Estimation of antimicrobial resistance of Mycoplasma genitalium, Belgium, 2022.

BackgroundAntimicrobial resistance (AMR) of Mycoplasma genitalium (MG) is a growing concern worldwide and surveillance is needed. In Belgium, samples are sent to the National Reference Centre of Sexually Transmitted Infections (NRC-STI) on a voluntary basis and representative or robust national AMR data are lacking.AimWe aimed to estimate the occurrence of resistant MG in Belgium.MethodsBetween July and November 2022, frozen remnants of MG-positive samples from 21 Belgian laboratories were analysed at the NRC-STI. Macrolide and fluoroquinolone resistance-associated mutations (RAMs) were assessed using Sanger sequencing of the 23SrRNA and parC gene. Differences in resistance patterns were correlated with surveillance methodology, socio-demographic and behavioural variables via Fisher's exact test and logistic regression analysis.ResultsOf the 244 MG-positive samples received, 232 could be sequenced for macrolide and fluoroquinolone RAMs. Over half of the sequenced samples (55.2%) were resistant to macrolides. All sequenced samples from men who have sex with men (MSM) (24/24) were macrolide-resistant. Fluoroquinolone RAMs were found in 25.9% of the samples and occurrence did not differ between socio-demographic and sexual behaviour characteristics.ConclusionAlthough limited in sample size, our data suggest no additional benefit of testing MG retrieved from MSM for macrolide resistance in Belgium, when making treatment decisions. The lower occurrence of macrolide resistance in other population groups, combined with emergence of fluoroquinolone RAMs support macrolide-resistance testing in these groups. Continued surveillance of resistance in MG in different population groups will be crucial to confirm our findings and to guide national testing and treatment strategies.

Burden of serious fungal infections in Belgium.

We aimed to estimate the total number of serious fungal infections occurring yearly in Belgium. The number of cryptococcal infections was retrieved from the National Reference Center for Mycosis. Populations at risk and fungal infections frequencies in these populations were used to estimate incidence or prevalence of other fungal infections. The Belgian population consists of 11.10 million people. Cryptococcal meningitis is rare. In all, 15 of the 1227 newly diagnosed HIV/AIDS cases presented with Pneumocystis jirovecii pneumonia. This accounts for ±14% of total PCP cases (n = 120). The incidence of candidaemia is estimated as 5/100,000 resulting in 555 cases and 213 deaths. A total number of 675 invasive aspergillosis cases and ≥169 deaths attributed to this infection were calculated. Chronic pulmonary aspergillosis is estimated to be prevalent in 662 cases. Allergic bronchopulmonary aspergillosis cases were estimated to be 23,119 applying a 2.5% and 15% rate in adult asthma and cystic fibrosis patients respectively. Severe asthma with fungal sensitisation cases was estimated to be 30,402. There were 174,760 women with recurrent Candida vaginitis assuming a 6% rate in women aged between 15 and 50. Approximately 233,000 people of the Belgian population (2.1%) are estimated to suffer from a fungal infection on a yearly basis.

Clinical outcome of parapneumonic empyema in children treated according to a standardized medical treatment.

UNLABELLED: Treatment of parapneumonic empyema (PE) consists of intravenous antibiotics and, in case of large effusions and persisting fever, pleural chest drain (±intrapleural fibrinolytics) or video-assisted surgical intervention. We standardized the treatment for PE in our tertiary care center choosing a first-step nonsurgical approach. The aim was to evaluate the need for surgery and to collect data on disease course, outcome, and microbiology. For all children treated for PE between 2006 and 2013, data were prospectively collected concerning treatment, length of stay, duration of fever, complications, and causative agent. Of 132 children treated for PE, 20 % needed surgical intervention. Analyzed per year, the need for surgery decreased from almost 40 % in 2007 to 0 % in 2010 again increasing to 40 % although this did not reach statistical significance (p = 0.115). Median duration of "in-hospital fever" was 5 days (IQR, 3-8). The duration of fever correlated with pleural LDH (r = 0.324; p = 0.002) and pleural glucose (r = -0.248; p = 0.021) and was inversely correlated with pleural pH (r = -0.249; p = 0.046). Based on pleural PCR data, 85 % of PE were caused by Streptococcus pneumoniae (40 % serotype 1). CONCLUSION: After introduction of a standardized primary medical approach (chest drain ± fibrinolysis) for PE in our institution, the need for surgical rescue interventions overall remained at 20 %, which is higher than in some other reports. Difference in microbiology or disease severity could not be proven.

Two Years of Genomic Surveillance in Belgium during the SARS-CoV-2 Pandemic to Attain Country-Wide Coverage and Monitor the Introduction and Spread of Emerging Variants.

An adequate SARS-CoV-2 genomic surveillance strategy has proven to be essential for countries to obtain a thorough understanding of the variants and lineages being imported and successfully established within their borders. During 2020, genomic surveillance in Belgium was not structurally implemented but performed by individual research laboratories that had to acquire the necessary funds themselves to perform this important task. At the start of 2021, a nationwide genomic surveillance consortium was established in Belgium to markedly increase the country's genomic sequencing efforts (both in terms of intensity and representativeness), to perform quality control among participating laboratories, and to enable coordination and collaboration of research projects and publications. We here discuss the genomic surveillance efforts in Belgium before and after the establishment of its genomic sequencing consortium, provide an overview of the specifics of the consortium, and explore more details regarding the scientific studies that have been published as a result of the increased number of Belgian SARS-CoV-2 genomes that have become available.

Comparison of the Idylla™ Respiratory (IFV-RSV) panel with the GeneXpert Xpert® Flu/RSV assay: a retrospective study with nasopharyngeal and midturbinate samples.

The objective of this study was to compare the performance of the Idylla™ Respiratory (IFV-RSV) panel to the GeneXpert Xpert® Flu/RSV assay and establish the performance of a midturbinate swab compared to nasopharyngeal sampling. Considering GeneXpert® assay as imperfect reference standard, a positive percentage agreement between both assays of 98-100% for influenza A and 96-99% for influenza B could be calculated when 354 nasopharyngeal and 325 midturbinate swabs were retrospectively analyzed. Comparing midturbinate samples to nasopharyngeal specimens of 321 subjects, positive percentage agreement varied from 42% to 94% depending on both target virus and assay used. Negative percentage agreements ranged from 98% to 100% for both methods and sample type comparison. The Idylla™ assay showed excellent performance compared to the GeneXpert® assay for the detection of influenza virus. The study also showed a slightly better performance for nasopharyngeal sampling compared to the use of a midturbinate swab.