COVID-19 Associated Pulmonary Aspergillosis (CAPA): Hospital or Home Environment as a Source of Life-Threatening Infection?

Most cases of invasive aspergillosis are caused by , whose conidia are ubiquitous in the environment. Additionally, in indoor environments, such as houses or hospitals, conidia are frequently detected too. Hospital-acquired aspergillosis is usually associated with airborne fungal contamination of the hospital air, especially after building construction events.

Molecular diagnostic of syphilis.

Syphilis is a sexually transmitted infection caused by Treponema pallidum subsp. pallidum with an increasing incidence in Spain and in the rest of the world. Diagnosis is based mainly on serology, since direct diagnosis by dark field microscopy presents difficulties that limit its widespread use.

[Strongyloides stercoralis infestation in an immunocompetent 82-year-old woman].

A laboratory finding of eosinophilia in patients with gastrointestinal symptoms should prompt the differential diagnosis of a parasitosis. The diagnosis is based on identification of larvae in three different stool samples. We report the case of an 82-year-old woman who was independent for instrumental and advanced activities of daily living and showed no risk factors for strongyloidiasis who was admitted to our service with diarrhoea and abdominal pain.

[Utility of molecular biology techniques in the diagnosis of sexually transmitted diseases and genital infections].

Historically, the diagnosis of sexually transmitted diseases (STDs) has been difficult. The introduction of molecular biology techniques in microbiological diagnosis and their application to non-invasive samples has produced significant advances in the diagnosis of these diseases. Overall, detection of Neisseria gonorrhoeae by molecular biology techniques provides a presumptive diagnosis and requires confirmation by culture in areas with a low prevalence.

[Update on the epidemiology, diagnosis and treatment of sexually-transmitted infections].

In the last decade, cases of sexually-transmitted infections (STIs) have progressively increased in Europe. The reasons for this increase are unclear, but may involve changes in social behavior, migration and international travel, coupled with the emergence of risk groups that have not been taken into sufficient consideration to date. The routine use of molecular diagnostic techniques for many of these infections has solved many problems of sensitivity and the suitability of samples for microbiological diagnosis: non-invasive samples can be used, which has undoubtedly contributed to the increase in the number of cases.

Factors associated with induced abortion in women prostitutes in Asturias (Spain).

Background: The aim is to investigate the factors that might be associated with the presence of induced abortion (IA) in women prostitutes in Asturias (Spain).

Methodology/principal Findings: Cross-sectional descriptive study by self-completion questionnaire of 212 women prostitutes who attended the three Sexually Transmitted Disease Clinics in Asturias, between January-December 2003. The questionnaire was designed to investigate the women's perceived knowledge (what they claimed to know), their real knowledge (what they really knew), the use of contraceptive methods and socio-demographic variables.