Phlebotomine sand fly distribution and abundance in France: A systematic review.

Global changes in climate are contributing to modified Phlebotomine sand fly presence and activity, and the distribution of the pathogens they transmit (e.g., Leishmania and Phlebovirus), and are leading to their possible extension toward northern France.

Multicenter comparative study of Enterocytozoon bieneusi DNA extraction methods from stool samples, and mechanical pretreatment protocols evaluation.

Nowadays, the use of qPCR for the diagnosis of intestinal microsporidiosis is increasing. There are several studies on the evaluation of qPCR performance but very few focus on the stool pretreatment step before DNA extraction, which is nevertheless a crucial step. This study focuses on the mechanical pretreatment of stools for Enterocytozoon bieneusi spores DNA extraction.

Toxoplasma gondii seroprevalence among pregnant women in Africa: A systematic review and meta-analysis.

Background: Toxoplasmosis is a serious endemic zoonotic disease caused by the protozoan parasite Toxoplasma gondii. Toxoplasma infection during pregnancy can result in congenital transmission and serious fetal and neonatal complications. This systematic review and meta-analysis aimed to assess the pooled seroprevalence of T.

Multicenter evaluation of the Real-TM (Sacace) kit performance for the molecular diagnosis of toxoplasmosis.

The molecular detection of DNA is a key tool for the diagnosis of disseminated and congenital toxoplasmosis. This multicentric study from the Molecular Biology Pole of the French National Reference Center for toxoplasmosis aimed to evaluate Real-TM PCR kit (Sacace). The study compared the analytical and clinical performances of this PCR assay with the reference PCRs used in proficient laboratories.

Could PLATELIA Toxo IgM be the new gold standard for the serological diagnosis of congenital toxoplasmosis: a French multicenter study.

To assess the performance of PLATELIA Toxo IgM (Bio-Rad) and Toxo ISAGA (BioMérieux) to detect anti- IgM in infants at risk of congenital toxoplasmosis, a retrospective multicenter study was conducted comparing serological results obtained in the framework of routine diagnosis work-up for congenital toxoplasmosis. All infants born to mothers infected with during pregnancy from 2010 to 2020 with at least 6 months of serological follow-up were included ( = 1,010). One thousand ten cases were included, of which 250 infants (24.

Evaluation of the PneumoGenius® PCR assay for the diagnosis of Pneumocystis pneumonia and the detection of Pneumocystis dihydropteroate synthase mutations in respiratory samples.

Pneumocystis pneumonia (PCP) is the most frequent fungal opportunistic infection defining AIDS in HIV-infected patients, and is of growing importance in HIV-negative patients. In this latter category of patients, the diagnosis mainly relies on real-time polymerase chain reaction (qPCR) detection of Pneumocystis jirovecii (Pj) on respiratory samples. The PneumoGenius® kit (PathoNostics) allows the simultaneous detection of Pj mitochondrial large subunit (mtLSU) and dihydropteroate synthase (DHPS) polymorphisms, which could be of interest to anticipate therapeutic failure.

The Burden of Pneumonia Infection among HIV Patients in Ethiopia: A Systematic Review.

pneumonia (PCP) is a leading cause of death among patients with AIDS worldwide, but its burden is difficult to estimate in low- and middle-income countries, including Ethiopia. This systematic review aimed to estimate the pooled prevalence of PCP in Ethiopia, the second most densely populated African country. The Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analysis (PRISMA) guidelines were used to review published and unpublished studies conducted in Ethiopia.

Endogenous IL-33 Accelerates Metacestode Growth during Late-Stage Alveolar Echinococcosis.

During the course of the infectious disease alveolar echinococcosis (AE), the larval stage of Echinococcus multilocularis develops in the liver, where an initial Th1/Th17 immune response may allow its elimination in resistant individuals. In patients susceptible to infection and disease, the Th2 response initiates later, inducing tolerance to the parasite. The role of interleukin 33 (IL-33), an alarmin released during necrosis and known to drive a Th2 immune response, has not yet been described during AE.

Alveolar echinococcosis in immunocompromised hosts.

Background: Alveolar echinococcosis (AE) results of an infection with the larval stage of Echinococcus multilocularis. It has been increasingly described in individuals with impaired immune responsiveness.

Objectives: This narrative review aims at describing the presentation of AE according to the type of immune impairment, based on retrospective cohorts and case reports.

Toxoplasmosis in patients with an autoimmune disease and immunosuppressive agents: A multicenter study and literature review.

Background: Cases of Toxoplasma reactivation or more severe primary infection have been reported in patients receiving immunosuppressive (IS) treatment for autoimmune diseases (AID). The purpose of this study was to describe features of toxoplasmosis occurring in patients with AID treated by IS therapy, excluded HIV-positive and transplant patients.

Methods: A multicenter descriptive study was conducted using data from the French National Reference Center for Toxoplasmosis (NRCT) that received DNA extracts or strains isolated from patients, associated with clinical data.

Evaluation of Commercial Concentration Methods for Microscopic Diagnosis of Protozoa and Helminths in Human Stool Samples in a Non-Endemic Area.

The diagnosis of intestinal parasitic infections still widely relies on microscopic examination of stools and requires reliable reagents and staff expertise. The ParaFlo® assays (Eurobio Ingen) are ready-to-use concentration methods for parasite egg detection, and they could improve reagent traceability and ease of manipulation. Ninety-three stool samples were analyzed with the ParaFlo® concentration methods and then compared with routine microscopic methods for protozoa and helminth detection: seventy-eight were analyzed with ParaFlo® Bailenger and in-house Thebault or Bailenger concentrations, and fifty-five were analyzed with ParaFlo®DC and the in-house merthiolate-formalin diphasic concentration (DC) method.

Treatment outcome of imported cutaneous leishmaniasis among travelers and migrants infected with Leishmania major and Leishmania tropica: a retrospective study in European centers 2013 to 2019.

Objectives: Cutaneous leishmaniasis (CL) in Asia, Northern, and Sub-Saharan Africa is mainly caused by Leishmania major and Leishmania tropica. We describe and evaluate the treatment outcome of CL among travelers and migrants in Europe.

Methods: We conducted a retrospective study of parasitological confirmed CL cases caused by L.

Molecular Diagnosis of Toxoplasmosis: Multicenter Evaluation of the Toxoplasma RealCycler Universal PCR Assay on 168 Characterized Human Samples.

Real-time PCR plays a crucial role in the diagnosis of toxoplasmosis. In this multicenter study, the Toxoplasma RealCycler Universal assay was assessed for the diagnosis of toxoplasmosis by eight reference laboratories. DNAs from diverse clinical samples were included: 141 characterized samples from patients with different clinical forms of proven toxoplasmosis and 27 from patients without toxoplasmosis were tested in duplicate with the commercial assay.

Clinical value of serology for the diagnosis of strongyloidiasis in travelers and migrants: A 4-year retrospective study using the Bordier IVD Strongyloides ratti ELISA assay.

Strongyloides stercoralis serology is a sensitive method for strongyloidiasis diagnosis, but it is prone to cross-reactions with other helminthiases. This four-year retrospective study aimed at estimating the performance of the Bordier IVD Strongyloides ratti ELISA assay in a non-endemic country (France). The study included all patients tested for strongyloidiasis in our center between 2015 and 2019, by both serology and stool examination.

Fungal infections in mechanically ventilated patients with COVID-19 during the first wave: the French multicentre MYCOVID study.

Background: Patients with severe COVID-19 have emerged as a population at high risk of invasive fungal infections (IFIs). However, to our knowledge, the prevalence of IFIs has not yet been assessed in large populations of mechanically ventilated patients. We aimed to identify the prevalence, risk factors, and mortality associated with IFIs in mechanically ventilated patients with COVID-19 under intensive care.

Chromoblastomycosis Due to a Never-before-Seen Dematiaceous Fungus in a Kidney Transplant Patient.

Chromoblastomycosis is a neglected fungal infection of the epidermis and subcutaneous tissue that predominates in tropical areas and results from the traumatic inoculation of environmental dematiaceous filamentous fungi. We describe the case of an immunosuppressed patient diagnosed with foot chromoblastomycosis due to an uncommon dematiaceous fungus. A 52-year-old Congolese kidney transplant woman presented with a painful lesion located on the foot.

A review of significance of Aspergillus detection in airways of ICU COVID-19 patients.

It is now well known that patients with SARS-CoV-2 infection admitted in ICU and mechanically ventilated are at risk of developing invasive pulmonary aspergillosis (IPA). Nevertheless, symptomatology of IPA is often atypical in mechanically ventilated patients, and radiological aspects in SARS-CoV-2 pneumonia and IPA are difficult to differentiate. In this context, the significance of the presence of Aspergillus in airway specimens (detected by culture, galactomannan antigen or specific PCR) remains to be fully understood.

Multicenter Comparative Assessment of the TIB MolBiol Toxoplasma gondii Detection Kit and Four Laboratory-Developed PCR Assays for Molecular Diagnosis of Toxoplasmosis.

Toxoplasmosis can be a life-threatening infection, particularly during pregnancy and in immunocompromised patients. The biological diagnosis of toxoplasmosis is challenging and has been revolutionized by molecular detection methods. This article summarizes the data of a multicenter study involving four centers to assess the performances of a commercial PCR assay as compared with four in-house PCR assays using Toxoplasma gondii standards, 20 external quality control specimens, and 133 clinical samples.

Influenza- and COVID-19-Associated Pulmonary Aspergillosis: Are the Pictures Different?

Invasive pulmonary aspergillosis (IPA) in intensive care unit patients is a major concern. Influenza-associated acute respiratory distress syndrome (ARDS) and severe COVID-19 patients are both at risk of developing invasive fungal diseases. We used the new international definitions of influenza-associated pulmonary aspergillosis (IAPA) and COVID-19-associated pulmonary aspergillosis (CAPA) to compare the demographic, clinical, biological, and radiological aspects of IAPA and CAPA in a monocentric retrospective study.

Anti-Toxoplasma IgG assays: What performances for what purpose? A systematic review.

Chronic infection with Toxoplasma gondii is attested by the detection of specific anti-Toxoplasma IgG. A wide panel of serologic methods is currently marketed, and the most suitable method should be chosen according to the laboratory resources and the screened population. This systematic review of evaluation studies aimed at establishing an overview of the performances, i.

Evaluation of the Allplex™ GI-Helminth(I) Assay, the first marketed multiplex PCR for helminth diagnosis.

Molecular biology has been gaining more importance in parasitology. Recently, a commercial multiplex PCR assay detecting helminths was marketed: the Allplex™ GI-Helminth(I) Assay. It targets Ancylostoma spp.