Sylvia Bruisten

• Dr
• Head of Department at GGD Amsterdam

Background Scabies, an infestation of the mite Sarcoptes scabiei, has seen an increase in clinical diagnoses in the Netherlands since 2011. This study aimed to analyse PCR-positive S. scabiei skin samples through partial genome sequencing and to link findings to patient epidemiological characteristics. Methods Skin samples were collected from indi...

Introduction Home-based self-collected dried blood spot (DBS) sampling could simplify sexual health and pre-exposure prophylaxis (PrEP) care and reduce sexually transmitted infections (STI) clinic visits for men who have sex with men (MSM). We compared the performance of DBS to venipuncture collected blood samples to test four STIs and creatinine c...

The Arg753Gln polymorphism in Toll-like receptor 2 has been associated with an increased risk of bacterial infections as well as with protection from the late stages of Lyme disease and the acquisition of syphilis. In this study, we determined the presence of this polymorphism in samples collected from men having sex with men/men with women in the...

A two-step strategy combining assisted benchmark testing (entry controls) and External Quality Assessments (EQAs) with blinded simulated clinical specimens to enhance and maintain the quality of nucleic acid amplification testing was developed. This strategy was successfully applied to 71 diagnostic laboratories in The Netherlands when upscaling th...

Background Diagnosis of infected individuals with Mycoplasma genitalium (MG) is often performed by real-time PCR or transcription-mediated amplification (TMA). A limitation of the MG-TMA assay is the relatively short time span of 24 h in which the collected urine is required to be transferred into a Urine Specimen Transport Tube, according to the m...

Syphilis is a complex multistage sexually transmitted infection (STI) caused by the bacterium Treponema pallidum subspecies pallidum (TP). New diagnostic tools are needed to minimize transmission. This study aimed to assess the additional value of an investigational Transcription Mediated Amplification test for TP (TP-TMA) to routine diagnostics. B...

Background People experiencing homelessness (PEH) may be at increased risk of SARS-CoV-2 infection and severe COVID-19. The Dutch government established emergency shelters and introduced preventive measures for homelessness services. There were no major SARS-CoV-2 outbreaks noticed among PEH during the first two waves of infections. This study aime...

Distancing measures during the COVID-19 lockdown led to a temporary decrease of casual sex partners among clients of the Centre for Sexual Health (CSH) in Amsterdam, the Netherlands. We investigated the effect of this change on the genotypic and phenotypic distribution of Neisseria gonorrhoeae (Ng) isolates from CSH patients. From each Ng-positive...

Since May 2022, over 21,000 mpox cases have been reported from 29 EU/EEA countries, predominantly among men who have sex with men (MSM). The Netherlands was the fourth most affected country in Europe, with more than 1,200 cases and a crude notification rate of 70.7 per million population. The first national case was reported on 10 May, yet potentia...

The Treponema pallidum strain distribution among men who have sex with women were similar to the strain distribution men who have sex with men (MSM). The most prevalent strains and percentage of strains belonging to the Nichols lineage are similar to previous studies in Amsterdam focusing on MSM.

Glycogen is the most abundant vaginal carbohydrate in reproductive aged women. Reduced vaginal glycogen is associated with lower levels of Lactobacillus crispatus, overgrowth of fastidious anaerobes such as Gardnerella vaginalis and increased risk of adverse reproductive and sexual health outcomes. Here we show that Gardnerella vaginalis, Lactobaci...

We present an 18-year-old woman with a urinary tract infection caused by Salmonella Oranienburg. S. Oranienburg was isolated from her pet snake and confirmed as the source of infection using whole genome sequencing. Our case demonstrates the risk of acquiring reptile-associated salmonellosis and stretches the need for awareness to prevent these inf...

Objective This study aimed to determine the prevalence of fluoroquinolone resistance-associated mutations (QRAMs) in Mycoplasma genitalium (MG) among clients of two sexual health centres (SHCs) in the Netherlands. Design A cross-sectional study. Setting and participants Between 2018 and 2019, 669 clients with MG were included from two previous st...

Since May 2022 over 20.000 human monkeypox virus (hMPXV) cases have been reported from 29 EU/EEA countries, predominantly among men who have sex with men. With over 1200 cases, and a crude notification rate of 70.7 per million population, the Netherlands was in the top 5 European countries most affected. The first national case was reported from Ma...

Background People experiencing homelessness (PEH) may be at increased risk of SARS-CoV-2 infection and severe COVID-19. The Dutch government established emergency shelters and introduced preventive measures for homelessness services and there were no major SARS-CoV-2 outbreak noticed among PEH during the first two waves of infections. This study ai...

Syphilis, caused by Treponema pallidum subspecies pallidum (TP), is a complex multi-stage infectious disease. Systematic dissemination occurs within a few hours of transmission. We determined the molecular variation of TP at various body locations and peripheral blood within patients in different stages of syphilis to assess the distribution of TP...

The emergence of antimicrobial resistance (AMR) against third generation cephalosporins in Neisseria gonorrhoeae is a major public health concern, as these are antibiotics of last resort for the effective treatment of gonorrhea. Although the resistance mechanisms against this class of antibiotics have not been entirely resolved, resistance against...

Knowledge of within-host genetic variation informs studies on transmission dynamics. We studied within-host genetic variation in Neisseria gonorrhoeae over the course of infection and across different anatomical locations. Isolates were obtained during a clinical trial, and isolates from consecutive time points reflected persistent infections after...

We report a severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 superspreading event in the Netherlands after distancing rules were lifted in nightclubs, despite requiring a negative test or vaccination. This occurrence illustrates the potential for rapid dissemination of variants in largely unvaccinated populations under such conditions. We detected s...

Postmenopausal women and renal transplant recipients are at increased risk of recurrent urinary tract infections (RUTI). Urine and vaginal microbiota of premenopausal controls (N = 18) and RUTI cases (18), and of postmenopausal controls (30) and RUTI cases (20) with and without a renal transplant, were characterized using 16S rRNA sequencing. Parti...

Introduction Shigellosis is a reportable infectious disease. It can present as a severe bloody diarrhoea but is often asymptomatic. Shigella can be sexually transmissible. We performed a study among symptomatic and asymptomatic men who have sex with men (MSM) to assess the prevalence of Shigella, Salmonella and Campylobacter . Methods From March t...

Introduction Most COVID-19 symptoms are non-specific and also common in other respiratory infections. We aimed to assess which symptoms are most predictive of a positive test for SARS-CoV-2 in symptomatic people of the general population who were tested. Methods We used anonymised data of all SARS-CoV-2 test results from the Public Health Service...

Background Syphilis diagnosis may be challenging, especially in the asymptomatic and early clinical stages. We evaluated the presence of Treponema pallidum DNA (TP-DNA) in various sample types to elucidate transmissibility during various syphilis stages. Methods The study was conducted at the Amsterdam Centre for Sexual Health. We included adult m...

Background Neisseria gonorrhoeae causes gonorrhoea, a common sexually transmitted infection. Emerging strains resistant to first-line ceftriaxone threaten N gonorrhoeae management. Hence, alternative treatments are needed. We aimed to evaluate the efficacy of ertapenem, gentamicin, and fosfomycin as alternative treatments for anogenital N gonorrhoe...

Background Anorectal infections with Chlamydia trachomatis (CT) are common in women visiting STI outpatient clinics. We here evaluated the risk posed by sexual exposure and by alternate anatomical site infection for incident anorectal and urogenital CT. Methods Prospective multicentre cohort study, FemCure. Participants were treated for CT, and af...

Background: Mycoplasma genitalium (MG) is associated with urethritis in men, and could play a role in clinical outcome. We examined clinical improvement of symptoms in men receiving empirical treatment for urethritis, and correlated the outcome to Neisseria gonorrhoeae (NG), Chlamydia trachomatis (CT), MG and MG macrolide resistance-associated mut...

Background Late presentation remains a key barrier towards controlling the HIV epidemic. Indicator conditions (ICs) are those that are AIDS-defining, associated with a prevalence of undiagnosed HIV > 0.1%, or whose clinical management would be impeded if an HIV infection were undiagnosed. IC-guided HIV testing is an effective strategy in identifyin...

We prepared severe acute respiratory syndrome-coronavirus-2 (SARS-CoV-2) working standards and reference panels from a pool of swab fluid samples before and after inactivation by beta-propiolactone and quantified viral load in nucleic acid amplification technology (NAT) detectable RNA copies/mL using limiting dilution analysis. The following 50% lo...

To the Editor—Marra and colleagues [1] present intriguing data about the course of syphilis in people having experienced syphilis before. Based on data of 651 patients with syphilis, 169 of whom had had syphilis before, they conclude that previous episodes of syphilis attenuate the manifestations of subsequent infection with Treponema pallidum. How...

Syphilis, caused by Treponema pallidum subspecies pallidum (TP), is a complex multi-stage infectious disease. Systematic dissemination is known to occur within a few hours of transmission. We investigated the molecular variation of TP at various body locations within patients and assessed whether infections with multiple strains could be detected w...

Background Anorectal infections with Chlamydia trachomatis (CT) are prevalent in women visiting STI-clinics. In women, azithromycin treatment in anorectal chlamydia is unsuccessful in about 20%, with the potential of subsequent re-infection of the vagina through autoinoculation. We evaluated the risk for incident urogenital CT, by exposure from the...

Introduction Mycoplasma genitalium (MG) is associated with urethritis in men. Treatment of urethritis with azithromycin is expected to become less effective in clients infected with MG due to an increase in macrolide resistance-associated mutations (MRAM) in MG. Therefore, we examined clinical improvement of symptoms in men receiving empirical trea...

Introduction Shigellosis can present as a severe infection, including bloody diarrhea. About 22% of reported shigellosis cases in the Netherlands occur in men who have sex with men (MSM). Not all infections result in clinical symptoms and not all persons with clinical symptoms are diagnosed. We performed a study among MSM visiting the STI clinic in...

Background Recent trials focus on novel antibiotic treatment options for Neisseria gonorrhoeae (Ng), since resistance against currently used cephalosporins is emerging. To assess antibiotic potential, patients with mixed infections or those who are reinfected after treatment should be identified. Comparing levels of within-host genetic variation in...

Background Syphilis is highly infectious, but it is unknown whether other anatomical sites than the primary infection site contribute to onward transmission. We aimed to evaluate the presence of Treponema pallidum ssp pallidum (TP) at various body locations of syphilis patients to elucidate transmissibility during various syphilis stages. Methods...

Lymphogranuloma venereum (LGV), the invasive infection of the sexually transmissible infection (STI) Chlamydia trachomatis , is caused by strains from the LGV biovar, most commonly represented by ompA -genotypes L2b and L2. We investigated the diversity in LGV samples across an international collection over seven years using typing and genome seque...

Background: Men who have sex with men (MSM) are at increased risk of anogenital HPV infections. We aimed to assess the incidence and clearance of penile high-risk HPV (hrHPV) infections and their determinants among HIV-negative MSM living in the Netherlands. Methods: Between 2010 and 2015, HIV-negative MSM were semi-annually tested for penile HP...

Mycoplasma genitalium is a well-known cause of urethritis in men and has been associated with cervicitis, pelvic inflammatory disease, and adverse obstetric outcomes in women. In this cross-sectional study, we determined the current prevalence of M. genitalium infection and the rate of macrolide resistance in M. genitalium isolates, in patients vis...

Background Emerging resistance to cephalosporins in Neisseria gonorrhoeae (Ng) is a major public health threat, since these are considered antibiotics of last resort. Continuous surveillance is needed to monitor the circulation of resistant strains and those with reduced susceptibility. Objectives For the purpose of epidemiological surveillance, g...

Background: Rapid and accurate detection of SARS-CoV-2 infected individuals is crucial for taking timely measures and minimizing the risk of further SARS-CoV-2 spread. We aimed to assess the accuracy of exhaled breath analysis by electronic nose (eNose) for the discrimination between individuals with and without a SARS-CoV-2 infection. Methods: Thi...

Background Chlamydia trachomatis (CT) is routinely diagnosed by nucleic acid amplification tests (NAATs), which are unable to distinguish between nucleic acids from viable and non-viable CT organisms. Objectives We applied our recently developed sensitive PCR (viability PCR) technique to measure viable bacterial CT load and explore associated dete...

Background Emerging resistance to cephalosporins in Neisseria gonorrhoeae (Ng) is a major public health threat, since these are considered antibiotics of last resort. Continuous surveillance is needed to monitor the circulation of reduced susceptible and resistant strains. Aim For the purpose of epidemiological surveillance, a genomic population a...

Mycoplasma genitalium (MG) is a sexually transmitted bacterium in which macrolide resistance is rapidly increasing, limiting treatment options. We validated a new assay to detect the presence of macrolide resistance-associated mutations in MG (MG-MRAM). In 2018, symptomatic and asymptomatic clients visiting sexually transmitted infections (STI) cli...

Objectives Women attending STI clinics are not routinely tested for oropharyngeal Chlamydia trachomatis (CT) infections. We aimed to assess spontaneous clearance of oropharyngeal CT and cure after antibiotic treatment in women. Methods Women with vaginal or rectal CT (n=560) were recruited at STI clinics in 2016–2017, as part of the FemCure study...

Objectives Typing of Chlamydia trachomatis (CT) is traditionally performed by characterising the ompA gene, resulting in more than a dozen different genovars, A to L. Type L is associated with Lymphogranuloma venereum (LGV) and commonly screened for using PCR, targeting the chromosomal pmpH gene. We aimed to develop and validate a new CT/LGV plasmi...

The emergence of severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) created an exceptional situation in which numerous laboratories in Europe simultaneously implemented SARS-CoV-2 diagnostics. These laboratories reported in February 2020 that commercial primer and probe batches for SARS-CoV-2 detection were contaminated with synthetic con...

Prospective studies are key study designs when attempting to unravel health mechanisms that are widely applicable. Understanding the internal validity of a prospective study is essential to judge a study’s quality. Moreover, insights in possible sampling bias and the external validity of a prospective study are useful to judge the applicability of...

Background Treponema pallidum subspecies pallidum (TPA) and subsp. endemicum (TEN) are the causative agents of syphilis and bejel, respectively. TEN shows similar clinical manifestations and is morphologically and serologically indistinguishable from TPA. Recently, bejel was found outside of its assumed endemic areas. Using molecular typing we aime...

Objectives Spontaneous clearance of Chlamydia trachomatis (CT) infections can occur between diagnosis and treatment. We followed CT patients to assess clearance using a conventional definition (no total CT-DNA, assessed by routine quantitative PCR methods) and a definition accounting for viability, assessed by viability PCR testing. Methods Three...

Background: Absence of rapid antimicrobial resistance testing of Neisseria gonorrhoeae (Ng) hinders personalized antibiotic treatment. To enable rapid ciprofloxacin prescription, a real-time PCR for simultaneous detection of Ng and fluoroquinolone resistance associated gyrA-S91F mutation was evaluated. Methods: Analytical NG qPCR kit (NYtor BV)...

Background and aims: Hepatitis C virus (HCV) has emerged as a sexually transmitted infection (STI) among HIV-positive men who have sex with men (MSM). We evaluated HCV-incidence and its risk-factors among HIV-negative MSM using HIV pre-exposure prophylaxis (PrEP). Methods: Participants of the Amsterdam PrEP project were tested for HCV antibodies...

Background: Rectal infections with Chlamydia trachomatis (CT) are prevalent in women visiting a sexually transmitted infection outpatient clinic, but it remains unclear what the most effective treatment is. We assessed the effectiveness of doxycycline and azithromycin for the treatment of rectal and vaginal chlamydia in women. Methods: This stud...

High rates (~25%) of developing chronic hepatitis B virus (HBV)‐infection (hepatitis B surface antigen (HBsAg)‐positive for >6 months following infection) have been observed in people who use drugs (PWUD) and men who have sex with men (MSM). We aimed to estimate the frequency of delayed HBsAg‐seroclearance, along with its determinants, and time to...

Objectives The prevalence of syphilis, caused by the spirochete Treponema pallidum subsp . pallidum (TPA), remains high despite the availability of effective antibiotics. In the Netherlands, most syphilis cases are found among men who have sex with men (MSM). We studied the distribution of TPA strain types by molecular characterisation and related...

Background: Over-the-counter intra-vaginal lactic-acid containing douches are marketed as vaginal hygiene products that support optimal vaginal pH balance. We report the effect of a commercially available douche (Etos®) on the vaginal microbiota (VM) in a prospective study. Results: Twenty-five healthy women were recruited through advertisements...

Background Spontaneous resolution (clearance) of Chlamydia trachomatis (CT) infections can occur between diagnosis by nucleic acid amplification assays (NAAT) and treatment. Moreover, viability polymerase chain reaction (V-PCR) techniques showed that part of non-resolved NAAT positives represent non-viable CT. This may impact clinic policies aiming...

Background Mycoplasma genitalium (MG) is a sexually transmitted organism associated with urethritis in men. We examined clinical improvement of symptoms in men treated syndromically for urethritis, and correlated the clinical outcome to MG positivity. Methods At the STI clinic in Amsterdam, the Netherlands, urethritis is defined as the presence of...

Background Rectal infections with Chlamydia trachomatis (CT) are prevalent in women visiting a STI outpatient clinic. While azithromycin is the most used treatment, microbiological treatment failure in rectal CT is common and its drivers remain unclear. Methods This study is part of a prospective multicentre cohort study (FemCure). Current analyse...

Background Flat penile lesions (FPL) in heterosexual men are thought to play a role in the transmission of HPV. We investigated the association between FPL and penile HPV, and explored determinants of FPL in men who have sex with men (MSM). Methods In 2015–2016, MSM were recruited based on HIV and penile HPV status in a previous study. MSM self-co...

Background Treponema pallidum subsp. pallidum (TPA) is the causative agent of syphilis, a world-wide prevalent venereal disease. Bejel is caused by T. pallidum subsp. endemicum (TEN), which shows similar clinical manifestations and is morphologically and serologically indistinguishable from TPA. The PCR used for syphilis diagnostics, targeting the...

Background Syphilis is routinely diagnosed based on clinical findings and serological tests. Syphilis may be asymptomatic and in the early stages of infection serology may be false negative. This poses challenges in the diagnosis; missed infections may lead to onward transmission and late sequelae. The aim of this study is to assess the added value...

Background The participation of women in prospective sexual health research is key to understanding mechanisms of their health, and best practices need to be shared. We here evaluate participation, retention, and associated factors, of women in a multicenter prospective cohort (FemCure) providing insights in internal and external validity of this p...

Background Symptoms have been associated with Chlamydia trachomatis (CT) infections in culture-based studies, in contrast to studies based on nucleic acid amplification tests (NAAT). This may be because NAAT also detect non-viable bacteria. As culturing techniques are insensitive, we developed a sensitive polymerase chain reaction (V-PCR) technique...

Background In spite of excellent analytical sensitivity, NAAT assays for Chlamydia trachomatis (CT) do not have a 100% detection probability (DP), especially at low concentrations of CT. This might especially impact test results after treatment, when CT concentrations are expected to be very low. The aim of this study was to use repeat testing to i...

Background When Chlamydia trachomatis (CT) is detected after adequate treatment, this may reflect treatment failure or re-infection due to sexual re-exposure. For sexual exposure, researchers rely on self-reported data. Biomarkers such as Y-chromosomal DNA (Y-DNA) from vaginal and rectal samples may be used to support the validity of the self-repor...

Background Associations between Mycoplasma genitalium (MG) and male urethritis and pelvic inflammatory disease are reported frequently. The recent prevalence of MG among clients of Dutch STI clinics is unknown. Treatment is hampered by resistance to azithromycin. Methods Urogenital samples from 939 men who have sex with women (MSW), 1025 men who h...

Background: Pre-exposure prophylaxis (PrEP) for HIV might induce risk compensation, defined as increased sexual risk behaviour leading to increased incidence of bacterial sexually transmitted infections (STIs). We examined the incidence of HIV, STIs, and sexual behaviour after initiating daily and event-driven PrEP. Methods: AMPrEP is a demonstr...

Objectives: To compare molecular and epidemiological differences between ceftriaxone reduced susceptible (CRO-RS) and ceftriaxone susceptible (CRO-S) Neisseria gonorrhoeae (Ng), and to study the genetic relatedness of CRO-RS isolates. Methods: Demographic and clinical data, and samples for cultures were routinely collected from gonorrhoea patien...

Background: Flat penile lesions (FPL) in heterosexual men are thought to play a role in the transmission of HPV. We investigated the association between FPL and penile HPV, and explored determinants of FPL in men who have sex with men (MSM). Methods: In 2015-2016, MSM were recruited based on HIV and penile HPV status in a previous cohort. MSM se...

Background: Several outbreaks of Hepatitis A virus (HAV) were recently documented among men who have sex with men (MSM) in Europe. We investigated the HAV incidence among MSM in Amsterdam, the Netherlands; and HAV seroprevalence and HAV vaccination decision among MSM visiting the Sexually Transmitted Infection (STI) clinic in Amsterdam. Methods:...

The detection of herpes simplex viruses and Treponemal pallidum from genital lesions requires efficient sampling of genetic material for a reliable molecular diagnosis. From 460 patients attending the Public Health clinic, two swabs (dry cotton swabs and Eswabs) per patient were collected in alternating order from the same lesion. Additionally, thr...

Background A vaginal microbiota dominated by lactobacilli (particularly Lactobacillus crispatus) is associated with vaginal health, whereas a vaginal microbiota not dominated by lactobacilli is considered dysbiotic. Here we investigated whether L. crispatus strains isolated from the vaginal tract of women with Lactobacillus-dominated vaginal microb...

Background The epidemiology of hepatitis E virus (HEV) is not fully understood. In this study, we assessed putative risk factors for HEV seropositivity in various study populations in the Netherlands. Methods Data and samples from five different study populations were analysed: (A) blood donors (n = 5,239), (B) adults reporting a vegetarian life s...

Background: A vaginal microbiota dominated by lactobacilli (particularly Lactobacillus crispatus) is associated with vaginal health, whereas a vaginal microbiota not dominated by lactobacilli is considered dysbiotic. Here we investigated whether L. crispatus strains isolated from the vaginal tract of women with Lactobacillus-dominated vaginal micro...

Background Treponema pallidum subsp. pertenue (TPE) is the causative agent of yaws, a multistage disease endemic in tropical regions in Africa, Asia, Oceania, and South America. To date, seven TPE strains have been completely sequenced and analyzed including five TPE strains of human origin (CDC-2, CDC 2575, Gauthier, Ghana-051, and Samoa D) and tw...

Treponema strains/genomes used in analyses. (XLSX)

Differences in G/C-homopolymeric tracts when comparing the TPE Kampung Dalan K363 and TPE Sei Geringging K403 genomes. (XLSX)

Intra-strain heterogeneity found in the TPE Kampung Dalan K363 and TPE Sei Geringging K403 genomes. Minor alleles with a frequency over 8% and coverage depth over 100x are shown. The tprK (TP0897) gene was excluded from the analysis. (XLSX)

The overview of predicted structure for module sequences in TP0856 and TP0858 genes. (PDF)

A tree constructed from the whole genome sequence alignment of available TPE and TEN genome sequences including also the draft genomes of TPE strains isolated on Solomon Islands [10]. The tree was constructed using the Maximum Likelihood method based on the Tamura-Nei model [19] and MEGA software [20]. The bar scale corresponds to a difference of 0...

Next-generation sequencing statistics for the TPE Sei Geringging K403 and TPE Kampung Dalan K363 genomes. (XLSX)

PSGS (Pool Segment Genome Sequencing) approach—list of treponeme-specific primers used for the amplification of TP intervals of the TPE Kampung Dalan K363 and TPE Sei Geringging K403 strains. (XLSX)

Nucleotide differences between the TPE Kampung Dalan K363 and TPE Sei Geringging K403 genomes. tprK (TP0897) and TP0858 genes were excluded from the analysis. (XLSX)

Objective: We aimed to assess the incidence and clearance of anal high risk human papillomavirus (hrHPV) infection and determinants thereof among HIV-negative men-who-have-sex-with-men (MSM) over a period up to five years. Methods: From 2010 to 2015, HIV-negative MSM were followed every 6 months. Anal self-swabs were collected at inclusion and e...

Purpose: Bacterial vaginosis (BV) is a common clinical condition characterized by odorous vaginal discharge, vaginal itching and/or burning. BV can occur when vaginal lactobacilli are depleted and replaced by diverse anaerobic bacteria. We evaluated a commercial multiplex PCR (ATRiDA) for the diagnosis of BV. Methods: Cervicovaginal samples were...

Objectives National prevalence estimates of Chlamydia trachomatis (chlamydia) and Neisseria gonorrhoeae (gonorrhoea) are important for providing insights in the occurrence and control of these STIs. The aim was to obtain national prevalence estimates for chlamydia and gonorrhoea and to investigate risk factors associated with infection. Methods Be...

Background: In response to the increased hepatitis C virus (HCV) prevalence recently found among participants of the Amsterdam pre-exposure prophylaxis demonstration project, we evaluated HCV prevalence over time and the performance of the HCV-MOSAIC risk score for detection of HCV infection in HIV-negative men who have sex with men (MSM) attendin...

Organotypic models to investigate host-microbiome interactions are still a challenge for the field of tissue engineering. This is particularly the case for organs such as the urethra. Several cell line, animal and tissue models are available to study C. trachomatis infections, but none fully reflect natural infection in native human tissue. Therefo...

Overview We describe the first case of a cutaneous ulcer caused by Haemophilus ducreyi imported from Indonesia to the Netherlands. Skin infections caused by H. ducreyi are uncommon in travellers and have been described in just a few case reports and were all contracted on the Pacific Islands. The case A 22-year-old healthy male visited the Center...

Primer and probe sequences. (DOCX)