expected delivery date. Efforts to recover missing data included delivery register consultation, active phone calls, and contact tracing by village health team workers. 871 (55.9%) of the 1,558 women were LTFU. Recovery strategies reduced the missing data rate to 29.1% (n=454). Protective factors against LTFU included higher education (aOR=0.75, 95% CI: 0.54-1.03, p=0.0798), being primigravida (aOR=0.73, 95% CI: 0.56-0.97, p=0.0275), and experiencing malaria during pregnancy (aOR=0.61, 95% CI: 0.48-0.78, p<0.0001). Women attending Aboke Health Center IV (n=385) were over five times more likely to be LTFU than those at Aber Hospital (n=955) (aOR=5.57, 95% CI: 4.08-7.71, p<0.0001), highlighting significant geographic and structural barriers. The high rate of LTFU in malaria screening programs underscores the need for targeted interventions addressing individual, systemic and structural barriers. Strengthening community-level support, improving healthcare infrastructures, and integrating malaria prevention into broader maternal health services are crucial for enhancing retention in care. Addressing determinants of LTFU, systematically, through further qualitative and quantitative research, is essential to improving maternal and neonatal health outcomes and achieving malaria eradication goals in high-burden settings.</p>","PeriodicalId":54723,"journal":{"name":"New Microbiologica","volume":"48 3","pages":"226-233"},"PeriodicalIF":1.0,"publicationDate":"2025-10-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"145373287","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":4,"RegionCategory":"医学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"PRESTIGIO RING: \"Persistent low-level viremia with preserved immunological profile in people with multidrug-resistant HIV: is it time to defer switching?\"","authors":"Tommaso Clemente, Martina Bottanelli, Daniele Armenia, Francesco Saladini, Antonella Castagna, Stefania Piconi, Vincenzo Spagnuolo","doi":"","DOIUrl":"","url":null,"abstract":"<p><p>Persistent low-level viremia (LLV) in heavily treatment-experienced (HTE) people with HIV (PWH) harboring multidrug-resistant virus remains a challenging clinical scenario. We report two cases from the PRESTIGIO Registry of individuals with longstanding HIV infection, high cumulative genotypic resistance, and sustained LLV despite no current adherence issues. In both cases, a regimen confidently containing ≥2 fully active agents was not achievable without incorporating entry and/or capsid inhibitors. Through these cases, we highlight diagnostic and therapeutic uncertainties in the management of LLV, including: the unfeasibility of RNA-based genotyping, the limited availability of data on resistance assessment by DNA-based genotypic testing, and the possibility that such viremia stems from clonal viral production rather than active replication. Although both individuals maintained a stable immune profile and low transmission risk, these cases underscore the need for tailored guidance in managing LLV in HTE PWH.</p>","PeriodicalId":54723,"journal":{"name":"New Microbiologica","volume":"48 3","pages":"280-285"},"PeriodicalIF":1.0,"publicationDate":"2025-10-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"145373322","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":4,"RegionCategory":"医学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Stenotrophomonas maltophilia infections: Could eravacycline be a new weapon for clinicians?","authors":"Simone Giuliano, Luca Martini, Francesca Prataviera, Chiara Moreal, Sarah Flammini, Davide Lazzarotto, Giovanni Terrosu, Lucio De Cecchis, Renato Fanin, Carlo Tascini","doi":"","DOIUrl":"","url":null,"abstract":"<p><p>Stenotrophomonas maltophilia is an emerging, multidrug-resistant pathogen increasingly associated with nosocomial infections, particularly in immunocompromised patients such as those undergoing allogeneic hematopoietic stem cell transplantation or affected by oncological diseases. Therapeutic options are limited due to intrinsic and acquired resistance mechanisms, including β-lactamases and efflux pumps. Although minocycline and trimethoprim-ulfamethoxazole are standard treatments, recent evidence suggests that eravacycline, a novel fluorocycline, may be effective in vitro, though clinical data remain scarce. Two cases of S. maltophilia bloodstream infection (BSI) in immunocompromised patients were reviewed. Both patients received eravacycline as part of combination therapy, following microbiological identification of the pathogen. Clinical course, microbiological outcomes, and antibiotic regimens were analyzed. Both patients, affected by acute myeloid leukemia and cholangiocarcinoma, developed S. maltophilia BSI after prolonged exposure to broad-spectrum antibiotics. Eravacycline (1 mg/kg every 12 hours) was included in both regimens. Blood cultures cleared within 48 hours in both cases. One patient died due to fungal complications, but S. maltophilia BSI was microbiologically controlled in both. These findings suggest a potential role for eravacycline in treating S. maltophilia BSI when standard options are limited. Further clinical studies are needed to establish efficacy and appropriate therapeutic use.</p>","PeriodicalId":54723,"journal":{"name":"New Microbiologica","volume":"48 3","pages":"276-279"},"PeriodicalIF":1.0,"publicationDate":"2025-10-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"145373290","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":4,"RegionCategory":"医学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}