Measuring individual colony MICs is a more sensitive method to detect the effect of antimicrobials on antimicrobial susceptibility than the proportion of colonies resistant.

Unlabelled: The ResistAZM randomized controlled trial found that the receipt of ceftriaxone/azithromycin, compared to ceftriaxone was not associated with an increase in the proportion of oral commensal Neisseria spp. and streptococci with azithromycin resistance 14 days after treatment. We repeated the analyses by measuring the minimum inhibitory concentrations (MICs) of azithromycin and ceftriaxone for individual colonies of commensal Neisseria spp.

Ciprofloxacin Concentrations in Food Could Select for Quinolone Resistance in : An In Vivo Study in .

: The use of antimicrobials to treat food animals leaves antimicrobial residues in foodstuffs. The World Health Organization (WHO) defines the acceptable daily intakes (ADIs) of these residues as the dose of these antimicrobials that is safe for an average human to consume on a daily basis. We hypothesized that the lowest dose of ciprofloxacin classified as safe by the WHO could select for ciprofloxacin-resistant strains of in a model.

Macrolide resistance is pervasive in oral streptococci in the Belgian general population: a cross-sectional survey.

Commensal streptococci are common inhabitants of the oral microbiome and regulate its structure and function in beneficial ways for human health. They can, however, also be opportunistic pathogens and act as a reservoir of resistance genes that can be passed on to other bacteria, including pathogens. Little is known about the prevalence of these commensals in parents and their children and their antimicrobial susceptibilities in the Belgian general population.

Antimicrobial susceptibility of commensal Neisseria spp. in parents and their children in Belgium: a cross-sectional survey.

Background: commensal Neisseria species are part of the oropharyngeal microbiome and play an important role in nitrate reduction and protecting against colonization by pathogenic bacteria. They do, however, also serve as a reservoir of antimicrobial resistance. Little is known about the prevalence of these species in the general population, how this varies by age and how antimicrobial susceptibility varies between species.

Doxycycline post-exposure prophylaxis among men who have sex with men and transgender women in Belgium: awareness, use and antimicrobial resistance concerns in a cross-sectional online survey.

Objectives: We aimed to assess the awareness, willingness to use and use of doxycycline post-exposure prophylaxis (doxyPEP) among men who have sex with men (MSM) and transgender women (TGW) in Belgium. Additionally, we aimed to identify factors associated with doxyPEP use and concerns regarding antimicrobial resistance (AMR).

Methods: Cross-sectional online survey among MSM and TGW in Belgium in April 2024.

The Prevalence of Antibiotic Tolerance in Varies by Anatomical Site.

Background: Tolerance enables bacteria to survive intermittent antibiotic exposure without an increase in antimicrobial susceptibility. In this study, we investigated the presence of tolerance to three antimicrobials, ceftriaxone, azithromycin and ciprofloxacin, in clinical isolates and the WHO (World Health Organization) reference panel of .

Methods: We used the modified tolerance disk (TD test) to assess for tolerance to ceftriaxone, azithromycin and ciprofloxacin in 14 WHO reference strains and 62 clinical isolates-evenly divided between anorectal and urogenital infections.

Potential determinants of the decline in mpox cases in Belgium: A behavioral, epidemiological and seroprevalence study.

Objectives: The 2022 mpox epidemic reached a peak in Belgium and the rest of Europe in July 2022, after which it unexpectedly subsided. This study investigates epidemiological, behavioral, and immunological factors behind the waning of the epidemic in Belgium.

Methods: We investigated temporal evolutions in the characteristics and behavior of mpox patients using national surveillance data and data from a prospective registry of mpox patients in the Institute of Tropical Medicine (Antwerp).

The HepHIV 2023 Madrid conference: A call to action for political leadership in reaching the sustainable development goals on earlier testing and linkage to care for HIV, viral hepatitis, and sexually transmitted infections.

Introduction And Objectives: The HepHIV 2023 Conference, held in Madrid in November 2023, highlighted how Europe is not on track to meet the United Nations (UN) sustainable development goals and Joint UN Programme on HIV/AIDS (UNAIDS) targets. This article presents the outcomes of the conference, which focus on ways to improve testing and linkage to care for HIV, viral hepatitis, and other sexually transmitted infections. HIV-related stigma and discrimination, a major barrier to progress, was a key concept of the conference and on the agenda of the Spanish Presidency of the European Union.

Identifying priority groups for pre-exposure prophylaxis among sex workers in Flanders, Belgium: insights into routine HIV and sexually transmitted infection data in community-based clinics.

Objectives: The burden of HIV and other sexually transmitted infections (STIs) remains high in sex workers globally, calling for strengthening targeted prevention strategies, including HIV pre-exposure prophylaxis (PrEP). The study's objective was to assess HIV and STI burden among female, male and transgender sex workers in Flanders, Belgium, to guide targeting of PrEP strategies for sex workers.

Methods: We conducted a retrospective analysis of routine data collected between January 2016 and December 2019 by community-based organisations providing sexual healthcare services for sex workers in Flanders.

Could the effect of antimicrobials on antimicrobial resistance be saturated at high-antimicrobial consumption? A comparison of the MORDOR and ResistAZM studies.

Objectives: Antimicrobial resistance poses a considerable threat in high-antimicrobial-consumption populations, such as men who have sex with men (MSM) taking HIV pre-exposure prophylaxis. While the ResistAZM trial found no increase in macrolide resistance genes in MSM with gonorrhea after azithromycin treatment, the MORDOR trial observed an increase in these genes after mass azithromycin distribution. We hypothesized that this could be due to saturation of the resistome.

High adherence to intermittent and continuous use of a contraceptive vaginal ring among women in a randomized controlled trial in Kigali, Rwanda.

Background: The introduction of female-initiated drug-delivery methods, including vaginal rings, have proven to be a promising avenue to address sexually transmitted infections and unintended pregnancies, which disproportionally affects women and girls in sub-Saharan Africa. Efficient uptake of existing and new technologies such as vaginal rings requires in depth understanding of product adherence. This remains a major challenge as data on adherence to vaginal rings from African countries is limited.

Frequent chlamydia and gonorrhoea but very infrequent syphilis among men who have sex with men using HIV pre-exposure prophylaxis in West Africa.

Objectives: Although oral pre-exposure prophylaxis (PrEP) for HIV is being rolled out in West Africa, data on sexually transmitted infections (STIs) in PrEP users are scarce. We assessed the prevalence, incidence and determinants of bacterial STIs in men who have sex with men (MSM) taking PrEP in Burkina Faso, Côte d'Ivoire, Mali and Togo.

Methods: A prospective cohort study among MSM initiating PrEP as part of a comprehensive HIV prevention package was conducted between 2017 and 2021 in community-based clinics in the four study countries.

Self-sampling with oral rinse to detect oropharyngeal among men who have sex with men: results from an exploratory study in Belgium (the SSONG Study).

Objectives: We aimed to assess whether a self-collected oral rinse was non-inferior to clinician-collected oropharyngeal swabs to detect (Ng) using culture and nucleic acid amplification tests (NAAT) among men who have sex with men (MSM), and whether Ng may still be detected in oral rinses for a minimum of 5 days after collection.

Methods: MSM with a positive Ng result in an oropharyngeal or pooled sample (oropharynx, urethra and anorectum) were approached. Clinician-collected oropharyngeal swabs and oral rinses (15 mL sterile water) were taken.

Effect of screening for Neisseria gonorrhoeae and Chlamydia trachomatis on incidence of these infections in men who have sex with men and transgender women taking HIV pre-exposure prophylaxis (the Gonoscreen study): results from a randomised, multicentre, controlled trial.

Background: Guidelines recommend screening for Neisseria gonorrhoeae and Chlamydia trachomatis at three anatomical sites (urethra, anus, and pharynx) every 3 months (3 × 3) in men who have sex with men (MSM) and transgender women taking HIV pre-exposure prophylaxis (PrEP). We present the first randomised controlled trial to compare the effect of screening versus non-screening for N gonorrhoeae and C trachomatis on the incidence of these infections in MSM and transgender women taking PrEP.

Methods: A multicentre, randomised, controlled trial of 3 × 3 screening for N gonorrhoeae and C trachomatis versus non-screening was done among MSM and transgender women taking PrEP in five HIV reference centers in Belgium.

Estimation of antimicrobial resistance of Belgium, 2022.

BackgroundAntimicrobial resistance (AMR) of (MG) is a growing concern worldwide and surveillance is needed. In Belgium, samples are sent to the National Reference Centre of Sexually Transmitted Infections (NRC-STI) on a voluntary basis and representative or robust national AMR data are lacking.AimWe aimed to estimate the occurrence of resistant MG in Belgium.

Gonococcal resistance to zoliflodacin could emerge via transformation from commensal Neisseria species. An in-vitro transformation study.

One of the most promising new treatments for gonorrhoea currently in phase 3 clinical trials is zoliflodacin. Studies have found very little resistance to zoliflodacin in currently circulating N. gonorrhoeae strains, and in-vitro experiments demonstrated that it is difficult to induce resistance.

Ramoplanin as a novel therapy for infection: an and study in .

is a bacterial pathogen that causes gonorrhoea, a sexually transmitted infection. Increasing antimicrobial resistance in is providing motivation to develop new treatment options. In this study, we investigated the effectiveness of the antibiotic ramoplanin as a treatment for infection.

Effect on the Resistome of Dual vs Monotherapy for the Treatment of : Results From a Randomized Controlled Trial (ResistAZM Trial).

Background: No randomized controlled trial (RCT) has compared the impact on the resistome of ceftriaxone (CRO) plus azithromycin (AZM) vs CRO for the treatment of (NG).

Methods: This was an open-label, single-center, RCT comparing the effect on the resistome of CRO plus AZM vs CRO for the treatment of NG. Men who have sex with men (MSM) with genital, anorectal, or pharyngeal NG infection were randomized into the CRO/AZM and CRO arms.

Microbisporicin (NAI-107) protects from infection with .

We screened 66 bacteriocins to see if they exhibited anti-gonococcal activity. We found 12 bacteriocins with anti-gonococcal effects, and 4 bacteriocins showed higher anti-gonococcal activity. Three bacteriocins, lacticin Z, lacticin Q, and Garvicin KS (ABC), showed anti-gonococcal activity but no inhibitory effects against the (WHO-P) isolate.

Doxycycline PEP can induce doxycycline resistance in in a model of PEP.

Background: Four randomized controlled trials have now established that doxycycline post exposure (sex) prophylaxis (PEP) can reduce the incidence of chlamydia and syphilis in men who have sex with men. These studies have concluded that the risk of selecting for antimicrobial resistance is low. We evaluated this risk and using a infection model.