Publications by authors named "Petr Hamal"

Article Synopsis
  • The study aimed to evaluate the distribution of Candida species and their antifungal resistance in cases of candidaemia across Europe, analyzing data collected from 41 centers in 17 countries between 2018 and 2022.
  • The most common isolates identified were C. albicans, C. glabrata, and C. parapsilosis, with notable geographical variations in their prevalence and antifungal resistance patterns.
  • Resistance to fluconazole was observed in certain species, particularly C. glabrata and C. parapsilosis, with rare cases of echinocandin resistance found, including specific genetic mutations in resistant isolates.
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Background: The European Confederation of Medical Mycology (ECMM) collected data on epidemiology, risk factors, treatment, and outcomes of patients with culture-proven candidaemia across Europe to assess how adherence to guideline recommendations is associated with outcomes.

Methods: In this observational cohort study, 64 participating hospitals located in 20 European countries, with the number of eligible hospitals per country determined by population size, included the first ten consecutive adults with culture-proven candidaemia after July 1, 2018, and entered data into the ECMM Candida Registry (FungiScope CandiReg). We assessed ECMM Quality of Clinical Candidaemia Management (EQUAL Candida) scores reflecting adherence to recommendations of the European Society of Clinical Microbiology and Infectious Diseases and the Infectious Diseases Society of America guidelines.

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New biomarker panel was developed and validated on 165 critically ill adult patients to enable a more accurate invasive candidiasis (IC) diagnosis. Serum levels of the panfungal biomarker (1,3)-β-D-glucan (BDG) and the inflammatory biomarkers C-reactive protein, presepsin (PSEP), and procalcitonin (PCT) were correlated with culture-confirmed candidemia or bacteremia in 58 and 107 patients, respectively. The diagnostic utility was evaluated in sensitivity, specificity, positive predictive value (PPV), and negative predictive value (NPV).

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This draft of guidelines for the laboratory diagnosis of dermatomycoses was developed based on discussion among members of the Czech Society for Medical Microbiology Working Group on Mycology. The document Guidelines for the Laboratory Diagnosis of Dermatomycoses was published for discussion on the Czech Society for Medical Microbiology website on 23 March 2020. Until recently, recommendations concerning this area of laboratory diagnosis in mycology were only limited to information in manuals and no comprehensive and systematic document concerning these issues was available.

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Article Synopsis
  • A zoophilic dermatophyte, typically known for causing rodent favus, has been associated with human infections from 2016 to 2020, particularly in the Olomouc region, which indicates a potential local outbreak.
  • Most human cases of infection were linked to contact with infected cats or dogs, highlighting the importance of direct animal-to-animal transmission.
  • Antifungal susceptibility testing revealed that terbinafine, amorolfine, ciclopirox, and efinaconazole were the most effective treatments, while fluconazole and ketoconazole showed reduced effectiveness.
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Identification of filamentous fungi based on morphological features is the most available approach used in clinical mycology laboratories. However, MALDI-TOF mass spectrometry is currently invaluable for identification of microorganisms because of its rapidity, simplicity, and accuracy. This study aimed to find the optimal way of identifying filamentous fungi using MALDI-TOF MS.

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With increasing numbers of patients needing intensive care or who are immunosuppressed, infections caused by moulds other than Aspergillus spp or Mucorales are increasing. Although antifungal prophylaxis has shown effectiveness in preventing many invasive fungal infections, selective pressure has caused an increase of breakthrough infections caused by Fusarium, Lomentospora, and Scedosporium species, as well as by dematiaceous moulds, Rasamsonia, Schizophyllum, Scopulariopsis, Paecilomyces, Penicillium, Talaromyces and Purpureocillium species. Guidance on the complex multidisciplinary management of infections caused by these pathogens has the potential to improve prognosis.

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Invasive candidiasis remains one of the most prevalent systemic mycoses, and several studies have documented the presence of mixed yeast (MY) infections. Here, we describe the epidemiology, clinical, and microbiological characteristics of MY infections causing invasive candidiasis in a multicenter prospective study. Thirty-four centers from 14 countries participated.

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Onychomycosis is one of the most common nail disorders. Its current treatment is not satisfactorily effective and often causes adverse side effects. This study aims to determine the optimal conditions for non-thermal plasma (NTP) inactivation of the most common dermatophytes in vitro and to apply it in patient`s therapy.

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Objectives: Terbinafine resistance is increasingly reported in Trichophyton, rendering susceptibility testing particularly important in non-responding cases. We performed a multicentre evaluation of six EUCAST-based methods.

Methods: Ten laboratories susceptibility tested terbinafine, itraconazole, voriconazole and amorolfine against a blinded panel of 38 terbinafine WT and target gene mutant isolates.

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Pythiosis is a harmful disease caused by Pythium insidiosum, an aquatic oomycete. Therapeutic protocols based on antifungal drugs are often ineffective because the cytoplasmic membrane of P. insidiosum does not contain ergosterol.

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Background: Recent outbreaks of Candida auris further exemplify that invasive Candida infections are a substantial threat to patients and healthcare systems. Even short treatment delays are associated with higher mortality rates. Epidemiological shifts towards more resistant Candida spp.

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Invasive mold infections associated with species are a significant cause of mortality in immunocompromised patients. The most frequently occurring aetiological pathogens are members of the section followed by members of the section . The frequency of and related (cryptic) species in clinical specimens, as well as the percentage of azole-resistant strains remains to be studied.

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Cryptic species of , including the species complex, are increasingly reported to be causes of invasive aspergillosis. Their identification is clinically relevant, as these species frequently have intrinsic resistance to common antifungals. We evaluated the susceptibilities of 90 environmental and clinical isolates from the species complex, identified by DNA sequencing of the calmodulin gene, to seven antifungals (voriconazole, posaconazole, itraconazole, amphotericin B, anidulafungin, micafungin, and caspofungin) using the reference European Committee on Antimicrobial Susceptibility Testing (EUCAST) method.

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Background And Objective: Luteal phase physiology is distorted by in vitro fertilization (IVF) cycles using gonadotropin-releasing hormone (GnRH) agonists and antagonists, Controlled ovarian hyperstimulation leads to luteal phase defect and for this reason, luteal phase support is now an integral part of IVF/ICSI-ET programs. The support is provided by hCG, progesterone or GnRH-a. This study compared the efficiency, safety and tolerance of two vaginal micronized progesterones, Utrogestan and Crinone 8%.

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We report a case of phaeohyphomycosis caused by Alternaria infectoria in a 61-year-old heart transplant recipient with multiple skin lesions and pulmonary infiltrates. The infection spread via the haematogenous route from the primary cutaneous lesions into the lungs. The diagnosis was based on the histopathological examination, direct microscopy, skin lesion cultures and detection of Alternaria DNA in the bronchoalveolar lavage fluid using molecular methods.

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Aim: The aim of the study was to control the microbial contamination of indoor air monitored monthly at the Transplant Unit of the University Hospital Olomouc from August 2010 to July 2011.

Methods: The unit is equipped with a three-stage air filtration system with HEPA filters. The MAS-100 air sampler (Merck, GER) was used.

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A wide array of PCR tests has been developed to aid the diagnosis of invasive aspergillosis (IA), providing technical diversity but limiting standardisation and acceptance. Methodological recommendations for testing blood samples using PCR exist, based on achieving optimal assay sensitivity to help exclude IA. Conversely, when testing more invasive samples (BAL, biopsy, CSF) emphasis is placed on confirming disease, so analytical specificity is paramount.

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Vulvovaginal candidiasis is the second most common vaginal infection after bacterial vaginosis. It is caused by yeasts, the vast majority of which belong to the genus Candida. Vulvovaginal candidiasis affects as many as 75 % of women during their childbearing years and 40 % of them experience recurrences.

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A case report of cutaneous mucormycosis and obstacles to early diagnosis is presented. A 38-year-old male was involved in a car accident that led to amputation of both lower limbs. Subsequently, he developed fungal wound infection of the left lower limb stump.

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Pythiosis is a rare infectious disease caused by Pythium insidiosum, which typically occurs in tropical and subtropical regions. The high mortality rate may be in consequence of the lack of diagnosis. The objective of this study was to evaluate reliability of a new single-tube nested PCR for detection of P.

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Background: Mucormycosis is an invasive fungal disease severely complicating treatment of patients with hematologic diseases. Effective therapy is represented by the combination of surgery and amphotericin B administration and early initiation of the therapy is necessary for favorable outcome. The first clinical symptoms are usually non-specific and this can lead to late therapy onset.

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Aims: Screening of bacterial flora for strains producing metabolites with inhibitory effects on the human pathogenic oomycete Pythium insidiosum. Separation and characterization of extracts from Pseudomonas stutzeri with anti-Pythium inhibitory activity. Search for genes with anti-Pythium effect within the genome of P.

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