A case of recurrent human Dirofilaria repens infection in Uzbekistan.

Dirofilaria repens is a zoonotic mosquito-borne filarioid that parasitizes in the subcutaneous tissues of carnivores, that has been incriminated in the great majority of human dirofilariasis cases reported throughout the Old World. From the Republic of Uzbekistan, recent data showed that this parasite is endemic in domestic and wild carnivores. In contrast, information regarding human infection is scarce and mostly outdated, with a single case report being published during the last decades. The present paper reports a case of recurrent autochthonous infection with D. repens in a patient living in the rural area of the Sirdaryo Region of Uzbekistan and having no international travel history. The first diagnosis was in 2019, when the patient presented with what was suspected to be a tumour of the left breast. Three years later, in 2022, she presented for a consultation after experiencing redness, occasional swelling and persistent itching in the umbilical region of the abdomen. The ultrasound indicated the presence of a living, motile nematode. Following anthelmintic therapy, the parasite was surgically removed and identified as a female D. repens. The present report highlights the possibility of human re-infection with D. repens and further underlines the necessity of raising public awareness and implementing of solid control strategies in carnivores.

Outcomes of patients with cancer infected with SARS-CoV-2: results from the Ion Chiricuta Oncology Institute series.

BACKGROUND: The evolution of COVID-19 is a controversial topic in cancer patients. They have been designated by international organizations as a vulnerable population at greater risk for contracting SARS-CoV-2 and having a more severe clinical outcome. PATIENTS AND METHODS: Active screening at our institution became routine early in the pandemic. We have examined the clinical data of 341 cancer patients, with a positive RT-PCR SARS-CoV-2 test between April 2020 and February 2021, in the prevaccination era. RESULTS: During the infection, 40.5% remained asymptomatic, 27.6% developed a mild form, 20.5% had a moderate form, and 11.4% a severe/critical form of COVID-19 that led to death in 7.6% of cases. Treatment was adapted to disease severity according to national guidelines. In our series, the incidence of COVID-19 infection was lower in cancer patients compared with the general population (P < 0.001), however, the mortality rate was higher in cancer patients in comparison with the general population (7.6% versus 2.9%, P < 0.001). The prognostic factors were assessed by three distinct univariate and multivariate analyses: (i) evolution to a moderate or severe/critical clinical manifestation, (ii) clinical worsening (severe/critical form or death), and (iii) overall survival. In the multivariate analysis, the prognostic factors associated with the evolution to a moderate or severe/critical clinical manifestation were: performance status (PS) (P < 0.0001) and no active treatment in the previous 3 months (P = 0.031). Factors associated with clinical worsening were: PS (P < 0.0001), peripheral arterial disease (P = 0.03), and chronic liver disease (P = 0.04). Factors associated with impaired overall survival were PS (P < 0.0001), ischemic cardiac disease (P = 0.0126), chronic liver disease (P = 0.001), and radiotherapy (P = 0.0027). CONCLUSION: Our series confirms a more severe evolution for COVID-19 infection in cancer patients, with PS as the most prominent prognostic factor in all three multivariate analyses. By active screening, efforts should be in place to keep cancer units as coronavirus-free sanctuaries.

Schizotypal Personality Questionnaire-Brief: Effect of invalid responding on factor structure analysis and scores of schizotypy.

OBJECTIVES: We assessed the effect of invalid responding on factor structure and on scores of schizotypy through the factor analysis of the Schizotypal Personality Questionnaire-Brief (SPQ-B) in a sample of 580 Romanian students using 3 validity items and 5 social desirability items. METHODS: We examined the factor structure of the SPQ-B, we compared the mean SPQ-B scores between reliable and unreliable responders and between high vs. low social desirability responders, and we re-run the factor analysis restricting the sample to the reliable or low social desirability responders. RESULTS: Factor analysis resulted in a 3-factor solution: Cognitive-perceptual, Interpersonal and Disorganized dimensions. Unreliable responders had lower scores of positive, negative and total schizotypy. Subjects with high social desirability scores had lower scores of disorganized schizotypy. Factor analyses in the samples of "good" responders showed minor differences in reliable responders, whereas, after taking into account the effect of social desirability, 2 items correctly loaded on expected dimensions. CONCLUSIONS: Random responding and social desirability could influence scores of schizotypy and factor structure. Simple methods could be used to identify invalid responses. The effect of social desirability could be linked to the phrasing of items.

Emerging souvenirs-clinical presentation of the returning traveller with imported arbovirus infections in Europe.

BACKGROUND: Arboviruses are an emerging group of viruses that are causing increasing health concerns globally, including in Europe. Clinical presentation usually consists of a nonspecific febrile illness that may be accompanied by rash, arthralgia and arthritis, with or without neurological or haemorrhagic syndromes. The range of differential diagnoses of other infectious and noninfectious aetiologies is broad, presenting a challenge for physicians. While knowledge of the geographical distribution of pathogens and the current epidemiological situation, incubation periods, exposure risk factors and vaccination history can help guide the diagnostic approach, the nonspecific and variable clinical presentation can delay final diagnosis. AIMS AND SOURCES: This narrative review aims to summarize the main clinical and laboratory-based findings of the three most common imported arboviruses in Europe. Evidence is extracted from published literature and clinical expertise of European arbovirus experts. CONTENT: We present three cases that highlight similarities and differences between some of the most common travel-related arboviruses imported to Europe. These include a patient with chikungunya virus infection presenting in Greece, a case of dengue fever in Turkey and a travel-related case of Zika virus infection in Romania. IMPLICATIONS: Early diagnosis of travel-imported cases is important to reduce the risk of localized outbreaks of tropical arboviruses such as dengue and chikungunya and the risk of local transmission from body fluids or vertical transmission. Given the global relevance of arboviruses and the continuous risk of (re)emerging arbovirus events, clinicians should be aware of the clinical syndromes of arbovirus fevers and the potential pitfalls in diagnosis.

First survey on hard ticks (Ixodidae) collected from humans in Romania: possible risks for tick-borne diseases.

The importance of studies on the diversity of ticks attacking humans resides mostly in the relatively highly-specific tick-pathogen associations. Human tick bites are commonly reported worldwide but removal of ticks from patients is rarely followed by specific identification of the ticks, leaving to some degree of hazard the preventive treatment of possible associated diseases. A total number of 308 ticks were collected between April and June 2010 from 275 human patients who voluntarily presented to a hospital from Cluj-Napoca, Romania. The mean intensity of infection was 1.12 ± 0.46. Four species of ticks were identified Ixodes ricinus, Dermacentor marginatus, Haemaphysalis concinna and H. punctata. Ixodes ricinus was the most abundant species feeding on humans in the study area. A brief review of possible associated pathogen is provided.