Microbiologia Medica

Same-day identification and genotypic antibiotic resistance testing of Mycobacterium tuberculosis complex and non-tuberculous mycobacteria from positive blood culture bottles – a proof of principle assessment

Anna Camaggi — 2024-12-03

Background and Aims: patients suffering from systemic mycobacterial spread are at high risk of unfavorable clinical outcomes. Rapid microbiological diagnosis, however, is complicated due to the very slow cultural growth of mycobacteria. To facilitate the diagnostic workflow, we assessed a workflow allowing mass spectrometry-based identification and molecular resistance testing of mycobacteria directly from blood culture pellets.

Materials and Methods: for this study, 50 blood cultures spiked with n=10 Mycobacterium tuberculosis (MTC) isolates and n=40 isolates belonging to 12 other species of non-tuberculous mycobacteria (n=13 M. abscessus complex, n=5 M. avium, n=3 M. chimaera, n=5 M. fortuitum, n=5 M. intracellulare, n=2 M. lentiflavum and n=2 M. mucogenicum, n=1 for each one of the species M. elephantis, M. hassiacum, M. marseillense, M. nebraskense and M. parascrofulaceum) were used next to two clinical cases of a disseminated infection in HIV patients.

Results: the application of the MBT Sepsityper® kit allowed the correct species level identification by applying mass spectrometry as well as correct molecular resistance testing results as compared to the diagnostic reference approach applied with mycobacterial culture material.

Conclusions: in conclusion, the results provide a proof-of-principle of the suitability of the assessed potential workflow in order to achieve a shortened time-to-result for the diagnosis of systemic mycobacterial infections. Future studies in high endemicity settings are desirable to assess the clinical applicability and impact of such a shortened workflow.

Respiratory viruses and SARS-CoV-2 virus circulation in the provinces of Lucca and Massa Carrara during the 2022/2023 and 2023/2024 flu seasons

Veronica Cunsolo — 2024-11-20

Background and Aims: the study aimed to investigate the circulation of influenza viruses and SARS-CoV-2 in the 2022-23 and 2023-24 influenza seasons in the provinces of Lucca and Massa Carrara in the northwest of the Tuscany region.

Materials and Methods: a retrospective observational study was conducted on adult and pediatric patients who accessed hospital facilities in the considered area during the influenza periods (from September to April) of 2022-23 and 2023-24.

Results: the 2022-23 influenza season was characterized by the circulation of the A/H3N2 influenza virus (84% of the total), with a peak of positive samples from weeks 42 to 52 in 2022. Instead, the influenza A/(H1N1)pdm09 virus was responsible for 94% of influenza infections in the 2023-24 season, with a peak of positive samples between weeks 52 of 2023 and 3 of 2024.

Conclusions: effective virological diagnostics and constant monitoring of circulating viruses are mandatory to correctly address therapy and contain the viral circulation in the different influenza seasons.

Epidemiology and diagnostics of intestinal parasitic infections in Italy: a multicentric survey

Libera Clemente — 2024-11-20

Background and Aims: parasitic infections are becoming more common in non-endemic countries because of intensified immigration and international travels; however, the parasitic disease burden is often underestimated because of underdiagnosis and lack of surveillance in industrialized countries. Also, in Italy, epidemiological data on intestinal parasites affecting humans are scarce and scattered in different areas of the country. The aim of this retrospective, observational study was to evaluate the prevalence of intestinal parasitic infections employing Parasitological Stool Examination (PSE) and to verify the quality of the diagnostic methodologies adopted to identify intestinal parasites in Italian laboratories.

Materials and Methods: the study involved 28 Italian diagnostic laboratories and 36389 patients, from June 2015 to May 2016.

Results: our data showed that 3173 out of 36389 subjects (8.7%) were carriers of one or more pathogenic or non-pathogenic protozoa or helminths. When only organisms known to cause intestinal disease were considered, an overall positive rate of 3.8% was found (1400/36389). Among the 1400 patients carrying one or more pathogenic species, protozoan infections predominated and were identified in 1138 subjects (3.1%); Dientamoeba fragilis and Giardia duodenalis represent the main intestinal pathogens. Concerning parasitic worms, only 262 individuals (0.7%) exhibited helminth infection; the most frequent finding was represented by Enterobius vermicularis, followed by Taenia spp.

Conclusions: this survey also indicated that not all diagnostic laboratories can guarantee proper performance for parasitological diagnosis. In this context, close collaboration between physicians and clinical microbiologists is warranted to improve the diagnostics of intestinal parasitic infections, thus ensuring good quality service.

Evaluation of ceftazidime-avibactam resistance in clinical isolates of Enterobacterales from a large tertiary-care hospital, Italy, 2019-2023

L. Calabrese — 2024-12-03

Not available.

Bioinspired antibacterial nanostructured surfaces based on oriented calcium phosphate nanocrystals arrays against carbapenem-resistant P. aeruginosa and methicillin-resistant S. aureus

D. Squitieri — 2024-12-03

Not available.

Exploring the nasopharyngeal tract phageome dynamics and its correlation with disease severity and patient age across three COVID-19 waves

V. Folliero — 2024-12-03

Not available.

Evaluation of a multiplex real-time PCR panel for the diagnosis of intestinal helminths

N. F. J. Schillaci — 2024-12-03

Not available.

Performance, evaluation and integration of tNGS in diagnostic workflow for tuberculosis

F. Stasi — 2024-12-03

Not available.

Immune responses to Covid-19 vaccination in cancer patients

R. Campagna — 2024-12-03

Not available.

Vancomycin variable enterococci (VVE) responsible for two cases of severe bloodstream infections in immunocompromised patients colonized with vancomycin resistant Enterococcus faecium (VRE)

A. Giardina — 2024-12-03

Not available.

Exploring the antifungal potential of the antidepressant vortioxetine

S. Rizzo — 2024-12-03

Not available.

Pneumocystis jirovecii pneumonia infections in HIV-uninfected patients hospitalized for COVID-19

S. Trimarco — 2024-12-03

Not available.

Evaluation of the CMV RNA elite MGB kit for monitoring CMV infections in pediatric solid organ transplant

M. Arosio — 2024-12-03

Not available.

Essential oils: possible resources for the treatment of anaerobic bacterial infections

M. Mariotti — 2024-12-03

Not available.

Optimization of a three-step algorithm for the diagnosis of Clostridioides difficile infection

D. Oggioni — 2024-12-03

Not available.

Antifungal susceptibility of a collection of Aspergillus fumigatus strains isolated from patients with invasive pulmonary aspergillosis and Covid-19 associated aspergillosis

A. Liberatore — 2024-12-03

Not available.

In vivo emergence of cefiderocol resistance in Pseudomonas aeruginosa following prolonged treatment at San Martino Policlinico Hospital (HSM), Genoa, Italy

E. Costa — 2024-12-03

Not available.

Does drug consumption has an influence on plasmids diffusion in CZA-resistant Klebsiella pneumoniae isolates?

Federica Sacco — 2024-12-03

Not available.

Performance evaluation of a new RT-PCR assay for the screening of carbapenemase-producing enterobacterales (CPE) and Acinetobacter spp.

G. Tocci — 2024-12-03

Not available.

Diagnosis of invasive aspergillosis: comparison of methods

V. Lepera — 2024-12-03

Not available.

Stillbirth: the role of viral infections

F. Baiesi Pillastrini — 2024-12-03

Not available.

Decrease of cefiderocol in vitro activity against carbapenemases-producing Gram-negative bacteria

S. Bracco — 2024-12-03

Not available.

Pseudomonas aeruginosa resistant to carbapenems: evaluation of the prevalence of resistance determinants and levels of sensivity to latest generation drugs

I. Finguerra — 2024-12-03

Not available.

Epidemiology of viral respiratory infections in pre- and during Covid-19 pandemic in “R. Dulbecco” University Hospital of Southern Italy

M. Manno — 2024-12-03

Not available.

Change in the epidemiology of Streptococcus pneumoniae serotypes following the change in vaccination policy

A. Leone — 2024-12-03

Not available.

Validation of a Duplex real-time PCR assay for the microbiological diagnosis of Rickettsia spp. infection in the metropolitan area of Bologna

E. C. Borgatti — 2024-12-03

Not available.

Clinical validation of a point-of-care test for the screening of schistosomiasis in the migrant population

M. Ortalli — 2024-12-03

Not available.

Evolution of intestinal microbiota and role of fecal microbiota transplant for Clostridioides difficile recurrent infection management: a one-year experience in a Tertiary regional hospital

P. Bottino — 2024-12-03

Not available.

Impact of real-time PCR on Whipple’s disease diagnosis: the experience of Fondazione IRCCS Policlinico San Matteo

I. Mileto — 2024-12-03

Not available.

Epidemiology of sepsis in AUSL Romagna and time to positivity

Anna Marzucco — 2024-12-03

Not available.

Imported malaria in Milan: a six-years retrospective analysis

F. Salari — 2024-12-03

Not available.

The burden of Candida parapsilosis bloodstream infections: from azole resistance to biofilm production

N. Ferraro — 2024-12-03

Not available.

A rare case of loiasis clinically manifested 9 years after the last epidemiological exposure

Giorgia Bizzotto — 2024-10-25

A 37-year-old Cameroonian patient, residing in Italy for the past nine years without returning to his home country, showed up at the Emergency Department of Cittadella Hospital with acute

hyperemia of the conjunctival tissue, tearing, itching, headache in the right hemisphere and transient edema at ankles and wrists. A foreign body suspected to be a parasite was detected while migrating through his right eye. However, primary identification of the worm was hindered due to partial damage during surgical removal. The laboratory team based on the patient’s history and clinical manifestation, suspected blood infection due to microfi- lariae species and collected a blood sample at 12 pm. Microfilariae of Loa loa were identified in May Grunwald- Giemsa (MGG) staining (count of 270 microfilariae/mL) from a K2-EDTA blood sample. Identification of the microfilariae was based on morphological features, patient country of origin, and periodicity of the life cycle of the parasite.