Articles

Transmission dynamics and control of two epidemic waves of SARS-CoV-2 in South Korea

After relaxing social distancing measures, South Korea experienced a resurgent second epidemic wave of coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19). In this study, we aimed to identify the transmission dynamics of seve...

Authors: Sukhyun Ryu, Sheikh Taslim Ali, Eunbi Noh, Dasom Kim, Eric H. Y. Lau and Benjamin J. Cowling

Successful treatment of a patient with recurrent infection of Chromobacterium violaceum

Chromobacterium violaceum (C. violaceum) is a Gram-negative saprophytic bacterium that is widespread in tropical and subtropical environments, and belongs to conditional pathogenic bacteria. Human infection with

Authors: Lijuan Lang, Menglei Wang, Xiaowen Huang, Hao Zhou, Zaigao Zhou, Liang Huang, Huanxin Zheng, Kang Zeng and Li Li

Effectiveness of sepsis bundle application and outcomes predictors to cirrhotic patients with septic shock

Cirrhotic patients with septic shock have a poorer prognosis compared with the general population. Our study aimed to investigate the survival benefit of the implementation of hour-1 bundle proposed by Survivi...

Authors: Yong-Ye Yang and Yin-Chou Hsu

Prevalence and risk factors of Mycoplasma genitalium infection in patients attending a sexually transmitted infection clinic in Reunion Island: a cross-sectional study (2017–2018)

Mycoplasma genitalium (MG) is an emerging sexually transmitted infection (STI) for whose management remains controversial. We aimed to assess the prevalence and risk factors of MG infection in patients attending ...

Authors: Roxane Begnis, Nicolas Bouscaren, Loic Raffray, Cécile Saint Pastou Terrier, Fanny Andry, Malik Boukerrou, Yatrika Koumar, Marie-Pierre Moiton, Patrick Gerardin and Antoine Bertolotti

The differential demographic pattern of coronavirus disease 2019 fatality outside Hubei and from six hospitals in Hubei, China: a descriptive analysis

The coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) epidemic has been largely controlled in China, to the point where case fatality rate (CFR) data can be comprehensively evaluated.

Authors: Qing-Bin Lu, Hai-Yang Zhang, Tian-Le Che, Han Zhao, Xi Chen, Rui Li, Wan-Li Jiang, Hao-Long Zeng, Xiao-Ai Zhang, Hui Long, Qiang Wang, Ming-Qing Wu, Michael P. Ward, Yue Chen, Zhi-Jie Zhang, Yang Yang…

Association of serum antibodies against the Mycobacterium avium complex and hemoptysis: a cross-sectional study

Hemoptysis is very common and can be life threatening in clinical practice for nontuberculous mycobacteria. The serum antibody against the Mycobacterium avium complex (MAC-Ab), the majority of nontuberculous myco...

Authors: Hiroaki Ogata, Atsushi Moriwaki, Taisuke Nakagawa, Soichiro Sakoda, Akiko Ishimatsu, Kazuhito Taguchi, Hiroshi Aso, Hiroko Nogami, Masako Kadowaki, Yuko Tateshi and Makoto Yoshida

Rat bite fever with osteomyelitis and discitis: case report and literature review

Rat bite fever (RBF) is a rare systemic febrile illness transmitted by rats. Streptobacillus moniliformis is a pleomorphic Gram-negative bacillus which is the usual etiologic organism for rat bite fever in the Un...

Authors: Steven H. Adams and Rahul Mahapatra

Longitudinal assessment of SARS-CoV-2 IgG seroconversionamong front-line healthcare workers during the first wave of the Covid-19 pandemic at a tertiary-care hospital in Chile

Healthcare workers (HCWs) are at high risk of exposure to SARS-CoV-2. Cross-sectional studies have provided variable rates of seroprevalence in HCWs. Longitudinal assessments of the serological response to Cov...

Authors: Mirentxu Iruretagoyena, Macarena R. Vial, Maria Spencer-Sandino, Pablo Gaete, Anne Peters, Iris Delgado, Inia Perez, Claudia Calderon, Lorena Porte, Paulette Legarraga, Alicia Anderson, Ximena Aguilera, Pablo Vial, Thomas Weitzel and Jose M. Munita

Confounding influences of malnutrition and Plasmodium falciparum and Schistosoma haematobium infections on haematological parameters in school children in Muyuka, Cameroon

School-aged children (SAC) are a high-risk demographic group for infectious diseases and malnutrition. The objective of this study was to assess the burden and the effect of Plasmodium falciparum and Schistosoma ...

Authors: Irene Ule Ngole Sumbele, Ofon Vitalis Otia, Lorraine Francis, Orelien Sylvain Mtopi Bopda, Calvin Bisong Ebai, Teh Rene Ning, Helen Kuo Kuo Kimbi and Theresa Nkuo-Akenji

Estimating asymptomatic, undetected and total cases for the COVID-19 outbreak in Wuhan: a mathematical modeling study

The COVID-19 outbreak in Wuhan started in December 2019 and was under control by the end of March 2020 with a total of 50,006 confirmed cases by the implementation of a series of nonpharmaceutical intervention...

Authors: Xi Huo, Jing Chen and Shigui Ruan

Long -term persistence of antibodies against varicella in fully immunized healthcare workers: an Italian retrospective cohort study

Chickenpox is a highly contagious disease caused by the varicella zoster virus (VZV), and in infants, adolescents, adults, pregnant women, and the immunocompromised it can be serious. The best way to prevent c...

Authors: Francesco Paolo Bianchi, Silvio Tafuri, Angela Maria Vittoria Larocca, Cinzia Annatea Germinario and Pasquale Stefanizzi

Sociodemographic determinants and clinical risk factors associated with COVID-19 severity: a cross-sectional analysis of over 200,000 patients in Tehran, Iran

Defining socio-demographic factors, clinical presentations and underlying diseases associated with COVID-19 severity could be helpful in its management. This study aimed to further clarify the determinants and...

Authors: Mohammad-Reza Sohrabi, Rozhin Amin, Ali Maher, Ayad Bahadorimonfared, Shahriar Janbazi, Khatereh Hannani, Ali-Asghar Kolahi and Ali-Reza Zali

Factors associated with negative pleural adenosine deaminase results in the diagnosis of childhood pleural tuberculosis

Until now, the influential factors associated with pleural adenosine deaminase (ADA) activity among children remain unclear. This retrospective study was therefore conducted aiming to investigate the factors a...

Authors: Xing-Fen Han, Chao Han, Feng Jin, Jun-Li Wang and Mao-Shui Wang

A qualitative assessment in acceptability and barriers to use pre-exposure prophylaxis (PrEP) among men who have sex with men: implications for service delivery in Vietnam

HIV Pre-exposure prophylaxis (PrEP) is being considered for implementation among MSM nationwide in Vietnam. However, there may be concerns about potential obstacles for PrEP adherence among Vietnamese MSM. Thi...

Authors: Long Hoang Nguyen, Huong Lan Thi Nguyen, Bach Xuan Tran, Mattias Larsson, Luis E. C. Rocha, Anna Thorson and Susanne Strömdahl

Silent existence of eosinopenia in sepsis: a systematic review and meta-analysis

Sepsis is a life-threatening and time-critical medical emergency; therefore, the early diagnosis of sepsis is essential to timely treatment and favorable outcomes for patients susceptible to sepsis. Eosinopeni...

Authors: Yao Lin, Jiabing Rong and Zhaocai Zhang

Development of a bedside score to predict dengue severity

In 2017, New Caledonia experienced an outbreak of severe dengue causing high hospital burden (4379 cases, 416 hospital admissions, 15 deaths). We decided to build a local operational model predictive of dengue...

Authors: Ingrid Marois, Carole Forfait, Catherine Inizan, Elise Klement-Frutos, Anabelle Valiame, Daina Aubert, Ann-Claire Gourinat, Sylvie Laumond, Emilie Barsac, Jean-Paul Grangeon, Cécile Cazorla, Audrey Merlet, Arnaud Tarantola, Myrielle Dupont-Rouzeyrol and Elodie Descloux

AIDS fighter health defense: protocol for a randomized controlled trial to test a game-based intervention to improve adolescents’ AIDS prevention ability

Although great progress has been made in the prevention and treatment of AIDS, there are still a considerable number of new infections annually, especially in adolescents. With the advance of technology, game-...

Authors: Jian Tang, Yanhua Chen, Xingli Yu, Jianlan Ren, Mei Li, Yue Luo, Hong Xie and Jing Wen

Management of insecticides for use in disease vector control: a global survey

Vector control plays a critical role in the prevention, control and elimination of vector-borne diseases, and interventions of vector control continue to depend largely on the action of chemical insecticides. ...

Authors: Henk van den Berg, Haroldo Sergio da Silva Bezerra, Emmanuel Chanda, Samira Al-Eryani, Bhupender N. Nagpal, Elkhan Gasimov, Raman Velayudhan and Rajpal S. Yadav

Interferon-gamma release assay levels and risk of progression to active tuberculosis: a systematic review and dose-response meta-regression analysis

Identifying and treating individuals with high risk of progression from latent tuberculosis infection to active tuberculosis (TB) disease is critical for eliminating the disease. We aimed to conduct a systemat...

Authors: Jorge R. Ledesma, Jianing Ma, Peng Zheng, Jennifer M. Ross, Theo Vos and Hmwe H. Kyu

Comparing rates of mycobacterial clearance in sputum smear-negative and smear-positive adults living with HIV

Pulmonary tuberculosis (TB) in people living with HIV (PLH) frequently presents as sputum smear-negative. However, clinical trials of TB in adults often use smear-positive individuals to ensure measurable bact...

Authors: Edith E. Machowski, Matebogo Letutu, Limakatso Lebina, Ziyaad Waja, Reginah Msandiwa, Minja Milovanovic, Bhavna G. Gordhan, Kennedy Otwombe, Sven O. Friedrich, Richard Chaisson, Andreas H. Diacon, Bavesh Kana and Neil Martinson

Symptomatic sinus bradycardia due to electrolyte imbalances in syndrome of inappropriate antidiuretic hormone (SIADH) related covid-19: a case report

Coronavirus Disease-2019 (COVID-19) has been declared a global pandemic since March 11th, 2020. Despite emerging reports and literature covering a broad spectrum of COVID-19 clinical manifestations, facets of ...

Authors: Muzakkir Amir, Andi Renata and Levina Tri Ratana

Genetic diversity analysis of Chinese Leishmania isolates and development of L. donovani complex-specific markers by RAPD

Leishmaniasis is one of the most neglected tropical diseases in the world and remains endemic in some underdeveloped regions, including western China. The phylogeny and classification of Chinese Leishmania has no...

Authors: Dongmei Yuan, Hanxiao Qin, Dali Chen and Jianping Chen

An emm-type specific qPCR to track bacterial load during experimental human Streptococcus pyogenes pharyngitis

Streptococcus pyogenes causes a profound global burden of morbidity and mortality across its diverse clinical spectrum. To support a new controlled human infection (‘challenge’) model seeking to accelerate S. pyo...

Authors: Loraine V. Fabri, Kristy I. Azzopardi, Joshua Osowicki, Hannah R. Frost, Pierre R. Smeesters and Andrew C. Steer

First case of periprosthetic joint infection due to Clostridioides difficile in China

Clostridioides difficile usually causes intestinal infections. However, a 75-year-old lady had a periprosthetic joint infection due to this microorganism. We report a C. difficile infection of a prosthetic hip jo...

Authors: Yang Song, Hong Yi Shao, Xiang Cheng and Yu Guo

Mean platelet volume (MPV): new diagnostic indices for co-morbidity of tuberculosis and diabetes mellitus

Tuberculosis (TB) and type 2 diabetes mellitus (DM) are global health diseases with high morbidity and mortality. Few studies have focused on platelet indices in TB-DM coinfection patients. The objective of th...

Authors: Feifan Xu, Shengyan Qu, Lin Wang and Yongwei Qin

A case report of endocarditis and spondylitis caused by Brucella melitensis biovar 3

This case report describes the clinical process of a shepherd who suffered brucellosis-related endocarditis (BE) and spondylitis (BS) and was infected with Brucella melitensis biovar 3 (B. melitensis biovar 3).

Authors: Huan Zhang, Songsong Xie, Yueli Wang, Xiaoli Zhao, Jihai Yi, Zhen Wang, Qi Liu, Xiaoyu Deng, Bingjie Li, Buyun Cui, Yuanzhi Wang and Chuangfu Chen

The health-related quality of life in Iranian patients with COVID-19

COVID-19 is a public health emergency with a high mortality rate and it reduces the patient’s Health-Related Quality of Life (HRQoL) significantly. This effect is measured in the current study.

Authors: Cyrus Alinia, Safura Yaghmaei, Farman Zahir Abdullah, Asad Ahmadi, Nasrin Samadi, Sima Pourteimour, Hossein Safari, Hassan Mahmoodi, Ghobad Moradi and Bakhtiar Piroozi

SARS-CoV-2 PCR-positive and PCR-negative cases of pneumonia admitted to the hospital during the peak of COVID-19 pandemic: analysis of in-hospital and post-hospital mortality

During the spike of COVID-19 pandemic in Kazakhstan (June-2020), multiple SARS-CoV-2 PCR-test negative pneumonia cases with higher mortality were reported by media. We aimed to study the epidemiologic characte...

Authors: Abduzhappar Gaipov, Arnur Gusmanov, Anara Abbay, Yesbolat Sakko, Alpamys Issanov, Kainar Kadyrzhanuly, Zhanar Yermakhanova, Lazzat Aliyeva, Ardak Kashkynbayev, Iklas Moldaliyev, Byron Crape and Antonio Sarria-Santamera

Lessons learned from the investigation of a COVID-19 cluster in Creil, France: effectiveness of targeting symptomatic cases and conducting contact tracing around them

This study presents the methods and results of the investigation into a SARS-CoV-2 outbreak in a professional community. Due to the limited testing capacity available in France at the time, we elaborated a tes...

Authors: Franck de Laval, Anaïs Grosset-Janin, François Delon, Alexandre Allonneau, Christelle Tong, Flavie Letois, Anne Couderc, Marc-Antoine Sanchez, César Destanque, Fabrice Biot, Françoise Raynaud, Christine Bigaillon, Olivier Ferraris, Etienne Simon-Loriere, Vincent Enouf, Dinaherisoa Andriamanantena…

Burden of Clostridioides difficile infection (CDI) - a systematic review of the epidemiology of primary and recurrent CDI

Clostridioides difficile is a Gram-positive anaerobic bacterium, which causes Clostridioides difficile infection (CDI). It has been recognised as a leading cause of healthcare-associated infections and a consider...

Authors: Elaine Finn, Fredrik L. Andersson and Matthew Madin-Warburton

Species diversity and spatial distribution of CL/VL vectors: assessing bioclimatic effect on expression plasticity of genes possessing vaccine properties isolated from wild-collected sand flies in endemic areas of Iran

Leishmaniasis is one of the ten most important neglected tropical diseases worldwide. Understanding the distribution of vectors of visceral and cutaneous leishmaniasis (VL/CL) is one of the significant strateg...

Authors: Ali Bordbar and Parviz Parvizi

Healthcare workers’ compliance and its potential determinants to prevent COVID-19 in public hospitals in Western Ethiopia

Globally, Coronavirus disease-19 has created unprecedented challenges to public health. Healthcare workers (HCWs) are at risk of COVID-19 because of their profession. There are limited studies conducted in Eth...

Authors: Werku Etafa, Gosa Gadisa, Shibiru Jabessa and Tagay Takele

Identification of transmission chains and clusters associated with COVID-19 in Tunisia

The aim of this study was to characterize the transmission chains and clusters of COVID-19 infection in Tunisia.

Authors: Mouna Safer, Hejer Letaief, Aicha Hechaichi, Chahida Harizi, Sonia Dhaouadi, Leila Bouabid, Sondes Darouiche, Donia Gharbi, Nawel Elmili, Hamida Ben Salah, Mongi Hammami, Khouloud Talmoudi, Rim Moussa, Nejib Charaa, Hasna Termiz, Fethi Ltaief…

Association between fatality rate of COVID-19 and selenium deficiency in China

COVID-19 has impacted populations around the world, with the fatality rate varying dramatically across countries. Selenium, as one of the important micronutrients implicated in viral infections, was suggested ...

Authors: Hai-Yang Zhang, An-Ran Zhang, Qing-Bin Lu, Xiao-Ai Zhang, Zhi-Jie Zhang, Xiu-Gang Guan, Tian-Le Che, Yang Yang, Hao Li, Wei Liu and Li-Qun Fang

Two-stage prediction model for in-hospital mortality of patients with influenza infection

Infleunza is a challenging issue in public health. The mortality and morbidity associated with epidemic and pandemic influenza puts a heavy burden on health care system. Most patients with influenza can be tre...

Authors: Chan-Wa Cheong, Chien-Lin Chen, Chih-Huang Li, Chen-June Seak, Hsiao-Jung Tseng, Kuang-Hung Hsu, Chip-Jin Ng and Cheng-Yu Chien

Lack of association between vitamin D insufficiency and clinical outcomes of patients with COVID-19 infection

A protective effect of vitamin D against COVID-19 infection is under investigation. We aimed to analyze the effect of vitamin D sufficiency on the clinical outcomes of patients infected with COVID-19.

Authors: Alireza Davoudi, Narges Najafi, Mohsen Aarabi, Atefeh Tayebi, Roja Nikaeen, Hamideh Izadyar, Zahra Salar, Leila Delavarian, Narges Vaseghi, Zahra Daftarian and Fatemeh Ahangarkani

Acceptability, feasibility, and impact of a pilot tuberculosis literacy and treatment counselling intervention: a mixed methods study

There is a need for innovative strategies to improve TB testing uptake and patient retention along the continuum of TB care early-on in treatment without burdening under-resourced health systems. We used a mix...

Authors: Stephanie Law, Boitumelo Seepamore, Olivia Oxlade, Nondumiso Sikhakhane, Halima Dawood, Sheldon Chetty, Nesri Padayatchi, Dick Menzies and Amrita Daftary

Predictive factors of viral load high-risk events for virological failure in HIV/AIDS patients receiving long-term antiviral therapy

In the era of anti-retroviral therapy (ART), the plasma HIV viral load (VL) is an important primary indicator for monitoring the HIV treatment response. To optimize the clinical management of HIV/AIDS patients...

Authors: Shanfang Qin, Jingzhen Lai, Hong Zhang, Di Wei, Qing Lv, Xue Pan, Lihua Huang, Ke Lan, Zhihao Meng, Hao Liang and Chuanyi Ning

Successful treatment of aortic valve endocarditis caused by Enterococcus casseliflavus: a case report

Enterococcus casseliflavus is rarely isolated from human specimens. To the best of our knowledge, there are no reports on its detailed treatment course and prognosis. Here, we present the first known case of E. c...

Authors: Nobumasa Okumura, Takashi Watanabe, Satoshi Teranishi, Daisuke Suzuki, Takahiko Hashimoto, Kosuke Takahashi and Toru Hara

Genetic diversity of Coxsackievirus A21 associated with sporadic cases of acute respiratory infections in Malaysia

Coxsackievirus A21 (CVA21), a member of Enterovirus C from the Picornaviridae family, has been associated with respiratory illnesses in humans.

Authors: Nur Izzati Supian, Kim Tien Ng, Jack Bee Chook, Yutaka Takebe, Kok Gan Chan and Kok Keng Tee

Predictive value of pentraxin-3 on disease severity and mortality risk in patients with hemorrhagic fever with renal syndrome

Hemorrhagic fever with renal syndrome (HFRS) caused by Hantaan virus is characterized by systemic immunopathological injury. Pentraxin-3 is an acute-phase reactant involved in the processes of inflammation and...

Authors: Hong Du, Haifeng Hu, Pingzhong Wang, Xiaoyan Wang, Ying Zhang, Hong Jiang, Jing Li, Xuefan Bai and Jianqi Lian

Trends and correlation between antibacterial consumption and carbapenem resistance in gram-negative bacteria in a tertiary hospital in China from 2012 to 2019

To investigate the trends and correlation between antibacterial consumption and carbapenem resistance in Gram-negative bacteria from 2012 to 2019 in a tertiary-care teaching hospital in southern China.

Authors: Chunhong Liang, Xueyan Zhang, Lijuan Zhou, Guangyi Meng, Liqiu Zhong and Pingzhi Peng

Dynamics of anti-SARS-CoV-2 IgG antibodies post-COVID-19 in a Brazilian Amazon population

In this study, the prevalence and persistence of anti-SARS-CoV-2 (severe acute respiratory syndrome-coronavirus) IgG was evaluated in volunteers 90 days after COVID-19 (coronavirus disease 2019) diagnosis by c...

Authors: Carlos David Araújo Bichara, Ednelza da Silva Graça Amoras, Gergiane Lopes Vaz, Maria Karoliny da Silva Torres, Maria Alice Freitas Queiroz, Isabella Pinheiro Costa do Amaral, Izaura Maria Vieira Cayres Vallinoto, Cléa Nazaré Carneiro Bichara and Antonio Carlos Rosário Vallinoto

The period from prodromal fever onset to rash onset in laboratory-confirmed rubella cases: a cross-sectional study

In resource-limited settings, where rubella is endemic, it is difficult to determine which sporadic case should be tested for rubella. The study aimed to provide useful evidence to help screen rubella cases fo...

Authors: Tsuyoshi Ogata, Maki Murooka, Makoto Akashi, Akemi Ishitsuka, Akari Miyazaki, Shuuichi Osawa, Kanako Ishikawa, Keiko Tanaka-Taya and Ritei Uehara

Lymphocyte subset analysis to evaluate the prognosis of HIV-negative patients with pneumocystis pneumonia

We analysed the peripheral blood lymphocyte subsets of human immunodeficiency virus (HIV)-negative patients infected with pneumocystis pneumonia (PCP) to determine the relationships between the levels of diffe...

Authors: Fan Jin, Jing Xie and Huan-ling Wang

Bacterial profile and drug susceptibility among adult patients with community acquired lower respiratory tract infection at tertiary hospital, Southern Ethiopia

Lower respiratory tract infection is a global problem accounting over 50 million deaths annually. Here, we determined the bacterial profile and antimicrobial susceptibility pattern of lower respiratory tract i...

Authors: Alemitu Beyene Gebre, Tsegaye Alemayehu Begashaw and Moges Desta Ormago

Population structure and diversity of Plasmodium falciparum in children with asymptomatic malaria living in different ecological zones of Ghana

Genetic diversity in Plasmodium falciparum populations can be used to describe the resilience and spatial distribution of the parasite in the midst of intensified intervention efforts. This study used microsatell...

Authors: Linda Eva Amoah, Zakaria Abukari, Maame Esi Dawson-Amoah, Cheikh Cambel Dieng, Eugenia Lo and Yaw Asare Afrane

Malaria intermittent preventive treatment in Nigeria: a qualitative study to explore barriers

While the use of sulphadoxine pyrimethamine (SP) is effective in preventing malaria infection during pregnancy, there are challenges limiting its uptake in Nigeria. This study aimed at exploring the barriers t...

Authors: Fatima Mahmud Muhammad, Saharnaz Nedjat, Haniye Sadat Sajadi, Mahboubeh Parsaeian, Abraham Assan and Reza Majdzadeh

Teicoplanin versus β-lactam for febrile patients with Staphylococcus-like bacteremia: focus on methicillin-susceptible Staphylococcus aureus bacteremia

Many studies have shown that vancomycin is inferior to β-lactam antibiotics in terms of effectiveness in the treatment of methicillin-susceptible Staphylococcus aureus (MSSA) bacteremia. However, limited data are...

Authors: Ching-Yen Tsai, Chen-Hsiang Lee and I-Ling Chen

Correction to: Methylprednisolone or dexamethasone, which one is superior corticosteroid in the treatment of hospitalized COVID-19 patients: a triple-blinded randomized controlled trial

Authors: Keivan Ranjbar, Mohsen Moghadami, Alireza Mirahmadizadeh, Mohammad Javad Fallahi, Vahid Khaloo, Reza Shahriarirad, Amirhossein Erfani, Zohre Khodamoradi and Mohammad Hasan Gholampoor Saadi