Background: Methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA) is a significant cause of healthcare-associated infections in Europe. It has become increasingly prevalent in community settings, causing skin and soft tissue infections (SSTIs). Managing community-acquired (CA) MRSA infections is challenging due to its high virulence and resistance to common antibiotics, and prevention outside the hospital setting is complex. Combination therapy has demonstrated efficacy in the treatment of severe MRSA infections. Furthermore, surgical source control is critical in treating CA-MRSA infections, inv ..read more

The landscape of infectious diseases has dramatically evolved since the 1970s and the advent of antimicrobials, which heralded a new era in medical history ..read more

Background/Objectives: The factors associated with post-acute sequelae of COVID-19 (PASC) are not yet fully understood in developing countries. Our objective was to investigate the relationship between food consumption and the occurrence of PASC in Brazilian elderly people. Methods: This cross-sectional study included 1322 elderly people aged 60 or over, infected with SARS-CoV-2 in 2020, living in the state of Roraima in Brazil. Using the Brazilian National Food and Nutrition Surveillance System (SISVAN, in Portuguese) tool, food consumption markers were evaluated. The persistence of post-acut ..read more

Bacteriophage (phage) therapy is emerging as a promising alternative to traditional antibiotics for treating drug-resistant mycobacterial infections, including Mycobacterium tuberculosis complex (MTBC) and non-tuberculous mycobacteria (NTM ..read more

Introduction: Syphilis is a sexually transmitted disease with variable symptoms, often imitating various other disorders. Syphilis progresses through primary, secondary, latent, and tertiary stages, each with distinct clinical manifestations. A sudden rise in serum hepatic enzyme levels and imaging findings that mimic sclerosing cholangitis, both associated with a positive response to targeted antibiotic treatment, may indicate a diagnosis of acute syphilitic hepatitis. Case Presentation: We report a case of early syphilis in the secondary stage, manifesting as sclerosing-cholangitis-like chan ..read more

Background: Schistosoma-associated pulmonary arterial hypertension (Sch-PAH), a complication of hepatosplenic schistosomiasis, is still underdiagnosed and undertreated. Sch-PAH is the third-most common cause of pulmonary arterial hypertension (PAH) in Brazil, and it is estimated that there are around 60,000 afflicted individuals. However, there is a lack of data on these patients, especially in endemic areas. Therefore, this study aimed to describe baseline demographic data, hemodynamic severity of disease, and functional impairment of Sch-PAH patients at diagnosis. Methods: For this systemati ..read more

Background: Despite “successful” treatment, some lung tuberculosis (TB) patients develop long-term lung impairments that includes damage to the parenchyma and reduced function, which may predispose them to diseases like pulmonary hypertension. However, this is not well understood. Therefore, we investigated whether previous or current TB patients would display elevated biomarkers of endothelial dysfunction and vascular remodeling. Methods: We performed assays for ADMA, VCAM-1, VEGF, angiopoietin-1, TBARS, NT-pro-BNP, and cardiac troponin-I. We further stratified the patient ..read more

Background/Objectives: Before the Coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) era, the global prevalence of pulmonary arterial hypertension (PAH) was between 0.4 and 1.4 per 100,000 people. The long-term effects of protracted COVID-19 associated with pulmonary vascular disease (PVD) risk factors may increase this prevalence. According to preliminary data, the exact prevalence of early estimates places the prevalence of PVD in patients with severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) infection at 22%, although its predictive value remains unknown. PVD caused by COVID-19 co-infections i ..read more

Background. Influenza remains a significant public health issue, with seasonal trends varying across regions. This study provides a comprehensive analysis of influenza virus trends in Italy, leveraging epidemiological and virological data from the Istituto Superiore di Sanità (ISS). The primary objective is to assess influenza activity at both national and regional levels, highlighting variations in incidence rates and viral subtype circulation during the 2023/2024 season. Methods. We conducted a systematic approach to data collection, processing, and visualization, utilizing influe ..read more

Background: Immunosuppressed patients still exhibit a high mortality rate due to SARS-CoV-2 infection, up to 21%. Persistent viral load replication and protracted viral symptoms result in a high risk of developing pneumonia, a potential risk of antiviral resistance, and a subsequent delay of onco-hematological treatments. Methods: Hematological patients and kidney transplant patients with SARS-CoV-2 infection, treated at GOM Niguarda Hospital (Milan) with combined antiviral therapy (remdesivir plus nirmatrelvir/ritonavir at standard doses) between November 2022 and March 2024, were retrospecti ..read more