A geographic cluster of healthcare-associated carbapenemase-producing hypervirulent Klebsiella pneumoniae sequence type 23.

Hypervirulent Klebsiella pneumoniae has typically been associated with invasive, community-associated infections. This study describes the molecular, epidemiological and clinical characteristics of a cluster of carbapenemase-producing hypervirulent K. pneumoniae in the South-East of Ireland.

A compact instrument for gamma-ray burst detection on a CubeSat platform II: Detailed design, assembly and validation.

The Gamma-ray Module, GMOD, is a miniaturised novel gamma-ray detector which will be the primary scientific payload on the Educational Irish Research Satellite (EIRSAT-1) 2U CubeSat mission. GMOD comprises a compact (25 mm 25 mm 40 mm) cerium bromide scintillator coupled to a tiled array of 4 4 silicon photomultipliers, with front-end readout provided by the IDE3380 SIPHRA. This paper presents the detailed GMOD design and the accommodation of the instrument within the restrictive CubeSat form factor.

A compact instrument for gamma-ray burst detection on a CubeSat platform I: Design drivers and expected performance.

The Educational Irish Research Satellite 1 (EIRSAT-1) is a 2U CubeSat being developed under ESA's Fly Your Satellite! programme. The project has many aspects, which are primarily educational, but also include space qualification of new detector technologies for gamma-ray astronomy and the detection of gamma-ray bursts (GRBs). The Gamma-ray Module (GMOD), the main mission payload, is a small gamma-ray spectrometer comprising a 25 mm × 25 mm × 40 mm cerium bromide scintillator coupled to an array of 16 silicon photomultipliers.

Specialist training in medical microbiology across Europe in 2021-an update on the actual training situation based on a survey.

Background: The importance of defining and establishing professional standards for Clinical Microbiology (CM) in Europe has long been highlighted, starting with the development of a European curriculum. The first European Curriculum in Medical Microbiology (MM) was adopted by the European Union of Medical Specialists (UEMS) council in 2017.

Objectives: This paper assesses how training programmes in CM in Europe align with the European curriculum, just under 5 years after its introduction, and reviews what methods of assessment are in use to assess the CM trainees' progress during training programmes.

Psychological impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on healthcare workers at acute hospital settings in the South-East of Ireland: an observational cohort multicentre study.

Objective: Our study aims to understand the psychological impact of the COVID-19 pandemic among healthcare workers (HCWs) at acute hospital settings in the South-East of Ireland, as a crucial step in guiding policies and interventions to maintain their psychological well-being.

Design: Observational cohort study.

Participants And Setting: 472 HCWs participated from two distinct acute hospital settings, A and B, in the South-East of Ireland.

Preventing sepsis development in complicated urinary tract infections.

: Urinary tract infections (UTIs) are the most prevalent infections in the community and the most common reason for antimicrobial prescribing in ambulatory care. A UTI is defined as complicated when urinary tract anatomical abnormalities or urinary devices are present, when it is recurrent and when associated with immunodeficiency. Complicated UTIs (cUTIs) have a higher risk of treatment failure and often require longer antimicrobial treatment courses.

Epididymo-orchitis caused by enteric organisms in men > 35 years old: beyond fluoroquinolones.

Epididymo-orchitis is a common urological condition in men of all ages, causing a unilateral or bilateral swelling of the epididymis and/or testis. It is frequently caused by sexually transmitted infections, Chlamydia trachomatis and Neisseria gonorrheae, as well as common enteric organisms implicated in urinary tract infections. Men over 35 years old may develop epididymo-orchitis associated with enteric organisms, often associated with functional bladder outlet problems such as benign prostatic hyperplasia or urethral stricture disease.

A 2-year comparative study of mold and bacterial counts in air samples from neutral and positive pressure rooms in 2 tertiary care hospitals.

Immunocompromised patients are at risk of invasive fungal infection. These high-risk patients are nursed in protective isolation to reduce the risk of nosocomial aspergillosis while in hospital-ideally in a positive pressure single room with high-efficiency particulate air filtration. However, neutral pressure rooms are a potential alternative, especially for patients requiring both protective and source isolation.

species endogenous endophthalmitis.

Introduction: spp. are Gram-negative bacteria classically associated with water sources and a variety of clinical infections in humans.

Case Presentation: A 79-year-old female patient presented with gastroenteritis with associated spp.

The Irish Helicobacter pylori Working Group consensus for the diagnosis and treatment of H. pylori infection in adult patients in Ireland.

Background: Irish eradication rates for Helicobacter pylori are decreasing and there is an increase in the prevalence of antibiotic-resistant bacteria. These trends call into question current management strategies.

Objective: To establish an Irish Helicobacter pylori Working Group (IHPWG) to assess, revise and tailor current available recommendations.

Matrix-assisted laser desorption/ionisation time-of-flight (MALDI-TOF) mass spectrometry (MS) for the identification of mycobacteria from MBBacT ALERT 3D liquid cultures and Lowenstein-Jensen (LJ) solid cultures.

Aims: Conventional methods for the identification of mycobacteria can be demanding and prolonged. Molecular methodologies, although rapid, are expensive and often exclusive to reference laboratories. Matrix-assisted laser desorption/ionisation time-of-flight mass spectrometry (MALDI-TOF MS) presents a possible alternative method for the identification and differentiation of mycobacteria.

False extended-spectrum {beta}-lactamase phenotype in clinical isolates of Escherichia coli associated with increased expression of OXA-1 or TEM-1 penicillinases and loss of porins.

Objectives: Two clinical isolates of Escherichia coli, EC18 and EC21, were non-susceptible (MICs 4-16 mg/L) to cefpirome and cefepime, with marked synergy with clavulanate, yet were susceptible to cefotaxime and ceftazidime (MICs ≤ 1 mg/L). EC19, from the same patient as EC21, was susceptible to all four cephalosporins. We sought to characterize the molecular basis of resistance in isolates EC18 and EC21.