Comparison of MIC Test Strip and reference broth microdilution method for amphotericin B and azoles susceptibility testing on wild type and non-wild type Aspergillus species.

This study was performed to evaluate whether the MIC Test Strip (MTS) quantitative assay for determining the minimum inhibitory concentration (MIC) correlated with the CLSI reference broth microdilution method (BMD) for antifungal susceptibility testing of wild-type and non-wild-type Aspergillus species isolated from cystic fibrosis patients against antifungal agents known to be usually effective against Aspergillus spp. This study was performed to assist in the decision-making process for possible deployment of the MTS assay for antimicrobial susceptibility testing of Aspergillus species into regional public health laboratories of Mycology due to difficulties in equipping the reference BMD methods in a laboratory routine. For this purpose, a set of 40 phenotypically diverse isolates (27 wild-type, 9 non-wild-type, and 4 species with reduced susceptibility to azoles and amphotericin B (AMB)) collected from clinical samples were tested.

Fungal Disease Response Centre: Pioneering Diagnostic Approach for Regions With Dispersed Hospital Centres.

Background: Access to fungal disease diagnosis is crucial for reducing mortality, yet it varies widely across Argentina, especially outside Buenos Aires. In regions like Santa Fe and Paraná, where most healthcare facilities are under 150 beds, maintaining specialised mycology labs is challenging.

Objectives: This work describes the establishment and first-year results of a centralised Fungal Disease Response Centre (FDRC) and referral network serving this region, covering approximately 1 million inhabitants.

High histoplasmosis incidence in kidney transplant recipients in Santa Fe city, Argentina.

Histoplasmosis is endemic in the central/northeast region of Argentina. It is estimated that the incidence of this mycosis is low in solid organ transplant recipients. This work aims to describe the epidemiology, clinical forms, and evolution of kidney transplant recipients diagnosed with histoplasmosis in Santa Fe city, Argentina.

[Educational intervention as a prevention strategy for intestinal parasitosis, and assessment of the enteroparasitological status in child development centers in the city of Santa Fe, Argentina].

Intestinal parasitic diseases constitute a cosmopolitan public health concern, with greater prevalence in developing countries, and mainly affecting children. The aim of this study was to develop an educational intervention aimed at mothers/guardians of children attending three child development centers (CDI) in Santa Fe, Argentina, during 2018. An educational intervention was conducted using a descriptive, quasi-experimental design, with pre- and post-intervention assessment.