Correction: Tracking the incidence and risk factors for SARS-CoV-2 infection using historical maternal booking serum samples.

[This corrects the article DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.

Performance evaluation of the Viasure PCR assay for the diagnosis of monkeypox: A multicentre study.

Background: Monkeypox virus (MPXV) is the causative agent of the 2022 monkeypox global outbreak. Rapid detection of MPXV infection is essential to inform patient management and public health response. Currently, there is a lack of established real-time PCR assays to support a rapid diagnosis of monkeypox.

Tracking the incidence and risk factors for SARS-CoV-2 infection using historical maternal booking serum samples.

The early transmission dynamics of SARS-CoV-2 in the UK are unknown but their investigation is critical to aid future pandemic planning. We tested over 11,000 anonymised, stored historic antenatal serum samples, given at two north-west London NHS trusts in 2019 and 2020, for total antibody to SARS-CoV-2 receptor binding domain (anti-RBD). Estimated prevalence of seroreactivity increased from 1% prior to mid-February 2020 to 17% in September 2020.

High prevalence of coinfection of azithromycin-resistant with other STIs: a prospective observational study of London-based symptomatic and STI-contact clinic attendees.

Objectives: Azithromycin treatment of (CT) may not be adequate to treat concomitant (MG) infection, and particularly if MG has macrolide resistance-associated mutations (MG-MRAMs). We estimated prevalence of coinfections of CT with MG carrying MRAM, and risk factors for MG-MRAM among a sexual health clinic population.

Study Design And Setting: Among symptomatic and STI-contact clinic attendees in London, prevalence of CT-MG coinfection and MG-MRAM were estimated using nucleic acid amplification testing and Sanger sequencing, respectively, and their associated risk factors analysed using logistic regression.

Genotypic determinants of fluoroquinolone and macrolide resistance in Neisseria gonorrhoeae.

Unlabelled: Background High rates of antimicrobial resistance (AMR) in Neisseria gonorrhoeae hinder effective treatment, but molecular AMR diagnostics may help address the challenge. This study aimed to appraise the literature for resistance-associated genotypic markers linked to fluoroquinolones and macrolides, to identify and review their use in diagnostics.

Methods: Medline and EMBASE databases were searched and data pooled to evaluate associations between genotype and phenotypic resistance.

Impact of mass drug administration of azithromycin for trachoma elimination on prevalence and azithromycin resistance of genital infection.

Background: Mass drug administration (MDA) of 20 mg/kg (maximum 1 g in adults) azithromycin for ocular (CT) infection is a key component of the WHO trachoma elimination strategy. However, this dose may be suboptimal in infection and may encourage emergence of antimicrobial resistance (AMR) to azithromycin.

Objectives: To determine the effect of MDA for trachoma elimination on prevalence, strain type and azithromycin resistance.

Impact of deploying multiple point-of-care tests with a 'sample first' approach on a sexual health clinical care pathway. A service evaluation.

Objectives: To assess clinical service value of STI point-of-care test (POCT) use in a 'sample first' clinical pathway (patients providing samples on arrival at clinic, before clinician consultation). Specific outcomes were: patient acceptability; whether a rapid nucleic acid amplification test (NAAT) for (CT/NG) could be used as a POCT in practice; feasibility of non-NAAT POCT implementation for (TV) and bacterial vaginosis (BV); impact on patient diagnosis and treatment.

Methods: Service evaluation in a south London sexual health clinic.

Accurate detection of Neisseria gonorrhoeae ciprofloxacin susceptibility directly from genital and extragenital clinical samples: towards genotype-guided antimicrobial therapy.

Introduction: Increasing use of nucleic acid amplification tests (NAATs) as the primary means of diagnosing gonococcal infection has resulted in diminished availability of Neisseria gonorrhoeae antimicrobial susceptibility data. We conducted a prospective diagnostic assessment of a real-time PCR assay (NGSNP) enabling direct detection of gonococcal ciprofloxacin susceptibility from a range of clinical sample types.

Methods: NGSNP, designed to discriminate an SNP associated with ciprofloxacin resistance within the N.

Clinical application of whole-genome sequencing to inform treatment for multidrug-resistant tuberculosis cases.

The treatment of drug-resistant tuberculosis cases is challenging, as drug options are limited, and the existing diagnostics are inadequate. Whole-genome sequencing (WGS) has been used in a clinical setting to investigate six cases of suspected extensively drug-resistant Mycobacterium tuberculosis (XDR-TB) encountered at a London teaching hospital between 2008 and 2014. Sixteen isolates from six suspected XDR-TB cases were sequenced; five cases were analyzed in a clinically relevant time frame, with one case sequenced retrospectively.

Performance evaluation of automated urine microscopy as a rapid, non-invasive approach for the diagnosis of non-gonococcal urethritis.

Objectives: Gram-stained urethral smear (GSUS), the standard point-of-care test for non-gonococcal urethritis (NGU) is operator dependent and poorly specific. The performance of rapid automated urine flow cytometry (AUFC) of first void urine (FVU) white cell counts (UWCC) for predicting Mycoplasma genitalium and Chlamydia trachomatis urethral infections was assessed and its application to asymptomatic infection was evaluated.

Methods: Receiver operating characteristic curve analysis, determining FVU-UWCC threshold for predicting M.

High prevalence of antibiotic-resistant Mycoplasma genitalium in nongonococcal urethritis: the need for routine testing and the inadequacy of current treatment options.

Background:  Empirical antibiotic therapy for nongonococcal urethritis (NGU) and cervicitis is aimed at Chlamydia trachomatis, but Mycoplasma genitalium, which also commonly causes undiagnosed NGU, necessitates treatment with macrolides or fluoroquinolones rather than doxycycline, the preferred chlamydia treatment. Prevalence of M. genitalium and associated genotypic markers of macrolide and fluoroquinolone resistance among men symptomatic of urethritis were investigated.