Authors:Pfaller M; Carvalhaes C, DeVries S, et al. Abstract: AbstractStudies demonstrated the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic in the prevalence and susceptibility profiles of bacterial and fungal organisms. We analyzed 4821 invasive fungal isolates collected during 2018, 2019, and 2020 in 48 hospitals worldwide to evaluate the impact of this event in the occurrence and susceptibility rates of common fungal species. Isolates were tested using the CLSI broth microdilution method. While the percentage of total isolates that were C. glabrata (n = 710 isolates) or C. krusei (n = 112) slightly increased in 2020, the percentage for C. parapsilosis (n = 542), A. fumigatus (n = 416), and C. lusitaniae (n = 84) significantly decreased (P < .05). Fluconazole resistance in C. glabrata decreased from 5.8% in 2018–2019 to 2.0% in 2020, mainly due to fewer hospitals in the US having these isolates (5 vs. 1 hospital). Conversely, higher fluconazole-resistance rates were noted for C. parapsilosis (13.9 vs. 9.8%) and C. tropicalis (3.5 vs. 0.7%; P < .05) during 2020. Voriconazole resistance also increased for these species. Echinocandin resistance was unchanged among Candida spp. Voriconazole susceptibility rates in A. fumigatus were similar in these two periods (91.7% in 2018 and 2019 vs. 93.0% in 2020). Changes were also noticed in the organisms with smaller numbers of collected isolates. We observed variations in the occurrence of organisms submitted to a global surveillance and the susceptibility patterns for some organism-antifungal combinations. As the COVID-19 pandemic is still ongoing, the impact of this event must continue to be monitored to guide treatment of patients affected by bacterial and fungal infections.Lay SummarySecondary infections were documented in COVID-19 patients. We compared the prevalence of invasive fungal isolates consecutively collected in 48 worldwide hospitals and their susceptibility patterns between 2020, the year of the global COVID-19 pandemic, and the two prior years. PubDate: Mon, 02 May 2022 00:00:00 GMT
Authors:Fernandes Â; Azevedo N, Valente A, et al. Abstract: AbstractVulvovaginal candidiasis (VVC) has been identified as a global issue of concern due to its clinical, social and economic implications. The emerging relevance of VVC makes it crucial to increase the knowledge on its epidemiological and etiological features in order to improve its prevention and treatment. Thus, this study aimed to reveal the incidence, microbiology, antifungal pattern and risk factors of VVC in Portugal. For that, high vaginal samples were collected from 470 symptomatic and asymptomatic participants; Candida spp. were identified with molecular techniques and their antifungal susceptibility was analyzed with E-tests. The results revealed an incidence of VVC among women with vulvovaginitis of 74.4%. Furthermore, 63.7% of asymptomatic women were colonized with Candida spp. Importantly, women with history of recurrent vaginal infections, those who use over-the-counter antifungals, oral contraceptive pills and non-cotton underwear were found to be at significantly higher risk of developing VVC. Candida albicans was the most common species (59%), followed by Candida glabrata (27%), in a total of eight distinct species, with similar distribution among colonized and infected participants. Of note, various isolates, especially of the most common species, showed low susceptibility towards fluconazole. In contrast, only few isolates showed low susceptibility towards caspofungin. Overall, this study suggests that the identification of species causing VVC and their antifungal susceptibility are urgently needed in clinical practice in order to improve the decision for the most adequate treatment. It also suggests that avoiding certain risk behaviors may prevent the development of VVC.Lay SummaryVaginal candidiasis (VVC) is a relevant infection worldwide. In this study, we identified several risk behaviors that may promote VVC and concluded that vaginal microbiologic analyses are urgently required in clinical practice in order to improve the prevention and treatment of this disease. PubDate: Thu, 28 Apr 2022 00:00:00 GMT
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