Journal of Infection and Chemotherapy

The rapid diagnosis of Campylobacter infections is important for the management of infectious gastroenteritis. Although stool culture is considered the gold standard, its sensitivity is limited and it requires prolonged incubation times. We performed a prospective multicenter study at nine healthcare facilities in Japan to evaluate a Campylobacter rapid antigen test using stool specimens between March 2024 and August 2025. Patients with suspected infectious gastroenteritis were consecutively enr...

IntroductionRates of sexually transmitted infections are on the rise globally, including those caused by Neisseria gonorrhoeae. Retrospective analyses across clinical settings around the world have indicated that rates of gonorrhea declined following mass vaccination campaigns vaccines made with outer membrane vesicles (OMV) from Neisseria meningitidis serogroup B, a pathogen closely related to N. gonorrhoeae. The US FDA-approved N. meningitidis serogroup B vaccine (4CMenB) contains N. meningiti...

ImportanceRecent reports have highlighted an intense influenza activity related to the circulation of the influenza A(H3N2) subclade k variant. There is no data available on the impact of the emergence of H3N2 subclade k on the severity of the 2025-2026 epidemic or on the clinical phenotype of patients requiring admission to the intensive care unit (ICU). ObjectiveTo compare the clinical presentation, hospital mortality and virological characteristics of patients with laboratory-confirmed influ...

BackgroundSeasonal influenza imposes a significant clinical and economic burden in the United States despite the availability of effective vaccines. ObjectivesTo estimate the cost of illness associated with seasonal influenza among U.S. adults and to examine the relationship between vaccination coverage and influenza related outcomes. MethodsWe combined Centers for Disease Control and Prevention influenza burden estimates with contemporary healthcare utilization, cost, and labor market data to...

BackgroundTalaromycosis, caused by the fungus Talaromyces marneffei, is a leading cause of HIV-associated death in Southeast Asia. Current culture-based diagnosis only identifies late-stage infection, limiting understanding of disease burden and disease spectrum. We evaluated the clinical performance of anti-Mp1p IgM and IgG enzyme immunoassays (EIA) for talaromycosis diagnosis. MethodsThis diagnostic study included 423 adults with advanced HIV disease and culture-confirmed talaromycosis as cas...

The seasonal circulation of respiratory syncytial virus (RSV) in countries such as Japan, together with the transient nature of passive immunity conferred to infants via maternal vaccination or monoclonal antibody administration, may warrant a differential strategy for those born during the RSV inter-seasonal period. Maximal effectiveness may be achieved by deferring immunisation of this cohort from birth until entry into their first RSV season using catch-up administration of monoclonal antibod...

Since 2014, Cubas National Tuberculosis Control and Elimination Program (PNCET, acronym in Spanish) has been using the Xpert(R) MTB/RIF technique (Cepheid, Sunnyvale, CA, USA) for rapid molecular diagnosis of tuberculosis (TB). Due to financial limitations and difficult access to kits and cartridges (both of which are of U.S. origin), this test is only intended for prioritized vulnerable groups. Thus, only one third of the cases reported annually are diagnosed by rapid tests, as an initial techn...

ObjectiveThe objective was to estimate unique patterns of change in fatigue in people with the Post-Covid Syndrome (PCS) over 15 months. Design/SubjectsThe Quebec Action for Post-COVID (QAPC) study was a prospective study designed to provide a patient-centered understanding of symptoms, function, and quality of life in a self-identified Quebec sample. MethodsParticipants were queried every 3 months about symptoms and function. Fatigue was measured with the 10-item Post-COVID Syndrome Fatigue S...

BACKGROUND AND OBJECTIVESSeasonal influenza vaccination has been shown to reduce the risk of influenza and severe complications among children 6 months and older. Since 2010, reported numbers of influenza-associated pediatric deaths among children aged <18 years have ranged from 37 during the 2011-2012 season to 289 during 2024-2025. We estimated influenza vaccine effectiveness (VE) against pediatric death from 2016-2017 through 2024-2025. METHODSWe conducted a case-cohort analysis comparing cu...

Microbial keratitis is a sight-threatening corneal infection with varying etiological agents, primarily bacteria and fungi. Assessing and contrasting the virulence factors of microorganisms isolated from a non-contact lens-associated keratitis (NCLAK) and contact lens-associated keratitis (CLAK) is the goal of the current investigation. Samples were collected from over 60 patients and analysed using standard microbiological techniques, including culture, Gram staining, KOH mount, biochemical tes...

IntroductionHemophagocytic lymphohistiocytosis (HLH) is a serious condition induced by Dengue virus which becomes fatal if not detected early and treated appropriately. So objectives of the present study are to observe the different patterns of presentations, clinical features and outcome of HLH induced by Dengue. MethodsIn this observational study, 14 patients admitted and diagnosed HLH as per diagnostic criteria, were included after informed written consent. Study conducted in a period of six...

Influenza A, Influenza B, SARS-CoV-2, Respiratory Syncytial Virus and other respiratory pathogens are an ongoing public health concern. The ability to rapidly identify these viruses early in infection is essential for effective treatment and outbreak control. The AMDI Fast PCR Mini Respiratory Panel (MRP) incorporates sample preparation and real-time RT-PCR for detection of Flu A, Flu B, SARS-CoV-2 and RSV from anterior nasal swab (ANS) specimens in less than 10 minutes at the point of care. We ...

IntroductionDengue has been prevalent in a regular fashion in Bangladesh and Chattogram for the last 6-7 years and is showing some serotype twisting. So, the objectives of the present study were to explore the burden of dengue serotypes in Chattogram. MethodsIn this study, 223 Dengue RT-PCR positive patients were evaluated for serotyping. Gender and age group, along with cycle threshold (CT) values, were also collected. Data after collection were compiled, analyzed, and plotted in Microsoft Exc...

Withdrawal StatementThe authors have withdrawn this manuscript because it will undergo major modifications and revisions to improve accuracy and clarity. Therefore, the authors do not wish this work to be cited as a reference for the project. If you have any questions, please contact the corresponding author.

BackgroundSevere Fever with Thrombocytopenia Syndrome (SFTS) is an acute infectious disease with high mortality. This study aimed to develop a quantitative scoring system for grading SFTS severity using dynamic clinical data. MethodsA retrospective study included 547 confirmed SFTS patients from two hospitals. Clinical data were collected over a 14-day course (divided into four phases). Patients were grouped into survivors (n=451) and non-survivors (n=96). Statistical analyses, including Kaplan...

Ziehl-Neelsen (ZN) smear microscopy remains central to tuberculosis (TB) diagnosis and treatment monitoring, yet its sensitivity is limited by incomplete recovery of Mycobacterium tuberculosis during pre-analytical processing. This study evaluated whether modifying centrifugation force and duration improves bacillary recovery and ZN smear performance. Laboratory experiments were conducted using M. tuberculosis H37Rv and pulmonary TB sputum samples. Following NALC-NaOH decontamination, samples we...

In the past decade, dengue fever has emerged as a major public health on Reunion Island in the Southwest Indian Ocean. During the 2018-2022 outbreak, an unusual increase in ocular complications was reported in some patients. To investigate a potential viral cause, we analysed 447 blood samples from hospitalized patients with and without ophthalmic symptoms. Genetic sequencing revealed the co-circulation of two strains of dengue virus serotype 1, both genetically linked to strains previously iden...

ObjectiveThe purpose of this study was to systematically describe the current status of patient delay among pulmonary tuberculosis (TB) patients in Huyanghe City, Xinjiang, from 2014 to 2024, and to examine factors associated with patient delay, thereby providing an evidence base for developing targeted interventions to reduce delays in care seeking and strengthen TB prevention and control. MethodsThis observational study was based on the Tuberculosis Patient Management Subsystem of the China C...

BackgroundObesity is a risk factor for severe dengue, but underlying mechanisms remain unclear. This study compared clinical features, outcomes, and biomarkers between overweight/obese and healthy-weight patients with dengue infection. MethodsWe conducted an observational matched cohort study (2019-2022) including 75 overweight/obese patients and 75 matched healthy-weight patients with dengue (by age, sex, illness phase, and inpatient ward). The primary clinical outcome was overall severity per...

RationaleObstructive sleep apnea (OSA) is linked to cardiovascular, metabolic, and cognitive morbidity. Although COVID-19 has been associated with long-term respiratory and neurological sequelae, its role in precipitating new-onset OSA remains unclear. ObjectivesTo evaluate whether SARS-CoV-2 infection increases risk of developing OSA up to 4.5 years post-infection and how risk varies by hospitalization status, demographics, comorbidities, and vaccination status. MethodsThis retrospective coho...