Molecular epidemiology and clinical significance of carbapenemase genes in carbapenem-resistant Acinetobacter baumannii isolates in southern Poland.

INTRODUCTION: A complex interplay between Acinetobacter spp., patients, and the environment has made it increasingly difficult to optimally treat patients infected with Acinetobacter spp., mainly due to rising antimicrobial resistance and challenges with surveillance. OBJECTIVES: This study evaluated carbapenem­resistant A. baumannii (CRAB) isolates to determine their resistance profiles and the presence of specific ß­lactamases to inform CRAB surveillance upon hospital admission and regional empiric antibiotic therapies. PATIENTS AND METHODS: The study was conducted at 4 hospitals in southern Poland between June and December 2022. Only health care-associated infections caused by A. baumannii were considered. A total of 82 CRAB isolates were included in the analysis. Species identification was performed by matrix­assisted laser desorption / ionization time­of­flight mass spectrometry, antimicrobial susceptibility was determined phenotypically, and polymerase chain reactions were carried out to identify the resistance genes. RESULTS: Depending on the hospital, the incidence of CRAB infections varied from 428.6 to 759.5 per 10 000 admissions in intensive care units (ICUs), and from 0.3 to 21 per 10 000 admissions in non­ICUs. CRAB antibiotic susceptibility was the highest for cefiderocol (100%), colistin (96%), tigecycline (77%), gentamicin (51%), and ampicillin / sulbactam (36%). The most prevalent blaOXA genes were blaOXA­66­1 (95%) and blaOXA­40 (71%), and additionally the extended­spectrum ß­lactamase gene blaTEM­1 (41%). CONCLUSION: An unexpectedly high incidence of CRAB infections occurred in Polish hospitals. There is a need for effective CRAB prevention and control that includes effective hospital screening, national surveillance, and improved treatment options.

Corrigendum: SARS-CoV-2 antibody response after mRNA vaccination in healthcare workers with and without previous COVID-19, a follow-up study from the University Hospital in Krakow, Poland.

[This corrects the article DOI: 10.3389/fimmu.2022.1071204.].

SARS-CoV-2 antibody response after mRNA vaccination in healthcare workers with and without previous COVID-19, a follow-up study from a university hospital in Poland during 6 months 2021.

Introduction: Healthcare workers (HCWs) from the beginning of the pandemic have been at risk of exposure to SARS-CoV-2, so they were vaccinated as first. Objectives: The purpose of the study was to determine the level of antibodies against SARS-CoV-2 in HCWs before and after vaccination with mRNA preparations according to previous COVID- 19. Patients and methods: The HCWs from the University Hospital in Krakow completed two surveys: the baseline survey before receiving the first dose of vaccine (in January 2021) and the follow-up survey in June 2021. In parallel, two blood samples were collected from each participant at baseline and at follow-up. Total anti-SARS-CoV-2 antibody levels were measured using the ECLIA technique. Results: At baseline, 41.1% of HCWs had positive antibody test results, and at follow-up, the vaccinated HCWs had almost 100 times higher antibody levels than the unvaccinated HCWs. Participants under 30 years of age had significantly higher antibody levels in June than older HCWs. Among participants with positive antibody test results in January, HCWs who had experienced asymptomatic COVID-19 had more than five times higher antibody levels in June than HCWs self-reported severe COVID-19. In total, 86.9% of HCWs received Comirnaty or Spikevax. The incidence rate of COVID-19 in the unvaccinated vs. vaccinated group was 13 times higher, 20.5% and 1.9% respectively. Conclusions: These results confirm the effectiveness of vaccination in the prevention of COVID-19 in HCWs. It is worth getting vaccinated regardless of previous infection. Furthermore, vaccination among HCWs under 30 years of age induced more effective antibody production compared to older individuals.