Clinical Characteristics, Laboratory Parameters, and Molecular Epidemiology of Neuroinvasive Flavivirus Infections in a Hotspot Region of Eastern Croatia.

Neuroinvasive flaviviruses such as tick-borne encephalitis virus (TBEV) and West Nile virus (WNV) are widely distributed in continental Croatian regions. We analyzed clinical characteristics, laboratory parameters, and molecular epidemiology of neuroinvasive flavivirus infections in eastern Croatia. A total of 43 patients with confirmed flavivirus infection hospitalized from 2017 to 2023 were included in the study.

Adenoviral Pneumonia Outbreak in Immunocompetent Adults-A Missed Antimicrobial Stewardship Opportunity?

: While the concept of viral community-acquired pneumonia (CAP) changed with COVID-19, the role of non-influenza viruses as a cause of CAP is less clear. The aim of this study was to describe the clinical course, risk factors, inflammatory profiles, antibiotic use, outcomes and complications of adenoviral (AdV) CAP. : A prospective, non-interventional, observational cohort study included consecutively hospitalized immunocompetent adult patients with AdV CAP during an 18-month period.

The impact of the war in Ukraine on the prevalence of MDR/RR-TB in Poland.

Background: The 2022 invasion of Ukraine by the Russian Federation triggered a refugee crisis, affecting the multidrug-/rifampicin-resistant TB (MDR/RR-TB) prevalence in neighbouring countries. This study examines the epidemiological trends and characteristics of MDR/RR-TB patients in Poland, focusing on the relative contribution of Ukrainian refugees.

Methods: Data from the Polish National Tuberculosis Registry and EPIC Project database, covering MDR/RR-TB cases reported between 2010 and Q1 2024, were analysed.

Synthesizing and assessing influenza vaccine evidence: Strengths and limitations of the recent ECDC report on the effectiveness of new and enhanced influenza vaccines. Communication on: the "European Centre for Disease Prevention and Control. Systematic review update on the efficacy, effectiveness and safety of newer and enhanced seasonal influenza vaccines for the prevention of laboratory confirmed influenza in individuals aged 18 years and over. Stockholm: ECDC; 2024".

High quality research is critical for evidence-based decision making in public health and fundamental to maintain progress and trust in immunization programs in Europe. In 2024 the European Centre for Disease Prevention and Control (ECDC) conducted an update of the 2020 systematic review to capture more recent evidence on of the efficacy, effectiveness of influenza vaccines in individuals aged 18 years and older in the prevention of laboratory-confirmed influenza. While this report was highly anticipated due to the strength of the protocol and processes put in place, during our assessment, we expressed two chief concerns.

The Role of Immune Semaphorins in Sepsis-A Prospective Cohort Study.

In sepsis, a balanced pro-inflammatory and anti-inflammatory response results in the bacterial clearance and resolution of inflammation, promoting clinical recovery and survival. Semaphorins, a large family of secreted and membrane-bound glycoproteins, are newly recognized biomarkers and therapeutic targets in immunological and neoplastic disorders. Although semaphorins might also be a crucial part of host defense responses to infection, their role in sepsis is yet to be determined.

Colliding Challenges Part 2: An Analysis of SARS-CoV-2 Infection in Patients with Extrapulmonary Tuberculosis Versus SARS-CoV-2 Infection Alone.

: Coinfection with SARS-CoV-2 and extrapulmonary tuberculosis (extraPTB) presents unique clinical challenges due to dual inflammatory responses and potential differences in patient profiles compared to those with SARS-CoV-2 infection alone. This study uniquely contributes to the underexplored interaction between extraPTB and SARS-CoV-2, focusing on systemic inflammation as a critical determinant of outcomes. This retrospective, cross-sectional study included 123 patients aged 19-91 years, hospitalized at Victor Babeș Hospital in Timișoara from March 2020 to March 2022.

Treatment of Hepatitis C Virus Infections Among Patients of Ukrainian Origin During the Influx of War Refugees to Poland.

The wave of wartime migration from Ukraine has raised a number of concerns about infectious diseases, the prevalence of which is higher in Ukraine than in host countries, with hepatitis C virus (HCV) infection being one of them. Our analysis aimed to assess the percentage of HCV-infected Ukrainian refugees under care in Polish centers providing antiviral diagnosis and therapy, to evaluate their characteristics and the effectiveness of treatment with direct-acting antiviral drugs (DAAs). The analysis included patients of Polish and Ukrainian nationality treated for HCV infection between 2022 and 2024 in Polish hepatology centers.

Association Between Left Ventricular Diastolic Dysfunction, Systemic Inflammation, and Gastrointestinal Symptoms in HIV-Positive Patients on Antiretroviral Therapy.

Background/objectives: Despite advancements in antiretroviral therapy (ART), HIV-positive individuals face heightened risks of cardiovascular and gastrointestinal (GI) complications, often linked to persistent systemic inflammation. Left ventricular diastolic dysfunction (LVDD), prevalent in HIV patients, exacerbates this inflammatory state and may contribute to worsened GI symptoms. This study aims to explore the association between LVDD, systemic inflammation, and gastrointestinal symptoms in HIV-positive patients undergoing ART.

Evaluating academic detailing as an antibiotic stewardship intervention in primary healthcare settings in Croatia.

Background: Acute respiratory tract infections are common in primary healthcare care settings and frequently result in antibiotic prescriptions, despite being primarily viral. There is scarcity of research examining impact of academic detailing (AD) intervention on prescribing practices for these infections in resource-constrained healthcare settings like southeastern Europe. Therefore aim of this study was to evaluate impact of AD intervention as an antimicrobial stewardship measure on antibiotic prescribing for acute respiratory tract infections in primary setting in Croatia which is located in southeastern Europe.

Effectiveness of glecaprevir/pibrentasvir in HIV/HCV-coinfected patients treated with bictegravir/emtricitabine/tenofovir alafenamide.

Aim Of The Study: To assess the real-life efficacy and safety of glecaprevir/pibrentasvir (GLE/PIB) in HIV/HCV- positive patients treated with bictegravir/emtricitabine/tenofovir alafenamide (B/FTC/TAF).

Material And Methods: Patients were evaluated in terms of their baseline biochemical characteristics, which included platelet count, serum creatinine and bilirubin levels, alanine transaminase (ALT) activity, international normalized ratio (INR) and Model for End-Stage Liver Disease (MELD) score.The efficacy endpoint was the achievement of a sustained virologic response at posttreatment week 12 (SVR12), defined as undetectable HCV RNA 12 weeks after the scheduled end of therapy.

Invasive pneumococcal disease in adults after the introduction of pneumococcal vaccination: a retrospective study in the metropolitan area of Zagreb, Croatia (2010-2022).

Introduction: Invasive pneumococcal disease (IPD) is a severe form of illness caused by with high morbidity and mortality rate in the general population, particularly in children <5 years of age, adults ≥65 years of age and the immunocompromised. As known, pneumococcal vaccination lowers the risk of IPD so the aim of this study was to investigate whether the introduction of pneumococcal vaccination has influenced the incidence and mortality of IPD in adults in Croatia.

Materials And Methods: A retrospective study was conducted among adult patients (aged ≥18 years) hospitalized due to IPD in the metropolitan area of Zagreb from 1 January 2010 to 31 December 2022.

Detection of active an Schistosoma haematobium invasion in a patient, based on the microscopic examination of urine.

A parasitological examination of urine from a patient from Cameroon was performed. The eggs of Schistosoma haematobium were observed. Most of the eggs were viable and contained miracidia; these were subjected to observation.

Previously unreported Arg594Lys in EBNA-1 and Leu212 in EBNA-2 among patients with EBV-associated infectious mononucleosis in Croatia.

The molecular diversity of Epstein-Barr virus (EBV) is defined by mutations in specific EBV genes and has been insufficiently studied in infectious mononucleosis (IM). The aim of this study was to determine all variations of the EBV latency genes EBNA-1, EBNA-2 and LMP-1 in pediatric patients with EBV-associated IM in Croatia, including previously defined SNPs and indels as well as previously undocumented polymorphisms. The vast majority of EBV isolates (71/72) were determined as EBV type 1 while EBNA-1 genes were classified exclusively as previously defined EBNA-1 prototypes, with 22/72 sequences categorized as P-Ala and 50/72 sequences as P-Thr.

Identifying the unknown: Application of molecular epidemiology tools to identify clustering and HIV transmission routes in Poland.

Background: Understanding the dynamics of HIV-1 transmission is essential for developing effective screening and intervention strategies. Viral genetic sequences provide valuable information that can be used to infer the history and patterns of viral transmission.

Purpose: Our study explores the structure and dynamics of HIV transmissions in Poland from 1999 to 2022 to elucidate key patterns related with national epidemics.

Clinical characteristics of human brucellosis in different age groups in the Republic of North Macedonia-A case series.

Background: Brucellosis is a zoonotic infection that presents a major challenge to public health worldwide.

Aim: This research compares demographic characteristics, clinical features, and outcomes across different age groups in patients with human brucellosis.

Material And Methods: Between 2003 and 2022 a total of 508 patients with brucellosis were subjected to diagnostics and treatment at the Clinic for Infectious Diseases in Skopje.

How Do Time Since Diagnosis and Sociodemographic Factors Influence Attitudes Towards HIV Status Disclosure in People Living with HIV in Poland? Data from Go Holistic Go Beyond Project.

The aim of this publication is to present the data from Polish respondents of the Go Holistic Go Beyond Project, which investigates social, professional and intimate relations of people living with HIV in Central and Eastern Europe. We analyze how the patients' attitude towards disclosing their HIV status changes over time from diagnosis. A questionnaire was distributed among patients by three HIV out-patient clinics.

The Re-Emergence of Neuroinvasive Flaviviruses in Croatia During the 2022 Transmission Season.

(Re-)emerging arboviruses, such as tick-borne encephalitis virus (TBEV), West Nile virus (WNV), and Usutu virus (USUV), are continuously increasing in incidence. We analyzed the epidemiological characteristics of flavivirus infections in humans, sentinel animals, and mosquitoes detected in the 2022 transmission season in Croatia. From April to November 2022, 110 hospitalized patients with neuroinvasive diseases (NID) were tested for the presence of arboviruses.

Stigma-associated attitudes and practices among Romanian clinical providers.

Objectives: People living with HIV/AIDS today expect a typical lifespan, although many continue to encounter psychological and societal challenges, including stigma and discrimination. In healthcare settings, this may manifest as refusal of care or treatment, non-consensual testing, confidentiality breaches, and unfavourable attitudes, among other issues. We sought to better understand stigma-related beliefs and practices within the Romanian clinician community.

Sepsis pathogenesis and outcome are shaped by the balance between the transcriptional states of systemic inflammation and antimicrobial response.

Patients with sepsis differ in their clinical presentations and immune dysregulation in response to infection, but the fundamental processes that determine this heterogeneity remain elusive. Here, we aim to understand which types of immune dysregulation characterize patients with sepsis. To that end, we investigate sepsis pathogenesis in the context of two transcriptional states: one represents the immune response to eliminate pathogens (resistance, R) and the other is associated with systemic inflammation (SI).

Cytokine Storm in COVID-19: Exploring IL-6 Signaling and Cytokine-Microbiome Interactions as Emerging Therapeutic Approaches.

IL-6 remains a key molecule of the cytokine storms characterizing COVID-19, exerting both proinflammatory and anti-inflammatory effects. Emerging research underscores the significance of IL-6 trans-signaling over classical signaling pathways, which has shifted the focus of therapeutic strategies. Additionally, the synergistic action of TNF-α and IFN-γ has been found to induce inflammatory cell death through PANoptosis, further amplifying the severity of cytokine storms.

The Association between Resistance and Virulence of in High-Risk Clonal Lineages ST86 and ST101.

is an opportunistic pathogen known for two main pathotypes: classical (cKp), often multidrug-resistant and common in hospitals, and hypervirulent (hvKp), associated with severe community-acquired infections. The recent emergence of strains combining hypervirulence and resistance is alarming. This study investigates the distribution of sequence types (STs), resistance, and virulence factors in strains causing bloodstream and urinary tract infections in Croatia.

Secondhand Smoke Exposure and Its Impact on Pediatric Lung Function, Aerobic Fitness, and Body Mass: Evidence from a Cross-Sectional Study.

Background: Several studies have documented the detrimental impacts of secondhand smoke (SHS) exposure to a range of pediatric respiratory conditions, including asthma, bronchitis, and reduced lung function. The aim of the study was to investigate the influence of SHS exposure on lung function, physical fitness, and body mass index (BMI) in children aged 10 to 14 years.

Methods: This cross-sectional study included children aged 10 to 14 years at the Elementary School "Trilj" in Trilj, Croatia.