High prevalence of ESBL-producing Klebsiella pneumoniae in clinical samples from central Côte d'Ivoire

Objectives: Infections caused by multidrug-resistant Enterobacterales pose a significant challenge to clinical patient care, particularly in resource-constrained settings where epidemiological data on antimicrobial resistance are scarce. The aim of this study was to determine the prevalence of extended spectrum beta-lactamase-(ESBL)-producing Klebsiella pneumoniae among clinical samples from a teaching hospital in Bouaké, central Côte d’Ivoire. Methods: Clinical specimens were collected from sterile and non-sterile body sites and were subjected to microbiological diagnostics (April 2016-June 2017). The antimicrobial susceptibility patterns of K. pneumoniae were analysed using automated resistance testing and double-disk diffusion to test for ESBL production. Multiplex PCR was carried out to determine the presence of the resistance-conferring genes blaCTX-M, blaSHV and blaTEM. Results: A total of 107 isolates were included, most of which were obtained from bloodstream (39%; n = 42) and urinary tract infections (39%; n = 42). Among all K. pneumoniae isolates, 84% (n = 90) were ESBL producers, many of which were also not susceptible to sulfonamides (99%), quinolones (81%) and aminoglycosides (79%). The majority of ESBL-producing strains harboured all three investigated bla genes. Conclusion: The high prevalence of ESBL-producing K. pneumoniae in clinical isolates from Côte d’Ivoire calls for revised empirical treatment regimens in critically ill patients with suspected Gram-negative infections, and the establishment of antimicrobial resistance surveillance systems

Poliovirus vaccine shedding among persons with HIV in Abidjan, Cote d’Ivoire

Background. As polio eradication nears, the development of immunization policies for an era without the disease has become increasingly important. Outbreaks due to circulating vaccine-derived poliovirus (VDPV) and rare cases of immunodeficient persons with prolonged VDPV shedding lend to the growing consensus that oral poliovirus vaccine (OPV) use should be discontinued as soon after polio eradication as possible. The present study was conducted to assess whether persons infected with human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) experience prolonged VDPV shedding and serve as a source of reintroduction of virus into the population. Methods. Adults infected with HIV had specimens tested (1) 8 months after a mass OPV campaign, to determine whether poliovirus related to OPV administered during the campaign was present (i.e., prolonged excretion), and (2) starting 7 weeks after a subsequent campaign, to determine whether poliovirus could be detected after the height of OPV exposure. Results. A total of 419 participants were enrolled-315 during the 8-12 months after an OPV campaign held in 2001 and 104 during the 7-13 weeks after a 2002 campaign. No poliovirus was isolated from any participants. Conclusions. It appears unlikely that adults infected with HIV experience prolonged vaccine virus shedding, and, therefore, they probably represent a minimal risk of reintroducing vaccine virus into the population after poliovirus has been eradicated

The African Network for Improved Diagnostics, Epidemiology and Management of common infectious Agents

In sub-Saharan Africa, acute respiratory infections (ARI), acute gastrointestinal infections (GI) and acute febrile disease of unknown cause (AFDUC) have a large disease burden, especially among children, while respective aetiologies often remain unresolved. The need for robust infectious disease surveillance to detect emerging pathogens along with common human pathogens has been highlighted by the ongoing novel coronavirus disease2019 (COVID-19) pandemic. The African Network for Improved Diagnostics, Epidemiology and Management of Common Infectious Agents (ANDEMIA) is a sentinel surveillance study on the aetiology and clinical characteristics of ARI, GI and AFDUC in sub-Saharan Africa.Peer Reviewe

Mycobacterium abscessus and Children with Cystic Fibrosis

We prospectively studied 298 patients with cystic fibrosis (mean age 11.3 years; range 2 months to 32 years; sex ratio, 0.47) for nontuberculous mycobacteria in respiratory samples from January 1, 1996, to December 31, 1999. Mycobacterium abscessus was by far the most prevalent nontuberculous mycobacterium: 15 patients (6 male, 9 female; mean age 11.9 years; range 2.5–22 years) had at least one positive sample for this microorganism (versus 6 patients positive for M. avium complex), including 10 with >3 positive samples (versus 3 patients for M. avium complex). The M. abscessus isolates from 14 patients were typed by pulsed-field gel electrophoresis: each of the 14 patients harbored a unique strain, ruling out a common environmental reservoir or person-to-person transmission. Water samples collected in the cystic fibrosis center were negative for M. abscessus. This major mycobacterial pathogen in children and teenagers with cystic fibrosis does not appear to be acquired nosocomially

High prevalence and diversity of species D adenoviruses (HAdV-D) in human populations of four Sub-Saharan countries

Abstract. Background: Human adenoviruses of species D (HAdV-D) can be associated with acute respiratory illness, epidemic ker

Investigating the zoonotic origin of the West African Ebola epidemic

The severe Ebola virus disease epidemic occurring in West Africa stems from a single zoonotic transmission event to a 2‐year‐old boy in Meliandou, Guinea. We investigated the zoonotic origins of the epidemic using wildlife surveys, interviews, and molecular analyses of bat and environmental samples. We found no evidence for a concurrent outbreak in larger wildlife. Exposure to fruit bats is common in the region, but the index case may have been infected by playing in a hollow tree housing a colony of insectivorous free‐tailed bats (Mops condylurus). Bats in this family have previously been discussed as potential sources for Ebola virus outbreaks, and experimental data have shown that this species can survive experimental infection. These analyses expand the range of possible Ebola virus sources to include insectivorous bats and reiterate the importance of broader sampling efforts for understanding Ebola virus ecology

Identical Genotype B3 Sequences from Measles Patients in 4 Countries, 2005

Surveillance of measles virus detected an epidemiologic link between a refugee from Kenya and a Dutch tourist in New Jersey, USA. Identical genotype B3 sequences from patients with contemporaneous cases in the United States, Canada, and Mexico in November and December 2005 indicate that Kenya was likely to have been the common source of virus