The importance of microbiology reference laboratories and adequate funding for infectious disease surveillance.

Microbiology reference laboratories perform a crucial role within public health systems. This role was especially evident during the COVID-19 pandemic. In this Viewpoint, we emphasise the importance of microbiology reference laboratories and highlight the types of digital data and expertise they provide, which benefit national and international public health.

The two-component system ArlRS is essential for wall teichoic acid glycoswitching in .

is among the leading causes of hospital-acquired infections. Critical to biology and pathogenesis are the cell wall-anchored glycopolymers wall teichoic acids (WTA). Approximately one-third of isolates decorates WTA with a mixture of α1,4- and β1,4--acetylglucosamine (GlcNAc), which requires the dedicated glycosyltransferases TarM and TarS, respectively.

Glycan-specific IgM is critical for human immunity to Staphylococcus aureus.

Staphylococcus aureus is a major human pathogen, yet the immune factors that protect against infection remain elusive. High titers of opsonic IgG antibodies, achieved in preclinical animal immunization studies, have consistently failed to provide protection in humans. Here, we investigate antibody responses to the conserved S.

Nationwide upsurge in invasive disease in the context of longitudinal surveillance of carriage and invasive 2009-2023, the Netherlands: a molecular epidemiological study.

Since 2022, many countries have reported an upsurge in invasive group A streptococcal (iGAS) infections. We explored whether changes in carriage rates or emergence of strains with potentially altered virulence, such as 1 variants M1 and M1, contributed to the 2022/2023 surge in the Netherlands. We determined (sub)type distribution for 2,698 invasive and 351 .

Cost of Illness Analysis of Invasive Meningococcal Disease Caused by Neisseria Meningitidis Serogroup B in the Netherlands-a Holistic Approach.

Introduction: Invasive meningococcal disease (IMD) caused by Neisseria meningitidis is a rapidly progressing, rare disease that often presents as meningitis or sepsis. It mostly affects infants and adolescents, with high fatality rates or long-term sequelae. In the Netherlands, serogroup B (MenB) is most prevalent.

A multicenter evaluation of the QIAstat-Dx meningitis-encephalitis syndromic test kit as compared to the conventional diagnostic microbiology workflow.

Purpose: Rapid diagnosis and treatment of infectious meningitis and encephalitis (ME) is critical to minimize morbidity and mortality. Recently, Qiagen introduced the CE-IVD QIAstat-Dx ME panel (QS-ME) for syndromic diagnostic testing of meningitis and encephalitis. Some data on the performance of the QS-ME in comparison to the BioFire FilmArray ME panel are available.

Recurrent bacterial meningitis in children in the Netherlands: a nationwide surveillance study.

Objectives: This study aimed to estimate the recurrence rate of culture-positive bacterial meningitis in children in the Netherlands.

Design: Nationwide surveillance study, using the database of the Netherlands Reference Laboratory for Bacterial Meningitis to identify patients with culture-positive bacterial meningitis during childhood.

Setting: The study was based in the Netherlands.

The Group A Streptococcal Vaccine Candidate VAX-A1 Protects against Group B Infection via Cross-Reactive IgG Targeting Virulence Factor C5a Peptidase.

Group B ( or GBS) is the leading infectious cause of neonatal mortality, causing roughly 150,000 infant deaths and stillbirths annually across the globe. Approximately 20% of pregnant women are asymptomatically colonized by GBS, which is a major risk factor for severe fetal and neonatal infections as well as preterm birth, low birth weight, and neurodevelopmental abnormalities. Current clinical interventions for GBS infection are limited to antibiotics, and no vaccine is available.

Novel 4 lineage associated with an upsurge in invasive group A streptococcal disease in the Netherlands, 2022.

Invasive group A streptococcal (iGAS) disease cases increased in the first half of 2022 in the Netherlands, with a remarkably high proportion of 4 isolates. Whole-genome sequence analysis of 66 4 isolates, 40 isolates from the pre-coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic period 2009-2019 and 26 contemporary isolates from 2022, identified a novel lineage (M4), which accounted for 85 % of 4 iGAS cases in 2022. Surprisingly, we detected few isolates of the 4 hypervirulent clone, which has replaced nearly all other 4 in the USA and the UK.

Epidemiology, clinical features and outcome of adults with meningococcal meningitis: a 15-year prospective nationwide cohort study.

Background: We describe the epidemiology, clinical features and outcome of adult meningococcal meningitis in the Netherlands over a 15-year period.

Methods: We studied adults (age ≥ 16 years) who were listed by the Netherlands Reference Laboratory for Bacterial Meningitis and/or included in the prospective nationwide cohort study (MeninGene) between January 2006 and July 2021. Incidences were calculated per epidemiological year (July-June).

Human CEACAM1 is targeted by a Streptococcus pyogenes adhesin implicated in puerperal sepsis pathogenesis.

Life-threatening bacterial infections in women after childbirth, known as puerperal sepsis, resulted in classical epidemics and remain a global health problem. While outbreaks of puerperal sepsis have been ascribed to Streptococcus pyogenes, little is known about disease mechanisms. Here, we show that the bacterial R28 protein, which is epidemiologically associated with outbreaks of puerperal sepsis, specifically targets the human receptor CEACAM1.

The burden of invasive meningococcal disease in the Netherlands, 2011-2020.

Introduction: Representative information on disease course and outcome of invasive meningococcal disease (IMD) is important because of the shift in meningococcal epidemiology that recently occurred in the Netherlands. With this study, we update earlier research on the burden of IMD in the Netherlands.

Material And Methods: We performed a retrospective study using Dutch surveillance data on IMD from July 2011 to May 2020.

Neisseria meningitidis Sibling Small Regulatory RNAs Connect Metabolism with Colonization by Controlling Propionate Use.

Neisseria meningitidis (meningococcus) colonizes the human nasopharynx, primarily as a commensal, but sporadically causing septicemia and meningitis. During colonization and invasion, it encounters different niches with specific nutrient compositions. Small noncoding RNAs (sRNAs) are used to fine-tune expression of genes, allowing adaptation to their physiological differences.