Adenovirus-Associated Urethritis, a Not So Uncommon Entity. A Review of 91 Cases.

BACKGROUND: Human adenovirus (HAdV) is likely an underdiagnosed cause of urethritis, although it was already associated with urethritis in descriptions published more than 40 years ago. Differential clinical features of this entity, such as meatitis, conjunctivitis, and a predominance of mononuclear white blood cells in first-void urine and/or urethral smear, can be useful to increase diagnostic suspicion. METHODS: We retrospectively studied 91 episodes of HAdV-associated urethritis diagnosed for 9 years and 6 months after optimizing efforts to detect the pathogen mainly in patients with features suggestive of this condition. RESULTS: Dysuria was the main symptom (84%), whereas meatitis was observed in 34% of cases. Furthermore, 40% of patients had conjunctivitis. Human adenovirus type D was the most prevalent HAdV (56%), although HAdV-C6, a type not previously associated with urethritis, was observed in 12 patients (13%). CONCLUSIONS: Urethritis due to HAdV is not uncommon, and it is important to screen for it to avoid unnecessary treatments, contact tracing studies, and checkups. The use of multiplex polymerase chain reaction assays that include HAdV, for the diagnosis of urethritis, would raise awareness of its role in this entity.

Epidemiology and Clinical Features of Listeriosis in Gipuzkoa, Spain, 2010-2020.

Background: Listeriosis continues to be one of the most important notifiable foodborne diseases. Nonetheless, in Spain, there are few data on the molecular epidemiology of Listeria monocytogenes infections in recent years. Aim: To describe clinical features and the molecular epidemiology of human listeriosis over an 11-year period (2010-2020) in Gipuzkoa, Northern Spain. Methods: A total of 111 isolates, all but one from invasive disease, were studied. Serotyping (agglutination and multiplex polymerase chain reaction [PCR]) and multilocus sequence typing were performed for all isolates. Antibiotic susceptibility was assessed by the broth microdilution method. Results: The average annual incidence of listeriosis in non-pregnancy-associated cases was 1.55 per 100,000 population, with a 1-month mortality rate of 22.2%. In pregnant women, the average incidence was 0.45 cases per 1,000 pregnancies. Twenty-four sequence types were identified, serotype 4b ST1 (24.3%) being the most frequent followed by 1/2b ST87 (18.9%), which caused two long outbreaks in 2013-2014. A significant association was observed between ST219 and meningitis (p < 0.001). All isolates were susceptible to ampicillin as well as other antibiotics used in listeriosis treatment. Conclusion: Despite current control measures, listeriosis continues to be an important cause of mortality in the elderly, preterm birth, and miscarriages in pregnant women. Improvements in the control and diagnosis of listeriosis are needed to reduce the impact of this infection on vulnerable populations.

Haemophilus influenzae Type a Sequence Type 23, Northern Spain.

Two consecutive cases of Haemophilus influenzae type a sequence type 23 invasive infection in 2 children attending the same daycare in 2019 triggered epidemiologic surveillance of H. influenzae infections in northern Spain. Despite the invasiveness potential of this virus strain, we detected no additional cases for 2013-2020.

Low antimicrobial resistance rates of Mycobacterium tuberculosis complex between 2000 and 2015 in Gipuzkoa, northern Spain.

OBJECTIVE: Although the incidence of tuberculosis (TB) has declined, TB drug resistance remains a major problem. The TB rate in Gipuzkoa (northern Spain) is higher than the European average. The objective of this study was to determine the antimicrobial susceptibility of 1855 Mycobacterium tuberculosis complex isolates (94.5% of confirmed cases between 2000 and 2015). METHODS: Susceptibility testing was performed using the agar proportion method and a commercial broth system (MGIT 960). In isoniazid- or rifampicin-resistant strains, we studied genetic determinants of drug resistance and genotype (MIRU-VNTR). RESULTS: The annual mean incidence of TB was 24.5 cases per 100,000 population on average, and tended to decrease. The multidrug-resistant TB rate was 0.5% (9/1855), and no extensively drug-resistant TB strains were detected. Rates of resistance to isoniazid and rifampicin were 3.9% (range, 3.4-4.3%) and 0.6% (range, 0.4-1.4%), respectively. TB resistance was more common among foreign-born individuals and those who had received previous TB treatment. Genotyping of 102 resistant strains showed predominance of the Euro-American lineage, although 4/9 multidrug-resistant strains had Eastern lineages (2 East African-Indian, and 2 East Asian [Beijing]). CONCLUSIONS: In Gipuzkoa, with a moderate incidence of TB, resistance was very low, mostly being detected among individuals who were born abroad or who had a history of TB treatment.

Guided antibiotic therapy for Mycoplasma genitalium infections: Analysis of mutations associated with resistance to macrolides and fluoroquinolones. / Tratamiento antibiótico dirigido en infecciones por Mycoplasma genitalium: análisis de mutaciones asociadas con resistencia a macrólidos y fluoroquinolonas.

INTRODUCTION: The objective of this study was to analyse the susceptibility of Mycoplasma genitalium to macrolides and fluoroquinolones using molecular techniques. METHODS: Susceptibility to macrolides was tested (Gipuzkoa, 2014-2017) by a rapid probe-based real-time polymerase chain reaction assay (23S rRNA gene) and to fluoroquinolones by sequencing the parC and gyrA genes. RESULTS: Mutations associated with macrolide resistance were detected in 43/263 (16.3%) cases and potential fluoroquinolone resistance in 21/267 (7.9%). Macrolide resistance was more frequent in patients previously treated with azithromycin (76.5% vs 7.4%, P<.001) as well as in those treated with a single 1g dose (31.3%) vs the extended regimen (7%, P<.001). There were 5/245 (2%) cases with mutations probably associated with resistance to both antibiotics. CONCLUSIONS: The technique used for testing Mycoplasma genitalium susceptibility to azithromycin allowed the rapid implementation of resistance-guided antibiotic therapy. Moxifloxacin could be a good option in cases of macrolide resistance.

Evaluation of Sofia Fluorescent immunoassay analyzer for pneumococcal urinary antigen detection in hospitalized patients with community-acquired pneumonia.

The Sofia Streptococcus pneumoniae FIA® test was prospectively evaluated in non-concentrated urine samples of 106 hospitalized patients with community-acquired pneumonia. The test detected pneumococcal urinary antigen in 24/31 (77.4%) confirmed pneumococcal community-acquired pneumonia episodes. The specificity of the test was 86.7% (92% after urine heating).