Complete Genome Sequence of West Nile Virus (WNV) from the First Human Case of Neuroinvasive WNV Infection in Cyprus.

We report here the complete genome sequence of a West Nile virus (WNV) strain from the first laboratory-confirmed human case of neuroinvasive WNV infection in Cyprus. Phylogenetic analysis showed that this WNV strain grouped clearly into genetic lineage 1, clade 1a, cluster 2.

The first human case of neuroinvasive West Nile virus infection identified in Cyprus.

West Nile virus infection can pose a diagnostic challenge to clinicians, especially in geographic areas where human cases of this disease have never been encountered before. In August 2016, the first human case of West Nile virus infection was diagnosed in Cyprus. An elderly non immunosuppressed patient with a history of recent travel, presented with a clinical picture of rapidly progressing ascending paralysis mimicking Guillain-Barré syndrome.

Antimicrobial resistance: action to combat the rising microbial challenges.

Antimicrobial therapy transformed medical practice from a merely diagnosis-focused approach 80 years ago to a treatment-focused approach, saving millions of lives in the years to follow. Today, numerous medical advances made possible by effective antibiotics are being threatened by the relentlessly rising rates of bacteria resistant to all currently available antibiotics. This phenomenon is a consequence of antibiotic misuse, which exerts undue selective pressure on micro-organisms, combined with defective infection control practices that accelerate their spread.

Rules for identifying patients at increased risk for candidal infections in the surgical intensive care unit: approach to developing practical criteria for systematic use in antifungal prophylaxis trials.

The high rates of invasive candidiasis among intensive care unit (ICU) patients suggest that antifungal prophylaxis might be of value, but rules identifying patients who would best benefit are not established. Based on a retrospective study of 327 patients who stayed in a surgical ICU for > or = 4 days and had an 11.0% rate of invasive candidiasis, we sought to identify useful predictive rules.

Peritonitis due to Aspergillus and zygomycetes in patients undergoing peritoneal dialysis: report of 2 cases and review of the literature.

Fungal peritonitis in patients on continuous ambulatory peritoneal dialysis (CAPD) has been associated with high mortality and high CAPD-discontinuation rates. Most cases are due to Candida spp. while Aspergillus spp.

In vitro activities of investigational triazoles against Fusarium species: effects of inoculum size and incubation time on broth microdilution susceptibility test results.

We studied the effects of inoculum size and incubation time on the susceptibility testing results for various antifungal agents against 22 Fusarium isolates by the NCCLS microdilution method. Increased inoculum size and extended incubation time resulted in elevated MICs. Posaconazole and voriconazole exhibited promising antifungal activities.

Solitary parietal lobe histoplasmoma mimicking a brain tumor.

We describe a rare case of Histoplasma infection, which manifested only as a brain histoplasmoma, in a previously healthy woman who had no underlying predisposing conditions. Only a few cases of such intracranial histoplasmomas have been reported but this entity can mimic a brain neoplasm and should be a diagnostic consideration during the evaluation of ring-enhancing brain lesions.

In vitro antifungal susceptibilities of Trichosporon species.

The in vitro activities of amphotericin B, itraconazole, fluconazole, voriconazole, posaconazole, and ravuconazole against 39 isolates of Trichosporon spp. were determined by the NCCLS M27-A microdilution method. The azoles tested appeared to be more potent than amphotericin B.