Rabies in Costa Rica - Next Steps Towards Controlling Bat-Borne Rabies After its Elimination in Dogs.

Rabies is an acute, progressive encephalitis caused by a lyssavirus, with the highest case fatality of any conventional infectious disease. More than 17 different lyssaviruses have been described, but rabies virus is the most widely distributed and important member of the genus. Globally, tens of thousands of human fatalities still occur each year. Although all mammals are susceptible, most human fatalities are caused by the bites of rabid dogs, within lesser developed countries. A global plan envisions the elimination of human rabies cases caused via dogs by the year 2030. The combination of prophylaxis of exposed humans and mass vaccination of dogs is an essential strategy for such success. Regionally, the Americas are well on the way to meet this goal. As one example of achievement, Costa Rica, a small country within Central America, reported the last autochthonous case of human rabies transmitted by a dog at the end of the 1970s. Today, rabies virus transmitted by the common vampire bat, Desmodus rotundus, as well as other wildlife, remains a major concern for humans, livestock, and other animals throughout the region. This review summarizes the historical occurrence of dog rabies and its elimination in Costa Rica, describes the current occurrence of the disease with a particular focus upon affected livestock, discusses the ecology of the vampire bat as the primary reservoir relevant to management, details the clinical characteristics of recent human rabies cases, and provides suggestions for resolution of global challenges posed by this zoonosis within a One Health context.

Utilidad del panel FilmArray® BCID en la detección de bacteriemia: estudio multicéntrico latinoamericano / Usefulness of the FilmArray® BCID panel in the detection of bacteremia: Latin American multicenter study

Resumen Los objetivos de este estudio fueron determinar el desempeño del panel BCID de FilmArray® y establecer el impacto de estos resultados en el tratamiento antimicrobiano de pacientes con bacteriemia en 11 hospitales de Latinoamérica. Se incluyeron 397 episodios de bacteriemia y se documentaron 551 microorganismos aislados de hemocultivos. La identificación microbiana fue correcta en el 91,4% (504/551) de los aislados y en el 98,6% (504/511) si se consideran solo los microorganismos incluidos en el panel BCID. La sensibilidad en la detección de los genes mecA, vanA/B y blaKPC fue del 100% y la especificidad fue del 97%, 100% y 99,6% respectivamente. La notificación temprana del resultado permitió cambios terapéuticos en 242 episodios (60,9%). El panel BCID es un método confiable y rápido para la detección de mecanismos críticos de resistencia y de los microorganismos más frecuentemente aislados de bacteriemias y permite la optimización temprana del tratamiento antimicrobiano.

Abstract The objectives of this study were to determine the performance of the BCID panel and to establish the impact of these results on the antimicrobial treatment of patients with bacteremia in 11 hospitals in Latin America. Three hundred and ninety-seven episodes of bacteremia were included and 551 microorganisms isolated from blood cultures were documented. Microbial identification was correct in 91.4% (504/551) of the isolates and in 98.6% (504/511) if only the microorganisms included in the BCID panel are considered. The sensitivity in the detection of the genes mecA, vanA/B and blaKPC was 100% and the specificity was 97%, 100% and 99.6% respectively. Early notification of the outcome allowed therapeutic changes in 242 episodes (60.9%). The BCID panel is a reliable and rapid method for the detection of critical resistance mechanisms and of the microorganisms most frequently isolated from bacteremia and it enables early optimisation of antimicrobial treatment.

Resumo Os objetivos deste estudo foram determinar o desempenho do painel BCID do FilmArray® e estabelecer o impacto desses resultados no tratamento antimicrobiano de pacientes com bacteremia em 11 hospitais da América Latina. Trezentos e noventa e sete episódios de bacteremia foram incluídos e 551 microrganismos isolados de hemoculturas foram documentados. A identificação microbiana foi correta em 91,4% (504/551) dos isolados e em 98,6% (504/511) considerando apenas os microrganismos incluídos no painel BCID. A sensibilidade na detecção dos genes mecA, vanA/B e blaKPC foi de 100% e a especificidade foi de 97%, 100% e 99,6% respectivamente. A notificação precoce do desfecho permitiu mudanças terapêuticas em 242 episódios (60,9%). O painel BCID é um método confiável e rápido para a detecção de mecanismos críticos de resistência e dos microrganismos mais frequentemente isolados da bacteremia e permite a otimização precoce do tratamento antimicrobiano.

Infecciones óseas en el Pie Diabético: reporte de la microbiología

Objetivo: Describir y caracterizar la microbiología de las osteomielitis de pie diabético en pacientes hospitalizados en el Hospital San Juan de Dios en el año 2018. Métodos: Se consultó la base de datos local de pacientes de la Unidad de Pie Diabético para obtener los datos demográficos de los pacientes hospitalizados con diagnóstico de osteomielitis además del sistema de información de la división de Microbiología del Laboratorio Clínico con el fin de obtener los datos de especies bacterianas y sus perfiles de susceptibilidad a los antimicrobianos aisladas de las respectivas muestras de hueso. Con estos datos se construyó una base de datos para el proyecto y el análisis estadístico descriptivo se realizó en hojas de cálculo de Excel. Resultados: Enterococcus faecalis fue el agente más frecuentemente aislado (21%), seguido de Staphylococcus aureus (14%), de los cuales 70% presentó fenotipo de meticilino resistencia y Escherichia coli como tercer lugar (11%). Otros bacilos Gram negativos ocuparon un cuarto lugar, con Enterobacter cloacae (8%) y Klebsiella pneumoniae (8%) como las principales especies aisladas; cabe destacar que se evidenció la presencia de 24% de cepas portadoras de ẞ-lactamasas de espectro extendido, con K. pneumoniae como la principal especie portadora de este fenotipo de resistencia. Conclusiones: Se reportó por primera vez a E. faecalis como la bacteria más aislada en OPD, lo cual permite concluir que la microbiología de estos cuadros en Costa Rica difiere a lo reportado en la literatura internacional y es necesario actualizar a la comunidad médica costarricense. Además, es importante destacar que a pesar de que el porcentaje obtenido de bacilos Gram negativos portadores de BLEE es inferior a lo reportado en la literatura, el 100% de las cepas de K. pneumoniae fueron portadoras de este fenotipo de resistencia, por lo tanto, es posible considerar a nivel local que el hallazgo preliminar de esta especie debería modificar el espectro terapéutico a utilizar en espera de reportes de PSA.

Aim: Describe and characterize the microbiology of diabetic foot osteomyelitis (DFO) in hospitalized patients of the San Juan de Dios Hospital in 2018. Methods: The local database of patients of the Diabetic Foot Unit was consulted to obtain the demographic data of hospitalized patients with a diagnosis of osteomyelitis in addition to the information system of the Microbiology division of the Clinical Laboratory to obtain data on species bacteria and their antimicrobial susceptibility profiles isolated from the respective bone samples. With these data, a database for the project was built and the descriptive statistical analysis was carried out in Excel spreadsheets. Results: Enterococcus faecalis was the most frequently isolated agent (21%), followed by Staphylococcus aureus (14%) of which 70% presented a methicillin resistance phenotype, and Escherichia coli as third place (11%). Other Gram negative bacilli occupied a fourth place, being Enterobacter cloacae (8%) and Klebsiella pneumoniae (8%) the main isolated species; it should be noted the presence of 24% of strains carrying extended spectrum ẞ-lactamases, with K. pneumoniae as the main carrier species of this resistance. Conclusion: E. faecalis was reported for the first time as the most isolated bacterium in DFO, which allows to conclude that the microbiology of these conditions in Costa Rica differ from that reported in the international literature and it is necessary to update the Costa Rican medical community. It is also important to note that even though the percentage obtained from Gram negative rods carrying ESBL is lower than that reported in the literature, 100% of the K. pneumoniae strains were carriers of this resistance phenotype, therefore it is possible consider at the local level that the preliminary finding of this species should modify the therapeutic spectrum to be used pending final reports.