and antimicrobial resistance among the general female and male population in northern Spain.

Objectives: (MG) STIs represent a global concern, especially considering its rapid ability to acquire antimicrobial resistance. The objective of this study was to investigate the epidemiology of MG and antibiotic resistance among the general female and male populations in northern Spain.

Methods: Between April 2019 and May 2023, individuals attending healthcare facilities for STI screening were tested for MG and macrolide and fluoroquinolone resistance mutations.

Corrigendum: CARB-ES-19 multicenter study of carbapenemase-producing and from all Spanish provinces reveals interregional spread of high-risk clones such as ST307/OXA-48 and ST512/KPC-3.

[This corrects the article DOI: 10.3389/fmicb.2022.

Fecal carriage of extended-spectrum beta-lactamase-producing Enterobacterales in healthy Spanish schoolchildren.

Background: Extended-spectrum ß-lactamase-producing Enterobacterales (ESBL-E) are a serious threat among emerging antibiotic resistant bacteria. Particularly, the number of cases of ESBL-E infections reported in children has been increasing in recent years, and approved antibiotic treatments for this age group are limited. However, information regarding the prevalence of colonization in European children, risk factors associated with colonization, and the characteristics of the colonizing strains is scarce.

Establishing a molecular laboratory in COVID-19 pandemic: The experience of a regional laboratory in Spain.

The high demand for COVID-19 diagnosis overwhelmed reference hospitals. Regional laboratories had to incorporate molecular technology to respond to the emergency. This work described the implementation of molecular diagnostic tools and the detection of SARS-CoV-2, in a regional hospital with no previous experience, from October 2020 to March 2022.

Parasitemia Levels in Trypanosoma cruzi Infection in Spain, an Area Where the Disease Is Not Endemic: Trends by Different Molecular Approaches.

Trypanosoma cruzi infection has expanded globally through human migration. In Spain, the mother-to-child route is the mode of transmission contributing to autochthonous Chagas disease (CD); however, most people acquired the infection in their country of origin and were diagnosed in the chronic phase (imported chronic CD). In this context, we assessed the quantitative potential of the Loopamp Trypanosoma cruzi detection kit (Sat-TcLAMP) based on satellite DNA (Sat-DNA) to determine parasitemia levels compared to those detected by real-time quantitative PCRs (qPCRs) targeting Sat-DNA (Sat-qPCR) and kinetoplast DNA minicircles (kDNA-qPCR).

CARB-ES-19 Multicenter Study of Carbapenemase-Producing e and From All Spanish Provinces Reveals Interregional Spread of High-Risk Clones Such as ST307/OXA-48 and ST512/KPC-3.

Objectives: CARB-ES-19 is a comprehensive, multicenter, nationwide study integrating whole-genome sequencing (WGS) in the surveillance of carbapenemase-producing (CP-Kpn) and (CP-Eco) to determine their incidence, geographical distribution, phylogeny, and resistance mechanisms in Spain.

Methods: In total, 71 hospitals, representing all 50 Spanish provinces, collected the first 10 isolates per hospital (February to May 2019); CPE isolates were first identified according to EUCAST (meropenem MIC > 0.12 mg/L with immunochromatography, colorimetric tests, carbapenem inactivation, or carbapenem hydrolysis with MALDI-TOF).

The challenge of COVID-19 for a Clinical Microbiology Department.

Objectives: To quantify the workload and cost overload that the COVID-19 pandemic has meant for a Clinical Microbiology laboratory in a real-life scenario.

Methods: We compared the number of samples received, their distribution, the human resources, and the budget of a Microbiology laboratory in the COVID pandemic (March-December 2020) with the same months of the previous year.

Results: the total number of samples processed in the Clinical Microbiology laboratory in March to December 2020 increased 96.

Evaluation of the Performance of the Loopamp Trypanosoma cruzi Detection Kit for the Diagnosis of Chagas Disease in an Area Where It Is Not Endemic, Spain.

In Spain, PCR is the tool of choice for the diagnosis of congenital Chagas disease (CD) and serology for diagnosing chronic CD. A loop-mediated isothermal amplification test for DNA detection showed good analytical performance and ease of use. We aimed to evaluate the performance of the Loopamp detection kit (Eiken Chemical Co.

Comparison of DNA extraction methods and real-time PCR assays for the molecular diagnostics of chronic Chagas disease.

This work aimed to compare the sensitivity of four protocols for the detection of DNA in 98 blood samples from chronic Chagas disease patients. Two DNA extraction (automated and manual) methods and two satellite DNA qPCRs (with a recent design and the usually used set of primers) were analyzed. Both DNA extraction methods and qPCR assays tested in this work gave comparable qualitative results, although the lowest Ct values were obtained when samples were analyzed using the new set of primers for satellite DNA.

asymptomatic infection in inflammatory bowel disease patients under anti-TNF therapy.

Background: In recent years anti-TNF therapy has been associated with leishmaniasis in immunocompromised patients from endemic areas. Nevertheless, data on asymptomatic infection in such patients is scarce. The aim of this study was to determine the prevalence of asymptomatic infection in inflammatory bowel disease (IBD) patients treated with TNF inhibitors living in an endemic area (Catalonia) and to follow up them to study how the infection evolved.

Interregional spread in Spain of linezolid-resistant Enterococcus spp. isolates carrying the optrA and poxtA genes.

The emergence of linezolid-resistant Enterococcus spp. (LRE) due to transferable resistance determinants is a matter of concern. To understand the contribution of the plasmid-encoded optrA and poxtA genes to the emergence of LRE, clinical isolates from different Spanish hospitals submitted to the Spanish Reference Laboratory from 2015-2018 were analysed.

Contributions of molecular techniques in the chronic phase of Chagas disease in the absence of treatment.

Introduction: The chronic phase of Chagas disease (CD) is characterised by a low and intermittent parasitaemia. The Polymerase Chain Reaction (PCR) presents a variable sensitivity in this stage limiting its use as a diagnostic tool. Despite this, the use of PCR in untreated patients can provide information on the parasite behaviour and its presence in peripheral blood.

Usefulness of real-time PCR during follow-up of patients treated with Benznidazole for chronic Chagas disease: Experience in two referral centers in Barcelona.

Background: Antitrypanosomal treatment with Benznidazole (BZ) or Nifurtimox may be recommended for patients with chronic Chagas disease (CD) to reduce the onset or progression of symptoms. However, such treatment has limited efficacy and high level of toxic effects. In addition, the current cure biomarker (serology conversion) precludes any treatment assessment unless a prolonged follow-up is arranged.

Immune reactivity to Trypanosoma cruzi chimeric proteins for Chagas disease diagnosis in immigrants living in a non-endemic setting.

Background: Chronic Chagas Disease (CD) diagnosis is based on serological methods employing crude, semipurified or recombinant antigens, which may result in low sensitivity or cross-reactivity. To reduce these restrictions, we developed a strategy involving use of molecules containing repetitive fragments of Trypanosoma cruzi conserved proteins. Diagnostic performance of IBMP-8.

The challenge of discordant serology in Chagas disease: The role of two confirmatory techniques in inconclusive cases.

Serodiscordance in Chagas disease (CD) remains a challenge since individuals with inconclusive results are clinically complicated to manage. This work, conducted outside the endemic area, aims to compare two different confirmatory techniques for the diagnosis of CD in individuals without a definitive diagnosis, to analyze the performance of the screening techniques in this group of patients, and to describe the serological follow-up of these subjects over time. Sera from 48 individuals with repeatedly discordant results by one recombinant enzyme immunoassay (r-ELISA) and one native ELISA (n-ELISA), were included in the study.

Prevalence of Chagas Disease among Solid Organ-Transplanted Patients in a Nonendemic Country.

Reactivation of Chagas disease in the chronic phase may occur after solid organ transplantation, which may result in high parasitemia and severe clinical manifestations such as myocarditis and meningoencephalitis. The aim of the present study is to describe the prevalence of Chagas disease among solid organ-transplanted patients in a tertiary hospital from a nonendemic country. A cross-sectional study was performed at Vall d'Hebron University Hospital (Barcelona, Spain) from April to September 2016.

Strongyloides stercoralis infection increases the likelihood to detect Trypanosoma cruzi DNA in peripheral blood in Chagas disease patients.

Objectives: In a previous study performed by our group, Strongyloides stercoralis infection in patients with Chagas disease was associated with higher proportion of Trypanosoma cruzi DNA detection in peripheral blood. The aim of the study was to confirm this association in a larger cohort of patients.

Methods: Cross-sectional study of all patients with Chagas disease diagnosed from 2005 to 2015 during blood donation at the Catalan Blood Bank.

The Role of Molecular Techniques for the Detection of Mycobacterium Tuberculosis Complex in Paraffin-embedded Biopsies.

Introduction: Extrapulmonary tuberculosis (EPTB) is increasingly frequent in developed countries. When it is not clinically suspected, samples are not collected for culture and the only material available is a tissue paraffin block.

Objective: The aim of this study was to evaluate FluoroType MTB (FT-MTB) and GenoType MTBDRplus methods for the detection of Mycobaterium tuberculosis complex in paraffin-embedded biopsies comparing the results to tuberculosis diagnosis.