Neonatal conjunctivitis at a Brazilian tertiary center: the current relevance of Chlamydia trachomatis.

Purpose: The microbiology pattern of neonatal conjunctivitis has changed over time, and the incidence of gonococcal conjunctivitis is almost nil. This study aimed to determine the etiology of neonatal conjunctivitis cases referred to a tertiary health center in Brazil.

Methods: From 2017 to 2020, conjunctival swabs were taken from neonates with clinical signs of conjunctivitis and tested with bacterial culture and polymerase chain reaction for Neisseria gonorrhoeae and Chlamydia trachomatis.

Identification of a Orthohantavirus strain by clinical metagenomics in Brazil.

We describe a case of a 33-year-old male presented with fever, myalgia, nausea, and asthenia for six days. The patient lived in a rural area. Initial hypotheses included arbovirus infection, viral hepatitis, and Lyme disease.

Bacterial identification in herniated intervertebral discs: a prospective cohort study.

Background Context: Reports of Cutibacterium acnes isolated in cultures of intervertebral disc samples suggest it as possibly responsible for inflammatory conditions causing Modic changes on spinal magnetic resonance imaging (MRI).

Purpose: Our objective was to investigate the prevalence of C. acnes in samples of intervertebral disc of patients with lumbar disc herniation; to investigate prognostic factors and the relationship of Modic changes with infection 1 year after microdiscectomy.

Associations of SARS-CoV-2 cycle threshold values with age, gender, sample collection setting, and pandemic period.

Cycle threshold (Ct) values in COVID-19 reverse-transcription polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR) tests estimate the viral load in biological samples. Studies have investigated variables associated with SARS-CoV-2 viral load, aiming to identify factors associated with higher transmissibility. Using the results from tests performed between May/2020-July/2022 obtained from the database of a referent hospital in Sao Paulo, Brazil, we investigated associations between Ct values and patient's age, gender, sample collection setting and pandemic period according to the predominant SARS-CoV-2 variant locally.

Mobility restrictions during the COVID-19 pandemic and reduced outpatient HIV and syphilis testing in Brazil.

Background: In the initial phases of the COVID-19 pandemic, strategies adopted to reduce the dissemination of SARS-CoV-2 relied on non-pharmacological interventions, including physical distancing. Mobility restrictions affected the availability and quality of care for many health conditions, including sexually transmitted infections.

Objective: To investigate the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic mobility restriction on syphilis and HIV testing in outpatient settings.

COVID-19-associated aspergillosis in a Brazilian referral centre: Diagnosis, risk factors and outcomes.

Background: COVID-19 patients on mechanical ventilation are at risk to develop invasive aspergillosis. To provide additional data regarding this intriguing entity, we conducted a retrospective study describing risk factors, radiology and prognosis of this emerging entity in a Brazilian referral centre.

Methods: This retrospective study included intubated (≥18 years) patients with COVID-19 admitted from April 2020 until July 2021 that had bronchoscopy to investigate pulmonary co-infections.

Real-life occurrence of bacterial sexually transmitted infections among PrEP users: improving the diagnosis of Chlamydia trachomatis and Neisseria gonorrhoeae with multisite screening.

PrEP users are under high risk for bacterial sexually transmitted infections (STI), including those caused by Treponema pallidum (Tp), Chlamydia trachomatis (Ct) and Neisseria gonorrhoeae (Ng). Ct and Ng screening at multiple anatomic sites may improve the diagnostic sensitivity among high-risk populations. We analyzed the prevalence and incidence of Ct, Ng, and Tp and investigated predictors of bacterial STI occurrence between January 2018 and November 2019 in a retrospective cohort of PrEP users in Sao Paulo, Brazil.

Next-generation sequencing (NGS) to determine microbiome of herniated intervertebral disc.

Background Context: There is apparent causality between chronic infection of the intervertebral disc and its degenerative process. Although disc is considered a sterile tissue, collected samples of uninfected patients sent to culture testing resulted positive.

Purpose: The purpose of this study was to analyze the microbiome of the intervertebral disc by using and validating the next-generation sequencing (NGS) molecular test, controlled with tissue culture and clinical presentation of patients.

Prevalence of , and -Carrying Plasmids in Isolated in a Brazilian Hospital.

carbapenemase (KPC) actively hydrolyzes carbapenems, antibiotics often used a last-line treatment for multidrug-resistant bacteria. KPC clinical relevance resides in its widespread dissemination. In this work, we report the genomic context of KPC coding genes , and in multidrug-resistant isolates from Brazil.

Clostridioides difficile laboratory diagnostic techniques: a comparative approach of rapid and molecular methods.

Clostridioides difficile infection is a public health problem because of it is easily spread; with harmful consequences, it is essential to reduce hospital costs and prevent its dissemination by having a precise diagnosis. The gold standard for its diagnosis is polymerase chain reaction (PCR); however, the technique is not available for all laboratories due to the high cost. New approaches using non-molecular tests to detect C.

Usefulness of aqueous and vitreous humor analysis in infectious uveitis.

Objective: To evaluate the role of intraocular fluid analysis as a diagnostic aid for uveitis.

Methods: Twenty-eight samples (27 patients including 3 HIV-infected patients) with active (n=24) or non-active (n=4) uveitis were submitted to aqueous (AH; n=12) or vitreous humor (VH) analysis (n=16). All samples were analyzed by quantitative PCR for herpes simplex virus (HSV), varicella zoster virus (VZV), cytomegalovirus (CMV), Epstein-Barr virus (EBV) and Toxoplasma gondii.

Temporal evolution of antimicrobial resistance among Neisseria gonorrhoeae clinical isolates in the most populated South American Metropolitan Region.

A total of 124 Neisseria gonorrhoeae isolates recovered during a 12-year period (2003-2015) from outpatients assisted at Centro de Referência e Treinamento DST/AIDS-CRT of São Paulo city, Brazil, were analysed. The following resistance rates were observed: penicillin-59.6%, ciprofloxacin-15.

Comparative Genomics of Nonoutbreak Pseudomonas aeruginosa Strains Underlines Genome Plasticity and Geographic Relatedness of the Global Clone ST235.

Pseudomonas aeruginosa is an important opportunistic pathogen in hospitals, responsible for various infections that are difficult to treat due to intrinsic and acquired antibiotic resistance. Here, 20 epidemiologically unrelated strains isolated from patients in a general hospital over a time period of two decades were analyzed using whole genome sequencing. The genomes were compared in order to assess the presence of a predominant clone or sequence type (ST).

Evaluation of two commercial methods for the susceptibility testing of Candida species: Vitek 2 and Sensititre YeastOne.

Background: An increased incidence of fungal infections caused by Candida species, especially Candida glabrata and Candida krusei, which are less susceptible to azoles, has been observed. Standardized susceptibility testing is essential for clinical management and for monitoring the epidemiology of resistance.

Aims: We evaluated the performance of two different susceptibility testing commercial methods, Vitek 2 and Sensititre YeastOne, and compared them with the standard broth microdilution method (CLSI).

Subclinical infection estimation in the intervertebral disc (SPInE-ID): protocol for a prospective cohort.

Introduction: Low back pain and vertebral endplate abnormalities are common conditions within the population. Subclinical infection caused by indolent pathogens can potentially lead to these findings, with differentiation between them notably challenging from a clinical perspective. Progressive infection of the intervertebral disc has been extensively associated with increasing low back pain, with specifically implicated with in relation to sciatica.

Performance of the dipstick screening test as a predictor of negative urine culture.

Objective: To investigate whether the urine dipstick screening test can be used to predict urine culture results.

Methods: A retrospective study conducted between January and December 2014 based on data from 8,587 patients with a medical order for urine dipstick test, urine sediment analysis and urine culture. Sensitivity, specificity, positive and negative predictive values were determined and ROC curve analysis was performed.

Persistence of Zika Virus in Breast Milk after Infection in Late Stage of Pregnancy.

We detected Zika virus in breast milk of a woman in Brazil infected with the virus during the 36th week of pregnancy. Virus was detected 33 days after onset of signs and symptoms and 9 days after delivery. No abnormalities were found during fetal assessment or after birth of the infant.

Epidemiology and Microbiologic Characterization of Nosocomial Candidemia from a Brazilian National Surveillance Program.

Candidemia is a growing problem in hospitals all over the world. Despite advances in the medical support of critically ill patients, candidiasis leads to prolonged hospitalization, and has a crude mortality rate around 50%. We conducted a multicenter surveillance study in 16 hospitals distributed across five regions of Brazil to assess the incidence, species distribution, antifungal susceptibility, and risk factors for bloodstream infections due to Candida species.

Successful treatment of lower urinary tract infections with oral fosfomycin: a report of three cases.

Infections due to multidrug-resistant organisms continue to increase, and therapeutic options remain scarce. Given this challenge, it has become necessary to use older antimicrobials for treatment of these pathogens. We report three patients with lower urinary tract infections caused by Klebsiella pneumoniae carbapenemase (KPC)-producing Klebsiella pneumoniae who were successfully treated with a seven-day course of oral fosfomycin monotherapy.

Evaluation of a new rapid test for carbapenemase detection in carbapenem resistant Enterobacteriaceae.

We evaluated a new phenotypic test for carbapenemase detection. A total of 100 Enterobacteriaceae isolates were selected. The test was compared with conventional PCR for bla(KPC) and bla(NDM) detection.

Transferable vancomycin resistance in a community-associated MRSA lineage.

We report the case of a patient from Brazil with a bloodstream infection caused by a strain of methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA) that was susceptible to vancomycin (designated BR-VSSA) but that acquired the vanA gene cluster during antibiotic therapy and became resistant to vancomycin (designated BR-VRSA). Both strains belong to the sequence type (ST) 8 community-associated genetic lineage that carries the staphylococcal chromosomal cassette mec (SCCmec) type IVa and the S. aureus protein A gene (spa) type t292 and are phylogenetically related to MRSA lineage USA300.