Clinical relevance of bacterial and/or viral coinfection in acute bronchiolitis in an Italian neonatal unit during the 2021-2023 seasons.

Background: Acute bronchiolitis is a leading cause of hospitalization in young children worldwide, and literature reports conflicting data regarding the role of coinfections.

Objective: To evaluate the possible clinical relevance of bacterial and/or viral respiratory coinfection in a cohort of newborns/infants hospitalized for bronchiolitis.

Methods: Neonates and infants younger than three months admitted to neonatal units from October 2021 to March 2023 because of acute bronchiolitis were included in this retrospective study.

Parvovirus B19 Rebound.

Human parvovirus B19 (B19V) is responsible for a wide clinical spectrum ranging from asymptomatic infection, through mild disease, up to life-threatening one. Outbreaks are registered every 3-4 years, and a recent international alert for a new outbreak has been released. The experience of B19 virus circulation in a 600-bed tertiary care pediatric hospital in Rome from 2018 to 2024 is reported here.

Severe Outcomes From Suspected Human Parvovirus B19 Infection in Immunocompetent Children: The Need for Timely Recognition.

We reported a cluster of 13 previously healthy children who, over a short time frame, received care at a Level III Pediatric Hospital following emergency department (ED) presentations with severe outcomes from suspected human Parvovirus B19 (PVB19) infection, and the presence of PVB19 viremia at presentation. Among these patients, we identified seven cases of myocarditis, one case of acute anterior myocardial infarction due to coronary aneurysms secondary to Kawasaki disease, one case of severe anemia with pancytopenia, two cases of encephalitis, one case of septic shock with meningitis, and one case of septic shock with pancreatitis. Four children required ECMO treatment.

A new epidemic wave of Bordetella pertussis in paediatric population: impact and role of co-infections in pertussis disease.

Background: In recent months, Bordetella pertussis has reappeared after maintaining a low rate for many years. Although pertussis is usually characterized by a favorable course, several factors can contribute to the severity of the disease, such as mixed respiratory infections. In this study, we evaluate B.

Presence and Significance of Multiple Respiratory Viral Infections in Children Admitted to a Tertiary Pediatric Hospital in Italy.

Viral co-infections are frequently observed among children, but whether specific viral interactions enhance or diminish the severity of respiratory disease is still controversial. This study aimed to investigate the type of viral mono- and co-infections by also evaluating viral correlations in 3525 respiratory samples from 3525 pediatric in/outpatients screened by the Allplex Respiratory Panel Assays and with a Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome-COronaVirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) test available. Overall, viral co-infections were detected in 37.

Whooping Cough Cases Increase in Central Italy after COVID-19 Pandemic.

Pertussis continues to be a highly contagious respiratory infection, especially in children, with cyclical peaks of disease spread every three to five years. Here, we report relevant cases of infection between August 2023 and January 2024, and compare them with prevalence in pediatric patients admitted to the Reference Italian Pediatric Hospital, located in Rome, from January 2015 to July 2023. A total of 5464 tests for were performed during the study period, and 6.

Acute Hepatitis of Unknown Origin in Children: Analysis of 17 Cases Admitted to the Bambino Gesù Children's Hospital in Rome.

This study described 17 cases of children admitted to the Bambino Gesù Children's Hospital with acute hepatitis of unknown origin between mid-April and November 2022. Following the World Health Organization's working case definition of probable cases, 17 children, with a median age of 2.1 years (interquartile range: 1.

Influenza viruses circulation in a tertiary care children hospital in Rome: a comparison between 2022 and the previous 5 years.

Background: Influenza surveillance aims to determine onset, duration and intensity of the seasonal Influence-like Illness (ILI); data collection begins in the week 42 of a year and ends in the week 17 of the following year. In this observational study, we report the experience of a tertiary care children hospital in Rome about Influenza viruses circulation during the calendar year 2022 (January-December) in comparison with the previous five years (2017-2021), with a special focus on the weeks 18-41, usually not under surveillance.

Methods: This retrospective study involved 36782 respiratory samples referred to 21354 patients (pts), median age 2.

On the lookout for influenza viruses in Italy during the 2021-2022 season: Along came A(H3N2) viruses with a new phylogenetic makeup of their hemagglutinin.

Aims: To assess influenza viruses (IVs) circulation and to evaluate A(H3N2) molecular evolution during the 2021-2022 season in Italy.

Materials And Methods: 12,393 respiratory specimens (nasopharyngeal swabs or broncho-alveolar lavages) collected from in/outpatients with influenza illness in the period spanning from January 1, 2022 (week 2022-01) to May 31, 2022 (week 2022-22) were analysed to identify IV genome and were molecularly characterized by 12 laboratories throughout Italy. A(H3N2) evolution was studied by conducting an in-depth phylogenetic analysis of the hemagglutinin (HA) gene sequences.

Six months SARS-CoV-2 serology in a cohort of mRNA vaccinated subjects over 90 years old.

Ageing is associated with a progressive decline and remodelling of the immune system. Also, the efficacy of COVID-19 vaccines has been observed to depend on subjects' age. The post-vaccination data about patients aged > 90 years old is scarcely represented in the literature.

Harmonization of six quantitative SARS-CoV-2 serological assays using sera of vaccinated subjects.

Background And Aims: Vaccines, to limit SARS-CoV-2 infection, were produced and reliable assays are needed for their evaluation. The WHO produced an International-Standard (WHO-IS) to facilitate the standardization/comparison of serological methods. The WHO-IS, produced in limited amount, was never tested for reproducibility.

Diagnosis of COVID-19 in children guided by lack of fever and exposure to SARS-CoV-2.

Background: The objective of this study is to test how certain signs and symptoms related to COVID-19 in children predict the positivity or negativity of the SARS-CoV-2 nasopharyngeal swab in children.

Methods: We review the data of children who were tested for SARS-CoV-2 for a suspected infection. We compared the clinical characteristics of the subjects who tested positive and negative, including the sensibility, positive and negative predictive value of different combination of signs and symptoms.

School in Italy: a safe place for children and adolescents.

Background: During the first SARS-CoV-2 pandemic phase, the sudden closure of schools was one of the main measures to minimize the spread of the virus. In the second phase, several safety procedures were implemented to avoid school closure. To evaluate if the school is a safe place, students and staff of two school complexes of Rome were monitored to evaluate the efficacy of prevention measures inside the school buildings.

A waterborn zoonotic helminthiase in an Italian diver: a case report of a cutaneous Sparganum infection and a review of European cases.

Many waterborne helminthes are opportunistic parasites that can travel directly from animals to man and may contain forms capable of penetrating the skin. Among these, Sparganum is the pseudophyllidean tapeworm that belongs to the genus Spirometra, which is responsible for parasitic zoonosis; it is rarely detected in Europe and is caused by the plerocercoid infective larva. Thus far, only six cases of cutaneous and ocular sparganosis have been reported in Europe; two and four cases have occurred in France and Italy, respectively.

Epidemiology and clinical outcomes of multidrug-resistant, gram-negative bloodstream infections in a European tertiary pediatric hospital during a 12-month period.

Background: Bloodstream infections caused by multidrug-resistant, Gram-negative (MDRGN) bacteria represent a significant cause of morbidity and mortality. Prompt diagnosis and appropriate empiric treatment are the most important determinants of patient outcome. The objective of our study was to assess the epidemiology and clinical outcome of MDRGN sepsis in a tertiary-care pediatric hospital during a 12-month period.

Multiplex PCR allows rapid and accurate diagnosis of bloodstream infections in newborns and children with suspected sepsis.

Sepsis is a major health problem in newborns and children. Early detection of pathogens allows initiation of appropriate antimicrobial therapy that strongly correlates with positive outcomes. Multiplex PCR has the potential to rapidly identify bloodstream infections, compensating for the loss of blood culture sensitivity.

MALDI-TOF mass spectrometry proteomic phenotyping of clinically relevant fungi.

Proteomics is particularly suitable for characterising human pathogens with high life cycle complexity, such as fungi. Protein content and expression levels may be affected by growth states and life cycle morphs and correlate to species and strain variation. Identification and typing of fungi by conventional methods are often difficult, time-consuming and frequently, for unusual species, inconclusive.

Use of microelectronic array technology for rapid identification of clinically relevant mycobacteria.

We developed a new method based on the Nanochip microelectronic array technology for identification of various clinically relevant mycobacterial species. PCR-amplified rRNA genes obtained from 270 positive Mycobacteria Growth Indicator Tube cultures were successfully tested by hybridizing them with species-selective probes, and the results agreed with those of conventional identification methods. The system is rapid and accurate and opens new perspectives in clinical diagnostics.

Rapid detection of clarithromycin resistance in Helicobacter pylori using a PCR-based denaturing HPLC assay.

Objectives: We evaluated a new approach for the rapid detection of clarithromycin resistance in Helicobacter pylori, based on PCR and denaturing HPLC (DHPLC).

Methods: A 180 bp fragment of the 23S rRNA gene was amplified using DNA from 81 clinical H. pylori isolates (51 isolates were shown to be resistant to clarithromycin by Etest), and, directly, from 101 gastric biopsies from patients with digestive diseases, who were infected with H.