Candida auris is a fungus with pathogenic potential, first isolated in 2009 in Japan. Since then, sporadic cases have been reported, which have increased significantly in recent years. In Bulgaria, for the first time in 2025, we described almost simultaneously three cases with Candida auris strains isolated from hospitalized patients. All of them were immunocompromised, mainly with cardiovascular problems, but in none of them a fungal isolate from blood stream was obtained. It is probably a question of colonization. In the National Reference Laboratory of Mycoses at the NCIPD, Candida auris fungal strains were confirmed and tested for susceptibility to antifungals. All showed resistance to Fluconazole. Given the frequent misidentification of Candida auris, adequate microbiological examination and subsequent appropriate antifungal therapy are necessary, because this fungus is associated with a high mortality rate in immunocompromised individuals, even with initiated treatment.
Infectious diseases are the leading cause of mortality in children in tropical countries. Co-infections are also common in tropical countries like India. Superimposition of the clinical features of dual infection, may cause diagnostic difficulties to the treating clinician. In India there has been a resurgence of Influenza A (H1N1) pdm09 throughout all states since a decade. At the same time, varicella outbreaks are also common in India. As both infections are endemic in India, it is possible that a child can be simultaneously infected with both infections. We are reporting a 2-year old child who presented with varicella infection and developed respiratory symptoms after admission. In view of an outbreak, a nasopharyngeal swab reverse transcriptase polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR) for influenza was done and Influenza A (H1N1) pdm09 was detected.
House flies (Musca domestica) are ubiquitous vectors of pathogens, including intestinal parasites, posing significant public health risks. This study aimed to investigate the prevalence of parasitic contamination in house flies collected from various sites in Thi-Qar province, Iraq, using direct microscopic examination and molecular techniques. A total of 500 flies were collected from butchers, fish and chicken shops, garbage sites, vegetable stores, and residential houses. Direct microscopy revealed that 60% (300/500) of flies were contaminated with parasites, while 40% (200/500) were parasite-free. The external surfaces of flies showed higher contamination (41%) compared to internal contents (19%). Molecular detection via conventional PCR targeting the small subunit ribosomal RNA (SSU rRNA) gene was employed for Entamoeba histolytica, Giardiaintestinalis, Microsporidium sp., Cryptosporidium sp., Cyclospora sp., and Cystoisospora sp. The most prevalent parasite was E. histolytica (36%), followed by Microsporidium sp. (24.7%) and Cryptosporidium sp. (17%). This study highlights the role of house flies in transmitting parasitic infections and underscores the need for improved sanitation and vector control measures in urban and periurban environments.
Scabies, a highly contagious skin disease that can cause serious complications for people who are infected, is caused by an overgrowth of the Sarcoptes scabiei mite. The aim of this study is to investigate the prevalence of scabies infestation among patients presenting Hospital in Duhok City, and its relation with age, gender and seasonal variations. A total of 1450 patients were infested with scabies, with the highest prevalence observed in females (50.89%). The most infested age group was 1-15 years in children, and above 45 years in the elderly. The lowest incidence was recorded in the 16-30 age group. Seasonal analysis showed the highest infestation rate in winter (33.17%) and the lowest in summer (18.55%). According to this study, we can conclude that the adequate health education and preventive measures against scabies infestation are very important.
Background: Leptospirosis is a zooanthroponosis with natural outbreaks, of great significance for public health worldwide. According to data from the latest ECDC report, there are 765 confirmed cases of leptospirosis in Europe. Human cases of leptospirosis in Bulgaria have been reported since 1952. A trend towards a decrease in the number of registered cases of leptospirosis in our country has been observed in the last two decades. This study was focused on the analysis of circulating serovars of the genus Leptospira and their distribution, and epidemiological characteristics of laboratory confirmed cases of human leptospirosis for a tеn-year period (2014-2023). It was interesting to reveal the relationship between clinical symptoms, transmission mode and sources of infection, and to assess the status of the problem in our country. Material and methods: A total of 1152 samples suspected of leptospirosis collected from all regions of the country, were tested by MAT analysis. Of them, paired blood samples (at the beginning of the infection and during the convalescent phase) were taken from 62 patients and were examined by PCR (nested and real time). Suspensions of live serovars from 9 different Leptospira serogroups known to circulate in Bulgaria were used as antigens. Results: Average annual incidence of the disease was 0.16/100,000 population. The overall case fatality rate was 4.3 % in this period. Analysis of case distribution according to sex showed a high predominance of male patients -75/93 (80.65%), from the age group 50-59 years. Serogroup Icterohaemorrhagiae had the leading aetiological role in 2015-2023, but in 2014 Sejroe was the most commonly detected serogroup. The highest incidence was observed in the district of Sofia city, and far fewer cases were registered in Shumen, Montana, Bourgas and Pleven. The monthly distribution of leptospirosis cases showed that most of the cases appeared in summer and fall with a peak incidence in late summer and early autumn. Analysis of the possible mode of transmission showed that the infection was acquired mainly through occupational exposure (70.67% of cases), mostly livestock farming. Rats were the main risk factor to contract leptospirosis during this period (38.67% of cases). Data analysis showed that 44.08% of the patients suffered from severe disease (Weil’s disease). Acute renal failure, diagnosed in 36.56% , was the main cause for fatality, which was noted also in the previous studies. Anicteric cases (55.91%) had a milder course, in most cases shown to occur as a self-limiting flu-like infection. Conclusions: The results from this ten-year period show that leptospirosis in Bulgaria is an infection with limited distribution, but the risk of leptospirosis should not be underestimated. The development of real-time PCR method for rapid diagnosis of leptospirosis is very important for the diagnosis of individual cases or during outbreak situations.
