Specialist training in infectious diseases in Europe.

Objectives: The objectives were to determine the structure of training programmes and assessment of physicians training to become infectious disease (ID) specialists in Europe in early 2024, and to document the provision of specialists, trainees and training centres in each country.

Methods: Delegates to the ID Section and Board of the European Union of Medical Specialists (UEMS) entered national data on a web-based survey tool in late 2023-early 2024. Results were compared to UEMS recommendations on the structure and content of postgraduate training in ID in Europe (2018), and to results of a similar survey in early 2021.

Effectiveness of bictegravir/emtricitabine/tenofovir alafenamide (BIC/FTC/TAF) as switch strategy in virologically-suppressed patients: real world data from a monocentric cohort.

Introduction: BIC/FTC/TAF showed efficacy and tolerability in randomized trials as a switch strategy in virologically-suppressed people living with HIV. We evaluated its effectiveness in a real-life setting.

Methods: A retrospective monocentric cohort including 431 virologically-suppressed (HIV-RNA <50 copies/ml) people switching to BIC/FTC/TAF in the period 2018-2022 was evaluated.

Sex-Specific HLA Alleles Contribute to the Modulation of COVID-19 Severity.

Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome Coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) infection, responsible for Coronavirus Disease 2019 (COVID-19), exhibits a spectrum of clinical manifestations, ranging from asymptomatic to severe pulmonary dysfunction or death. The variability in COVID-19 severity has largely been attributed to the host's genetic characteristics, suggesting a polygenic genetic architecture, without significant strong evidence of sex-related genetic differences. In this Italian retrospective case-control study, we investigated the association between COVID-19 severity (severe vs.

A case of tuberculous and Listeria-associated lymphadenitis in a migrant from Mexico.

Tuberculous lymphadenitis is one of the most common extrapulmonary manifestation of tuberculosis. Lymphadenitis due to Listeria monocytogenes is rarely described. We present a case of a 59-year-old woman from Mexico presented to the Emergency Department with a 2-week history of erythematous and painful swelling in the right retromandibular area.

A systematic review of dalbavancin efficacy as a sequential therapy for infective endocarditis.

Introduction: Dalbavancin is an antibiotic characterized by an extended half-life and efficacy against methicillin-resistant Staphylococci. Currently, there are only narrative reviews summarizing the evidence about the use of dalbavancin for infective endocarditis (IE), many of which are focused primarily on its use as consolidation therapy. For this reason, we conducted a systematic review to describe the clinical efficacy and the safety of dalbavancin in IE treatment.

Seroprevalence and age-related susceptibility of TORCH infections in childbearing age women: A 5-year cross-sectional retrospective study and a literature review.

Background: Serodiagnosis of TORCH infections should be performed in pre-pregnancy and reproductive-age women to prevent vertical transmission. Herein, we conducted a 5-year cross-sectional retrospective study in childbearing age women to provide prevalence data. Also, stratifying the cohort into three age groups, we identified those most susceptible to acute TORCH infections.

High rates of anal Merkel Cell Polyomavirus and HPV co-infection among people living with HIV.

Knowledge of Human Polyomavirus (HPyV) infection in the anal area and its association with sexually transmitted infections such as Human Papillomavirus (HPV) and Human Immunodeficiency Virus (HIV) remains limited. Therefore, anal specimens from 150 individuals of both sexes were analyzed for screening purposes. HPV DNA was found in 50.

Long-acting injectable antiretrovirals for HIV treatment in the ICONA cohort: physicians' and nurses' points of view.

Background: Implementation level of long-acting injectable agents cabotegravir/rilpivirine (LAI CAB/RPV) for human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) treatment in Italy is still not known. The aim of this study is to identify the status of implementation of LAI CAB-RPV and its barriers.

Materials And Methods: A cross-sectional online survey was conducted among infectious diseases (ID) physicians and nurses belonging to the ICONA network in Italy.

Use of next-generation sequencing on HIV-1 DNA to assess archived resistance in highly treatment-experienced people with multidrug-resistant HIV under virological control: data from the PRESTIGIO Registry.

Background: To clarify whether next-generation sequencing (NGS) can be useful for resistance assessment in virologically suppressed highly treatment-experienced (HTE) individuals with MDR HIV.

Methods: Ninety-one participants from the PRESTIGIO Registry were included. NGS was performed on HIV-DNA at 1%, 5% and 20% cut-offs; major drug resistance mutations (DRMs) were evaluated and compared with those detected in historical plasma genotypic resistance testing (h-GRT).

Utility, acceptability and applicability of a nucleic acid amplification test in comparison with a syndromic approach in the management of sexually transmitted diseases at Mulago National Referral Hospital in Uganda (ASTRHA): protocol for an open-label, randomised controlled trial.

Introduction: Sexually transmitted diseases (STDs) are a major cause of long-term disability. Urethral discharge syndrome (UDS), abnormal vaginal discharge (AVD) and genital ulcer disease (GUD) are very common in low-income and middle-income countries (LMICs), where, due to lack of resources, these infections are managed according to a syndromic approach. Although microbiological diagnosis using nuclear acid amplification tests (NAAT) is already a standard to prescribe targeted treatments in industrialised countries, no randomised clinical trials have been conducted to evaluate clinical usefulness and acceptability of NAAT in comparison with syndromic approach in LMICs.

Early initiation of combined therapy in severely immunocompromised patients with COVID-19: a retrospective cohort study.

This single-centre retrospective cohort study reports on the results of a descriptive (non-comparative) retrospective cohort study of early initiation of antivirals and combined monoclonal antibody therapy (mAbs) in 48 severely immunocompromised patients with COVID-19. The study assessed the outcomes and the duration of viral shedding. The patients started early combined therapy (ECT) a median of 2 days (interquartile range [IQR]: 1-3 days) after the diagnosis of SARS-CoV-2 infection.

Persistence of SARS-CoV-2 infection and viral intra- and inter-host evolution in COVID-19 hospitalized patients.

Severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus-2 (SARS-CoV-2) persistence in COVID-19 patients could play a key role in the emergence of variants of concern. The rapid intra-host evolution of SARS-CoV-2 may result in an increased transmissibility, immune and therapeutic escape which could be a direct consequence of COVID-19 epidemic currents. In this context, a longitudinal retrospective study on eight consecutive COVID-19 patients with persistent SARS-CoV-2 infection, from January 2022 to March 2023, was conducted.

Intravenous fosfomycin for treatment of severe infections caused by carbapenem-resistant Acinetobacter baumannii: A multi-centre clinical experience.

Background: Severe infections caused by carbapenem-resistant Acinetobacter baumannii (CRAB) have been reported increasingly over the past few years. Many in-vivo and in-vitro studies have suggested a possible role of intravenous fosfomycin for the treatment of CRAB infections.

Methods: This multi-centre, retrospective study included patients treated with intravenous fosfomycin for severe infections caused by CRAB admitted consecutively to four hospitals in Italy from December 2017 to December 2022.

The Omicron XBB.1 Variant and Its Descendants: Genomic Mutations, Rapid Dissemination and Notable Characteristics.

The SARS-CoV-2 virus, which is a major threat to human health, has undergone many mutations during the replication process due to errors in the replication steps and modifications in the structure of viral proteins. The XBB variant was identified for the first time in Singapore in the fall of 2022. It was then detected in other countries, including the United States, Canada, and the United Kingdom.

COVID-19-associated pulmonary aspergillosis in intensive care unit: A real-life experience.

Since 2020, cases of COVID-19-associated pulmonary aspergillosis (CAPA) have been frequently described, representing an important cause of mortality, especially among patients admitted to intensive care unit (ICU). A predisposition to invasive infection caused by spp. in SARS-CoV-2 infected patients can be ascribed either to the direct viral-mediated damage of the respiratory epithelium or to the dysregulated immunity associated with COVID-19.

Evolution of in-hospital patient characteristics and predictors of death in the COVID-19 pandemic across four waves: are they moving targets with implications for patient care?

Objectives: The aim of this work was to study characteristics, outcomes and predictors of all-cause death in inpatients with SARS-CoV-2 infection across the pandemic waves in one large teaching hospital in Italy to optimize disease management.

Methods: All patients with SARS-CoV-2 infection admitted to our center from March 2020 to June 2022 were included in this retrospective observational cohort study. Both descriptive and regression tree analyses were applied to identify factors influencing all-cause mortality.

The spike-specific TCRβ repertoire shows distinct features in unvaccinated or vaccinated patients with SARS-CoV-2 infection.

Background: The evolving variants of SARS-CoV-2 may escape immunity from prior infections or vaccinations. It's vital to understand how immunity adapts to these changes. Both infection and mRNA vaccination induce T cells that target the Spike protein.

New advances in management and treatment of cardiac implantable electronic devices infections.

Cardiac implantable electronic devices (CIED) are increasingly used worldwide, and infection of these devices remains one of the most feared complications.CIED infections (CDIs) represent a challenge for physicians and the healthcare system in general as they require prolonged hospitalization and antibiotic treatment and are burdened by high mortality and high costs, so management of CDIs must be multidisciplinary.The exact incidence of CDIs is difficult to define, considering that it is influenced by various factors mainly represented by the implanted device and the type of procedure.

Comparing the efficacy and safety of a first-line regimen with emtricitabine/tenofovir alafenamide fumarate plus either bictegravir or dolutegravir: Results from clinical practice.

Background: First-line integrase strand transfer inhibitor-based regimens have become commonly used in clinical practice over the last decade. This study aimed to analyse and compare the efficacy and safety of bictegravir (BIC) and dolutegravir (DTG) when prescribed in association with emtricitabine/tenofovir alafenamide (FTC/TAF) as part of a first-line regimen for the treatment of human immunodeficiency-1 (HIV-1) infection.

Methods: Treatment-naïve people living with HIV (PLWHIV) starting a first-line regimen with either BIC/FTC/TAF (BIC group) or FTC/TAF+DTG (DTG group) were analysed.