Comparison of rectal swabs and fecal samples for the detection of infections with a new in-house PCR assay.

Unlabelled: The detection of infections (CDI) relies on testing the stool of patients by toxin antigen detection or PCR methods. Although PCR and antigenic methods have significantly reduced the time to results, delays in stool collection can significantly add to the turnaround time. The use of rectal swabs to detect could considerably reduce the time to diagnosis of CDI.

Treatment of severe human mpox virus infection with tecovirimat: A case series.

Background: Tecovirimat (TCV, TPOXX) is an orthopox-specific antiviral drug indicated for the treatment of smallpox. There is also a mechanistic basis for its use in mpox infection. However, its approval was based on animal studies, and its efficacy and side-effect profile in human patients with disease is unknown.

Timing and Predictors of Loss of Infectivity Among Healthcare Workers With Mild Primary and Recurrent COVID-19: A Prospective Observational Cohort Study.

Background: There is a need to understand the duration of infectivity of primary and recurrent coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) and identify predictors of loss of infectivity.

Methods: Prospective observational cohort study with serial viral culture, rapid antigen detection test (RADT) and reverse transcription polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR) on nasopharyngeal specimens of healthcare workers with COVID-19. The primary outcome was viral culture positivity as indicative of infectivity.

Evaluation of water gargle samples for SARS-CoV-2 detection using Abbott ID NOW COVID-19 assay.

The Abbott ID NOW™ COVID-19 assay has been shown as a reliable and sensitive alternative to reverse transcription-polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR) testing from nasopharyngeal or nasal samples in symptomatic patients. Water gargle is an acceptable noninvasive alternative specimen for severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus-2 (SARS-CoV-2) detection by RT-PCR. The objective of this study was to evaluate the performance of water gargle samples for the detection of SARS-CoV-2 using the ID NOW.

The PRONTO study: Clinical performance of ID NOW in individuals with compatible SARS-CoV-2 symptoms in walk-in centres-accelerated turnaround time for contact tracing.

Background: This PRONTO study investigated the clinical performance of the Abbott ID NOW (IDN) COVID-19 diagnostic assay used at point of care and its impact on turnaround time for divulgation of test results.

Methods: Prospective study conducted from December 2020 to February 2021 in acute symptomatic participants presenting in three walk-in centres in the province of Québec.

Results: Valid paired samples were obtained from 2,372 participants.

Natural spring water gargle and direct RT-PCR for the diagnosis of COVID-19 (COVID-SPRING study).

Background: Nasopharyngeal swab has long been considered the specimen of choice for the diagnosis of respiratory viral infections, including SARS-CoV-2 infection, but it suffers from several drawbacks: its discomfort limits screening acceptability, and it is vulnerable to shortages in both specialized materials and trained healthcare workers in the context of a pandemic.

Methods: We prospectively compared natural spring water gargle to combined oro-nasopharyngeal swab (ONPS) for the diagnosis of coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) in paired clinical specimens (1005 ONPS and 1005 gargles) collected from 987 unique early symptomatic as well as asymptomatic individuals from the community.

Results: Using a direct RT-PCR method with the Allplex™ 2019-nCoV Assay (Seegene), the clinical sensitivity of the gargle was 95.

Assessment of Piperacillin-Tazobactam-Meropenem Synergy against Serine Carbapenemase-Producing Using Time-Kill Assays.

Synergy between piperacillin-tazobactam and meropenem against KPC-producing was recently demonstrated. We sought to test the combination against a broader range of serine carbapenemase producers. We tested the combination against 10 KPC-producing and 10 OXA-48 family-producing isolates.

Gradient diffusion susceptibility testing for : an accurate alternative to agar dilution in high-MIC strains?

Introduction: The correlation of antimicrobial susceptibility testing (AST) between agar dilution and gradient diffusion for is not well established, especially in strains with high MICs.

Aim: The objective of this study was to evaluate the accuracy of gradient diffusion for .

Methods: Fifty strains of , all tested by the agar dilution method according to CLSI methods and confirmed to be genetically distinct using molecular typing (NG-MAST), were selected.

Arrival of the rare carbapenemase OXA-204 in Canada causing a multispecies outbreak over 3 years.

Objectives: To investigate a persistent multispecies OXA-204 outbreak occurring simultaneously in multiple distant hospitals in the province of Quebec, Canada.

Methods: OXA-204 carbapenemase-producing Enterobacterales (CPE) isolated from multiple hospitals between January 2016 and October 2018 were included in the study. An epidemiological inquiry was conducted in order to elucidate possible transmission routes and a putative source.

Genome Sequence of a Klebsiella pneumoniae NDM-1 Producer Isolated in Quebec City.

We report here the complete genome sequence of CCRI-22199, isolated from a patient from India treated in Quebec City, Canada. Genes encoding beta-lactamases NDM-1 and CTX-M-15 were identified on two distinct plasmids. While the chromosome is similar to that of strain BAA-2146, CCRI-22199 provides a further example of rearrangements in plasmids.

In vitro synergy of β-lactam combinations against KPC-producing Klebsiella pneumoniae strains.

Background: Double carbapenem therapy has been promoted as an alternative treatment for infections due to carbapenemase-producing Enterobacteriaceae where carbapenemase inhibitors are unavailable or when other agents have demonstrated toxicity with equally limited evidence. The capacity of other β-lactams and β-lactamase inhibitors to provide synergistic activity with carbapenems is unclear.

Objectives: This study sought to investigate the in vitro synergistic potential of other β-lactam/β-lactamase combinations with meropenem against KPC producers.

Molecular surveillance of hepatitis C virus genotypes identifies the emergence of a genotype 4d lineage among men in Quebec, 2001-2017.

Background: Molecular phylogenetics are generally used to confirm hepatitis C virus (HCV) transmission events. In addition, the Laboratoire de santé publique du Québec (LSPQ) has been using molecular phylogenetics for surveillance of HCV genotyping since November 2001.

Objectives: To describe the emergence of a specific lineage of HCV genotype 4d (G4d) and its characteristics using molecular phylogenetics as a surveillance tool for identifying HCV strain clustering.

Thermocouple-tip-exposing temperature assessment technique for evaluating photothermal conversion efficiency of plasmonic nanoparticles at low laser power density.

A new thermocouple (TC) tip-exposing temperature assessment technique that combines experimental temperature measurements with a numerical model of the photothermal conversion efficiency η is presented. The proposed technique is designed to evaluate η for a gold-coated superparamagnetic iron oxide nanoparticle (SPIO-Au NP) solution (26 nm, 12-70 ppm) at low continuous wave laser power (103 mW, 532 nm) irradiation in a convenient manner under ambient conditions. The TC tip temperature is measured during the first 30 s of the laser exposure, and the results are combined with a finite element model to simulate the temperature rise of the NP solution for a given concentration.

Predictors of Clostridioides difficile Infection Among Asymptomatic, Colonized Patients: A Retrospective Cohort Study.

Background: Asymptomatic patients colonized with Clostridioides difficile are at risk of developing C. difficile infection (CDI), but the factors associated with disease onset are poorly understood. Our aims were to identify predictors of hospital-onset CDI (HO-CDI) among colonized patients and to explore the potential benefits of primary prophylaxis to prevent CDI.

Genomic Investigation of the Emergence of Invasive Multidrug-Resistant Salmonella enterica Serovar Dublin in Humans and Animals in Canada.

subsp. serovar Dublin is a zoonotic pathogen that often leads to invasive bloodstream infections in humans that are multidrug resistant. Described here are the results of Canadian national surveillance of Dublin from 2003 to 2015 in humans and bovines, principally collected through the Canadian Integrated Program for Antibiotic Resistance Surveillance (CIPARS).

Evaluation of the Bio-Rad Geenius HIV 1/2 Assay as Part of a Confirmatory HIV Testing Strategy for Quebec, Canada: Comparison with Western Blot and Inno-Lia Assays.

The rapid confirmatory Bio-Rad Geenius HIV 1/2 assay was evaluated as an alternative to the HIV-1 Western blot (WB) confirmatory assay. A total of 370 retrospective samples collected from 356 patients were tested. Sensitivity of the Geenius assay to detect HIV-1 and HIV-2 infections was 100% and 97%, respectively, and that of the WB assay was 86% and 39%, respectively.

Reagent-Free Identification of Clinical Yeasts by Use of Attenuated Total Reflectance Fourier Transform Infrared Spectroscopy.

Invasive fungal infections by opportunistic yeasts have increased concomitantly with the growth of an immunocompromised patient population. Misidentification of yeasts can lead to inappropriate antifungal treatment and complications. Attenuated total reflectance Fourier transform infrared (ATR-FTIR) spectroscopy is a promising method for rapid and accurate identification of microorganisms.

Genetic Mechanisms behind the Spread of Reduced Susceptibility to Azithromycin in Strains Isolated from Men Who Have Sex with Men in Québec, Canada.

We analyzed 254 species isolates collected in Québec, Canada, during 2013 and 2014. Overall, 23.6% of isolates showed reduced susceptibility to azithromycin (RSA) encoded by (11.

Improvement of reverse sequence algorithm for syphilis diagnosis using optimal treponemal screening assay signal-to-cutoff ratio.

Background: Although reverse sequence algorithms (RSA) for syphilis screening are performing well, they still have to rely on treponemal confirmatory tests at least for sera reactive by enzyme immunoassay/chemiluminescence immunoassay (EIA/CIA) and unreactive by rapid plasma reagin (RPR). Quebec's laboratory network previously showed that 3.3% of EIA/CIA reactive and weakly-reactive RPR samples (RPR titer of 1 to 4) would have been misclassified as syphilis cases if a treponemal confirmatory test had not been performed.

Detection and Isolation of Clostridium difficile Asymptomatic Carriers During Clostridium difficile Infection Outbreaks: An Exploratory Study.

During 4 Clostridium difficile infection outbreaks, unit-wide screening of 114 patients led to detection and isolation of 15 (13%) C. difficile asymptomatic carriers. Carriage prevalence varied between outbreaks, from 0% to 29% (P = .