Journal of Clinical Microbiology and Infectious Diseases

Comparison between cytomegalovirus and HIV viral load among HIV patient who underwent antiretroviral therapy

2025-05-09T03:38:22+00:00

Introduction: Cytomegalovirus (CMV) is one of the most prevalent viral infections in humans. The prevalence is approximately 20 percent among children and nearly 100 percent among adults. Among immunocompetent individuals, CMV infection remains predominantly asymptomatic. However, in immunocompromised patients such as people with HIV (PWH), it can cause end-organ diseases that may be life-threatening. With the increasing administration of antiretroviral therapy (ART), HIV infection can be controlled, and complications from CMV infection have been decreasing. One critical method for monitoring CMV infection is identifying CMV viremia. This study aims to investigate whether CMV viremia persists in PWH undergoing ART and to explore its relationship with HIV viral load. The research seeks to provide insights to guide clinical management of CMV reactivation in this patient population

Methods: This cross-sectional study analysed archived plasma samples to detect and compare CMV viral load and HIV viral load among PWH undergoing ART. The samples were archived biological materials collected for HIV viral load detection. All samples were previously tested by PCR to detect CMV. Data were analysed using the Mann-Whitney test and Spearman correlation test.

Result: Among 67 total samples, seven were identified as CMV positive, displaying various viral load concentrations. Analysis using the Mann-Whitney test demonstrated a statistically significant difference between variables, while the Spearman correlation test showed no correlation between them. This indicated that CMV viremia may not be directly influenced by HIV infection.

Conclusion: Despite the significant difference between variables, the CMV viral load among PWH undergoing ART was not correlated with HIV viral load status. These findings suggest that CMV monitoring should be considered independently of HIV viral load status. However, the limited sample size suggests caution in generalizing these findings.

Demographic influence on COVID-19 reinfection at the Integrated Laboratory of Syarif Hidayatullah State Islamic University Jakarta

2025-05-05T00:15:57+00:00

Background: COVID-19 can reinfect the same person, or it can be called reinfection. Reinfection that occurs has a slightly higher severity level, characterised by the need for ventilation and intensive care in the ICU, than the first infection. This study aimed to determine the influence of demographics on COVID-19 reinfection cases in the Integrated Laboratory of the Faculty of Medicine, Syarif Hidayatullah State Islamic University Jakarta, in 2020-2022.

Methods: The study was an observational analytical study using a cross-sectional design conducted on patients in the Integrated Laboratory of the Faculty of Medicine, Syarif Hidayatullah State Islamic University Jakarta, who were selected by consecutive sampling.

Results: The study aims to understand the relationship between gender, age, occupation, blood type, and source of sample with cases of COVID-19 reinfection. This study collected 396 samples. It was found that the majority of samples had the characteristics of women (57.8%), young adults (35.9%), unknown occupation (45.7%), unknown blood type (39.4%), hospital patients (90.2%), and experienced reinfection (31.8%). The results of the bivariate analysis showed a significant relationship between gender and age with cases of COVID-19 reinfection.

Conclusions: A significant relationship was found between gender and age with cases of COVID-19 reinfection at the Integrated Laboratory of the Faculty of Medicine, Syarif Hidayatullah State Islamic University Jakarta.

Outbreak of Candida lusitaniae bloodstream infection in neonatal intensive care unit: case series

2025-05-01T21:08:00+00:00

Introduction: Neonatal sepsis remains a significant health challenge, particularly in low- and middle-income countries (LMICs), where inadequate healthcare infrastructure and sanitation contribute to its high incidence. Sepsis is defined as life-threatening organ dysfunction resulting from a dysregulated immune response to infection. Neonates are particularly vulnerable due to immature immune systems. Candida species, especially Candida albicans and Candida parapsilosis, are common pathogens, but Candida lusitaniae has also emerged as a notable cause of neonatal sepsis, with increased resistance to Amphotericin B. This case series highlights an outbreak of Candida lusitaniae bloodstream infections in a neonatal intensive care unit (NICU), emphasizing the diagnostic and management challenges of rare fungal infections.

Case Description: In this report, we describe five neonatal sepsis cases caused by Candida lusitaniae in our NICU. All patients exhibited respiratory distress, pneumonia, and elevated procalcitonin levels, and were treated with Voriconazole. The neonates had varying risk factors, including prematurity, low birth weight, and asphyxia. Blood cultures identified Candida lusitaniae in all cases, with susceptibility testing confirming sensitivity to Voriconazole, Amphotericin B, and Flucytosine. Environmental sampling revealed contamination in the NICU, specifically from a sink, suggesting nosocomial transmission. In response, the NICU was decontaminated, infection control protocols were reinforced, and environmental surveillance was intensified. All patients improved clinically and were discharged without major complications, except for mild encephalopathy in one case.

Conclusion: This outbreak underlines the importance of timely identification and appropriate therapy in managing rare fungal infections in neonates. It also highlights the critical role of environmental sources in nosocomial infections and the need for robust infection control measures in NICUs. Strict infection prevention strategies, including enhanced cleaning, staff training, and surveillance, are essential to preventing such outbreaks in high-risk settings.