Predictors of Cryptococcus gattii clinical presentation and outcome: An international study.

Background: Infection by Cryptococcus gattii can lead to pulmonary or central nervous system (CNS) disease, or both. Whether site of infection and disease severity are associated with C. gattii species and lineages or with certain underlying medical conditions, or both is unclear.

Influenza vaccine effectiveness against medically attended outpatient illness, United States, 2023-24 season.

Background: The 2023-24 U.S. influenza season was characterized by a predominance of A(H1N1)pdm09 virus circulation with co-circulation of A(H3N2) and B/Victoria viruses.

Development of a reference standard to assign bacterial versus viral infection etiology using an all-inclusive methodology for comparison of novel diagnostic tool performance.

Background: Diagnostic test evaluation requires a reference standard. We describe an approach for creating a reference standard for acute infection using unrestricted adjudication and apply it to compare biomarker tools.

Methods: Adults and children with suspected acute infection enrolled in three prospective studies at emergency departments and urgent cares were included.

Clinical characterisation and outcomes of human clade IIb mpox virus disease - a European multicentre observational cohort study (MOSAIC).

Background: The global mpox outbreak which started in May 2022 was caused by a novel clade IIb variant of the mpox virus (MPXV). It differed from the traditional Western and Central Africa disease in transmission patterns and clinical presentation.

Methods: To address the need for detailed clinical and virologic data, we conducted an observational cohort study (MOSAIC) during May 2022-July 2023 in individuals with confirmed MPXV infection enrolled in six European Countries.

Incidence and outcome of hepatitis D virus infection in people with HIV in the era of tenofovir-containing antiretroviral therapy.

Background: Tenofovir-containing antiretroviral therapy (ART) improves survival in HBV-coinfected people with HIV (PWH). We investigated the incidence of HDV infection and its clinical impact in HBV-coinfected PWH in the era of tenofovir-containing ART.

Methods: Between 2011 and 2022, HBV-coinfected PWH were included and followed until December 2023.

Rapid Selection of HIV-2 Capsid Mutations in Salvage Therapy with Lenacapavir-Containing Regimen.

Lenacapavir is the first capsid inhibitor, its use is currently approved for multidrug resistant HIV-1 infection. We report that, despite an initial efficacy of a LEN-containing regimen in patients with multi-drug resistant HIV-2 viruses, virological suppression was not achieved after a year and most patients selected capsid drug-resistance associated mutations.

HIV-1 Viremia and Cancer Risk in 2.8 Million People: the South African HIV Cancer Match Study.

Background: Most research on HIV-1 viremia and cancer risk is from high-income countries. We evaluated the association between HIV-1 viremia and the risk of various cancer types among people with HIV (PWH) in South Africa.

Methods: We analysed data from the South African HIV Cancer Match study, based on laboratory measurements from the National Health Laboratory Services and cancer records from the National Cancer Registry from 2004-2014.

NAT2 Slow Acetylator Phenotype as a Significant Risk Factor for Hepatotoxicity Caused by Antituberculosis Drugs: Results From a Multiethnic Nested Case-Control Study.

Background: Under standard therapies, the incidence of drug-induced liver injury (DILI) in patients with tuberculosis ranges from 2% to 28%. Numerous studies have identified the risk factors for antituberculosis DILI; however, none have been conducted in a multiethnic real-world setting. The primary outcome of the current study was to identify the risk factors that could be used as the best predictors of DILI in a multiethnic cohort.

Atrial Fibrillation after RSV Vaccination Among Older Adults.

RSV vaccine clinical trials reported higher frequencies of atrial fibrillation in intervention groups compared to control. In this large, population-based, propensity-matched study, we found RSV vaccine was not associated with increased risk of new-onset or recurrent atrial fibrillation within 1-42 days compared to influenza or Tdap vaccines.

Virologic failure and emergent integrase strand transfer inhibitor drug resistance with long acting cabotegravir for HIV treatment: A meta-analysis.

Background: The long-acting injectable regimen of cabotegravir plus rilpivirine (CAB/RPV) emerged as an alternative to oral standard of care integrase strand transfer inhibitor (INSTI)-based regimens for individuals with adherence challenges or preference for reduced dosing schedules. Although oral INSTI regimens have a high barrier to emergent resistance, less is known about the potency and durability of CAB/RPV.

Methods: We reviewed clinical trial registries, PubMed, EMBASE, and conference abstract databases to identify published reports of CAB/RPV for HIV therapy.

Immunogenicity, Reactogenicity, and Safety of a Pentavalent Meningococcal ABCWY Vaccine in Adolescents and Young Adults who had Previously Received a Meningococcal ACWY Vaccine: Phase 3, Randomized, Controlled Clinical Study.

Background: A MenABCWY vaccine containing 4CMenB and MenACWY-CRM vaccine components has been developed to protect against the five meningococcal serogroups that cause most invasive disease cases.

Methods: In this phase 3 study (NCT04707391), healthy participants aged 15-25 years, who had received MenACWY vaccination ≥4 years previously, were randomized (1:1) to receive two MenABCWY doses six months apart or one MenACWY-CRM dose. Primary objectives were to demonstrate the non-inferiority of MenABCWY 1 month post-vaccination versus MenACWY-CRM, with a lower limit of 2-sided 95% confidence interval above -10% for group differences in 4-fold rise in human serum bactericidal antibody (hSBA) titers against serogroups ACWY, and to evaluate reactogenicity and safety.

LVAD versus CIED Infections: Distinct Entities, Distinct Suppression Strategies.

A distinction between infections of left ventricular assist devices (LVADs) and cardiac implantable electronic devices (CIEDs) is warranted as they differ markedly in incidence, microbiologic profiles, clinical presentations, and extraction feasibility. These differences necessitate tailored suppressive antibiotic therapy (SAT) strategies. This commentary highlights the need for device-specific SAT approaches.

The Current and Future State of Vaccines for Lyme Disease.

Lyme disease is caused by Borrelia species that are transmitted by Ixodes ticks prevalent in parts of the United States and Europe. A Lyme vaccine containing the OspA antigens from the single Borrelia species most prevalent in the United States was marketed in the 1990s, but was withdrawn because of unproven concerns about safety, which led to insufficient sales. Since then, the incidence of Lyme disease has increased in the United States owing to the geographical spread of infected ticks.

Derivation and Validation of an Electronic Health Record Penicillin Allergy De-Labeling Prevalence Measure.

With no standard method to capture penicillin allergy de-labeling prevalence across populations, we developed and validated a simple penicillin allergy de-labeling prevalence measure from electronic health records that achieved perfect sensitivity (100.0%), high specificity (99.4%), and strong agreement with a comprehensive algorithm that included free-text manual review (Kappa=0.

Time to Staphylococcus aureus Blood Culture Positivity as a risk marker of Infective Endocarditis: A Retrospective Cohort Study.

Background: Endocarditis occurs in approximately 10-15% of patients with Staphylococcus aureus bacteremia. Short time to positivity (TTP) in blood culture flasks has been linked to endocarditis in smaller studies. This study evaluated the association between TTP and endocarditis in S.

Post-COVID Condition Risk Factors and Symptom Clusters and Associations with Return to Pre-COVID Health-Results from a 2021 Multi-State Survey.

Background: Little is known about how symptoms or symptom clusters of Post-COVID Conditions (PCC) impact an individual's return to pre-COVID health.

Methods: We used four state-level COVID-19 case reporting systems and patient-reported survey data to identify patients with PCC and associations with an individual's return to pre-COVID health after laboratory-confirmed SARS-CoV-2 infection. Participants had a positive SARS-CoV-2 test between March-December 2020.

Reinfection and resistance associated substitutions following a minimal monitoring approach for HCV treatment in MINMON trial.

Background: Simplified approaches to HCV treatment delivery are needed to meet elimination goals. However, the impact of low-touch strategies on individuals at higher risk due to treatment failure or reinfection is unknown. We estimated HCV reinfection rates, and the impact of resistance associated substitutions (RASs) on response in the ACTG A5360 (MINMON) trial.

Congenital toxoplasmosis: Fewer clinical signs at 3 years of age over the last 15 years but stable risk of materno-fetal transmission.

Risk and severity of congenital toxoplasmosis were estimated using data from 2,455 consecutive mother/child pairs. Clinical signs at 3 years were halved in the 177 children born since 2009 compared to 1996-2008 (OR=0.49; 95% Confidence interval 0.

Management, outcomes and predictors of mortality of Cryptococcus infection in patients without HIV: a multicentre study in 46 hospitals from Australia and New Zealand.

Background: Limited data exist regarding outcomes of cryptococcosis in patients without HIV with few studies having compared outcomes of Cryptococcus gattii, versus C. neoformans, infection.

Methods: We conducted a retrospective study in 46 Australian and New Zealand hospitals to determine the outcomes of cryptococcosis in patients without HIV diagnosed between 2015 and 2019, and compared outcomes of C.

Morbidity and Mortality Risk Among People With Human Immunodeficiency Virus and Central or Visceral Adiposity: A Targeted Literature Review.

Background: Given the known relationship between human immunodeficiency virus (HIV), antiretroviral therapies, and excess visceral adipose tissue (VAT), this review sought to characterize risk of negative health outcomes associated with excess VAT and increased waist circumference (WC) in people with HIV (PWH).

Methods: Comprehensive targeted literature searches were conducted in Medline/Embase (27 June 2022), identifying peer-reviewed articles and conference abstracts reporting on cohorts of PWH. Screening was guided by PECOS (Population, Exposure, Comparator, Outcomes, Study design) criteria.

Glucocorticoid dosing and implications for vaccination: Evolution of global definitions.

Despite widespread adoption of "high-dose" glucocorticoid definitions across international immunisation guidelines (i.e., prednisone-equivalent dosing >20 mg/day, or >2 mg/kg/day in children), the rationale remains unclear.

Relationship Between Acute Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome Coronavirus 2 Viral Clearance and Long Coronavirus 2019 (Long COVID) Symptoms: A Cohort Study.

Background: The relationship between severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) viral dynamics during acute infection and the development of long coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19), or "long COVID," is largely unknown.

Methods: Between October 2021 and February 2022, 7361 people not known to have COVID-19 self-collected nasal swab samples for SARS-CoV-2 reverse-transcription polymerase chain reaction testing every 24-48 hours for 10-14 days. Participants whose first known SARS-CoV-2 infection was detected were surveyed for long COVID in August 2023.