HIV Care in Ukrainian Migrants in Two European Countries: All the Same?

War in Ukraine prompted an enormous refugee influx into Europe, including approximately 4200 people with HIV. The unique healthcare features of Ukrainian refugees living with HIV were compared between two infectious disease departments in Bonn, Germany, and Szczecin, Poland. This is a retrospective study on 161 people living with HIV (PLWH) refugees from Ukraine seeking care in Bonn (n = 30) and Szczecin (n = 131) between April 2022 and May 2023.

Incidence and risk factors for HIV-tuberculosis coinfection in the Cologne-Bonn region: a retrospective cohort study.

Purpose: The risk of developing active tuberculosis (TB) is considerably increased in people living with HIV/AIDS (PLWH). However, incidence of HIV/TB coinfection is difficult to assess as surveillance data are lacking in many countries. Here, we aimed to perform a quantitative analysis of HIV/TB coinfections within the Cologne/Bonn HIV cohort and to determine risk factors for active TB.

A fatal course of COVID-19 during the Omicron surge: can you estimate your patients' SARS-CoV-2 immune status?

We present a case of an ultimately fatal course of COVID-19 (coronavirus disease-19) in an 81-year-old female patient during the Omicron surge. The patient did not represent the typical patient at risk for severe COVID-19 with significant causes of immunodeficiency. However, she had been skeptical about the vaccination for severe acute respiratory syndrome virus-2 (SARS-CoV-2) and had refused it.

Impaired immunogenicity after vaccination for SARS-CoV-2 in patients with gastrointestinal cancer: does tumor entity matter?

Background: SARS-CoV-2 immunogenicity in patients with gastrointestinal cancer (GI cancer) following second and third vaccination was analyzed.

Methods: A total of 125 patients under active anticancer therapy or in follow-up care were included in this prospective study. Seroprevalence of SARS-CoV-2 anti-spike and surrogate neutralization antibodies (NABs) was measured.

Tecovirimat for the treatment of severe Mpox in Germany.

Background: In May 2022, a multi-national mpox outbreak was reported in several non-endemic countries. The only licensed treatment for mpox in the European Union is the orally available small molecule tecovirimat, which in Orthopox viruses inhibits the function of a major envelope protein required for the production of extracellular virus.

Methods: We identified presumably all patients with mpox that were treated with tecovirimat in Germany between the onset of the outbreak in May 2022 and March 2023 and obtained demographic and clinical characteristics by standardized case report forms.

People living with HIV, HCV and HIV/HCV coinfection in intensive care in a German tertiary referral center 2014-2019.

Purpose: The epidemiology of HIV-infected individuals on the Medical Intensive Care Units (MICU) has changed after profound progress in treatment of AIDS-defining illnesses and anti-retroviral therapy (ART). Changes of MICU utilization of Hepatitis C (HCV) patients following roll-out of direct-acting antivirals (DAA) are yet to evaluate.

Methods: We performed a retrospective study on all patients with HIV, HIV/HCV and HCV admitted to the MICU of University Hospital Bonn 2014-2019.

Natural Killer Cell-Mediated Antibody-Dependent Cellular Cytotoxicity Against SARS-CoV-2 After Natural Infection Is More Potent Than After Vaccination.

We compared the ability of severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) spike-specific antibodies to induce natural killer cell-mediated antibody-dependent cellular cytotoxicity (ADCC) in patients with natural infection and vaccinated persons. Analyzing plasma samples from 39 coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) patients and 11 vaccinated individuals, significant induction of ADCC could be observed over a period of more than 3 months in both vaccinated and recovered individuals. Although plasma antibody concentrations were lower in recovered patients, we found antibodies elicited by natural infection induced a significantly stronger ADCC response compared to those induced by vaccination, which may affect protection conferred by vaccination.

A qPCR to quantify Wolbachia from few Onchocerca volvulus microfilariae as a surrogate for adult worm histology in clinical trials of antiwolbachial drugs.

The filarial nematode Onchocerca volvulus causes onchocerciasis (river blindness), a neglected tropical disease affecting 21 million people, mostly in Sub-Saharan Africa. Targeting the endosymbiont Wolbachia with antibiotics leads to permanent sterilization and killing of adult worms. The gold standard to assess Wolbachia depletion is the histological examination of adult worms in nodules beginning at 6 months post-treatment.

TIPS and splenorenal shunt for complications of portal hypertension in chronic hepatosplenic schistosomiasis-A case series and review of the literature.

Background: Transjugular intrahepatic portosystemic shunt (TIPS) and shunt surgery are established treatment options for portal hypertension, but have not been systematically evaluated in patients with portal hypertension due to hepatosplenic schistosomiasis (HSS), one of the neglected tropical diseases with major impact on morbidity and mortality in endemic areas.

Methods: In this retrospective case study, patients with chronic portal hypertension due to schistosomiasis treated with those therapeutic approaches in four tertiary referral hospitals in Germany and Italy between 2012 and 2020 were included. We have summarized pre-interventional clinical data, indication, technical aspects of the interventions and clinical outcome.

SARS-CoV-2 seroconversions and chains of infection in healthcare professionals in a German maximum care provider (The CoSHeP study).

Introduction: The CoSHeP study provides novel data on SARS-CoV-2 seroconversion rates in healthcare professionals (HP) at risk at the University Hospital Bonn, a maximum healthcare provider in a region of 900.000 inhabitants.

Methods: Single-center, longitudinal observational study investigating rate of SARS-CoV-2 IgG seroconversion in HP at 2 time-points.

Rapid diagnostic test negative Plasmodium falciparum malaria in a traveller returning from Ethiopia.

Background: Plasmodium falciparum strains with mutations/deletions of the genes encoding the histidine-rich proteins 2/3 (pfhrp2/3) have emerged during the last 10 years leading to false-negative results in HRP2-based rapid diagnostic tests (RDTs). This can lead to unrecognized infections in individuals and to setbacks in malaria control in endemic countries where RDTs are the backbone of malaria diagnostics and control.

Case Description: Here the detection of a pfhrp2/3-negative P.

The burden of hepatitis E among patients with haematological malignancies: A retrospective European cohort study.

Background & Aims: The burden of hepatitis E virus (HEV) infection among patients with haematological malignancy has only been scarcely reported. Therefore, we aimed to describe this burden in patients with haematological malignancies, including those receiving allogeneic haematopoietic stem cell transplantation.

Methods: We conducted a retrospective, multicentre cohort study across 11 European centres and collected clinical characteristics of 50 patients with haematological malignancy and RNA-positive, clinically overt hepatitis E between April 2014 and March 2017.

Hepatitis B virus subgenotype F3 reactivation with vaccine escape mutations: A case report and review of the literature.

Hepatitis B represents a global health threat because its chronic course and sequelae contribute to a high morbidity and mortality. Hepatitis B virus (HBV) infection can be controlled by vaccines, antiviral treatment, and by interrupting transmission. Rare vaccine escape mutants are serious because they eliminate vaccine protection.

Ribavirin in Acute Hepatitis E Infection in Patients with Gynecological Cancer: A Case Series.

Hepatitis E virus infection is usually a self-limited disease. However, during the last years there has been growing evidence for prolonged and chronic infection occurring in patients with immunosuppression. Also patients with malignant and rheumatic diseases have been identified to be at risk for chronic hepatitis E.

Advances in the treatment of HIV/HCV coinfection in adults.

Introduction: Direct-acting antivirals (DAA) have revolutionized the modern treatment of chronic hepatitis C (HCV). These highly efficacious, well-tolerated, all-oral HCV regimens allow cure of HCV in over 95% of HCV-monoinfected as well as HIV/HCV-coinfected patients with short treatment durations of 8-12 weeks.

Areas Covered: This review will address recent developments of DAA-therapy in HIV/HCV-coinfected patients in clinical trials and real life cohorts and evaluate remaining challenges, particularly resistance, drug-drug interactions, acute HCV infection and liver transplantation focusing on HIV/HCV-coinfected patients.

Successful Therapy of a Multidrug-Resistant Extended-Spectrum β-Lactamase-Producing and Fluoroquinolone-Resistant Salmonella enterica Subspecies enterica Serovar Typhi Infection Using Combination Therapy of Meropenem and Fosfomycin.

We report a traveler who acquired a Salmonella enterica subspecies enterica serovar Typhi strain with resistance against β-lactams, cephalosporins (extended-spectrum β-lactamase-producing type SHV-12), and quinolones (plasmid-mediated quinolone resistance gene qnrB7). After clinical deterioration using meropenem monotherapy, treatment success was achieved after commencement of fosfomycin in conjunction with high-dose meropenem. The case illustrates clinical challenges of multidrug-resistant S.

Moderate endurance training (marathon-training) - effects on immunologic and metabolic parameters in HIV-infected patients: the 42 KM cologne project.

Background: Improved treatment options of HIV have resulted in regular physical activities of many HIV-infected patients. However, data on effects of sports in HIV-patients are scarce.

Methods: 21 HIV-infected persons were monitored prospectively while preparing for a marathon run.