Evaluating the measures taken to contain a Candida auris outbreak in a tertiary care hospital in South India: an outbreak investigational study.

BACKGROUND: Candida auris infections are an emerging global threat with poor clinical outcome, high mortality rate, high transmission rate and outbreak potential. The objective of this work is to describe a multidisciplinary approach towards the investigation and containment of a Candida auris outbreak and the preventive measures adopted in a resource limited setting. METHODS: This outbreak investigational study was conducted at a 1300-bedded tertiary care academic hospital in South India. The study included 15 adult inpatients with laboratory confirmed Candida auris isolates. The outbreak cluster was identified in adult patients admitted from September 2017 to 2019. The system response consisted of a critical alert system for laboratory confirmed Candida auris infection and multidisciplinary 'Candida auris care team' for patient management. The team implemented stringent Infection Prevention and Control (IPC) measures including patient cohorting, standardized therapy and decolonization, staff training, prospective surveillance and introduction of Candida auris specific care bundle. RESULTS: Two outbreak clusters were identified; first cluster occurring between October and November 2017 and the second cluster in May 2018. The cohorts consisted of 7 and 8 Candida auris positive patients in the first and second waves of the outbreak respectively with a total survival rate of 93% (14/15). Deployment of containment measures led to gradual decline in the incidence of adult Candida auris positive cases and prevented further cluster formation. CONCLUSIONS: The sustained implementation of guideline and evidence-based IPC measures and training of healthcare workers for improving awareness on systematically following standardized protocols of Candida auris related IPC practices successfully contained Candida auris outbreaks at our hospital. This demonstrates the feasibility of establishing a multidisciplinary model and bundling of practices for preventing Candida auris outbreaks in a Low- and Middle-income country.

Dengue seropositivity among blood donors in a tertiary hospital in Kerala, Southern India.

Aim: The aim of this study was to screen blood donors in a tertiary hospital in Kerala for dengue during the period of peak dengue transmission. Materials and Methods: One hundred and seventy-eight continuous serum samples obtained from asymptomatic blood donors during the monsoon season were subjected to ELISA for Dengue NS1 antigen and dengue immunoglobulin M (IgM) antibodies. Results: Dengue IgM antibodies were positive in 20 (11.23%) donors and NS1 antigen was positive in 1 (0.56%) donor. The presence of these markers in asymptomatic blood donors showed that they may have had active or subclinical dengue infection at the time of donation or in the recent past. The presence of NS1 in particular raises the possibility that the donor may have been viremic at the time of donation. Conclusion: The findings of this study suggest the risk of transfusion transmission of dengue during the monsoon in Kerala and strengthen the case for dengue screening among blood donors during this period of high incidence.

Résumé Objectif: L'objectif de cette étude était de dépister la dengue chez les donneurs de sang dans un hôpital tertiaire du Kerala pendant la période de transmission maximale de la dengue. Matériels et méthodes: Cent soixante-dix-huit échantillons de sérum continus provenant de donneurs de sang asymptomatiques pendant la saison de la mousson ont été soumis à un test ELISA pour l'antigène de la dengue NS1 et les anticorps de l'immunoglobuline M de la dengue (IgM). Résultats: les anticorps IgM contre la dengue étaient positifs chez 20 (11,23 %) donneurs et l'antigène NS1 était positif chez 1 (0,56 %) donneur. La présence de ces marqueurs chez les donneurs de sang asymptomatiques a montré qu'ils pouvaient avoir eu une infection active ou subclinique de la dengue au moment du don ou dans un passé récent. La présence de NS1 en particulier soulève la possibilité que le donneur ait pu être virémique au moment du don. Conclusion: Les résultats de cette étude suggèrent le risque de transmission transfusionnelle de la dengue pendant la mousson au Kerala et renforcent les arguments en faveur du dépistage de la dengue chez les donneurs de sang pendant cette période de forte incidence. Mots-clés: Donneurs de sang, dengue, anticorps immunoglobuline M, Kerala, antigène NS1, séropositivité.

Ventriculoperitoneal shunt infection by Cryptococcus neoformans sensu stricto: Case report and literature review.

BACKGROUND: Cryptococcal ventriculoperitoneal shunt infection is known to occur due to an underlying infection in the patient rather than by nosocomial transmission of Cryptococcus during shunt placement. A case of chronic hydrocephalus due to cryptococcal meningitis that was misdiagnosed as tuberculous meningitis is described. CASE REPORT: Patient details were extracted from charts and laboratory records. The identification of the isolate was confirmed by PCR-restriction fragment length polymorphism of the orotodine monophosphate pyrophosphorylase (URA5) gene. Antifungal susceptibility was determined using the CLSI M27-A3 broth microdilution method. Besides, a Medline search was performed to review all cases of Cryptococcus ventriculoperitoneal shunt infection. Cryptococcus neoformans sensu stricto (formerly Cryptococcus neoformans var. grubii), mating-type MATα was isolated from the cerebrospinal fluid and external ventricular drain tip. The isolate showed low minimum inhibitory concentrations for voriconazole (0.06mg/l), fluconazole (8mg/l), isavuconazole (<0.015mg/l), posaconazole (<0.03mg/l), amphotericin B (<0.06mg/l) and 5-fluorocytosine (1mg/l). The patient was treated with intravenous amphotericin B deoxycholate, but died of cardiopulmonary arrest on the fifteenth postoperative day. CONCLUSIONS: This report underlines the need to rule out a Cryptococcus infection in those cases of chronic meningitis with hydrocephalus.

Comparison of Phenotypic MRSA Detection Methods with PCR for mecA Gene in the Background of Emergence of Oxacillin-Susceptible MRSA.

Background: Phenotypic methods for detection of methicillin resistance in Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA) can be inaccurate due to heterogeneous expression of resistance and due to environmental factors that influence the expression of resistance. This study aims to compare various phenotypic methods of detection of methicillin resistance with polymerase chain reaction (PCR) for mecA gene and to detect the presence of oxacillin-susceptible MRSA (OS-MRSA). Materials and Methods: A total of 150 S. aureus isolates were tested using cefoxitin disk diffusion, oxacillin salt agar (OSA), latex agglutination test for penicillin binding protein 2a antigen, chromogenic MRSA ID agar, and mecA PCR. Results: Using PCR as the gold standard, 91 (60.66%) of 150 clinical S. aureus strains were identified as MRSA. Three oxacillin-susceptible (minimum inhibitory concentration ≤2 µg/mL) mecA-positive isolates were classified as OS-MRSA. Among the different phenotypic MRSA detection methods studied, latex agglutination had the highest sensitivity and specificity (98.9% and 98.3%), followed by cefoxitin disk diffusion (95.6% and 98.3%), MRSA ID (97.8% and 83.05%), and OSA (86.81% and 94.92%). Conclusion: The sensitivity of cefoxitin disk diffusion method may be reduced in areas with a high prevalence of OS-MRSA where a combination of cefoxitin disk diffusion test with MRSA ID agar or latex agglutination is recommended.

Exophiala dermatitidis as a cause of central line associated bloodstream infection in an infant: Case report and literature review.

BACKGROUND: Exophiala dermatitidis is a dematiaceous fungus known to cause superficial, subcutaneous, cutaneous and deep seated infections, and rarely central line associated bloodstream infection (CLABSI). A case of CLABSI due to E. dermatitidis in an infant is described. CASE REPORT: Clinical and laboratory data were extracted from patient's chart and laboratory records. The isolate was identified as E. dermatitidis by phenotypic characterization and sequencing of the ITS and LSU regions of the ribosomal DNA. Medline search was done to review all cases of CLABSI due to E. dermatitidis. Among the azoles tested, posaconazole (0.06mg/l), voriconazole (0.03mg/l) and itraconazole (0.03mg/l) showed very low MICs when compared to fluconazole (4mg/l) CONCLUSIONS: As we did not found in the literature any case of CLABSI due to E. dermatitidis in an infant, we report the first one. Sequencing is a mandatory method for accurately identifying this species. Prompt removal of the central line, followed by a treatment with amphotericin B or an azole, seems to be the most effective treatment.

Antimicrobial Stewardship and Its Impact on the Changing Epidemiology of Polymyxin Use in a South Indian Healthcare Setting.

Polymyxins being last resort drugs to treat infections triggered by multidrug-resistant pathogens necessitates the implementation of antimicrobial stewardship program (ASP) initiatives to support its rational prescription across healthcare settings. Our study aims to describe the change in the epidemiology of polymyxins and patient outcomes following the implementation of ASP at our institution. The antimicrobial stewardship program initiated in February 2016 at our 1300 bed tertiary care center involved post-prescriptive audits tracking polymyxin consumption and evaluating prescription appropriateness in terms of the right indication, right frequency, right drug, right duration of therapy and administration of the right loading dose (LD) and maintenance dose (MD). Among the 2442 polymyxin prescriptions tracked over the entire study period ranging from February 2016 to January 2020, the number of prescriptions dropped from 772 prescriptions in the pre-implementation period to an average of 417 per year during the post-implementation period, recording a 45% reduction. The quarterly patient survival rates had a significant positive correlation with the quarterly prescription appropriateness rates (r = 0.4774, p = 0.02), right loading dose (r = 0.5228, p = 0.015) and right duration (r = 0.4361, p = 0.04). Our study on the epidemiology of polymyxin use demonstrated favorable effects on the appropriateness of prescriptions and mortality benefits after successful implementation of antimicrobial stewardship in a real-world setting.

First report of Vibrio cholerae O9, novel st520, isolated from a child with bacteraemia-associated sepsis.

Vibrios have been identified to cause extra-intestinal complications apart from the occasional cholera-like diarrhoeal outbreaks. The non-O1/O139 Vibrio cholerae strains are ubiquitous in environmental water bodies and hence pose a threat to people even without obvious risk factors. We describe a case of sepsis in a child with spinal dysraphism caused by a V. cholerae O9 strain belonging to a novel sequence type (ST520). The present case highlights the need of considering V. cholerae non-O1/O139 as one of the pathogens while dealing with sepsis cases, and also, the study expounds the importance of proper characterisation of the pathogen for an effective treatment.

Ventriculoperitoneal shunt infection by Cryptococcus neoformans sensu stricto: Case report and literature review

BackgroundCryptococcal ventriculoperitoneal shunt infection is known to occur due to an underlying infection in the patient rather than by nosocomial transmission of Cryptococcus during shunt placement. A case of chronic hydrocephalus due to cryptococcal meningitis that was misdiagnosed as tuberculous meningitis is described.Case reportPatient details were extracted from charts and laboratory records. The identification of the isolate was confirmed by PCR-restriction fragment length polymorphism of the orotodine monophosphate pyrophosphorylase (URA5) gene. Antifungal susceptibility was determined using the CLSI M27-A3 broth microdilution method. Besides, a Medline search was performed to review all cases of Cryptococcus ventriculoperitoneal shunt infection. Cryptococcus neoformans sensu stricto (formerly Cryptococcus neoformans var. grubii), mating-type MATα was isolated from the cerebrospinal fluid and external ventricular drain tip. The isolate showed low minimum inhibitory concentrations for voriconazole (0.06mg/l), fluconazole (8mg/l), isavuconazole (<0.015mg/l), posaconazole (<0.03mg/l), amphotericin B (<0.06mg/l) and 5-fluorocytosine (1mg/l). The patient was treated with intravenous amphotericin B deoxycholate, but died of cardiopulmonary arrest on the fifteenth postoperative day.ConclusionsThis report underlines the need to rule out a Cryptococcus infection in those cases of chronic meningitis with hydrocephalus. (AU)

AntecedentesLa infección criptocócica por contaminación de las derivaciones ventriculoperitoneales es una complicación que puede tener lugar en el paciente previamente infectado más que deberse a una transmisión nosocomial de Cryptococcus durante la colocación del dispositivo. Se describe un caso de hidrocefalia crónica por meningitis criptocócica que se diagnosticó erróneamente como meningitis tuberculosa.Caso clínicoLos datos del paciente se extrajeron de la historia clínica y de los registros de laboratorio. La identificación del aislamiento se confirmó mediante PCR de polimorfismo de longitud de fragmento de restricción del gen de la orotodina monofosfato pirofosforilasa (URA5). La sensibilidad a los antifúngicos se realizó mediante el método de microdilución en caldo CLSI M27-A3. Se realizó, además, una búsqueda en Medline para revisar todos los casos de infección por Cryptococcus asociados a derivación ventriculoperitoneal. Se aisló Cryptococcus neoformans sensu stricto (antes Cryptococcus neoformans var. grubii), tipo MATα, del líquido cefalorraquídeo y de la punta del drenaje extraventricular. El aislamiento mostró, in vitro, valores bajos de concentración mínima inhibitoria para el voriconazol (0,06mg/l), el fluconazol (8mg/l), el isavuconazol (<0,015mg/l), el posaconazol (<0,03mg/l), la anfotericina B (<0,06mg/l) y la 5-fluorocitocina (1mg/l). El paciente fue tratado con anfotericina B desoxicolato intravenoso, pero falleció por parada cardiopulmonar el decimoquinto día del postoperatorio.ConclusionesNuestro caso subraya la necesidad de descartar la presencia de Cryptococcus en los casos de meningitis crónica con hidrocefalia. (AU)

Can Panton Valentine Leukocidin Gene And Clindamycin Susceptibility Serve As Predictors of Community Origin of MRSA From Skin and Soft Tissue Infections?

INTRODUCTION: Community associated Methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (CA-MRSA) strains have begun to replace Hospital Associated MRSA (HA-MRSA) strains in hospital settings all over the world. With the epidemiological distinctions between these strains beginning to become ill-defined, the categorisation of a strain as CA-MRSA or HA-MRSA is dependent on molecular methods to detect the presence of SCCmec (Staphylococcal Cassette Chromosome mec) elements. However other markers like the presence of Panton Valentine Leukocidin toxin (pvl) genes or Clindamycin susceptibility may also be associated with community origin of MRSA. AIM: To determine the prevalence of CA-MRSA among MRSA strains isolated from skin and soft tissue infections and to evaluate the usefulness of Panton Valentine Leukocidin and Clindamycin susceptibility as markers of community origin of MRSA. MATERIALS AND METHODS: One hundred isolates of MRSA from skin and soft tissue were studied for the presence of SCCmec IV and V genes and Panton valentine leukocidin gene by Polymerase chain reaction. Inducible clindamycin resistance was screened for using the D-test. STATISTICAL ANALYSIS USED: Fischer's exact test. A p-value <0.05 was considered significant. RESULTS: Eighteen out of 100 MRSA strains were found to be CA-MRSA based on presence of SCCmecV. The proportion of Panton Valentine Leukocidin gene carriage among CA- MRSA as compared to HA-MRSA was found to be statistically significant (p<0.0001). Among the CA-MRSA strains, 94.4% were found to be susceptible to Clindamycin as against only 13.4% of the HA-MRSA strains (p<0.0001). The odds of an MRSA strain being CA-MRSA if it was both Clindamycin susceptible and PVL gene positive was calculated to be 68.25 (p<0.0001). CONCLUSION: Both Clindamycin susceptibility and pvl gene carriage were found to be independent predictors of community origin of MRSA, but taken together the association was highly significant.

Exophiala dermatitidis as a cause of central line associated bloodstream infection in an infant: Case report and literature review / Exophiala dermatitidis como causante de infección del torrente sanguíneo asociada a catéter central en un lactante: reporte de un caso y revisión de la literatura

BACKGROUND: Exophiala dermatitidis is a dematiaceous fungus known to cause superficial, subcutaneous, cutaneous and deep seated infections, and rarely central line associated bloodstream infection (CLABSI). A case of CLABSI due to E. dermatitidis in an infant is described. CASE REPORT: Clinical and laboratory data were extracted from patient's chart and laboratory records. The isolate was identified as E. dermatitidis by phenotypic characterization and sequencing of the ITS and LSU regions of the ribosomal DNA. Medline search was done to review all cases of CLABSI due to E. dermatitidis. Among the azoles tested, posaconazole (0.06mg/l), voriconazole (0.03mg/l) and itraconazole (0.03mg/l) showed very low MICs when compared to fluconazole (4mg/l). CONCLUSIONS: As we did not found in the literature any case of CLABSI due to E. dermatitidis in an infant, we report the first one. Sequencing is a mandatory method for accurately identifying this species. Prompt removal of the central line, followed by a treatment with amphotericin B or an azole, seems to be the most effective treatment

ANTECEDENTES: Exophiala dermatitidis es un hongo dematiáceo conocido por causar infecciones superficiales, subcutáneas, cutáneas y profundas, y rara vez infección del torrente sanguíneo asociada a catéter central (central line associated bloodstream infection [CLABSI]). Se describe un caso de CLABSI debido a E. dermatitidis en un bebé. CASO CLÍNICO: Los datos del paciente se extrajeron de la historia clínica y de los registros de laboratorio. El aislamiento se identificó como E. dermatitidis mediante caracterización fenotípica y la secuenciación de las regiones ITS y LSU del ADN ribosómico. Se realizó una búsqueda en Medline para revisar todos los casos de CLABSI debidos a E. dermatitidis. Entre los azoles evaluados, el posaconazol (0,06mg/l), el voriconazol (0,03mg/l) y el itraconazol (0,03mg/l) mostraron valores de MIC muy bajos en comparación con el fluconazol (4mg/l). CONCLUSIONES: Tras la revisión de todo lo publicado en la literatura, presentamos el primer caso de CLABSI debido a E. dermatitidis en un lactante. La secuenciación es necesaria para identificar con precisión esta especie. La retirada inmediata del catéter venoso central seguida de un tratamiento con anfotericina B o un azol es el tratamiento más efectivo