Diagnostic microbiology and infectious disease
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Diagn. Microbiol. Infect. Dis. · Oct 2020
ReviewCOVID-19 - 6 million cases worldwide and an overview of the diagnosis in Brazil: a tragedy to be announced.
On 1 June 2020, 6 million cases of COVID-19 were recorded with a total of 374,927 deaths worldwide. Brazil, at that point, presented a total of 514,992 cases and 29,341 deaths caused by the COVID-19 disease. At that moment, Brazil appeared in the second position regarding number of cases, fourth in number of deaths, second in number of recovered patients (N = 206,555), second in number of follow-up cases (N = 279,096), third in number of active and serious cases (N = 8,318), 39th in number of cases per million inhabitants (N = 2,424), and 125th in number of SARS-CoV-2 real-time polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR) exams per million inhabitants (N = 4,378). ⋯ Brazil is in a crucial moment to minimize the impact of the illness on society by reducing the number of new cases and thus, preventing deaths, mainly of the risk group populations. However, as widely announced, in Brazil the diagnosis using RT-PCR is still scarce and part of the material collected from COVID-19 patients was disposed of and many patients were not tested, regardless of the seriousness of the symptoms, due to errors of medical data records, improper conservation of the samples after collection and/or during transport, which compromised the quality of the material to be tested. Moreover, the federal government has supported the end of the quarantine, while the number of deaths has grown in thousands every day and the cases have been expanding to the interior of the country.
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Diagn. Microbiol. Infect. Dis. · Sep 2020
ReviewClinical, molecular, and epidemiological characterization of the SARS-CoV-2 virus and the Coronavirus Disease 2019 (COVID-19), a comprehensive literature review.
Coronaviruses are an extensive family of viruses that can cause disease in both animals and humans. The current classification of coronaviruses recognizes 39 species in 27 subgenera that belong to the family Coronaviridae. From those, at least 7 coronaviruses are known to cause respiratory infections in humans. ⋯ Latest figures from 20 May 2020 show more than 5 million people had been infected with the virus, causing more than 330,000 deaths in over 210 countries worldwide. The large amount of information received daily relating to COVID-19 is so abundant and dynamic that medical staff, health authorities, academics and the media are not able to keep up with this new pandemic. In order to offer a clear insight of the extensive literature available, we have conducted a comprehensive literature review of the SARS CoV-2 Virus and the Coronavirus Diseases 2019 (COVID-19).
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Diagn. Microbiol. Infect. Dis. · Aug 2017
Review Meta AnalysisIs frozen fecal microbiota transplantation as effective as fresh fecal microbiota transplantation in patients with recurrent or refractory Clostridium difficile infection: A meta-analysis?
Fecal microbiota transplantation (FMT) is a remarkably efficacious therapy for recurrent or refractory Clostridium difficile infection (CDI), but not standardized. This work is to determine whether frozen FMT is as effective as fresh FMT. ⋯ In conclusion, among patients with recurrent or refractory CDI, frozen FMT is as effective as fresh FMT. Considering potential advantages of performing frozen FMT, it is a reasonable option to select frozen FMT.
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Diagn. Microbiol. Infect. Dis. · Jun 2017
ReviewMini review: New pathogen profiles: Elizabethkingia anophelis.
Within a little more than 5 years since its taxonomic description in 2011, from the midgut of mosquitoes, Elizabethkingia anophelis has emerged as an important causes of sepsis in adults and children and in cases of neonatal meningitis. At least 3 moderate- to large-scale outbreaks of disease have been caused by this bacterium, the largest 2 occurring in the Midwest United States in 2015-2016. Several studies suggest that E. anophelis, and not E. meningoseptica, is the predominant human pathogen of this genus; identification to species is difficult. Little is presently known regarding its epidemiology, modes of transmission, and pathogenicity as it relates to virulence-associated factors.
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Diagn. Microbiol. Infect. Dis. · Jan 2016
ReviewAdvances and challenges in paracoccidioidomycosis serology caused by Paracoccidioides species complex: an update.
Understanding the possible methodologies for the rapid and inexpensive identification of fungal infections is essential for disease diagnosis, but there are some limitations. To help with this problem, serological methods that detect antigens or antibodies are widely used and are useful for the diagnosis of paracoccidioidomycosis (PCM) through the detection of gp43, which is the main antigen employed for the immunodiagnosis of this disease caused by Paracoccidioides brasiliensis. ⋯ Therefore, it is necessary to identify new antigens in both species or antigens specific for P. lutzii to decrease the morbidity and/or mortality associated with PCM. This review provides a discussion of new diagnostic challenges after the recent discoveries regarding the taxonomy of the Paracoccidioides genus.