Street prices of prescription opioids diverted to the illicit market: data from a national surveillance program

Scrapie is considered an endemic disease in both sheep and goats in Greece. However, contrary to sheep, in goats more than one prion protein (PrP) polymorphism has been recognized as a candidate for resistance breeding against the disease. For an impression, candidates which are circulating, (i) brain samples (n = 525) from scrapie-affected (n = 282) and non-affected (n = 243) animals within the national surveillance program, and (ii) individual blood samples (n = 1708) from affected (n = 241) and non-affected (n = 1467) herds, in a large part of mainland Greece and its islands, were collected and assayed. A dedicated Taqman method was used to test for amino acid polymorphisms 110T/P, 146N/S/D, 211R/Q, and 222Q/K. Highly prevalent genotypes were 110TT, 146NN, 211RR, and 222QQ. The frequencies of polymorphisms in blood and negative brain samples for codons 110P, 211Q, and 222K were 4.0%, 3.0%, and 1.9%, respectively, while 146D (0.7%) was present only on Karpathos island. Codon 110P was exclusively found in scrapie-negative brains, and homozygous 110P/P in two scrapie-negative goats. It is concluded that breeding programs in Karpathos could focus on codon 146D, while in other regions carriers of the 110P and 222K allele should be sought. Case-control and challenge studies are now necessary to elucidate the most efficient breeding strategies.

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Macrolide-Resistant Mycoplasma pneumoniae in the United States as Determined from a National Surveillance Program

Journal of Clinical Microbiology ◽

10.1128/jcm.00968-19 ◽

2019 ◽

Vol 57 (11) ◽

Cited By ~ 9

Author(s):

K. B. Waites ◽

A. Ratliff ◽

D. M. Crabb ◽

L. Xiao ◽

X. Qin ◽

...

Keyword(s):

United States ◽

Clinical Significance ◽

Mycoplasma Pneumoniae ◽

The United States ◽

Antimicrobial Treatment ◽

23S Rrna ◽

Surveillance Program ◽

National Surveillance ◽

Radiographic Findings ◽

Content Type

ABSTRACT There are sparse data to indicate the extent that macrolide-resistant Mycoplasma pneumoniae (MRMp) occurs in the United States or its clinical significance. Between 2015 and 2018, hospitals in 8 states collected and stored respiratory specimens that tested positive for M. pneumoniae and sent them to the University of Alabama at Birmingham, where real-time PCR was performed for detection of 23S rRNA mutations known to confer macrolide resistance. MRMp was detected in 27 of 360 specimens (7.5%). MRMp prevalence was significantly higher in the South and East (18.3%) than in the West (2.1%). A2063G was the predominant 23S rRNA mutation detected. MICs for macrolide-susceptible M. pneumoniae (MSMp) were ≤0.008 μg/ml, whereas MICs for MRMp were 16 to 32 μg/ml. Patients with MRMp infection were more likely to have a history of immunodeficiency or malignancy. Otherwise, there were no other significant differences in the clinical features between patients infected with MRMp and those infected with MSMp, nor were there any differences in radiographic findings, hospitalization rates, viral coinfections, the mean duration of antimicrobial treatment, or clinical outcomes. There was no significant change in MRMp incidence over time or according to age, sex, race/ethnicity, or status as an inpatient or an outpatient. Patients with MRMp were more likely to have received a macrolide prior to presentation, and their treatment was more likely to have been changed to a fluoroquinolone after presentation. This is the first national surveillance program for M. pneumoniae in the United States. Additional surveillance is needed to assess the clinical significance of MRMp and to monitor changes in MRMp prevalence.

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Infection prevention and control challenges in Flemish homecare nursing: a pilot study

British Journal of Community Nursing ◽

10.12968/bjcn.2020.25.3.114 ◽

2020 ◽

Vol 25 (3) ◽

pp. 114-121

Author(s):

Karel Maelegheer ◽

Irina Dumitrescu ◽

Nele Verpaelst ◽

Hanna Masson ◽

Caroline Broucke ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Pilot Study ◽

Home Care ◽

Wound Care ◽

Patient Characteristics ◽

Personal Hygiene ◽

Infection Prevention And Control ◽

Surveillance Program ◽

National Surveillance ◽

Tract Infections ◽

And Control

Home nursing is evolving towards more invasive care. Nevertheless, no national data are available on the prevalence of HAI in this setting. The aim of this pilot study is to explore the Flemish home care setting as a first step toward a national surveillance program. A survey, focused on patient characteristics and HAI, was conducted between 7 May and 20 July 2018 on 711 Flemish patients. Most of the patients (74%) are 65 years or older and half of them had a form of comorbidity. Assisting with personal hygiene and wound care were the most frequent services delivered by home care nurses. A comparison of the prevalence of infections diagnosed by a physician or applying uniform criteria (ECDC), revealed a similar prevalence of skin and soft tissue infections (9% vs. 8.5%) and urinary tract infections (4% vs. 4.5%). A positive MDRO-screening was found in 6% of the patients. This pilot study is a first step towards a standardized national surveillance in home care to collect information on the prevalence of HAI and it reveals several interesting facts and study pitfalls for this setting.

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A one-year survey of candidemia in Belgium in 2002

Epidemiology and Infection ◽

10.1017/s095026880400295x ◽

2004 ◽

Vol 132 (6) ◽

pp. 1175-1180 ◽

Cited By ~ 26

Author(s):

D. SWINNE ◽

M. WATELLE ◽

C. SUETENS ◽

K. MERTENS ◽

P.-A. FONTEYNE ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Intensive Care Unit ◽

Intensive Care ◽

Susceptibility Testing ◽

The Elderly ◽

Surveillance Program ◽

National Surveillance ◽

Intravascular Catheter ◽

Predisposing Factor ◽

One Year

A total of 211 episodes of bloodstream yeast infections in 207 patients, hospitalized in 28 Belgian hospitals participating in a National Surveillance Program, were evaluated. A total of 81% of the patients were more than 50 years of age. Candida albicans was the cause of infections in 55% of patients, 22% were due to C. glabrata and 13% to C. parapsilosis. The most common predisposing factors were antibacterial therapy (42%), residence in an intensive care unit (32·9%) and presence of an intravascular catheter (29·7%). Most patients had more than one predisposing factor. Fluconazole alone or in association with another antifungal agent was the treatment of choice for 89·7% of the cases. In vitro susceptibility testing of the isolates revealed that 99% were susceptible to amphotericin B, 95% to 5-fluorocytosine, 82% to fluconazole and 69% to itraconazole. Resistance to azoles was more common among C. glabrata isolates in the elderly. We conclude that the frequency of C. albicans infection is decreasing in Belgium and this is associated with the emergence of other species, most notably, C. glabrata.

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