Epidemiology of Streptococcus pyogenes upper respiratory tract infections in Poland (2003-2017).

Streptococcus pyogenes (group A Streptococcus, GAS) is a major human pathogen and causes every year over 600 millions upper respiratory tract onfections worldwide. Untreated or repeated infections may lead to post-infectional sequelae such as rheumatic heart disease, a major cause of GAS-mediated mortality. There is no comprehensive, longitudinal analysis of the M type distribution of upper respiratory tract strains isolated in Poland.

Clinical Validation of GenBody COVID-19 Ag, Nasal and Nasopharyngeal Rapid Antigen Tests for Detection of SARS-CoV-2 in European Adult Population.

Accurate and rapid identification of COVID-19 is critical for effective patient treatment and disease outcomes, as well as the prevention of SARS-CoV-2 transmission. Rapid antigen tests (RATs) for identifying SARS-CoV-2 are simpler, faster and less expensive than molecular assays. Any new product to be considered a medical device is subject to evaluation and data analysis to verify the in vitro diagnostic ability to achieve its intended purpose.

Clinically Relevant β-Lactam Resistance Genes in Wastewater Treatment Plants.

Antimicrobial resistance (AMR) is one of the largest global concerns due to its influence in multiple areas, which is consistent with One Health's concept of close interconnections between people, animals, plants, and their shared environments. Antibiotic-resistant bacteria (ARB) and antibiotic-resistance genes (ARGs) circulate constantly in various niches, sediments, water sources, soil, and wastes of the animal and plant sectors, and is linked to human activities. Sewage of different origins gets to the wastewater treatment plants (WWTPs), where ARB and ARG removal efficiency is still insufficient, leading to their transmission to discharge points and further dissemination.

Differentiation of SARS-CoV-2 Variants Using RT-qPCRs by Targeting Recurrent Mutation Sites: A Diagnostic Laboratory Experience from Multi-Center Regional Study, August 2020-December 2021, Poland.

Rapid identification of SARS-CoV-2 variants is essential for epidemiological surveillance. RT-qPCR-based variant differentiation tests can be used to quickly screen large sets of samples for relevant variants of concern/interest; this study was conducted on specimens collected at 11 centers located in Poland during routine SARS-CoV-2 diagnostics between August 2020 and December 2021. A total of 1096 samples (with CT < 30) were screened for Alpha, Beta, Delta, Kappa and Omicron variants using commercial assays targeting repeat mutation sites.

Antimicrobial resistance among Haemophilus influenzae isolates responsible for lower respiratory tract infections in Poland, 2005-2019.

Haemophilus influenzae is a human-specific pathogen responsible for respiratory tract infections, meningitis, and sepsis. The study aimed to characterize antibiotic resistance in H. influenzae strains isolated from patients with lower respiratory tract infections over 15 years in Poland.

Viral Etiological Agent(s) of Respiratory Tract Infections in Symptomatic Individuals during the Second Wave of COVID-19 Pandemic: A Single Drive-Thru Mobile Collection Site Study.

One of the tools to contain the SARS-CoV-2 pandemic was to increase the number of performed tests and to improve the access to diagnostics. To this effect, mobile collection sites (MCSs) were established. This study was performed on samples collected at the MCS between November 2020 and March 2021.

Impact of the Nucleic Acid Extraction Method and the RT-qPCR Assay on SARS-CoV-2 Detection in Low-Viral Samples.

COVID-19 was initially reported in China at the end of 2019 and soon thereafter, in March 2020, the WHO declared it a pandemic. Until October 2021, over 240 million COVID-19 cases were recorded, with 4.9 mln deaths.

Occurrence of Beta-Lactamases in Colistin-Resistant Enterobacterales Strains in Poland - a Pilot Study.

Sixty-five colistin-resistant Enterobacterales isolates recovered from different clinical specimens were analyzed. The strains were collected in 12 hospitals all over Poland within a period of nine months. Strains were analyzed for eight genes from the family.

Genetic variability of Polish serogroup B meningococci (2010-2016) including the 4CMenB vaccine component genes.

Neisseria meningitidis serogroup B (MenB) has recently become the major cause of invasive meningococcal disease in Poland. Therefore, the purpose of this study was to characterize MenB isolates, responsible for invasive meningococcal disease in 2010-2016, by MLST and sequencing of genes encoding proteins used as 4CMenB vaccine antigens. Two methods of coverage estimation were performed: extrapolation of MATS results of Polish meningococci 2010-2011 (exMATS) and gMATS, which combines genotyping and MATS results.

Increase of invasive meningococcal serogroup W disease in Europe, 2013 to 2017.

BackgroundThe total incidence of invasive meningococcal disease (IMD) in Europe has been declining in recent years; however, a rising incidence due to serogroup W (MenW), predominantly sequence type 11 (ST-11), clonal complex 11 (cc11), was reported in some European countries.AimThe aim of this study was to compile the most recent laboratory surveillance data on MenW IMD from several European countries to assess recent trends in Europe.MethodsIn this observational, retrospective study, IMD surveillance data collected from 2013-17 by national reference laboratories and surveillance units from 13 European countries were analysed using descriptive statistics.

Molecular diversity and antimicrobial susceptibility of Listeria monocytogenes isolates from invasive infections in Poland (1997-2013).

The epidemiology of invasive listeriosis in humans appears to be weakly characterized in Poland, the sixth most populous member state of the European Union. We obtained antimicrobial susceptibility data, PCR-serogroups and genotypic profiles for 344 invasive isolates of Listeria monocytogenes, collected between 1997 and 2013 in Poland. All isolates were susceptible to the 10 tested antimicrobials, except one that was resistant to tetracycline and minocycline and harbored the tet(M), tet(A) and tet(C) genes.

β-Lactam resistance among Haemophilus influenzae isolates in Poland.

Objectives: Haemophilus influenzae is a human-specific Gram-negative coccobacillus responsible for a significant number of respiratory tract infections and severe invasive infections such as meningitis and sepsis. The purpose of this study was to characterise the mechanisms of β-lactam resistance among Polish H. influenzae isolates and to evaluate the resistance detection methods applied.

High predicted strain coverage by the multicomponent meningococcal serogroup B vaccine (4CMenB) in Poland.

Neisseria meningitidis of serogroup B (MenB) is currently responsible for more than 70% of cases of invasive meningococcal disease (IMD) in Poland and Europe as a whole. The aim of this study was to estimate strain coverage of a multicomponent meningococcal serogroup B vaccine (4CMenB) in Poland; the meningococcal antigen typing system (MATS) was used to test a panel of 196 invasive MenB strains isolated in Poland in 2010 and 2011. The strains were also characterized by MLST and sequencing of porA, factor H-binding protein (fHbp), Neisserial heparin-binding antigen (nhba) and Neisserial adhesin A (nadA) genes.

Significance of Meningococcal Hyperinvasive Clonal Complexes and their Influence on Vaccines Development.

Neisseria meningitidis is a commensal of human nasopharynx and humans are the only known reservoir and host of this bacterium. It is also known as a dangerous and devastating pathogen, and infection with N. meningitidis may lead to rapidly progressing septicemia or meningitis.

Usefulness of Pneumotest-latex for direct serotyping of Streptococcus pneumoniae isolates in clinical samples.

This study evaluated the usefulness of the Pneumotest-Latex assay for serotyping Streptococcus pneumoniae isolates directly in clinical samples. With an agreement of 88.1% with a PCR-based reference method, this test can be a useful tool for this study purpose, especially in clinical laboratories that do not have access to nucleic acid amplification technologies.

A decade of invasive meningococcal disease surveillance in Poland.

Background: Neisseria meningitidis is a leading etiologic agent of severe invasive disease. The objective of the study was to characterise invasive meningococcal disease (IMD) epidemiology in Poland during the last decade, based on laboratory confirmed cases.

Methods: The study encompassed all invasive meningococci collected between 2002 and 2011 in the National Reference Centre for Bacterial Meningitis.

[Invasive pneumococcal disease in Poland in 2010].

Unlabelled: Streptococcus pneumoniae is the main etiologic agent of community-acquired invasive infections, especially in extreme age groups. Recently, the emergence of pneumococcal conjugate vaccines (PCV) brought a possibility to reduce the number of pneumococcal infections. Their introduction requires a knowledge concerning epidemiology of infections, which in different part of the world differs and changes with time, and therefore must be under permanent surveillance.

The current status of invasive pneumococcal disease in Poland.

The objectives of this study were to assess the incidence of invasive pneumococcal disease (IPD) in Poland (2006-2009), where mass vaccination had not been implemented, and to determine the serotype distribution and antimicrobial susceptibility of Streptococcus pneumoniae isolates. The IPD incidence rates were highest among children under 2 years of age (3.39/100,000 in 2009) and children 2-5 years old (2.

Multicenter study for defining the breakpoint for rifampin resistance in Neisseria meningitidis by rpoB sequencing.

Identification of clinical isolates of Neisseria meningitidis that are resistant to rifampin is important to avoid prophylaxis failure in contacts of patients, but it is hindered by the absence of a breakpoint for resistance, despite many efforts toward standardization. We examined a large number (n = 392) of clinical meningococcal isolates, spanning 25 years (1984 to 2009), that were collected in 11 European countries, Argentina, and the Central African Republic. The collection comprises all clinical isolates with MICs of > or = 0.