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Introduction: Tuberculosis (TB) is a re-emerging disease considered a public health concern. In the present study, we analyzed the epidemiology and drug resistance of Mycobacterium tuberculosis strains isolated from patients with pulmonary TB., Methodology: Mycobacterium tuberculosis isolates (n = 190) were obtained from patients with pulmonary TB admitted to Dr. José Eleuterio González University Hospital (UH). Each M. tuberculosis isolate was analyzed by spoligotyping (spacer oligonucleotide typing) and MIRU-VNTR (Mycobacterial Interspersed Repetitive Units-Variable Number Tandem Repeat). Drug resistance was evaluated using the Anyplex™ II MTB/MDR/XDR assay., Results: The predominant spoligotypes observed were X1 (SIT 119, n = 46), T1 (SIT 53, n = 40), H3 (SIT 50, n = 13), Beijing (SIT 1, n = 11), and EAI2-Manila (SIT 19, n = 8). MIRU-VNTR analysis showed that the locus QUB-26 had the highest allelic variability. The observed drug resistance included monoresistance to rifampicin (2.6%; n = 5), isoniazid (3.2%; n = 6), and fluoroquinolones (1.6%; n = 3) as well as multidrug resistance (5.3%; n = 10). All of the Beijing strains were susceptible. Regarding comorbidities, 13.7% (26/190) of the patients were co-infected with TB and HIV (TB+HIV+), and 31.6% (55/190) had TB along with diabetes (TB + diabetes)., Conclusions: The most prevalent lineages were X1 (SIT 119; 24.3%) and T1 (SIT 53; 21%). An alarming proportion (12.6%) of M. tuberculosis isolates presented drug resistance. To effectively manage TB, continuous surveillance of regional strain dissemination, drug resistance profiles, and TB-associated comorbidities is crucial., Competing Interests: No Conflict of Interest is declared, (Copyright (c) 2023 Amador Flores-Aréchiga, José Luis Zacarías-Hernández, Cecilia Gabriela Vázquez-Cortés, Reyes S Tamez-Guerra, Manuel de la O-Cavazos, Lydia Guadalupe Rivera-Morales, Jorge Martín Llaca-Díaz, Jorge Castro-Garza, Néstor Casillas-Vega, José Manuel Vázquez-Guillén, Cristina Rodríguez-Padilla.)

(1) Background: Sexually Transmitted Infections (STIs) in men are a significant public health problem due to the consequences they can have, such as chronic diseases, infertility, cancer, and even death. This study aimed to determine the frequency of microorganisms associated with STIs in men with urethritis attending urology consultations, and to explore their clinical correlations. (2) Methods: A population that attended the urology consultation of the University Hospital "Dr. José E. González" was studied. Written consent was obtained, and interviews and clinical history were conducted about specific risk factors identifying signs and symptoms associated with any genitourinary condition; after that, urine samples were collected. Identification of C. trachomatis , N. gonorrhoeae , U. urealyticum , and M. genitalium was based on amplifying species-specific DNA fragments. (3) Results: A total of 200 patients were included. The mean age was 55 years (20-95). According to the interviews, only 32.5% (n = 65) had received prior sex education. Additionally, 75% (n = 150) do not usually use any protection during sexual intercourse. Regarding clinical factors, 69.4% (n = 138) presented burning or pain when urinating. Molecular analysis revealed the presence of C. trachomatis to be 9.5% (n = 19), with U. urealyticum at 13% (n = 26), and M. genitalium at 2% (n = 4). (4) Conclusions: This is the most extensive molecular epidemiological study of the frequency of STIs in men in Mexico in third-level care and its association with different risk factors. As reported globally, a similar frequency of C. trachomatis , U. urealyticum , and M. genitalium was detected.

Background: Acinetobacter baumannii has emerged as a threat to public health due to the high prevalence of multidrug-resistant isolates. Information regarding the clinical and molecular characterization of carbapenem-resistant A. baumannii (CRAB) infections in children is scarce. Our study aimed to describe the clinical and molecular characteristics of CRAB infections in children from a third-level center in Mexico., Methods: Consecutive cases of CRAB infections were documented during 2017-2022. Clinical and demographic data were collected from clinical records. Mass spectrometry was used for the identification of the isolates. The identification of A. baumannii strains was confirmed by conducting a polymerase chain reaction (PCR) assay targeting the gyrB sequence. In addition, the carbapenemase-encoding resistance genes were detected by PCR., Results: Twenty-one cases of CRAB infections were documented: 76% female and 62% were neonates. The median hospital length of stay at the time of positive culture was 37 days (interquartile range, 13-54). Sixty-four percent of the isolates were recovered from bronchial secretions. A co-resistance rate greater than 60% was observed for most groups of antibiotics. All carbapenem-resistant isolates carried blaOXA-24 genes. BlaIMP genes were detected in half of the cases, with all strains co-harboring blaOXA-24 genes., Conclusions: The present study demonstrated a high proportion of CRAB infections in the neonatal population, a high prevalence of co-resistance to antibiotics, and a high rate of isolates carrying blaOXA-24 and blaIMP genes. CRAB is a significant concern due to the mortality rate and the lack of therapeutic alternatives; implementing infection prevention and control programs is urgent to stop the spread of carbapenem-resistant A. baumannii., (© The Author(s) 2023. Published by Oxford University Press on behalf of The Journal of the Pediatric Infectious Diseases Society. All rights reserved. For permissions, please e-mail: journals.permissions@oup.com.)

Background: COVID-19 disease emerged at the end of 2019 and it started to be considered a pandemic at the beginning of 2020. The reference methodology for the COVID-19 diagnosis is the RT-qPCR., Objective: It was assessed the sensitivity and specificity of molecular test kits found on the list of tests of the Instituto de Diagnóstico y Referencia Epidemiológicos (InDRE, Institute for Epidemiologic Diagnosis and Reference)., Material and Methods: By using the PubMed and the Google Scholar platforms, a search was carried out for articles, out of which 14 were selected, retrieving the number of samples analyzed and their status (positive or negative), according to the molecular reference method, the name of the test kit used, as well as the characteristics and results obtained, expressed as true positives, false negatives, true negatives and false positives. Sensitivity and specificity of 8 kits were calculated, with compilations of the OpenEpi, version 3.01, statistical calculators, by using the Wilson score with a 95% confidence interval., Results: The sensitivity and specificity results for the kits were greater than 90%., Conclusions: Tests evaluated allow the detection of presence or absence of virus, but they can be affected by conditions during the stages of the method.

Little information is available regarding the pathogens that cause diarrhea in hospitalized patients who also have various clinical problems. The purpose of this study was to determine the presence of pathogens in fecal samples of hospitalized patients all suffering diarrhea in addition to other problems in Mexico. Diarrheic stools from 240 patients were obtained in a third-level hospital in Monterrey, Mexico. PCR was used for the detection of Salmonella spp., Shigella spp., Campylobacter spp., Yersinia spp., Aeromonas spp., Clostridioides difficile , and norovirus GI and GII. The presence of trophozoites, cysts of protozoa, eggs, and/or helminth larvae was determined by microscopic observation. Of the 240 patients analyzed, 40.4% presented at least one of the pathogens analyzed. Norovirus was the pathogen most frequently found (28.6%), followed by bacteria (11.7%), and parasites (8.3%). The majority of co-infections were parasites + norovirus, and bacteria + norovirus. Norovirus was detected mainly in children aged 0 to 10 years (9/15, 60%). Patients aged 0-20 years did not present co-infections. Entamoeba coli and Entamoeba histolytica were the most common parasites, (8/240), and Salmonella was the most prevalent bacteria (10/240). This information can help design specific strategies useful for hospitalized people with a compromised status.

Background: Weeksella virosa is one of the two species of the genus Weeksella. Clinical disease due to this bacterium in humans is rare, for which only nine cases have been reported in the literature., Case Report: A 4-year-old male patient was diagnosed with a left orbit rhabdomyosarcoma Stage III and was admitted to a northeast third level referral center in Mexico. Aerobic, non-pigmented, Gram-negative rod was isolated from a blood culture. W. virosa was identified by Sensititre™ ARIS. This organism has been described in cases of spontaneous bacterial peritonitis, sepsis, pneumonia, ventriculitis, and urinary tract infection., Conclusions: Clinicians should consider the diagnosis of W. virosa bacteremia in cases involving immunocompromised patients with oral lesions, although it is infrequent. To the best of our knowledge, this is the first clinical report of W. virosa bacteremia described in an immunocompromised pediatric patient., (Copyright: © 2020 Permanyer.)

The residual risk of transfusion-related infections has decreased dramatically in countries that have routinely implemented serological screening. Most of the donation in Mexico is from replacement practice, a risk factor for positive serology. In Mexico, the altruistic donation is only 2.7%. The heterogeneity of technical factors, regional factors and internal policies of each center influences the variability of data on the prevalence of positive screening, as well as the prevalence of confirmed cases. The main advantage of nucleic acid technology is the detection of donors in the period of serological window or occult infections, being occult hepatitis reports in Mexican donors from 1 to 3.4%. The limitation of available technology, the scope of the clinic and perspectives, invites us to improve technology and health policies in the interest of transfusion safety.

The genus Raoultella, which belongs to the Enterobacteriaceae family, encompasses gramnegative, oxidase-negative, aerobic, encapsulated and motionless bacilli. Currently, four species of this genus have been described: Raoultella terrigena (R. terrigena), Raoultella planticola (R. planticola), Raoultella ornithinolytica (R. ornithinolytica) and Raoultella electrica (R. electrica), out of which R. planticola and R. ornithinolytica are the most important because of their probable association as pathogenic agents. The incidence of this genus has been underestimated, given that detecting it is really difficult, since it is misidentified as Klebsiella spp. by using manual and automated conventional phenotypic methods. The rapid and correct detection has been increasing since the advent of mass spectrometers (MALDI-TOF MS), which have been used for the differentiation of Klebsiella spp. and Raoultella spp. Currently 80 cases of bacteremia secondary to Raoultella spp. have been identified with different sites of primary infection, which is why it is important to emphasize proper detection in hospitals and healthcare facilities.

Background: Chlamydia trachomatis is the causative agent of the most common bacterial sexually transmitted infection worldwide. The aim of this study was to investigate the frequency and genotypes of C. trachomatis in patients attending an obstetrics and gynecology clinic in Jalisco, Mexico and correlates them with sociodemographic, behavioral, and biological factors., Methods: C. trachomatis detection was performed in endocervical samples from 662 patients by direct fluorescence assay (DFA) and two PCR assays that amplified the phospholipase D endonuclease superfamily protein (PLDESP) and OmpA genes. Positive samples were genotyped using PCR-restriction fragment length polymorphism assays. Sociodemographic, behavioral, and biological data were collected., Results: The mean age of the study population was 31 (range, 14-78) years. C. trachomatis positivity was detected by DFA in 16.7% (n = 111), PLDESP gene amplification in 14.2% (n = 94), and OmpA gene amplification in 14.5% (n = 96) of the population. Eight C. trachomatis genotypes were detected: E (39.6%), F (29.2%), D (15.6%), K (6.3%), L2 (3.1%), G, J, and I (2.1% each). C. trachomatis infection was associated with age, marital status, pregnancy, and hormonal contraceptive use (all p = 0.01); intrauterine device use and previous premature birth (both p = 0.03); and infection during pregnancy, previous ectopic pregnancy, pelvic inflammatory disease (PID), and green vaginal discharge (all p = 0.04). C. trachomatis genotype K was more likely to be detected in women histories of ≥2 sexual partners, genotype F was more likely in pregnant women, genotype L2 was more likely in women with PID, genotype D was more likely in women who had had infection during previous pregnancies, and genotype E was more likely in those with previous ectopic pregnancies and green vaginal discharge (all p = 0.01)., Conclusions: The frequency of C. trachomatis in our population was higher than previously reported worldwide, but within the range reported for Mexico. Genotype E was detected most frequently in the study population. Infection by C. trachomatis and C. trachomatis genotypes K, F, D, and E was strongly associated with multiple sociodemographic, behavioral, and biological factors. C. trachomatis genotype L2 was detected in women with PID.

Objective: To determine the frequency of nine sexually transmitted pathogens, coinfections and risk factors in patients attending obstetrics and gynecology clinics in Jalisco, Mexico., Materials and Methods: Samples from 662 patients attending obstetrics and gynecology clinics were analyzed. Treponema pallidum, HIV, and HCV were detected by serology. HPV was detected by Polimerase Chain Reaction (PCR), and its genotype was determined by Restriction Fragment Length Polymorphism (RFLP). Trichomonas vaginalis, HSV-1, HSV-2, Mycoplasma genitalium, Neisseria gonorrhoeae and T. pallidum were detected by multiplex PCR., Results: By serology, HIV frequency was 6.8%, T. pallidum was 2.26%, and HCV was 0.15%. By PCR, HPV frequency was 13.9%, (more frequent genotype was 16, 33.7%), followed by T. vaginalis (14.2%), HSV-1 (8.5%), M. genitalium (2,41%), N. gonorrhoeae (2.11%), HSV-2 (1.8%), and T. pallidum (1.05%). Patients infected with T. vaginalis were more likely to have multiple coinfections (p = 0.01)., Conclusion: The frequency of HPV, HVS-1, HSV-2, M. genitalium and T. vaginalis was lower than that reported. However, a high frequency of HIV, T. pallidum, and N. gonorrhoeae was detected.

Cryptococcosis is caused by members of the Cryptococcus neoformans/Cryptococcus gattii species complex. Based on molecular identification, these two species have been further differentiated into molecular types. The aim of this work was to characterize clinical cryptococcal isolates recovered from six hospitals in Northeast Mexico from 1995 to 2011. One hundred and sixty-six isolates, which were characterized by biochemical tests and in vitro susceptibility to amphotericin B, fluconazole, and voriconazole, and M13 PCR fingerprinting, were included in this study. Utilizing phenotypic tests, 153 isolates (92.16 %) were identified as C. neoformans and 13 (7.83 %) as C. gattii. All isolates were susceptible to all antifungals tested. Employing M13 PCR fingerprinting, eight molecular types were detected. VNI was the most common genotype (124 cases; 74.6 %), followed by VNII (15 cases; 9 %), VNIII (8 cases; 4.8 %), VNIV (6 cases; 3.6 %), VGI (6 cases; 3.6 %), VGII (3 cases; 1.8 %), and VGIII and VGIV (2 cases, 1.2 % each). We confirm the presence of C. gattii in clinical isolates in Northeast Mexico, and a high clonal diversity in the studied strains of C. neoformans/C. gattii species complex.

Objectives: We aimed to characterise the staphylococcal cassette chromosome mec (SCCmec) type, genetic relatedness, biofilm formation and composition, icaADBC genes detection, icaD expression, and antibiotic susceptibility of planktonic and biofilm cells of Staphylococcus hominis isolates from blood., Methods: The study included 67 S. hominis blood isolates. Methicillin resistance was evaluated with the cefoxitin disk test. mecA gene and SCCmec were detected by multiplex PCR. Genetic relatedness was determined by pulsed-field gel electrophoresis. Biofilm formation and composition were evaluated by staining with crystal violet and by detachment assay, respectively; and the biofilm index (BI) was determined. Detection and expression of icaADBC genes were performed by multiplex PCR and real-time PCR, respectively. Antibiotic susceptibilities of planktonic cells (minimum inhibitory concentration, MIC) and biofilm cells (minimum biofilm eradication concentration, MBEC) were determined by the broth dilution method., Results: Eighty-five percent (57/67) of isolates were methicillin resistant and mecA positive. Of the mecA-positive isolates, 66.7% (38/57) carried a new putative SCCmec type. Four clones were detected, with two to five isolates each. Among all isolates, 91% (61/67) were categorised as strong biofilm producers. Biofilm biomass composition was heterogeneous (polysaccharides, proteins and DNA). All isolates presented the icaD gene, and 6.66% (1/15) isolates expressed icaD. This isolate presented the five genes of ica operon. Higher BI and MBEC values than the MIC values were observed for amikacin, vancomycin, linezolid, oxacillin, ciprofloxacin, and chloramphenicol., Conclusions: S. hominis isolates were highly resistant to methicillin and other antimicrobials. Most of the detected SCCmec types were different than those described for S. aureus. Isolates indicated low clonality. The results indicate that S. hominis is a strong biofilm producer with an extracellular matrix with similar composition of proteins, DNA and N-acetylglucosamine; and presents high frequency and low expression of icaD gene. Biofilm production is associated with increased antibiotic resistance.