Epidemiolgia (Basel, Switzerland)最新文献

{"title":"Associations Among Demographic Factors, Bullying, Victimization and Weight Status Among Children with and Without Current Autism Spectrum Disorder Using the National Survey of Children's Health.","authors":"Olusegun A Ogunmola, Laura A Nabors, Brandon T Workman, Ashley L Merianos","doi":"10.3390/epidemiologia7050121","DOIUrl":"10.3390/epidemiologia7050121","url":null,"abstract":"<p><p><b>Background:</b> School-aged children belong to a distinct developmental stage in which bullying and weight status can have significant short- and long-term consequences, particularly for those with autism spectrum disorder (ASD). <b>Methods:</b> Data were analyzed from the 2023 National Survey of Children's Health (N = 17,689), including perpetration and victimization among school-aged children. <b>Results:</b> They were more likely to be White non-Hispanic compared to multiracial (OR 2.24; 95% CI 2.17-2.31), less likely to be female (OR 0.40; 95% CI 0.38-0.41), younger [6-9 years] (OR 0.42; 95% CI 0.41-0.43), from families within the 100-199% (OR 0.40; 95% CI 0.39-0.42) and 200-299% (OR 0.26; 95% CI 0.26-0.27) poverty level. Adjusted models indicated that children with ASD had higher odds of being underweight (OR 1.75; 95% CI 1.70-1.81) or overweight (OR 3.55; 95% CI 3.37-3.73) than of being obese. They were also more likely to be victimized 1-2 times/week (OR 1.30; 95% CI 1.24-1.37), but less likely to bully others 1-2 times/month (OR 0.31; 95%CI 0.29-0.33). <b>Conclusions:</b> These findings suggest that school-aged children with ASD may face elevated risks of victimization and unhealthy weight status.</p>","PeriodicalId":72944,"journal":{"name":"Epidemiolgia (Basel, Switzerland)","volume":"7 5","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":2.2,"publicationDate":"2026-08-26","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC13600083/pdf/","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"149032004","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":"Seasonal Dynamics and Forecasting of Toscana Virus Infections in Italy, 2016-2027: A Modelling Study.","authors":"Omar Enzo Santangelo, Anna Sole Pizzamiglio, Carlotta Vella","doi":"10.3390/epidemiologia7050120","DOIUrl":"10.3390/epidemiologia7050120","url":null,"abstract":"<p><p><b>Background</b>: Toscana virus is a sandfly-borne phlebovirus and a relevant cause of central nervous system infections in Mediterranean countries, including Italy. Its incidence exhibits strong seasonal patterns, suggesting suitability for time series modelling approaches. This study aimed to compare statistical and time series models for describing and forecasting Toscana virus incidence in Italy. <b>Methods</b>: Monthly confirmed autochthonous Toscana virus cases in Italy (2016-2025) were obtained from national surveillance data. The series was split into a training period (2016-2023) and a validation period (2024-2025). Three models were evaluated: SARIMA(1,0,1)(1,0,0)₁₂, Poisson regression with harmonic seasonal terms, and Negative Binomial regression accounting for overdispersion. Predictive performance was assessed using MAE and RMSE. The best model was re-estimated on the full dataset to generate forecasts for 2026-2027. <b>Results</b>: All models captured strong seasonality and temporal dependence. The SARIMA model showed the best predictive performance (MAE = 4.75; RMSE = 7.63), outperforming Poisson (MAE = 4.99; RMSE = 11.59) and Negative Binomial models (MAE = 5.39; RMSE = 13.57). The Negative Binomial model confirmed significant overdispersion (α = 0.143, <i>p</i> < 0.001) but did not improve forecasting accuracy. Forecasts indicated persistence of seasonal oscillations through 2027. <b>Conclusions</b>: Toscana virus incidence in Italy follows stable seasonal dynamics. SARIMA provided the most accurate forecasts and is the preferred model for short-term prediction.</p>","PeriodicalId":72944,"journal":{"name":"Epidemiolgia (Basel, Switzerland)","volume":"7 5","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":2.2,"publicationDate":"2026-08-25","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC13600109/pdf/","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"149031981","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":"Associated-Factor Studies in Biomedical Research: Foundations, Limitations, and Criteria for Appropriate Use.","authors":"Víctor Juan Vera-Ponce, Jhosmer Ballena-Caicedo","doi":"10.3390/epidemiologia7050119","DOIUrl":"10.3390/epidemiologia7050119","url":null,"abstract":"<p><p>Associated-factor studies constitute a substantial portion of the observational epidemiology literature. However, their proliferation has raised important methodological concerns. Many are published without a clear research question, repeat well-established associations, or use causal language to interpret coefficients from exploratory models. This narrative methodological review and critical reflection provides guidance for determining when associated-factor studies add genuine scientific value, how to plan sample size using events per variable, and how to interpret and report results appropriately. We review the nature of exploratory models and how they differ from predictive and causal models. We examine the Table 2 fallacy and its implications for interpreting adjusted coefficients. We discuss the events per variable criterion as a framework for sample-size planning in multivariable studies, present illustrative examples of both appropriate and inappropriate uses of these analyses, and provide an operational decision and minimum-reporting checklist for authors, reviewers, and editors. Associated-factor studies have a legitimate role when the phenomenon is poorly understood, when there is a genuine evidence gap in a truly different population, or when the explicit aim is hypothesis generation rather than causal inference. Their scientific contribution is limited when they merely confirm well-established associations, use causal language without a causal design, or are conducted simply because data are available.</p>","PeriodicalId":72944,"journal":{"name":"Epidemiolgia (Basel, Switzerland)","volume":"7 5","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":2.2,"publicationDate":"2026-08-22","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC13510957/pdf/","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"148835277","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":"Closing Editorial: From Emergency Care to Prevention and Innovation.","authors":"Giuseppe Stirparo, Giuseppe Ristagno","doi":"10.3390/epidemiologia7040118","DOIUrl":"10.3390/epidemiologia7040118","url":null,"abstract":"<p><p>The completion of this Special Issue, \"Acute Diseases and Epidemiological Investigations\", offers an opportunity to reflect on the breadth of research contributions received and on the evolving challenges that characterize modern public health and emergency medicine [...].</p>","PeriodicalId":72944,"journal":{"name":"Epidemiolgia (Basel, Switzerland)","volume":"7 4","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":2.2,"publicationDate":"2026-08-21","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC13511915/pdf/","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"148835414","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":"Investments and Outcomes in Oral Health in Europe: Health Expenditure and the Prevalence of Dental Caries.","authors":"Cassandra Lupita, Magda-Mihaela Luca, Anca-Cristina Perpelea, Iulia Muntean, Edida Maghet, Oana Ramona Lobonț, Alexandra-Cristina Maroiu, Laura-Cristina Rusu","doi":"10.3390/epidemiologia7040116","DOIUrl":"10.3390/epidemiologia7040116","url":null,"abstract":"<p><p><i>Background/Objectives:</i> Oral diseases are among the most prevalent non-communicable diseases and impose a substantial public health burden across Europe. Although general total health expenditure may reflect health-system capacity, it does not specifically measure oral healthcare financing, and evidence regarding its association with population-level oral health remains limited. The objective of this study was to assess the association between total health expenditure and oral health outcomes in European countries. The primary focus was on dental caries prevalence, while a secondary exploratory analysis examined edentulism. <i>Methods:</i> Using publicly available international databases, an ecological, unbalanced country-level panel dataset was constructed. The main caries model included 153 country-year observations from 25 European countries during 2015-2021. An extended model incorporating practicing dentist density included 109 observations from 20 countries. Two-way fixed-effects regression models with country and year effects and country-clustered standard errors were applied. Edentulism was examined using exploratory cross-sectional OLS models for 2019. <i>Results:</i> In the main model, higher total health expenditure (β = -0.00305, <i>p</i> = 0.027) and GDP per capita (β = -0.00024, <i>p</i> = 0.021) were associated with lower caries prevalence. In the extended model, only GDP per capita remained statistically significant (β = -0.00028, <i>p</i> = 0.021), whereas total health expenditure, tertiary educational attainment, and practicing dentist density were not significantly associated with caries prevalence. No statistically significant associations were observed in the exploratory edentulism analyses. <i>Conclusions</i>: Total health expenditure and GDP per capita were negatively associated with caries prevalence in the main country-level model, although the expenditure association was not maintained in the restricted extended sample. These ecological findings do not establish causality and require confirmation using more complete, oral-health-specific data.</p>","PeriodicalId":72944,"journal":{"name":"Epidemiolgia (Basel, Switzerland)","volume":"7 4","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":2.2,"publicationDate":"2026-08-20","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC13511985/pdf/","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"148834872","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":"Clinical and Laboratory Profiles, Time to Presentation, and Antibacterial Therapy in Children with Aseptic Meningitis: A Comparison of Confirmed Enteroviral and Unidentified-Etiology Cases.","authors":"Khatuna Devdariani, Bakhyt Kosherova, Xeniya Mkhitaryan, Yelena Pozdnyakova, Aynash Dyusembaeva, Gulsharbat Alshynbekova","doi":"10.3390/epidemiologia7040115","DOIUrl":"10.3390/epidemiologia7040115","url":null,"abstract":"<p><strong>Background/objectives: </strong>Pediatric aseptic meningitis remains diagnostically challenging because early manifestations may be incomplete, cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) findings vary with disease stage, and etiologic confirmation is not always available. This study compared hospitalized children with PCR-confirmed enteroviral meningitis and meningitis of unidentified etiology, focusing on presentation timing, CSF patterns, and antibacterial therapy.</p><p><strong>Methods: </strong>This single-center retrospective observational study included 87 pediatric patients hospitalized with aseptic meningitis or meningoencephalitis. Patients were classified into a PCR-confirmed enteroviral group (EV+, <i>n</i> = 58) and an unidentified-etiology group (<i>n</i> = 29). Clinical characteristics, time from symptom onset to admission, meningeal signs, peripheral blood inflammatory markers, CSF parameters, associations among CSF variables, and antibacterial therapy were analyzed.</p><p><strong>Results: </strong>A marked summer pattern was observed, with 73 of 87 cases occurring from June to August. Most patients were admitted 2-5 days after symptom onset. Compared with the unidentified-etiology group, EV+ patients had lower body temperature, total leukocyte count, neutrophil percentage, and absolute neutrophil count, and a higher lymphocyte percentage. CSF cell count, protein, glucose, and chloride did not differ significantly between groups. In both groups, CSF cell count correlated positively with protein concentration. CSF glucose was unrelated to inflammatory CSF markers in the EV+ group but correlated negatively with CSF cell count and protein in the unidentified-etiology group. Antibacterial therapy was more frequent in the unidentified-etiology group.</p><p><strong>Conclusions: </strong>Combining clinical presentation, peripheral blood markers, CSF relationships, and molecular findings may improve diagnostic confidence and support more appropriate antibacterial treatment decisions in children with suspected aseptic meningitis.</p>","PeriodicalId":72944,"journal":{"name":"Epidemiolgia (Basel, Switzerland)","volume":"7 4","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":2.2,"publicationDate":"2026-08-20","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC13512550/pdf/","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"148835419","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 Epidemiological Scenario of Human Leptospirosis in Brazil from 2015 to 2024.","authors":"George S C Fernandes, Bruna O P Azevedo, Deborah K Damiano, Mikael V R Lima, Pablo P Macena, Aline F Teixeira, Giovana C Barazzone, Ana L T O Nascimento, Alexandre P Y Lopes","doi":"10.3390/epidemiologia7040114","DOIUrl":"10.3390/epidemiologia7040114","url":null,"abstract":"<p><strong>Background: </strong>Leptospirosis is a neglected tropical disease with substantial public health impact in Brazil, closely associated with socio-environmental vulnerabilities and climatic extremes. This study analyzed the epidemiological profile and spatiotemporal distribution of leptospirosis incidence and lethality rates in Brazil from 2015 to 2024.</p><p><strong>Methods: </strong>An ecological time-series study was conducted using secondary data from the Notifiable Diseases Information System (SINAN). Variables included geographic region, probable infection environment, and occupational and educational level (ISCED-2011).</p><p><strong>Results: </strong>A total of 31,397 cases were notified, with an annual average of 3140 cases. The South and North regions exhibited the highest incidence rates, while the Northeast and Southeast presented lethality rates above the national average (9.20%). A marked reduction in notifications occurred during the COVID-19 pandemic. Infections occurred predominantly in the domiciliary environment (64%). Rural workers (27.45%) and civil construction workers (18.63%) were the most affected occupational groups, with a higher incidence rate among illiterate and low-education populations.</p><p><strong>Conclusions: </strong>The dynamics of leptospirosis in Brazil are complex and multifactorial, influenced by climatic variations and driven by deficits in basic sanitation and education level. Mitigating the disease burden requires sustained, region-specific public health strategies, targeted infrastructure improvements, and enhanced epidemiological surveillance to address underreporting.</p>","PeriodicalId":72944,"journal":{"name":"Epidemiolgia (Basel, Switzerland)","volume":"7 4","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":2.2,"publicationDate":"2026-08-20","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC13512638/pdf/","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"148835063","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":"Leisure-Time Physical Activity, Sleep, and Self-Perception of Health During the COVID-19 Lockdown in Québec.","authors":"Adrien Murphy-Després, Natalie Alméras, Dominic J Chartrand, Isabelle Lemieux, Serge Simard, Laura Jalbert, Annie LeBlanc, Jean-Pierre Després","doi":"10.3390/epidemiologia7040117","DOIUrl":"10.3390/epidemiologia7040117","url":null,"abstract":"<p><p><i>Background and Objectives</i>: The lockdown imposed by public health authorities during the COVID-19 pandemic has disrupted many behaviours, including physical activity (PA). This study aimed to assess changes in selected components of the 24 h movement behaviours during the COVID-19 lockdown and to examine whether changes in these components were associated with changes in self-perceived physical health, mental health and sleep quality. <i>Materials and Methods</i>: The sample was drawn from the MAVIPAN study, a mixed-methods based, prospective, observational, longitudinal cohort study. In the present analyses, we used cross-sectional self-reported data collected through online questionnaires. Participants in the present analyses had to be 18 years of age and have complete gender and PA data (<i>n</i> = 2268). <i>Results</i>: During the lockdown, reductions in total PA (effect size: -8.4%; 95% CI: -11.9%, -4.7%; <i>p</i> < 0.0001) and moderate-to-vigorous-intensity PA (MVPA) (effect size: -8.7%; 95% CI: -13.1%, -4.1%; <i>p</i> < 0.0001) were observed. Total PA increased during the lockdown among participants who self-perceived their physical health, mental health, and sleep quality as better compared to those who reported worse outcomes (<i>p</i> < 0.0001). After adjusting for several confounding variables, an increase in MVPA of 30 min per week was associated with higher odds of reporting better physical health (1.65; 95% CI: 1.51, 1.81; <i>p</i> < 0.0001). <i>Conclusions</i>: Although our study design does not allow causal inference, these findings are concordant with public health strategies considering PA to help enhance and maintain physical and mental health, including sleep quality, in both constrained and everyday conditions.</p>","PeriodicalId":72944,"journal":{"name":"Epidemiolgia (Basel, Switzerland)","volume":"7 4","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":2.2,"publicationDate":"2026-08-20","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC13512169/pdf/","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"148835072","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":"Higher Prevalence of Subclinical Hypothyroidism in Croatian War Veterans: A Cross-Sectional Study.","authors":"Dino Pavičić, Zrinka Čolak Romić, Josip Čurić, Ivija Rajković, Irijana Rajković, Anton Glasnović, Ingrid Prkačin, Dario Rahelić, Tomislav Bulum, Sanda Tešanović, Branimir Kutuzović Hackenberger","doi":"10.3390/epidemiologia7040113","DOIUrl":"10.3390/epidemiologia7040113","url":null,"abstract":"<p><strong>Background/objectives: </strong>Long-term thyroid function in war veterans remains insufficiently characterized. This study examined the prevalence of thyroid dysfunction in Croatian Homeland War veterans compared to controls.</p><p><strong>Methods: </strong>Cross-sectional study comparing 337 male veterans (mean age 62.4 years) with 335 age-comparable male controls (mean age 61.7 years). Thyroid function was assessed via TSH and FT4. The main outcome of interest was the prevalence of subclinical hypothyroidism (TSH over 4.0 mIU/L with normal FT4).</p><p><strong>Results: </strong>Subclinical hypothyroidism was more prevalent in veterans (12.5%, 42/335) than controls (5.2%, 16/305; OR = 2.59, 95% CI: 1.42-4.71, p = 0.001). After adjustment for age and BMI, the association remained significant (adjusted OR = 2.25, 95% CI: 1.19-4.23, p = 0.012). Mean TSH was modestly higher in veterans (2.53 ± 1.47 vs. 2.06 ± 1.10 mIU/L, <i>p</i> = 0.001), with both groups' mean values within the normal reference range. Other biochemical parameters showed no significant differences.</p><p><strong>Conclusions: </strong>Veterans showed a higher prevalence of subclinical hypothyroidism compared to controls. The clinical significance of this finding requires further investigation, as mean TSH values remained within normal limits in both groups. The cross-sectional design precludes causal inference, and unmeasured confounders may contribute to the observed association.</p>","PeriodicalId":72944,"journal":{"name":"Epidemiolgia (Basel, Switzerland)","volume":"7 4","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":2.2,"publicationDate":"2026-08-18","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC13512066/pdf/","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"148834137","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":"Using Phenotypic, Biochemical, and Molecular Methods to Identify <i>Candida</i> Species Isolated in a Tertiary Hospital in Mexico.","authors":"Karen Del Carmen Morales-Ramírez, María Guadalupe Frías-De-León, Esperanza Duarte-Escalante, Teresa Soledad Cid-Pérez, Manuel Huerta-Lara, Raúl Avila-Sosa, Ricardo Munguía-Pérez","doi":"10.3390/epidemiologia7040112","DOIUrl":"10.3390/epidemiologia7040112","url":null,"abstract":"<p><strong>Background/objectives: </strong><i>Candida</i> species are among the leading causes of fungal infections, especially in immunosuppressed patients. In recent years, the increase in non-<i>albicans</i> species has altered the epidemiological landscape, requiring updated local surveillance data. Therefore, this study aims to analyze the epidemiological pattern of <i>Candida</i> spp. involved in various clinical manifestations.</p><p><strong>Methods: </strong>This was a retrospective observational descriptive study of clinical <i>Candida</i> isolates recovered from patients at a single tertiary care hospital in Puebla, Mexico, between 2021 and 2022. Sociodemographic and clinical data were collected from medical records. <i>Candida</i> spp. isolates were recovered from the hospital's clinical specimen collection and identified using conventional methods and phylogenetic analysis.</p><p><strong>Results: </strong>Ninety isolates were recovered from a total of 88 patients during the study period. The majority of patients were women (60.2%), and among the age groups, the largest proportion corresponded to older adults (≥60 years, 25%). <i>Candida</i> was most frequently isolated from the urinary tract (47.7%), followed by the respiratory tract (19.3%) and the vulvovaginal tract (14.7%). <i>Candida albicans</i> was the predominant species (51.1%), followed by <i>Nakaseomyces glabratus</i> (32.2%) and other species such as <i>Pichia kudriavzevii</i> (5.5%), <i>Candida tropicalis</i> (3.3%), <i>Candida dubliniensis</i> (3.3%), <i>Candida parapsilosis</i> (2.2%), and <i>Candida orthopsilosis</i> (1.1%). The study showed discrepancies between conventional identification methods and molecular analysis. Of the 33 isolates evaluated using culture methods, only 21 matched the identification by PCR and phylogenetic analysis. In the case of the BD Phoenix automated system, 20 matches with and 13 discrepancies from the molecular tests were recorded.</p><p><strong>Conclusions: </strong>Our findings revealed the significant presence of species belonging to the non-<i>albicans</i> family in specific clinical contexts, highlighting the urgent need to monitor the epidemiological profile. The observed discrepancies between phenotypic and molecular identification methods suggest that species identification based solely on phenotypic approaches should be interpreted with caution.</p>","PeriodicalId":72944,"journal":{"name":"Epidemiolgia (Basel, Switzerland)","volume":"7 4","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":2.2,"publicationDate":"2026-08-17","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC13512195/pdf/","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"148835212","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}