Comparison of commercial assays and two-step approach to detect in South Africa.

Background: is the number one cause of hospital-acquired diarrhoea. Accurate diagnosis of is of utmost importance as it guides patient management and infection control practices. Studies evaluating the performance of commercially available nucleic acid amplification tests (NAATs) versus algorithms are lacking in resource-limited settings.

Early surgery determines prognosis in patients with infective endocarditis: outcome in patients managed by an Endocarditis Team-a prospective cohort study.

Background: Infective endocarditis (IE) in South Africa is associated with significant morbidity and mortality, despite occurring in younger patients with fewer co-morbidities. Possible contributors include the high rates of blood culture negative endocarditis, high rates of mechanical valve replacement and the lack of inter-disciplinary coordination during management.

Methods: The Tygerberg Endocarditis Cohort (TEC) study prospectively enrolled patients with IE between November 2019 and April 2021.

Modified Duke/European Society of Cardiology 2015 clinical criteria for infective endocarditis: time for an update?

Background: The diagnosis of infective endocarditis (IE) is based on the modified Duke/European Society of Cardiology (ESC) 2015 clinical criteria. The sensitivity of the criteria is unknown in South Africa, but high rates of blood culture negative endocarditis (BCNIE), coupled with a change in the clinical features of IE, may limit the sensitivity.

Methods: The Tygerberg Endocarditis Cohort study prospectively enrolled patients with IE between November 2019 and June 2021.

Causes of infective endocarditis in the Western Cape, South Africa: a prospective cohort study using a set protocol for organism detection and central decision making by an endocarditis team.

Background: Blood culture negative infective endocarditis (BCNIE) poses both a diagnostic and therapeutic challenge. High rates of BCNIE reported in South Africa have been attributed to antibiotic use prior to blood culture sampling.

Objectives: To assess the impact of a systematic approach to organism detection and identify the causes of infective endocarditis (IE), in particular causes of BCNIE.

Exudative pharyngitis and : A case report and review of the literature.

is an established member of the normal flora of the respiratory tract. This organism is an emerging cause of respiratory tract infection, as well as infection of the skin and skin structures, urinary tract and other sterile sites. The syndrome of exudative pharyngitis is a diagnostic challenge of particular relevance in recent times as this organism can be confused with in the clinical setting and in the laboratory.

Bartonella species as a cause of culture-negative endocarditis in South Africa.

Previous reports have highlighted the high prevalence of blood culture negative endocarditis (BCNE) in South Africa. The Tygerberg Endocarditis Cohort (TEC) study is an ongoing prospective cohort study of patients with confirmed or suspected IE presenting to Tygerberg Academic Hospital, Cape Town, South Africa. Current analysis includes patients that presented between November 2019 and August 2020.

High prevalence of ST131 isolates producing CTX-M-15 and CTX-M-14 among extended-spectrum-beta-lactamase-producing Escherichia coli isolates from Canada.

Phenotypic and genotypic methods were used to characterize extended-spectrum-beta-lactamase (ESBL)-producing Escherichia coli isolated in 2007 from 11 different Canadian medical centers. Of the 209 ESBL-producing E. coli isolates tested, 148 (71%) produced CTX-M-15, 17 (8%) produced CTX-M-14, 5 (2%) produced CTX-M-3, and 1 produced CTX-M-27.