A cluster of autochthonous dengue transmission in the Paris region - detection, epidemiology and control measures, France, October 2023.

A cluster of three confirmed autochthonous dengue cases was detected in October 2023 in the Val-de-Marne department neighbouring Paris, France. This marks the northernmost transmission of dengue in Europe reported to date. The epidemiological and microbiological investigations and the vector control measures are described. This event confirms the need for early case detection and response to contain dengue in Europe, especially given the 2024 Summer Olympic and Paralympic Games, when millions of visitors will visit the Greater Paris area.

Autochthonous Dengue Outbreak, Paris Region, France, September-October 2023.

We describe clinical and laboratory findings of 3 autochthonous cases of dengue in the Paris Region, France, during September-October 2023. Increasing trends in cases, global warming, and growth of international travel mean that such infections likely will increase during warm seasons in France, requiring stronger arbovirus surveillance networks.

Clinical Features and Mortality of Nosocomial Candidemia in Very Old Patients: A Multicentre Italian Study.

INTRODUCTION: Being elderly is a well-known risk factor for candidemia, but few data are available on the prognostic impact of candidemia in the very old (VO) subjects, as defined as people aged ≥75 years. OBJECTIVE: The aim of this study was to assess risk factors for nosocomial candidemia in two groups of candidemia patients, consisting of VO patients (≥75 years) and adult and old (AO) patients (18-74 years). In addition, risk factors for death (30-day mortality) were analysed separately in the two groups. METHODS: We included all consecutive candidemia episodes from January 2011 to December 2013 occurring in six referral hospitals in north-eastern Italy. RESULTS: A total of 683 nosocomial candidemia episodes occurred. Of those, 293 (42.9%) episodes were in VO and 390 (57.1%) in AO patients. Hospitalization in medical wards, chronic renal failure, urinary catheter, and peripheral parenteral nutrition (PPN) were more common in VO than in AO patients. In the former patient group, adequate antifungal therapy (73.2%) and central venous catheter (CVC) removal (67.6%) occurred less frequently than in AO patients (82.5 and 80%, p < 0.002 and p < 0.004, respectively). Thirty-day mortality was higher in VO compared to AO patients (47.8 vs. 23.6%, p < 0.0001). In AO patients, independent risk factors for death were age (OR 1.04, 95% CI 1.00-1.09, p = 0.038), recent history of chemotherapy (OR 22.01, 95% CI 3.12-155.20, p = 0.002), and severity of sepsis (OR 40.68, 95% CI 7.42-223.10, p < 0.001); CVC removal was associated with higher probability of survival (OR 0.10, 95% CI 0.03-0.33, p < 0.001). In VO patients, independent risk factors for death were PPN (OR 3.5, 95% CI 1.17-10.47, p = 0.025) and hospitalization in medical wards (OR 2.58, 95% CI 1.02-6.53, p = 0.046), while CVC removal was associated with improved survival (OR 0.40, 95% CI 0.16-1.00, p = 0.050). CONCLUSION: Thirty-day mortality was high among VO patients and was associated with inadequate management of candidemia, especially in medical wards.

Operated Male-to-Female Sexual Function Index: Validity of the First Questionnaire Developed to Assess Sexual Function after Male-to-Female Gender Affirming Surgery.

PURPOSE: No questionnaire is currently available to evaluate sexual function after male-to-female gender affirming surgery. Such a limit leads to a suboptimal evaluation in postoperative sexual function in these patients. We developed and validated a new questionnaire, the oMtFSFI (operated Male-to-Female Sexual Function Index), for assessing sexual function in male-to-female patients after surgery. MATERIALS AND METHODS: A panel of experts in gender dysphoria defined the main content areas to be assessed, including genital self-image, desire, arousal, lubrication, orgasm, satisfaction and sexual pain. After a pretest on 10 patients the oMtFSFI was applied in the main study to 65 operated male-to-female patients, recruited at 7 Italian centers, and 57 women. The participants provided self-ratings on online oMtFSFI, Female Sexual Function Index, Beck Depression Inventory for Primary Care and Short Form Health Survey questionnaires. Operated male-to-female patients completed the oMtFSFI twice, 4 weeks apart. RESULTS: Principal component analysis performed on self-ratings provided by operated male-to-female patients on oMtFSFI items yielded a 3-domain structure of sexual dissatisfaction, sexual pain and genital self-image. The 3 domains were internally consistent and test-retest reliable. Convergent associations with Female Sexual Function Index scales emerged for sexual dissatisfaction and sexual pain but not for genital self-image. Male-to-female patients reported lower sexual function levels than cisgender women. CONCLUSIONS: The present preliminary results support reliability and psychometric validity of the oMtFSFI in the assessment of key sexual function domains in transgender women, further revealing that genital self-image represents an assessment area to be considered in male-to-female patients, in addition to domains that are salient for cis women as well.

Determination of pentraxin 3 levels in cerebrospinal fluid during central nervous system infections.

Pentraxin 3 (PTX3) is an acute phase protein; its plasmatic levels significantly rise during severe infections. Data on PTX3 levels in cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) of patients with central nervous system (CNS) infections are lacking. We aimed (a) to assess the diagnostic potential of measuring CSF PTX3 levels in patients with CNS infections and (b) to establish CSF PTX3 cutoffs to distinguish between bacterial and aseptic meningoencephalitis (ROC curve). PTX3 levels were measured in CSF from 19 patients admitted to Trieste Hospital, Italy, with CNS infection. A diagnosis of bacterial infection and aseptic meningoencephalitis was made in 7 (37%) and 12 (63%) patients, respectively. Subjects with bacterial infections showed significantly higher PTX3 levels (13.5 vs 1.27 ng/mL in aseptic meningoencephalitis, p = 0.010). We identified two different CSF PTX3 levels cutoffs. (1) The best cutoff to maximise Youden's J was 9.6 ng/mL with a sensitivity, specificity, positive predictive value and negative predictive value (NPV) of 71.4%, 91.4%, 83.3%, 84.6%, respectively. (2) The cutoff with higher NPV (100%) was 3.6 ng/mL; a diagnosis of bacterial infections was obtained in 0% patients with CSF PTX3 levels < 3.6 ng/mL vs 58% of those with CSF PTX3 levels ≥ 3.6 ng/mL (p = 0.017). CSF PTX3 levels are higher in bacterial meningitis than aseptic meningoencephalitis. A cutoff of 3.6 ng/mL of CSF PTX3 has a high NPV and can be used to exclude bacterial CNS infections.

Emergence of quinolone-resistant Shigella flexneri in Italy (March 2017).

In March 2017, a 45-year-old Italian man who has sex with men was admitted to the Infectious Diseases Department of Trieste Hospital (northeast Italy), because of fever, abdominal pain and dysentery. The patient had neither foreign travel history nor sexual contact with non-Italian partners. Stool cultures grew multidrug-resistant Shigella flexneri (resistant to ampicillin, chloramphenicol, streptomycin, tetracycline, trimethoprim, amoxicillin/clavulanic acid and ciprofloxacin) and whole genome sequencing detailed the resistance features. The phylogenetic analysis showed that the strain was unrelated to any previously reported strain. The patient was treated successfully with ceftriaxone. We hereby report the first case of locally-acquired, multidrug-resistant S. flexneri infection in Italy and also the emergence of a new clone.

Prevalence of Human Immunodeficiency Virus, Hepatitis B Virus, and Hepatitis C Virus Infections Among Transgender Persons Referred to an Italian Center for Total Sex Reassignment Surgery.

INTRODUCTION: The burden of human immunodeficiency virus (HIV), hepatitis B virus (HBV), and hepatitis C virus (HCV) infections in transgender population is an underestimated issue. We performed a study to evaluate the prevalence of such infections in transgender persons addressed our center for total sex reassignment surgery (SRS). MATERIALS AND METHODS: All transgender persons undergoing SRS from 2000 to 2014 were evaluated retrospectively. Participant characteristics and results of HIV, HBV, and HCV testing were collected. Exact Fisher test, Cochran-Armitage tests for trend and correct prevalence ratios were estimated. RESULTS: Among 498 transgender persons, 243 had confirmed serological data. Of them, 25 were female-to-male and 218 male-to-female (MtF) subjects. The prevalence of HIV, HBV and HCV infections was 0%, 4.0%, and 8.0% in female-to-male, and 12.1%, 4.6%, and 3.7% in MtF. Among MtF, younger age and earlier year of SRS were associated with lower HIV prevalence. From the multivariate model, the mutually adjustment prevalence ratios were 1.9 (95% confidence interval [95% CI], 1.2-3.1) for SRS in 2005-2010 and 3.6 (95% CI, 1.3-9.4) in 2010-2014, as compared with SRS in 2000-2004; and 4.7 (95% CI, 2.4-9.4) for South Americans as compared with others. Among the HCV-positive MtF, 57.1% were also HIV-positive. Regarding HBV, the immunity was 38.5% and, after mutual adjustment, the prevalence ratios were 2.1 (95% CI, 1.3-3.4) for South Americans versus others and 2.2 (95% CI, 1.6-3.1) for year of birth ≥ 1980. DISCUSSION: The prevalence of HBV and HCV infections among our transgender persons overlaps that reported in the general population, but HCV prevalence was much higher in HIV-infected MtF. The high burden of HIV infection among MtF and its recent incremented prevalence points out that social and medical support should be strongly promoted in such population.