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Objectives: Brucellosis is a ubiquitous emergent bacterial zoonotic disease causing significant human morbidity in Bosnia and Herzegovina. So far, a high rate of resistant Brucella has been found worldwide. This study prospectively analysed the rates of resistance among human Brucella melitensis strains isolated in Bosnia and Herzegovina., Methods: This study included 108 B. melitensis isolates from 209 patients diagnosed at five medical centres in Bosnia and Herzegovina. The resistance profiles of the B. melitensis isolates for the 13 most commonly used antimicrobials were studied in standard Brucella broth (BB) and cation-adjusted Mueller-Hinton broth (CAMHB) supplemented with 4% lysed horse blood or 5% defibrinated sheep blood., Results: Of the 209 patients, B. melitensis blood cultures were positive for 111 (53.1%). Among the 108 isolates investigated, 91 (84.3%) were resistant to trimethoprim-sulfamethoxazole on BB, but not on either CAMHB. Nearly all isolates (>90%) were resistant to azithromycin on BB and both CAMHBs., Conclusion: We observed a high rate of B. melitensis resistance to azithromycin. The high rate of resistance to trimethoprim-sulfamethoxazole that we observed was related to BB, so an alternative broth should be used, such as the enriched CAMHBs in this study, for evaluating resistance to trimethoprim-sulfamethoxazole. Whole-genome sequencing studies are needed to understand the development of antimicrobial resistance in B. melitensis strains isolated from humans., (Copyright © 2022 The Author(s). Published by Elsevier Ltd.. All rights reserved.)

The purpose of this investigation was to assess the balance between the personal and professional lives of trainees and young European specialists in clinical microbiology (CM) and infectious diseases (ID), and determine differences according to gender, country of training, workplace and specialty. The Steering Committee of the Trainee Association of the European Society of Clinical Microbiology and Infectious Diseases (ESCMID) devised a questionnaire survey consisting, beyond the demographic questions, of nine yes/no questions, 11 Likert scale self-evaluations and one open-response item on parenthood, working conditions, quality of life, alcohol consumption and burnout. This anonymous survey in English was held between April and July 2015 among European CM/ID trainees and young specialists (<3 years after training completion). Responses from 416 participants with a mean age of 32 years [standard deviation (SD) 5 years] were analysed. Females and physicians from Northern/Western Europe (NWE) benefit more from paternity/maternity leaves even during training than their counterparts. Among all respondents, only half of breastfeeding mothers enjoyed the benefit of working hours flexibility. Only two-thirds of respondents found their working environment stimulating. In comparison to colleagues from other parts of Europe, trainees and young specialists from Southern/Eastern Europe (SEE) had less frequent regular meetings with mentors/supervisors and head of departments where trainees' issues are discussed. Also, physicians from SEE were more frequently victims of workplace mobbing/bullying in comparison to those from other regions. Finally, multivariate analysis showed that female gender, SEE region and ID specialty were associated with burnout feelings. Female gender and country of work from SEE largely determine satisfactory working conditions, the possibility of parenthood leaves, amount of leisure time, mobbing experiences and burnout feelings among European CM/ID trainees and young specialists.

The purpose of this investigation was to perform a survey among European clinical microbiology (CM) and infectious disease (ID) trainees on training satisfaction, training tools, and competency assessment. An online, anonymous survey in the English language was carried out between April and July 2015. There were 25 questions: seven in a 5-point Likert scale (1: worst scenario, 5: best scenario) and the remainder as closed multiple-choice questions in five areas (satisfaction, adequacy, system, mentorship, and evaluation of training). Included were 419 respondents (215 CM, 159 ID, and 45 combined CM/ID) from 31 European countries [mean age (standard deviation) 32.4 (5.3) years, 65.9 % women]. Regarding satisfaction on the training scheme, CM and ID scored 3.6 (0.9) and 3.2 (1.0), respectively. These scores varied between countries, ranging from 2.5 (1.0) for Italian ID to 4.3 (0.8) for Danish CM trainees. The majority of respondents considered training in management and health economics inadequate and e-learning and continuing medical education programs insufficient. Many trainees (65.3 % of CM and 62.9 % of ID) would like to have more opportunities to spend a part of their training abroad and expected their mentor to be more involved in helping with future career plans (63.5 % of CM and 53.4 % of ID) and practical skills (53.0 % of CM and 61.2 % of ID). Two-thirds of the respondents across the specialties agreed that a European exam should be developed, but half of them thought it should not be made mandatory. This survey shows high heterogeneity in training conditions in European countries, identifies perceived gaps in training, and suggests areas for improvements., Competing Interests: Compliance with ethical standards Funding The study was supported by the European Society of Clinical Microbiology and Infectious Diseases (ESCMID).