Invasive Group B Streptococcus Infections Caused by Hypervirulent Clone of S. agalactiae Sequence Type 283, Hong Kong, China, 2021.

During September-October 2021, group B Streptococcus bloodstream infections surged among patients hospitalized in Hong Kong. Of 95 cases, 57 were caused by the hypervirulent strain sequence type 283, which at the time was also found in freshwater fish and wet market environments and thus poses a transmission threat.

An outbreak of complex exit site infection among peritoneal dialysis patients caused by contaminated spray dressing.

Background: Wound dressing is intended to provide a physical barrier from microorganisms. Spray dressing is convenient and can be applied to wounds of various contours. In July 2020, a cluster of four complex (BCC) exit site infections was identified among peritoneal dialysis patients in a regional hospital in Hong Kong.

Territorywide Study of Early Coronavirus Disease Outbreak, Hong Kong, China.

Initial cases of coronavirus disease in Hong Kong were imported from mainland China. A dramatic increase in case numbers was seen in February 2020. Most case-patients had no recent travel history, suggesting the presence of transmission chains in the local community.

Bacterial co-infections and antibiotic prescribing practice in adults with COVID-19: experience from a single hospital cluster.

Background: Coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19), caused by the severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2), has affected millions of individuals since December 2019, resulting in significant morbidity and mortality globally. During the 1918 Influenza Pandemic, it was observed that influenza was associated with bacterial co-infections. However, empirical or prophylactic antibiotic use during viral pandemics should be balanced against the associated adverse drug events.

Detection of SARS-CoV-2 in conjunctival secretions from patients without ocular symptoms.

Purpose: To evaluate the presence of severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) in conjunctival secretions from patients without ocular symptoms.

Methods: Conjunctival swabs were prospectively collected from laboratory-confirmed Coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) patients without ocular symptoms for reverse transcription-polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR) and viral culture.

Results: A total of 158 conjunctival swabs were obtained from 49 laboratory-confirmed COVID-19 patients.

COVID-19 Viral Load in the Severity of and Recovery From Olfactory and Gustatory Dysfunction.

Objectives/hypothesis: This study investigated olfactory and gustatory dysfunction in the 2020 novel coronavirus disease (COVID-19) patients, and their correlations with viral load evaluation.

Study Design: Prospective cross-sectional cohort study.

Methods: One hundred forty-three symptomatic patients being screened for severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) were invited to participate.

Evaluation of the commercially available LightMix® Modular E-gene kit using clinical and proficiency testing specimens for SARS-CoV-2 detection.

Background: Rapid and sensitive diagnostic assays for SARS-CoV-2 detection are required for prompt patient management and infection control. The analytical and clinical performances of LightMix® Modular SARS and Wuhan CoV E-gene kit, a widely used commercial assay for SARS-CoV-2 detection, have not been well studied.

Objective: To evaluate the performance characteristics of the LightMix® E-gene kit in comparison with well-validated in-house developed COVID-19 RT-PCR assays.

Stepping up infection control measures in ophthalmology during the novel coronavirus outbreak: an experience from Hong Kong.

Purpose: Coronavirus disease (COVID-19) has rapidly emerged as a global health threat. The purpose of this article is to share our local experience of stepping up infection control measures in ophthalmology to minimise COVID-19 infection of both healthcare workers and patients.

Methods: Infection control measures implemented in our ophthalmology clinic are discussed.

Improved detection of Zika virus RNA in human and animal specimens by a novel, highly sensitive and specific real-time RT-PCR assay targeting the 5'-untranslated region of Zika virus.

Objective And Method: We developed and evaluated five novel real-time RT-PCR assays targeting conserved regions in the 5'-untranslated region (5'-UTR), envelope (E'), non-structural protein 2A (NS2A), NS5 and 3'-UTR of the ZIKV genome.

Results: The ZIKV-5'-UTR assay exhibited the lowest in vitro limit of detection (5-10 RNA copies/reaction and 3.0 × 10 plaque-forming units/ml).

Elizabethkingia anophelis bacteremia is associated with clinically significant infections and high mortality.

Unlike Elizabethkingia meningoseptica, the clinical importance of E. anophelis is poorly understood. We determined the clinical and molecular epidemiology of bacteremia caused by Elizabethkingia-like species from five regional hospitals in Hong Kong.

Development of Conventional and Real-Time Quantitative PCR Assays for Diagnosis and Monitoring of Scabies.

Scabies remains the most prevalent, endemic, and neglected ectoparasitic infestation globally and can cause institutional outbreaks. The sensitivity of routine microscopy for demonstration of Sarcoptes scabiei mites or eggs in skin scrapings is only about 50%. Except for three studies using conventional or two-tube nested PCR on a small number of cases, no systematic study has been performed to improve the laboratory diagnosis of this important infection.

Molecular diagnosis in clinical parasitology: when and why?

Microscopic detection and morphological identification of parasites from clinical specimens are the gold standards for the laboratory diagnosis of parasitic infections. The limitations of such diagnostic assays include insufficient sensitivity and operator dependence. Immunoassays for parasitic antigens are not available for most parasitic infections and have not significantly improved the sensitivity of laboratory detection.

Surfactant protein B gene polymorphism is associated with severe influenza.

Background: Surfactant proteins play a key role in alveolar stability. We examined whether single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) related to the surfactant protein genes are associated with severe influenza.

Methods: In the first cohort, 12 SNPs related to surfactant protein genes were compared between Chinese patients with severe and mild pandemic 2009 influenza A(H1N1) (A[H1N1]pdm09) infection who were matched for age, sex, and underlying risk conditions.

Molecular characterization of a catalase-negative Staphylococcus aureus subsp. aureus Strain collected from a patient with mitral valve endocarditis and pericarditis revealed a novel nonsense mutation in the katA gene.

We report a case of endocarditis and pericarditis caused by catalase-negative Staphylococcus aureus. Molecular characterization revealed a novel nonsense mutation in the katA gene, leading to a loss of 238 amino acids (47% of the wild-type catalase protein), including the heme-binding site, NADPH-binding region, and Tyr-337, essential for catalysis.