- Diagnostic accuracy of cerebrospinal fluid gram stain for bacterial meningitis in patients with a suspected central nervous system infection. [Journal Article]Clin Microbiol Infect. 2026 Aug 17. [Online ahead of print]CM
- CONCLUSIONS: CSF Gram stain has excellent specificity but low sensitivity for the diagnosis of bacterial meningitis in patients with a suspected CNS infection. While positive results reliably confirm disease, the impact on clinical management is modest.
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- Reduced outpatient antibiotic prescribing is not associated with increased incidence of upper respiratory tract infections and complications: a large population-based cohort study. [Journal Article]Clin Microbiol Infect. 2026 Aug 17. [Online ahead of print]CM
- CONCLUSIONS: Despite significant reductions in antibiotic prescribing over the 10-year study period, we found a decline in primary URTI episodes and low rates of complications. These findings support the safety of current prescribing levels and clinical practice guidelines for URTIs, as well as ongoing national AMS programmes.
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- Chimeric antigen receptor (CAR) therapy in infectious diseases: emerging applications with a focus on invasive fungal infections. [Review]Clin Microbiol Infect. 2026 Aug 17. [Online ahead of print]CM
- CONCLUSIONS: CAR-based immunotherapy represents a novel and potentially transformative approach for the management of severe infections in immunocompromised patients, particularly those with refractory or multidrug-resistant disease. Advances in manufacturing, target selection, and combination strategies will be essential to overcome current limitations. Further clinical studies are needed to define their safety, efficacy, and positioning within existing therapeutic frameworks.
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- An Introduction to the Machine Learning Lifecycle for Clinical Microbiology. [Review]Clin Microbiol Infect. 2026 Aug 15. [Online ahead of print]CM
- CONCLUSIONS: Successful AI implementation in microbiology demands alignment with laboratory workflows, transparency and interpretability of model behavior, robust performance under real-world variability, and strong data governance. Addressing these factors is essential for translating promising methodological advances into solutions to enhance diagnostics, antimicrobial stewardship, and infection prevention.
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- Beyond one-sizes-fits-all: the promise and pitfalls of stratified medicine in tuberculosis. [Editorial]Clin Microbiol Infect. 2026 Aug 14. [Online ahead of print]CM
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- Twenty-one years, twenty hospitals, zero reinfections: Puumala virus follow-up in Styria, Austria. [Letter]Clin Microbiol Infect. 2026 Aug 14. [Online ahead of print]CM
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- Diagnostic accuracy of the rapid polymyxin test for colistin resistance in Gram-negative bacteria: a systematic review and meta-analysis. [Review]Clin Microbiol Infect. 2026 Aug 14. [Online ahead of print]CM
- CONCLUSIONS: The rapid polymyxin test demonstrates high diagnostic accuracy, particularly for Enterobacterales, but substantial heterogeneity and limited data for non-fermenters warrant caution. Implementation should be accompanied by confirmatory testing, especially in settings with a high prevalence of non-fermenting Gram-negative bacilli.
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- An updated systematic review on antimicrobial resistance among Salmonella Typhi worldwide. [Review]Clin Microbiol Infect. 2026 Aug 14. [Online ahead of print]CM
- CONCLUSIONS: The expansion of MDR Salmonella Typhi in Africa and regional emergence of XDR Salmonella Typhi in Asia compromise typhoid treatment and support typhoid prevention including by vaccination.
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- Immunomodulating treatments for bacterial meningitis and viral encephalitis. [Review]Clin Microbiol Infect. 2026 Aug 14. [Online ahead of print]CM
- CONCLUSIONS: Studies on the modulation of the inflammatory response in bacterial meningitis showed adjunctive dexamethasone should be routinely used in patients with community-acquired bacterial meningitis. Other immunomodulating treatments in bacterial meningitis are currently not advised. There is no convincing evidence for immunosuppressive treatment in patients with viral encephalitis. Whether early corticosteroid treatment is beneficial in HSV encephalitis should be evaluated in a new RCT.
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- Derivation of clinical subphenotypes of candidemia and their association with mortality: a nationwide multicentre retrospective cohort study. [Journal Article]Clin Microbiol Infect. 2026 Aug 14. [Online ahead of print]CM
- CONCLUSIONS: Four clinically distinct candidemia subphenotypes were identified and were associated with progressively increasing mortality, suggesting the potential prognostic relevance of subphenotype-based stratification. External validation is required to confirm their reproducibility and clinical relevance.
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- Herpes Zoster vaccination coverage and its determinants in older adults: A Meta-analysis. [Review]Clin Microbiol Infect. 2026 Aug 13. [Online ahead of print]CM
- CONCLUSIONS: Herpes zoster vaccination coverage remains low and highly unequal. Uptake is mainly driven by healthcare system organization and integration within adult immunization programs, highlighting the importance of structured vaccination policies to improve prevention worldwide.
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- Effect of sulfadoxine-pyrimethamine resistance on birthweight and parasite persistence among women receiving intermittent preventive treatment for malaria in pregnancy in Northern Uganda: a directed acyclic graph-guided analysis. [Journal Article]Clin Microbiol Infect. 2026 Aug 13. [Online ahead of print]CM
- CONCLUSIONS: Resistant haplotypes affected neither birthweight nor persistence. However, birthweight was significantly inferior among primigravidae despite SP-IPTp, and post-infection dosing was associated with increased risk of persistence.
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- When Should Antimicrobial Stewardship Begin in Septic Shock? [Letter]Clin Microbiol Infect. 2026 Aug 12. [Online ahead of print]CM
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- Re: 'Extended-pulsed fidaxomicin versus conventional dosing in patients at high risk of recurrence of Clostridioides difficile infection' by Rubio-Martín et al. [Letter]Clin Microbiol Infect. 2026 Aug 11. [Online ahead of print]CM
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- Ins and outs of anti-Aspergillus serology in chronic pulmonary aspergillosis: a narrative review. [Review]Clin Microbiol Infect. 2026 Aug 10. [Online ahead of print]CM
- CONCLUSIONS: Further work should prioritize assay standardization, locally validated cut-offs, and evaluation of serial serology alongside imaging, microbiology, and therapeutic drug monitoring.
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