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VirologyStudy To Evaluate the Performance of a Point-of-Care Whole-Blood HIV Viral Load Test (SAMBA II HIV-1 Semi-Q Whole Blood)Remote areas of many low and middle income (LMI) countries have poor access to HIV viral load (HIV VL) testing. The SAMBA II (simple amplification-based assay) Semi-Q whole-blood test (Diagnostics for the Real World [DRW], Cambridge, UK) is a point-of-care assay, which uses leucodepletion technology to allow whole-blood testing in remote settings.
BacteriologyAssessing the Genetic Diversity of Austrian Corynebacterium diphtheriae Clinical Isolates, 2011 to 2019Diphtheria is a vaccine-preventable disease with a high potential for reemergence. One of its causative agents is Corynebacterium diphtheriae, with some strains producing diphtheria toxin.
ImmunoassaysMulticenter Evaluation of the Clinical Performance and the Neutralizing Antibody Activity Prediction Properties of 10 High-Throughput Serological Assays Used in Clinical LaboratoriesAs the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic second wave is emerging, it is of the upmost importance to screen the population immunity in order to keep track of infected individuals. Consequently, immunoassays for severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) with high specificity and positive predictive values are needed to obtain an accurate epidemiological picture.
BacteriologyMulticenter Evaluation of the Unyvero Platform for Testing Bronchoalveolar Lavage FluidBronchoalveolar lavage (BAL) culture is a standard, though time-consuming, approach for identifying microorganisms in patients with severe lower respiratory tract infections. The sensitivity of BAL culture is relatively low, and prior antimicrobial therapy decreases the sensitivity further, leading to overuse of empirical antibiotics.
VirologyPooled Saliva Specimens for SARS-CoV-2 TestingWe evaluated saliva (SAL) specimens for SARS-CoV-2 reverse transcriptase PCR (RT-PCR) testing by comparison of 459 prospectively paired nasopharyngeal (NP) or midturbinate (MT) swabs from 449 individuals with the aim of using saliva for asymptomatic screening. Samples were collected in a drive-through car line for symptomatic individuals (n = 380) and in the emergency department (ED) (n = 69).
ParasitologyDevelopment of a Subtyping Tool for Zoonotic Pathogen Cryptosporidium canisCryptosporidium canis is an important cause of cryptosporidiosis in canines and humans. Studies of the transmission characteristics of C. canis are currently hampered by the lack of suitable subtyping tools.
Clinical Veterinary MicrobiologyDevelopment of an Indirect Chemiluminescence Immunoassay Using a Multiepitope Recombinant Protein To Specifically Detect Antibodies against Foot-and-Mouth Disease Virus Serotype O in SwineFoot-and-mouth disease virus (FMDV) has led to serious losses in animal husbandry worldwide. Seromonitoring of FMDV postvaccination is important for the control and eradication of foot-and-mouth disease (FMD) in regions and countries where vaccination is widespread. However, many commercial kits present high false-positive rates.
BacteriologyEvaluation of Optimal Blood Culture Incubation Time To Maximize Clinically Relevant Results from a Contemporary Blood Culture Instrument and Media SystemTimely diagnosis of microorganisms in blood cultures is necessary to optimize therapy. Although blood culture media and systems have evolved for decades, the standard interval for incubation prior to being discarded as negative has remained 5 days. Here, we evaluated the optimal incubation time for the BacT/Alert Virtuo blood culture detection system (bioMérieux) using FA Plus (aerobic) and FN Plus (anaerobic) resin culture bottles in...
EpidemiologyHigh-Resolution Typing of Staphylococcus epidermidis Based on Core Genome Multilocus Sequence Typing To Investigate the Hospital Spread of Multidrug-Resistant ClonesStaphylococcus epidermidis is a pathogen emerging worldwide as a leading cause of health care-associated infections. A standardized high-resolution typing method to document transmission and dissemination of multidrug-resistant S. epidermidis strains is needed.
MycologyEvaluation of the Dynamiker Cryptococcal Antigen Lateral Flow Assay for the Diagnosis of HIV-Associated CryptococcosisCryptococcal meningitis is a leading cause of meningitis in sub-Saharan Africa. Given the need for rapid point-of-care testing, we evaluated the diagnostic performance of the Dynamiker cryptococcal antigen (CrAg) lateral flow assay (LFA).