Hepatitis C Virus Testing Among Perinatally Exposed Children: 2018 to 2020.

Objective: To assess the frequency of hepatitis C virus (HCV) testing among a population-based cohort of perinatally exposed children and identify factors associated with testing.

Methods: Using a population-based surveillance cohort of perinatally exposed children born from 2018 to 2020 from 4 US jurisdictions (Georgia; Massachusetts; Allegheny County, Pennsylvania; and Los Angeles County, California), we describe the frequency, timing, and type of HCV testing among children and identify characteristics associated with having an HCV test result by the age of 2 to 3 years. Data were obtained from electronic laboratory reporting, vital records, and medical records.

Frequency of Children Diagnosed with Perinatal Hepatitis C, United States, 2018-2020.

We describe hepatitis C testing of 47 (2%) of 2,266 children diagnosed with perinatal hepatitis C who were exposed during 2018-2020 in 7 jurisdictions in the United States. Expected frequency of perinatal transmission is 5.8%, indicating only one third of the cases in this cohort were reported to public health authorities.

Fecal Microbiota Transplantation Donor Screening Updates and Research Gaps for Solid Organ Transplant Recipients.

In this review, we discuss stool donor screening considerations to mitigate potential risks of pathogen transmission through fecal microbiota transplant (FMT) in solid organ transplant (SOT) recipients. SOT recipients have a higher risk for Clostridioides difficile infection (CDI) and are more likely to have severe CDI. FMT has been shown to be a valuable tool in the treatment of recurrent CDI (RCDI); however, guidelines for screening for opportunistic infections transmitted through FMT are underdeveloped.

The Use of Microbiome Restoration Therapeutics to Eliminate Intestinal Colonization With Multidrug-Resistant Organisms.

Antibiotic resistance (AR) has been described by the World Health Organization as an increasingly serious threat to global public health. Many mechanisms of AR have become widespread due to global selective pressures such as widespread antibiotic use. The intestinal tract is an important reservoir for many multidrug-resistant organisms (MDROs), and next-generation sequencing has expanded understanding of the resistome, defined as the comprehensive sum of genetic determinants of AR.

Using theory-based messages to motivate U.S. pregnant women to prevent cytomegalovirus infection: results from formative research.

Background: An estimated 1 in 150 infants is born each year with congenital cytomegalovirus (CMV); nearly 1 in 750 suffers permanent disabilities. Congenital CMV is the result of a pregnant woman becoming infected with CMV. Educating pregnant women about CMV is currently the best approach to prevention.

Ethical Considerations in Microbial Therapeutic Clinical Trials.

As understanding of the human microbiome improves, novel therapeutic targets to improve human health with microbial therapeutics will continue to expand. We outline key considerations of balancing risks and benefits, optimising access, returning key results to research participants, and potential conflicts of interest.

Challenges in fecal donor selection and screening for fecal microbiota transplantation: A review.

Fecal microbiota transplantation is best understood as an effective and inexpensive therapy for recurrent Clostridium difficile infection but fecal donor selection and screening should be periodically revised. Here, we review current recommendations for selection and screening of fecal donors for fecal microbiota transplantation. We recommend considering diabetes mellitus, prior cardiovascular events, and clinical healthcare exposure as fecal donor exclusion criteria until more is known about the association of these conditions with the human gut microbiome.

Laboratory Testing of Donors and Stool Samples for Fecal Microbiota Transplantation for Recurrent Clostridium difficile Infection.

Fecal microbiota transplantation is an efficacious and inexpensive therapy for recurrent infection, yet its safety is thought to depend on appropriate fecal donor screening. FDA guidance for regulation of this procedure is in flux, but screening and manufacture of fecal material from asymptomatic donors present many challenges to clinical laboratories. This minireview summarizes FDA regulatory changes, principles of donor selection, and recommended laboratory screening practices for fecal microbiota transplantation.