Emergence of the novel sixth Clade VI in Bangladesh.

, initially identified in 2009, has rapidly become a critical concern due to its antifungal resistance and significant mortality rates in healthcare-associated outbreaks. To date, whole-genome sequencing (WGS) has identified five unique clades of , with some strains displaying resistance to all primary antifungal drug classes. In this study, we presented the first WGS analysis of from Bangladesh, describing its origins, transmission dynamics, and antifungal susceptibility testing (AFST) profile.

Molecular and Epidemiological Investigation of Fluconazole-resistant -Georgia, United States, 2021.

Background: Reports of fluconazole-resistant bloodstream infections are increasing. We describe a cluster of fluconazole-resistant bloodstream infections identified in 2021 on routine surveillance by the Georgia Emerging Infections Program in conjunction with the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

Methods: Whole-genome sequencing was used to analyze bloodstream infections isolates.

Genomic epidemiology and antifungal-resistant characterization of , Colombia, 2016-2021.

Unlabelled: Since 2016, in Colombia, ongoing transmission of has been reported in multiple cities. Here, we provide an updated description of genomic epidemiology and the dynamics of antifungal resistance in Colombia. We sequenced 99 isolates from cases with collection dates ranging from June 2016 to January 2021; the resulting sequences coupled with 103 previously generated sequences from cases were described in a phylogenetic analysis.

Finding Candida auris in public metagenomic repositories.

Candida auris is a newly emerged multidrug-resistant fungus capable of causing invasive infections with high mortality. Despite intense efforts to understand how this pathogen rapidly emerged and spread worldwide, its environmental reservoirs are poorly understood. Here, we present a collaborative effort between the U.

A Phylogeographic Description of in the United States.

Histoplasmosis is one of the most under-diagnosed and under-reported endemic mycoses in the United States. is the causative agent of this disease. To date, molecular epidemiologic studies detailing the phylogeographic structure of in the United States have been limited.

Candida auris: a global pathogen that has taken root in Colombia.

Candida auris has been recognized as an emerging multidrug-resistant pathogen with a significant public health burden, causing cases of invasive infection and colonization due to its persistence on inanimate surfaces, ability to colonize skin of some patients, and high transmissibility in healthcare settings. The first sporadic report of the isolation of this species from the ear canal of a patient in Asia was in 2009 and reports from other regions of the world soon followed. However, it was not until 2015 that global epidemiological alerts were communicated as a result of an increasing number of reports of invasive infections caused by C.

Public Health Research Priorities for Fungal Diseases: A Multidisciplinary Approach to Save Lives.

Fungal infections can cause severe disease and death and impose a substantial economic burden on healthcare systems. Public health research requires a multidisciplinary approach and is essential to help save lives and prevent disability from fungal diseases. In this manuscript, we outline the main public health research priorities for fungal diseases, including the measurement of the fungal disease burden and distribution and the need for improved diagnostics, therapeutics, and vaccines.

Clients' experiences on North America's first take-home injectable opioid agonist treatment (iOAT) program: a qualitative study.

Background: To support public health measures during the COVID-19 pandemic, oral opioid agonist treatment (OAT) take-home doses were expanded in Western countries with positive results. Injectable OAT (iOAT) take-home doses were previously not an eligible option, and were made available for the first time in several sites to align with public health measures. Building upon these temporary risk-mitigating guidelines, a clinic in Vancouver, BC continued to offer two of a possible three daily doses of take-home injectable medications to eligible clients.

Comparing genomic variant identification protocols for .

Genomic analyses are widely applied to epidemiological, population genetic and experimental studies of pathogenic fungi. A wide range of methods are employed to carry out these analyses, typically without including controls that gauge the accuracy of variant prediction. The importance of tracking outbreaks at a global scale has raised the urgency of establishing high-accuracy pipelines that generate consistent results between research groups.

Worsening Spread of in the United States, 2019 to 2021.

Background: is an emerging fungal threat that has been spreading in the United States since it was first reported in 2016.

Objective: To describe recent changes in the U.S.

Genomic description of human clinical Aspergillus fumigatus isolates, California, 2020.

Aspergillus fumigatus, an environmental mold, causes life-threatening infections. Studies on the phylogenetic structure of human clinical A. fumigatus isolates are limited.

Genomic Epidemiology Linking Nonendemic Coccidioidomycosis to Travel.

Coccidioidomycosis is a fungal infection endemic to hot, arid regions of the western United States, northern Mexico, and parts of Central and South America. Sporadic cases outside these regions are likely travel-associated; alternatively, an infection could be acquired in as-yet unidentified newly endemic locales. A previous study of cases in nonendemic regions with patient self-reported travel history suggested that infections were acquired during travel to endemic regions.

Optimization and Validation of Candida auris Short Tandem Repeat Analysis.

Candida auris is an easily transmissible yeast with resistance to different antifungal compounds. Outbreaks of C. auris are mostly observed in intensive care units.

Molecular Epidemiology of Blastomyces gilchristii Clusters, Minnesota, USA.

We characterized 2 clusters of blastomycosis cases in Minnesota, USA, using whole-genome sequencing and single-nucleotide polymorphism analyses. Blastomyces gilchristii was confirmed as the cause of infection. Genomic analyses corresponded with epidemiologic findings for cases of B.

MycoSNP: A Portable Workflow for Performing Whole-Genome Sequencing Analysis of Candida auris.

Candida auris is an urgent public health threat characterized by high drug-resistant rates and rapid spread in healthcare settings worldwide. As part of the C. auris response, molecular surveillance has helped public health officials track the global spread and investigate local outbreaks.

Evaluation of rapid antigen detection kits for detection of SARS-CoV-2 B.1.617.2 virus.

Currently, there is lack of data regarding rapid antigen detection (RAD) kits to detect SARS-CoV-2 B.1.617.

Factors Influencing Distribution of Coccidioides immitis in Soil, Washington State, 2016.

Coccidioides immitis and Coccidioides posadasii are causative agents of Valley fever, a serious fungal disease endemic to regions with hot, arid climate in the United States, Mexico, and Central and South America. The environmental niche of s spp. is not well defined, and it remains unknown whether these fungi are primarily associated with rodents or grow as saprotrophs in soil.

Rapid Assessment and Containment of Transmission in Postacute Care Settings-Orange County, California, 2019.

Background: , a multidrug-resistant yeast, can spread rapidly in ventilator-capable skilled-nursing facilities (vSNFs) and long-term acute care hospitals (LTACHs). In 2018, a laboratory serving LTACHs in southern California began identifying species of that were detected in urine specimens to enhance surveillance of , and was identified in February 2019 in a patient in an Orange County (OC), California, LTACH. Further investigation identified at 3 associated facilities.

Evaluation of automated antigen detection test for detection of SARS-CoV-2.

RT-PCR is the gold standard to detect SARS-CoV-2, however, its capacity is limited. We evaluated an automated antigen detection (AAD) test, Elecsys SARS-CoV-2 Antigen (Roche, Germany), for detecting SARS-CoV-2. We compared the limit of detection (LOD) between AAD test, rapid antigen detection (RAD) test; SARS-CoV-2 Rapid Antigen Test (SD Biosensor, Korea), and in-house RT-PCR test.

Clade distribution of in South Africa using whole genome sequencing of clinical and environmental isolates.

In South Africa, was the third most common cause of candidemia in 2016-2017. We performed single nucleotide polymorphism (SNP) genome-wide analysis of 115 isolates collected between 2009 and 2018 from national laboratory-based surveillance, an environmental survey at four hospitals and a colonization study during a neonatal unit outbreak. The first known South African strain from 2009 clustered in clade IV.