Infectious causes of fever of unknown origin in developing countries: An international ID-IRI study.

Background: Fever of unknown origin (FUO) in developing countries is an important dilemma and further research is needed to elucidate the infectious causes of FUO. Methods: A multi-center study for infectious causes of FUO in lower middle-income countries (LMIC) and low-income countries (LIC) was conducted between January 1, 2018 and January 1, 2023. In total, 15 participating centers from seven different countries provided the data, which were collected through the Infectious Diseases-International Research Initiative platform. Only adult patients with confirmed infection as the cause of FUO were included in the study. The severity parameters were quick Sequential Organ Failure Assessment (qSOFA) ≥2, intensive care unit (ICU) admission, vasopressor use, and invasive mechanical ventilation (IMV). Results: A total of 160 patients with infectious FUO were included in the study. Overall, 148 (92.5%) patients had community-acquired infections and 12 (7.5%) had hospital-acquired infections. The most common infectious syndromes were tuberculosis (TB) (n=27, 16.9%), infective endocarditis (n=25, 15.6%), malaria (n=21, 13.1%), brucellosis (n=15, 9.4%), and typhoid fever (n=9, 5.6%). Plasmodium falciparum, Mycobacterium tuberculosis, Brucellae, Staphylococcus aureus, Salmonella typhi, and Rickettsiae were the leading infectious agents in this study. A total of 56 (35.0%) cases had invasive procedures for diagnosis. The mean qSOFA score was 0.76±0.94 {median (interquartile range [IQR]): 0 (0-1)}. ICU admission (n=26, 16.2%), vasopressor use (n=14, 8.8%), and IMV (n=10, 6.3%) were not rare. Overall, 38 (23.8%) patients had at least one of the severity parameters. The mortality rate was 15 (9.4%), and the mortality was attributable to the infection causing FUO in 12 (7.5%) patients. Conclusions: In LMIC and LIC, tuberculosis and cardiac infections were the most severe and the leading infections causing FUO.

Diagnostic approach of tuberculous lymphadenitis in a multicenter study.

INTRODUCTION: Tuberculous lymphadenitis (TBLN) is the most common infectious etiology of peripheral lymphadenopathy in adults, in Turkiye. This study aimed to identify the demographic, clinical, and laboratory variables that differentiate TBLN from non-tuberculous lymphadenitis (NTBLN), as well as the etiology of lymphadenopathy in adults. METHODOLOGY: Patients who were over 18 years old and were referred to the infectious disease outpatient clinics with complaints of swollen peripheral lymph nodes, and who underwent lymph node biopsy between 1 January 2010 and 1 March 2021, were included in this multicenter, nested case-control study. RESULTS: A total of 812 patients at 17 tertiary teaching and research hospitals in Turkiye were included in the study. TBLN was the most frequent diagnosis (53.69%). The proportion of patients diagnosed with TBLN was higher among females; and among those who had a higher erythrocyte sedimentation rate, positive purified protein derivative test, and positive interferon-gamma release test result (p < 0.05). However, TBLN was less frequent among patients with generalized lymphadenopathy, bilateral lymphadenopathy, axillary lymphadenopathy, inguinal lymphadenopathy, hepatomegaly, splenomegaly, leukocytosis, and moderately increased C reactive protein levels (p < 0.05). CONCLUSIONS: Identifying the variables that predict TBLN or discriminate TBLN from NTBLN will help clinicians establish optimal clinical strategies for the diagnosis of adult lymphadenopathy.

Myroides odoratimimus: a New Threat with Persistent Infections, Multidrug Resistance, and the Potential for Hospital Outbreaks.

Myroides species have recently been reported more frequently in outbreaks in clinics and intensive care units (ICUs). In this study, we aimed to investigate the epidemic potential, antibiotic resistance profile, and risk factors of M. odoratimimus isolates that are increasingly being isolated from the ICUs of our hospital. Data from patients whose Myroides spp. were isolated from their clinical specimens over a 5-year period (September 2016 to January 2022) were retrospectively analyzed. Bacterial identification was performed using a matrix-assisted laser desorption ionization time-of-flight mass spectrometry (MALDI-TOF MS). The presence of antibiotic resistance genes was analyzed using polymerase chain reaction (PCR). Possible clonal associations between isolates were investigated using enterobacterial repetitive intergenic consensus (ERIC)-PCR. As a result, 66 isolates were identified as M. odoratimimus and one isolate was identified as M. odoratus. The blaMUS resistance gene was detected in all M. odoratimimus isolates, whereas sul2 was detected in ten isolates and tetX was detected in 11 isolates. No other resistance genes, such as blaTUS, were detected. Additionally, two different clonal association patterns were discovered in the 24 selected isolates through the ERIC-PCR method. The increase in the immunosuppressive patient population indicate the possibility of encountering this agent and other opportunistic pathogens more frequently in the future.

Risk factors for infection development after transrectal prostate biopsy and the role of resistant bacteria in colonic flora.

INTRODUCTION: In this study, we aimed to identify risk factors for the development of infectious complications after prostate biopsy and to investigate the role of intestinal colonization of bacteria that are resistant to prophylactic antibiotics. METHODOLOGY: A total of 168 patients who had undergone transrectal prostate biopsy (TRPB) under ciprofloxacin and gentamycin prophylaxis were included in the study. Stool cultures and subsequent antibiotic susceptibility testing were performed in all patients before the start of antibiotic prophylaxis. RESULTS: Of the 168 patients, 17 (10.1%) developed urinary tract infection (UTI), while 6 (3.57%) developed sepsis within seven days after biopsy. Ciprofloxacin-resistant bacterial colonization was detected in 81 (48.2%) of the patients. None of the patients with ciprofloxacin-sensitive bacteria in intestinal flora developed a UTI. The colonization of intestinal ciprofloxacin-resistant bacteria increased UTI risk significantly after TRPB (p < 0.0001). Urolithiasis history, presence of permanent urinary catheterization, hospitalization history for more than 48 hours in the last year, and recent antibiotic usage significantly increased UTI risk after TRPB. CONCLUSIONS: Development of an infection was more frequent in patients with resistant bacterial colonization. We hope to guide more comprehensive studies designed to find a standard prophylactic regimen for TRPB that can be used all over the world.

An Unusual Manifestation of Q Fever: Peritonitis.

Q fever has rarely been reported and can be difficult to diagnose, especially in immunocompromised patients. In the present report, we describe an unusual case of Q fever that presented as peritonitis and was treated with long-term combination therapy with doxycycline, ciprofloxacin and rifampicin for five weeks in a patient who had been on peritoneal dialysis for six years due to hypertensive nephropathy.

Tenofovir-best hope for treatment of chronic hepatitis B infection?

BACKGROUND/AIMS: To evaluate the effectiveness of tenofovir in patients with chronic hepatitis B infection in a real life setting. MATERIALS AND METHODS: We performed a retrospective analysis of data from 164 patients with chronic hepatitis B who were treated with Tenofovir. Eighty-six patients (52.4%) were naïve. Seventy-seven (46.9%) patients were previously treated with anti-viral drugs, including standard interferon (n=4), pegylated (PEG) interferon (n=14), standard interferon together with lamivudine (n=13), lamivudine alone (n=41), adefovir (n=2), lamivudine together with adefovir (n=1), and entecavir (n=2). Six patients (3.7%) had liver cirrhosis before treatment of tenofovir. RESULTS: The patients who have hepatitis B viral DNA>104 copy/mL with chronic hepatitis B infection were included in the treatment of Tenofovir. Average follow up time was 30.31±14.33 months. HBV DNA negativity and alanine aminotransferase (ALT) normalization were 86.5% and 71.3%, respectively, at the last visit. Hepatitis B e-Antigen (HBeAg) seroconversion occurred in 11 (19.6%) out of 164 patients. During the follow-up period, 4 (2.4%) patients developed liver cirrhosis and in 5 (3%) patients hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) occurred out of 164 patients. HBsAg seroconversion occurred in one patient (0.6%). CONCLUSION: Tenofovir can be used safely and successfully in those patients that were naive, experienced with immune modulators and/or antivirals, HBeAg-positive, and HBeAg-negative patients.

Cytomegalovirus disease in patients with glomerular diseases treated by immunosuppressive treatment.

PURPOSE: Cytomegalovirus (CMV) infection is an important complication in organ and bone marrow recipients as well as patients infected with HIV. Although screening and prophylaxis have been defined in these patients, there are few data about the frequency of CMV disease in glomerular diseases treated by immunosuppression. METHODS: We recruited 133 patients with glomerular diseases treated by immunosuppression between 2006 and 2013. Patients who had any symptoms suggestive of CMV disease were screened for viral DNA. Immunosuppressive treatments were as follows: Group 1, steroid only; Group 2, steroid with cyclophosphamide (CP); Group 3, steroid with cyclosporine A; and Group 4, steroid with mycophenolate mofetil or azathioprine. RESULTS: Patients developing CMV and non-CMV disease were compared for age, sex, renal pathology, hypertension, diabetes, baseline creatinine, and estimated glomerular filtration rate, and immunosuppressive regimen. At follow-up, 55 patients were tested for CMV disease during immunosuppressive treatment. Twenty-six patients had CMV DNA positivity of 1,112-205,500 copies/mL. Patients with CMV disease were all seen within the first 5 months of immunosuppressive treatment, and the disease was observed most commonly (14 patients, 53 %) in the first 2 months of treatment. Multiple regression analysis revealed that high baseline creatinine levels, older age, and use of steroids with CP were independent risk factors for development of CMV disease. CONCLUSIONS: CMV disease is not an uncommon complication in patients with glomerular diseases treated by immunosuppression. Further prospective studies and prophylaxis should be addressed in future studies, including particular groups of patients.

Respiratory system involvement in brucellosis: the results of the Kardelen study.

BACKGROUND: Pulmonary involvement is a rare complication of brucellosis. We describe the largest series to date, to our knowledge, of patients with pulmonary brucellosis. METHODS: This 10-year, retrospective, descriptive study involved 27 centers in Turkey, including all patients with brucellosis with confirmed respiratory system involvement. RESULTS: Of 133 patients (67 men), 123 (92.5%) had acute infection (defined as < 2 months), with an overall mean ± SD duration of symptoms of 33.9 ± 8.5 days. The radiologic pattern of pulmonary disease was consolidation/lobar pneumonia in 91 patients (68.4%) and pleural effusion in 41 patients (30.8%), including 30 (22.5%) with both. Moreover, 23 patients (17.3%) had bronchitis (one with coexistent pneumonia), and 10 (7.5%) had nodular lung lesions (one with coexistent pneumonia and effusion). Blood culture results were positive in 56 of 119 patients, and all other cases were serologically confirmed. None of 60 sputum specimens and two of 19 pleural fluid samples (10.5%) yielded positive culture results for brucellosis. Other features of brucellosis, such as osteoarticular complications, were detected in 61 patients (45.9%); 59 (44.4%) had raised liver transaminase levels, and 59 (44.4%) had thrombocytopenia. Fifteen patients (11.3%) required management in an ICU for an average of 3.8 ± 2.2 days. All patients responded to standard combination antimicrobial therapy for brucellosis with no deaths, although treatment regimens required modification in seven patients. CONCLUSIONS: Brucellosis with pulmonary involvement is rare but has a good prognosis following treatment with appropriate antibiotics. Many clues in the exposure history, presenting clinical features, and baseline blood tests should alert the clinician to consider brucellosis.

Mortality indicators in pneumococcal meningitis: therapeutic implications.

BACKGROUND: The aim of this study was to delineate mortality indicators in pneumococcal meningitis with special emphasis on therapeutic implications. METHODS: This retrospective, multicenter cohort study involved a 15-year period (1998-2012). Culture-positive cases (n=306) were included solely from 38 centers. RESULTS: Fifty-eight patients received ceftriaxone plus vancomycin empirically. The rest were given a third-generation cephalosporin alone. Overall, 246 (79.1%) isolates were found to be penicillin-susceptible, 38 (12.2%) strains were penicillin-resistant, and 22 (7.1%) were oxacillin-resistant (without further minimum inhibitory concentration testing for penicillin). Being a critical case (odds ratio (OR) 7.089, 95% confidence interval (CI) 3.230-15.557) and age over 50 years (OR 3.908, 95% CI 1.820-8.390) were independent predictors of mortality, while infection with a penicillin-susceptible isolate (OR 0.441, 95% CI 0.195-0.996) was found to be protective. Empirical vancomycin use did not provide significant benefit (OR 2.159, 95% CI 0.949-4.912). CONCLUSIONS: Ceftriaxone alone is not adequate in the management of pneumococcal meningitis due to penicillin-resistant pneumococci, which is a major concern worldwide. Although vancomycin showed a trend towards improving the prognosis of pneumococcal meningitis, significant correlation in statistical terms could not be established in this study. Thus, further studies are needed for the optimization of pneumococcal meningitis treatment.

Management of Brucella endocarditis: results of the Gulhane study.

Brucella endocarditis (BE) is a rare but life-threatening complication of human brucellosis. The aim of this study was to investigate the course of BE along with the therapeutic interrelations. A total of 53 patients with BE hospitalised in 19 health institutions between 2006 and 2011 were included in the Gulhane study. Diagnosis of brucellosis was established by either isolation of Brucella sp. or the presence of antibodies, and the definition of endocarditis was made according to Duke's criteria. There were four treatment groups: ceftriaxone combined with oral antibiotics (Group 1); aminoglycosides combined with oral antibiotics (Group 2); oral antibiotic combinations (Group 3); and aminoglycoside plus ceftriaxone combined with an oral antibiotic (Group 4). Involvement rates of the aortic, mitral and tricuspid valves were 49.1%, 43.4% and 5.7%, respectively. Thirty-two patients (60.4%) had an underlying cardiac valvular problem, including previous prosthetic valve replacement (n=18). Medical treatment was provided to 32 patients (60.4%), whilst concordant medical and surgical approaches were provided to 21 patients (39.6%). Mortality in Group 1 was 15% (3/20), whilst in Group 2 it was 5.3% (1/19). In Group 3, 25.0% (3/12) of the cases died, whereas none of the cases in Group 4 died. In conclusion, mortality increased 47-fold with pericardial effusion and 25-fold due to congestive heart failure that developed after BE. Although mortality was lower in the aminoglycoside-containing arm (Groups 2 and 4), statistical analysis could not be performed owing to the small number of patients.