Molecular epidemiology of Bartonella quintana endocarditis in patients from Israel and Eastern Africa.

Background: Bartonella quintana is an important cause of culture-negative endocarditis. Although humans have been considered as its only reservoir, recent studies showed that macaque species are also reservoirs of B. quintana.

Molecular Diagnosis of Cat Scratch Disease: a 25-Year Retrospective Comparative Analysis of Various Clinical Specimens and Different PCR Assays.

Cat-scratch disease (CSD), caused primarily by Bartonella henselae, is a common etiology of infectious regional lymphadenopathy. Lymphadenopathy is preceded by a primary inoculation lesion and may progress to suppuration. Laboratory diagnosis of CSD is hampered by the limitations of available confirmatory tests.

Misleading Positive Serology for Cat Scratch Disease following Administration of Intravenous Immunoglobulin.

Cat scratch disease (CSD), caused by , usually presents as regional lymphadenopathy/lymphadenitis, known as typical CSD or as atypical CSD, which includes, among others, neurological manifestations. Serology for anti- IgG antibodies is the most commonly used diagnostic tests for CSD. Intravenous immunoglobulin (IVIG) is given for an increasing number of medical conditions and may cause interference with serological testing.

Laboratory Diagnosis of 37 Cases of Endocarditis Based on Enzyme Immunoassay and Real-Time PCR.

spp., mostly and , are a common cause of culture-negative endocarditis. Serology using immunofluorescence assay (IFA) and PCR performed on cardiac tissues are the mainstays of diagnosis.

A cat's scratch or a wolf's bite?

endocarditis mimicking systemic vasculitis has been reported in patients with valvulopathy. Herein, we describe a patient with endocarditis involving a prosthetic pulmonic valve with positive anti-dsDNA antibodies misdiagnosed with systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE) based on the revised classification SLE criteria.

endocarditis masquerading as systemic vasculitis with rapidly progressive glomerulonephritis (aka 'Löhlein nephritis').

species are fastidious, Gram-negative aerobic rods and a well-recognised pathogen responsible for culture-negative endocarditis. The histopathological appearance of glomerulonephritis (GN) caused by endocarditis may include a pauci-immune GN similar to that usually seen in antineutrophil cytoplasmic antibody (ANCA)-associated vasculitis. Herein, we present an unusual case report of endocarditis masquerading as ANCA-positive vasculitis, with crescentic GN.

Cat Scratch Disease Presenting as Fever of Unknown Origin Is a Unique Clinical Syndrome.

Background: Fever of unknown origin (FUO) is a rare manifestation of cat scratch disease (CSD). Data regarding CSD-associated FUO (CSD-FUO), particularly in adults, are limited. We aimed to study disease manifestations and long-term clinical outcome.

Treatment outcomes in patients with proven/probable vs possible invasive mould disease in a phase III trial comparing isavuconazole vs voriconazole.

Treatment outcomes in patients with proven/probable vs possible invasive mould disease (IMD; 2008 European Organisation for Research and Treatment of Cancer/Mycoses Study Group [EORTC/MSG] criteria) needed further assessment. The Phase III SECURE trial compared isavuconazole vs voriconazole for treatment of IMD. This post hoc analysis assessed all-cause mortality (ACM) through day 42 (primary endpoint) and day 84, overall and clinical success at end of treatment (EOT), and drug-related treatment-emergent adverse events (TEAEs) in subgroups with proven/probable or possible IMD.

The prevalence of Middle East respiratory syndrome coronavirus (MERS-CoV) antibodies in dromedary camels in Israel.

Middle East respiratory syndrome coronavirus, MERS-CoV, was identified in Saudi Arabia in 2012, and as of January 29, 2018, there were 2,123 laboratory-confirmed MERS-CoV cases reported to WHO (WHO, 2018, https://www.who.int/emergencies/mers-cov/en/).

Isavuconazole for treatment of rare invasive fungal diseases.

Data regarding treatment of rare invasive fungal diseases (IFDs) are scarce. We documented the efficacy and safety of isavuconazole for treatment of uncommonly diagnosed IFDs. VITAL was a single-arm, international, open-label study evaluating the efficacy and safety of isavuconazole (200 mg orally or intravenously every 8 hours for 48 hours, then once daily).

Isavuconazole for treatment of invasive fungal diseases caused by more than one fungal species.

The optimal approach to treat invasive fungal disease (IFD) caused by more than one fungal species is unknown. We documented the efficacy and safety of isavuconazole for treatment of IFDs caused by more than one fungal species. VITAL was a single-arm, international, open-label study evaluating the efficacy and safety of isavuconazole (200 mg orally or intravenously every 8 hours for 48 hours, then once daily) for treatment of rare IFDs.

Cat-scratch disease: ocular manifestations and treatment outcome.

Purpose: To characterize cat-scratch disease (CSD) ocular manifestations and visual outcome and evaluate the effect of systemic antibiotics and corticosteroids on final visual acuity (VA).

Methods: Multicentre retrospective cohort study. Medical records of 86 patients with ocular disease (107 eyes) of 3222 patients identified in a national CSD surveillance study were reviewed.

Bartonella quintana, an Unrecognized Cause of Infective Endocarditis in Children in Ethiopia.

Bartonella quintana endocarditis, a common cause of culture-negative endocarditis in adults, has rarely been reported in children. We describe 5 patients 7-16 years of age from Ethiopia with heart defects and endocarditis; 4 cases were caused by infection with B. quintana and 1 by Bartonella of undetermined species.

Isavuconazole versus voriconazole for primary treatment of invasive mould disease caused by Aspergillus and other filamentous fungi (SECURE): a phase 3, randomised-controlled, non-inferiority trial.

Background: Isavuconazole is a novel triazole with broad-spectrum antifungal activity. The SECURE trial assessed efficacy and safety of isavuconazole versus voriconazole in patients with invasive mould disease.

Methods: This was a phase 3, double-blind, global multicentre, comparative-group study.

Bartonella dromedarii sp. nov. isolated from domesticated camels (Camelus dromedarius) in Israel.

Bartonella spp. are fastidious, Gram-negative bacilli that cause a wide spectrum of diseases in humans. Most Bartonella spp.

First description of Bartonella bovis in cattle herds in Israel.

Bartonella bovis has been described in beef and dairy cattle worldwide, however the reported prevalence rates are inconsistent, with large variability across studies (0-89%). This study describes the first isolation and characterization of B. bovis among cattle herds in the Middle East.

Periocular and anterior orbital necrosis after upper eyelid gold weight loading: operation-related or self-inflicted?

A 44-year-old woman, who had undergone gold-weight implantation due to facial palsy and lagophthalmos, arrived at the ophthalmology ward with eyelid swelling and erythema, which rapidly deteriorated under intravenous antibiotics to a necrotic process involving the periocular tissues, the eye, and the anterior orbit. Despite prompt removal of the gold weight, the patient's ocular and systemic condition continued to deteriorate, necessitating evisceration and debridement of necrotic tissue. Cultures showed growth of Staphylococcus epidermidis, Staphylococcus capitis, Candida glabrata, and Candida albicans, and histopathology demonstrated an acute nonspecific necrotizing panophthalmitis.

The impact of new epidemiological cutoff values on Candida glabrata resistance rates and concordance between testing methods.

Interpretive criteria for Candida susceptibility testing were recently revised with the establishment of species-specific epidemiological cutoff values (ECV). To assess the effect of modified cutoff values on Candida glabrata resistance rates and agreement between testing methods, we tested the susceptibility of 598 clinical isolates to fluconazole, itraconazole, voriconazole, posaconazole, caspofungin, and amphotericin B using CLSI M27-A3 and E-test methods. The caspofungin MICs clustered above the ECV and below the CLSI cutoff (MIC50, 0.

Suspected person-to-person transmission of Q fever among hospitalized pregnant women.

We report a case of suspected patient-to-patient transmission of Q fever among pregnant women in a high-risk pregnancy unit, presumably via aerosolization of vaginally excreted infectious placental particles. This case questions whether current infection control guidelines are sufficient for Q fever-infected women in similar settings.

Spinal epidural abscess: in search of reasons for an increased incidence.

Background: Spinal epidural abscess (SEA) is a rare disease with a potentially devastating outcome, and a reported incidence traditionally estimated at 0.2-2 cases/10,000 hospital admissions. Since the implementation in October 2007 of a program to increase medical personnel's awareness of SEA, we have documented a sharp increase in the incidence of SEA at our medical center

Objectives: To investigate the cause of the increased incidence of SEA.

Serum immunoglobulin G avidity test as a tool for improving diagnosis of cat scratch disease.

Cat scratch disease (CSD) is a common cause of subacute infectious regional lymphadenitis, caused by Bartonella henselae. Presently, detection of anti-B. henselae antibodies by immunofluorescence antibody assay or enzyme immunoassay (EIA) is the most widely used diagnostic test for CSD, but both are limited in establishing the timing of infection with B.

Cat scratch disease during pregnancy.

Objective: To describe the pregnancy outcome, including long-term follow-up of the offspring, of pregnant women with cat scratch disease.

Methods: A surveillance study performed over 19 years identified eight pregnant women with cat scratch disease. A case of cat scratch disease was defined as a patient with a history of cat contact with regional lymphadenitis, other manifestations, or a combination of these consistent with the disease and one or more confirmatory laboratory tests.

Antibiotic exposure as a risk factor for fluconazole-resistant Candida bloodstream infection.

Recent exposure to azoles is an important risk factor for infection with fluconazole-resistant Candida spp., but little is known about the role of antibacterial drug exposure in the emergence of drug-resistant Candida. We did a prospective nationwide surveillance study of candidemia in Israel and analyzed the propensity score-adjusted association between antifungal and antibacterial drug exposure and bloodstream infection with C.

Transient ischemic attack associated with acute cytomegalovirus infection.

Acute cytomegalovirus (CMV) infection is associated with thromboembolism. However, cerebrovascular ischemic events have not been reported in relation to acute CMV infection. A patient with a transient ischemic attack and acute CMV infection is described.