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Funding Information: Open Access funding enabled and organized by Projekt DEAL. This research received the contribution of the EuCARE Project funded by the European Union´s Horizon Europe Research and Innovation Programme under Grant Agreement No 101046016. The study is funded by the European Union and the study proposal has undergone a competitive peer review process. Role of the funder: the EU has launched a call for projects to which the study proposal answered. The call defined the general themes of research for the applying projects. The EU periodically carries out reviews on the advancement status of the study and quality assessment of its deliverables. The EU does not interfere with the scientific decisions and conduct of the study nor in the analysis of the results. The funding is administered to the participant centres by the study coordinator EuResist Network GEIE. This work was partially supported by the Italian Ministry of Health with Ricerca Corrente and 5X1000 funds. The funding bodies played no role in the design of the study and collection, analysis, and interpretation of data and in writing the manuscript. Funding Information: Eucare WP4: Maria Chiara Mommo, Michael Böhm, Michal Rosen-Zvi, Yishai Shimoni, Sivan Ravid, Tal Kozlovski, Sofia Seabra, Victor Pimentel, Mafalda Miranda, Dora Vaz, Giuseppina Tucci, Juan Manuel Baez, Carmen Romero, Francesco Vairo, Martina Spaziante, Valeria Gabellone, Giulia Vaglio, Fabrizio Fedele. We would like to thank school personnel, students and parents for participating in the EuCARE study. Participating schools up to now are the following: Scuola Maria Ausiliatrice (Lodi), Liceo Scientifico G. Gandini (Lodi), Scuola Infanzia Pio XII (Lodi), Fondazione Scuola materna (Rivolta D'Adda), Istituto Tecnico Industriale Statale Enrico Mattei (San Donato), Liceo Leonardo da Vinci (Casalecchio di Reno), I.C. Ammirato Falcone (Lecce), Direzione didattica statale 5° circolo “Livio Tempesta” (Lecce), I.C 1° Polo “S. Colonna”(Monteroni di Lecce), I.C. E. De Amicis (Squinzano), I.C. Magistrato Giovanni Falcone (Copertino), I.C. Castro dei Volsci, Agrupamento de Escolas Dr. Azevedo Neves (Amadora, Portugal). Funding Information: The EuCARE consortium involves 18 partners from 10 different countries and has been funded by the European Commission in the frame of the research aimed at fighting SARS-CoV2 virus and its variants, in the context of the EuCARE project, “European Cohorts of Patients and Schools to Advance Response to Epidemics”. The project’s ultimate goal is to find solutions to safely support school reopening within the COVID-19 pandemic on the basis of scientific evidence, taking in consideration the impact that a prolonged school closure can have on education, wellbeing and personal development of children. Publisher Copyright: © 2022, The Author(s). Background: Contradictory results were reported on the role of school closure/reopening on the overall SARS-CoV-2 transmission rate, as well as on which kind and level of mitigation measures implemented in schools may be effective in limiting its diffusion. Some recent studies were reassuring, showing that opening did not increase the community spread, although teachers and families are worried about the high class density. On the other hand, distance learning was associated with a negative impact on learning, sociability and psychological health, especially in vulnerable children. As it becomes clear that the SARS-CoV-2 pandemic will last for a long time, there is a high need for studies and solutions to support safe schools opening based on scientific evidence of harms and benefits. The Lolli-Methode (LM) is a strategy for epidemiological surveillance and early intervention aiming at SARS-CoV-2 outbreaks’ reduction in schools, relying on polymerase chain reaction analysis of saliva samples. Methods: In this cluster randomised trial protocol, we aim to determine whether the LM is useful to support schools opening and to reduce clusters and attack rates in schools, compared with the standard of care (SoC) surveillance by public health departments. This multicenter study will enrol 440 classes (around 8800 students, teachers and other personnel) from two countries, cluster randomised to LM or SoC. The samples from the pools will be collected and tested using PCR-based techniques. Test results will be combined with questionnaires filled in by children, parents, schoolteachers, and principals, concerning ongoing mitigation measures, their perceived psychological impact and other health and socio-economic information. An ancillary observational study will be carried out to study the prevalence of SARS-CoV-2 in schools, frequencies and size of clusters and attack rates, to compare the effectiveness of the different preventive measures adopted and to evaluate psychological issues in students and teachers in relation to the pandemic’s containment measures. Discussion: By the end of this study, we will have defined and characterised the applicability of the LM for SARS-CoV-2 surveillance, as well as the impact of pandemic preventive measures on children and teachers. Trial registration International Standard Randomised Controlled Trial Number: NCT05396040, 27.05.2022. publishersversion published

The current pandemic made scientists create new platforms of vaccines to fight against SARS-CoV-2. Without a doubt, the new forms of present vaccines could develop a diversity of unknown complications. Sputnik V vaccine with two different adenovirus vectors (Ad26 priming and Ad5 boost) was first announced safe and effective by Russia. However, there are controversies surrounding this vaccine such as the possible decline of its immunogenicity and diminished neutralizing capacity against some Covid-19 variants. In addition, its impression on serum biomarkers is not clearly surveyed. The present study aimed to evaluate the frequency of Sputnik V vaccine-related complications and its impression on inflammatory and hematologic biomarkers.An observational cohort study was performed to evaluate the side effects and serum biomarkers changes in healthcare workers receiving Sputnik V vaccine. The vaccine adverse events were recorded daily within 60 days. The blood samples were obtained before vaccination, and on the10th day after each dose of vaccination. The prevalence of all complications and inflammatory biomarkers levels were compared between two doses. All analyses were performed using SPSS software version 22.0.Totally, 126 participants completed the study. The mean age was 37.19 ​± ​7.73 years. The prevalence of all complications was higher following the first dose than the second dose. The most common side effects were pain at the injection site, body pain, fever, headache, weakness, vertigo, sore throat and sleep disorder. The hematocrit, mean corpuscular volume of red blood cells and neutrophils count declined following vaccination significantly (P-value; 0.04, 0.039, 0.000 respectively).It seems the side effects of Sputnik-V vaccine are mild and decrease significantly after the second dose. The decreasing level of hematocrit, MCV and neutrophil count was found significant following vaccination.

With the changing hepatitis A epidemiology in India, focal viral outbreaks are being reported from different parts of the country. This study presents Hepatitis A Virus (HAV) strain characterization (period 2009-2020) from 18 states of India. For that, blood and stool samples (n ​= ​280) were screened for HAV RNA and sequences for 5'non-coding and VP3 regions were generated from positive samples (n ​= ​68). Presence of a single IIIA genotype in all samples indicated IIIA being the only HAV genotype currently circulating in India. Interestingly, it was evident that these strains form two distinct groups suggesting independent evolution of these two clusters.

Adrenal histoplasmosis (AH) is an uncommon form of disseminated histoplasmosis caused by the dimorphic fungus Histoplasma capsulatum. Though, India is considered to be a non-endemic area for histoplasmosis, a high rise of AH cases is reported currently from various parts of India. Our study aimed to evaluate the current perspective of adrenal histoplasmosis in India by reviewing its clinical course, differential diagnosis, treatment, and mortality of our eleven confirmed cases of AH along with the review of authentic reported AH cases from India.Clinical materials were taken from radiologically suspected all 15 cases either with unilateral or bilateral adrenal enlargement, referred between 2018 and 2020 for microbiological investigations. Fungal stain and fungal culture along with other tests for possible differential diagnosis with AH were conducted.Out of fifteen incidentaloma detected by radio-imaging, eleven cases of AH had been diagnosed in our hospital with yield of Rhodotorula spp. in one mimicking case. Nine of them were male (82%) and all were HIV nonreactive, which corroborates with the literature review. All of them had nonspecific clinical presentation of chronic abdominal pain, fever, weight loss, and anorexia. Four developed primary adrenal insufficiency, which are similar to the literature review (41%). On treatment with itraconazole and/or amphotericin B, all patients survived except one lost in follow-up.Male preponderance and non-compromised immune status are two special characteristics of most AH though reasons are ill understood. So, mycological investigations are to be done for every such case.

Cryptococcosis is one of the most significant systemic fungal infections worldwide. Epidemiological data for pediatric cryptococcosis is very limited. Therefore, we planned this study to determine the burden of cryptococcosis in the pediatric population at our tertiary care center and performed review of literature.In this retrospective study, all the patients less than 18 years of age were diagnosed with cryptococcosis, from January 2015-June 2021 were included. Demographic, clinical, and laboratory details of all the patients were noted. Furthermore, PubMed and MedLine databases were comprehensively searched for cases of pediatric cryptococcosis till June 2021.Of the total 5420 samples from suspected cryptococcosis cases processed at mycology laboratory, a total of 21 episodes of cryptococcosis (0.39%) were identified in 15 pediatric patients. The majority of the patients were apparently immunocompetent (10/15). Central nervous system (CNS) cryptococcosis was the most common presentation, followed by disseminated disease. All the isolates were identified as Cryptococcus neoformans (formerly referred to as C. neoformans var grubii), except one that was identified as Papiliotrema laurentii (formerly referred to as Cryptococcus laurentii). A standard treatment regimen inclusive of induction and maintenance therapy was provided in only five patients. The literature review revealed a total of 125 studies describing 1134 cases, of which 76.4% are reported from outside Asia, the majority (65.7%) restricted to CNS with C. neoformans as the commonest species. The management profile divulged a significantly higher use of standard drug regimen in Asia as compared to the rest of the world. Mortality of 13.32% was noted worldwide.To the best of our knowledge, this is the first clinico-epidemiological study of pediatric cryptococcosis from India and the largest retrospective study worldwide. The rising incidence among immunocompetent individuals, especially in Asia, is a matter of concern. Clinical suspicion and early diagnosis are the cornerstones for the management of cases.

To understand the epidemiological characteristics of nosocomial infection of carbapenem-resistant Enterobacteriaceae (CRE) in an urban medical union includes 10 medical hospitals with different number of beds in China.Epidemiological data on age, department, and infection of CRE cases detected from January 2014 to December 2021 were collected via a real-time hospital-infection monitoring system or manually for subsequent characterization. A multi-departmental and multi-disciplinary matrix (MMM) management of CRE was established and implemented within a medical union.A total of 1327 cases of CRE infection were detected during the 8 years, of which 352 were due to nosocomial infection, with an infection morbidity of 0.046% and a resistance rate of 10.79%. The morbidity of CRE infection showed a trend of year-to-year fluctuation. The morbidity of CRE infection was significantly higher in winter and spring than that in summer and autumn, significantly higher in men than in women (χCRE prevention and control practice should be adapted to seasonal variations, gender and age differences. The effective prevention and control of CRE nosocomial infections can be achieved by implementing MMM management within a medical association.

Seroepidemiology and genomic surveillance are valuable tools to investigate infection transmission during a pandemic. North East (NE) India is a strategically important region being the gateway connecting the country with Southeast Asia. Here, we examined the spread of SARS-CoV-2 in NE India during the first and second waves of COVID-19 using serological and whole genome sequencing approaches.qRT-PCR analysis was performed on a selected population (n ​= ​16,295) from June 2020 to July 2021, and metadata was collected. Immunoassays were studied (n ​= ​2026) at three-time points (August 2020, February 2021, and June 2021) and in a cohort (n ​= ​35) for a year. SARS-CoV-2 whole genomes (n ​= ​914) were sequenced and analyzed with those obtained from the databases.Test positivity rates (TPR) in the first and second waves were 6.34% and 6.64% in Assam, respectively, and a similar pattern was observed in other NE states. Seropositivity in the three time points was 10.63%, 40.3%, and 46.33%, respectively, and neutralizing antibody prevalence was 90.91%, 52.14%, and 69.30%, respectively. Persistence of pan-IgG-N SARS-CoV-2 antibody for over a year was observed among three subjects in the cohort group. Normal variants dominated the first wave, while B.1.617.2 and AY-sublineages dominated the second wave in the region. The prevalence of the variants co-related well with high TPR and seropositivity rate in the region and identified mostly among vaccinated individuals.The COVID-19 first wave in the region witnessed low transmission with the evolution of diverse variants. Seropositivity increased during the study period with over half of the individuals carrying neutralizing antibodies against SARS-CoV-2. High infection and seroprevalence in NE India during the second wave were associated with the dominant emergence of variants of concern.

The emergence of highly mutated and transmissible BA variants has caused an unprecedented surge in COVID-19 infections worldwide. Thorough analysis of its genome structure and phylogenomic evolutionary details will serve as scientific reference for future research.Here, we have analyzed the BA variants from India using whole-genome sequencing, spike protein mutation study, spatio-temporal surveillance, phylogenomic assessment and epitope mapping.The predominance of BA.2/BA.2-like was observed in India during COVID-19 third wave. Genome analysis and mutation study highlighted the existence of 2128 amino acid changes within BA as compared to NC_045512.2. Presence of 23 unknown mutation sites (spanning region 61-831) were observed among the Indian BA variants as compared to the global BA strains. Unassigned probable Omicron showed the highest number of mutations (370) followed by BA.1 (104), BA.2.3 (56), and BA.2 (27). Presence of mutations 'Q493R ​+ ​Q498R ​+ ​N501Y', and 'K417 ​N ​+ ​E484A ​+ ​N501Y' remained exclusive to BA.2 as well as unassigned probable Omicron. The time-tree and phylogenomic network assessed the evolutionary relationship of the BA variants. Existence of 424 segregating sites and 113 parsimony informative sites within BA genomes were observed through haplotype network analysis. Epitope mapping depicted the presence of unique antigenic sites within the receptor binding domain of the BA variants that could be exploited for robust vaccine development.These findings provide important scientific insights about the nature, diversity, and evolution of Indian BA variants. The study further divulges in the avenues of therapeutic upgradation for better management and eventual eradication of COVID-19.

Fungaemia due to yeast is a major cause of morbidity and mortality in critically ill patients. Although, automated blood cultures have improved the time to diagnosis, very few studies have systematically evaluated the utility of blood culture time to positivity (TTP) of fungaemia in the clinical scenario. In this study, we evaluated the TTP for different yeast species to determine its clinical utility.A prospective study including 244 consecutive patients admitted to the adult (n ​= ​76) and paediatric (n ​= ​168) intensive care units (ICUs) was conducted between December 2017 through March 2019. The clinical and demographic characteristics, BACTEC blood culture results and TTP for yeast positive blood cultures were recorded for analysis.A total of 244 patients with 357 episodes of candidaemia were enrolled during the study period. The TTP (mean ​± ​SD) for all yeast species was 26.8 ​± ​23.6 ​h while it was significantly longer in paediatric than adult patients (30.5 ± 24.7 vs. 25.2 ​± ​22.9 ​h; p ​= ​0.0001). Wickerhamomyces anomalus and Cyberlindnera jadinii (previously C. utilis) were exclusively isolated from paediatric population where W. anomalus demonstrated significantly longer TTP than C. jadinii. Among adult cases, C. albicans exhibited significantly longer TTP than C. tropicalis. In paediatric cases,80% of C. tropicalis and C. utilis flagged positive in blood culture before 24 ​h while majority (65.9%) of W. anomalus isolates flagged positive later than 24 ​h. Similarly in adult samples, 63% of C. tropicalis isolates beeped positive before 24 ​h.TTP for yeast may provide insight regarding the responsible yeast species before final identification among critical patients with candidaemia. Larger studies are warranted for evaluating clinical utility of TTP considering other complex factors like yeast burden, generation time, virulence and host factors, which may affect TTP.

The COVID-19 pandemic was unique in the history of outbreaks because of the massive scaling up of resources related to diagnostics, treatment modalities, and vaccines. To understand the impact of the pandemic among laboratory professionals, we aimed to conduct a survey to assess the improvement in the lab capacity post-covid in terms of infrastructure and accreditation status across various levels of hospitals and to determine the changes in the practice of infection control precautions during the pandemic.This was an anonymous, online-based survey (using 58 item questionnaire) conducted between July 09, 2021, and August 07, 2021. The survey targeted all EQAS registered diagnostic laboratories located in India.The survey reached out to 1182 participants, out of which 721 (61%) laboratories completed the questionnaire. During pre-COVID times, only 39% (282/721) of the laboratories had an RT-PCR facility. Among these 721 labs, 514 used open system RT-PCR assay, 217 labs used Truenat assay, 188 labs used GeneXpert assay, 31 used Abbott ID Now and 350 labs performed rapid antigen tests. During the pandemic, 55.3% got NABL accreditation and 7.4% were in the process of applying for COVID-19 molecular testing. In this, 80.7% of the laboratories participated in the ICMR - COVID quality control assessment. It was estimated that 41.4% of the laboratory professionals were re-using N95 masks. Overall, the infection prevention and control practices varied across each laboratory and hospital.These survey findings helped us to understand the strength and efficiency of laboratories in India in setting up new assays during a crisis time. Based on our findings, we propose to connect this network in a sustained manner to efficiently utilize the existing platforms to adapt to future pandemics.

Purpose of Review Zeolite is an aluminosilicate compound having a wide spectrum of applications in medicine and dentistry. Several articles were published combining zeolites with various other elements for different applications in dentistry. This review aims to provide a detailed review on the origin of zeolites, their physical and chemical properties and possible applications as dental materials. Recent Findings Zeolite-based hybrid films can be used for detection of oral cancers. Silver zeolite can be added in restorative materials and dental liners. In cases of root canal irrigation, chlorhexidine zeolite is used owing to its antibacterial properties. For dental implants, a zeolite coating can improve the osseointegration. Summary Due to its microporous structure, application-driven zeolitic frameworks can be prepared by sieving in various cations and antibacterial compounds. This review helps improve our understanding regarding the uses of zeolites as a material in different aspects of dentistry along with possible further improvements as a dental material.

This study aimed to estimate herpes simplex virus type 2 (HSV-2) seroprevalence and its association with HIV, HBV, HCV, HTLV-12 and syphilis among men who have sex with men (MSM) in Ouagadougou, Burkina Faso, West Africa.We screened MSM sera for HSV-2 antibodies. A total of 329 sera were collected from an HIV and syphilis behavioral and biological cross-sectional survey conducted among MSM in Ouagadougou from January to April 2013. Serum samples were tested using Enzyme Linked Immuno-Sorbent Assay (ELISA) for the detection of IgG antibodies to HSV-2. Also, antibodies to HTLV-12, HBsAg and anti-HCV antibodies were screened by ELISA. Laboratory assays were performed according to manufacturers' instructions at the Biomedical Research Laboratory at the "Institut de Recherche en Sciences de la Sante" (IRSS) in Burkina Faso.The seroprevalence of HSV-2 infection among MSM was 14.3%(95% CI: 10.6-18.1), with disparities according to age and occupation. HSV-2 seroprevalence was high among MSM who were seropositive for HIV (40% versus 13.9%), for syphilis (42.9% versus 13.3%), for HCV (32.5% versus 11.7%) and for HTLV-12 (38.5% versus 12.9%) compared to people seronegative for these pathogens. Multivariate analysis showed that HIV-positive (ORa ​= ​5.34, p ​= ​0.027), anti-HCV-positive (ORa ​= ​4.44, p ​= ​0.001), and HTLV-12 positive (aOR ​= ​4.11, p ​= ​0.046) were associated with HSV-2 infection among MSM. However, no significant statistical association between HSV-2 and syphilis was found.HSV-2 seroprevalence among MSM in Burkina Faso is relatively high. Positive associations between sexual transmitted infections including HIV with HSV-2 suggest that HSV-2 infection's prevention should be strengthened through HIV transmission control programs.

This study was conducted to determine the biofilm formation of coagulase negative Staphylococcus species (CoNS) isolated from patients with catheter related blood stream infection (CRBSI) and colonized central venous catheters (CVC) and their antibiotic susceptibility patterns and in situ biofilm formation of CVC tips.Eighty-two CoNS isolated from intensive care unit (ICU) patients with CRBSI (n ​= ​8) or colonized CVC (n ​= ​74) were included. Species identification and antibiotic susceptibility test were done. All isolates were screened for biofilm formation using crystal violet and 3-(4,5-dimethylthiazole-2-yl)-2-5-diphenyl-2H-tetrazolium bromide (MTT) assays and categorized as strong or moderate biofilm formers. CVC tips were subjected to crystal violet stain and scanning electron microscopy (SEM) to detect in-situ biofilm formation.Staphylococcus haemolyticus (n ​= ​34; 41%) was the commonest to cause both CRBSI and CVC colonization. All 82 CoNS produced biofilms. Among them 77 (93.90%) were strong biofilm formers including all from CRBSI patients and 05 (6.10%) were moderate biofilm formers as detected by both methods. SEM showed bacteria adhered to surfaces of CVC tips with microbial-aggregates embedded in extracellular matrix. Mean crystal violet absorbance of CVC from CRBSI patients (0.6628) was significantly higher than colonized CVC (mean value 0.5592) (p ​= ​0.030). S. haemolyticus showed higher resistance to cloxacillin compared to other CoNS (p ​= ​0.039).Majority of CoNS isolated were strong biofilm formers. In-situ biofilm formation on CVC tips were significantly evident in CRBSI patients compared to CVC colonized patients. S. haemolyticus is the commonest to cause both CRBSI and CVC colonization and shows significantly higher cloxacillin resistance rate.

Carbapenemases are the enzymes that can hydrolyze carbapenems and other β-lactam antibiotics. These enzymes confer resistance to multiple antibiotics and act as a stumbling block in the treatment of infections caused by gram-negative bacteria. Therefore, rapid and specific detection of these enzymes is crucial for deciding the course of treatment and better clinical outcomes.This study was conducted to compare various phenotypic and PCR based methods for the detection of carbapenemases in carbapenem- and colistin-resistant Klebsiella pneumoniae. One hundred clinical isolates of extensively resistant Klebsiella pneumoniae were included in the study. Phenotypic detection for carbapenemases was performed by Rapidec® Carba NP (Biomerieux), modified carbapenem inactivation method (mCIM), imipenem-ethylenediaminetetraacetic acid disk synergy (EDS), double disk synergy test using mercaptopropionic acid (DDST-MPA), and combined disk method (CD) and for colistin by microbroth dilution method. Genotypic detection for carbapenemases and colistin resistance was performed by targeted PCR.The sensitivity of Carba NP test and mCIM were positive in 95% and 96% respectively and specificity was 100% for both methods. The sensitivity of EDS, DDST-MPA, and CD were 55.6%, 88.9% and 54.5% respectively. Among the carbapenem resistance genes, blaOXA-48 (82%) genes were the most prevalent. Among metallo-beta lactamases, blaVIM (56%) was most common followed by blaNDM (54%) and blaIMP (20%). The mcr-1 gene for colistin resistance was not detected in any isolate.Among the five phenotypic assays analyzed, the mCIM is the most simple, inexpensive, accurate and reproducible method for carbapenemase detection in Klebsiella pneumoniae. The DDST-MPA test provides the best sensitivity for the detection of carbapenemases, although specificity is low. These tests, when applied in a clinical laboratory and assessed by the microbiologist, can help in guiding the course of treatment.

Scrub typhus, is a mite-borne disease caused by bacteria named Orientia tsutsugamushi. In recent years the incidence of scrub typhus is increasing day by day. The disease is easily missed because of low sensitization among clinicians and non-specific clinical manifestation. The disease can be fatal in untreated cases. With the availability of testing methods, it can be easily diagnosed and treated. This study aims to depict the epidemiology of scrub typhus in southern Odisha.A total of 170 blood samples were collected from clinically suspected acute undifferentiated febrile illness (AUFI) cases. Samples were tested serologically for antibodies against Orientia tsutsugamushi by commercially available Immunochromatography test (ICT) and enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA) kit as per the manufacturer's instruction. Molecular diagnosis was done by nested polymerase chain reaction (N-PCR) and Sanger sequencing was done to know the circulating strains.Out of 170 cases of AUFI, 74 cases were diagnosed scrub typhus by IgM ELISA and 67 were positive by ICT. Males were affected more and cases were more clustered in the Ganjam district. The disease followed a typical seasonal i.e. more cases were seen in cooler months of the year. Sequencing revealed the strains were Gilliam and Karp like.The burden of scrub typhus was 43.5% among the study population. Determining the serotypes in endemic areas is important for basic research on the classification of Orientia tsutsugamushi, the development of vaccines, and the definitive diagnosis of scrub typhus. Expanding the panel of antigens used to test scrub typhus and to take into account of local antigenic diversity would improve the sensitivity of serological diagnosis.