Antituberculosis drug resistance in isolates of Mycobacterium tuberculosis complex in southeast Spain.

OBJECTIVES: The aim of this study was to determine resistance to antituberculosis (anti-TB) drugs in Mycobacterium tuberculosis complex isolates from patients diagnosed with Tuberculosis (TB) in southeast Spain and to study related epidemiological factors. METHODS: This retrospective study analysed 5-year data (2012-2016) obtained in southeast Spain for a total equivalent population of 1 735 608 inhabitants. Clinical samples were examined from 557 patients with suspected pulmonary TB (n=470; 84.4%) or extrapulmonary TB (n=87; 15.6%), taking into account patient age, sex, human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) infection, country of birth and prior anti-TB treatment. RESULTS: TB was found more frequently in men than in women (66.6% vs. 33.4%), and the age group with the most cases (43.7%) was 36-55 years. Among the first-line anti-TB drugs, 7.0% of patients harboured isolates resistant to isoniazid (INH) and 1.6% to rifampicin (RIF); moreover, 1.4% of isolates were multidrug-resistant TB (MDR-TB) and 0.7% were extensively drug-resistant TB. There was a statistically significant relationship (P=0.028) between MDR-TB isolates and non-Spanish-born patients, but not between the latter and INH resistance. CONCLUSION: Resistance to INH and RIF was observed at levels similar to those published nationwide, with rates of MDR-TB being somewhat lower. Rates of HIV/TB co-infection have decreased considerably between 2012 and 2016.

Prevalence of Primary Resistance of Helicobacter pylori to Clarithromycin and Levofloxacin in Southern Spain.

BACKGROUND: The eradication of Helicobacter pylori (HP) using clarithromycin (CLA)-based triple therapy depends on the resistance of HP to antibiotics. The Maastricht III conference recommends the implementation of locoregional surveillance programmes for primary resistance of HP to CLA. In Andalusia, there are no previous data in this respect. The aim of this study was to determine the prevalence of the primary resistance of HP to CLA and levofloxacin (LF) in southern Spain. METHODS: Multicentre cross sectional study was carried out in 6 hospitals in Andalusia. Patients of both sexes numbering 401 were included (male 48%), aged 18-80 years and naïve to HP eradication. Resistance of HP to CLA (CLAr) and LF (LFr) was assessed by determining mutations by PCR: mutations of the 23S rRNA gene define CLAr and mutations of the gene gyrA define LFr. Four hundred one gastric samples were collected. CLAr was detected in 72 patients (17.9%) and LFr was detected in 56 patients (13.9%). Heteroresistance was detected for both antibiotics: CLA 37/72 (51.3%) and LF 28/56 (50%). Variability for CLAr was detected among the centres, ranging from 11.5% to 24.7% without statistical significance (p = 0.12). Female sex was related to CLAr. CONCLUSIONS: In Andalusia, there is a high rate of primary CLAr and LFr. CLA-based triple therapy should be avoided as the primary eradication regimen in this region. There is a wide variability in the rate of CLAr among centres.

Use of MALDI-TOF MS for Identification of Nontuberculous Mycobacterium Species Isolated from Clinical Specimens.

The aim of this study was to compare the results obtained for identification by MALDI-TOF of nontuberculous mycobacteria (NTM) isolated in clinical samples with those obtained by GenoType Mycobacterium CM/AS (common mycobacteria/additional species). A total of 66 Mycobacterium isolates from various clinical specimens (mainly respiratory) were tested in this study. They were identified using MALDI-TOF Bruker from strains isolated in Lowenstein, following the recommended protocol of heat inactivation and extraction, and were simultaneously analyzed through hybridization by GenoType Mycobacterium from liquid culture MGIT. Our results showed that identification by MALDI-TOF was correct in 98.4% (65/66) of NTM isolated in our clinical practice (M. avium, M. intracellulare, M. abscessus, M. chelonae, M. fortuitum, M. mucogenicum, M. kansasii, and M. scrofulaceum). MALDI-TOF was found to be an accurate, rapid, and cost-effective system for identification of mycobacteria species.

[Asymptomatic infection by influenza AH1N1 virus in healthcare workers: MARBEGRIP study, preliminary results]. / Infección asintomática por el virus influenza H1N1 (2009) en personal sanitario: Estudio Marbegrip. Resultados preliminares.

BACKGROUND: The proportion of asymptomatic individuals infected by influenza AH1N1v varies depending on the studies. Health personnel were exposed to the AH1N1v virus due to their professional activity, thus an high seroprevalence to the virus could be expected in the absence of symptomatology. The objective of this study was to determine the prevalence of asymptomatic individuals serologically positive for influenza AH1N1v virus. METHODS: A cohort based prospective study on hospital staff was proposed according to an hypothetic decreasing gradient of exposure to the virus, from emergency personnel to medical and surgical areas, and auxiliary staff other than emergency personnel. Serum sample from each participant was taken in September-October, 2009, November-December, 2009, and in April-May, 2010; and a health questionnaire was simultaneously filled out. Specific antibodies against influenza AH1N1v were detected by hemagglutination inhibition test. Eighteen hospitals (1,371 individuals) participated in the study. RESULTS: Health questionnaire and serological results from four hospitals are available. A variable proportion of non vaccinated individuals showed positive serology (5.6-83%). Only 19.4% of subjects received vaccine, with a variable rate of positive serology (18.8-64.7%). Positive serology was significantly lower in non medical participants. In addition, vaccine coverage was higher in medical personnel than in the rest of professional categories. CONCLUSIONS: There was a variable percentage of influenza AH1N1v seropositive individuals who had not suffered clinical symptomatology. This serological study detects differences on vaccine efficacy.

Infección asintomática por el virus influenza H1N1 (2009) en personal sanitario. Estudio marbegrip. Resultados preliminares / Asymptomatic infection by (H1N1) 2009 virus in health care workers. MARBEGRIP study. Preliminar results

Fundamento: La proporción de individuos asintomáticos que se infectan por gripe AH1N1v varía según las series. Los sanitarios están expuestos al virus de la gripe AH1N1v por su condición laboral, por lo que cabe esperar una prevalencia elevada de individuos con serología positiva sin presentar cuadro clínico asociado. El objetivo del estudio fue determinar la prevalencia de sanitarios asintomáticos con serología positiva para el virus de la gripe AH1N1v. Métodos: Se propuso un estudio prospectivo de cohortes en personal hospitalario en función de un hipotético gradiente decreciente de exposición al virus: personal de urgencias, área médica, área quirúrgica y celadores no de urgencias. Se extrajo sangre de los participantes en septiembre- octubre de 2009, noviembre-diciembre de 2009 y en abril-mayo de 2010, junto con la extracción se rellenaba un cuestionario de salud. Se ofreció la participación voluntaria a los miembros de los diferentes servicios. En sangre se procedió a determinar anticuerpos específicos frente al virus de la gripe AH1N1v por medio de inhibición de la hemaglutinación. Participaron 18 hospitales con un total de 1.371 participantes. Resultados: Se dispone de cuestionario de salud y de resultados serológicos de cuatro hospitales. Se observó una proporción variable de sanitarios asintomáticos con serología positiva sin haber sido vacunados (entre el 5,6% y el 83%). Sólo se vacunaron un 19,4% de los sanitarios, con un porcentaje de serologías positivas también variable (entre un 18,8% y 64,7%). El porcentaje de serologías positivas fue significativamente menor entre los celadores y el resto de categorías profesionales. La vacunación fue mayor entre los médicos que en el resto de estamentos profesionales. Conclusiones: Existe un porcentaje variable de individuos con serología positiva sin haber sufrido síntomas, con claras diferencias geográficas. Se observan también diferencias en la efectividad vacunal en términos serológicos(AU)

Background: The proportion of asymptomatic individuals infected by influenza AH1N1v varies depending on the studies. Health personnel were exposed to the AH1N1v virus due to their professional activity, thus an high seroprevalence to the virus could be expected in the absence of symptomatology. The objective of this study was to determine the prevalence of asymptomatic individuals serologically positive for influenza AH1N1v virus. Methods: Acohort based prospective study on hospital staff was proposed according to an hypothetic decreasing gradient of exposure to the virus, from emergency personnel to medical and surgical areas, and auxiliary staff other than emergency personnel. Serum sample from each participant was taken in September-October, 2009, November-December, 2009, and in April-May, 2010; and a health questionnaire was simultaneously filled out. Specific antibodies against influenza AH1N1v were detected by hemagglutination inhibition test. Eighteen hospitals (1,371 individuals) participated in the study. Results: Health questionnaire and serological results from four hospitals are available.Avariable proportion of non vaccinated individuals showed positive serology (5.6-83%). Only 19.4% of subjects received vaccine, with a variable rate of positive serology (18.8-64.7%). Positive serology was significantly lower in non medical participants. In addition, vaccine coverage was higher in medical personnel than in the rest of professional categories Conclusions: There was a variable percentage of influenza AH1N1v seropositive individuals who had not suffered clinical symptomatology. This serological study detects differences on vaccine efficacy(AU)