Increase in congenital syphilis in a tertiary-care centre from Madrid, Spain: Back to the classics.

Globally, an increase in sexually transmitted diseases worldwide has been reported, including acquired Treponema pallidum infection. Congenital syphilis is the mother-to-child transmission syphilis infection, experiencing an increase in cases returning to incidence rates of years ago. We report three cases of symptomatic congenital syphilis occurring in a tertiary-care hospital in Madrid (Spain). Cases were diagnosed by serology and molecular biology methods. The use of molecular techniques in specimens such as skin lesion, subplacental exudate swabs, bronchoalveolar aspirate, or cerebrospinal fluid could favour the diagnosis of this clinical entity, especially in symptomatic newborns with systemic involvement.

Increase in gonococcal arthritis in Madrid, Spain, 2022-2023.

In recent years, there has been an increase in Neisseria gonorrhoeae infections in Europe and Spain. Disseminated gonococcal infection is an uncommon clinical presentation that includes gonococcal arthritis. Improved antibiotic treatment has reduced the incidence of gonococcal arthritis. However, the increase in gonococcal infections may have increased the frequency of this clinical entity in recent times. We report five cases of gonococcal arthritis in patients in a tertiary-care hospital in the northern area of Madrid (Spain) from October 2022 to October 2023. Major cases occurred in male patients with unprotected sex and polyarticular symptoms requiring hospital admission and treatment with ceftriaxone and cefixime. The use of molecular techniques has allowed the detection of a greater number of culture-negative cases of gonococcal arthritis, as well as the detection of mutations associated with resistance to fluoroquinolone for switching to oral treatment.

Comparison of gradient diffusion and molecular methods using Allplex™ NG&DR assay (Seegene®) for macrolide and fluoroquinolone screening resistance in Neisseria gonorrhoeae.

Antimicrobial resistance in Neisseria gonorrhoeae (NG) is increasing worldwide. Second-line treatments with macrolides or fluoroquinolones are an option for NG infections in some cases following the STI guideline recommendations. In our study, we compared the gradient diffusion test using EUCAST 2024 breakpoints with a new molecular method using the Allplex™ NG&DR assay (Seegene®) including A2059G/C2611 mutations (23S rRNA) associated with high/moderate-level macrolide resistance and S91F mutation (gyrA) relationship with fluoroquinolone resistance in NG isolates (n = 100). We calculated the sensitivity, specificity, and correlation of the molecular test for fluoroquinolone using the gradient diffusion as the reference method. In twenty-three strains was not detected any mutation associated with macrolides or fluoroquinolone resistance. No A2059G/C2611T mutations were detected, and the S91F mutations were detected in 77 out of the 100 isolates screened. Twenty-three NG isolates were reported to be resistant to azithromycin (ECOFF: >1 mg/L), and 78 NG isolates were resistant to ciprofloxacin (MIC: >0.06 mg/L). The molecular method showed a sensitivity of 96.1% and, a specificity of 90.9% for fluoroquinolone susceptibility, but the statistical analysis between the molecular test and gradient diffusion test was not statistically significant for fluoroquinolone resistance (p = 1). Statistical analysis was not performed for macrolides because of the absence of positive RT-PCR results. According to our data, Allplex™ assay cannot replace the gradient diffusion test for macrolide resistance. However, the assay could be used to test fluoroquinolone resistance in NG isolates as a replacement for phenotypic methods.

Prevalence of mutations associated with macrolide and fluoroquinolone resistance in Neisseria gonorrhoeae with Allplex™ NG&DR Assay (Seegene®) in a tertiary hospital from Madrid, Spaina / Prevalencia de mutaciones asociadas a resistencia a macrólidos y fluoroquinolonas en Neisseria gonorrhoeae con el kit Allplex™ NG&DR Assay (Seegene®) en un hospital terciario de la Comunidad de Madrid, España

Background. The prevalence of drug-resistant Neisseria gonorrhoeae (NG) infections is increasing. Studies report the prevalence of NG strains presenting A2059G/C2611T (rRNA 23S) and S91F (parC) mutations conferring resistance to azith romycin and ciprofloxacin. Material and methods. We conducted a prospective cohort study evaluating first void-urine urines, rectal, and oropharyngeal swabs collected from a cohort of patients in a tertiary hospital in Madrid between October 2022 and January 2023. Samples were screened by Allplex™ 7-STI Essential As say (Seegene®). Drug resistances were performed by Allplex™ NG&DR Assay (Seegene®). Results. A total of 1,415 patients were included, of which 112 had a positive sample for NG infection. One patient had a C2611T mutation (0.9%) and neither patient showed A2059G mutation. We found 67 (59.8%) S91F-positive patients. For ty-four patients (39.3%) not had any mutations. Conclusions. We report a low-prevalence of mutations A2059G/C2611T to macrolides and a high-prevalence to S91F in NG infections. Molecular methods for the detection of NG resistance could be useful in direct non-culturable samples (AU)

Introducción. La infección por Neisseria gonorrhoeae (NG) resistente está aumentando. Se ha descrito la prevalencia de cepas de NG con mutaciones A2059G/C2611T (rRNA 23S) y S91F (parC) que confieren resistencia a azitromicina y cipro floxacino. Material y métodos. Realizamos un estudio prospecti vo evaluando orinas de primera micción, hisopos anales y fa ríngeos recogidos de una cohorte de pacientes en un hospital terciario de Madrid entre octubre de 2022 y enero de 2023. El cribado de las muestras se realizó mediante Allplex™ 7-STI Es sential Assay (Seegene®). Las resistencias a macrólidos y fluo roquinolonas se realizaron mediante Allplex™ NG&DR Assay (Seegene®). Resultados. Se incluyeron 1.415 pacientes, de los cua les 112 fueron positivos para NG. Un paciente presentaba una mutación C2611T (0,9%) y en ningún paciente se detec tó A2059G. Encontramos 67 pacientes (59,8%) positivos pa ra S91F. Cuarenta y cuatro pacientes (39,3%) no presentaban mutaciones. Conclusiones. Reportamos una baja prevalencia de mu taciones A2059G/C2611T a macrólidos y una alta prevalencia de S91F en NG. Los métodos moleculares para la detección de resistencias en NG podrían ser útiles en muestras directas no cultivables (AU)

Sexually transmitted infections and clinical features in monkeypox (mpox) patients in Madrid, Spain.

Since the beginning of the monkeypox (mpox) virus outbreak in May 2022, there has been an increase in the number of cases worldwide in the setting of sexual transmission. We have tested by real-time PCR 187 mpox patients, of which 157 patients were screened for sexually transmitted infections (STI) in 245 samples. Thirty-six pathogens were detected in 30 patients: herpes simplex virus (HSV-I/II, 12/36, 33.3%), Neisseria gonorrhoeae (NG, 9/36, 25%), Chlamydia trachomatis (CT, 5/36, 13.8%), Chlamydia trachomatis-lymphogranuloma venereum (CT-LGV, 3/36, 8.3%), Treponema pallidum (TP, 4/36, 11.1%) and Mycoplasma genitalium (MG, 3/36, 8.3%). Screening of STI is recommended in mpox patients for the differential diagnosis of the main infections of sexual tract especially in patients with rectal involvement.