A first case of bacteremia and meningitis in a 5-week old child.

, previously known as , was initially isolated from powdered infant milk in 2010. It falls within the family (class: Enterobacterales). While was traditionally regarded as non-pathogenic, we now present a case of bacteraemia and meningitis in a 5-week-old child, successfully treated with cefotaxime.

Progression of the FIB-4 index among patients with chronic HCV infection and early liver disease.

Background And Aims: Historical paired liver biopsy studies are likely to underestimate current progression of disease in patients with chronic hepatitis C virus (HCV) infection. We aimed to assess liver disease progression according to the non-invasive Fibrosis-4 (FIB-4) index in patients with chronic HCV and early disease.

Methods And Results: Patients diagnosed with chronic HCV and FIB-4 <3.

A first case of species catheter-related bloodstream infection.

We present a case of a 80-year-old patient with a catheter-related bloodstream infection caused by Chimaeribacter species. The Chimaeribacter genus represents a novel genus within the Yersiniaceae family. To the best of our knowledge, as of today, nothing is known about the pathogenicity of Chimaeribacter species, nor about the appropriate antimicrobial management.

Incidence of Hepatic Decompensation After Nucleos(t)ide Analog Withdrawal: Results From a Large, International, Multiethnic Cohort of Patients With Chronic Hepatitis B (RETRACT-B Study).

Introduction: Despite improvements in the management of chronic hepatitis B (CHB), risk of cirrhosis and hepatocellular carcinoma remains. While hepatitis B surface antigen loss is the optimal end point, safe discontinuation of nucleos(t)ide analog (NA) therapy is controversial because of the possibility of severe or fatal reactivation flares.

Methods: This is a multicenter cohort study of virally suppressed, end-of-therapy (EOT) hepatitis B e antigen (HBeAg)-negative CHB patients who stopped NA therapy (n = 1,557).

Differential Relapse Patterns After Discontinuation of Entecavir vs Tenofovir Disoproxil Fumarate in Chronic Hepatitis B.

Background And Aims: Whether entecavir (ETV) and tenofovir disoproxil fumarate (TDF) differentially affect relapse and outcomes following treatment discontinuation across different patient subpopulations remains unclear. We aimed to compare rates of off-therapy hepatitis B surface antigen (HBsAg) loss, virological and clinical relapse, and retreatment between chronic hepatitis B (CHB) patients who discontinued TDF or ETV therapy.

Methods: This study included 1402 virally suppressed CHB patients who stopped either ETV (n = 981) or TDF (n = 421) therapy between 2001 and 2020 from 13 participating centers across North America, Europe, and Asia.

Humoral immunity in hepatitis B virus infection: Rehabilitating the B in HBV.

Insights into the immunopathogenesis of chronic HBV infections are fundamental in the quest for novel treatment approaches aimed at a functional cure. While much is known about the ineffective HBV-specific T-cell responses that characterise persistent HBV replication, B cells have been left largely understudied. However, an important role for humoral immunity during the natural history of HBV infections, as well as after functional cure, has been inadvertently revealed by the occurrence of HBV flares following B cell-depleting treatments.

Clinical management of chronic hepatitis B: A concise overview.

Worldwide, over 250 million people are chronically infected with the hepatitis B virus (HBV). Infected patients have an up to 100-fold increased risk for liver-related complications, including cirrhosis, hepatic decompensation and hepatocellular carcinoma. Nonetheless, the majority of the infections remains asymptomatic, stressing the importance of HBV screening and linkage to care.

Off-Therapy Response After Nucleos(t)ide Analogue Withdrawal in Patients With Chronic Hepatitis B: An International, Multicenter, Multiethnic Cohort (RETRACT-B Study).

Background & Aims: Functional cure, defined based on hepatitis B surface antigen (HBsAg) loss, is rare during nucleos(t)ide analogue (NA) therapy and guidelines on finite NA therapy have not been well established. We aim to analyze off-therapy outcomes after NA cessation in a large, international, multicenter, multiethnic cohort of patients with chronic hepatitis B (CHB).

Methods: This cohort study included patients with virally suppressed CHB who were hepatitis B e antigen (HBeAg)-negative and stopped NA therapy.

Impact of COVID-19 on Healthcare Workers in Brazil between August and November 2020: A Cross-Sectional Survey.

During the COVID-19 pandemic, healthcare workers (HCW) have been subjected to greater workloads. We conducted a cross-sectional online survey to assess the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on Brazilian HCW. Data were collected between 11 August and 1 November 2020.

Follow-Up Survey of the Impact of COVID-19 on People Living with HIV during the Second Semester of the Pandemic.

COVID-19 affects persons living with HIV (PLWH) both directly (via morbidity/mortality) and indirectly (via disruption of HIV care). From July-November 2020, an online survey was conducted to investigate the psychosocial well-being of PLWH and changes in HIV care during the second semester of the COVID-19 outbreak. Data were collected on the socio-demographic characteristics of PLWH, their psychosocial well-being, impact of COVID-19 preventive measures on their daily routines and HIV follow-up.

Adherence to COVID-19 Prevention Measures in the Democratic Republic of the Congo, Results of Two Consecutive Online Surveys.

Adherence to preventive measures is essential to reduce the risk of COVID-19 transmission. Two online surveys were conducted in the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC) from 23 April to 8 June 2020, and from August 24th to September 8th, respectively. A total of 3268 (round 1) and 4160 (round 2) participants were included.

COVID-19 Vaccine Acceptance in the Democratic Republic of Congo: A Cross-Sectional Survey.

We investigated the level of willingness for COVID-19 vaccination in the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC). Data were collected between 24 August 2020 and 8 September 2020 through an online survey. A total of 4131 responses were included; mean age of respondents was 35 years (standard deviation: 11.

Impact of COVID-19 on the lives and psychosocial well-being of persons with epilepsy during the third trimester of the pandemic: Results from an international, online survey.

Objective: To evaluate the impact of the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) measures on the lives and psychosocial well-being of persons with epilepsy (PWE) during the third trimester of the COVID-19 pandemic.

Methods: A structured questionnaire investigating different aspects of the lives and psychosocial well-being of PWE during the COVID-19 pandemic was developed. Persons with epilepsy were invited via social media to anonymously respond to a secure web-based online questionnaire (www.

Sorted B cell transcriptomes point towards actively regulated B cell responses during ongoing chronic hepatitis B infections.

The natural course of chronic hepatitis B virus (HBV) infections follows distinct clinical disease phases, characterized by fluctuating levels of serum HBV DNA and ALT. The immune cells and their features that govern these clinical disease transitions remain unknown. In the current study, we performed RNA sequencing on purified B cells from blood (n = 42) and liver (n = 10) of healthy controls and chronic HBV patients.

Neuropathological Changes in Nakalanga Syndrome-A Case Report.

Nakalanga syndrome is a clinical manifestation of onchocerciasis-associated epilepsy characterized by stunting, delayed or absent secondary sexual development and skeletal deformities, and is often accompanied by epileptic seizures. The pathophysiology of Nakalanga syndrome is unknown. Here, we describe the post-mortem findings of a 17-year-old female who died with Nakalanga syndrome in northern Uganda.

Access to healthcare and prevalence of anxiety and depression in persons with epilepsy during the COVID-19 pandemic: A multicountry online survey.

Objective: The objective of this study was to assess access to healthcare and to estimate the prevalence of depression and anxiety among persons with epilepsy (PWE) during the ongoing coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic.

Methods: We conducted a multicountry online survey among PWE. Persons with epilepsy were invited to participate through various social media channels.

Impact of the COVID-19 Pandemic on the Medical Follow-up and Psychosocial Well-Being of People Living With HIV: A Cross-Sectional Survey.

Background: Empirical data on the consequences of the novel coronavirus disease (COVID-19) pandemic on HIV care are lacking. We surveyed people living with HIV (PLWH) in different countries to investigate whether their medical follow-up and psychosocial well-being had been compromised due to COVID-19 and associated restrictions.

Methods: In April 2020, a cross-sectional survey among PLWH was conducted using a web-based multilingual questionnaire.

Nivolumab and anti-HCV activity, a case report.

Exhaustion of antigen-specific T-cells in order to escape immune destruction is frequently seen in chronic viral infection and different types of cancer. Blockade of overexpressed negative co-stimulatory pathways, a process known as immune checkpoint modulation, is a promising novel therapy that could improve the treatment of liver diseases with features of T cell exhaustion. We present a case of a 54-year-old hepatitis C virus (HCV) positive patient with an acute flare of hepatitis during nivolumab treatment for a stage IV lung carcinoma, an anti-programmed death-1 (PD-1) immunotherapy.

Biobanking for Viral Hepatitis Research.

Viral hepatitis is a worldwide, important health issue. The optimal management of viral hepatitis infections faces numerous challenges. In this paper, we describe how biobanking of biological samples derived from viral hepatitis patients collected both in-hospital and during community outreach screenings provides a unique collection of samples.

Caucasian Ethnicity, but Not Treatment Cessation is Associated with HBsAg Loss Following Nucleos(t)ide Analogue-Induced HBeAg Seroconversion.

It is well appreciated that ethnicity influences the natural history and immune responses during a chronic hepatitis B infection. In this study, we explore the effect of ethnicity and treatment cessation on Hepatitis B surface Antigen (HBsAg) seroclearance in patients with Nucleos(t)ide Analogue (NA)-induced Hepatitis B e Antigen (HBeAg) seroconversion. We performed a multi-ethnic, multicentric observational cohort study.