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Microorganisms
Special Issues
State-of-the-Art Medical Microbiology in Italy (2023, 2024)
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State-of-the-Art Medical Microbiology in Italy (2023, 2024)

A special issue of Microorganisms (ISSN 2076-2607). This special issue belongs to the section "Medical Microbiology".

Deadline for manuscript submissions: 15 December 2024 | Viewed by 5378

Special Issue Editor

Prof. Dr. Antonella d'Arminio Monforte

E-Mail Website
Guest Editor
1. Icona Foundation, 20142 Milan, Italy
2. Clinic of Infectious Diseases, ASST Santi Paolo e Carlo, Department of Health Sciences, University of Milan, 20142 Milan, Italy
Interests: liver diseases; HIV infection; HIV prevention; tuberculosis; clinical infectious diseases; infectious disease epidemiology; mycobacterium tuberculosis; viral infection; immunology of infectious diseases
Special Issues, Collections and Topics in MDPI journals

Special Issue Information

Dear Colleagues,

This Special Issue aims to provide a comprehensive overview of state-of-the-art Medical Microbiology in Italy. We encourage Italian researchers from related fields to contribute papers highlighting the latest developments in Medical Microbiology or to invite relevant experts and colleagues to do so. The Special Issue will publish full research articles and comprehensive reviews.

Prof. Dr. Antonella d'Arminio Monforte
Guest Editor

Manuscript Submission Information

Manuscripts should be submitted online at www.mdpi.com by registering and logging in to this website. Once you are registered, click here to go to the submission form. Manuscripts can be submitted until the deadline. All submissions that pass pre-check are peer-reviewed. Accepted papers will be published continuously in the journal (as soon as accepted) and will be listed together on the special issue website. Research articles, review articles as well as short communications are invited. For planned papers, a title and short abstract (about 100 words) can be sent to the Editorial Office for announcement on this website.

Submitted manuscripts should not have been published previously, nor be under consideration for publication elsewhere (except conference proceedings papers). All manuscripts are thoroughly refereed through a single-blind peer-review process. A guide for authors and other relevant information for submission of manuscripts is available on the Instructions for Authors page. Microorganisms is an international peer-reviewed open access monthly journal published by MDPI.

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Published Papers (3 papers)

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Research

10 pages, 2780 KiB  
Article
Chip-Based Molecular Evaluation of a DNA Extraction Protocol for Candida Species from Positive Blood Cultures
by Vittorio Ivagnes, Giulia Menchinelli, Flora Marzia Liotti, Elena De Carolis, Riccardo Torelli, Desy De Lorenzis, Cinzia Recine, Maurizio Sanguinetti, Tiziana D’Inzeo and Brunella Posteraro
Microorganisms 2024, 12(1), 81; https://doi.org/10.3390/microorganisms12010081 - 31 Dec 2023
Cited by 1 | Viewed by 1221
Abstract
The diagnosis of Candida bloodstream infection (BSI) may rely on a PCR-based analysis of a positive blood culture (PBC) obtained from the patient at the time of BSI. In this study, a yeast DNA extraction protocol for use on PBCs was developed and [...] Read more.
The diagnosis of Candida bloodstream infection (BSI) may rely on a PCR-based analysis of a positive blood culture (PBC) obtained from the patient at the time of BSI. In this study, a yeast DNA extraction protocol for use on PBCs was developed and evaluated with the molecular mouse (MM) yeast blood (YBL) chip-based PCR assay, which allowed us to detect nine medically relevant Candida species. We studied 125 simulated or clinical PBCs for Candida species. A positive correlation between the DNA concentration and colony-forming unit count was found for simulated (Spearman’s ρ = 0.58; p < 0.0001) and clinical (Spearman’s ρ = 0.23, p = 0.09) PBCs. The extracted DNA yielded positive results with the MM YBL chip assay that agreed with the Candida species-level identification results for 63 (100%) of 63 isolates from simulated PBCs and 66 (99.5%) of 67 isolates from clinical PBCs. The false-negative result was for one C. tropicalis isolate that grew together with C. albicans in PBC. None of the 30 (Candida)-negative clinical BCs included as negative controls yielded a positive result with the MM YBL chip assay. Our DNA extraction protocol for the Candida species couples efficiency and simplicity together. Nevertheless, further studies are needed before it can be adopted for use with the MM YBL chip assay. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue State-of-the-Art Medical Microbiology in Italy (2023, 2024))
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10 pages, 754 KiB  
Communication
Intersociety Position Statement on the Prevention of Ophthalmia Neonatorum in Italy
by Chryssoula Tzialla, Cinzia Auriti, Salvatore Aversa, Daniele Merazzi, Stefano Martinelli, Gabriella Araimo, Luca Massenzi, Giacomo Cavallaro, Luigi Gagliardi, Mario Giuffrè, Fabio Mosca, Irene Cetin, Vito Trojano, Herbert Valensise, Nicola Colacurci, Luigi Orfeo, Vito Mondì and on behalf of their respective Scientific Societies
Microorganisms 2024, 12(1), 15; https://doi.org/10.3390/microorganisms12010015 - 21 Dec 2023
Cited by 2 | Viewed by 1676
Abstract
There is currently no worldwide agreement on the real need to administer conjunctival antibiotics to neonates at birth to prevent neonatal conjunctivitis (usually defined as ophthalmia neonatorum) by Chlamydia trachomatis and Neisseria gonorrhoeae. Therefore, there is wide variability in antibiotic administration, conditioned [...] Read more.
There is currently no worldwide agreement on the real need to administer conjunctival antibiotics to neonates at birth to prevent neonatal conjunctivitis (usually defined as ophthalmia neonatorum) by Chlamydia trachomatis and Neisseria gonorrhoeae. Therefore, there is wide variability in antibiotic administration, conditioned mainly by the social and health context. In Italy, a law enacted in 1940 required doctors and midwives to administer ophthalmic prophylaxis with 2% silver nitrate to all newborns at birth. This law was repealed in 1975 and since then there has been no clear guidance on the use of ophthalmia neonatorum prophylaxis at birth. Since neonatal conjunctivitis caused by C. trachomatis and N. gonorrhoeae is not reported, we carried out a nationwide survey of 1,041,384 neonates across all Italian birth centers to evaluate the incidence of ophthalmia neonatorum and the current practice of prophylaxis. After analyzing the results, we formulated an intersociety position statement on the prevention of ophthalmia neonatorum to update and standardize this prevention strategy in Italy. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue State-of-the-Art Medical Microbiology in Italy (2023, 2024))
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15 pages, 587 KiB  
Article
Epidemiological and Molecular Investigation of the Heater–Cooler Unit (HCU)-Related Outbreak of Invasive Mycobacterium chimaera Infection Occurred in Italy
by Angela Cannas, Antonella Campanale, Daniela Minella, Francesco Messina, Ornella Butera, Carla Nisii, Antonio Mazzarelli, Carla Fontana, Lucia Lispi, Francesco Maraglino, Antonino Di Caro and Michela Sabbatucci
Microorganisms 2023, 11(9), 2251; https://doi.org/10.3390/microorganisms11092251 - 7 Sep 2023
Cited by 4 | Viewed by 1748
Abstract
Background: From 2013 onwards, a large outbreak of Mycobacterium chimaera (MC) invasive infection, which was correlated with the use of contaminated heater–cooler units (HCUs) during open chest surgery, was reported from all over the world. Here, we report the results of the epidemiological [...] Read more.
Background: From 2013 onwards, a large outbreak of Mycobacterium chimaera (MC) invasive infection, which was correlated with the use of contaminated heater–cooler units (HCUs) during open chest surgery, was reported from all over the world. Here, we report the results of the epidemiological and molecular investigations conducted in Italy after the alarm raised about this epidemic event. Methods: MC strains isolated from patients or from HCU devices were characterized by genomic sequencing and molecular epidemiological analysis. Results: Through retrospective epidemiological analysis conducted between January 2010 and December 2022, 40 possible cases of patients infected with MC were identified. Thirty-six strains isolated from these patients were analysed by whole genome sequencing (WGS) and were found to belong to the genotypes 1.1 or 1.8, which are the genotypes correlated with the outbreak. Most of the cases presented with prosthetic valve endocarditis, vascular graft infection or disseminated infection. Among the cases found, there were 21 deaths. The same analysis was carried out on HCU devices. A total of 251 HCUs were found to be contaminated by MC; genotypes 1.1 or 1.8 were identified in 28 of those HCUs. Conclusions: To ensure patients’ safety and adequate follow-up, clinicians and general practitioners were made aware of the results and public health measures, and recommendations were issued to prevent further cases in the healthcare settings. The Italian Society of Cardiac Surgery performed a national survey to assess the incidence of HCU-related MC prosthetic infections in cardiac surgery. No cases were reported after HCU replacement or structural modification and disinfection and possibly safe allocation outside surgical rooms. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue State-of-the-Art Medical Microbiology in Italy (2023, 2024))
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