First Autochthonous West Nile Lineage 2 and Usutu Virus Infections in Humans, July to October 2018, Czech Republic.

We present epidemiological, clinical and laboratory findings of five Czech patients diagnosed with autochthonous mosquito-borne disease-four patients with confirmed West Nile virus (WNV) and one patient with Usutu virus (USUV) infections, from July to October 2018, including one fatal case due to WNV. This is the first documented human outbreak caused by WNV lineage 2 in the Czech Republic and the first record of a neuroinvasive human disease caused by USUV, which illustrates the simultaneous circulation of WNV and USUV in the country.

[A study of patients with Clostridium difficile infection hospitalized at Brno Clinic of Infectious Diseases in 2007-2010]. / Analýza souboru pacientu s onemocnením vyvolaným toxinem Clostridium difficile hospitalizovaných na Klinice infeckcních chorob v Brne v letech 2007-2010.

BACKGROUND: To describe a set of patients hospitalized at the Clinic of Infectious Diseases of the University Hospital Brno with Clostridium difficile infection (CDI), to interpret clinical and epidemiological data, and to determine the risk factors for the disease and its complications. MATERIAL AND METHODS: A retrospective study of 284 patients with confirmed diagnosis of Clostridium difficile infection hospitalized between 1 January 2007 and 31 December 2010. Epidemiological, clinical and laboratory data were collected from their clinical documentation. RESULTS: Of the 284 patients with a mean age of 73.2 years, 38.0 % were men. Risk factors for developing CDI include the use of antibiotics in the previous 8 weeks (89.1 % of patients), age over 65 years (77.6 %), hospitalization in the previous 4 weeks (65.5 %), and the use of proton pump inhibitors (41.9 %). Recurrence was noted in 89 (31.3 %) cases. Sixty-six (23.2 %) patients required intensive care and 50 (14.6 %) patients died during their hospitalization. Isolates of C. difficile from the stool of 4 patients were sent for ribotyping and identified as ribotype 176. CONCLUSIONS: The CDI rates at the clinic KICH have increased in the recent years. The rise is consistent with the global trends. The study confirmed the disease risk factors reported in the literature. The disease is associated with a high percentage of relapses and complications.

[First experiences with faecal bacteriotherapy in the treatment of relapsing pseudomembranous colitis due to Clostridium difficile]. / První zkusenost s fekální bakterioterapií v lécbe relabujíci pseudomembranózni kolitidy zpusobené Clostridium difficile.

BACKGROUND: The aim was to prove the effectiveness and safety of faecal bacteriotherapy in the treatment of relapsing pseudomembranous colitis due to Clostridium difficile in clinical practice. METHODS: The protocol of faecal bacteriotherapy was adopted from foreign authors (Bakken JS, Aas J, MacConnachie AA). After six months, the success rate was not satisfying and the method was modified so that 40-50 g of stool were administered instead of 20-30 g. RESULTS: A total of 77.8 % of patients included in the study were successfully treated. The study achieved results comparable with foreign literature where the lowest success rate is about 80 %. Neither complications nor death were noticed (0 % mortality rate). CONCLUSIONS: Faecal bacteriotherapy is a safe and simple method capable of curing chronically relapsing forms of pseudomembranous colitis.