A Nosocomial Outbreak of Invasive Listeriosis in An Italian Hospital: Epidemiological and Genomic Features.
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SUBMITTER: Russini V
PROVIDER: S-EPMC8150339 | biostudies-literature |
REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature
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Project description:Invasive listeriosis, caused by Listeria (L.) monocytogenes, is a severe foodborne infection, especially for immunocompromised individuals. The aim of our investigation was the identification and analysis of listeriosis outbreaks in Germany with smoked and graved salmon products as the most likely source of infection using whole-genome sequencing (WGS) and patient interviews. In a national surveillance programme, WGS was used for subtyping and core genome multi locus sequence typing (cgMLST) for cluster detection of L. monocytogenes isolates from listeriosis cases as well as food and environmental samples in Germany. Patient interviews were conducted to complement the molecular typing. We identified 22 independent listeriosis outbreaks occurring between 2010 and 2021 that were most likely associated with the consumption of smoked and graved salmon products. In Germany, 228 cases were identified, of 50 deaths (22%) reported 17 were confirmed to have died from listeriosis. Many of these 22 outbreaks were cross-border outbreaks with further cases in other countries. This report shows that smoked and graved salmon products contaminated with L. monocytogenes pose a serious risk for listeriosis infection in Germany. Interdisciplinary efforts including WGS and epidemiological investigations were essential to identifying the source of infection. Uncooked salmon products are high-risk foods frequently contaminated with L. monocytogenes. In order to minimize the risk of infection for consumers, food producers need to improve hygiene measures and reduce the entry of pathogens into food processing. Furthermore, susceptible individuals should be better informed of the risk of acquiring listeriosis from consuming smoked and graved salmon products.
| S-EPMC9132468 | biostudies-literature
Project description:Reports on dengue outbreaks at hospitals are extremely rare. Here the authors analyze a dengue outbreak at the Teaching Hospital-Kandy (THK), Sri Lanka. Our hypothesis was that the present outbreak of dengue was due to nosocomial infections. Our objectives were to illustrate epidemiological evidence for nosocomial dengue infections among THK workers and comparison of dengue incidence of hospital workers of wards that treat dengue patients with workers of other wards, to ascertain whether most nosocomial dengue incidences occur closer to where dengue patients are treated and vector larvae were detected, and to draw the attention of the medical community to the significance of hospital outbreaks, making suggestions on how to improve dengue preventive work at the THK. We calculated weekly dengue incidences for the hospital workers and for the surrounding Kandy district population, plotted epicurves, and compared them. We also compared these with the temporal changes of numbers of patients who were admitted for other illnesses and then diagnosed with dengue and the numbers of containers with vector mosquito larvae found on hospital premises. Dengue incidence of the hospital workers for the 24-week study period (2388 per 100000 population) was significantly high when compared to incidence of the district (151 per 100000 population). Peaks of dengue incidence in hospital workers, the numbers of patients hospitalized for other illnesses contracting dengue, and numbers of containers with vector larvae occurred in the same week. The peak dengue incidence of the Kandy district happened six weeks later. There was no evidence to indicate blood contact causing dengue among hospital workers. The outbreak was controlled while dengue was rising in the district. This evidence indicates a probable nosocomial dengue outbreak. This outbreak adversely affected hospital workers, patients, and the community. We propose some measures to prevent such outbreaks.
| S-EPMC6038582 | biostudies-literature
Project description:INTRODUCTION:Listeria monocytogenes (Lm) is a bacterium widely distributed in nature and able to contaminate food processing environments, including those of dairy products. Lm is a primary public health issue, due to the very low infectious dose and the ability to produce severe outcomes, in particular in elderly, newborns, pregnant women and immunocompromised patients. METHODS:In the period between April and July 2015, an increased number of cases of listeriosis was observed in the area of Pavia, Northern Italy. An epidemiological investigation identified a cheesemaking small organic farm as the possible origin of the outbreak. In this work we present the results of the retrospective epidemiological study that we performed using molecular biology and genomic epidemiology methods. The strains sampled from patients and those from the target farm's cheese were analyzed using PFGE and whole genome sequencing (WGS) based methods. The performed WGS based analyses included: a) in-silico MLST typing; b) SNPs calling and genetic distance evaluation; c) determination of the resistance and virulence genes profiles; d) SNPs based phylogenetic reconstruction. RESULTS:Three of the patient strains and all the cheese strains resulted to belong to the same phylogenetic cluster, in Sequence Type 29. A further accurate SNPs analysis revealed that two of the three patient strains and all the cheese strains were highly similar (0.8 SNPs of average distance) and exhibited a higer distance from the third patient isolate (9.4 SNPs of average distance). DISCUSSION:Despite the global agreement among the results of the PFGE and WGS epidemiological studies, the latter approach agree with epidemiological data in indicating that one the patient strains could have originated from a different source. This result highlights that WGS methods can allow to better.
| S-EPMC5510990 | biostudies-literature
Project description:Invasive listeriosis is a severe foodborne infection in humans and is difficult to control. Listeriosis incidence is increasing worldwide, but some countries have implemented molecular surveillance programs to improve recognition and management of listeriosis outbreaks. In Germany, routine whole-genome sequencing, core genome multilocus sequence typing, and single nucleotide polymorphism calling are used for subtyping of Listeria monocytogenes isolates from listeriosis cases and suspected foods. During 2018-2019, an unusually large cluster of L. monocytogenes isolates was identified, including 134 highly clonal, benzalkonium-resistant sequence type 6 isolates collected from 112 notified listeriosis cases. The outbreak was one of the largest reported in Europe during the past 25 years. Epidemiologic investigations identified blood sausage contaminated with L. monocytogenes highly related to clinical isolates; withdrawal of the product from the market ended the outbreak. We describe how epidemiologic investigations and complementary molecular typing of food isolates helped identify the outbreak vehicle.
| S-EPMC7323541 | biostudies-literature
Project description:From 24 December 2020 to 8 February 2021, 163 cases of SARS-CoV-2 Alpha variant of concern (VOC) were identified in Chieti province, Abruzzo region. Epidemiological data allowed the identification of 14 epi-clusters. With one exception, all the epi-clusters were linked to the town of Guardiagrele: 149 contacts formed the network, two-thirds of which were referred to the family/friends context. Real data were then used to estimate transmission parameters. According to our method, the calculated Re(t) was higher than 2 before the 12 December 2020. Similar values were obtained from other studies considering Alpha VOC. Italian sequence data were combined with a random subset of sequences obtained from the GISAID database. Genomic analysis showed close identity between the sequences from Guardiagrele, forming one distinct clade. This would suggest one or limited unspecified viral introductions from outside to Abruzzo region in early December 2020, which led to the diffusion of Alpha VOC in Guardiagrele and in neighbouring municipalities, with very limited inter-regional mixing.
| S-EPMC9098518 | biostudies-literature
Project description:We investigated 543 Listeria monocytogenes isolates from food having a temporal and spatial distribution compatible with that of the invasive listeriosis outbreak occurring 2012-2016 in southern Germany. Using forensic microbiology, we identified several products from 1 manufacturer contaminated with the outbreak genotype. Continuous molecular surveillance of food isolates could prevent such outbreaks.
| S-EPMC5621528 | biostudies-literature
Project description:BackgroundIn June 2014, Suriname faced the first Chikungunya outbreak. Since international reports mostly focus on hospitalized patients, the least affected group, a study was conducted to describe clinical characteristics of mainly outpatients including children. In addition, the cumulative incidence of this first epidemic was investigated.MethodologyDuring August and September 2014, clinically suspected Chikungunya cases were included in a prospective follow-up study. Blood specimens were collected and tested for viral RNA presence. Detailed clinical information was gathered through multiple telephone surveys until day 180. In addition, a three stage household-based cluster with a cross-sectional design was conducted in October, December 2014 and March 2015 to assess the cumulative incidence.Principal findingsSixty-eight percent of symptomatic patients tested positive for Chikungunya virus (CHIKV). Arthralgia and pain in the fingers were distinctive for viremic CHIKV infected patients. Viremic CHIKV infected children (?12 years) characteristically displayed headache and vomiting, while arthralgia was less common at onset. The disease was cleared within seven days by 20% of the patients, while 22% of the viremic CHIKV infected patients, mostly women and elderly reported persistent arthralgia at day 180. The extrapolated cumulative CHIKV incidence in Paramaribo was 249 cases per 1000 persons, based on CHIKV self-reported cases in 53.1% of the households and 90.4% IgG detected in a subset of self-reported CHIKV+ persons. CHIKV peaked in the dry season and a drastic decrease in CHIKV patients coincided with a governmental campaign to reduce mosquito breeding sites.Conclusions/significanceThis study revealed that persistent arthralgia was a concern, but occurred less frequently in an outpatient setting. The data support a less severe pathological outcome for Caribbean CHIKV infections. This study augments incidence data available for first outbreaks in the region and showed that actions undertaken at the national level to mount responses may have positively impacted containment of this CHIKV outbreak.
| S-EPMC4833344 | biostudies-literature
Project description:BackgroundNosocomial spread of coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) causes clusters of infection among high-risk individuals. Controlling this spread is critical to reducing COVID-19 morbidity and mortality. We describe an outbreak of COVID-19 in Keio University Hospital, Japan, and its control and propose effective control measures.MethodsWhen an outbreak was suspected, immediate isolation and thorough polymerase chain reaction (PCR) testing of patients and health care workers (HCWs) using an in-house system, together with extensive contact tracing and social distancing measures, were conducted. Nosocomial infections (NIs) were defined as having an onset or positive test after the fifth day of admission for patients and having high-risk contacts in our hospital for HCWs. We performed descriptive analyses for this outbreak.ResultsBetween March 24 and April 24, 2020, 27 of 562 tested patients were confirmed positive, of whom 5 (18.5%) were suspected as NIs. For HCWs, 52 of 697 tested positive, and 40 (76.9%) were considered NIs. Among transmissions, 95.5% were suspected of having occurred during the asymptomatic period. Large-scale isolation and testing at the first sign of outbreak terminated NIs. The number of secondary cases directly generated by a single primary case found before March 31 was 1.74, compared with 0 after April 1. Only 4 of 28 primary cases generated definite secondary infection; these were all asymptomatic.ConclusionsViral shedding from asymptomatic cases played a major role in NIs. PCR screening of asymptomatic individuals helped clarify the pattern of spread. Immediate large-scale isolation, contact tracing, and social distancing measures were essential to containing outbreaks.
| S-EPMC7665726 | biostudies-literature
Project description:BackgroundCOVID-19 has the potential to cause outbreaks in hospitals. Given the comorbid and elderly cohort of patients hospitalized, hospital-acquired COVID-19 infection is often fatal. Pathogen genome sequencing is becoming increasingly important in infection prevention and control (IPC).AimTo inform the understanding of in-hospital SARS-CoV-2 transmission in order to improve IPC practices and to inform the future development of virological testing for IPC.MethodsPatients detected COVID-19 positive by polymerase chain reaction on Ward A in April and May 2020 were included with contact tracing to identify other potential cases. Genome sequencing was undertaken for a subgroup of cases. Epidemiological, genomic, and cluster analyses were performed to describe the epidemiology and to identify factors contributing to the outbreak.FindingsFourteen cases were identified on Ward A. Contact tracing identified 16 further patient cases; in addition, eight healthcare workers (HCWs) were identified as being COVID-19 positive through a round of asymptomatic testing. Genome sequencing of 16 of these cases identified viral genomes differing by two single nucleotide polymorphisms or fewer, with further cluster analysis identifying two groups of infection (a five-person group and a six-person group).ConclusionDespite the temporal relationship of cases, genome sequencing identified that not all cases shared transmission events. However, 11 samples were found to be closely related and these likely represented in-hospital transmission. This included three HCWs, thereby confirming transmission between patients and HCWs.
| S-EPMC8397489 | biostudies-literature