EchiNam: multicenter retrospective study on the experience, challenges, and pitfalls in the diagnosis and treatment of alveolar echinococcosis in Belgium.

Objectives: The aim of this retrospective study was to collect epidemiological, clinical, laboratory, imaging, management, and follow-up data on cases of alveolar echinococcosis (AE) diagnosed and/or followed up within the Namur Hospital Network (NHN) in order to gather information on the challenges, pitfalls, and overall experience in the diagnosis and treatment of AE.

Methods: EchiNam was a multicenter retrospective study. Patients diagnosed and/or treated for probable or confirmed AE in the NHN between 2002 and 2023 were included in the study.

Diagnostic Value of Serum Biomarkers for Invasive Aspergillosis in Haematologic Patients.

Background: Invasive aspergillosis (IA) is a significant cause of morbidity and mortality in patients with haematological malignancies. Accurate diagnosis of IA is challenging due to non-specific symptoms and the impact of antifungal prophylaxis on biomarker sensitivity.

Methods: This retrospective study evaluated the diagnostic performance of three serum biomarkers: Galactomannan Ag VirClia Monotest (VirClia), Wako β-D-Glucan Test (Wako BDG), and MycoGENIE Real-Time PCR (MycoGENIE PCR).

"A decade of candidaemia: A comprehensive analysis of prognosis and risk factors at a Belgian tertiary hospital".

Candidemia, predominantly caused by C. albicans, poses a significant threat in hospitals. Yet, non-albicans candidemia (NAC) and antifungal resistance are increasing concerns.

Comparison of testing methods assessing the in vitro efficacy of the combination of aztreonam with avibactam on multidrug-resistant Gram-negative bacilli.

Background: Aztreonam-avibactam (ATM-AVI) combination shows promising effectiveness on most carbapenemase-producing Gram-negatives, yet standardized antibiotic susceptibility testing (AST) methods for evaluating the combination in clinical laboratories is lacking. We aimed to evaluate different ATM-AVI AST approaches.

Methods: 96 characterized carbapenem-resistant clinical isolates belonging to 9 Enterobacterales (EB; n = 80) and P.

Comparative assessment of Sensititre YeastOne and Micronaut-AM EUCAST for antifungal susceptibility testing in candidaemia isolates.

Purpose: Antifungal susceptibility testing (AFST) is essential to ensure appropriate antifungal therapy in candidaemia. This study compared two commercial colorimetric broth microdilution tests: Sensititre YeastOne (SYO; Thermo Scientific) and Micronaut-AM EUCAST AFST (M-AM; Bruker) for the AFST of Candida spp.

Material And Methods: A total of 74 yeast strains, including C.

Multicenter interlaboratory study of routine systems for the susceptibility testing of temocillin using a challenge panel of multidrug-resistant strains.

Accurate susceptibility result of temocillin (TMO) is important for treating infections caused by multidrug-resistant Enterobacterales. This multicenter study aimed to investigate the performance of routine temocillin testing assays against Enterobacterales challenging strains. Forty-seven selected clinical isolates were blindly analyzed by 12 Belgian laboratories using VITEK® 2 (n = 5) and BD Phoenix™ (n = 3) automated systems, ETEST® gradient strip (n = 3), and disk (3 brands) diffusion method (DD; n = 6) for temocillin susceptibility using standardized methodology.

European society of Clinical Microbiology and Infectious Diseases guidelines on diagnosis and treatment of brain abscess in children and adults.

Scope: These European Society of Clinical Microbiology and Infectious Diseases guidelines are intended for clinicians involved in diagnosis and treatment of brain abscess in children and adults.

Methods: Key questions were developed, and a systematic review was carried out of all studies published since 1 January 1996, using the search terms 'brain abscess' OR 'cerebral abscess' as Mesh terms or text in electronic databases of PubMed, Embase, and the Cochrane registry. The search was updated on 29 September 2022.

A systematic review of epidemiology, risk factors, diagnosis, antifungal resistance, and management of invasive aspergillosis in Africa.

Invasive aspergillosis (IA) affects more than 300,000 people annually worldwide with a case fatality rate reaching 80%. However, in Africa despite the presence of risk factors for the development of IA, the burden of these fungal infections remained unknown. This systematic review aimed to update the available information on the epidemiology and the therapeutic management of IA in Africa.

Antifungal Activity of Ibrexafungerp (SCY-078) Against Contemporary Blood Isolates From Medically Relevant Species of : A European Study.

Background: Ibrexafungerp (SCY-078) is the newest oral and intravenous antifungal drug with broad activity, currently undergoing clinical trials for invasive candidiasis.

Objective: The aim of this study was to assess the activity of ibrexafungerp and comparators against a collection of 434 European blood isolates of .

Methods: Ibrexafungerp, caspofungin, fluconazole, and micafungin minimum inhibitory concentrations (MICs) were collected from 12 European laboratories for 434 blood isolates, including 163 , 108 , 60 , 40 , 29 , 20 , 6 , 2 , 2 , and 1 isolate each of , , and .

Disseminated histoplasmosis diagnosed by cross-reactivity with the Aspergillus galactomannan antigen in an HIV-positive patient.

Invasive histoplasmosis is the most common AIDS-defining event in endemic regions such as South America. In non-endemic regions, less familiar to the diagnosis, invasive histoplasmosis can be mistakenly diagnosed as miliary tuberculosis leading to a high mortality rate. Here we present the case of an invasive histoplasmosis mistakenly diagnosed as tuberculosis.

SARS-CoV-2 seroprevalence in children and their family members, July-October 2020, Brussels.

The aim of this study was to estimate the seroprevalence of SARS-CoV-2 antibodies in a pediatric population after the first pandemic wave in Belgium. All patients requiring a blood sample between 1 July 2020 and 31 October 2020 in our institution were invited to participate. Their parents and siblings could also participate to estimate familial transmission and the congruence between serological statuses.

Neutralizing antibody responses following natural SARS-CoV-2 infection: Dynamics and correlation with commercial serologic tests.

The prediction of SARS-CoV-2 immunity by commercially available serologic tests will be crucial to assess the efficacy of vaccination. We used plaque reduction neutralization testing as the reference standard to evaluate the diagnostic performance of six commercial serologic tests for monitoring SARS-CoV-2 neutralizing antibodies. Euroimmun ELISA anti-spike 1 IgG, Euroimmun anti-spike 1 IgG QuantiVac ELISA, Elecsys Anti-nucleocapsid protein total antibodies, Elecsys Anti-receptor-binding domain total antibodies, VIDAS anti-spike subdomain IgG, and Microblot-Array COVID-19 IgG assay were performed on 228 sera from 89 healthcare workers who participated in a six-month seroprevalence survey.

High SARS-CoV-2 Seroprevalence in Healthcare Workers in Bukavu, Eastern Democratic Republic of Congo.

Among 359 healthcare workers (HCW) employed in Panzi General Referral Hospital located in Bukavu in the Democratic Republic of Congo, 148 (41.2%) tested positive for SARS-CoV-2 antibodies. Thirty-three (22.

Rhabdomyolysis and Acute Kidney Injury as Leading COVID-19 Presentation in an Adolescent.

Severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2, the virus responsible of the current COVID-19 pandemic, has limited impact in the pediatric population. Children are often asymptomatic or present mild flu-like symptoms. We report the case of a COVID-19-infected adolescent presenting severe rhabdomyolysis and acute kidney injury without any fever or respiratory symptoms.

Monitoring antibody response following SARS-CoV-2 infection: diagnostic efficiency of 4 automated immunoassays.

Introduction: SARS-CoV-2 seroconversion is important for epidemiological studies as well as contact tracing.

Material And Methods: The antibody response against SARS-CoV-2 was examined in 111 patients with a positive qRT-PCR. Seroconversion was assessed using the Elecsys from Roche, the Liaison S1/S2 IgG from Diasorin, the IgG and IgA from Euroimmun, as well as the VIDAS IgG and IgM.

Dynamics of SARS-CoV-2 RT-PCR positivity and seroprevalence among high-risk healthcare workers and hospital staff.

Staff working in units that were highly exposed to coronavirus disease 2019 were invited to participate in a 6-month study on the carriage and seroprevalence of severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus-2 (SARS-CoV-2). The results from visits on Day 1 and Day 15 show that 41 cases of SARS-CoV-2 infection were confirmed by reverse transcriptase polymerase chain reaction and/or serology in 326 participants (overall infection rate 12.6%).