Candida auris: Outbreak, surveillance and epidemiological monitoring in Northern Greece.

Candida auris is an emerging fungal pathogen associated with multi-drug resistance rates and widespread outbreaks in hospitals and healthcare units worldwide. Sequencing studies have revealed that different clonal lineages of the fungus seem to be prevalent among distinct geographical sites. The first case of C. auris in Northern Greece was reported in Thessaloniki in October 2022, almost 2 years after the first isolation in Greece (Athens 2019). The Mycology Laboratory of the Medical School of Aristotle University of Thessaloniki stands as the reference laboratory for fungal diseases in Northern Greece and a meticulous search for the yeast, in plenty of suspicious samples, has been run since 2019 in the Lab as well as a retrospective analysis of all its yeasts' collection, back to 2008, with negative results for the presence of C. auris. Here, are presented the findings concerning the outbreak and surveillance of C. auris in Northern Greece, mainly the region of Thessaloniki and the broader area of Macedonia, from October 2022 until August 2023. The isolates from Northern Greece continue to fall in Clade I and present with an almost equal and stable sensitivity profile until now.

The study concerns the outbreak of Candida auris in Northern Greece since October 2022 and the effort for surveillance and epidemiological monitoring. All isolates continue to fall in Clade I and present with an almost equal and stable sensitivity profile till now.

Bloodstream Infection by Saccharomyces cerevisiae in Two COVID-19 Patients after Receiving Supplementation of Saccharomyces in the ICU.

Co-infections have an unknown impact on the morbidity and mortality of the new clinical syndrome called coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19). The syndrome is caused by the new pandemic coronavirus SARS-CoV-2 and it is probably connected with severe traces in the elements of the immune system. Apart from possible Aspergillus infections, particularly in patients with acute respiratory distress syndrome (ARDS), other fungal infections could occur, probably more easily, due to the immunological dysregulation and the critical condition of these patients. Probiotic preparations of Saccharomyces are broadly used for the prevention of antibiotic-associated complications, especially in the intensive care units (ICU). On the other hand, Saccharomyces organisms are reported as agents of invasive infection in immunocompromised or critically ill patients. We report two cases of bloodstream infection by Saccharomyces in two patients hospitalised in the ICU, due to severe COVID-19, after Saccharomyces supplementation.

Clostridium difficile infection: New insights into therapeutic options.

Clostridium difficile infection (CDI) is an important cause of mortality and morbidity in healthcare settings and represents a major social and economic burden. The major virulence determinants are large clostridial toxins, toxin A (TcdA) and toxin B (TcdB), encoded within the pathogenicity locus. Traditional therapies, such as metronidazole and vancomycin, frequently lead to a vicious circle of recurrences due to their action against normal human microbiome. New disease management strategies together with the development of novel therapeutic and containment approaches are needed in order to better control outbreaks and treat patients. This article provides an overview of currently available CDI treatment options and discusses the most promising therapies under development.