Attitudes and prescribing practices on doxycycline postexposure prophylaxis (DoxyPEP) among Italian infectious diseases physicians: findings from a National SIMIT Survey.

Objectives: Doxycycline postexposure prophylaxis (DoxyPEP) has emerged as a promising tool for reducing bacterial sexually transmitted infections (bSTIs), particularly among men who have sex with men. This study aims to investigate the attitudes and prescribing practices of Italian infectious disease (ID) physicians regarding DoxyPEP for the prevention of bSTIs.

Methods: This is a cross-sectional survey conducted between October 2024 and March 2025 among ID specialists registered with the Italian Society of Infectious and Tropical Diseases.

Knowledge, Use, and Misuse of Self-Prescribed Doxycycline Postexposure Prophylaxis in a Community-Based Preexposure Prophylaxis Service.

This study described knowledge and usage of doxycycline postexposure prophylaxis (doxyPEP) among preexposure prophylaxis users. A survey was launched enrolling 703 respondents: 28.2% were aware of doxycycline postexposure prophylaxis, but only 8.

Safety and effectiveness of switch to bictegravir/emtricitabine/tenofovir alafenamide following dual regimen therapy in people with HIV: Insights from the Icona cohort.

Objectives: Most treatment switches are for simplification from three-drug (3DR) to dual regimens (2DR). However, a proportion of people with HIV may switch back to 3DR, like bictegravir/emtricitabine/tenofovir alafenamide (B/F/TAF) after 2DR.

Methods: We included people with HIV enroled in the Icona cohort who switched to B/F/TAF after 2DR INSTI-based (3TC/DTG, RPV/DTG, RPV/CAB, or DOR + DTG).

Outbreak of Vancomycin-Resistant Enterococcus in a NICU: Insights into Molecular Detection and Infection Control.

Vancomycin-resistant enterococci (VRE) are a major cause of healthcare-associated infections (HAIs). However, the clinical significance of VRE colonization and the subsequent risk of VRE infection in hospitalized patients are not fully established. Prolonged hospital stays have been observed in neonates colonized by VRE.

Effectiveness and Tolerability of Dual Antiviral Therapy in Immunosuppressed Patients with Protracted SARS-CoV-2 Infection.

Background: Immunosuppressed patients still exhibit a high mortality rate due to SARS-CoV-2 infection, up to 21%. Persistent viral load replication and protracted viral symptoms result in a high risk of developing pneumonia, a potential risk of antiviral resistance, and a subsequent delay of onco-hematological treatments.

Methods: Hematological patients and kidney transplant patients with SARS-CoV-2 infection, treated at GOM Niguarda Hospital (Milan) with combined antiviral therapy (remdesivir plus nirmatrelvir/ritonavir at standard doses) between November 2022 and March 2024, were retrospectively reviewed.

Brief Report: New HIV Diagnoses in PrEP-Experienced and PrEP-Naive Persons in the ICONA Cohort.

Background: The best therapeutic management for people with HIV (PWH) who have a history of preexposure prophylaxis (PrEP) is still debated.

Objectives: The aim of this study was to describe recent HIV infections in PrEP users compared with people never exposed to PrEP.

Methods: Multicentre retrospective analysis evaluating all recent HIV infections from 2018 to 2021 within the Italian Cohort Naive Antiretrovirals.

Unconventional use of injectable long-acting cabotegravir and rilpivirine against HIV-1 in PWH in clinical need: 52 weeks real-world data.

Background: Long-acting Cabotegravir and Rilpivirine (LA CAB + RPV) shows potential advantages in heavily comorbid and even in viremic people with HIV (PWH). We assessed LA CAB + RPV durability in a cohort of PWH with a high comorbidity burden and adherence issues.

Methods: Retrospective observational study in two Italian outpatient settings enrolling PWH who switched to LA CAB + RPV from February 2021 to January 2024 in presence of exclusion criteria enlisted in registrational trials or with other worrisome clinical risks.

Increasing incidence of is driven by people living with HIV and PrEP users.

Background (MG) is responsible for non-gonococcal urethritis. Our aim is to describe MG positivity rate and incidence in specific populations.MethodsRetrospective, surveillance study included all samples collected from 2018 to 2022.

Challenges and opportunities for hepatitis B virus screening in people attending PrEP services: a retrospective prevalence study.

Objectives: Pre-exposure prophylaxis (PrEP) with emtricitabine/tenofovir to prevent HIV in individuals with hepatitis B virus (HBV) raises concerns about HBV reactivation when stopping event-driven PrEP or redundancy in HBV treatment for continuous PrEP (since tenofovir alone would be enough for HBV). Real-world data from PrEP services could provide useful epidemiological information on HBV prevalence in PrEP attendees in low-prevalence countries.

Methods: A retrospective analysis on PrEP attendees of three services in northern Italy were conducted to assess HBV prevalence among PrEP attendees and the need for primary cycle/booster dose HBV vaccination despite previous vaccination during childhood (at birth or 12 years).

Clinical and laboratory predictors of mpox severity and duration: an Italian multicentre cohort study (mpox-Icona).

Background: Severe and prolonged mpox courses have been described during the 2022-2023 outbreak. Identifying predictors of severe evolution is crucial for improving management and therapeutic strategies. We explored the predictors of mpox severity and tested the association between mpox severity and viral load in biological fluids.

Oral HPV infection clearance and acquisition after nonavalent vaccination in men who have sex with men and transgender women: a prospective analysis.

Oral HPV infection is the main risk factor for the development of oropharyngeal carcinoma. Men who have sex with men (MSM), especially if living with HIV (PLWH), are at increased risk of infection and consequently of cancer development. Aim of this study is to evaluate the impact of nonavalent vaccine on oral HPV infection in a cohort of MSM and transgender women (TGW).

Performance evaluation of a self-administered point-of-care test for anal HPV screening in PrEP users: data from a community-based PrEP service.

Objectives: In this study, we compared the performance of a self-administered point-of-care test (POCT) for anal human papillomavirus (HPV) screening with laboratory gold-standard test in pre-exposure prophylaxis (PrEP) users and evaluated its feasibility.

Methods: We enrolled PrEP users from a local community-based PrEP service. Each participant self-collected an anal swab to test anal HPV with a PCR POCT capable of detecting 14 high-risk HPV genotypes.

Dynamics of viral DNA shedding and culture viral DNA positivity in different clinical samples collected during the 2022 mpox outbreak in Lombardy, Italy.

Background: Mpox virus (MPXV) has recently spread outside of sub-Saharan Africa. This large multicentre study was conducted in Lombardy, the most densely populated Italian region accounting for more than 40% of Italian cases. The present study aims to: i) evaluate the presence and the shedding duration of MPXV DNA in different body compartments correlating the MPXV viability with the time to onset of symptoms; ii) provide evidence of MPXV persistence in different body compartment as a source of infection and iii) characterize the MPXV evolution by whole genome sequencing (WGS) during the outbreak occurred in Italy.

Do we Still Need Eligibility Criteria to Recommend PrEP? Impact of National Prescribing Requirements on Retention in Care and Sexually Transmitted Infections Acquisition.

Italian guidelines recommend HIV pre-exposure prophylaxis (PrEP) only upon satisfying strict eligibility criteria. The objective of this study is to evaluate if PrEP candidates attending a community-based service comply with these criteria and whether these prescribing conditions affect retention in care and sexually transmitted infections (STIs) acquisition. A retrospective analysis was performed on PrEP candidates evaluated from January 2019 to June 2022.

Durability of doravirine with dolutegravir dual regimen compared with other dolutegravir-based dual combinations.

Objectives: The availability of doravirine (DOR) allowed clinicians to prescribe a dolutegravir (DTG)-based two-drug regimen (2DR) in individuals not eligible to receive lamivudine (3TC) or rilpivirine (RPV). The aims of this study were to describe the durability of DTG + DOR compared with DTG/3TC and DTG/RPV and the rate of virological failure and target not-detected maintenance over time.

Methods: This retrospective, monocentric analysis included all subjects who started a DTG-based 2DR from 2018 to 2022 as a simplification.

Determinants of worse liver-related outcome according to HDV infection among HBsAg positive persons living with HIV: Data from the ICONA cohort.

Objectives: We aimed to study hepatitis D virus (HDV) prevalence and risk of progression to severe liver-related events (SLRE) in HBsAg positive people living with HIV (PLWH) in Italy; role of HDV-RNA copy levels, HCV coinfection and nadir CD4 counts were also investigated.

Methods: People living with HIV (PLWH) from Italian Foundation cohort Naïve antiretrovirals (ICONA) with available HBsAg and HDV Ab were enrolled. HBsAg, HDV Ab, HDV-RNA and HDV genotypes were tested.

A case of chronic bacterial prostatitis due to .

(MG) is a common cause of non-gonococcal urethritis, but a role in acute or chronic prostatitis has not been described. We describe the case of a 42-year-old man with recurrent urinary tract infections since 2018 who developed chronic prostatitis despite several and prolonged antibiotic courses. Multiparametric prostatic magnetic resonance showed peripheral inflammatory alterations.

Is HCV elimination among persons living with HIV feasible? Data from the NoCo study in the setting of the ICONA cohort.

Background And Aims: Whether the HCV test-and-treat strategy impacted on the rate of new HCV infections among PLWH in Italy is unknown.

Methods: Prospective study of PLWH in the ICONA network. At baseline, PLWH were tested for HCV-Ab; HCV-RNA (if HCV-Ab positive) and, if positive, treated with DAA.

High prevalence of anal papillomavirus infection in men who have sex with men PrEP users.

Objectives: Human papillomavirus (HPV) is the most common STI and is associated with a wide range of diseases from anogenital warts to malignancies. Anal HPV infection is considerably more common in men who have sex with men (MSM) living with HIV. Aims of the present study are to (i) describe the prevalence of anal HPV infection in MSM who started pre-exposure prophylaxis (PrEP) and (ii) analyse factors associated with anal infection from genotypes that would be covered by nonavalent vaccination.