The search for novel anti-infectives is one of the most important challenges in natural product research, as diseases caused by bacteria, viruses, and fungi are influencing the human society all over the world. Natural compounds are a continuing source of novel anti-infectives. Accordingly, curcumin, has been used for centuries in Asian traditional medicine to treat various disorders. Numerous studies have shown that curcumin possesses a wide spectrum of biological and pharmacological properties, acting, for example, as anti-inflammatory, anti-angiogenic and anti-neoplastic, while no toxicity is associated with the compound. Recently, curcumin’s antiviral and antibacterial activity was investigated, and it was shown to act against various important human pathogens like the influenza virus, hepatitis C virus, HIV and strains of Staphylococcus, Streptococcus, and Pseudomonas. Despite the potency, curcumin has not yet been approved as a therapeutic antiviral agent. This review summarizes the current knowledge and future perspectives of the antiviral, antibacterial, and antifungal effects of curcumin.

For the prevention of infectious diseases, knowledge about transmission routes is essential. In addition to respiratory, fecal–oral, and sexual transmission, the transfer of pathogens via surfaces plays a vital role for human pathogenic infections—especially nosocomial pathogens. Therefore, information about the survival of pathogens on surfaces can have direct implications on clinical measures, including hygiene guidelines and disinfection strategies. In this review, we reviewed the existing literature regarding viral, bacterial, and fungal persistence on inanimate surfaces. In particular, the current knowledge of the survival time and conditions of clinically relevant pathogens is summarized. While many pathogens persist only for hours, common nosocomial pathogens can survive for days to weeks under laboratory conditions and thereby potentially form a continuous source of transmission if no adequate inactivation procedures are performed.

The black yeast Exophiala dermatitidis is an opportunistic pathogen, causing phaeohyphomycosis in immunosuppressed patients, chromoblastomycosis and fatal infections of the central nervous system in otherwise healthy Asian patients. In addition, it is also regularly isolated from respiratory samples from cystic fibrosis patients, with rates varying between 1% and 19%. Melanin, as part of the cell wall of black yeasts, is one major factor known contributing to the pathogenicity of E. dermatitidis and increased resistance against host defense and anti-infective therapeutics. Further virulence factors, e.g. the capability to adhere to surfaces and to form biofilm were reported. A better understanding of the pathogenicity of E. dermatitidis is essential for the development of novel preventive and therapeutic strategies. In this review, the current knowledge of E. dermatitidis prevalence, clinical importance, diagnosis, microbiological characteristics, virulence attributes, susceptibility, and resistances as well as therapeutically strategies are discussed.

Background: The broad‐spectrum triazole isavuconazole is used for the treatment of invasive aspergillosis and mucormycosis. Data regarding human plasma concentrations in clinical routine of the drug are rare.Objectives: Plasma concentrations of isavuconazole were determined in critically ill ICU patients while considering different patients' characteristics.Methods: Retrospective analysis of isavuconazole plasma concentrations were obtained as part of routine therapeutic drug monitoring (TDM) of ICU patients with invasive aspergillosis or other fungal infections treated with isavuconazole. Plasma levels 0–4 h after last dosing were defined as peak levels (C_max), those 20–28 h after last dosing as trough levels (C_min).Results: Overall, 223 isavuconazole levels of 41 patients were analysed, divided into 141 peak levels and 82 trough levels. The overall median C_max was 2.36 μg/ml (mean 2.43 μg/ml, range 0.41–7.79 μg/ml) and the overall median C_min was 1.74 μg/ml (mean 1.77 μg/ml, range 0.24–4.96 μg/ml). In total, 31.7% of the C_min values of the total cohort were below the plasma target concentrations of 1 μg/ml, defined as EUCAST antifungal clinical breakpoint for Aspergillus fumigatus. Both peak and trough plasma levels of isavuconazole were significantly lower among patients with a body mass index (BMI) ≥25. In addition, a significant correlation was observed between isavuconazole trough levels and sepsis‐related organ failure assessment (SOFA) score.Conclusions: This study shows that isavuconazole plasma concentrations vary in critical ill ICU patients. Significantly lower isavuconazole levels were associated with elevated BMI and higher SOFA score indicating a need of isavuconazole TDM in this specific patient population.