Bacterial and fungal co-infection is a major barrier in COVID-19 patients: A specific management and therapeutic strategy is required

Microbial co-infections are another primary concern in patients with coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19), yet it is an untouched area among researchers. Preliminary data and systematic reviews only show the type of pathogens responsible for that, but its pathophysiology is still unknown. Studies show that these microbial co-infections are hospital-acquired/nosocomial infections, and patients admitted to intensive care units with invasive mechanical ventilation are highly susceptible to it. Patients with COVID-19 had elevated inflammatory cytokines and a weakened cell-mediated immune response, with lower CD4⁺ T and CD8⁺ T cell counts, indicating vulnerability to various co-infections. Despite this, there are only a few studies that recommend the management of co-infections.     

Non-initiation of hepatitis C virus antiviral therapy in patients with human immunodeficiency virus/hepatitis C virus co-infection

AIM: To assess whether reasons for hepatitis C virus(HCV) therapy non-initiation differentially affect racial and ethnic minorities with human immunodeficiency virus(HIV)/HCV co-infection.METHODS: Analysis included co-infected HCV treatment-na?ve patients in the University of North Carolina CFAR HIV Clinical Cohort(January 1, 2004 and December31, 2011). Medical records were abstracted to document non-modifiable medical(e.g., hepatic decompensation, advanced immunosuppression), potentially modifiable medical(e.g., substance abuse, severe depression, psychiatric illness), and non-medical(e.g., personal,social, and economic factors) reasons for non-initiation. Statistical differences in the prevalence of reasons for non-treatment between racial/ethnic groups were assessed using the two-tailed Fisher's exact test. Three separate regression models were fit for each reason category. Odds ratios and their 95%CIs(Wald's) were computed.RESULTS: One hundred and seventy-one patients with HIV/HCV co-infection within the cohort met study inclusion. The study sample was racially and ethnically diverse; most patients were African-American(74%), followed by Caucasian(19%), and Hispanic/other(7%). The median age was 46 years(interquartile range = 39-50) and most patients were male(74%). Among the 171 patients, reasons for non-treatment were common among all patients, regardless of race/ethnicity(50% with ≥ 1 non-modifiable medical reason, 66% with ≥1 potentially modifiable medical reason, and 66% with ≥ 1 non-medical reason). There were no significant differences by race/ethnicity. Compared to Caucasians, African-Americans did not have increased odds of nonmodifiable [adjusted odds ratio(a OR) = 1.47, 95%CI: 0.57-3.80], potentially modifiable(a OR = 0.72, 95%CI: 0.25-2.09) or non-medical(a OR = 0.90, 95%CI: 0.32-2.52) reasons for non-initiation.CONCLUSION: Race/ethnicity alone is not predictive of reasons for HCV therapy non-initiation. Targeted interventions are needed to improve access to therapy for all co-infected patients, including minorities.     

艾滋病病毒与结核分枝杆菌双重感染对死亡的影响

目的 了解广西壮族自治区（广西）HIV及结核分枝杆菌（Mycobacterium tuberculosis,MTB）双重感染对死亡的影响,为有效控制HIV/MTB双重感染提供依据。方法 利用中国疾病预防控制信息系统的艾滋病综合防治信息系统和结核病防治数据系统,收集整理2011年广西HIV/MTB双重感染患者,采用跨系统和大数据串联分析方法,交叉核对艾滋病治疗、随访、综合信息以及结核病患者登记报告基本信息,明确HIV/MTB双重感染患者;用描述性流行病学方法、χ²检验以及Cox比例风险回归模型描述、分析资料。结果 HIV感染者及艾滋病患者登记队列（HIV/AIDS队列）感染MTB比例为17.72%（2 533/14 293）;结核病患者登记队列（结核病队列）感染HIV比例5.57%（2 351/42 205）;随访1年内HIV/AIDS队列发现的HIV/MTB双重感染患者病死率为15.16%（384/2 533）,高于单纯感染HIV者随访1年的病死率（13.63%,1 603/11 760）（P<0.000 1）;19.33%（384/1 987）当年登记、当年死亡的HIV/AIDS由感染MTB引起。HIV/AIDS队列和结核病队列发现的双重感染分别有60.05%（1 521/2 533）、47.90%（1 126/2 351）开始抗病毒治疗;HIV/AIDS队列发现的结核病患者结核病治愈率为15.48%（392/2 533）,完成疗程比例为27.48%（696/2 533）;结核病队列发现的HIV/AIDS其结核病治愈率为19.70%（463/2 351）,完成疗程比例为37.26%（876/2 351）;64.13%（785/1 224）HIV/MTB双重感染报告时CD4⁺T淋巴细胞计数（CD4）<200个/μl。与单纯感染HIV者相比,HIV/MTB双重感染患者5年死亡风险增高1.17倍,和单纯感染MTB者相比,HIV/MTB双重感染者12个月死亡风险增加25.68倍。结论 广西HIV/MTB双重感染死亡、发病占报告艾滋病患者比例较高,病死率及死亡风险明显高于单纯感染HIV者及单纯感染MTB者;应该尽快提高抗病毒治疗覆盖率和抗结核治愈率;针对HIV感染者,应加强早发现和早治疗MTB感染。     

上海市浦东新区腹泻病例中气单胞菌的流行和耐药特征研究

目的 了解上海市浦东新区腹泻病例中气单胞菌的流行及抗生素耐药特征。方法 2014年,在辖区内11家临床机构采集腹泻病例样本进行包括气单胞菌在内的腹泻多病原菌的检测,应用改良K-B法检测气单胞菌分离菌株对12种抗生素纸片的耐药性。结果 基于腹泻病例的实验室多病原诊断从1846份腹泻样本中共确认73例气单胞菌感染病例:单一型感染42例(57.6%),其中嗜水气单胞菌(嗜水)8例、维隆气单胞菌温和生物变种(温和)26例、豚鼠气单胞菌(豚鼠)8例;混合型感染31例(42.4%),总感染阳性率为4.0%。感染优势菌型为温和(P0.05),感染峰值为年度6-8月间(9.0%),病例的男女性别比差异无统计学意义,病例的年龄组以0~4岁和40~91岁人群居多。有65.8%(48/73)的气单胞菌对至少1种抗生素产生耐药性,以阿莫西林/克拉维酸(38.4%)和四环素(34.2%)的耐药率为最高,发现的3株多重耐药(MDR)株均为温和气单胞菌,其中1株对6种抗生素多重耐药(包括头孢噻肟、环丙沙星和左氧氟沙星)。结论 浦东新区和食源性感染性腹泻相关的气单胞菌病例存在较高的混合感染现象,发病有显著的季节特征,5岁以下幼儿和中老年人较为易感,温和气单胞菌是优势菌型,其对抗生素的多重耐药水平有升高趋势。     

Blastomyces species and orbital apex syndrome: Unsuspected co-infection

Blastomyces species are thermally dimorphic fungi existing as yeast in tissue. We report an initially immunocompetent patient with orbital apex syndrome (OAS) whose presentation suggested giant cell arteritis. Subsequently, metastatic carcinoma was entertained as a cause of OAS until bronchoscopy yielded Blastomyces species. The patient rapidly succumbed with multiorgan failure despite Amphotericin B administration. At post-mortem, Blastomyces co-infection with fungal hyphae in keeping with Aspergillus species was found in cavernous sinus and in infarcted optic nerve. To the best of our knowledge, co-infection with these two organisms in this clinical setting has not been reported.     

A case of community-acquired pneumonia due to influenza A virus and Nocardia farcinica co-infection

Nocardia spp. has not been reported previously as a cause of post-influenza pneumonia. Here we present a first case of post-influenza bacterial pneumonia due to Nocardia farcinica. Initial reason for hospitalization of the 90 year old female patient was a pneumonia with the symptoms of fever and productive cough. A rapid test for influenza antigen was positive for influenza A virus. Treatment with Zanamivir and piperacillin was initiated. However, after 1 week of treatment, the infiltration shadows on chest X-ray had worsened. Because the expectorated sputum collected on admission for culture was found to be positive for Nocardia spp., piperacillin was replaced with trimethoprim/sulfamethoxazole, and a chest X-ray showed some improvement.Although pulmonary nocardiosis with co-infection with influenza A is extremely rare, clinicians should be alert to the possibility.     

HIV–tuberculosis co–infection in an Indian scenario: The role of associated evidence of immunosuppression

ObjectiveTo determine the relationship between tuberculosis and the degree of immunosuppression as determined by CD4 count. The impact of immunosuppression on the severity of tuberculosis was also studied.MethodsA retrospective analysis was performed in patients newly diagnosed with HIV infection and antiretroviral therapy (ART)-naive patients with known HIV seropositivity. All patients were diagnosed with active tuberculosis between January 2008 and December 2010, based on review of their medical records. Patients on chemoprophylaxis for opportunistic infection were excluded. Pattern and severity of tuberculosis, associated stigmata of immunosuppression, and CD4 counts were noted.ResultsOf 140 patients satisfying the inclusion criteria, 52 had mild tuberculosis with no other evidence of immunosuppression, 52 had tuberculosis of variable severity with associated evidence of immunosuppression, and 36 had severe tuberculosis with no other evidence of immunosuppression. The CD4 count was highest in the first group [(109.2±99.9) cells/μL] and least in the second group [(58.4±39.8) cells/μL], and the difference was statistically significant (P=0.004). No statistical difference was observed in the CD4 count between those with mild tuberculosis and those with severe tuberculosis.ConclusionsIn developing countries with a high prevalence of tuberculosis in the general population, the possibility of incidental tuberculosis in patients with HIV should always be considered. CD4 count does not appear to influence the severity of tuberculosis. The presence of concomitant evidence of immunosuppression in the form of category B and C conditions is indicative of underlying immunosuppression and associated with a significantly lower CD4 count.     

云南省德宏州成人艾滋病病毒感染者中乙型病毒性肝炎病毒合并感染研究

目的 了解云南省德宏州艾滋病病毒(HIV)感染者中乙型病毒性肝炎(乙肝)病毒(HBV)合并感染率,并分析其影响因素。方法 对德宏州HIV感染者进行横断面调查,进行乙肝五项指标检测。结果 在进行乙肝五项指标检测的5732例HIV感染者中,共有486例(8.5%)乙肝表面抗原(HBsAg)阳性,2737例(47.7%)乙肝表面抗体(HBsAb)阳性,102例(1.8%)乙肝e抗原(HBeAg)阳性,522例(9.1%)乙肝e抗体(HBeAb)阳性,3727例(65.0%)乙肝核心抗体(HBcAb)阳性,90例(1.6%)感染者为乙肝大三阳(HBsAg、HBeAg和HBcAb三项阳性)。多因素logistic回归分析显示,18～29岁年龄组大三阳阳性率高于50岁以上年龄组(OR=3.04,95%CI:1.30～7.15);男性大三阳阳性率高于女性(OR=1.77,95%CI:1.06～2.95)。结论 德宏州HIV感染者中存在一定比例的HBV合并感染者;不同特征HIV感染者,HBV合并感染率不同。