Viral Population Heterogeneity and Fluctuating Mutational Pattern during a Persistent SARS-CoV-2 Infection in an Immunocompromised Patient.

Literature offers plenty of cases of immunocompromised patients, who develop chronic and severe SARS-CoV-2 infections. The aim of this study is to provide further insight into SARS-CoV-2 evolutionary dynamic taking into exam a subject suffering from follicular lymphoma, who developed a persistent infection for over 7 months. Eight nasopharyngeal swabs were obtained, and were analyses by qRT-PCR for diagnostic purposes. All of them were considered eligible (Ct < 30) for NGS sequencing. Sequence analysis showed that all sequences matched the B.1.617.2 AY.122 lineage, but they differed by few mutations identifying three genetically similar subpopulations, which evolved during the course of infection, demonstrating that prolonged replication is paralleled with intra-host virus evolution. These evidences support the hypothesis that SARS-CoV-2 adaptive capacities are able to shape a heterogeneous viral population in the context of immunocompromised patients. Spill-over of viral variants with enhanced transmissibility or immune escape capacities from these subjects is plausible.

Genital and extra-genital Chlamydia trachomatis and Neisseria gonorrhoeae infections in young women attending a Sexually Transmitted Infections (STI) clinic.

Chlamydia trachomatis and Neisseria gonorrhoeae are the most common agents of bacterial sexually transmitted infections (STIs) worldwide. Here, we evaluated genital and extra-genital C. trachomatis and N. gonorrhoeae infection prevalence in a cohort of young women attending an STI Outpatients Clinic in Italy. From May 2019 to December 2019, 134 women aged 18-26 years were enrolled. A vaginal, a pharyngeal and a rectal swab for the molecular detection of C. trachomatis and N. gonorrhoeae were collected from each patient. Chlamydia-positive samples underwent a molecular genotyping based on pmpH gene. Total prevalence of C. trachomatis and N. gonorrhoeae infections was 17.9% and 11.2%, respectively. Chlamydial infections were prevalent in the urogenital (16.4%) and rectal (13.4%) sites, whereas N. gonorrhoeae predominated in the genital (7.4%) and pharyngeal (6%) mucosa. Overall, 5.2% of cases would have been missed if extra-genital sites had not been tested. Notably, 60% of women with a rectal infection did not report anal sex. A history of sexual contacts with a positive partner (P=0.03) and a history of ≥3 partners in the last 6 months (P=0.0075) were highly predictive of a bacterial STI. No cases of lymphogranuloma venereum were found. These data could help set up effective strategies to prevent the spread of STIs.