Bacterial contamination in public transport during COVID-19 pandemic: Characterization of an unusual Staphylococcus aureus isolate tolerant to vancomycin.

Public transport represents a potential site for the transmission of resistant pathogens due to the rapid movement of large numbers of people. This study aimed to investigate the bacterial contamination of frequently touched surfaces in the public transport system operating in the proximity of the biggest Czech hospital during the coronavirus pandemic despite extensive cleaning and disinfection efforts. In June and September 2020, samples from the metro trains, ground transport and stationary objects were collected, enriched and cultured.

Gene expression profile of intestinal organoids from people with cystic fibrosis upon exposure to elexacaftor/tezacaftor/ivacaftor.

The forskolin-induced swelling assay (FIS) in patient-derived intestinal organoids (PDIOs), used to determine in vitro responsiveness to elexacaftor/tezacaftor/ivacaftor (ETI), showed variability in swelling among PDIOs obtained from people with CF (pwCF) carrying the same F508del/F508del CFTR genotype. We aimed to characterise the effect of ETI on the transcriptional activity of PDIOs-derived cells to understand the intracellular processes triggered by ETI and the differences in treatment response. Six high- and six low-responding PDIOs to ETI, derived from F508del/F508del pwCF, were incubated with or without ETI for 2 to 6 h.

Standards for the care of people with cystic fibrosis (CF); Planning for a longer life.

This is the final of four papers updating standards for the care of people with CF. That this paper "Planning a longer life" was considered necessary, highlights how much CF care has progressed over the past decade. Several factors underpin this progress, notably increased numbers of people with CF with access to CFTR modulator therapy.

Considerations for the use of inhaled antibiotics for in people with cystic fibrosis receiving CFTR modulator therapy.

The major cause of mortality in people with cystic fibrosis (pwCF) is progressive lung disease characterised by acute and chronic infections, the accumulation of mucus, airway inflammation, structural damage and pulmonary exacerbations. The prevalence of rises rapidly in the teenage years, and this organism is the most common cause of chronic lung infection in adults with cystic fibrosis (CF). It is associated with an accelerated decline in lung function and premature death.

A rare case of postoperative Metamycoplasma hominis surgical site infection in a patient after bilateral lung transplantation.

Following the COVID-19 infection, the sternum dislocation and wound dehiscence resulted in an infection complicating the recovery of an immunosuppressed patient after bilateral lung transplantation. Anaerobic culture (96 h) of milky cloudy wound secretion resulted in the growth of pinpoint haemolytic colonies identified as Metamycoplasma hominis (formerly Mycoplasma hominis). The search for the endogenous source of the infection found the bacterium exclusively in the patient's sputum, making a possible link to donor lung M.

The Role and Value of Professional Rapid Testing of Acute Respiratory Infections (ARIs) in Europe: A Special Focus on the Czech Republic, Poland, and Romania.

This review aims to explore the role of professional diagnostic rapid testing of acute respiratory infections (ARIs), especially COVID-19 and influenza, ensuring proper disease management and treatment in Europe, and particularly in Czech Republic, Poland, and Romania. The paper was constructed based on a review of scientific evidence and national and international policies and recommendations, as well as a process of validation by four experts. The development of new testing technologies, treatment options, and increased awareness of the negative multidimensional impact of ARI profiles transformed differential diagnosis into a tangible and desirable reality.

Standards for the care of people with cystic fibrosis; establishing and maintaining health.

This is the second in a series of four papers updating the European Cystic Fibrosis Society (ECFS) standards for the care of people with CF. This paper focuses on establishing and maintaining health. The guidance is produced using an evidence-based framework and with wide stakeholder engagement, including people from the CF community.

Whole genomes from bacteria collected at diagnostic units around the world 2020.

The Two Weeks in the World research project has resulted in a dataset of 3087 clinically relevant bacterial genomes with pertaining metadata, collected from 59 diagnostic units in 35 countries around the world during 2020. A relational database is available with metadata and summary data from selected bioinformatic analysis, such as species prediction and identification of acquired resistance genes.

Direct 16S/18S rRNA Gene PCR Followed by Sanger Sequencing as a Clinical Diagnostic Tool for Detection of Bacterial and Fungal Infections: a Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis.

rRNA gene Sanger sequencing is being used for the identification of cultured pathogens. A new diagnostic approach is sequencing of uncultured samples by using the commercial DNA extraction and sequencing platform SepsiTest (ST). The goal was to analyze the clinical performance of ST with a focus on nongrowing pathogens and the impact on antibiotic therapy.

Epidemiology of Methicillin-Resistant Staphylococcus aureus in Slovakia, 2020 - Emergence of an Epidemic USA300 Clone in Community and Hospitals.

Methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA) is a leading cause of health care-associated infections. Additionally, over the decades, the spread of community-associated (CA-MRSA) clones has become a serious problem. The aim of this study was to gain data on the current epidemiology of MRSA in Slovakia.

Elexacaftor-tezacaftor-ivacaftor in patients with cystic fibrosis ineligible for clinical trials: a 24-week observational study.

Seminal clinical trials with the triple combination of elexacaftor-tezacaftor-ivacaftor (ETI) demonstrated clinical efficacy in people with cystic fibrosis (pwCF) who carry at least one F508del mutation. However, due to exclusion criteria of these clinical trials, the effect of ETI was not studied in a substantial number of pwCF. Thus, we ran a single center trial to evaluate a clinical efficacy of ETI treatment in adult pwCF who were ineligible for enrollment in registration studies.

Clostridioides difficile infections were predominantly driven by fluoroquinolone-resistant Clostridioides difficile ribotypes 176 and 001 in Slovakia in 2018-2019.

Aim: To investigate the epidemiology of Clostridioides difficile infection (CDI) in Slovakian hospitals after the emergence of ribotype 176 (027-like) in 2016.

Methods: Between 2018 and 2019, European Centre for Disease Control and Prevention CDI surveillance protocol v2.3 was applied to 14 hospitals, with additional data collected on recent antimicrobial use and the characterization of C.

Pulmonary tularaemia in a female adolescent with inflammatory bowel disease receiving infliximab: Do not miss the diagnosis.

We report the first described case of pulmonary tularaemia in the pediatric patient receiving infliximab for ulcerative colitis. We highlight the importance of considering Francisella tularensis in diagnostically challenging cases of persistent respiratory symptoms to facilitate early diagnosis and adequate therapy. The TCR-γδ DN T cells are gaining important role in clinical practice.

Clinical outcomes associated with Achromobacter species infection in people with cystic fibrosis.

Background: Achromobacter species are emerging pathogens isolated from respiratory samples of Patients with cystic fibrosis (pwCF) causing growing concerns in the CF community. The epidemiology and the clinical impact of Achromobacter in CF is unclear since data are restricted to small case control studies or selected populations.

Aim: To characterize the effect of Achromobacter respiratory infection on CF lung disease.

New concepts in antimicrobial resistance in cystic fibrosis respiratory infections.

In this review, we summarize the main points that were raised and highlighted during the pre-conference meeting to the 17 European Cystic Fibrosis Society Basic Science Conference, held from 30 March to 2 April, 2022 in Albufeira, Portugal. Keynote lectures provided an update on the latest information regarding the phenomenon of antimicrobial resistance (AMR) in cystic fibrosis (CF). Traditional themes such as in vitro antibiotic susceptibility testing and its clinical value, AMR evolution in persistent Pseudomonas aeruginosa infection and the impact of biofilm on AMR were discussed.

The evaluation of an automated mariPOC SARS-CoV-2 antigen test compared to RT-qPCR SARS-CoV-2 assay and comparison of its sensitivity in Delta- and Omicron-variant samples.

Background: The rapid diagnostics tests for SARS-CoV-2 antigen vary in their sensitivities, and moreover, genomic mutations may further affect the performance of the assays. We aimed to evaluate the analytical performance of an automated antigen assay and compare its sensitivity in Delta- and Omicron-variant positive clinical samples.

Material And Methods: The analytical performance of an automated mariPOC SARS-CoV-2 antigen test was evaluated on a population of community-dwelling subjects with mild respiratory symptoms or being asymptomatic investigated by the RT-qPCR Allplex™ SARS-CoV-2 assay.

Quality of MALDI-TOF mass spectra in routine diagnostics: results from an international external quality assessment including 36 laboratories from 12 countries using 47 challenging bacterial strains.

Objectives: Matrix assisted laser desorption ionization-time of flight (MALDI-TOF) mass spectrometry (MS) is a widely used method for bacterial species identification. Incomplete databases and mass spectral quality (MSQ) still represent major challenges. Important proxies for MSQ are the number of detected marker masses, reproducibility, and measurement precision.

Factors for severe outcomes following SARS-CoV-2 infection in people with cystic fibrosis in Europe.

Background: Severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) infection in people with cystic fibrosis (pwCF) can lead to severe outcomes.

Methods: In this observational study, the European Cystic Fibrosis Society Patient Registry collected data on pwCF and SARS-CoV-2 infection to estimate incidence, describe clinical presentation and investigate factors associated with severe outcomes using multivariable analysis.

Results: Up to December 31, 2020, 26 countries reported information on 828 pwCF and SARS-CoV-2 infection.