Autochthonous Dengue Fever in 2 Patients, Rome, Italy.

Since August 2023, outbreaks of dengue virus (DENV) infection have occurred in Italy. We report 2 autochthonous case-patients and their extended follow-up. Despite persistent DENV detected in blood by PCR, results for antigenomic DENV RNA were negative after day 5, suggesting that a 5-day isolation period is adequate to avoid secondary cases.

A machine learning approach for early identification of patients with severe imported malaria.

BACKGROUND: The aim of this study is to design ad hoc malaria learning (ML) approaches to predict clinical outcome in all patients with imported malaria and, therefore, to identify the best clinical setting. METHODS: This is a single-centre cross-sectional study, patients with confirmed malaria, consecutively hospitalized to the Lazzaro Spallanzani National Institute for Infectious Diseases, Rome, Italy from January 2007 to December 2020, were recruited. Different ML approaches were used to perform the analysis of this dataset: support vector machines, random forests, feature selection approaches and clustering analysis. RESULTS: A total of 259 patients with malaria were enrolled, 89.5% patients were male with a median age of 39 y/o. In 78.3% cases, Plasmodium falciparum was found. The patients were classified as severe malaria in 111 cases. From ML analyses, four parameters, AST, platelet count, total bilirubin and parasitaemia, are associated to a negative outcome. Interestingly, two of them, aminotransferase and platelet are not included in the current list of World Health Organization (WHO) criteria for defining severe malaria. CONCLUSION: In conclusion, the application of ML algorithms as a decision support tool could enable the clinicians to predict the clinical outcome of patients with malaria and consequently to optimize and personalize clinical allocation and treatment.

A case of severe Plasmodium ovale malaria with acute respiratory distress syndrome and splenic infarction in a male traveller presenting in Italy.

BACKGROUND: Plasmodium ovale malaria is usually considered a tropical infectious disease associated with low morbidity and mortality. However, severe disease and death have previously been reported. CASE PRESENTATION: A case of severe P. ovale malaria in a healthy Caucasian man with a triangle splenic infarction and clinical progression towards Acute Respiratory Distress Syndrome was reported despite a rapid response to oral chloroquine treatment with 24-h parasitaemia clearance. CONCLUSION: Plasmodium ovale malaria is generally considered as a benign disease, with low parasitaemia. However, severe disease and death have occasionally been reported. It is important to be aware that occasionally it can progress to serious illness and death even in immunocompetent individuals.

Comparison of SARS-CoV-2 Detection in Nasopharyngeal Swab and Saliva Samples from Patients Infected with Omicron Variant.

To compare the detection of the SARS-CoV-2 Omicron variant in nasopharyngeal-swab (NPS) and oral saliva samples. 255 samples were obtained from 85 Omicron-infected patients. SARS-CoV-2 load was measured in the NPS and saliva samples by using Simplexa™ COVID-19 direct and Alinity m SARS-CoV-2 AMP assays. Results obtained with the two diagnostic platforms showed very good inter-assay concordance (91.4 and 82.4% for saliva and NPS samples, respectively) and a significant correlation among cycle threshold (Ct) values. Both platforms revealed a highly significant correlation among Ct obtained in the two matrices. Although the median Ct value was lower in NPS than in saliva samples, the Ct drop was comparable in size for both types of samples after 7 days of antiviral treatment of the Omicron-infected patients. Our result demonstrates that the detection of the SARS-CoV-2 Omicron variant is not influenced by the type of sample used for PCR analysis, and that saliva can be used as an alternative specimen for detection and follow-up of Omicron-infected patients.

Infectious Toscana Virus in Seminal Fluid of Young Man Returning from Elba Island, Italy.

We report detecting infectious Toscana virus in the seminal fluid of a 25-year-old man from Italy returning from Elba Island. The presence of infectious virus in human semen adds Toscana virus to the long list of viruses detected in this genital fluid and indicates a potential for sexual transmission.

Telemedicine During COVID-19 Pandemic: Lesson Learned from the Lazio Region Infectious Diseases and Emergency Department Network.

Telemedicine and teleconsultation can be powerful and useful tools for patients to hamper the physical barriers to access to health care services during COVID-19 pandemic. We describe the teleconsultation (TC) model in the Lazio Region. It uses a hub-and-spoke network system on geographic regional basis using a web based digital platform, termed ADVICE with the aim to connect regional Emergency Departments (EDs) and Infectious Diseases (ID) acute and critical care settings for patients with acute ID syndrome. Between January 2020 and June 2021, the ADVICE platform received 18.686 TCs: of them, 10838 requests (58%) were for ID TCs in 7996 patients, followed by 2555(13%) requests for trauma, 2286(12%) for acute complex syndrome and 1681 (8%) for Stroke TCs. Three quarter of ID TCs were requested for SARS-COV-2 infection, followed by sepsis management in 7% and tuberculosis in 6%. In 5416 TCs, 68%, diagnostic investigations and therapeutic prescriptions were recommended before admission, in 1941 TCs, 24%, the recommendation was patient admission and in 608 TCs, 7%, was to discharge patient at home. Telemedicine have ensured high-profile consultations for ID patients and during COVID-19 the use of this resource optimized clinical patient management.

Systematic analysis of direct antiglobulin test results in post-artesunate delayed haemolysis.

BACKGROUND: Post-artesunate delayed haemolysis (PADH) is common after severe malaria episodes. PADH is related to the "pitting" phenomenon and the synchronous delayed clearance of once-infected erythrocytes, initially spared during treatment. However, direct antiglobulin test (DAT) positivity has been reported in several PADH cases, suggesting a contribution of immune-mediated erythrocyte clearance. The aim of the present study was to compare clinical features of cases presenting a positive or negative DAT. METHODS: Articles reporting clinical data of patients diagnosed with PADH, for whom DAT had been performed, were collected from PubMed database. Data retrieved from single patients were extracted and univariate analysis was performed in order to identify features potentially related to DAT results and steroids use. RESULTS: Twenty-two studies reporting 39 PADH cases were included: median baseline parasitaemia was 20.8% (IQR: 11.2-30) and DAT was positive in 17 cases (45.5%). Compared to DAT-negative individuals, DAT-positive patients were older (49.5 vs 31; p = 0.01), had a higher baseline parasitaemia (27% vs 17%; p = 0.03) and were more commonly treated with systemic steroids (11 vs 3 patients, p = 0.002). Depth and kinetics of delayed anaemia were not associated with DAT positivity. CONCLUSIONS: In this case series, almost half of the patients affected by PADH had a positive DAT. An obvious difference between the clinical courses of patients presenting with a positive or negative DAT was lacking. This observation suggests that DAT result may not be indicative of a pathogenic role of anti-erythrocytes antibodies in patients affected by PADH, but it may be rather a marker of immune activation.

Coronavirus disease (COVID-19) in a paucisymptomatic patient: epidemiological and clinical challenge in settings with limited community transmission, Italy, February 2020.

Data concerning the transmission of the novel severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus (SARS-CoV-2) in paucisymptomatic patients are lacking. We report an Italian paucisymptomatic case of coronavirus disease 2019 with multiple biological samples positive for SARS-CoV-2. This case was detected using the World Health Organization protocol on cases and contact investigation. Current discharge criteria and the impact of extra-pulmonary SARS-CoV-2 samples are discussed.

Clinical management of imported malaria in Italy: results from a national cross-sectional survey in 2015.

In Italy, malaria continues to be one of the most common imported parasitoses; therefore, continuous surveillance of epidemiological data and clinical management is needed. In 2016, the National Institute for Infectious Diseases 'Lazzaro Spallanzani' in Rome promoted a retrospective questionnaire-based survey to assess the clinical management of imported malaria cases in Italy in 2015. The questionnaire was sent to 104 Tropical and/or Infectious Diseases Units in the country, and 37 of them filled out and returned the questionnaires. A total of 399 malaria cases were reported in 2015, mostly caused by Plasmodium falciparum and imported from Africa. Malaria chemoprophylaxis was correctly used by a minority of patients. Most patients presented with uncomplicated malaria and were treated orally. In severe cases, intravenous artesunate or quinine alone or in combination were administered, although one third of these severe cases received oral treatment. This retrospective survey reveals a lack of homogeneity in management of malaria-imported cases in Italy. Improvement of malaria chemoprophylaxis, standardization of clinical management of malaria cases and harmonization of oral and intravenous drug availability are needed throughout the country.

Five cases of Plasmodium vivax malaria treated with artemisinin derivatives: the advantages of a unified approach to treatment.

OBJECTIVES: In endemic countries with a high level of chloroquine resistance, Plasmodium vivax malaria is associated with high morbidity and mortality. In these areas, the dihydroartemisinin-piperaquine combination resulted in clinical response, a more rapid clearance of parasitaemia, compared to chloroquine therapies, and reduction of recrudescence or reinfection. METHODS: We describe five cases of Plasmodium vivax malaria in returning travelers treated with dihydroartemisinin-piperaquine. RESULTS: All patients showed the early parasite clearance and no side effects. Our preliminary results suggest that the dihydroartemisinin-piperaquine combination is effective and safe even in imported cases. CONCLUSIONS: A unified treatment policy using the artemisinin combination therapy should be adopted even in non-endemic countries and larger studies are underway to support this strategy.

Severe Plasmodium ovale malaria complicated by acute respiratory distress syndrome in a young Caucasian man.

BACKGROUND: Although Plasmodium ovale is considered the cause of only mild malaria, a case of severe malaria due to P. ovale with acute respiratory distress syndrome is reported. CASE PRESENTATION: A 37-year old Caucasian man returning home from Angola was admitted for ovale malaria to the National Institute for Infectious Diseases Lazzaro Spallanzani in Rome, Italy. Two days after initiation of oral chloroquine treatment, an acute respiratory distress syndrome was diagnosed through chest X-ray and chest CT scan with intravenous contrast. Intravenous artesunate and oral doxycycline were started and he made a full recovery. CONCLUSION: Ovale malaria is usually considered a tropical infectious disease associated with low morbidity and mortality. However, severe disease and death have occasionally been reported. In this case clinical failure of oral chloroquine treatment with clinical progression towards acute respiratory distress syndrome is described.

Serological evaluation for Chagas disease in migrants from Latin American countries resident in Rome, Italy.

BACKGROUND: Chagas disease (CD) is a systemic parasitic infection caused by the protozoan Trypanosoma cruzi, whose chronic phase may lead to cardiac and intestinal disorders. Endemic in Latin America where it is transmitted mainly by vectors, large-scale migrations to other countries have turned CD into a global health problem because of its alternative transmission routes through blood transfusion, tissue transplantation, or congenital. Aim of this study was to compare the performance of two commercially available tests for serological diagnosis of CD in a group of Latin American migrants living in a non-endemic setting (Rome, Italy). The study was based on a cross-sectional analysis of seroprevalence in this group. Epidemiological risk factors associated to CD were also evaluated in this study population. METHODS: The present study was conducted on 368 subjects from the Latin American community resident in Rome. Following WHO guidelines, we employed a diagnostic strategy based on two tests to detect IgG antibodies against T. cruzi in the blood (a lysate antigen-based ELISA and a chemiluminescent microparticle CMIA composed of multiple recombinant antigens), followed by a third test (an immunochromatographic assay) on discordant samples. RESULTS: Our diagnostic approach produced 319/368 (86.7%) concordant negative and 30/368 (8.1%) concordant positive results after the first screening. Discrepancies were obtained for 19/368 (5.2%) samples that were tested using the third assay, obtaining 2 more positive and 17 negative results. The final count of positive samples was 32/368 (8.7% of the tested population). Increasing age, birth in Bolivia, and previous residence in a mud house were independent factors associated with T. cruzi positive serology. CONCLUSIONS: Serological diagnosis of CD is still challenging, because of the lack of a reference standard serological assay for diagnosis. Our results reaffirm the importance of performing CD screening in non-endemic countries; employing a fully automated and highly sensitive CMIA assay first could be a cost- and resource-effective strategy for mass screening of low-risk patients. However, our results also suggest that the WHO strategy of using two different serological assays, combined with epidemiological information, remains the best approach for patients coming from endemic countries.

Three cases of Zika virus imported in Italy: need for a clinical awareness and evidence-based knowledge.

BACKGROUND: Since early 2015, a large epidemic of Zika Virus (ZIKV) is spreading across South and Central America. An association between congenital neurological malformations (mainly microcephaly), other neurological manifestations such as Guillain-Barrè Syndrome, and ZIKV infection is suspected. CASE PRESENTATION: Three confirmed cases of ZIKV in travelers returning from Brazil between May 2015 and January 2016 are described. All patients had mild symptoms with no neurological complications. CONCLUSIONS: An increasing awareness among clinicians about this emerging disease is advisable, both for the need to provide correct additional information to the patients and to travelers, with a special focus on pregnant women, and for the presence of the competent vector in Southern Europe.

Concomitant Parenchymal, Subarachnoid, and Ventricular Neurocysticercosis in Rome, Italy: A Case Report with a 4-Year Follow-Up.

Neurocysticercosis (NCC) is caused by the larval stage of Taenia solium. This parasitic disease is endemic in many areas of the world and is emerging in Europe. NCC can affect different brain regions, but simultaneous involvement of the parenchymal, subarachnoid, and ventricular regions is rare. We report the case of a 39-year-old woman from Honduras, resident in Rome for 10 years, who presented to the Emergency Department complaining of headaches, transient hemianopsia, and bilateral papilledema. MRI showed a concomitant parenchymal, subarachnoid, and ventricular involvement in the brain. T. solium IgG antibodies were detected in the blood. The etiological diagnosis of NCC was obtained by identifying T. solium in cerebrospinal fluid using Next Generation Sequencing. Endoscopic neurosurgery with the placement of a ventricular shunt and medical long-term anti-parasitic treatment with a cumulative number of 463 days of albendazole and 80 days of praziquantel were performed. A successful 4-year follow-up is reported. NCC is one of the most common parasitic infections of the human CNS, but it is still a neglected tropical disease and is considered to be an emerging disease in Europe. Its diagnosis and clinical management remain a challenge, especially for European clinicians.

Chagas Disease in the Non-Endemic Area of Rome, Italy: Ten Years of Experience and a Brief Overview.

Chagas disease (CD) is a parasitic infection endemic in Latin America and also affects patients in Western countries due to migration flows. This has a significant impact on health services worldwide due to its high morbidity and mortality burden. This paper aims to share our experience at the National Institute for Infectious Diseases "Lazzaro Spallanzani", IRCCS, in Rome, Italy, where to date, a total of 47 patients-mainly Bolivian women-diagnosed with CD have received treatment with benznidazole, with all but one presenting with chronic disease. Most of the patients were recruited through the first extensive screening program held in 2014 at our Institute. About a quarter of our patients showed adverse effects to benznidazole, including a case of severe drug-induced liver injury, but 83% completed a full course of treatment. In addition to the description of our cohort, the paper reports a brief overview of the disease compiled through a review of the existing literature on CD in non-endemic countries. The growing prevalence of CD in Western countries highlights the importance of screening at-risk populations and urges public concern and medical awareness about this neglected tropical disease. There are still many unanswered questions that need to be addressed to develop a personalized approach in treating patients.

Left thigh phlegmon caused by Nocardia farcinica identified by 16S rRNA sequencing in a patient with leprosy: a case report.

BACKGROUND: In recent years, Nocardia farcinica has been reported to be an increasingly frequent cause of localized and disseminated infections in the immunocompromised patient. However, recent literature is limited. We report a case of left thigh phlegmon caused by N. farcinica that occurred in a patient with leprosy undergoing treatment with prednisone for leprosy reaction. CASE PRESENTATION: We describe the case of left thigh phlegmon caused by Nocardia farcinica in a 54-year-old Italian man affected by multi-bacillary leprosy. The patient had worked in South America for 11 years. Seven months after his return to Italy, he was diagnosed with leprosy and started multi-drug antibiotic therapy plus thalidomide and steroids. Then, during therapy with rifampicin monthly, minocycline 100 mg daily, moxifloxacin 400 mg daily, and prednisone (the latter to treat type 2 leprosy reaction), the patient complained of high fever associated with erythema, swelling, and pain in the left thigh. Therefore, he was admitted to our hospital with the clinical suspicion of cellulitis. Ultrasound examination and Magnetic Resonance Imaging showed left thigh phlegmon. He was treated with drainage and antibiotic therapy (meropenem and vancomycin replaced by daptomycin). The responsible organism, Nocardia farcinica, was identified by 16S rRNA sequencing in the purulent fluid taken out by aspiration. The patient continued treatment with intravenous trimethoprim/sulfamethoxazole and imipenem followed by oral trimethoprim/sulfamethoxazole and moxifloxacin. A whole-body computed tomography did not reveal dissemination to other organs like the lung or brain.The patient was discharged after complete remission. Oral therapy with trimethoprim/sulfamethoxazole, moxifloxacin, rifampicin monthly, clofazimine and thalidomide was prescribed to be taken at home. One month after discharge from the hospital the patient is in good clinical condition with complete resolution of the phlegmon. CONCLUSION: N. farcinica is a rare infectious agent that mainly affects immunocompromised patients. Presentation of phlegmon only without disseminated infection is unusual, even in these kinds of patients. In any case, a higher index of suspicion is needed, as diagnosis can easily be missed due to the absence of characteristic symptoms and the several difficulties usually encountered in identifying the pathogen.