The cobas® Liat® Influenza A/B and respiratory syncytial virus assay was tested on nasopharyngeal aspirates. The resolution of invalid samples was performed using a preanalytical step. cobas® Liat® can be used on nasopharyngeal aspirates with a preanalytical processing step, with a slightly diminished performances in detecting respiratory syncytial virus but not for influenza.

Some studies suggest that the monovalent mRNA-1273 vaccine is more effective than BNT162b2 in producing higher levels of antibodies. However, limited data are available, and the methods used are not directly comparable. Blood samples were obtained before the booster (third dose) and after 14, 90, and 180 days in two similar cohorts who received the original BNT162b2 or mRNA-1273 vaccine designed to target wild type SARS-CoV-2. The aim of our study is to compare their effectiveness by assessing the levels of binding and neutralizing antibodies specifically against each of the BA.1 variant, BA.5 variant, and the XBB.1.5 subvariant. Once the peak was reached after two weeks, a drastic decline in binding and neutralizing antibodies was observed up to 6 months after the homologous booster administration. The humoral response was however more sustained with the mRNA-1273 booster, with half-lives of 167, 55, and 48 days for binding, BA.1, and BA.5 neutralizing antibodies compared to 144, 30, and 29 days for the BNT162b2 booster, respectively. Compared to the BA.1 variant, the neutralizing capacity was significantly decreased at 6 months with the BA.5 variant (fold-decrease: 1.67 to 3.20) and the XBB.1.5. subvariant (fold-decrease: 2.86 to 5.48). Although the decrease in the humoral response was observed with both mRNA vaccines over time, a more sustained response was observed with the mRNA-1273 vaccine. Moreover, the emergence of Omicron-based variants causes a reduced neutralizing capacity, notably with the XBB.1.5. subvariant. The administration of subsequent boosters would therefore be needed to restore a sufficiently high neutralizing response.

Antenatal screening for Group B Streptococcus (GBS) does not always reflect intrapartum colonisation status, and rapid molecular point-of-care tests (POCT) have been developed to enable real-time detection during labour. This prospective single-centre study evaluated the performance of six molecular assays (easyNat, FlashDetect, GenDx, GenPad, iPonatic, Revogene) and one antigen-based test (TZcheck) for intrapartum GBS detection under real-world conditions. Vaginal–rectal swabs were collected at admission from 104 women at ≥ 37 weeks of gestation and tested directly without prior enrichment, using conventional intrapartum culture as the reference standard. Diagnostic performance varied substantially across platforms, with positive percent agreement ranging from 0.0% to 80.6%, while negative percent agreement was generally high, except for GenDx. Seven culture-positive samples yielded negative results across all molecular assays, while one sample was consistently positive across multiple molecular platforms despite negative culture. Exploratory observations suggest that differences in lysis procedures may contribute to variability in assay performance, although this could not be formally assessed. These findings highlight the variability of intrapartum molecular POCT under routine conditions and underscore the need for cautious clinical interpretation and local validation prior to implementation.

Cat bites frequently lead to polymicrobial infections due to deep puncture wounds that inoculate oral flora into poorly oxygenated tissues. While Pasteurella multocida is the most commonly implicated organism, environmental and atypical pathogens may also play a role, yet often go unrecognized. This article reports a rare case of polymicrobial septic arthritis caused by a domestic cat bite in an immunocompetent adult, with isolation of Rahnella aquatilis, a freshwater-associated Enterobacterales species not previously reported in this context. A 33-year-old immunocompetent male presented with acute hand swelling, pain, and functional impairment within 24 h of the bite. Emergency surgery revealed purulent tenosynovitis and arthritis. Intraoperative cultures identified R. aquatilis, P. multocida, and Pantoea agglomerans. Identification was performed using MALDI-TOF MS. The R. aquatilis isolate was susceptible to beta-lactams (excluding ampicillin), quinolones, and co-trimoxazole. The patient received amoxicillin–clavulanic acid and fully recovered within two weeks. This is the first reported case of joint infection involving R. aquatilis following a cat bite. It highlights the importance of considering environmental Enterobacterales in animal bite wounds, and the utility of advanced microbiological tools for detecting uncommon pathogens. Broader awareness may improve diagnosis and guide targeted therapy in polymicrobial infections.