Yeast Bloodstream Infections in the COVID-19 Patient: A Multicenter Italian Study (FiCoV Study).

Fungemia is a co-infection contributing to the worsening of the critically ill COVID-19 patient. The multicenter Italian observational study FiCoV aims to estimate the frequency of yeast bloodstream infections (BSIs), to describe the factors associated with yeast BSIs in COVID-19 patients hospitalized in 10 hospitals, and to analyze the antifungal susceptibility profiles of the yeasts isolated from blood cultures. The study included all hospitalized adult COVID-19 patients with a yeast BSI; anonymous data was collected from each patient and data about antifungal susceptibility was collected.

Fungal diversity in lake and sea beaches of Italy: Relevance to human health.

Fungal diseases correlated to beach sand or water have not yet been demonstrated due to the lack of epidemiological studies. This study aims to illustrate the fungal population in beach sands of the two largest Italian lakes and in sands and waters of Mediterranean coasts of Southern Italy to contribute to the identification and assessment of causes of microbiological pollution that might impair bathers health. A great difference was observed between the two lakes, where the total of colony-forming units (CFU) ranged from 33.

Exploring Mitogenomes Diversity of from Banana Fruits and Human Patients.

has recently been described as a cross-kingdom pathogen causing post-harvest disease in bananas and systemic and superficial infection in humans. The taxonomic identity of fungal cross-kingdom pathogens is essential for confirming the identification of the species on distant infected hosts. Understanding the level of variability within the species is essential to decipher the population homogeneity infecting human and plant hosts.

Antifungal Activity of Ibrexafungerp (SCY-078) Against Contemporary Blood Isolates From Medically Relevant Species of : A European Study.

Background: Ibrexafungerp (SCY-078) is the newest oral and intravenous antifungal drug with broad activity, currently undergoing clinical trials for invasive candidiasis.

Objective: The aim of this study was to assess the activity of ibrexafungerp and comparators against a collection of 434 European blood isolates of .

Methods: Ibrexafungerp, caspofungin, fluconazole, and micafungin minimum inhibitory concentrations (MICs) were collected from 12 European laboratories for 434 blood isolates, including 163 , 108 , 60 , 40 , 29 , 20 , 6 , 2 , 2 , and 1 isolate each of , , and .

Candidemia: Evolution of Drug Resistance and Novel Therapeutic Approaches.

Candidemia and invasive candidiasis are the most common healthcare-associated invasive fungal infections, with a crude mortality rate of 25-50%. remains the most frequent etiology, followed by and . With the exception of a limited number of species (ie: and rare species), resistance to fluconazole and other triazoles are quite uncommon.

Global guideline for the diagnosis and management of rare yeast infections: an initiative of the ECMM in cooperation with ISHAM and ASM.

Uncommon, or rare, yeast infections are on the rise given increasing numbers of patients who are immunocompromised or seriously ill. The major pathogens include those of the genera Geotrichum, Saprochaete, Magnusiomyces, and Trichosporon (ie, basidiomycetes) and Kodamaea, Malassezia, Pseudozyma (ie, now Moesziomyces or Dirkmeia), Rhodotorula, Saccharomyces, and Sporobolomyces (ie, ascomycetes). A considered approach to the complex, multidisciplinary management of infections that are caused by these pathogens is essential to optimising patient outcomes; however, management guidelines are either region-specific or require updating.

Rifaximin use favoured micafungin-resistant Candida spp. infections in recipients of allogeneic hematopoietic cell transplantation.

Damage to gut mucosa following conditioning regimens may favour bacterial infections that can trigger graft versus host disease (GvHD) in patients undergoing allogeneic hematopoietic stem cell transplantation (HSCT). Rifaximin, an oral and non-absorbable antibiotic, has been recently proposed as effective prophylaxis to reduce bacterial infections in the gut and consequently acute GvHD in this setting. The present study evaluated safety and outcomes of HSCT patients that were treated with rifaximin prophylaxis at Perugia University Hospital.

Azole resistance in Aspergillus isolates by different types of patients and correlation with environment - An Italian prospective multicentre study (ARiA study).

Background: A wide range of frequency of azole-resistance in A fumigatus in different patient populations worldwide was observed threatening to reduce therapeutic options.

Objectives: Estimate the prevalence of azole-resistance, investigate the molecular mechanisms of resistance, compare the genotypes of resistant clinical isolates with those from the surrounding environment.

Methods: Aspergillus isolates were collected by seven Italian hospital microbiology laboratories.

Phylogenomic Analysis of a 55.1-kb 19-Gene Dataset Resolves a Monophyletic that Includes the Species Complex.

Scientific communication is facilitated by a data-driven, scientifically sound taxonomy that considers the end-user's needs and established successful practice. In 2013, the community voiced near unanimous support for a concept of that represented a clade comprising all agriculturally and clinically important species, including the species complex (FSSC). Subsequently, this concept was challenged in 2015 by one research group who proposed dividing the genus into seven genera, including the FSSC described as members of the genus , with subsequent justification in 2018 based on claims that the 2013 concept of is polyphyletic.

ECMM CandiReg-A ready to use platform for outbreaks and epidemiological studies.

Background: Recent outbreaks of Candida auris further exemplify that invasive Candida infections are a substantial threat to patients and healthcare systems. Even short treatment delays are associated with higher mortality rates. Epidemiological shifts towards more resistant Candida spp.

Corrigendum: Azole-Resistance in and Related Species: An Emerging Problem or a Rare Phenomenon?

[This corrects the article DOI: 10.3389/fmicb.2018.

Yeast-like filamentous fungi: Molecular identification and in vitro susceptibility study.

Yeast-like filamentous fungi, collected in Italy from 1985 to 2018, were submitted to molecular identification and antifungal susceptibility testings. Clinical isolates were identified as Magnusiomyces capitatus (28), M. clavatus (18), and Geotrichum candidum (2).

Azole-resistant Aspergillus fumigatus in the Italian environment.

Objectives: Azole resistance in Aspergillus fumigatus environmental and clinical isolates is recognised as an emerging problem worldwide. Development of azole resistance may be environmentally driven because of the massive use of azole fungicides in agriculture. The mechanism of azole resistance is mostly related to mutations in the cyp51A gene.

Multi-Locus Next-Generation Sequence Typing of DNA Extracted From Pooled Colonies Detects Multiple Unrelated Strains in a Significant Proportion of Patient Samples.

The yeast is an important opportunistic human pathogen. For strain typing or drug susceptibility testing, a single colony recovered from a patient sample is normally used. This is insufficient when multiple strains are present at the site sampled.

Azole-Resistance in and Related Species: An Emerging Problem or a Rare Phenomenon?

Invasive mold infections associated with species are a significant cause of mortality in immunocompromised patients. The most frequently occurring aetiological pathogens are members of the section followed by members of the section . The frequency of and related (cryptic) species in clinical specimens, as well as the percentage of azole-resistant strains remains to be studied.

Epidemiological trends of cryptococcosis in Italy: Molecular typing and susceptibility pattern of Cryptococcus neoformans isolates collected during a 20-year period.

In the present study clinical data and isolates from cases of cryptococcosis recorded during clinical surveys carried out in Italy from 1997 to 2016, were investigated. Molecular typing and antifungal susceptibility testing were performed in order to delineate the epidemiological trend of cryptococcosis in Italy and to define wild-type population for four different antifungal compounds. During the studied period, a total of 302 cases collected from 32 centers of 11 Italian regions were recorded.

Antibiotic resistance: Italian awareness survey 2016.

Antimicrobial resistance has become a public health priority worldwide. The WHO conducted a survey concerning the personal use of antibiotics, knowledge of appropriate use and awareness of the issue of resistance. A similar survey was conducted in Italy involving 666 young university students and 131 seniors attending courses of the University of the third age.

Reviewing the importance and evolution of fungal infections and potential antifungal resistance in haematological patients.

There is a growing body of evidence supporting the emergence of azole resistance in Aspergillus and Candida spp. and this may be of particular concern due to the potential implications in the management of invasive fungal infections occurring in immunocompromised hosts. The aim of present review was to describe the magnitude of the problem, summarising the epidemiology and potential impact of yeast and mould antifungal resistance in patients with haematological malignancies.

CAND-LO 2014-15 study: changing epidemiology of candidemia in Lombardy (Italy).

Purpose: The aim of this study was to monitor recent changes in the epidemiology of candidemia and in the antifungal susceptibility profiles of Candida isolates in one Italian region (Lombardy) in 2014-2015 in comparison with two other studies performed in the same area in 1997-1999 and in 2009.

Methods: A laboratory-based surveillance was conducted in 11 microbiology laboratories. Identification of Candida isolates from 868 episodes and antifungal susceptibility testing (YeastOne) was performed locally.

Environmental distribution of Cryptococcus neoformans and C. gattii around the Mediterranean basin.

In order to elucidate the distribution of Cryptococcus neoformans and C. gattii in the Mediterranean basin, an extensive environmental survey was carried out during 2012-2015. A total of 302 sites located in 12 countries were sampled, 6436 samples from 3765 trees were collected and 5% of trees were found to be colonized by cryptococcal yeasts.

Acute isolated appendicitis due to Aspergillus carneus in a neutropenic child with acute myeloid leukemia.

We describe a case of isolated acute appendicitis due to Aspergillus carneus in a neutropenic child with acute myeloid leukemia (AML) treated according to the AIEOP AML 2002/01 protocol. Despite prophylaxis with acyclovir, ciprofloxacin and fluconazole administered during the neutropenic phase, 16 days after the end of chemotherapy the child developed fever without identified infective foci, which prompted a therapy shift to meropenem and liposomial amphotericin B. After five days of persisting fever he developed ingravescent abdominal lower right quadrant pain.