-
Clinical Infectious Diseases : An... Aug 2023The microbiology, epidemiology, diagnostics, and treatment of infective endocarditis (IE) have changed significantly since the Duke Criteria were published in 1994 and...
The microbiology, epidemiology, diagnostics, and treatment of infective endocarditis (IE) have changed significantly since the Duke Criteria were published in 1994 and modified in 2000. The International Society for Cardiovascular Infectious Diseases (ISCVID) convened a multidisciplinary Working Group to update the diagnostic criteria for IE. The resulting 2023 Duke-ISCVID IE Criteria propose significant changes, including new microbiology diagnostics (enzyme immunoassay for Bartonella species, polymerase chain reaction, amplicon/metagenomic sequencing, in situ hybridization), imaging (positron emission computed tomography with 18F-fluorodeoxyglucose, cardiac computed tomography), and inclusion of intraoperative inspection as a new Major Clinical Criterion. The list of "typical" microorganisms causing IE was expanded and includes pathogens to be considered as typical only in the presence of intracardiac prostheses. The requirements for timing and separate venipunctures for blood cultures were removed. Last, additional predisposing conditions (transcatheter valve implants, endovascular cardiac implantable electronic devices, prior IE) were clarified. These diagnostic criteria should be updated periodically by making the Duke-ISCVID Criteria available online as a "Living Document."
Topics: Humans; Endocarditis, Bacterial; Endocarditis; Fluorodeoxyglucose F18; Positron-Emission Tomography; Heart Valve Prosthesis; Communicable Diseases
PubMed: 37138445
DOI: 10.1093/cid/ciad271 -
Parasites & Vectors Jun 2023Hedgehogs are small synanthropic mammals that live in rural areas as well as in urban and suburban areas. They can be reservoirs of several microorganisms, including... (Review)
Review
Hedgehogs are small synanthropic mammals that live in rural areas as well as in urban and suburban areas. They can be reservoirs of several microorganisms, including certain pathogenic agents that cause human and animal public health issues. Hedgehogs are often parasitized by blood-sucking arthropods, mainly hard ticks and fleas, which in turn can also carry various vector-born microorganisms of zoonotic importance. Many biotic factors, such as urbanization and agricultural mechanization, have resulted in the destruction of the hedgehog's natural habitats, leading these animals to take refuge near human dwellings, seeking food and shelter in parks and gardens and exposing humans to zoonotic agents that can be transmitted either directly by them or indirectly by their ectoparasites. In this review, we focus on the microorganisms detected in arthropods sampled from hedgehogs worldwide. Several microorganisms have been reported in ticks collected from these animals, including various Borrelia spp., Anaplasma spp., Ehrlichia spp., and Rickettsia spp. species as well as Coxiella burnetii and Leptospira spp. As for fleas, C. burnetii, Rickettsia spp., Wolbachia spp., Mycobacterium spp. and various Bartonella species have been reported. The detection of these microorganisms in arthropods does not necessarily mean that they can be transmitted to humans and animals. While the vector capacity and competence of fleas and ticks for some of these microorganisms has been proven, in other cases the microorganisms may have simply been ingested with blood taken from an infected host. Further investigations are needed to clarify this issue. As hedgehogs are protected animals, handling them is highly regulated, making it difficult to conduct epidemiological studies on them. Their ectoparasites represent a very interesting source of information on microorganisms circulating in populations of these animals, especially vector-born ones.
Topics: Animals; Humans; Arthropods; Hedgehogs; Rickettsia; Bartonella; Mammals; Siphonaptera; Ticks; Flea Infestations
PubMed: 37349802
DOI: 10.1186/s13071-023-05764-7 -
Trends in Parasitology Aug 2023'Chiggers' (trombiculid mite larvae) are best known as vectors of rickettsial pathogens, Orientia spp., which cause a zoonosis, scrub typhus. However, several other... (Review)
Review
'Chiggers' (trombiculid mite larvae) are best known as vectors of rickettsial pathogens, Orientia spp., which cause a zoonosis, scrub typhus. However, several other pathogens (e.g., Hantaan orthohantavirus, Dabie bandavirus, Anaplasma spp., Bartonella spp., Borrelia spp., and Rickettsia spp.) and bacterial symbionts (e.g., Cardinium, Rickettsiella, and Wolbachia) are being reported from chiggers with increasing frequency. Here, we explore the surprisingly diverse chigger microbiota and potential interactions within this microcosm. Key conclusions include a possible role for chiggers as vectors of viral diseases; the dominance in some chigger populations of unidentified symbionts in several bacterial families; and increasing evidence for vertical transmission of potential pathogens and symbiotic bacteria in chiggers, suggesting intimate interactions and not simply incidental acquisition of bacteria from the environment or host.
Topics: Humans; Animals; Trombiculidae; Orientia tsutsugamushi; Scrub Typhus; Rickettsia; Zoonoses
PubMed: 37270375
DOI: 10.1016/j.pt.2023.05.002 -
Healthcare (Basel, Switzerland) Dec 2023A review of the association between microbes and mental illness is performed, including the history, relevant definitions, infectious agents associated with mental... (Review)
Review
A review of the association between microbes and mental illness is performed, including the history, relevant definitions, infectious agents associated with mental illnesses, complex interactive infections, total load theory, pathophysiology, psychoimmunology, psychoneuroimmunology, clinical presentations, early-life infections, clinical assessment, and treatment. Perspectives on the etiology of mental illness have evolved from demonic possession toward multisystem biologically based models that include gene expression, environmental triggers, immune mediators, and infectious diseases. Microbes are associated with a number of mental disorders, including autism, schizophrenia, bipolar disorder, depressive disorders, and anxiety disorders, as well as suicidality and aggressive or violent behaviors. Specific microbes that have been associated or potentially associated with at least one of these conditions include , , , Borna disease virus, (Lyme disease), , , coronaviruses (e.g., SARS-CoV-2), , cytomegalovirus, enteroviruses, Epstein-Barr virus, hepatitis C, herpes simplex virus, human endogenous retroviruses, human immunodeficiency virus, human herpesvirus-6 (HHV-6), human T-cell lymphotropic virus type 1, influenza viruses, measles virus, , , rubella virus, Group A (PANDAS), , , (syphilis), , and West Nile virus. Recognition of the microbe and mental illness association with the development of greater interdisciplinary research, education, and treatment options may prevent and reduce mental illness morbidity, disability, and mortality.
PubMed: 38200989
DOI: 10.3390/healthcare12010083 -
Microorganisms Jul 2023The primary objective of this paper is to provide an evidence-based update of the literature on the use of bioactive phytochemicals, nutraceuticals, and micronutrients... (Review)
Review
The primary objective of this paper is to provide an evidence-based update of the literature on the use of bioactive phytochemicals, nutraceuticals, and micronutrients (dietary supplements that provide health benefits beyond their nutritional value) in the management of persistent cases of infection (Lyme disease) and two other tick-borne pathogens, and species. Recent studies have advanced our understanding of the pathophysiology and mechanisms of persistent infections. These advances have increasingly enabled clinicians and patients to utilize a wider set of options to manage these frequently disabling conditions. This broader toolkit holds the promise of simultaneously improving treatment outcomes and helping to decrease our reliance on the long-term use of pharmaceutical antimicrobials and antibiotics in the treatment of tick-borne pathogens such as , , and .
PubMed: 37512931
DOI: 10.3390/microorganisms11071759 -
Travel Medicine and Infectious Disease 2023Human lice have always been a major public health concern due to their vector capacity for louse-borne infectious diseases, like trench fever, louse-borne relapsing... (Review)
Review
Human lice have always been a major public health concern due to their vector capacity for louse-borne infectious diseases, like trench fever, louse-borne relapsing fever, and epidemic fever, which are caused by Bartonella quintana, Borrelia recurrentis, and Rickettsia prowazekii, respectively. Those diseases are currently re-emerging in the regions of poor hygiene, social poverty, or wars with life-threatening consequences. These louse-borne diseases have also caused outbreaks among populations in jails and refugee camps. In addition, antibodies and DNAs to those pathogens have been steadily detected in homeless populations. Importantly, more bacterial pathogens have been detected in human lice, and some have been transmitted by human lice in laboratories. Here, we provide a comprehensive review and update on louse-borne infectious diseases/bacterial pathogens.
Topics: Animals; Humans; Typhus, Epidemic Louse-Borne; Relapsing Fever; Pediculus; Phthiraptera; Communicable Diseases
PubMed: 37567429
DOI: 10.1016/j.tmaid.2023.102630 -
Virulence Dec 2024Gram-negative species are facultative intracellular bacteria that can survive in the harsh intracellular milieu of host cells. They have evolved strategies to evade... (Review)
Review
Gram-negative species are facultative intracellular bacteria that can survive in the harsh intracellular milieu of host cells. They have evolved strategies to evade detection and degradation by the host immune system, which ensures their proliferation in the host. Following infection, alters the initial immunogenic surface-exposed proteins to evade immune recognition via antigen or phase variation. The diverse lipopolysaccharide structures of certain species allow them to escape recognition by the host pattern recognition receptors. Additionally, the survival of mature erythrocytes and their resistance to lysosomal fusion further complicate the immune clearance of this species. Certain species also evade immune attacks by producing biofilms and anti-inflammatory cytokines and decreasing endothelial cell apoptosis. Overall, these factors create a challenging landscape for the host immune system to rapidly and effectively eradicate the species, thereby facilitating the persistence of infections and creating a substantial obstacle for therapeutic interventions. This review focuses on the effects of three human-specific species, particularly their mechanisms of host invasion and immune escape, to gain new perspectives in the development of effective diagnostic tools, prophylactic measures, and treatment options for infections.
Topics: Humans; Bartonella; Immune Evasion; Bartonella Infections; Apoptosis; Biofilms; Membrane Proteins
PubMed: 38443331
DOI: 10.1080/21505594.2024.2322961