Opportunistic illness

Disease is a major threat to the economic, ecological and cultural services provided by wild bivalve populations. Over the past decade anecdotal reports on declining health of native bivalve populations around Aotearoa New Zealand have been supported by increasing observations of mass die-offs. Causes of declining health and mass die-offs of wild bivalves are not clear and could be due to a number of interactive and cumulative factors, including declining water quality, climate change, or disease. Pipi/kōkota (Paphies australis) within the Whangārei area (northern New Zealand) have suffered repeated die-offs and declining health since at least 2009...

Critically ill patients are a vulnerable group at high risk of developing secondary infections. High disease severity, prolonged intensive care unit (ICU) stay, sepsis, and multiple drugs with immunosuppressive activity make these patients prone to immuneparesis and increase the risk of various opportunistic infections, including cytomegalovirus (CMV). CMV seroconversion has been reported in up to 33% of ICU patients, but its impact on patient outcomes remains a matter of debate. Even though there are guidelines regarding the management of CMV infection in immunosuppressive patients with human immunodeficiency virus/ acquired immuno deficiency syndrome, the need for treatment and therapeutic approaches in immunocompetent critically ill patients is still ambiguous...

Escherichia coli are present in the human and animal microbiome as facultative anaerobes and are viewed as an integral part of the whole gastrointestinal environment. In certain circumstances, some species can also become opportunistic pathogens responsible for severe infections in humans. These infections are caused by the enterotoxinogenic E. coli , enteroinvasive E. coli , enteropathogenic E. coli and the enterohemorrhagic E. coli species, frequently present in food products and on food matrices. Severe human infections can be caused by consumption of meat contaminated upon exposure to animal feces, and as such, farm animals are considered to be a natural reservoir...

BACKGROUND: Although indicator condition (IC)-guided HIV testing (IC-HIVT) is effective at facilitating timely HIV diagnosis, research on IC categories and the related HIV risk in Taiwan is limited. To improve the adoption and spread of IC-HIVT in Taiwan, this study compared the IC categories of people living with HIV (PLWH) and non-HIV controls and investigated delays in the diagnosis of HIV infection. METHODS: This nationwide, retrospective, 1:10-matched case-control study analyzed data from the Notifiable Diseases Surveillance System and National Health Insurance Research Database to evaluate 42 ICs for the 5-year period preceding a matched HIV diagnostic date from 2009 to 2015...

BACKGROUND: Due to development of an immune-dysregulated phenotype, advanced liver disease in all forms predisposes patients to sepsis acquisition, including by opportunistic pathogens such as fungi. Little data exists on fungal infection within a medical intensive liver unit (MILU), particularly in relation to acute on chronic liver failure. AIM: To investigate the impact of fungal infections among critically ill patients with advanced liver disease, and compare outcomes to those of patients with bacterial infections...

INTRODUCTION: Postorgasmic illness syndrome (POIS) is characterized by allergic symptoms and flu-like illness after ejaculation. There are still no effective treatments for POIS. AIM: To report the first case of washed microbiota transplantation (WMT) to treat patient with POIS. METHODS: Data were collected from a patient with POIS who had received 3 courses of WMT: self-rating scale of POIS symptoms, Self-rating Anxiety Scale, Self-rating Depression Scale, and Symptom Checklist 90...

BACKGROUND: The relationship between skin diseases and psychiatric illnesses is bi-directional and is manifested as cause and effect. Psychiatric disorders such as stress, anxiety, and depression are seen to be instrumental in the development and progression of dermatological diseases on one hand, while on the other hand, cosmetic disfigurement caused by dermatological diseases is responsible for psychological distress in patients. The present study was conducted to investigate the spectrum of dermatological disorders in psychiatric patients to offer them holistic treatment and provide them with a better quality of life...

Candida albicans is a commensal found in the oral cavity. It is the most frequently encountered infection in the oral cavity which can be predisposed by a number of factors including most commonly compromised immunity, certain drugs, poor oral hygiene, and ill-fitting dentures. Clinical presentation involves whitish patches or erythema over the buccal mucosa, tongue, and palate depending on the type and occurrence of the condition. Oral physicians have a key role in the diagnosis of such lesions as they are well acquainted with their appearance and features...

Co-occurrence of paracoccidioidomycosis and strongyloidiasis in immunosuppressed patients, particularly those infected with human T-lymphotropic virus type 1/2, is infrequent. We describe the case of a Peruvian farmer from the central jungle with human T-lymphotropic virus type 1/2 infection, with 2 months of illness characterized by respiratory and gastrointestinal symptoms associated with fever, weight loss, and enlarged lymph nodes. Strongyloides stercoralis and Paracoccidioides brasiliensis were isolated in sputum and bronchoalveolar lavage samples, respectively...

BACKGROUND: Cryptosporidiosis is an opportunistic parasitic disease widely distributed worldwide. Although Cryptosporidium sp. causes asymptomatic infection in healthy people, it may lead to severe illness in immunocompromised individuals. Limited effective therapeutic alternatives are available against cryptosporidiosis in this category of patients. So, there is an urgent need for therapeutic alternatives for cryptosporidiosis. Recently, the potential uses of Eugenol (EUG) have been considered a promising novel treatment for bacterial and parasitic infections...

BACKGROUND: The Work Ability Index (WAI) is an instrument that measures work ability. The wide dispersion of the WAI internationally has led to its adaptation for use in different countries. This study aimed to evaluate the psychometric properties of the Spanish version of the WAI. METHODS: A methodological design was used over an opportunistic sample of 233 workers in the aeronautical industry in Spain. Reliability was evaluated through internal consistency. Factorial validity, known groups, and convergent validity were tested...

This review examines the complex connection between commensal microbiota and the development of opportunistic infections. Several underlying conditions, such as metabolic diseases, malignancies, and weakened immune systems, increase the vulnerability of patients to opportunistic infections. The increasing antibiotic resistance adds significant complexity to the management of infectious diseases. Although commensals have long been considered beneficial, recent research contradicts this notion by uncovering chronic illnesses linked to atypical pathogens or commensal bacteria...

Staphylococcus aureus (S. aureus) is an opportunistic gram-positive, non-motile, and non-sporulating bacteria that induces pneumonia, a provocative lung infection affecting mainly the terminal bronchioles and the small air sacs known as alveoli. Recently, it has developed antibiotic resistance to the available consortium as per the WHO reports; thereby, novel remedial targets and resilient medications to forestall and cure this illness are desperately needed. Here, using pan-genomics, a total of 1,387 core proteins were identified...

Pharmacokinetic models rarely undergo external validation in vulnerable populations such as critically ill infants, thereby limiting the accuracy, efficacy, and safety of model-informed dosing in real-world settings. Here, we describe an opportunistic approach using dried blood spots (DBS) to evaluate a population pharmacokinetic model of metronidazole in critically ill preterm infants of gestational age (GA) ≤31 weeks from the Metronidazole Pharmacokinetics in Premature Infants (PTN_METRO, NCT01222585) study...

Human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) is a major cause of death worldwide. Without appropriate antiretroviral therapy, the infection can develop into acquired immunodeficiency syndrome (AIDS). AIDS leads to the dysregulation of cell-mediated immunity resulting in increased susceptibility to opportunistic infections and excessive amounts of inflammatory cytokines. HIV-positive individuals also demonstrate diminished glutathione (GSH) levels which allows for increased viral replication and increased pro-inflammatory cytokine release, further contributing to the high rates of mortality seen in patients with HIV...

BACKGROUND: Chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) is a common disease associated with premature death. Tobacco exposure is the main risk factor, but lower socioeconomic status, early life insults, and occupational exposures are also important risk factors. Socially marginalized people, facing homelessness, substance use disorder, and mental illness, are likely to have a higher risk of developing COPD, and, furthermore, experience barriers to healthcare access and consequently poorer outcomes...

Staphylococcal scalded skin syndrome (SSSS), also known as Ritter's disease, in its severe form occurs predominantly in infants and children. It is caused by infection with group II (often phage group 71) Staphylococcus aureus. The foci of infection include nasopharynx, less commonly umbilicus, urinary tract, superficial abrasion, conjunctivae, and blood. Staphylococci are non-motile, non-spore-forming, catalase-positive, gram-positive cocci that appear predominantly as grape-like clusters. Although this organism is frequently a part of normal human microbial flora, it can cause significant opportunistic infections under certain conditions such as when extremes of age groups are involved, the presence of indwelling medical devices, and intravenous (iv) drug abuse...

The opportunistic pathogen Klebsiella pneumoniae ( K. pneumoniae ) can colonize mucosal surfaces and spread from mucosae to other tissues, causing fatal infections. Medical equipment and the healthcare setting can become colonized by Klebsiella species, which are widely distributed in nature and can be found in water, soil, and animals. Moreover, a substantial number of community-acquired illnesses are also caused by this organism worldwide. These infections are characterized by a high rate of morbidity and mortality as well as the capacity to spread metastatically...

Sepsis stands as a formidable global health challenge, with persistently elevated mortality rates in recent decades. Each year, sepsis not only contributes to heightened morbidity but also imposes substantial healthcare costs on survivors. This narrative review aims to highlight the targeted measures that can be instituted to alleviate the incidence and impact of sepsis in intensive care. Here we discuss measures to reduce nosocomial infections and the prevention of equipment and patient colonisation by resilient pathogens...

Kodamaea ohmeri is a rare opportunistic pathogen belonging to Saccharomycetes family. This yeast was also formerly known as Yamadazyma ohmeri or Pichia ohmeri. This opportunistic pathogen causes illness that typically affects people with impaired immune system. In this report, we discuss a fatal case involving a woman in her late 30s who was admitted to the hospital on the sixth day of her sickness after being given a COVID-19 Category 5A diagnosis. For COVID-19, she received subcutaneous heparin, cefuroxime, and intravenous corticosteroids...