Coinfections and antimicrobial treatment in a cohort of falciparum malaria in a non-endemic country: a 10-year experience.

INTRODUCTION: Falciparum malaria remains one of the deadliest infectious diseases worldwide. In Germany, it is mainly an imported infection among travellers. Rates of coinfection are often unknown, and a clinical rationale for the beneficial use of calculated antibiotic therapy in patients with malaria and suspected coinfection is lacking. METHODS: We conducted an analysis of all in-patients treated with falciparum malaria at a German infectious diseases centre in vicinity to one of Europe's major airports for 2010-2019. Logistic regression and time-to-event analysis were used to evaluate predictors for bacterial coinfection, the use of antibacterial substances, as well as their influence on clinical course. RESULTS: In total, 264 patients were included. Of those, 64% received an additional antibacterial therapy (n = 169). Twenty-nine patients (11.0%) were found to have suffered from a relevant bacterial coinfection, while only a small fraction had relevant bacteremia (n = 3, 1.4%). However, patients with severe malaria did not suffer from coinfections more frequently (p = 0.283). CRP levels were not a reliable predictor for a bacterial coinfection (OR 0.99, 95% CI 0.94-1.06, p = 0.850), while another clinical focus of infection was positively associated (OR 3.86, 95% CI 1.45-11.55, p = 0.010). CONCLUSION: Although bacterial coinfections were rare in patients with malaria at our centre, the risk does not seem negligible. These data point rather towards individual risk assessment in respective patients than to general empiric antibiotic use.

Extracorporeal membrane oxygenation (ECMO) in patients with tuberculosis: systematic review and meta-analysis of 43 cases.

INTRODUCTION: Tuberculosis (TB) is still a major contributor to the global health burden. Pulmonary TB can lead to life-threatening respiratory failure necessitating extracorporeal membrane oxygenation (ECMO) therapy. However, data on ECMO experience in the management of TB patients are scarce. METHODS: We conducted a systematic review of the literature using the search terms ECMO, extracorporeal membrane oxygenation, TB and tuberculosis in three databases (Medline, Web of Science and EMBASE). Clinical data were extracted by two independent investigators. Clinical parameters, such as mode of ECMO therapy, duration of treatment and clinical outcomes, were assessed. RESULTS: Overall, 43 patients from 15 countries were included in the analysis. The age ranged from 0 to 65 years, 39.5% were male, and 60.5% were female. The majority of patients suffered from ARDS (83.4%), with a mean Horovitz quotient of 68.1 (range 30.0-131.0). 83.7% received VV-ECMO, and 24.3% received VA-ECMO. Coinfections and complications were frequently observed (45.5% and 48.6% respectively). At the end of the respective observation period, the overall outcome was excellent, with 81.4% survival. DISCUSSION: ECMO therapy in TB patients appears to be a feasible therapeutic option, providing a bridge until antimycobacterial therapy takes effect. As the underlying cause is reversible, we advocate for the evaluation of ECMO usage in these patients with acute cardiac or respiratory failure.

Sexually transmitted diseases in people living with HIV after implementation of cost coverage of HIV pre-exposure prophylaxis by statutory health insurance in Germany.

OBJECTIVES: After pre-exposure prophylaxis (PrEP) was introduced, rates of sexually transmitted infections (STIs) increased among PrEP users. However, data on STI trends in people living with HIV since then are limited. Since September 2019, PrEP has been covered by statutory German health insurance (SHI) in vulnerable groups. This study aimed to determine whether this coverage of PrEP costs affected STI rates in people living with HIV (specifically, men who have sex with men). METHODS: All patients of the HIVCENTER Frankfurt diagnosed with at least one STI within the observation period were retrospectively enrolled in the study. STIs included infection with Treponema pallidum, Chlamydia trachomatis, Neisseria gonorrhoeae, and/or Trichomonas vaginalis. The observation period covered 1 year before and 1 year after the coverage of PrEP costs by German SHI. Data were collected from outpatient clinic records. RESULTS: In total, 143 patients were enrolled in the study. The observation period was September 2018 to August 2019 for group 1 (n = 73) and September 2019 to August 2020 for group 2 (n = 70). The most frequent STIs were syphilis and infections due to chlamydia, gonococci, and trichomonads, in descending order. Infections with T. pallidum occurred more often in group 2 than in group 1 (60.0% vs. 50.7%; p = 0.253) as did chlamydia (37.1% vs. 28.8%; p = 0.286). CONCLUSIONS: A tendency for an increased ratio of STIs in people living with HIV was observed after the introduction of PrEP coverage by German SHI. STIs should be discussed intensively with people living with HIV, since the communities of PrEP users and people living with HIV overlap, and changes in risk behaviour might influence both groups.

Occurrence of extrapulmonary tuberculosis is associated with geographical origin: spatial characteristics of the Frankfurt TB cohort 2013-2018.

INTRODUCTION: Tuberculosis (TB) is caused by M. tuberculosis complex (MTB) and pulmonary tuberculosis (PTB) is its classical manifestation. However, in some regions of the world, extrapulmonary TB (EPTB) seems to be more frequent. METHODS: We performed a retrospective cohort study of all TB patients treated at University Hospital Frankfurt, Germany, for the time period 2013-2018. Patient charts were reviewed and demographic, clinical, and microbiological data recorded. Patients were subdivided according to their geographic origins. RESULTS: Of the 378 included patients, 309 were born outside Germany (81.7%). Three WHO regions were significantly associated with the occurrence of isolated EPTB: the South-East Asian Region (OR 3.37, CI 1.74-6.66, p < 0.001), the African Region (2.20, CI 1.25-3.90, p = 0.006), and the Eastern Mediterranean Region (OR 3.18, CI 1.78-5.76, p < 0.001). On a country level, seven countries of origin could be demonstrated to be significantly associated with the occurrence of isolated EPTB: India (OR 5.58, CI 2.30-14.20, p < 0.001), Nepal (OR 12.75, CI 1.73-259.28, p = 0.027), Afghanistan (OR 3.64, CI 1.14-11.98, p = 0.029), Pakistan (OR 3.64, CI 1.14-11.98, p = 0.029), Eritrea (OR 3.32, CI 1.52-7.47, p = 0.003), Somalia (OR 7.08, CI 2.77-19.43, p < 0.001), and Turkey (OR 9.56, CI 2.52-47.19, p = 0.002). CONCLUSION: Geographical origin is a predictor for the occurrence of extrapulmonary TB. This might be linked to a delay in diagnosis in these patients, as well as specific responsible impairments of the host's immune system, possible virulence factors of MTB, and relevant comorbidities.

Antimicrobial Susceptibility and Phylogenetic Relations in a German Cohort Infected with Mycobacterium abscessus.

Mycobacterium abscessus is a highly antibiotic-resistant opportunistic pathogen causing clinically challenging infections in patients with preexisting lung diseases or under immunosuppression. Hence, reliable antibiotic susceptibility data are required for effective treatment. Aims of this study were to investigate (i) the congruence of genotypic and phenotypic antimicrobial susceptibility testing, (ii) the relationship between resistance profile and clinical course, and (iii) the phylogenetic relations of M. abscessus in a German patient cohort. A total of 39 isolates from 29 patients infected or colonized with M. abscessus underwent genotypic and phenotypic drug susceptibility testing. Clinical data were correlated with susceptibility data. Phylogenetic analysis was performed by means of whole-genome sequencing (WGS) and single-nucleotide polymorphism (SNP) analysis. Macrolide resistance was mainly mediated by functional Erm(41) methyltransferases (T28 sequevars) in M. abscessus subsp. abscessus (n = 25) and M. abscessus subsp. bolletii (n = 2). It was significantly associated with impaired culture conversion (P = 0.02). According to the core SNP phylogeny, we identified three clusters of closely related isolates with SNP distances below 25. Representatives of all circulating global clones (Absc. 1, Absc. 2, and Mass. 1) were identified in our cohort. However, we could not determine evidence for in-hospital interhuman transmission from clinical data. In our patient cohort, we identified three M. abscessus clusters with closely related isolates and representatives of the previously described international clusters but no human-to-human in-hospital transmission. Macrolide and aminoglycoside susceptibility data are critical for therapeutic decision-making in M. abscessus infections.

Species distribution and clinical features of infection and colonisation with non-tuberculous mycobacteria in a tertiary care centre, central Germany, 2006-2016.

PURPOSE: NTM are ubiquitous bacteria that can cause colonisation and infection in immunocompetent and compromised hosts. The aim of this study was to elucidate the epidemiology of infection or colonisation with NTM for the metropolitan region of Frankfurt, Germany. METHODS: All patients from whom NTM were isolated within the period from 2006 to 2016 were included in this retrospective analysis. Patient data were retrieved using the local patient data management system. Different groups were formed according to clinical manifestations, underlying diseases and mycobacterial species. They were compared in regard to mortality, duration of infection/colonisation and their geographical origins. RESULTS: A total of 297 patients with a median of 28 new patients each year were included. Most patients suffered from lung infection or colonisation (72.7%, n = 216), followed by disseminated mycobacteriosis (12.5%, n = 37). The majority were HIV-positive, suffering from malignoma or cystic fibrosis (29.3%, n = 87, 16.2%, n = 48, and 13.8%, n = 41, respectively). 17.2% of patients showed no predisposing condition (n = 51). Mycobacterium avium complex (MAC) species were most frequently isolated (40.7%, n = 121). Infection/colonisation was longest in CF patients (median of 1094 days). The mortality was highest in malignoma patients (52.4%), while CF patients had the lowest overall mortality rate (5.3%). But mortality analysis showed non-significant results within different mycobacterial species and clinical manifestations. CONCLUSION: NTM remain rare but underestimated pathogens in lung and disseminated disease. MAC were the species most frequently isolated. Depending on species and underlying predispositions, the duration of infection/colonisation can be unexpectedly long.

Clinical spectrum and relevance of Mycobacterium malmoense: Systematic review and meta-analysis of 859 patients.

INTRODUCTION: The clinical relevance of Mycobacterium malmoense isolation from pulmonary specimens has been considered high compared with other non-tuberculous mycobacteria. In this study, we aimed to analyse all published clinical data of patients with M. malmoense isolation to investigate the clinical spectrum, relevance, and outcomes of infections with this uncommon mycobacterium. METHODS: A systematic review of PubMed, Web of Science, Embase, and Scopus was performed to identify all clinical data about M. malmoense. Random effects meta-analyses of proportions were calculated for clinical relevance, treatment success, and mortality, as well as for other clinical characteristics. A logistic regression analysis, investigating predictors of mortality, as well as Kaplan-Meier survival analyses, were performed. RESULTS: One hundred and eighty eight patients with individual data from 112 articles and 671 patients with pooled data from 12 articles were included in the meta-analyses. Of patients with individual data, pulmonary infection was the most common manifestation (n = 106/188, 56.4%). One third (n = 61/188, 32.4%) suffered from isolated extra-pulmonary and 21/188 (11.2%) from disseminated disease. In 288 patients with pooled data and pulmonary affection, clinical relevance was high with 68% (95% CI 44-85%) of patients fulfilling criteria for clinical disease. Macrolide and rifamycin-containing regimens were associated with improved survival (adjusted OR 0.12, 95% CI 0.03-0.42, p = 0.002, and 0.23, 95% CI 0.04-0.86, p = 0.03, for lethal events, respectively). CONCLUSION: In this study, we provide a detailed clinical description of M. malmoense infections. The pathogen is of high clinical relevance for the individual patient with more than 2 out of 3 patients having relevant disease and >40% of manifestations being extra-pulmonary or disseminated. Macrolide and rifamycin-containing regimens are associated with improved survival.

Correction: Is a higher frequency of esophageal dilations more effective in treating benign esophageal strictures? Retrospective, multicenter study.

[This corrects the article DOI: 10.1055/a-2117-8197.].

Is a higher frequency of esophageal dilations more effective in treating benign esophageal strictures? Retrospective, multicenter study.

Background and study aims There is still a lack of evidence-based recommendations concerning endoscopic bougienage in benign esophageal strictures. Our study aimed to assess the relevance of the time interval between endoscopic dilation (ED) sessions with regard to endoscopic and clinical response. Patients and methods We performed a retrospective study including patients treated with endoscopic bougienage for a benign esophageal stricture in two German centers. Primary endpoint was the number of ED until freedom from dysphagia was achieved. Secondary endpoints were analyses on reaching a diameter of 15 mm and on achieving clinical freedom from symptoms. Results Between April 2014 and March 2020, bougienage was used as the primary treatment for benign esophageal strictures in 238 patients (194 patients in Center 1; 44 patients in Center 2). Both centers differed in their endoscopic bougienage regime: Center 1 was characterized by a higher frequency of interventions compared to Center 2 (median: 2 days [range 1-28] vs. 10 days [range 1-41]; P <0.001). Clinical response was achieved significantly earlier using the high-frequency regimen in all patients except for those with post-radiogen strictures, who clinically benefited from a low-frequency ED program. Accordingly, patients receiving higher-frequency ED reached a significantly larger post-dilation diameter and considerably larger diameter differences. Conclusions The results of our study demonstrate that a treatment concept consisting of higher-frequency bougienages seems to be more effective in treating most types of esophageal stricture. Radiogenic strictures were the only types of stenoses that benefited from a lower frequency ED program.

Transcriptomics of Marburg virus-infected primary proximal tubular cells reveals negative correlation of immune response and energy metabolism.

Marburg virus, a member of the Filoviridae, is the causative agent of Marburg virus disease (MVD), a hemorrhagic fever with a case fatality rate of up to 90 %. Acute kidney injury is common in MVD and is associated with increased mortality, but its pathogenesis in MVD remains poorly understood. Interestingly, autopsies show the presence of viral proteins in different parts of the nephron, particularly in proximal tubular cells (PTC). These findings suggest a potential role for the virus in the development of MVD-related kidney injury. To shed light on this effect, we infected primary human PTC with Lake Victoria Marburg virus and conducted transcriptomic analysis at multiple time points. Unexpectedly, infection did not induce marked cytopathic effects in primary tubular cells at 20 and 40 h post infection. However, gene expression analysis revealed robust renal viral replication and dysregulation of genes essential for different cellular functions. The gene sets mainly downregulated in PTC were associated with the targets of the transcription factors MYC and E2F, DNA repair, the G2M checkpoint, as well as oxidative phosphorylation. Importantly, the downregulated factors comprise PGC-1α, a well-known factor in acute and chronic kidney injury. By contrast, the most highly upregulated gene sets were those related to the inflammatory response and cholesterol homeostasis. In conclusion, Marburg virus infects and replicates in human primary PTC and induces downregulation of processes known to be relevant for acute kidney injury as well as a strong inflammatory response.

Genomic diversity and clinical relevance of Mycobacterium simiae.

Introduction: Mycobacterium simiae is a slow-growing non-tuberculous mycobacterium that can cause non-tuberculous mycobacterium (NTM) pulmonary disease and extrapulmonary infections. Until now, detailed genomic and clinical characteristics, as well as possible transmission routes of this rare pathogen remain largely unknown. Methods: We conducted whole genome sequencing of available M. simiae isolates collected at a tertiary care centre in Central Germany from 2006 to 2020 and set them into context with publicly available M. simiae complex sequences through phylogenetic analysis. Resistance, virulence and stress genes, as well as known Mycobacteriaceae plasmid sequences were detected in whole genome raw reads. Clinical data and course were retrieved and correlated with genomic data. Results: We included 33 M. simiae sensu stricto isolates from seven patients. M. simiae showed low clinical relevance with only two patients fulfilling American Thoracic Society (ATS) criteria in our cohort and three receiving NTM-effective therapy. The bacterial populations were highly stable over time periods of up to 14 years, and no instances of mixed or re-infections with other strains of M. simiae were observed. Clustering with <12 single nucleotide polymorphisms distance was evident among isolates from different patients; however, proof for human-to-human transmission could not be established from epidemiological data. Conclusion: Overall, the available sequence data for M. simiae complex was significantly extended and new insights into its pathogenomic traits were obtained. We demonstrate high longitudinal genomic stability within single patients. Although we cannot exclude human-to-human transmission, we consider it unlikely in the light of available epidemiological data.

Differential radiological features of patients infected or colonised with slow-growing non-tuberculous mycobacteria.

Non-tuberculous mycobacterial pulmonary disease (NTM-PD) is considered a growing health concern. The majority of NTM-PD cases in Europe are caused by slow-growing mycobacteria (SGM). However, distinct radiological features of different SGM remain largely uninvestigated. We applied a previously described radiological score to a patient cohort consisting of individuals with isolation of different SGM. Correlations between clinical data, species and computed tomography (CT) features were examined by logistic and linear regression analyses, as well as over the course of time. Overall, 135 pulmonary CT scans from 84 patients were included. The isolated NTM-species were mainly Mycobacterium avium complex (MAC, n = 49), as well as 35 patients with non-MAC-species. Patients with isolation of M. intracellulare had more extensive CT findings compared to all other SGM species (coefficient 3.53, 95% Cl - 0.37 to 7.52, p = 0.075) while patients meeting the ATS criteria and not undergoing therapy exhibited an increase in CT scores over time. This study provides insights into differential radiological features of slow-growing NTM. While M. intracellulare exhibited a tendency towards higher overall CT scores, the radiological features were similar across different SGM. The applied CT score might be a useful instrument for monitoring patients and could help to guide antimycobacterial therapy.

Influenza A virus replicates productively in primary human kidney cells and induces factors and mechanisms related to regulated cell death and renal pathology observed in virus-infected patients.

Introduction: Influenza A virus (IAV) infection can cause the often-lethal acute respiratory distress syndrome (ARDS) of the lung. Concomitantly, acute kidney injury (AKI) is frequently noticed during IAV infection, correlating with an increased mortality. The aim of this study was to elucidate the interaction of IAV with human kidney cells and, thereby, to assess the mechanisms underlying IAV-mediated AKI. Methods: To investigate IAV effects on nephron cells we performed infectivity assays with human IAV, as well as with human isolates of either low or highly pathogenic avian IAV. Also, transcriptome and proteome analysis of IAV-infected primary human distal tubular kidney cells (DTC) was performed. Furthermore, the DTC transcriptome was compared to existing transcriptomic data from IAV-infected lung and trachea cells. Results: We demonstrate productive replication of all tested IAV strains on primary and immortalized nephron cells. Comparison of our transcriptome and proteome analysis of H1N1-type IAV-infected human primary distal tubular cells (DTC) with existing data from H1N1-type IAV-infected lung and primary trachea cells revealed enrichment of specific factors responsible for regulated cell death in primary DTC, which could be targeted by specific inhibitors. Discussion: IAV not only infects, but also productively replicates on different human nephron cells. Importantly, multi-omics analysis revealed regulated cell death as potential contributing factor for the clinically observed kidney pathology in influenza.

Vaccine-derived yellow fever in an immunocompromised patient on anti-CD20-antibody therapy and its treatment with sofosbuvir.

Yellow fever (YF) is a potentially lethal viral hemorrhagic fever that can be prevented with the 17D live attenuated YF vaccine. However, this vaccination can cause severe adverse reactions including vaccine-associated YF. Here, we describe the case of a 32-year-old female who was permanently immunosuppressed with an anti-CD20 antibody due to multiple sclerosis. Following YF vaccination, the patient developed a variety of symptoms such as febrile temperatures, muscle and joint pain, headaches, and dysuria. A vaccine-associated YF with viremia was diagnosed. To avoid a potentially severe course of the disease, sofosbuvir was used as antiviral treatment followed by the resolution of symptoms and serological response. As travelers with chronic diseases and immunosuppression will increasingly engage in long distance travel, this case demonstrates the importance of assessing patient history prior to the administration of live vaccines and points towards a possible therapeutic approach in those suffering from vaccine-associated YF.

Clinical and genomic features of Mycobacterium avium complex: a multi-national European study.

BACKGROUND: The Mycobacterium avium complex (MAC) comprises the most frequent non-tuberculous mycobacteria (NTM) in Central Europe and currently includes twelve species. M. avium (MAV), M. intracellulare subsp. intracellulare (MINT), and M. intracellulare subsp. chimaera (MCH) are clinically most relevant. However, the population structure and genomic landscape of MAC linked with potential pathobiological differences remain little investigated. METHODS: Whole genome sequencing (WGS) was performed on a multi-national set of MAC isolates from Germany, France, and Switzerland. Phylogenetic analysis was conducted, as well as plasmids, resistance, and virulence genes predicted from WGS data. Data was set into a global context with publicly available sequences. Finally, detailed clinical characteristics were associated with genomic data in a subset of the cohort. RESULTS: Overall, 610 isolates from 465 patients were included. The majority could be assigned to MAV (n = 386), MCH (n = 111), and MINT (n = 77). We demonstrate clustering with less than 12 SNPs distance of isolates obtained from different patients in all major MAC species and the identification of trans-European or even trans-continental clusters when set into relation with 1307 public sequences. However, none of our MCH isolates clustered closely with the heater-cooler unit outbreak strain Zuerich-1. Known plasmids were detected in MAV (325/1076, 30.2%), MINT (62/327, 19.0%), and almost all MCH-isolates (457/463, 98.7%). Predicted resistance to aminoglycosides or macrolides was rare. Overall, there was no direct link between phylogenomic grouping and clinical manifestations, but MCH and MINT were rarely found in patients with extra-pulmonary disease (OR 0.12 95% CI 0.04-0.28, p < 0.001 and OR 0.11 95% CI 0.02-0.4, p = 0.004, respectively) and MCH was negatively associated with fulfillment of the ATS criteria when isolated from respiratory samples (OR 0.28 95% CI 0.09-0.7, p = 0.011). With 14 out of 43 patients with available serial isolates, co-infections or co-colonizations with different strains or even species of the MAC were frequent (32.6%). CONCLUSIONS: This study demonstrates clustering and the presence of plasmids in a large proportion of MAC isolates in Europe and in a global context. Future studies need to urgently define potential ways of transmission of MAC isolates and the potential involvement of plasmids in virulence.

Motile microfilaria captured by fluorescent microscopy and the unmasking of eosinophilia following treatment.

A 24-year-old patient from Cameroon presented to our hospital because of a foreign structure in her left eye. To our knowledge, for the first time, fluorescent microscopy revealed motile microfilariae, and the diagnosis of loiasis was established. Despite substantial microfilaremia, eosinophilia only unmasked after the initiation of antiparasitic therapy.

Time discrepancy for tuberculosis-negative microscopy and culture - the diagnostic gap remains: systematic analysis from a large tertiary care tuberculosis-clinic, Germany 2013-2017.

OBJECTIVES: Patients with open pulmonary tuberculosis (opTB) are subject to strict isolation rules. Sputum smear microscopy is used to determine infectivity, but sensitivity is lower than for culture. This study aimed to investigate the clinical relevance of this mismatch in contemporary settings. METHODS: Differential results between microscopy and culture were determined at the time of microscopic sputum conversion, from all patients with opTB between 01/2013 and 12/2017. In addition, data on HIV, multi/extensive drug-resistant TB status, time to smear- and cultural-negativity conversion were analyzed; and a Kaplan-Meier curve was developed. RESULTS: Of 118 patients with opTB, 58 had demographic data available for microbiological and clinical follow-up analysis; among these, 26 (44.8%) had still at least one positive culture result. Median time from opTB-treatment initiation to full microscopic sputum- or culture conversion, was 16.5 days (range 2-105), and 20 days (1-105), respectively (median difference: +3.5 days). Sixteen days after de-isolation, >90% had converted culturally. HIV- or multi/extensive drug-resistant TB status did not impact conversion time. CONCLUSION: When patients with opTB were de-isolated after 3 negative sputum smear microscopy tests, a substantial part still revealed cultural growth of Mycobacterium tuberculosis complex, but it remains unclear, whether smear-negative and culturally-positive individuals on therapy are really infective. Thus, the clinical relevance of this finding warrants further investigation.

Expanding epidemic of recently acquired HCV in HIV-coinfected patients over a period of 10 years.

Background & Aims: Ongoing transmission of HCV infections is associated with risk factors such as drug injection, needlestick injuries, and men who have sex with men (MSM). Ways of transmission, the course of acute infection, changes of virologic features, and incidence over time are not well known. Methods: Over a period of 10 years, n = 161 patients with recently acquired HCV infection (RAHC) (median follow-up 6.8 years) were prospectively enrolled. NS5B sequencing was performed to re-evaluate the HCV genotype (GT) and for phylogenetic analyses. Results: Patients with RAHC were mainly male (92.5%), MSM (90.1%), and HIV-coinfected (86.3%). Transmission risk factors for MSM and non-MSM were sexual risk behaviour (100 and 6.3%, respectively), injection drug use (9.7 and 37.5%, respectively), and nasal drug use (15.2 and 0%, respectively). Spontaneous and interferon- or direct-acting antiviral-based clearance rates were 13.6, 84.3 and 93.4%, respectively. Mean RAHC declined from 19.8 in the first to 13.2 in the past five study years. Although the majority of infections was caused by HCV GT1a, the frequency of HCV GT4d and slightly HCV GT3a increased over time. No relevant clustering of HCV isolates was observed in non-MSM. However, 45% of HCV GT1a and 100% of HCV GT4d MSM cases clustered with MSM isolates from other countries. Travel-associated infections were supported by personal data in an MSM subgroup. No international clustering was detected in MSM with HCV GT1b or HCV GT3a. Conclusions: RAHCs were mainly diagnosed in HIV-coinfected MSM patients and were associated with sexual risk behaviour. Spontaneous clearance rates were low, and phylogenetic clusters were observed in the majority of patients. Impact and Implications: We evaluated the occurrence and transmission of recently acquired HCV infections (RAHCs) over a period of 10 years. Our data demonstrate that the presence of RAHC was mainly found in HIV-coinfected MSM, with internationally connected transmission networks being observed in the majority of patients. Spontaneous clearance rates were low, and reinfection rates increased mainly driven by a small subset of MSM patients with high-risk behaviour.

Is Olfactory Testing a Useful Diagnostic Tool to Identify SARS-CoV-2 Infections Early? A Cross-Sectional and Longitudinal Analysis.

BACKGROUND: Genesis and the prognostic value of olfactory dysfunction (OD) in COVID-19 remain partially described. The objective of our study was to characterize OD during SARS-CoV-2 infection and to examine whether testing of OD may be a useful tool in clinical practice in order to early identify patients with SARS-CoV-2 infection. METHODS: Olfactory function assessment was objectively carried out using the u-Smell-it® test. In a cross-sectional study part, we evaluated this test in a control cohort of SARS-CoV-2 negative tested patients, who attended the University Hospital Frankfurt between May 2021 and March 2022. In a second longitudinal study part, sensitivity and specificity of OD was evaluated as a diagnostic marker of a SARS-CoV-2 infection in Frankfurt am Main, Germany in SARS-CoV-2 infected patients and their close contacts. RESULTS: Among 494 SARS-CoV-2 negative tested patients, OD was detected in 45.7% and was found to be significantly associated with the male gender (p < 0.001), higher age (p < 0.001), cardiovascular and pulmonary comorbidities (p < 0.001; p = 0.03). Among 90 COVID-19 positive patients, OD was found in 65.6% and was significantly associated with male gender and positive smoking status (p = 0.04 each). Prevalence and severity of OD were significantly increased in infections with the Delta variant (B.1.617.2) compared to those with the Omicron variant (BA.1.1.529). Diagnostic sensitivity and specificity of OD for diagnosis of SARS-CoV-2 infection were 69% and 64%, respectively. CONCLUSION: OD is common in COVID-19 negative and positive tested patients with significantly different prevalence rates observed between different variants. Diagnostic accuracy of OD is not high enough to implement olfactory testing as a tool in diagnostic routine to early identify patients with a SARS-CoV-2 infection.

Clinical characteristics and outcome of Mycobacterium chimaera infections after cardiac surgery: systematic review and meta-analysis of 180 heater-cooler unit-associated cases.

OBJECTIVES: Since 2013, heater-cooler unit (HCU) associated Mycobacterium chimaera infections linked to a global outbreak have been described. These infections were characterised by high morbidity and mortality due to delayed diagnosis, as well as challenges in antimycobacterial and surgical therapy. This study aimed to investigate the clinical characteristics and outcome of published cases of HCU-associated M. chimaera infections. METHODS: We searched PubMed and the Web of Science until 15 June 2022 for case reports, case series, and cohort studies, without language restriction, on patients with M. chimaera infection and a prior history of cardiac surgery. In this systematic review of case reports, no risk of bias assessment could be performed. Clinical, microbiological, and radiological features were recorded. Logistic regression and time-to-event analyses were performed to identify the potential factors associated with better survival. RESULTS: One hundred eighty patients from 54 publications were included. Most patients underwent surgical aortic valve (67.0%; 118/176 of patients with available data) or combined aortic valve and root replacement (15.3%; 27/176). The median period between the time point of surgery and the first symptoms was 17 months (interquartile range 13-26 months). The overall case fatality rate was 45.5% (80/176), with a median survival of 24 months after the initiation of antimycobacterial therapy or diagnosis. A reoperation (including the removal or exchange of foreign material) was associated with better survival in multivariate logistic regression (OR 0.32 for lethal events; 95% CI 0.12-0.79; p 0.015) and in time-to-event analysis (p 0.0094). DISCUSSION: This systematic review and meta-analysis confirm the high overall mortality of HCU -associated disseminated M. chimaera infections after cardiac surgery. A reoperation seems to be associated with better survival. Physicians have to stay aware of this infection, as patients might still be present today due to the long latency period.