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Journal of Clinical Medicine Mar 2022The SARS-CoV-2 pandemic might have increased the risks of healthcare-associated infections (HAIs); however, several studies of HAI such as urinary tract infections...
The SARS-CoV-2 pandemic might have increased the risks of healthcare-associated infections (HAIs); however, several studies of HAI such as urinary tract infections (UTIs) and catheter-associated urinary tract infections (CAUTIs) have shown contradictory results. The aim of this study is to assess the clinical features of UTIs and bacterial isolates from urine samples of hospitalized COVID-19 patients. We conducted a retrospective observational study including 87 COVID-19 patients with UTIs admitted to our centre. Bacterial UTIs presented were 87: 9 (10.3%) community-acquired UTIs (coinfection group) and 78 (89.6%) hospital-acquired UTIs (superinfection group). In the coinfection group, the most frequent type was non-CAUTI with 5 (55.5%) patients; however, the most frequent UTI in the superinfection group was CAUTI, with 53 (67.9%) patients. The median number of days of hospitalization in coinfected patients was lower than superinfection patients: 13 (IQR 11, 23) vs. 34 days (IQR 23, 47) p < 0.006. All UTI patients admitted to ICU, 38 (43.7%), belonged to the superinfection group. The mortality rate was 26.4% (23/87), 22/23 in the superinfection group. The most common microorganisms were E. coli 27 (28.4%), E. faecalis 25 (26.3%) and E. faecium 20 (21.1%). There was an increased incidence of E. faecalis and E. faecium in UTIs as well as hospital-acquired UTIs. This can be related to urethral catheterization during hospitalization, UCI admissions and the number of days of hospitalization.
PubMed: 35407423
DOI: 10.3390/jcm11071815 -
Frontiers in Veterinary Science 2023
PubMed: 38094500
DOI: 10.3389/fvets.2023.1329073 -
Journal of Mathematical Biology Dec 2023A characteristic of malaria in all its forms is the potential for superinfection (that is, multiple concurrent blood-stage infections). An additional characteristic of...
A characteristic of malaria in all its forms is the potential for superinfection (that is, multiple concurrent blood-stage infections). An additional characteristic of Plasmodium vivax malaria is a reservoir of latent parasites (hypnozoites) within the host liver, which activate to cause (blood-stage) relapses. Here, we present a model of hypnozoite accrual and superinfection for P. vivax. To couple host and vector dynamics for a homogeneously-mixing population, we construct a density-dependent Markov population process with countably many types, for which disease extinction is shown to occur almost surely. We also establish a functional law of large numbers, taking the form of an infinite-dimensional system of ordinary differential equations that can also be recovered by coupling expected host and vector dynamics (i.e. a hybrid approximation) or through a standard compartment modelling approach. Recognising that the subset of these equations that model the infection status of the human hosts has precisely the same form as the Kolmogorov forward equations for a Markovian network of infinite server queues with an inhomogeneous batch arrival process, we use physical insight into the evolution of the latter process to write down a time-dependent multivariate generating function for the solution. We use this characterisation to collapse the infinite-compartment model into a single integrodifferential equation (IDE) governing the intensity of mosquito-to-human transmission. Through a steady state analysis, we recover a threshold phenomenon for this IDE in terms of a parameter [Formula: see text] expressible in terms of the primitives of the model, with the disease-free equilibrium shown to be uniformly asymptotically stable if [Formula: see text] and an endemic equilibrium solution emerging if [Formula: see text]. Our work provides a theoretical basis to explore the epidemiology of P. vivax, and introduces a strategy for constructing tractable population-level models of malarial superinfection that can be generalised to allow for greater biological realism in a number of directions.
Topics: Animals; Humans; Plasmodium vivax; Superinfection; Mosquito Vectors; Malaria, Vivax; Malaria
PubMed: 38040981
DOI: 10.1007/s00285-023-02014-3 -
Medicina (Kaunas, Lithuania) Jul 2023The COVID-19 pandemic has had significant impacts on healthcare systems around the world, including in Latin America. In Colombia, there have been over 23,000 confirmed... (Review)
Review
The COVID-19 pandemic has had significant impacts on healthcare systems around the world, including in Latin America. In Colombia, there have been over 23,000 confirmed cases and 100 deaths since 2022, with the highest number of cases occurring in females and the highest number of deaths in males. The elderly and those with comorbidities, such as arterial hypertension, diabetes mellitus, and respiratory diseases, have been particularly affected. Coinfections with other microorganisms, including dengue virus, , and , have also been a significant factor in increasing morbidity and mortality rates in COVID-19 patients. It is important for surveillance systems to be improved and protocols to be established for the early detection and management of coinfections in COVID-19. In addition to traditional treatments, alternatives such as zinc supplementation and nanomedicine may have potential in the fight against COVID-19. It is also crucial to consider the social, labor, educational, psychological, and emotional costs of the pandemic and to address issues such as poverty and limited access to potable water in order to better prepare for future pandemics.
Topics: Male; Female; Humans; Aged; COVID-19; SARS-CoV-2; Pandemics; Colombia; Coinfection; Superinfection
PubMed: 37512147
DOI: 10.3390/medicina59071336 -
Critical Care (London, England) Apr 2021We reviewed similarities and differences of ventilator associated pneumonia in Sars-Cov2 infection and with other ARDS. The differences in epidemiology and outcome will... (Review)
Review
We reviewed similarities and differences of ventilator associated pneumonia in Sars-Cov2 infection and with other ARDS. The differences in epidemiology and outcome will be detailed. Possible explanations of differences in pathophysiology of VAP in Sarscov2 infections will be cited and discussed.
Topics: COVID-19; Humans; Pneumonia, Ventilator-Associated
PubMed: 33882991
DOI: 10.1186/s13054-021-03571-z -
Annual Review of Virology Sep 2022Natural selection acts on cellular organisms by ensuring the genes responsible for an advantageous phenotype consistently reap the phenotypic advantage. This is possible... (Review)
Review
Natural selection acts on cellular organisms by ensuring the genes responsible for an advantageous phenotype consistently reap the phenotypic advantage. This is possible because reproductive cells of these organisms are almost always haploid, separating the beneficial gene from its rival allele at every generation. How natural selection acts on plus-strand RNA viruses is unclear because these viruses frequently load host cells with numerous genome copies and replicate thousands of progeny genomes in each cell. Recent studies suggest that these viruses encode the Bottleneck, Isolate, Amplify, Select (BIAS) mechanism that blocks all but a few viral genome copies from replication, thus creating the environment in which the bottleneck-escaping viral genome copies are isolated from each other, allowing natural selection to reward beneficial mutations and purge lethal errors. This BIAS mechanism also blocks the genomes of highly homologous superinfecting viruses, thus explaining cellular-level superinfection exclusion.
Topics: Cell Line; Genome, Viral; Humans; RNA Viruses; Selection, Genetic; Superinfection; Virus Replication
PubMed: 35567296
DOI: 10.1146/annurev-virology-100520-114758 -
Frontiers in Immunology 2021Virus interference is a phenomenon in which two viruses interact within a host, affecting the outcome of infection of at least one of such viruses. The effect of this... (Review)
Review
Virus interference is a phenomenon in which two viruses interact within a host, affecting the outcome of infection of at least one of such viruses. The effect of this event was first observed in the XVIII century and it was first recorded even before virology was recognized as a distinct science from microbiology. Studies on virus interference were mostly done in the decades between 1930 and 1960 in viruses infecting bacteria and different vertebrates. The systems included experiments and later, more refined assays were done using tissue and cell cultures. Many viruses involved in interference are pathogenic to humans or to economically important animals. Thus the phenomenon may be relevant to medicine and to animal production due to the possibility to use it as alternative to chemical therapies against virus infections to reduce the severity of disease/mortality caused by a superinfecting virus. Virus interference is defined as the host resistance to a superinfection caused by a pathogenic virus causing obvious signs of disease and/or mortality due to the action of an interfering virus abrogating the replication of the former virus. Different degrees of inhibition of the superinfecting virus can occur. Due to the emergence of novel pathogenic viruses in recent years, virus interference has recently been revisited using different pathogens and hosts, including commercially important farmed aquatic species. Here, some highly pathogenic viruses affecting farmed crustaceans can be affected by interference with other viruses. This review presents data on the history of virus interference in hosts including bacteria and animals, with emphasis on the known cases of virus interference in crustacean hosts. Life Science Identifiers (LSIDs) [(Migula 1895) Castellani & Chalmers 1919] (Skuse 1894) (Linnaeus 1758): urn:lsid:marinespecies.org:taxname:107387 (Burkenroad 1939): urn:lsid:marinespecies.org:taxname:158334 (Linnaeus 1758): urn:lsid:marinespecies.org:taxname:107381 (De Man 1879): urn:lsid:marinespecies.org:taxname:220137 (Boone 1931): urn:lsid:zoobank.org:pub:C30A0A50-E309-4E24-851D-01CF94D97F23 (Fabricius 1798): urn:lsid:zoobank.org:act:3DD50D8B-01C2-48A7-B80D-9D9DD2E6F7AD (Stimpson 1874): urn:lsid:marinespecies.org:taxname:584982.
Topics: Animals; Crustacea; Viral Interference; Virus Diseases
PubMed: 34177916
DOI: 10.3389/fimmu.2021.674216 -
Journal of Clinical Medicine Jul 2023Xerostomia and hyposalivation are highly prevalent conditions in old age, particularly among multimorbid elders, and are often attributed to the use of multiple... (Review)
Review
Xerostomia and hyposalivation are highly prevalent conditions in old age, particularly among multimorbid elders, and are often attributed to the use of multiple medications. These conditions negatively affect oral functions, such as chewing, swallowing, speech, and taste. Additionally, the lack of lubrication of the oral mucosa frequently leads to super-infections with candida. Denture retention and comfort may also be compromised. The risk of dental caries and erosion of natural teeth increases since saliva, which is essential for repairing initial lesions in tooth structures, is insufficient. The dry sensation in the mouth also impacts the emotional and social well-being of elderly individuals. Patients experiencing xerostomia often avoid certain foods that are uncomfortable or difficult to consume. However, some foods may alleviate the symptoms or even stimulate salivation. This review discusses the limited available evidence on nutritional advice for patients with xerostomia and aims to provide insight into the patient's perspective while offering clinical recommendations. Future studies should focus on investigating the nutritional intake of individuals suffering from xerostomia or hyposalivation in order to ensure oral health comfort, prevent malnutrition, and minimize the impact on their quality of life.
PubMed: 37510706
DOI: 10.3390/jcm12144592 -
Biomedicines May 2024Adiponectin is primarily known for its protective role in metabolic diseases, and it also possesses immunoregulatory properties. Elevated levels of adiponectin have been...
Adiponectin is primarily known for its protective role in metabolic diseases, and it also possesses immunoregulatory properties. Elevated levels of adiponectin have been observed in various inflammatory diseases. However, studies investigating adiponectin levels in the serum of COVID-19 patients have yielded conflicting results. This study aimed to assess serum adiponectin levels in 26 healthy controls, as well as in 64 patients with moderate and 60 patients with severe COVID-19, to determine a potential association between serum adiponectin and the severity of COVID-19. Serum adiponectin levels in severe COVID-19 patients were significantly lower than in those with moderate disease and healthy controls, who exhibited similar serum adiponectin levels. Among patients with moderate disease, positive correlations were observed between serum adiponectin and C-reactive protein levels. Of note, serum adiponectin levels of severe COVID-19 cases were comparable between patients with and without dialysis or vasopressor therapy. Superinfection with bacteria did not exert a notable influence on serum adiponectin levels in patients with severe disease. Patients who were diagnosed with severe COVID-19 and vancomycin-resistant enterococci bacteremia showed a significant reduction in their serum adiponectin levels. An analysis conducted on the entire cohort, including both moderate and severe COVID-19 patients, showed that individuals who did not survive had lower serum adiponectin levels when compared to those who survived. In summary, this study highlights a decrease in serum adiponectin levels in severe COVID-19 cases, indicating the potential utility of adiponectin as an additional biomarker for monitoring disease severity in COVID-19 or critical illnesses in general.
PubMed: 38791005
DOI: 10.3390/biomedicines12051043 -
Transboundary and Emerging Diseases Sep 2022We report a corona virus disease (COVID-19) case with unprecedented viral complexity. In the first severe episode, two different severe acute respiratory syndrome...
We report a corona virus disease (COVID-19) case with unprecedented viral complexity. In the first severe episode, two different severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) strains (superinfection) were identified within a week. Three months after discharge, the patient was readmitted and was infected in a nosocomial outbreak with a different strain, suffering a second milder COVID-19 episode.
Topics: Animals; COVID-19; Disease Outbreaks; Reinfection; SARS-CoV-2; Superinfection
PubMed: 34687493
DOI: 10.1111/tbed.14352