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Background: The increase in syphilis rates worldwide necessitates development of a vaccine with global efficacy. We aimed to explore Treponema pallidum subspecies pallidum (TPA) molecular epidemiology essential for vaccine research by analysing clinical data and specimens from early syphilis patients using whole-genome sequencing (WGS) and publicly available WGS data., Methods: In this multicentre, cross-sectional, molecular epidemiology study, we enrolled patients with primary, secondary, or early latent syphilis from clinics in China, Colombia, Malawi, and the USA between Nov 28, 2019, and May 27, 2022. Participants aged 18 years or older with laboratory confirmation of syphilis by direct detection methods or serological testing, or both, were included. Patients were excluded from enrolment if they were unwilling or unable to give informed consent, did not understand the study purpose or nature of their participation, or received antibiotics active against syphilis in the past 30 days. TPA detection and WGS were conducted on lesion swabs, skin biopsies, skin scrapings, whole blood, or rabbit-passaged isolates. We compared our WGS data to publicly available genomes and analysed TPA populations to identify mutations associated with lineage and geography., Findings: We screened 2802 patients and enrolled 233 participants, of whom 77 (33%) had primary syphilis, 154 (66%) had secondary syphilis, and two (1%) had early latent syphilis. The median age of participants was 28 years (IQR 22-35); 154 (66%) participants were cisgender men, 77 (33%) were cisgender women, and two (1%) were transgender women. Of the cisgender men, 66 (43%) identified as gay, bisexual, or other sexuality. Among all participants, 56 (24%) had HIV co-infection. WGS data from 113 participants showed a predominance of SS14-lineage strains with geographical clustering. Phylogenomic analyses confirmed that Nichols-lineage strains were more genetically diverse than SS14-lineage strains and clustered into more distinct subclades. Differences in single nucleotide variants (SNVs) were evident by TPA lineage and geography. Mapping of highly differentiated SNVs to three-dimensional protein models showed population-specific substitutions, some in outer membrane proteins (OMPs) of interest., Interpretation: Our study substantiates the global diversity of TPA strains. Additional analyses to explore TPA OMP variability within strains is vital for vaccine development and understanding syphilis pathogenesis on a population level., Funding: US National Institutes of Health National Institute for Allergy and Infectious Disease, the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation, Connecticut Children's, and the Czech Republic National Institute of Virology and Bacteriology., Competing Interests: Declaration of interests ACS reports royalties from UptoDate; honoraria from the University of Alabama at Birmingham; and support for meetings or travel from the American STD Association as a member of the Executive Board outside the scope of the current work. JAG-L reports honoraria from the Universidad de Antioquia; support for meetings or travel from Carnott Laboratories, Cantabria Labs, Epidermique, Pharmaderm, and Janssen; receipt of writing materials from Epidermique, Cantabria labs, Isdin, Pharmaderm, Skindrugs, Loreal, Galderma, Cetaphil, Cerave, Isispharma, Carnott, Janssen, Pharmalab, Novartis, Pfizer, and Lilly outside of the scope of work. JJJ reports membership in the Worldwide Antimalarial Resistance Network. KLH reports honoraria from the Eastern Virginia Medical School and the Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory. JDR receives royalties from Biokit, Chembio, and Span Diagnostics for syphilis serodiagnostic reagents; and support for meetings or travel from Indiana University outside the scope of the current work. JBP reports research support from Gilead Sciences; non-financial support from Abbott Diagnostics; and consulting for Zymeron Corporation, all outside the scope of the current work., (Copyright © 2024 The Author(s). Published by Elsevier Ltd.. All rights reserved.)

Background: Dengue is an increasing threat to global health. This exploratory analysis evaluated the immunogenicity, safety, and vaccine efficacy (VE) of a live-attenuated tetravalent dengue vaccine (TAK-003) in participants enrolled in the phase 3 DEN-301 trial (NCT02747927), stratified by baseline age (4-5 years; 6-11 years; or 12-16 years)., Methods: Participants were randomized 2:1 to receive 2 doses of TAK-003, administered 3 months apart, or placebo. Dengue serostatus was evaluated at enrolment. VE against virologically-confirmed dengue (VCD) and hospitalized VCD; immunogenicity (geometric mean titers; GMTs); and safety were evaluated per age group through ∼4 years post-vaccination., Results: VE against VCD across serotypes was 43.5% (95% confidence interval: 25.3%, 57.3%) for 4-5 year-olds; 63.5% (56.9%, 69.1%) for 6-11 year-olds, and 67.7% (57.8%, 75.2%) for 12-16 year-olds. VE against hospitalized VCD was 63.8% (21.1%, 83.4%), 85.1% (77.1%, 90.3%), and 89.7% (77.9%, 95.2%), for the three age groups, respectively. GMTs remained elevated against all four serotypes for ∼4 years post-vaccination, with no evident differences across age groups. No clear differences in safety by age were identified., Conclusions: This exploratory analysis shows TAK-003 was efficacious in dengue prevention across age groups in children and adolescents 4-16 years of age living in dengue endemic areas. Relatively lower VE in 4-5 year-olds was potentially confounded by causative serotype distribution, small sample size, and VE by serotype, and should be considered in benefit-risk evaluations in this age group., (© The Author(s) 2024. Published by Oxford University Press on behalf of Infectious Diseases Society of America.)

Invasive fusariosis (IF) is a life-threatening opportunistic infection that affects vulnerable hosts. We conducted a multicenter and multinational retrospective study to characterize the natural history and clinical management of IF in pediatric cancer patients. We selected patients <18 years old who were sequentially hospitalized in 10 Latin American medical centers with a diagnosis of IF between 2002 and 2021. Data were collected using an electronic case report form complemented by a dictionary of terms. We assessed mortality rates at 30, 60, and 90 days. We collected data from 60 episodes of IF (median age, 9.8 years) that were mostly documented in patients with hematologic cancer (70%). Other risk conditions found were lymphopenia (80%), neutropenia (76.7%), and corticosteroid exposure (63.3%). IF was disseminated in 55.6% of patients. Skin lesions was present in 58.3% of our patients, followed by pulmonary involvement in 55%, sinusitis in 21.7%, bone/joint involvement in 6.7% and 1 case each of endocarditis and brain abscess. Positive blood and skin biopsy cultures were detected in 60% and 48.3% of cases, respectively. Fusarium solani complex was the most commonly identified agent (66.6%). The majority of patients received monotherapy within the first 72 hours (71.6%), either with voriconazole or amphotericin B formulation. The mortality rates at 30, 60, and 90 days were 35%, 41.6%, and 45%, respectively. An important factor affecting mortality rates appears to be disseminated disease. The high percentage of patients with fungal involvement in multiple organs and systems highlights the need for extensive workup for additional sites of infection in severely immunocompromised children., Competing Interests: Potential conflicts of interest. F. C. reports serving as a speaker for Pfizer, Gilead, Knight, and Sandoz and on an advisory board for Pfizer. F. M. reports serving as a speaker for Pfizer. M. S. reports serving as a speaker for MSD. A. L. C. reports the following: a grant from FAPESP–Fundação de Apoio a Pesquisa do Estado de São Paulo (The ARIES Project: Antimicrobial Resistance Institute of São Paulo; grant 2021/10599-3; payment for University Federal of São Paulo); consulting fees from ACHE, Mundipharma, and Sandoz; serving as a speaker for Gilead, Knight United Medical, Eurofarma, and Mundipharma; support for attending meetings from Gilead, Knight United Medical, and Mundipharma; and membership on advisory boards for Mundipharma and Sandoz. All other authors report no potential conflicts., (© The Author(s) 2024. Published by Oxford University Press on behalf of Infectious Diseases Society of America.)

Background: Respiratory syncytial virus (RSV) is a common cause of lower respiratory tract infections in infants. This phase 1/2, observer-blind, randomized, controlled study assessed the safety and immunogenicity of an investigational chimpanzee-derived adenoviral vector RSV vaccine (ChAd155-RSV, expressing RSV F, N, and M2-1) in infants., Methods: Healthy 6- to 7-month-olds were 1:1:1-randomized to receive 1 low ChAd155-RSV dose (1.5 × 1010 viral particles) followed by placebo (RSV&#95;1D); 2 high ChAd155-RSV doses (5 × 1010 viral particles) (RSV&#95;2D); or active comparator vaccines/placebo (comparator) on days 1 and 31. Follow-up lasted approximately 2 years., Results: Two hundred one infants were vaccinated (RSV&#95;1D: 65; RSV&#95;2D: 71; comparator: 65); 159 were RSV-seronaive at baseline. Most solicited and unsolicited adverse events after ChAd155-RSV occurred at similar or lower rates than after active comparators. In infants who developed RSV infection, there was no evidence of vaccine-associated enhanced respiratory disease (VAERD). RSV-A neutralizing titers and RSV F-binding antibody concentrations were higher post-ChAd155-RSV than postcomparator at days 31, 61, and end of RSV season 1 (mean follow-up, 7 months). High-dose ChAd155-RSV induced stronger responses than low-dose, with further increases post-dose 2., Conclusions: ChAd155-RSV administered to 6- to 7-month-olds had a reactogenicity/safety profile like other childhood vaccines, showed no evidence of VAERD, and induced a humoral immune response. Clinical Trials Registration. NCT03636906., Competing Interests: Potential conflicts of interest. V. N., Y. Z., W. P., D. F., I. D., A. G. L., R. M., S. K. S., and N. V. are or were employees of GSK during the conduct of the study. I. D., W. P., and S. K. S. hold GSK shares/stocks. R. M. and S. K. S. hold stock/stock options in Moderna. B. T., E. J. A., B. S. C., E. C. D., H. S., J. D. C., J. M. M. A., K. L., M. M. M.-P., M. R., S. N. F., F. B.-A., and T. P. report grants and/or other support from GSK for the conduct of the study. J. M. L. reports grants from GSK paid to her institution for the conduct of the study and holds the CIHR-GSK Chair in Pediatric Vaccinology at Dalhousie University. B. T. reports grants from GSK, Merck, and Pfizer for other trials. C. e. reports support for scientific meetings from GSK and ViiV and advisory consultancy fees from GSK. E. J. A. has consulted for Pfizer, Sanofi Pasteur, GSK, Janssen, Moderna, and Medscape, and his institution receives funds to conduct clinical research unrelated to this manuscript from MedImmune, Regeneron, PaxVax, Pfizer, GSK, Merck, Novavax, Sanofi Pasteur, Janssen, and Micron; he serves on a safety monitoring board for Kentucky BioProcessing and Sanofi Pasteur; serves on a data adjudication board for WCG and ACI Clinical; and his institution has also received funding from the National Institutes of Health to conduct clinical trials of COVID-19 vaccines. B. S. C. reports grants for other vaccine trials from GSK and MSD paid to his institution. E. C. D. performs contract work for the Eskisehir Osmangazi University funded by GSK, Sanofi Pasteur, and Pfizer. E. K. reports honoraria for lectures from GSK, MSD, AstraZeneca, Sanofi, and Pfizer. E. L.-M. reports grants from Centro de Estudios en Infectología Pediátrica. F. M.-T. reports grants from Janssen, MSD, and AstraZeneca; personal fees from Ablynx, GSK, Pfizer, MSD, Sanofi Pasteur, Novavax, Seqirus, and Biofabri; nonfinancial support from GSK, Pfizer, MSD, and Seqirus; and trial fees paid to his institution from these different companies (except Biofabri). H. S. reports personal fees and trial fees paid to his institution from MSD, Seqirus, Pfizer, Janssen, and Sanofi Pasteur. I. S. C. has received payment to his institution from GSK for the conduct of the study, by contract approved by the corresponding ethical committees and health authorities, and for trials of other vaccine manufacturers, and has received grants and/or honoraria as a consultant/advisor/speaker or for attending conferences and practical courses from GSK and other vaccine manufacturers. J. D. C. is a member of the Committee on Infectious Diseases of the American Academy of Pediatrics and reports funds paid to his university to study RSV vaccines. J. D.-D. reports grants from GSK, MSD, and Sanofi Pasteur paid to his institution. J. M. M. A. reports fees for medical meetings from GSK and Pfizer. K. L. reports grants from ReViral and Shionogi. M. M.-P. reports grants from MSD, Roche, GSK, Janssen, Takeda, and Syneos. M. R. reports grants for other vaccine trials from GSK and other vaccine manufacturers paid to his institution. S. N. F. reports fees paid to his institution for attending meetings, advisory boards, and/or grants for clinical trials from AstraZeneca/Medimmune, GSK, J&J, Pfizer, Sanofi, Seqirus, Sandoz, Valneva, Novavax, and Merck. X. S.-L. reports grants from Cevaxin Vaccine Research Center. F. B.-A. reports consultancy fees from GSK, Pfizer, and MSD and grants from MSD. All other authors report no potential conflicts. All authors have submitted the ICMJE Form for Disclosure of Potential Conflicts of Interest. Conflicts that the editors consider relevant to the content of the manuscript have been disclosed., (© The Author(s) 2023. Published by Oxford University Press on behalf of Infectious Diseases Society of America.)

Objective: Zika virus infection has been associated to congenital zika syndrome (CZS) in newborns and is characterized by microcephaly, central/axial motor and sensory dysfunction, dysphagia among other previously described severe health complications. CZS is usually diagnosed postpartum by evident/apparent neural development problems. Although there are some reports of craniofacial/dentition development in CZS, several clinical oral aspects are still unknown. This study describes some structural and functional characteristics of facial and cranial growth and deciduous dentition in CZS-affected children., Material and Methods: Some cranial, facial and dental characteristics were determined in 14 children with CZS aged 3-5 years and compared them against 12 apparently healthy children paired by age and gender., Results: Fourteen CZS cases presented microcephaly, maxillary prognathism, altered facial thirds, asymmetric pupillary line, bruxism (p = 0.006), deep and anterior open bite and distal step decidual molar relationship (p = 0.031). CZS children cannot feed by themselves and most cannot walk and have not develop coordinated and intelligible language according to their chronological age. In contrast, controls presented normal skull features, have autonomous locomotion skills, speak intelligible language, feed by themselves, presented a harmonic intermaxillary relationship and have symmetrical facial thirds., Conclusion: Microcephaly, dysphagia, bruxism, mandibular retrognathia, altered facial proportions and malocclusion are the main craniofacial and oral features at CZS., Clinical Relevance: The complications of CZS including those related with the face and the oral cavity are still being identified. This study revealed some cranial, facial and oral features in children affected by CSZ. Interdisciplinary rehabilitation protocols must address these syndromic features that could improve children and parents living conditions., (© 2023. The Author(s).)

Sickle cell disease (SCD) is an inherited red blood cell disease that results in a multitude of medical complications, including an increased risk of invasive disease caused by encapsulated bacteria, such as Streptococcus pneumoniae. Pneumococcal vaccines have contributed to a significant reduction in pneumococcal disease (PD) in children and adults, including those with SCD. This phase 3 study evaluated the safety and immunogenicity of V114, a 15-valent pneumococcal conjugate vaccine (PCV), in children with SCD. A total of 103 children aged 5 to 17 years with SCD were randomized and received a single dose of V114 or Prevnar 13 (PCV13). Safety was evaluated as the proportion of participants with adverse events (AEs). Serotype-specific immunoglobulin G (IgG) levels and opsonophagocytic activity (OPA) were measured immediately before vaccination and 30 days after vaccination. Overall, the rates of injection-site and systemic AEs reported after vaccination were similar between the vaccination groups. Up to 6 months after vaccination, serious AEs were those expected for patients with SCD, and none were assessed to be vaccine related. IgG geometric mean concentrations (GMCs) and OPA geometric mean titers (GMTs) for the 13 shared serotypes were generally comparable between recipients of V114 and PCV13. Additionally, V114 induced immune responses to serotypes 22F and 33F, which are not included in PCV13. The safety and tolerability profiles of V114 were consistent with those reported for PCV13. Immune responses following vaccination with V114 were generally comparable to PCV13 for the shared serotypes and higher for unique serotypes 22F and 33F. These results support the use of V114 in children with SCD. This trial was registered at www.clinicaltrials.gov as #NCT03731182., (© 2023 by The American Society of Hematology. Licensed under Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-NoDerivatives 4.0 International (CC BY-NC-ND 4.0), permitting only noncommercial, nonderivative use with attribution. All other rights reserved.)

Sequencing of most Treponema pallidum genomes excludes repeat regions in tp0470 and the tp0433 gene, encoding the acidic repeat protein ( arp ). As a first step to understanding the evolution and function of these genes and the proteins they encode, we developed a protocol to nanopore sequence tp0470 and arp genes from 212 clinical samples collected from ten countries on six continents. Both tp0470 and arp repeat structures recapitulate the whole genome phylogeny, with subclade-specific patterns emerging. The number of tp0470 repeats is on average appears to be higher in Nichols-like clade strains than in SS14-like clade strains. Consistent with previous studies, we found that 14-repeat arp sequences predominate across both major clades, but the combination and order of repeat type varies among subclades, with many arp sequence variants limited to a single subclade. Although strains that were closely related by whole genome sequencing frequently had the same arp repeat length, this was not always the case. Structural modeling of TP0470 suggested that the eight residue repeats form an extended α-helix, predicted to be periplasmic. Modeling of the ARP revealed a C-terminal sporulation-related repeat (SPOR) domain, predicted to bind denuded peptidoglycan, with repeat regions possibly incorporated into a highly charged β-sheet. Outside of the repeats, all TP0470 and ARP amino acid sequences were identical. Together, our data, along with functional considerations, suggests that both TP0470 and ARP proteins may be involved in T. pallidum cell envelope remodeling and homeostasis, with their highly plastic repeat regions playing as-yet-undetermined roles., Competing Interests: The authors declare that the research was conducted in the absence of any commercial or financial relationships that could be construed as a potential conflict of interest., (Copyright © 2022 Lieberman, Armstrong, Chung, Pfalmer, Hennelly, Haynes, Romeis, Wang, Zhang, Kou, Ciccarese, Conte, Cusini, Drago, Nakayama, Lee, Ohnishi, Konda, Vargas, Eguiluz, Caceres, Klausner, Mitja, Rompalo, Mulcahy, Hook, Hoffman, Matoga, Zheng, Yang, Lopez-Medina, Ramirez, Radolf, Hawley, Salazar, Lukehart, Seña, Parr, Giacani and Greninger.)

This randomized phase 1b study evaluated the pharmacokinetics/pharmacodynamics of conventional-dose (30-75 mg twice daily [BID]) vs triple-dose (90-225 mg BID; weight-adjusted) oseltamivir for treatment of influenza in severely immunocompromised children <13 years. Oseltamivir carboxylate (OC) C max and AUC 0-12h were ~2-fold higher with triple-dose vs conventional-dose oseltamivir. Increased dose/exposure of oseltamivir/OC did not improve virological outcomes or reduce viral resistance. Median time to cessation of viral shedding was similar with triple-dose and conventional-dose oseltamivir (150.7 vs 157.1 hours, respectively); median time to alleviation of baseline fever was longer with conventional-dose oseltamivir (28.4 vs 11.3 hours). No new safety signals were identified., (© The Author(s) 2019. Published by Oxford University Press on behalf of Infectious Diseases Society of America.)

Background: Quantifying interference of maternal antibodies with immune responses to varying dose schedules of inactivated polio vaccine (IPV) is important for the polio endgame as IPV replaces oral polio vaccine (OPV)., Methods: Type 2 poliovirus humoral and intestinal responses were analyzed using pre-IPV type 2 seropositivity as proxy for maternal antibodies from 2 trials in Latin America. Infants received 1 or 2 doses of IPV in sequential IPV-bivalent oral polio vaccine (bOPV) or mixed bOPV-IPV schedules., Results: Among infants vaccinated with bOPV at age 6, 10, and 14 weeks of age and IPV at 14 weeks, those with type 2 pre-IPV seropositivity had lower seroprotection rates than seronegative infants at 4 weeks (92.7% vs 83.8%; difference, 8.9% [95% confidence interval, 0.6%-19.9%]; n = 260) and 22 weeks (82.7% vs 60.4%; difference, 22.3 [12.8%-32.4%]; n = 481) post-IPV. A second IPV at age 36 weeks resulted in 100% seroprotection in both groups. Among infants vaccinated with 1 IPV at age 8 weeks followed by 2 doses of bOPV, pre-IPV type 2-seropositive infants had lower seroprotection at age 28 weeks than those who were seronegative (93.0% vs 73.9%; difference, 19.6% [95% confidence interval, 7.3%-29.4%]; n = 168). A second dose of IPV at 16 weeks achieved >97% seroprotection at age 24 or 28 weeks, regardless of pre-IPV status. Poliovirus shedding after challenge with monovalent OPV, serotype 2, was higher in pre-IPV seropositive infants given sequential IPV-bOPV. No differences were observed in the mixed bOPV-IPV schedule., Conclusions: The presence of maternal antibody is associated with lower type 2 post-IPV seroprotection rates among infants who receive a single dose of IPV. This impact persists until late in infancy and is overcome by a second IPV dose.

Background: Since April 2016 inactivated poliovirus vaccine (IPV) has been the only routine source of polio type 2 protection worldwide. With IPV supply constraints, data on comparability of immunogenicity and safety will be important to optimally utilize available supplies from different manufacturers., Methods: In this multicenter phase IV study, 900 Latin American infants randomly assigned to six study groups received three doses of bOPV at 6, 10 and 14weeks and either one IPV dose at 14weeks (groups SP-1, GSK-1 and BBio-1) or two IPV doses at 14 and 36weeks (groups SP-2, GSK-2 and BBio-2) from three different manufacturers. Children were challenged with mOPV2 at either 18 (one IPV dose) or 40weeks (two IPV doses) and stools were collected weekly for 4weeks to assess viral shedding. Serum neutralizing antibodies were measured at various time points pre and post vaccination. Serious adverse events and important medical events (SAE and IME) were monitored for 6months after last study vaccine., Results: At week 18, 4weeks after one dose of IPV, overall type 2 seroconversion rates were 80.4%, 80.4% and 73.3% for SP-1, GSK-1 and BBio-1 groups, respectively; and 92.6%, 96.8% and 88.0% in those who were seronegative before IPV administration. At 40weeks, 4weeks after a second IPV dose, type 2 seroconversion rates were ≥99% for any of the three manufacturers. There were no significant differences in fecal shedding index endpoint (SIE) after one or two IPV doses (SP: 2.3 [95% CI: 2.1-2.6]); GSK: 2.2 [1.7-2.5]; BBio 1.8 [1.5-2.3]. All vaccines appeared safe, with no vaccine-related SAE or IME., Conclusion: Current WHO prequalified IPV vaccines are safe and induce similar humoral and intestinal immunity after one or two doses. The parent study was registered with ClinicalTrials.gov, number NCT01831050., (Copyright © 2017 The Authors. Published by Elsevier Ltd.. All rights reserved.)

Competing Interests: Conflict of interest: The authors declare no conflict of interest.

Bacterial-fungal interactions have important physiologic and medical ramifications, but the mechanisms of these interactions are poorly understood. The gut is host to trillions of microorganisms, and bacterial-fungal interactions are likely to be important. Using a neutropenic mouse model of microbial gastrointestinal colonization and dissemination, we show that the fungus Candida albicans inhibits the virulence of the bacterium Pseudomonas aeruginosa by inhibiting P. aeruginosa pyochelin and pyoverdine gene expression, which plays a critical role in iron acquisition and virulence. Accordingly, deletion of both P. aeruginosa pyochelin and pyoverdine genes attenuates P. aeruginosa virulence. Heat-killed C. albicans has no effect on P. aeruginosa, whereas C. albicans secreted proteins directly suppress P. aeruginosa pyoverdine and pyochelin expression and inhibit P. aeruginosa virulence in mice. Interestingly, suppression or deletion of pyochelin and pyoverdine genes has no effect on P. aeruginosa's ability to colonize the GI tract but does decrease P. aeruginosa's cytotoxic effect on cultured colonocytes. Finally, oral iron supplementation restores P. aeruginosa virulence in P. aeruginosa and C. albicans colonized mice. Together, our findings provide insight into how a bacterial-fungal interaction can modulate bacterial virulence in the intestine. Previously described bacterial-fungal antagonistic interactions have focused on growth inhibition or colonization inhibition/modulation, yet here we describe a novel observation of fungal-inhibition of bacterial effectors critical for virulence but not important for colonization. These findings validate the use of a mammalian model system to explore the complexities of polymicrobial, polykingdom infections in order to identify new therapeutic targets for preventing microbial disease.

Objectives: To evaluate the causative agents of serious bacterial infection (SBI) in young infants and the optimal approach to empiric antibiotic therapy for infants with SBI., Methods: From May 1, 2011, to December 1, 2013, pertinent clinical data were collected on previously well infants 60 days or younger with SBI as defined by a positive bacterial culture from a sterile site. Infants were identified by prospective surveillance of admissions and daily review of microbiology records., Results: Two hundred sixty-five infants with SBI were identified. Mean age was 32 days (SD ±16.6 days). Twenty-nine infants had meningitis, 66 had bacteremia (37 with concomitant urinary tract infection), and 170 had urinary tract infection alone. No methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus, vancomycin-resistant Enterococcus sp., or penicillin-resistant Streptococcus pneumoniae were identified. Four extended-spectrum β-lactamase-producing gram-negative bacilli were seen. Empiric therapy was ampicillin and gentamicin (n = 116, 44%) or third-generation cephalosporin based (n = 149, 56%). Ampicillin and gentamicin, with third-generation cephalosporins reserved for cases where meningitis is suspected, would have provided effective coverage for 98.5% of infants and unnecessarily broad therapy for 4.3%. Third-generation cephalosporins with ampicillin would have been effective for 98.5% of infants and unnecessarily broad for 83.8%. Third-generation cephalosporin monotherapy was less effective than either combination (P < 0.001). Fifty-seven percent of broad spectrum empiric therapy was continued despite culture results allowing de-escalation., Conclusions: Ampicillin/gentamicin remains an effective empiric regimen for infants 60 days or younger with suspected SBI. Use of a third-generation cephalosporin for suspected meningitis is appropriate, but cerebrospinal fluid must be obtained promptly to guide appropriate therapy.

This retrospective study characterized the clinical course of 13 neonates who died with herpes simplex virus infection from 2001 to 2011, representing a 26% case-fatality rate. Fatal disease developed at ≤ 48 hours of age in one-third of infants, was mostly disseminated disease, and occurred despite early administration of high-dose acyclovir therapy., (Copyright © 2015 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.)

Pseudomonas aeruginosa (PA) infections result in significant morbidity and mortality in hosts with compromised immune systems, such as patients with leukemia, severe burn wounds, or organ transplants. In patients at high-risk for developing PA bloodstream infections, the gastrointestinal (GI) tract is the main reservoir for colonization, but the mechanisms by which PA transitions from an asymptomatic colonizing microbe to an invasive, and often deadly, pathogen are unclear. Previously, we performed in vivo transcription profiling experiments by recovering PA mRNA from bacterial cells residing in the cecums of colonized mice in order to identify changes in bacterial gene expression during alterations to the host's immune status. As with any transcription profiling experiment, the rate-limiting step is in the isolation of sufficient amounts of high quality mRNA. Given the abundance of enzymes, debris, food residues, and particulate matter in the GI tract, the challenge of RNA isolation is daunting. Here, we present a method for reliable and reproducible isolation of bacterial RNA recovered from the murine GI tract. This method utilizes a well-established murine model of PA GI colonization and neutropenia-induced dissemination. Once GI colonization with PA is confirmed, mice are euthanized and cecal contents are recovered and flash frozen. RNA is then extracted using a combination of mechanical disruption, boiling, phenol/chloroform extractions, DNase treatment, and affinity chromatography. Quantity and purity are confirmed by spectrophotometry (Nanodrop Technologies) and bioanalyzer (Agilent Technologies) (Fig 1). This method of GI microbial RNA isolation can easily be adapted to other bacteria and fungi as well.