[Evaluation of susceptibility and response to therapy with piperacillin-tazobactam in patients with infections caused by Escherichia coli with extended-spectrum β-lactamase (ESBL) CTX-M].

Background: Carbapenems are the preferred β-lactamics for treatment for infections caused by enterobacteria producing extended-spectrum β-lactamases (ESBL); however, clinical studies show effectiveness of piperacillin/tazobactam in certain infections by Escherichia coli ESBL producers.

Aim: To determine the clinical and micro-biological cure with piperacillin/tazobactam in patients with infections caused by E. coli ESBL producers, CTXM type.

Association of vitamin D deficiency, season of the year, and latent tuberculosis infection among household contacts.

Objectives: Vitamin D (VD) enhances the immune response against Mycobacterium tuberculosis in vitro, and VD deficiency has been described in patients with active tuberculosis (TB). However, the role of hypovitaminosis D in the pathogenesis of early TB infection acquisition is unclear. We aimed to evaluate the association of VD deficiency, season of the year, and latent TB infection in household contacts (HHC), given that this is a potentially modifiable condition often related to nutritional deficiencies and lack of sun exposure.

[Evaluation of an automated streaking system of urine samples for urine cultures].

Introduction: Automated systems have simplified laboratory workflow, improved standardization, traceability and diminished human errors and workload. Although microbiology laboratories have little automation, in recent years new tools for automating pre analytical steps have appeared.

Objectives: To assess the performance of an automated streaking machine for urine cultures and its agreement with the conventional manual plating method for semi quantitative colony counts.

A first insight on the population structure of Mycobacterium tuberculosis complex as studied by spoligotyping and MIRU-VNTRs in Santiago, Chile.

Tuberculosis (TB) remains a significant public health problem worldwide, but the ecology of the prevalent mycobacterial strains, and their transmission, can vary depending on country and region. Chile is a country with low incidence of TB, that has a geographically isolated location in relation to the rest of South American countries due to the Andes Mountains, but recent migration from neighboring countries has changed this situation. We aimed to assess the genotypic diversity of Mycobacterium tuberculosis complex (MTBC) strains in Santiago, Chile, and compare with reports from other Latin-American countries.

[Presence of Bejing genotype among Mycobacterium tuberculosis strains in two centres of the Region Metropolitana of Chile].

Background: Genotyping of Mycobacterium tuberculosis complex (cMtb) allows us to know geographically predominant lineages. Some lineages spread more rapidly and are associated with multidrug resistance, particularly Beijing, which has been reported in Latin America (Peru). There is little information about this topic in Chile and there are no reports of the presence of the Beijing genotype.