Publications by authors named "Petar Velikov"
Background: Mixed infections can worsen disease symptoms. This study investigated the impact of mixed infections with viral and bacterial pathogens in patients positive for severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2).
Methods: Using the in-house multiplex PCR method, we tested 337 SARS-CoV-2 positive samples for co-infections with three bacterial and 14 other viral pathogens.
Anti-SARS-CoV-2 vaccination has saved millions of lives in the past few years. To maintain a high level of protection, particularly in at-risk populations, booster doses are recommended to counter the waning of circulating antibody levels over time and the continuous emergence of immune escape variants of concern (VOCs). As anti-spike serology is now widely available, it may be considered a useful tool to identify individuals needing an additional vaccine dose, i.
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- Respiratory syncytial virus (RSV) is a significant cause of respiratory infections, and a study in Bulgaria aimed to assess its prevalence and genetic diversity alongside other viruses from 2020 to 2023.
- Out of 3,047 patients with respiratory issues, 59.5% tested positive for viral pathogens, with RSV being the second most common at 10.9%, especially affecting children under 5 years old.
- The research found a marked increase in RSV cases in the 2022-2023 season, with specific genetic strains identified, indicating a resurgence post-COVID-19 restrictions.
A 3-month-old female infant with meningo-encephalitis caused by Paratyphi B var. Java is described. The aetiological agent was confirmed in six CSF samples; however, none of the blood or faecal samples was positive for the same pathogen.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFObjectives: The emergence of SARS-CoV-2 variants raised questions about the extent to which vaccines designed in 2020 have remained effective. We aimed to assess whether vaccine status was associated with the severity of Omicron SARS-CoV-2 infection in hospitalized patients.
Methods: We conducted an international, multi-centric, retrospective study in 14 centres (Bulgaria, Croatia, France, and Turkey).
During the first half of 2022, the World Health Organization reported an outbreak of acute severe hepatitis of unknown aetiology (AS-Hep-UA) in children, following initial alerts from the United Kingdom (UK) where a cluster of cases was first observed in previously well children aged <6 years. Sporadic cases were then reported across Europe and worldwide, although in most countries incidence did not increase above the expected baseline. There were no consistent epidemiological links between cases, and microbiological investigations ruled out known infectious causes of hepatitis.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFBackground: The coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic has demonstrated the value of highly skilled and extensively trained specialists in clinical microbiology (CM) and infectious diseases (ID). Training curricula in CM and ID must constantly evolve to prepare trainees for future pandemics and to allow trainees to reach their full clinical and academic potential.
Objectives: In this narrative review, we aim to outline necessary future adaptations in CM and ID training curricula and identify current structural barriers in training with the aim of discussing possibilities to address these shortcomings.
Unlabelled: In December 2019, a new Coronavirus (SARS-CoV-2) emerged in China, causing the pandemic disease COVID-19. The clinical presentation is variable, but the predominant symptoms are those of the upper respiratory tract.
Aim: The aim of the current study is to describe the incidence and type of the gastrointestinal injury (GI) in COVID-19, as well as their prognostic value.