Population-based study of influenza and invasive meningococcal disease among Greek children during the COVID-19 pandemic.

Background: Aiming to the containment of the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic, governments worldwide have implemented a series of non-pharmaceutical interventions. Many of them and especially school closures have impacted the circulation of multiple airborne pathogens among children and adolescents. This study investigates the incidence of influenza and invasive meningococcal disease among children aged 0-14 years in Greece during the COVID-19 pandemic.

Impact of a Single-Tube PCR Assay for the Detection of Serotypes a, c, d, e and f on the Epidemiological Surveillance in Greece.

Background: The decrease in the rate of meningitis due to Haemophilus influenzae type b after vaccine introduction and a possible change in epidemiology of H. influenzae disease highlights the need for continuous serotype surveillance. Methods: A single-tube multiplex PCR assay for serotyping of H.

Pneumococcal meningitis in Greece: A retrospective serotype surveillance study in the post-PCV13 era (2010-2020).

Background: As Greece is a country which has introduced the 13-valent pneumococcal conjugate vaccine (PCV13) both in the infant and in the adult immunization programs, the aim of the study was to investigate age-specific and serotype-specific trends of pneumococcal meningitis over an 11-year period (2010-2020).

Materials And Methods: Data are reported from pneumococcal meningitis cases [notified to the National Public Health Organization (NPHO)], with clinical samples and bacterial isolates sent for pneumococcal identification and serotyping at the National Meningitis Reference Laboratory (NMRL). Pneumococcal identification was performed directly on clinical samples or bacterial isolates by multiplex PCR (mPCR) assay, while serotyping was carried out by application of the Capsular Sequence Typing (CST) method with the combination of single tube PCR assays.

Adherence to Recommendations for Βacillus Calmette-Guérin Vaccination of High-risk Neonates in Greece.

In 2016 a Βacillus Calmette-Guérin vaccination policy targeting high-risk neonates for tuberculosis before discharge from maternity hospital was adopted in Greece. Vaccination rates were 38.2% in 2019 and 24.

A patient with respiratory toxigenic diphtheria in Greece after more than 30 years.

The introduction of treatment and systematic vaccination has significantly reduced diphtheria mortality; however, toxigenic strains continue to circulate worldwide. The emergence of an indigenous diphtheria case with fatal outcome in Greece, after 30 years, raised challenges for laboratory confirmation, clinical and public health management. Toxigenic Corynebacterium diphtheriae was isolated from an incompletely vaccinated 8-year-old boy with underlying conditions.

Spatiotemporal Distribution and Genetic Characterization of Measles Strains Circulating in Greece during the 2017-2018 Outbreak.

Between May 2017 and November 2018, Greece has experienced a severe measles outbreak with a total of 3258 cases reported, after reaching its goal of eliminating measles since 2014-2015. In this study, we aimed to investigate the origin and the dispersal patterns of the measles strains that circulated in Greece during this outbreak and to identify possible transmission patterns of measles virus (MeV) in the country. Of the 832 measles suspect cases referred to the National Measles and Rubella Reference Laboratory for MeV RNA detection, 131 randomly selected positive samples, representative of the temporal and spatial distribution of the laboratory-confirmed measles cases in Greece, were processed for genotypic identification by an RT-PCR amplification of a 598 bp fragment containing the 450 bp hypervariable region of the measles virus N gene.

Children and Adolescents With SARS-CoV-2 Infection: Epidemiology, Clinical Course and Viral Loads.

Background: There is limited information on severe acute respiratory syndrome virus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) infection in children.

Methods: We retrieved data from the national database on SARS-CoV-2 infections. We studied in-family transmission.

First report of meningococcal ciprofloxacin resistance in Greece due to invasive isolates of the sequence type ST-3129.

A local outbreak caused by Neisseria meningitidis occurred in the migration camp in the Greek island of Lesbos during January-February 2020 (4 of 5 cases). In total, 5 samples positive for N. meningitidis were further investigated for sero-/genogroup, PorA, and WGS analysis.

Liver function tests in viremic and nonviremic chronic hepatitis B virus-infected pregnant women: importance of alanine aminotransferase/sodium ratio.

The major risk factor of perinatal transmission of Hepatitis B virus (HBV) infection is the level of maternal HBV-deoxyribonucleic acid (DNA) during the third trimester of pregnancy. The primary aim of this study was to evaluate the hematological and biochemical status in Hepatitis B e-antigen (HBeAg)-negative chronic HBV-infected pregnant women and to correlate the findings with the presence or absence of viremia. Ninety-five consecutive chronic HBV-infected pregnant women were evaluated between the 28th and 32nd week of gestation.

Evaluation of liver enzymes in asymptomatic chronic hepatitis B virus infected pregnant women.

Background: The major risk factor for perinatal transmission of hepatitis B virus (HBV) infection and/or immunoprophylaxis failure is the level of maternal HBV-DNA. The aim of this study was to evaluate commonly used laboratory parameters in HBeAg-negative chronic HBV-infected pregnant women and to correlate the findings with the presence or absence of viremia.

Methods: 166 consecutive chronic HBV-infected pregnant women were hematologically, serologically and virologically evaluated between the 28th and 32nd week of gestation.

Surveillance for hepatitis B virus infection in pregnant women in Greece shows high rates of chronic infection among immigrants and low vaccination-induced protection rates: preliminary results of a single center study.

Epidemiological data on the prevalence of serological markers of hepatitis B virus (HBV) infection in pregnant women in Greece are limited. We evaluated the prevalence of HBV serological markers in a multinational population of pregnant women in Athens, Greece. The overall prevalence of hepatitis B surface antigen (HbsAg) was 4.

Serological and virological profile of chronic HBV infected women at reproductive age in Greece. A two-year single center study.

Objective: Seroprevalence of HBsAg in 26,746 women at reproductive age in Greece and evaluation of HBeAg/anti-HBe serological status as well as serum HBV-DNA levels in a subgroup of HBsAg(+) women at labor.

Study Design: Serological markers were detected using enzyme immunoassays. Serum HBV-DNA was calculated using a sensitive quantitative PCR assay, with a lower limit of quantification of 200 copies/ml.

HBeAg negative serological status and low viral replication levels characterize chronic hepatitis B virus-infected women at reproductive age in Greece: a one-year prospective single center study.

Aim: To evaluate the seroprevalence of hepatitis B surface antigen (HBsAg) in 13 581 women at reproductive age and the hepatitis B e antigen (HBeAg)/anti-HBe status as well as serum hepatitis B virus (HBV)-DNA levels in a subgroup of HBsAg(+) pregnant women at labor in Greece.

Methods: Serological markers were detected using enzyme immunoassays. Serum HBV-DNA was determined by a sensitive quantitative PCR assay.