Antibiotics Usage and Avoidance in Germany and Poland: Attitudes and Knowledge of Patients, Physicians, and Pharmacists.

Antimicrobial resistance poses a significant global health threat, partly due to the overprescription of antibiotics. Understanding prescribers' behaviors and identifying knowledge gaps and misconceptions are essential for addressing antibiotic misuse and inappropriate use. Through online questionnaires, this study surveyed key stakeholders in outpatient antibiotic use in Germany (DE) and Poland (PL), including patients, physicians, and pharmacists.

Gram-negative bloodstream infections in six German university hospitals, 2016-2020: clinical and microbiological features.

Purpose: To analyze the longitudinal epidemiology and antimicrobial resistance (AMR) patterns of Gram-negative bloodstream infections (BSI) in Germany.

Methods: Post-hoc analysis of prospectively documented BSI due to Escherichia coli, Klebsiella spp., Enterobacter spp.

Bi-institutional analysis of microbiological spectrum and therapeutic management of parotid abscesses.

Background: A parotid abscess (PA) is a complication of an acute bacterial parotitis with a potentially life-threatening course. To date, data on the diagnosis and therapy of PA is sparse and mostly consists of case reports or case series. Therefore, this study aimed at comprehensively analyzing the microbiological spectrum and the therapeutic management in a bi-institutional setting.

Occurrence and trends of Clostridioides difficile infections in hospitalized patients: a prospective multi-centre cohort study in six German university hospitals, 2016-2020.

Background: For Clostridioides difficile infections (CDIs) in Germany no longitudinal multi-centre studies with standardized protocols for diagnosing CDI are available. Recent evaluations of general surveillance databases in Germany indicate a downward trend in CDI rates. We aimed to describe the actual burden and trends of CDI in German university hospitals from 2016 to 2020.

Intestinal helminth co-infection and associated factors among pulmonary tuberculosis patients in Africa and Asia: a systematic review and meta-analysis.

Introduction: Tuberculosis (TB) and intestinal helminths have huge public health importance, and they are geographically overlapped. Data about the burden of intestinal helminth and TB co-infection in these areas are fragmented. In this systematic review and meta-analysis we compile the current literatures and generate pooled prevalence.

Increasing numbers and complexity of Staphylococcus aureus bloodstream infection-14 years of prospective evaluation at a German tertiary care centre with multi-centre validation of findings.

Objectives: Staphylococcus aureus bloodstream infection (SAB) is a common and severe infection. This study aims to describe temporal trends in numbers, epidemiological characteristics, clinical manifestations, and outcomes of SAB.

Methods: We performed a post-hoc analysis of three prospective SAB cohorts at the University Medical Centre Freiburg between 2006 and 2019.

Towards Genetic Dissection of Skeletal Class III Malocclusion: A Review of Genetic Variations Underlying the Phenotype in Humans and Future Directions.

Introduction: Skeletal abnormalities and malocclusions have varied features that impact populations globally, impairing aesthetics and lowering life quality. The prevalence of the Skeletal Class III disease is the lowest among all angle malocclusions, with varied prevalence across nations. Environmental, genetic, and societal factors play a role in its numerous etiologies.

Comparison of Five Different Selective Agar for the Detection of Vancomycin-Resistant .

Five commercially available selective agar were evaluated regarding sensitivity and specificity to detect vancomycin-resistant () . Altogether 187 strains were included, comprising 119 -carrying strains (phenotypically vancomycin-resistant = 105; phenotypically vancomycin-susceptible VVE-B = 14) and 68 vancomycin-susceptible isolates. Limit of detection was calculated for each selective agar for pure cultures, stool suspensions and artificial rectal swabs.

Association between Adverse Reactions and Humoral Immune Response No Longer Detectable after BNT162b2 Booster Vaccination.

In a previous study, we described a highly significant association between reactogenicity and SARS-CoV-2 RBD IgG titers and wild-type neutralization capacity in males after basic vaccination with BNT162b2. The objective of this study was to assess whether this benefit was long lasting and also evident after BNT162b2 booster vaccination. Reactogenicity was classified into three groups: no or minor injection site symptoms, moderate (not further classified) and severe adverse reactions (defined as any symptom(s) resulting in sick leave).

Humoral immunity in dually vaccinated SARS-CoV-2-naïve individuals and in booster-vaccinated COVID-19-convalescent subjects.

Background: The immune response to COVID-19-vaccination differs between naïve vaccinees and those who were previously infected with SARS-CoV-2. Longitudinal quantitative and qualitative serological differences in these two distinct immunological subgroups in response to vaccination are currently not well studied.

Methods: We investigate a cohort of SARS-CoV-2-naïve and COVID-19-convalescent individuals immediately after vaccination and 6 months later.

Association between Reactogenicity and Immunogenicity after Vaccination with BNT162b2.

It is not clear whether there is an association between adverse reactions and immune response after vaccination. Seven hundred and thirty-five vaccinees from our University Medical Center vaccination clinic provided information about sex, age and adverse reactions after first and second vaccination with BNT162b2. Adverse reactions were categorized into three groups: no or minor on the injection side, moderate (not further classified) and severe-defined as any symptom(s) resulting in sick leave.

Adherence to STIKO recommendations in patients with pulmonary disease in southeast Germany.

Background: Vaccinations are among the most effective preventative healthcare measures. The aim of this cross-sectional study was to evaluate the adherence of adults with pre-existing pulmonary conditions to the national vaccination schedule and to identify reasons for poor adherence.

Methods: All patients with an appointment at Donaustauf hospital between October 2019 and April 2020 were asked to bring their vaccination certificates for evaluation and to compete a questionnaire.

Immunity after COVID-19 and vaccination: follow-up study over 1 year among medical personnel.

Background: The long-term course of immunity among individuals with a history of COVID-19, in particular among those who received a booster vaccination, has not been well defined so far.

Methods: SARS-CoV-2-specific antibody levels were measured by ELISA over 1 year among 136 health care workers infected during the first COVID-19 wave and in a subgroup after booster vaccination approximately 1 year later. Furthermore, spike-protein-reactive memory T cells were quantified approximately 7 months after the infection and after booster vaccination.

Coronavirus Pseudotypes for All Circulating Human Coronaviruses for Quantification of Cross-Neutralizing Antibody Responses.

The novel coronavirus SARS-CoV-2 is the seventh identified human coronavirus. Understanding the extent of pre-existing immunity induced by seropositivity to endemic seasonal coronaviruses and the impact of cross-reactivity on COVID-19 disease progression remains a key research question in immunity to SARS-CoV-2 and the immunopathology of COVID-2019 disease. This paper describes a panel of lentiviral pseudotypes bearing the spike (S) proteins for each of the seven human coronaviruses (HCoVs), generated under similar conditions optimized for high titre production allowing a high-throughput investigation of antibody neutralization breadth.

Exploring the evolution and epidemiology of European CC1-MRSA-IV: tracking a multidrug-resistant community-associated meticillin-resistant clone.

This study investigated the evolution and epidemiology of the community-associated and multidrug-resistant clone European CC1-MRSA-IV. Whole-genome sequences were obtained for 194 European CC1-MRSA-IV isolates (189 of human and 5 of animal origin) from 12 countries, and 10 meticillin-susceptible precursors (from North-Eastern Romania; all of human origin) of the clone. Phylogenetic analysis was performed using a maximum-likelihood approach, a time-measured phylogeny was reconstructed using Bayesian analysis, and microarray genotyping was performed to identify resistance, virulence-associated and SCC (staphylococcal cassette chromosome ) genes.

Prophylaxis and treatment of influenza: options, antiviral susceptibility, and existing recommendations.

Influenza viruses of types A and B attack 5-10% of adults and 20-30% of children, thereby causing millions of acute respiratory infections in Germany annually. A significant number of these infections are associated with complications such as pneumonia and bacterial superinfections that need hospitalization and might lead to death. In addition to vaccines, drugs were developed that might support influenza prevention and that can be used to treat influenza patients.

Brief report: attitudes towards Covid-19 vaccination among hospital employees in a tertiary care university hospital in Germany in December 2020.

Coronavirus disease 2019 (Covid-19) vaccination is essential to fight the pandemic. Health care workers (HCWs) are prioritized to get vaccinated, yet uptake of recommended vaccinations is known to be low in this group. In a tertiary care university hospital with a high number of Covid-19 patients in intensive care, 59.