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J Travel Med. 02/2012;
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Journal of Travel Medicine 01/2012; · 1.75 Impact Factor
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European Respiratory Journal 06/2011; · 5.89 Impact Factor
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Euro surveillance: bulletin europeen sur les maladies transmissibles = European communicable disease bulletin 06/2011; · 6.15 Impact Factor
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Journal of Antimicrobial Chemotherapy 04/2011; · 5.07 Impact Factor
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Journal of Antimicrobial Chemotherapy 04/2011; · 5.07 Impact Factor
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ABSTRACT: OBJECTIVES:
Mycoplasma pneumoniae is a frequent cause of human lower respiratory tract infections (LRTIs) for which macrolides are the treatment of choice. The aim of this study was to determine the rate of macrolide resistance and to subtype M. pneumoniae strains in Italy.
PATIENTS AND METHODS:
During an outbreak of M. pneumoniae infections in southern Italy in 2010, 48 clinical specimens from 43 paediatric patients hospitalized for LRTIs were analysed for macrolide resistance. The mutations associated with resistance (A2063G and A2064G) and M. pneumoniae subtypes were detected by sequencing the targeted domain V region of the 23S rRNA gene and a region in the MPN528a gene, respectively.
RESULTS:
Macrolide resistance genotypes were detected in 11 (26%) of the 43 M. pneumoniae-positive children. The A2063G mutation was identified in seven patients and the A2064G mutation was identified in the remaining four. Upon admission, the isolates from three patients showed a susceptible genotype but subsequently acquired the A2063G mutation. Genotyping revealed M. pneumoniae subtype 1 in 33 of 40 sequenced strains and subtype 2 in the remaining 7. There was no association between macrolide resistance or susceptibility and the M. pneumoniae subtypes.
CONCLUSIONS:
This is the first report of macrolide resistance among M. pneumoniae strains in Italy. Our findings indicate an unexpected high prevalence of macrolide resistance genotypes in children, and so macrolide resistance should be carefully considered in patients who do not respond appropriately to antibiotic treatment. The epidemiological monitoring of macrolide resistance has become necessary in Italy and in the rest of Europe.
J Antimicrob Chemother. 04/2011;
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ABSTRACT: We report a fatai case of overwhelming pneumococ cal infection in an asplenic young adult not vaccinated against Streptococcus pneumoniae (S. pneumoniae). Post-mortem microbiological investigations revealed the presence of S. pneumoniae in blood samples and lungs. Serotyping by molecular methods identified the presence of a 6( serotype not comprised in the current 23-valent pneumococcal vaccine, highlighting that a risi< of fatai infections may persist even in vaccinated splenectomised individuals.
EUROSURVEILLANCE. 01/2010; 10.
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CHIRONNA M,
NEVE A, SALLUSTIO A,
DE ROBERTIS A,
QUARTO M,
GERMINARIO C,
LEPERA A,
CICINELLI E,
CARRIERO C,
PINTO V,
MINIELLO G,
BORRACCINO V,
BLASI N,
ROMANO F,
NOYA E,
HPV STUDY GROUP
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ABSTRACT: Introduction. In the Puglia region (South ltaly) about 200 new hospitalizations far cervical cancer are registered every year. The study investigated the frequency of Human Papillomavirus (HPV) infection and the genotype distribution of HPV in a sample ofwomen with known cytology attending the outpatient clinics of four Gynecological Departments of the University of Bari aver a four-year period (2005-2008).
Methods. Cervical samplesfrom 1,168women were analyzedfor the presence of HPV-DNA through Polymerase Chain Reaction (PCR) in Li region and reverse hybridization. The cytological results were associated with HPV positivity and type-specific prevalence.
Results. Overall, HPVinfection wasfound in 355 (30.4%) women. HPV-DNA was jound in 34.4% of women with a cytological diagnosis of ASCUS, in 46.8% ofwomen with Low-grade Squa mous lntraepithelial Lesion (LSIL) and in 87.0% ofwomen withHigh-grade Squamous Intraepithelial Lesion (HSIL)/carcinoma. Also 16.0% of women with norma! Pap smear were found to be HPV-DNA positive. The most common HPV genotype was type 16 found in 27.3% ofpositives,followed by type 53 ( 11.5%), type 66 (9.2%) and type 31 (9.0%). HPV genotype 18 wasfound in 6.4% ofpositives. Types 16 or 18 were detectedin about 34% (120/355) of all infected women, in about 33% of LSJL and in 60% of HSJL/ carcinoma HPV-positive women. Among low risk (LR) genotypes, type 61 was found in lO.7% of HPV positive women, type 62 in 8.4%, type 42 in 8.1% and type CP6108 in 7.8%.
Discussion an d conclusions. The findings of the study give evi dence that HPV infection is frequent in the studied cohort of women. The most widespread genotypes found were 16 and 53.
These data may represent a benchmarkfor foture evaluation after the recent introduction ofvaccination against HPV in 12-year-old girl
Journal of preventive medicine and hygiene 01/2010; 51(4):45-139.
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ABSTRACT: Between 7 January and 16 March 2008, 16 cases of measles were reported in the region of Apulia in south-eastern Italy (about four millions inhabitants). This outbreak is currently ongoing: we present here a preliminary report.
A case of measles was defined as one that met the clinical case definition (clinical picture compatible with measles, i.e. a generalised rash lasting more than three days and a temperature >38.0°C, with one or more of the following symptoms: cough, coryza, Koplik’s spots, conjunctivitis [1].
A confirmed case of measles was defined either as a case that was laboratory-confirmed (by detection of IgM antibodies against measles virus or a positive PCR), or as a case that met the clinical case definition and was epidemiologically linked to a laboratoryconfirmed case [2].
EUROSURVEILLANCE. 01/2008; 13(16).
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Virology Journal 09/2007; · 2.34 Impact Factor
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Euro surveillance: bulletin europeen sur les maladies transmissibles = European communicable disease bulletin 04/2007; · 6.15 Impact Factor
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Euro surveillance: bulletin europeen sur les maladies transmissibles = European communicable disease bulletin 04/2007; · 6.15 Impact Factor
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ABSTRACT: At the end of July 2006, an unusually high number of patients with acute diarrhoea were reported by the accident and emergency departments in Taranto, Apulia. Subsequently, a field investigation was conducted jointly by the Apulia Regional Epidemiological Observatory and the Regional Reference Laboratory in Bari, and the Epidemiological Department of Taranto Local Health Unit.
EUROSURVEILLANCE. 01/2007; 12.
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ABSTRACT: The genetic characterization of wild-type measles strains isolated during an epidemie cluster of measles occurred in Puglia (South ltaly), between November 2006 and january 2007, was performed. Measles virus (MV) detection was carried out by a nested RT-PCR on 8 of 18 total cases. The viruses were analyzed using the standard genotyping protocols. The N gene sequences of the strains from outbreak were identica! to each other, and sequence analysis revealed that the viruses belonged to genotype B3, subgroup B3.1, never identified before in ltaly. An importati on of measles B3.1 strains from Africa was hypothesized. Molecular surveillance will help to monitor the progress in measles elimination.
Virology Journal 01/2007; 4. · 2.34 Impact Factor
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ABSTRACT: Patterns of endemicity of human herpesvirus 8 (HHV8) are stili undefined in some European populations, such as those from Western Balkan countries. Serum samples from 605 human immunodeficiency virus-seronegative subjects (299 Albanians and 306 Kosovars) were tested for the presence of HHV8 antibodies to a capsid related open reading frame (0RF65)-encoded protein and a latency-associated nuclear antigen (LANA) to determine HHV8 seroprevalence in populations from Albania and from the Kosovo region of former Yugoslavia. Levels of co circulation with hepatitis A (HAV) and hepatitis B (HBV) viruses were also determined. HHV8 antibodies to at least one of the two antigens were detected in 28.8% of Albanians and 18% of Kosovars. The seroprevalence of HHV8 was found to be 25.0 and 16.8% in Albanian and Kosovar children (< 15 years old), respectively. No association was found between HHV8 ser opositivity and serological markers for hepatitis A (total anti-HAV) and hepatitis B (antibodies to the core antigen). HHV8 infection is widespread among Albanians and Kosovars, as is the case in populations ofthe Mediterranean basin.
Journal of Medical Virology 01/2006; 78:933-937. · 2.82 Impact Factor
