High rate of macrolide resistance and closely genetically related complex strains identified among both cystic fibrosis and non-cystic fibrosis patients within two countries.

Unlabelled: is an emerging opportunistic pathogen affecting patients with chronic lung diseases, primarily cystic fibrosis (CF), or those under immunosuppression. Hence, investigations into the epidemiology and transmission of and accurate antibiotic susceptibility data are essential for the effective treatment of infections caused by this pathogen. This retrospective nationwide study included all clinical isolates ( = 59) from 29 patients diagnosed in the Czech Republic and Slovakia between 2018 and 2023.

Exploring cytokine dynamics in tuberculosis: A comparative analysis of patients and controls with insights from three-week antituberculosis intervention.

Despite developing new diagnostics, drugs, and vaccines, treating tuberculosis (TB) remains challenging. Monitoring inflammatory markers can contribute to more precise diagnostics of TB, identifying its active and latent forms, or monitoring its treatment success. We assessed alterations in plasma levels of 48 cytokines in 20 patients (17 males) with active pulmonary TB compared to age-matched healthy controls (n = 18).

Adherence to application technique of inhaled corticosteroid in patients with asthma and COVID-19 improves outcomes.

Background: Inhaled corticosteroids have been widely reported as a preventive measure against the development of severe forms of COVID-19 not only in patients with asthma.

Methods: In 654 Czech and Slovak patients with asthma who developed COVID-19, we investigated whether the correct use of inhaler containing corticosteroids was associated with a less severe course of COVID-19 and whether this had an impact on the need for hospitalisation, measurable lung functions and quality of life (QoL).

Results: Of the studied cohort 51.

Tuberculosis in Ukrainian War Refugees and Migrants in the Czech Republic and Slovakia: A Molecular Epidemiological Study.

Background: The war in Ukraine has led to significant migration to neighboring countries, raising public health concerns. Notable tuberculosis (TB) incidence rates in Ukraine emphasize the immediate requirement to prioritize approaches that interrupt the spread and prevent new infections.

Methods: We conducted a prospective genomic surveillance study to assess migration's impact on TB epidemiology in the Czech Republic and Slovakia.

Advancing tuberculosis management: the role of predictive, preventive, and personalized medicine.

Tuberculosis is a major global health issue, with approximately 10 million people falling ill and 1.4 million dying yearly. One of the most significant challenges to public health is the emergence of drug-resistant tuberculosis.

Tuberculosis incidence in foreign-born people residing in European countries in 2020.

BackgroundEuropean-specific policies for tuberculosis (TB) elimination require identification of key populations that benefit from TB screening.AimWe aimed to identify groups of foreign-born individuals residing in European countries that benefit most from targeted TB prevention screening.MethodsThe Tuberculosis Network European Trials group collected, by cross-sectional survey, numbers of foreign-born TB patients residing in European Union (EU) countries, Iceland, Norway, Switzerland and the United Kingdom (UK) in 2020 from the 10 highest ranked countries of origin in terms of TB cases in each country of residence.

Resistance patterns and transmission of mono- and polyresistant TB: clinical impact of WGS.

Objectives: Rapidly diagnosing drug-resistant TB is crucial for improving treatment and transmission control. WGS is becoming increasingly accessible and has added value to the diagnosis and treatment of TB. The aim of the study was to perform WGS to determine the rate of false-positive results of phenotypic drug susceptibility testing (pDST) and characterize the molecular mechanisms of resistance and transmission of mono- and polyresistant .

Vaccination in post-tuberculosis lung disease management: A review of the evidence.

Introduction And Objectives: Post-tuberculosis lung disease (PTLD), as other chronic respiratory disorders, may have infectious complications; some of them can be prevented with vaccinations. So far, no document has discussed the potential role of vaccination in PTLD. Therefore, the objective of this review was to describe vaccination recommendations to prevent infections potentially capable of complicating PTLD.

Clinical standards for the management of adverse effects during treatment for TB.

Adverse effects (AE) to TB treatment cause morbidity, mortality and treatment interruption. The aim of these clinical standards is to encourage best practise for the diagnosis and management of AE. 65/81 invited experts participated in a Delphi process using a 5-point Likert scale to score draft standards.

Epidemiology of non-tuberculous mycobacterial diseases in Slovakia during the years 2016-2021.

Nontuberculous mycobacteria (NTM) are opportunistic human pathogens found worldwide, primarily in the environment. They predominantly affect the lungs, especially in individuals with compromised immune systems. Recent studies suggest an increasing incidence of NTM disease; however, their actual clinical impact in Slovakia remains uncertain.

A systematic review of the costs of diagnosis for multidrug-resistant/extensively drug-resistant TB in different settings.

We performed an analysis of the cost and relative merits of different strategies for the diagnosis of multidrug-resistant/extensively drug-resistant TB (MDR/XDR-TB) in different settings. We systematically reviewed the published evidence on cost/cost-effectiveness of rapid MDR/pre-XDR-TB and other methods for XDR-TB testing up to September 2022. PRISMA guidelines were followed.

A high-throughput LC-MS/MS method for simultaneous determination of isoniazid, ethambutol and pyrazinamide in human plasma.

Rationale: Tuberculosis (TB) remains a challenging global infectious disease, mainly affecting the lungs. First-line anti-TB drugs play a crucial role in slowing down the rapid spread of TB. In addition, the patient might benefit from therapeutic drug monitoring since it has become an accepted clinical tool for optimizing TB treatment.

Clinical standards for drug-susceptible pulmonary TB.

The aim of these clinical standards is to provide guidance on 'best practice´ for diagnosis, treatment and management of drug-susceptible pulmonary TB (PTB). A panel of 54 global experts in the field of TB care, public health, microbiology, and pharmacology were identified; 46 participated in a Delphi process. A 5-point Likert scale was used to score draft standards.

Whole genome sequencing of multidrug-resistant Mycobacterium tuberculosis isolates collected in the Czech Republic, 2005-2020.

The emergence and spread of resistant tuberculosis (TB) pose a threat to public health, so it is necessary to diagnose the drug-resistant forms in a clinically short time frame and closely monitor their transmission. In this study, we carried out a first whole genome sequencing (WGS)-based analysis of multidrug resistant (MDR) M. tuberculosis strains to explore the phylogenetic lineages diversity, drug resistance mechanisms, and ongoing transmission chains within the country.

Prediction of the Epidemiological Situation of Tuberculosis in Slovakia by 2040- Data Update.

Background: Despite the available diagnostics and treatment, tuberculosis (TB) is a serious infectious disease currently occurring. Even some high-income countries in the world do not fully control it at this time. The reason for this situation is the lack of elimination programs to address the situation.

Anti-tuberculosis drug resistance in Slovakia, 2018-2019: The first whole-genome epidemiological study.

Objective: The resistance of () to antituberculosis drugs poses a major threat to global public health. Whole genome sequencing (WGS) is an increasingly preferred method in the diagnostics and monitoring of the transmission dynamics of resistant forms of tuberculosis (TB). The aim of the study was to, for the first time, use the sequencing-based analysis to study the transmission and resistance patterns of a systematic and recent collection of extensively drug resistant (XDR) and multidrug resistant tuberculosis (MDR-TB) isolates and to expand our knowledge about drug resistant (DR) TB epidemiological dynamics in Slovakia.

Whole Genome Sequencing in the Management of Non-Tuberculous Mycobacterial Infections.

Infections caused by non-tuberculous mycobacteria (NTM) have been a public health problem in recent decades and contribute significantly to the clinical and economic burden globally. The diagnosis of infections is difficult and time-consuming and, in addition, the conventional diagnostics tests do not have sufficient discrimination power in species identification due to cross-reactions and not fully specific probes. However, technological advances have been made and the whole genome sequencing (WGS) method has been shown to be an essential part of routine diagnostics in clinical mycobacteriology laboratories.

Screening for Tuberculosis in Migrants: A Survey by the Global Tuberculosis Network.

Tuberculosis (TB) does not respect borders, and migration confounds global TB control and elimination. Systematic screening of immigrants from TB high burden settings and-to a lesser degree TB infection (TBI)-is recommended in most countries with a low incidence of TB. The aim of the study was to evaluate the views of a diverse group of international health professionals on TB management among migrants.