Evaluation of reactivation of HSV1, HHV6, CMV and EBV in a population of patients undergoing allogeneic bone marrow transplantation

Herpes viruses are recognized as important pathogens as a result of viral reactivation in immunocompromised hosts, especially in patients undergoing bone marrow transplantation. Objectives of this study were the assessment of the reactivation of herpes virus HSV1, HHV6, CMV and EBV and the correlation between viral reactivation and progression of transplantation in a population of patients undergoing allogeneic bone marrow transplantation at Fondazione IRCCS Ospedale Maggiore Ca’ Granda Policlinico, Milan. Viral DNA was detected and quantified by Real Time PCR in a population of 35 patients undergoing allogeneic bone marrow transplantation. The viral reactivation was observed in 7 patients for HSV1 (20%), 6 patients for HHV6 (17.1%), 11 patients for CMV (31.4%) and 4 patients for EBV (11.4%). Difference in the incidence of aGVDH between patients with viral reactivation versus those for which there was no reactivation was statistically significant. These data confirm the importance of monitoring viral load for the management of antiviral therapy in order to prevent CMV disease and complications related to herpes viruses reactivation

Study of 138 Neisseria meningitidis strains isolated from blood or cerebrospinal fluid in Lombardy between 2007 and 2010

Neisseria meningitidis, Streptococcus pneumoniae, and Haemophilus influenzae type b cause the majority of cases of bacterial septicaemia in children and young adults. Disease epidemiology is evolving rapidly due to the introduction of vaccines and changing in bacterial antibiotic-resistance patterns. (Asymptomatic nasopharyngeal colonization with Neisseria meningitides occurs in 5-10% of adult). The aim of this study was to calculate the frequency of each serogroup of this pathogens involved in invasive infection and to study susceptibility to antibiotics of these strains. Between March 2007 and June 2010 we received, from 43 hospitals of Lombardy, 138 strains of Neisseria meningitidis, from 138 patients aged (2-80yrs). The most frequent serogroup was B (58%), followed by serogroup C (34%), serogroup G (4%) and W 135 (2%). Serogroup A end X accounted for 1% of invasive infection, each. We observed a decrease in susceptibility towards penicillin in 38% of strains. In addition we studied, by REP- PCR, genotype of 9 strains selected on the basis of epidemiological data.Among these strains, 3 different clusters according to the 3 small epidemic outbreaks occurred between June and September 2009, were recognised. Seven of these strains, although belonged to the same serogroup, brought about two different clusters. The present findings demonstrated that phenotypic data are not sufficient to define epidemic clusters, therefore molecular genotyping is required

Meningococci of Serogroup X Clonal Complex 181 in Refugee Camps, Italy

Four cases of infection with serogroup X meningococci (MenX) (1 in 2015 and 3 in 2016) occurred in migrants living in refugee camps or reception centers in Italy. All MenX isolates were identified as clonal complex 181. Our report suggests that serogroup X represents an emerging health threat for persons arriving from African countries