Strongyloides Hyperinfection Syndrome among COVID-19 Patients Treated with Corticosteroids.

Widespread use of corticosteroids for COVID-19 treatment has led to Strongyloides reactivation and severe disease in patients from endemic areas. We describe a US patient with COVID-19 and Strongyloides hyperinfection syndrome and review other reported cases. Our findings highlight the need for Strongyloides screening and treatment in high-risk populations.

Efficacy and safety of Isavuconazole for the treatment of invasive Aspergillus infection - an update of the literature.

INTRODUCTION: Invasive aspergillosis is associated with high morbidity and mortality in immunocompromised patients. It is now increasingly reported in critically ill patients, including those with respiratory viral infections, such as influenza and COVID-19. Antifungal management is challenging due to diagnostic delay, adverse drug reactions, drug-drug interactions, narrow therapeutic window, and the emergence of resistance. Isavuconazole is the most recent FDA approved azole for the treatment of invasive aspergillosis, with data continuing to accumulate. AREAS COVERED: The authors review the safety and efficacy of isavuconazole in the management of invasive aspergillosis based on the currently available evidence. The authors also report on the structure, mechanism of action, pharmacokinetic properties, in vitro and in vivo studies as well as clinical safety and efficacy reports of isavuconazole since its FDA approval. EXPERT OPINION: Isavuconazole is non-inferior to voriconazole and is a safe, effective, and better tolerated option for the treatment of invasive aspergillosis. It offers several advantages over other antifungal agents, including having a better adverse event profile with respect to hepatotoxicity, neuro-visual toxicity, QTc prolongation, as well as a stable pharmacokinetic profile obviating the need for therapeutic drug monitoring. Further studies are needed to evaluate its performance in prophylaxis against invasive aspergillosis as well as in the treatment of aspergillosis in critically ill patients without underlying cancer or transplant.

COVID-19-Associated Pulmonary Aspergillosis: A Single-Center Experience in Central Valley, California, January 2020-March 2021.

Reports of coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19)-associated pulmonary aspergillosis (CAPA) have been widely published across the world since the onset of the pandemic with varying incidence rates. We retrospectively studied all patients with severe COVID-19 infection who were admitted to our tertiary care center's intensive care units between January 2020 and March 2021, who also had respiratory cultures positive for Aspergillus species. Among a large cohort of 970 patients admitted to the ICU with severe COVID-19 infections during our study period, 48 patients had Aspergillus species growing in respiratory cultures. Based on the 2020 European Confederation of Medical Mycology and the International Society for Human and Animal Mycology (ECMM/ISHAM) consensus criteria, 2 patients in the study had proven CAPA, 9 had probable CAPA, and 37 had possible CAPA. The incidence of CAPA was 5%. The mean duration from a positive COVID-19 test to Aspergillus spp. being recovered from the respiratory cultures was 16 days, and more than half of the patients had preceding fever or worsening respiratory failure despite adequate support and management. Antifungals were given for treatment in 44% of the patients for a mean duration of 13 days. The overall mortality rate in our study population was extremely high with death occurring in 40/48 patients (83%).

Bordetella hinzii Pneumonia and Bacteremia in a Patient with SARS-CoV-2 Infection.

Patients with severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 infection may have bacterial co-infections, including pneumonia and bacteremia. Bordetella hinzii infections are rare, may be associated with exposure to poultry, and have been reported mostly among immunocompromised patients. We describe B. hinzii pneumonia and bacteremia in a severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 patient.

Cryptococcus neoformans Meningoencephalitis in an Immunocompetent Patient after COVID-19 Infection.

Cryptococcus neoformans is a saprophytic fungus that causes fatal disseminated infections in immunocompromised hosts. Since the onset of the COVID-19 pandemic, multiple cases of secondary viral, bacterial, and fungal infections have been reported in patients after SARS-CoV-2 infection. We describe here a case of severe cryptococcal meningitis that developed in a previously healthy patient one week after treatment of SARS-CoV-2 infection with dexamethasone. This case adds to the growing knowledge of emerging secondary infectious complications including opportunistic pathogens after SARS-CoV-2 infection. While few reports allude to depressed T-cell function and lymphopenia due to SARS-CoV-2 infection, further studies are needed to evaluate the effects of this infection and its treatment on the immune system and its contribution to the emergence of secondary opportunistic infections.