Felix Lötsch

Medical University of Vienna

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Michael Ramharter

Medical University of Vienna

Ghyslain Mombo‐Ngoma

Centre de Recherche Médicales de Lambaréné

Mirjam Groger

Bernhard Nocht Institute for Tropical Medicine

Florian Thalhammer

Medical University of Vienna

Ayôla Akim Adégnika

Centre de Recherche Médicales de Lambaréné

Heimo Lagler

Medical University of Vienna

Jacob Strahilevitz

Hadassah Medical Center

Devesh Dhasmana

NHS Fife

Karen Allen

Nationwide Children's Hospital

Giuseppe Fiorentino

Ospedale Monaldi

Cooperative Institutions

Medical University of Vienna

101

Regionshospitalet Viborg

University Hospital Centre Zagreb

University of Milan

University of Zagreb

University of Tübingen

University Hospital Dubrava

Centre de Recherche Médicales de Lambaréné

Fondazione IRCCS Ca' Granda Ospedale Maggiore Policlinico

German Center for Infection Research

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Loa loaInfection in Pregnant Women, Gabon

Emerging infectious diseases (2015)

Ghyslain Mombo‐Ngoma Jean Rodolphe Mackanga Arti Basra Meskuere Capan Melser Rella Zoleko Manego

To the Editor: To get ready for the spread of chikungunya, health authorities in North, South, and Central America and the Pacific Islands are developing preparedness and response plans (1,2) that contain vector control, epidemiologic surveillance, medical education, and communication components.They might consider the experience of Réunion Island, an overseas department of France, where a chikungunya outbreak affected 38.5% of its 800,000 inhabitants during the first 3 months of 2006 (3).Although the island was unprepared to deal with such a massive outbreak (4), the disease was under control by the middle of 2006; only a few sporadic cases occurred during the following years.In addition to taking recommended public health measures, public health officials in France created a task force with physicians (including intensive care unit doctors, pediatricians, and obstetricians), specialists in public health and social sciences, virologists, immunologists, entomologists, and pathologists (5) to develop a multidisciplinary approach to the outbreak.Some citizens' initiatives complemented the official measures.First, associations of chikungunya virus-infected patients helped families (through means that included psychological and friendly support and home visits) and updated mass media with regard to disease complications, persistent symptoms, and administrative difficulties (including receiving long-term sick leave and disability, recognition of professional exposure, and free analgesic medication).Second, citizens created a chikungunya-dedicated website (http://www.chikungunya.net)that included citizens' frequently asked questions and university-affiliated physicians' responses and patients' forums.Third, citizens actively supported the twice-yearly Kass moustik (Creole for "to break mosquitoes") operations, which involved vast community mobilizations to educate persons on mosquitoes' role in spreading chikungunya and to destroy breeding sites near homes.The operations also involved mobilizing community-based and municipality groups, making door-to-door visits, and lobbying for government funds (each operation cost US $60,000).After implementation of these initiatives, telephone operators sent health messages to all cell phones on the island.These actions demonstrate that citizens have a place in their countries' response to chikungunya outbreaks.

Preparedness

10.3201/eid2105.141471

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Citations (6)

Refined Method for Droplet Microfluidics-Enabled Detection of Plasmodium falciparum Encoded Topoisomerase I in Blood from Malaria Patients

Micromachines (2015)

Marianne Smedegaard Hede Patricia N. Okorie Signe Kirk Fruekilde Søren Fjelstrup J. Thomsen

Rapid and reliable diagnosis is essential in the fight against malaria, which remains one of the most deadly infectious diseases in the world. In the present study we take advantage of a droplet microfluidics platform combined with a novel and user-friendly biosensor for revealing the main malaria-causing agent, the Plasmodium falciparum (P. falciparum) parasite. Detection of the parasite is achieved through detection of the activity of a parasite-produced DNA-modifying enzyme, topoisomerase I (pfTopoI), in the blood from malaria patients. The assay presented has three steps: (1) droplet microfluidics-enabled extraction of active pfTopoI from a patient blood sample; (2) pfTopoI-mediated modification of a specialized DNA biosensor; (3) readout. The setup is quantitative and specific for the detection of Plasmodium topoisomerase I. The procedure is a considerable improvement of the previously published Rolling Circle Enhanced Enzyme Activity Detection (REEAD) due to the advantages of involving no signal amplification steps combined with a user-friendly readout. In combination these alterations represent an important step towards exploiting enzyme activity detection in point-of-care diagnostics of malaria.

Plasmodium (life cycle)

10.3390/mi6101432

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Citations (8)

Global initiative for meticillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus pneumonia (GLIMP): an international, observational cohort study

The Lancet Infectious Diseases (2016)

Stefano Aliberti Luis Felipe Reyes Paola Faverio Giovanni Sotgiu Simone Dore

10.1016/s1473-3099(16)30267-5

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Citations (137)

Update on Treatment and Resistance of Human Trichuriasis

Current Tropical Medicine Reports (2015)

Ayôla Akim Adégnika Felix Lötsch Regis Maurin Obiang Michael Ramharter

Trichuriasis

Albendazole

Trichuris trichiura

Mebendazole

Regimen

10.1007/s40475-015-0061-z

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Citations (18)

Aspiration Risk Factors, Microbiology, and Empiric Antibiotics for Patients Hospitalized With Community-Acquired Pneumonia

CHEST Journal (2020)

Judith Marín‐Corral Sergi Pascual-Guàrdia Francesco Amati Stefano Aliberti Joan Ramón Masclans

Aspiration Pneumonia

10.1016/j.chest.2020.06.079

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Citations (35)

A Longitudinal Seroprevalence Study Evaluating Infection Control and Prevention Strategies at a Large Tertiary Care Center with Low COVID-19 Incidence

International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health (2021)

Lorenz Schubert Robert Straßl Heinz Burgmann Gabriella Dvorak Matthias Karer

Personal protective equipment and adherence to disinfection protocols are essential to prevent nosocomial severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus (SARS-CoV-2) transmission. Here, we evaluated infection control measures in a prospective longitudinal single-center study at the Vienna General Hospital, the biggest tertiary care center in Austria, with a structurally planned low SARS-CoV-2 exposure. SARS-CoV-2-specific antibodies were assessed by Abbott ARCHITECT chemiluminescent assay (CLIA) in 599 health care workers (HCWs) at the start of the SARS-CoV-2 epidemic in early April and two months later. Neutralization assay confirmed CLIA-positive samples. A structured questionnaire was completed at both visits assessing demographic parameters, family situation, travel history, occupational coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) exposure, and personal protective equipment handling. At the first visit, 6 of 599 participants (1%) tested positive for SARS-CoV-2-specific antibodies. The seroprevalence increased to 1.5% (8/553) at the second visit and did not differ depending on the working environment. Unprotected SARS-CoV-2 exposure (p = 0.003), positively tested family members (p = 0.04), and travel history (p = 0.09) were more frequently reported by positively tested HCWs. Odds for COVID-19 related symptoms were highest for congestion or runny nose (p = 0.002) and altered taste or smell (p < 0.001). In conclusion, prevention strategies proved feasible in reducing the risk of transmission of SARS-CoV-2 from patients and among HCWs in a low incidence hospital, not exceeding the one described in the general population.

Seroprevalence

Personal Protective Equipment

10.3390/ijerph18084201

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Citations (1)

An international perspective on hospitalized patients with viral community-acquired pneumonia

European Journal of Internal Medicine (2018)

Dejan Radovanovic Giovanni Sotgiu Mateja Janković P A Mahesh Pedro J. Marcos

Viral Pneumonia

Oseltamivir

10.1016/j.ejim.2018.10.020

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Citations (29)

Differences between derivation cohort and validation cohort.

Franz Ratzinger Michél Dedeyan Matthias Rammerstorfer Thomas Perkmann Burgmann Heinz

Derivation

10.1371/journal.pone.0106765.t002

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Citations (0)

Unraveling novel Mutation Patterns and Morphological Variations in Two Dalbavancin-resistant MRSA strains in Austria using Whole Genome Sequencing and Transmission Electron Microscopy

Research Square (Research Square) (2024)

Julian Frederic Hotz M Staudacher Katharina Schefberger Kathrin Spettel Katharina Schmid

Abstract Purpose: The increasing prevalence of methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA) strains resistant to non-beta-lactam antimicrobials poses a significant challenge in treating severe MRSA bloodstream infections. This study explores resistance development and mechanisms in MRSA isolates, especially after the first dalbavancin-resistant MRSA strain in our hospital in 2016. Methods: This study investigated 55 MRSA bloodstream isolates (02/2015–02/2021) from the University Hospital of the Medical University of Vienna, Austria. The MICs of dalbavancin, linezolid, and daptomycin were assessed. Two isolates (16-33 and 19-362) resistant to dalbavancin were analyzed via whole-genome sequencing, with morphology evaluated using transmission electron microscopy (TEM). Results: S.aureus BSI strain 19-362 had two novel missense mutations (p.I515M and p.A606D) in the pbp2 gene. Isolate 16-33 had a 534bp deletion in the DHH domain of GdpP and a SNV in pbp2 (p.G146R). Both strains had mutations in the rpoB gene, but at different positions. TEM revealed significantly thicker cell walls in 16-33 (p < 0.05) compared to 19-362 and dalbavancin-susceptible strains. Over the observed years, a noticeable MIC creep for dalbavancin emerged. None of the MRSA isolates showed resistance to linezolid or daptomycin. Conclusion: Inlight of increasing vancomycin resistance reports, continuous surveillance is essential to comprehend the molecular mechanisms of resistance in alternative MRSA treatment options. Furthermore, based on the observed dalbavancin MIC creep, inclusion of dalbavancin in routine antimicrobial susceptibility testing should be considered.

Dalbavancin

10.21203/rs.3.rs-3951551/v1

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Citations (0)

Surveillance of respiratory syncytial virus infections in adults, Austria, 2017 to 2019

Scientific Reports (2021)

Lorenz Schubert Johanna Steininger Felix Lötsch Anna Nele Herdina Monika Redlberger‐Fritz

Abstract Respiratory syncytial virus (RSV) testing is generally available in most care centres, but it is rarely performed because clinicians’ seldom suspect RSV to be the underlying pathogen in adults with respiratory disease. Here, we evaluate the impact of broad combined influenza/RSV testing on the clinical practice. Overall, 103 patients were tested positively for RSV. Our study indicates that positively tested patients were mostly of advanced age and suffered from chronic diseases. Mortality was significant in our cohort and higher in patients with advanced age. Further, we report a significant increase in detected RSV cases but also in detection rate. Together, these findings suggest that implementation of a combined influenza/RSV testing led to a significant increase in detection rate, supported clinicians establishing the correct diagnosis and allowed a safe and controlled handling of RSV patients.

Pneumovirus

10.1038/s41598-021-88537-5

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Citations (9)