Candida species are fungal pathogens known to cause a wide spectrum of diseases, and Candida albicans and Candida glabrata are the most common associated with invasive infections. A concerning aspect of invasive candidiasis is the emergence of resistant isolates, especially those highly resistant to fluconazole, the first choice of treatment for these infections. Fungal sphingolipids have been considered a potential target for new therapeutic approaches and some inhibitors have already been tested against pathogenic fungi. The present study therefore aimed to evaluate the action of two sphingolipid synthesis inhibitors, aureobasidin A and myriocin, against different C. albicans and C. glabrata strains, including clinical isolates resistant to fluconazole. Susceptibility tests of aureobasidin A and myriocin were performed using CLSI protocols, and their interaction with fluconazole was evaluated by a checkerboard protocol. All Candida strains tested were sensitive to both inhibitors. Regarding the evaluation of drug interaction, both aureobasidin A and myriocin were synergic with fluconazole, demonstrating that sphingolipid synthesis inhibition could enhance the effect of fluconazole. Thus, these results suggest that sphingolipid inhibitors in conjunction with fluconazole could be useful for treating candidiasis cases, especially those caused by fluconazole resistant isolates.

Numerous Candida species are responsible for fungal infections; however, Candida albicans stands out among the others. Treatment with fluconazole is often ineffective due to the resistance phenotype mediated by transmembrane transporters and/or biofilm formation, mechanisms of resistance commonly found in C. albicans strains. A previous study by our group demonstrated that batzelladine D can inhibit the Pdr5p transporter in Saccharomyces cerevisiae. In the present study, our aim was to investigate the efficacy of batzelladine D in inhibiting the main efflux pumps of Candida albicans, CaCdr1p and CaCdr2p, as well as to evaluate the effect of the compound on C. albicans biofilm. Assays were conducted using a clinical isolate of Candida albicans expressing both transporters. Additionally, to allow the study of each transporter, S. cerevisiae mutant strains overexpressing CaCdr1p or CaCdr2p were used. Batzelladine D was able to reverse the fluconazole resistance phenotype by acting on both transporters. The compound synergistically improved the effect of fluconazole against the clinical isolate when tested in the Caenorhabditis elegans animal model. Moreover, the compound disrupted the preformed biofilm. Based on the obtained data, the continuation of batzelladine D studies as a potential new antifungal agent and/or chemosensitizer in Candida albicans infections can be suggested.

The first cases of Zika virus infection in Colombia were reported and confirmed in October 2015. The objective of the study was estimate the seroprevalence of ZIKV infection during the pre-epidemic phase in Barranquilla, Colombia, and demonstrate the presence of virus before the Colombian ^Ministry of Health confirmed the first case. We conducted a descriptive study of the seroprevalence of Zika virus in 390 samples obtained from a blood bank located in Barranquilla, Colombia - a city endemic for dengue, and with a recent history of a Chikungunya disease epidemic. The serum pools were tested using Euroimmun ZIKV ELISA kit. Seroprevalence of Zika virus IgG were: May 2015: 0%, June and July 2015: 2.62% (95% CI = 0.28-12.13) and August 2015: 5.35% (95% CI = 1.74-16.74). This brings to our attention the need for extending the surveillance period of this virus in order to adequately assess its teratogenic effects.

Candida species are one of the most concerning causative agents of fungal infections in humans. The treatment of invasive Candida infections is based on the use of fluconazole, but the emergence of resistant isolates has been an increasing concern which has led to the study of alternative drugs with antifungal activity. Sphingolipids have been considered a promising target due to their roles in fungal growth and virulence. Inhibitors of the sphingolipid biosynthetic pathway have been described to display antifungal properties, such as myriocin and aureobasidin A, which are active against resistant Candida isolates. In the present study, aureobasidin A did not display antibiofilm activity nor synergism with amphotericin B, but its combination with fluconazole was effective against Candida biofilms and protected the host in an in vivo infection model. Alterations in treated cells revealed increased oxidative stress, reduced mitochondrial membrane potential and chitin content, as well as altered morphology, enhanced DNA leakage and a greater susceptibility to sodium dodecyl sulphate (SDS). In addition, it seems to inhibit the efflux pump CaCdr2p. All these data contribute to elucidating the role of aureobasidin A on fungal cells, especially evidencing its promising use in clinical resistant isolates of Candida species.

Chikungunya virus (CHIKV) infection is the second most widespread arboviral disease after dengue, and a significant number of patients suffer from a spectrum of chronic symptoms. Our objective was to estimate the prevalence of chronic CHIKV infection and its impact on the quality of life of patients. This cross-sectional study was carried out during the CHIKV epidemic in Colombia. For the diagnosis of CHIKV infection, clinical and laboratory criteria were used. Chronic CHIKV infection was defined as a persistence of symptoms after 3 months of the acute episode and health-related quality of life was measured using the Short Form- 36 Health Survey. We selected 290 patients with clinical criteria for CHIKV infection, 172 had positive IgG test anti-CHIKV and were analyzed in the study. The mean age of patients was 43.2 years (SD = 15.4), 128 (74.4 %) were female. Chronic CHIKV infection was documented in 149 (86.6 %, 95 %CI 80.9-91.1). The most frequent symptom was persistent join pain in 94.0 % and affected more frequently knees (67.8 %) and ankles (65.1 %). The SF-36 showed lower values in physical and mental summaries in chronic CHIKV infection compared with non-chronic disease (p value < 0.001). These results show that chronic CHIKV infection is common after an acute episode of CHIKV infection and has a significant impact on the physical and mental health of patients. Health systems must be prepared to adequately identify and care for this population.

El citomegalovirus puede causar enfermedad diseminada o localizada en personas con HIV e inmunosupresión avanzada, quienes, por lo general, son aquellos con un número de linfocitos T CD4+ menor de 50 células/mm3 que no reciben, no cumplen o no responden a la terapia antirretroviral.Este artículo reporta el caso de un paciente con HIV sin terapia antirretroviral, que fue admitido al servicio de urgencias por dolor abdominal. Durante la laparotomía, se encontró perforación del íleon, que requirió hemicolectomía derecha, anastomosis ileotransversa y drenaje por peritonitis fecaloide. En el estudio de histopatología, se documentaron múltiples inclusiones citomegálicas en células del estroma, epiteliales y endoteliales, con predomino en el íleon, en la zona de la perforación. Aunque la enfermedad por citomegalovirus del aparato digestivo es una de las complicaciones más comunes del sida, la perforación del íleon es una manifestación inusual con gran mortalidad.