High Yield of Active Tuberculosis Case Finding Among HIV-Infected Patients Using Xpert MTB/RIF Testing.

Objective: Conduct an active case finding study in Tbilisi, Georgia, for pulmonary tuberculosis (TB) among people living with HIV (PLWH).

Methods: Newly diagnosed HIV patients were assessed for symptoms and asked to submit sputum samples for smear microscopy, culture, and molecular diagnostic testing (Xpert MTB/RIF).

Results: Among 276 PLWH, 131 agreed to participate and 103 submitted sputum samples.

Impact of hepatitis C virus recombinant form RF1_2k/1b on treatment outcomes within the Georgian national hepatitis C elimination program.

Aim: Hepatitis C virus (HCV) recombinant form RF1_2k/1b is common in ethnic Georgians. This chimera virus contains genomic fragments of genotype 2 and genotype 1 and is misclassified as genotype 2 by standard genotyping. We aimed to identify RF1_2k/1b strains among genotype 2 patients and assess its impact on treatment outcomes.

The natural history of recent hepatitis C virus infection among blood donors and injection drug users in the country of Georgia.

Introduction: Hepatitis C virus (HCV) infection is a serious health problem in Georgia.

Methods: We conducted a prospective study to identify and characterize the natural history of recent HCV infection since very first days of infection. Recent HCV infection was defined as detectable plasma HCV RNA in the absence of anti-HCV antibodies.

High incidence of the hepatitis C virus recombinant 2k/1b in Georgia: Recommendations for testing and treatment.

Aim: The first hepatitis C virus (HCV) recombinant, RF2k/1b, was initially described from Russia and has since then been identified from patients in Ireland, Estonia, Uzbekistan and Cyprus. Many of these patients originated from Georgia; however, there is no information on its prevalence in Georgia or its susceptibility to antiviral treatment.

Methods: We retrospectively sequenced the non-structural region 5B (NS5B) of the HCV genome in samples from 72 Georgian patients, 36 of whom had been treated with pegylated interferon and ribavirin.

Etiologic agents of central nervous system infections among febrile hospitalized patients in the country of Georgia.

Objectives: There is a large spectrum of viral, bacterial, fungal, and prion pathogens that cause central nervous system (CNS) infections. As such, identification of the etiological agent requires multiple laboratory tests and accurate diagnosis requires clinical and epidemiological information. This hospital-based study aimed to determine the main causes of acute meningitis and encephalitis and enhance laboratory capacity for CNS infection diagnosis.