Burden and Risk Factors for Coinfections in Patients with a Viral Respiratory Tract Infection.

Which patients should be monitored for coinfections or should receive empirical antibiotic treatment, in patients with an acute viral respiratory infection, is largely unknown. We evaluated the prevalence, characteristics, outcomes of coinfected patients, and risk factors associated with a coinfection among patients with an acute viral infection. A retrospective, single-center study recruited consecutive patients from October 2022 to March 2023 presenting to the emergency department with signs of a respiratory tract infection.

Evaluation of 16S-Based Metagenomic NGS as Diagnostic Tool in Different Types of Culture-Negative Infections.

Bacterial infections pose significant global health challenges, often underestimated due to difficulties in accurate diagnosis, especially when culture-based diagnostics fail. This study assesses the effectiveness of 16S-based metagenomic next generation sequencing (NGS) for identifying pathogens in culture-negative clinical samples across various medical settings. Overall, 48% of samples were collected from orthopedics, 15% from neurosurgery, and 12% in cardiac surgery, among others.

Anal HPV prevalence in individuals with and without other concomitant sexually transmitted infections.

The association between human papillomavirus (HPV) and other sexually transmitted infections (STIs) in anal lesions still remains unclear. Aim of the study was to evaluate the prevalence of simultaneous infection of HPV and Chlamydia trachomatis, Neisseria gonorrhoeae, Mycoplasma genitalium, and Trichomonas vaginalis in individuals screened for HPV anal infection. A total of 507 anal samples were tested for both anal HPV and STIs: 16% resulted positive for one or more non-HPV STIs.

Monkeypox Virus Neutralizing Antibodies at Six Months from Mpox Infection: Virologic Factors Associated with Poor Immunologic Response.

A natural monkeypox virus infection may not induce sufficient neutralizing antibody responses in a subset of healthy individuals. The aim of this study was to evaluate monkeypox virus-neutralizing antibodies six months after infection and to assess the virological factors predictive of a poor immunological response. Antibodies were assessed using a plaque reduction neutralization test at six months from mpox infection; mpox cutaneous, oropharyngeal, and anal swabs, semen, and plasma samples were tested during infection.

Evaluation of analytical performance of the STANDARD M10 MPX/OPX assay for the simultaneous DNA detection and clade attribution of .

(MPXV) infection confirmation needs reliable polymerase chain reaction (PCR) assays; in addition, viral clade attribution is a key factor in containment measures, considering a more severe syndrome in clade I and the possibility of simultaneous circulation. This study evaluates the performance of all-in-one STANDARD M10 MPX/OPX (SD BIOSENSOR, South Korea - M10). Frozen samples from 205 subjects were selected and stratified according to routine test results (RealStar® Orthopoxvirus PCR Kit 1.

First imported case of Candida auris infection in Milan, Italy: genomic characterisation.

Purpose: Candida auris, an emerging multidrug-resistant yeast, has been reported worldwide. In Italy, the first case was reported in 2019. We describe the first case of C.

Dynamics of viral DNA shedding and culture viral DNA positivity in different clinical samples collected during the 2022 mpox outbreak in Lombardy, Italy.

Background: Mpox virus (MPXV) has recently spread outside of sub-Saharan Africa. This large multicentre study was conducted in Lombardy, the most densely populated Italian region accounting for more than 40% of Italian cases. The present study aims to: i) evaluate the presence and the shedding duration of MPXV DNA in different body compartments correlating the MPXV viability with the time to onset of symptoms; ii) provide evidence of MPXV persistence in different body compartment as a source of infection and iii) characterize the MPXV evolution by whole genome sequencing (WGS) during the outbreak occurred in Italy.

Disinfectant caps effectiveness.

Background: Catheter-related bloodstream infections (CRBSIs) are a major cause of morbidity and mortality among hospitalized patients. Different studies suggest that the use of disinfectant caps (DCs) significantly reduces the rate of CRBSIs. The first purpose of this study is to analyze, through an -model, the antiseptic effect of DCs produced by two manufacturers; the second aim is to assess potential differences in terms of effectiveness between the two manufacturers' products.

Mpox DNA clearance in semen over 6-month follow-up.

Sexual intercourse is a well-established way of transmission of mpox infection. However, it is still uncertain whether semen may represent a viral reservoir. The aim of the study was to evaluate the clearance of viral DNA in semen samples from individuals diagnosed with mpox infection over 6-month follow-up.

Traditional Cultures versus Next Generation Sequencing for Suspected Orthopedic Infection: Experience Gained from a Reference Centre.

(Background) The diagnosis and the antimicrobial treatment of orthopedic infection are challenging, especially in cases with culture-negative results. New molecular methods, such as next-generation sequencing (NGS), promise to overcome some limitations of the standard culture, such as the detection of difficult-to-grow bacteria. However, data are scarce regarding the impact of molecular techniques in real-life scenarios.

Respiratory syncytial virus burden and risk factors for severe disease in patients presenting to the emergency department with flu-like symptoms or acute respiratory failure.

Background: Predictors of Respiratory Syncytial Virus (RSV) infection and determinants of RSV unfavorable outcomes are still unclear. We assessed RSV burden and investigated the risk factors associated with RSV positive swab and RSV severe disease.

Methods: A retrospective, single center, cohort study included all consecutive patients referred to the emergency department of L.

Immune Response and Transplacental Antibody Transfer in Pregnant Women after COVID-19 Vaccination.

COVID-19 infection is associated with increased risk of pregnancy complications, making vaccination during pregnancy critical for mother-neonate dyads. Few data, often with an unrepresentative sample size, are available on SARS-CoV-2 vaccine-induced humoral and cell-mediated response. Here, we evaluated anti-S antibody and interferon-gamma (IFN-γ) production elicited by SARS-CoV-2 immunization in maternal and neonatal plasma.

Human Monkeypox Experience in a Tertiary Level Hospital in Milan, Italy, between May and October 2022: Epidemiological Features and Clinical Characteristics.

Background: (mpxv) started to spread to Europe and North America at the beginning of the current outbreak in May 2022, and the World Health Organization (WHO) declared Human Monkeypox (mpox) as a public health emergency of international concern (PHEIC) in July 2022. The aim of this observational analysis is to describe demographical data, symptoms presentation and clinical course till outcome of individuals diagnosed with mpox, between May and October 2022, at our open-access Sexual Health Clinic in IRCCS San Raffaele Hospital in Milan, Italy.

Methods: Among people who accessed our Sexual Health Clinic, we considered, as suspected diagnosis of mpox, individuals with consistent symptoms and epidemiological criteria.