Towards shorter therapy for candidaemia: defining uncomplicated candidaemia in adults.

Although the characteristics of complicated candidaemia are well known, uncomplicated disease remains undefined. Recommended treatment duration for candidaemia is 14 days after bloodstream infection is cleared. Longer treatment duration might be required if candidaemia is complicated by deep organ involvement or by immunocompromising conditions such as neutropenia, uncontrolled haematological malignancy, or in the context of haematopoietic stem-cell transplantation.

Immunogenicity of COVID-19 Vaccination in Immunocompromised Patients (Auto-COVID-VACC): Protocol for Multicenter Prospective Noninterventional Study.

Background: Despite the availability of vaccines, immunocompromised patients are still at high risk for severe COVID-19. Vaccination has been proven to be an effective measure in preventing severe SARS-CoV-2 infections; however, data on B- and T-cell responses are lacking. While vaccination schedules for the general population have been defined, achieving immunogenicity in patients who are immunocompromised remains a challenge.

Seroprevalence of SARS-CoV-2 antibodies in patients with hematological and oncological diseases in early 2024.

Introduction: COVID-19 remains a major threat to immunocompromised individuals. The determination of circulating SARS-CoV-2 antibodies in patients at high risk for severe course of SARS-CoV-2 infection is important for estimating the vaccine-induced humoral immune response. Therefore, we assessed the status quo after winter to analyze the need for booster vaccinations.

Immune Phenotypes in Patients With Invasive Mould Infection Support the Use of PD-1 Inhibition as Potential Treatment Option.

Background: Invasive mould infections (IMI) cause substantial morbidity and mortality in populations at risk. Novel treatment approaches are urgently needed. Targeting immune checkpoints may reverse hyporesponsiveness of the innate and adaptive immune systems.

The Paediatric European Confederation of Medical Mycology (ECMM) Quality (Paed-EQUAL) Candida Score for the Management of Candidaemia in Children and Neonates.

Candidaemia in children is associated with high mortality. The epidemiology of Candida bloodstream infection is changing with rising rates of fluconazole resistance worldwide and the emergence of novel multidrug-resistant species such as Candida auris, which is associated with outbreaks. Guidelines on the management of candidaemia emphasise identification of species and determination of antifungal susceptibility to guide appropriate treatment, performing relevant investigations to rule out deep-seated infection, and removal of central venous catheters.

2024 update of the AGIHO guideline on diagnosis and empirical treatment of fever of unknown origin (FUO) in adult neutropenic patients with solid tumours and hematological malignancies.

Febrile Neutropenia is an emergency in the treatment of cancer patients. It requires prompt and evidence-based clinical and antimicrobial management. The implementation of standard operating procedures (SOP) across hospitals and outpatient cancer departments can improve the outcome of FN patients by reducing FN-related morbidity and mortality and by the continuation of cancer treatment.

Global guideline for the diagnosis and management of candidiasis: an initiative of the ECMM in cooperation with ISHAM and ASM.

Candida species are the predominant cause of fungal infections in patients treated in hospital, contributing substantially to morbidity and mortality. Candidaemia and other forms of invasive candidiasis primarily affect patients who are immunocompromised or critically ill. In contrast, mucocutaneous forms of candidiasis, such as oral thrush and vulvovaginal candidiasis, can occur in otherwise healthy individuals.

Fatal dengue virus infection in an unvaccinated traveler.

Dengue is an increasing threat to individuals living in or visiting endemic countries. Effective vaccines have become available, but their use in travelers is typically only recommended to individuals with documented prior infection. We present a fatal case of severe dengue in an unvaccinated traveler without known prior dengue virus infection but longitudinal serologic and molecular evidence for secondary infection.

EQUAL ABPA Score 2024: A Tool to Measure Guideline Adherence for Managing Allergic Bronchopulmonary Aspergillosis.

Objectives: Allergic bronchopulmonary aspergillosis (ABPA) is a complex lung disease associated with significant morbidity. The ABPA Working Group (AWG) of the International Society for Human and Animal Mycology (ISHAM) revised their management guidelines in 2024, but there is currently no standardised tool to assess adherence to these recommendations.

Methods: We extracted key recommendations from the updated 2024 ISHAM-AWG guidelines, focusing on critical areas: screening and diagnosis of ABPA, managing acute and treatment-dependent ABPA, and monitoring treatment response.

Immunogenicity, reactogenicity, and safety of a second booster with BNT162b2 or full-dose mRNA-1273: A randomized VACCELERATE trial in adults aged ≥75 years (EU-COVAT-1-AGED Part B).

Objectives: To assess the safety and immunogenicity of a fourth vaccination (second booster) in individuals aged ≥75 years.

Methods: Participants were randomized to BNT162b2 (Comirnaty, 30 µg) or messenger RNA (mRNA)-1273 (Spikevax, 100 µg). The primary end point was the rate of two-fold antibody titer increase 14 days after vaccination, targeting the receptor binding domain (RBD) region of wild-type SARS-CoV-2.

Individual and institutional predisposing factors of MRSA surgical site infection and outcomes-a retrospective case-control-study in 14 European high-volume surgical centres.

Objectives: To assess incidence rates of surgical site infections (SSI) by MRSA and to determine related factors and clinical outcome compared to MSSA, including country-specific, institutional and patient determinants.

Patients And Methods: We performed a subgroup analysis of the Europe-wide SALT (NCT03353532) study population with MRSA SSI from 14 centres in France, Germany, Italy, Spain and the UK.

Results: An overall MRSA SSI incidence of 0.

The Cologne ECMM Excellence Center: A Two-Year Analysis of External Consultation Service for Invasive Fungal Infections.

The European Confederation of Medical Mycology (ECMM), formed due to the surge in invasive fungal infections (IFI), initiated the Excellence Centers program in 2016 to guide stakeholders to leading medical mycology sites. This report focuses on the Cologne ECMM Excellence Center, recognized with Diamond status for active global involvement in 2017. The center offers free consultation via email and phone, responding within 24 h for life-threatening IFI, collecting data on origin, pathogens, infection details, and more.

Global guideline for the diagnosis and management of cryptococcosis: an initiative of the ECMM and ISHAM in cooperation with the ASM.

Cryptococcosis is a major worldwide disseminated invasive fungal infection. Cryptococcosis, particularly in its most lethal manifestation of cryptococcal meningitis, accounts for substantial mortality and morbidity. The breadth of the clinical cryptococcosis syndromes, the different patient types at-risk and affected, and the vastly disparate resource settings where clinicians practice pose a complex array of challenges.

Hybrid immunity to SARS-CoV-2 in patients with chronic lymphocytic leukemia.

Objective: Preventing severe COVID-19 remains a priority globally, particularly in the immunocompromised population. As shown in healthy individuals, immunity against SARS-CoV-2 can be yielded by previous infection, vaccination, or both (hybrid immunity). The objective of this observation study was to investigate hybrid immunity in patients with chronic lymphocytic leukemia (CLL).

Social determinants of health as drivers of fungal disease.

Disparities in social determinants of health (SDOH) play a significant role in causing health inequities globally. The physical environment, including housing and workplace environment, can increase the prevalence and spread of fungal infections. A number of professions are associated with increased fungal infection risk and are associated with low pay, which may be linked to crowded and sub-optimal living conditions, exposure to fungal organisms, lack of access to quality health care, and risk for fungal infection.

Primary prophylaxis of invasive fungal diseases in patients with haematological malignancies: 2022 update of the recommendations of the Infectious Diseases Working Party (AGIHO) of the German Society for Haematology and Medical Oncology (DGHO).

Patients with haematological malignancies (HM) are at high risk of developing invasive fungal disease (IFD) with high morbidity and attributable mortality. We reviewed data published until September 2021 to update the 2017 antifungal prophylaxis recommendations of the German Society of Haematology and Medical Oncology (DGHO). The strong recommendation to administer antifungal prophylaxis in patients with HM with long-lasting neutropenia, i.

Antifungal prophylaxis and pre-emptive therapy: When and how?

The growing pool of critically ill or immunocompromised patients leads to a constant increase of life-threatening invasive infections by fungi such as Aspergillus spp., Candida spp. and Pneumocystis jirovecii.