- Understanding viral blips in people with HIV on antiretroviral therapy: a nationwide Swedish cohort study of 4,210 individuals. [Journal Article]
- CONCLUSIONS: Individuals on INSTI- and NNRTI-based ART had fewer viral blips than those on PI-based ART. In this cohort, transient viremia below 500 HIV RNA copies/mL was not associated with a higher risk of subsequent virological failure.
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- Prevalence of Y93H resistance-associated substitution in treatment-naïve hepatitis C virus genotype 1b patients: a systematic review and meta-analysis. [Systematic Review]
- CONCLUSIONS: The Y93H substitution is a frequent naturally occurring variant in untreated HCV genotype 1b infection. Despite reduced clinical relevance with pangenotypic DAAs, its persistence warrants continued monitoring. Standardized sequencing and global resistance surveillance remain essential for optimizing treatment strategies and informing antiviral policy.
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- Neglected tropical diseases in the Arabian Peninsula: a systematic review of leishmaniasis and rickettsioses. [Systematic Review]
- CONCLUSIONS: Leishmaniasis remains a public health challenge in the Arabian Peninsula, particularly in Saudi Arabia. In contrast, rickettsioses are likely underdiagnosed due to limited surveillance and diagnostic capacity. Improved, integrated surveillance systems, paired with febrile illness investigations that include diagnostic testing for rickettsial pathogens, will lead to fewer missed cases, contributing to disease detection and control.
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- Changes in the microbial spectrum and antimicrobial resistance of bloodstream infections in intensive care units before and during the COVID-19 pandemic. [Journal Article]
- CONCLUSIONS: During the COVID-19 pandemic, Gram-negative pathogens continued to predominate among BSIs identified in ICUs, with an observed trend toward increased antimicrobial resistance, particularly among Enterobacterales species. Notably, prior antibiotic exposure was identified as the key independent determinant of MDR status in K. pneumoniae. Given the dynamic nature of pathogen distribution and resistance profiles in BSIs, consideration of local and period-specific resistance patterns in ICU settings may help inform empirical antimicrobial treatment strategies.
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- Determinants of uptake of praziquantel, chemotherapy for schistosomiasis treatment during mass drug administration in Busia County, Kenya. [Journal Article]
- CONCLUSIONS: The findings indicate that PZQ uptake was below the WHO-recommended level. Effective community sensitization prior to MDA is a critical determinant of improving PZQ coverage and schistosomiasis MDA. Community sensitization should be enhanced to address individual drug-related perceptions in the target community, which leads to better MDA outcomes.
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- Antimicrobial resistance patterns and difficult-to-treat resistance in uropathogens among diabetic and non-diabetic patients: a cross-sectional study. [Journal Article]
- CONCLUSIONS: Despite lower culture positivity rates among diabetic patients, diabetic UTI cases demonstrated substantially higher AMR burden and DTR compared to non-diabetics. P. aeruginosa showed highest DTR prevalence. Penicillin and tetracycline resistance were markedly elevated in diabetic UTIs, while nitrofurantoin and fosfomycin maintained high effectiveness in both groups. These findings emphasize that diabetes is strongly associated with greater therapeutic complexity and multidrug resistance burden, necessitating resistance-guided empirical therapy and regional antibiogram surveillance for optimal UTI management.
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- Disseminated Nocardia brasiliensis causing septic arthritis in a patient with non-small cell lung adenocarcinoma: a case report. [Case Reports]
- CONCLUSIONS: This case highlights that Nocardia brasiliensis can cause disseminated musculoskeletal infection including septic arthritis in immunocompromised patients without clear environmental exposure. In patients with chronic kidney disease, standard first-line therapies may be contraindicated, making early species identification and susceptibility-guided therapy essential, particularly given the potential for carbapenem resistance. The central lesson is that empiric carbapenem therapy may fail in N. brasiliensis and that renal impairment narrows treatment options, so timely identification and susceptibility-directed therapy directly determine management, particularly when advanced malignancy further constrains care.
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- Prevalence and determinants of metabolic abnormalities among adult tuberculosis patients at Gondar Town, Northwest Ethiopia: an institution-based comparative cross-sectional study. [Journal Article]
- CONCLUSIONS: This study provides the first institution-based comparative estimate of metabolic abnormality burden among TB patients in Gondar Town, northwest Ethiopia. The overall prevalence of composite metabolic abnormality was 48.46% among TB patients and 43.85% among controls a difference that did not reach statistical significance (p = 0.455). Similarly, between-group differences in the categorical prevalence of individual conditions including hypertension, hyperglycemia, overall dyslipidemia, and central obesity did not reach statistical significance. However, TB patients exhibited statistically significant differences in key continuous biochemical parameters compared to controls including significantly higher mean triglycerides, LDL-cholesterol, and fasting blood glucose, and significantly lower mean HDL-cholesterol and BMI. Patients aged 45 years and above, female patients, and heavy alcohol consumers represent high-risk subgroups who should be prioritized for targeted metabolic screening. These findings provide locally grounded evidence to support the integration of lipid profile and fasting blood glucose testing into routine TB treatment follow-up within the Ethiopian national TB program, particularly at referral-level facilities in northwest Ethiopia.
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- Brucella melitensis infection complicated by secondary hemophagocytic lymphohistiocytosis, meningitis, and multiorgan damage: a case report and literature review. [Case Reports]
- CONCLUSIONS: This case reflects the severe nature of brucellosis when atypical multiorgan involvement is present and highlights the diagnostic challenges and the importance of early and standardized treatment. Maintaining a high level of clinical suspicion and achieving an early definite diagnosis are key to improving treatment outcomes and prognosis. In addition, this case report helps expand the known spectrum of clinical complications related to brucellosis.
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- Adverse fetal and neonatal outcomes and associated factors among malaria infected parturient at Wallaga University Comprehensive Specialized Hospital, Western Ethiopia. [Journal Article]
- CONCLUSIONS: Nearly four in ten study participants experienced adverse fetal and neonatal outcomes. The risk is highest for participants from rural areas, experiencing their first pregnancy, struggling with moderate to severe anemia, or failing to complete at least five antenatal care contacts. Therefore, targeted interventions should prioritize anemia prevention and management, specialized monitoring for primigravidas, and rural outreach to ensure women complete at least five antenatal care contacts.
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- Mixed infection with multiple bacteria and microsporidia (Enterocytozoon bieneusi) in a post-renal transplant patient: a case report. [Case Reports]
- CONCLUSIONS: This case underscores the diagnostic value of mNGS in identifying rare, opportunistic pathogens in immunocompromised hosts. Successful management requires a multidisciplinary approach, combining targeted antimicrobial therapy, immunomodulation, and aggressive supportive care.
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- Performance of recombinase polymerase amplification assay for cutaneous leishmaniasis detection: a systematic review and meta-analysis. [Systematic Review]
- CONCLUSIONS: RPA demonstrated high specificity and good sensitivity for CL diagnosis but fell short of the 95% sensitivity threshold outlined in the WHO target product profile. In contrast to MSL, LFA appears to be a promising PoC method for diagnosing CL. Data on RPA-MSL remains limited, and its applicability to other Leishmania species causing CL is unclear. Future research should focus on the evaluation of RPA for Old World CL species and strains.
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- Controlling nutritional status score as a novel prognostic tool for hospital mortality risk stratification in sepsis: a large-scale retrospective cohort analysis. [Journal Article]
- CONCLUSIONS: Higher CONUT scores were independently associated with increased risk of hospital mortality in sepsis patients. The CONUT score might serve as a valuable prognostic indicator for risk stratification in sepsis.
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- Clinical factors associated with CT-confirmed pneumonia in febrile patients: a retrospective study addressing verification bias with inverse probability weighting. [Journal Article]
- CONCLUSIONS: Older age and higher inflammatory burden, particularly elevated CRP, were independently associated with CT-confirmed pneumonia in febrile patients. Adjustment for verification bias using IPW supported the robustness of the main findings. A multivariable model based on these factors showed modest discrimination and may assist with preliminary risk stratification, whereas the positive association involving LMR was parameterization-dependent and should be interpreted as an exploratory finding.
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- High tetracycline and azithromycin resistance of Neisseria gonorrhoeae impacting treatment and doxyPEP use - antimicrobial susceptibility patterns of isolates from a prospective cohort of men who have sex with men in Wroclaw, Lower Silesia, Poland 2022-2024 - final report. [Journal Article]
- CONCLUSIONS: Ceftriaxone and cefixime remain highly effective first-line agents against NG in Poland, whereas high resistance rates dictate that azithromycin should be relegated to alternative therapy status in national guidelines. Furthermore, the high prevalence of tetracycline resistance may compromise the efficacy of doxyPEP. Finally, the initial cohort of 100 MSM was statistically sufficient to accurately ascertain core antimicrobial resistance patterns.
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