Facilitators and barriers in HIV testing and continuum of care among migrant transgender women who are sex workers residing in Florence, Italy.

Background: An increased risk of contracting HIV infection, suboptimal adherence, and a loss to follow-up have been observed in migrants, particularly if those individuals are transgender or sex workers. A clear picture of the HIV epidemic among migrants is complex due to the lack of specific national data.

Aims: We developed a qualitative study that describes the barriers and facilitators (cultural, social, and personal) in HIV testing and the continuum of care for a group of migrant transgender women who are sex workers.

Trend over time of HIV-1 drug resistance to nonnucleoside reverse transcriptase inhibitors (NNRTIs) and their drivers: A cohort study from Antiviral Response Cohort Analysis (ARCA).

The rise of HIV-1 drug resistance to nonnucleoside reverse transcriptase inhibitors (NNRTIs) threatens the long-term success of NNRTI-based therapies. Our study aims to describe the circulation of major resistance-associated mutations (RAMs) for NNRTIs in people living with HIV (PLWH) in Italy from 2000 to 2020. We included 5982 naïves and 28 505 genotypes from 9387 treatment-experienced PLWH from the Antiviral Response Cohort Analysis (ARCA) cohort.

Characteristics of COVID-19 vaccinated and unvaccinated patients admitted to Careggi University Hospital, Florence, Italy.

More than 11.5 billion COVID-19 vaccine doses have been administered around the world. Although vaccine effectiveness for severe infections is reported to be 89.

Safety and Efficacy of Outpatient Treatments for COVID-19: Real-Life Data from a Regionwide Cohort of High-Risk Patients in Tuscany, Italy (the FEDERATE Cohort).

Early COVID-19 treatments can prevent progression to severe disease. However, real-life data are still limited, and studies are warranted to monitor the efficacy and tolerability of these drugs. We retrospectively enrolled outpatients receiving early treatment for COVID-19 in 11 infectious diseases units in the Tuscany region of Italy between 1 January and 31 March 2022, when Omicron sublineages BA.

Presumptive treatment or serological screening for schistosomiasis in migrants from Sub-Saharan Africa could save both lives and money for the Italian National Health System: results of an economic evaluation.

Background: Schistosomiasis can lead to severe irreversible complications and death if left untreated. Italian and European guidelines recommend serological screening for this infection in migrants from Sub-Saharan Africa (SSA). However, studies on clinical and economic impact of this strategy in the Italian and European settings are lacking.

Infection with SARS-CoV-2 Variants Is Associated with Different Long COVID Phenotypes.

COVID-19 has been associated with a broad range of long-term sequelae, commonly referred to as "long-COVID" or "post-COVID-19" syndrome. Despite an increasing body of literature, long COVID remains poorly characterized. We retrospectively analysed data from electronic medical records of patients admitted to the post-COVID-19 outpatient service of the Infectious and Tropical Diseases Unit, Careggi University Hospital, Florence, Italy, between June 2020 and June 2021, 4-12 weeks after hospital discharge.

Soluble urokinase Plasminogen Activator Receptor (suPAR) levels are predictive of COVID-19 severity: an Italian experience.

Background: The soluble urokinase Plasminogen Activator Receptor (suPAR) has been identified as a reliable marker of COVID-19 severity, helping in personalizing COVID-19 therapy. This study aims to evaluate the correlation between suPAR levels and COVID-19 severity, in relation to the traditional inflammatory markers.

Methods: Sera from 71 COVID-19 patients were tested for suPAR levels using Chorus suPAR assay (Diesse Diagnostica Senese SpA, Italy).

AIDS patient with severe T cell depletion achieved control but not clearance of SARS-CoV-2 infection.

A late presenter AIDS patient with severe T cell depletion presented non-severe COVID-19 symptoms, with prolonged viral shedding. Our case report supports the hypothesis that an effective T cell response may be dispensable for the control of COVID-19 progression to severe forms, while it may be necessary for SARS-CoV-2 clearance.

Clinical and Laboratory Follow-up After Hospitalization for COVID-19 at an Italian Tertiary Care Center.

We evaluated 100 postacute coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) patients a median (interquartile range) of 60 (48-67) days after discharge from the Careggi University Hospital, Italy. Eighty-four (84%) had at least 1 persistent symptom, irrespective of COVID-19 severity. A considerable number of hospital readmissions (10%) and/or infectious diseases (14%) during the postdischarge period were reported.

Community-based seroprevalence survey of schistosomiasis and strongyloidiasis by means of Dried Blood Spot testing on Sub-Saharan migrants resettled in Italy.

Serology is the most sensitive test for the diagnosis of schistosomiasis and strongyloidiasis, highly prevalent diseases in Sub-Saharan Africa (SSA). The collection of dried blood spots (DBS) on filter papers enables researchers to conduct community-based studies on this matter. We investigated the seroprevalence of schistosomiasis and strongyloidiasis on DBS in SSA migrants recently arrived in Italy.

Neglected tropical diseases in non-endemic countries in the era of COVID-19 pandemic: the great forgotten.

In non-endemic countries, the access to healthcare for migrants and other patients with NTDs may be hampered by new barriers linked to the COVID-19 pandemic. Low awareness of health care professionals on the opportunistic potential of some NTDs may lead to unfavorable outcome of COVID-19 patients treated with immunomodulatory drugs.

Hospitalization for Chagas disease, dengue, filariasis, leishmaniasis, schistosomiasis, strongyloidiasis, and Taenia solium taeniasis/cysticercosis, Italy, 2011-2016.

Purpose: To analyze epidemiology and burden of Neglected Tropical Diseases (NTDs) in Italy.

Methods: We used Hospital Discharge Records and number of residents in Italy to calculate number and rate of hospitalization for Chagas disease, dengue, filariasis, leishmaniasis, schistosomiasis, strongyloidiasis, Taenia solium taeniasis, and cysticercosis by sex, citizenship group, and region in the period 2011-2016.

Results: 7195 hospitalizations for NTDs were retrieved, accounting for 7375 diagnoses, 60% in Italians and 40% in foreigners.

Early experience of an infectious and tropical diseases unit during the coronavirus disease (COVID-19) pandemic, Florence, Italy, February to March 2020.

We analysed the first 84 coronavirus disease (COVID-19) patients hospitalised in an infectious and tropical disease unit in Florence, Italy, over 30 days after the start of the COVID-19 outbreak in Italy. A 12% reduction in the rate of intensive care unit transfer was observed after the implementation of intensity care measures in the regular ward such as increasing the nurse/patient ratio, presence of critical care physicians and using high flow nasal cannulae oxygenation.

Threatening drug-drug interaction in a kidney transplant patient with coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19).

During the novel coronavirus pandemic, organ transplant recipients represent a frail susceptible category due to long-term immunosuppressive therapy. For this reason, clinical manifestations may differ from general population and different treatment approaches may be needed. We present the case of a 36-year-old kidney-transplanted woman affected by Senior-Loken syndrome diagnosed with COVID-19 pneumonia after a contact with her positive mother.

Strategies for management of strongyloidiasis in migrants from Sub-Saharan Africa recently arrived in Italy: A cost-effectiveness analysis.

Background: The Italian and the European Centre for Disease Control and Prevention guidelines both recommend a systematic serological screening for strongyloidiasis in sub-Saharan migrants (SSA), however, studies on clinical and economic impact of this strategy in the Italian and European settings are lacking.

Methods: A population of 100,000 migrants from SSA to Italy was considered and a Markov decision tree model was developed to assess the clinical and economic impact of two interventions for strongyloidiasis compared with the current practice (passive diagnosis of symptomatic cases): a) universal serological screening and treatment with ivermectin in case of positive test b) universal presumptive treatment with ivermectin. One and 10-year time horizon in the health-care perspective were considered.

No Confirmed Cases of Taeniasis in a Group of Recently Arrived Sub-Saharan Migrants to Italy.

One-hundred and sixty-four migrants from Sub-Saharan Africa to Italy were screened with the specific enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay coproantigen (ELISA CoAg) and four (2.4%) were recorded as positive, but with optical density values near to the cut-off. No ELISA CoAg positive samples were confirmed by parasitological methods.

Ultrasound findings in urogenital schistosomiasis: a pictorial essay.

Urogenital schistosomiasis is a parasitic disease caused by S. haematobium which is endemic in tropical and sub-tropical areas but is increasingly diagnosed in temperate non-endemic countries due to migration and international travels. Early identification and treatment of the disease are fundamental to avoid associated severe sequelae such as bladder carcinoma, hydronephrosis leading to kidney failure and reproductive complications.

Correction to: The diagnosis and treatment of urogenital schistosomiasis in Italy in a retrospective cohort of immigrants from Sub-Saharan Africa.

The original version of this article unfortunately contained a mistake. The given name and family name of Filippo Parretti was transposed in the original publication. The correct name is as shown above.

The diagnosis and treatment of urogenital schistosomiasis in Italy in a retrospective cohort of immigrants from Sub-Saharan Africa.

Objectives: To evaluate ultrasound and praziquantel to, respectively, assess and reduce urogenital schistosomiasis (UGS)-associated morbidity in migrants from Sub-Saharan Africa (SSA).

Methods: Migrants from SSA with UGS attending three Italian centres for tropical diseases during 2011-2016 were retrospectively enrolled. Data on clinical symptoms, routine laboratory, parasitological tests, and ultrasound reported as per the WHO-Niamey protocol were collected at baseline and at available follow-up visits after treatment with praziquantel 40 mg/kg/day for 3 days.