Publications by authors named "M Chironna"

Article Synopsis
  • Respiratory syncytial virus (RSV) significantly affects adults over 65, leading to hospitalizations and complications, prompting a study in Italy to evaluate its impact in primary care settings.
  • The study involved 152 older patients with acute respiratory infections, finding that 21.7% tested positive for RSV, with a median illness duration of 14 days and a high rate of further healthcare consultations.
  • The results underline the importance of an RSV surveillance system for older adults to improve vaccination strategies and inform public health planning, showcasing the need for cost-effectiveness evaluations in managing healthcare resources.
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Article Synopsis
  • An emerging yeast species poses a significant threat to global health, with the first case of candidemia reported in Southern Italy.
  • Whole genome sequencing (WGS) was used to analyze two strains from infected patients, revealing high genetic similarity to strains found in Lebanon.
  • Environmental sampling in an ICU showed a concerning 46.1% positivity rate for this yeast, emphasizing the urgent need for enhanced infection control measures.
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Article Synopsis
  • Respiratory Syncytial Virus (RSV) primarily affects young children, especially those under 24 months old, causing severe respiratory infections, and is a global health concern according to the WHO; Nirsevimab, a long-acting monoclonal antibody, has been approved to prevent RSV in infants.
  • A narrative review compiled effectiveness data on Nirsevimab, assessing the strengths and limitations of existing studies while focusing on its potential for disease prevention.
  • The findings from the studies indicate that Nirsevimab is effective in real-world settings, significantly lowering hospitalizations and ICU admissions for RSV, though challenges related to supply and study variability remain; ongoing research is essential to evaluate its long-term effectiveness and
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Background: Influenza B/Yamagata viruses exhibited weak antigenic selection in recent years, reducing their prevalence over time and requiring no update of the vaccine component since 2015. To date, no B/Yamagata viruses have been isolated or sequenced since March 2020.

Methods: The antibody prevalence against the current B/Yamagata vaccine strain in Italy was investigated: For each influenza season from 2012/2013 to 2021/2022, 100 human serum samples were tested by haemagglutination inhibition (HAI) assay against the vaccine strain B/Phuket/3073/2013.

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RSV infection causes severe respiratory illness and mortality in the elderly, especially in the presence of comorbidities. Early identification of infection would result in appropriate clinical-therapeutic management, avoiding hospitalizations, the risk of healthcare-associated infections, and inappropriate antibiotic prescriptions, thus reducing healthcare costs and fighting antimicrobial resistance. The aim of this study was to assess RSV hospitalizations in subjects >64 years hospitalized in a large tertiary care hospital in Southern Italy, in order to assess their usefulness as a proxy for targeting a potential vaccination strategy.

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