Salmonella enterica infections are transmitted not only by animal-derived foods but also by vegetables, fruits, and other plant products. To clarify links between Salmonella serotypes and specific foods, we examined the diversity and predominance of food commodities implicated in outbreaks of salmonellosis during 1998–2008. More than 80% of outbreaks caused by serotypes Enteritidis, Heidelberg, and Hadar were attributed to eggs or poultry, whereas >50% of outbreaks caused by serotypes Javiana, Litchfield, Mbandaka, Muenchen, Poona, and Senftenberg were attributed to plant commodities. Serotypes Typhimurium and Newport were associated with a wide variety of food commodities. Knowledge about these associations can help guide outbreak investigations and control measures.

This report characterizes a cohort of hospitalized adults with coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) in Georgia in which black patients were overrepresented and one in four hospitalized patients had no recognized risk factors for severe COVID-19.

Listeriamonocytogenes ( Lm ) causes severe foodborne illness (listeriosis). Previous molecular subtyping methods, such as pulsed-field gel electrophoresis (PFGE), were critical in detecting outbreaks that led to food safety improvements and declining incidence, but PFGE provides limited genetic resolution. A multiagency collaboration began performing real-time, whole-genome sequencing (WGS) on all US Lm isolates from patients, food, and the environment in September 2013, posting sequencing data into a public repository. Compared with the year before the project began, WGS, combined with epidemiologic and product trace-back data, detected more listeriosis clusters and solved more outbreaks (2 outbreaks in pre-WGS year, 5 in WGS year 1, and 9 in year 2). Whole-genome multilocus sequence typing and single nucleotide polymorphism analyses provided equivalent phylogenetic relationships relevant to investigations; results were most useful when interpreted in context of epidemiological data. WGS has transformed listeriosis outbreak surveillance and is being implemented for other foodborne pathogens.

Candida auris is an emerging fungal threat that has been spreading in the United States since it was first reported in 2016. To describe recent changes in the U.S. epidemiology of C auris occurring from 2019 to 2021. Description of national surveillance data. United States. Persons with any specimen that was positive for C auris. Case counts reported to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention by health departments, volume of colonization screening, and antifungal susceptibility results were aggregated and compared over time and by geographic region. A total of 3270 clinical cases and 7413 screening cases of C auris were reported in the United States through 31 December 2021. The percentage increase in clinical cases grew each year, from a 44% increase in 2019 to a 95% increase in 2021. Colonization screening volume and screening cases increased in 2021 by more than 80% and more than 200%, respectively. From 2019 to 2021, 17 states identified their first C auris case. The number of C auris cases that were resistant to echinocandins in 2021 was about 3 times that in each of the previous 2 years. Identification of screening cases depends on screening that is done on the basis of need and available resources. Screening is not conducted uniformly across the United States, so the true burden of C auris cases may be underestimated. C auris cases and transmission have risen in recent years, with a dramatic increase in 2021. The rise in echinocandin-resistant cases and evidence of transmission is particularly concerning because echinocandins are first-line therapy for invasive Candida infections, including C auris. These findings highlight the need for improved detection and infection control practices to prevent spread of C auris. None.

Candida auris is an emerging multidrug-resistant yeast first described in 2009 that has since caused healthcare-associated outbreaks of severe human infections around the world. In some hospitals, it has become a leading cause of invasive candidiasis. C. auris is markedly different from most other pathogenic Candida species in its genetics, antifungal resistance, and ability to spread between patients. The reasons why this fungus began spreading widely in the last decade remain a mystery. We examine available data on C. auris and related species, including genomic epidemiology, phenotypic characteristics, and sites of detection, to put forth hypotheses on its possible origins. C. auris has not been detected in the natural environment; related species have been detected in in plants, insects, and aquatic environments, as well as from human body sites. It can tolerate hypersaline environments and higher temperatures than most Candida species. We explore hypotheses about the pre-emergence niche of C. auris, whether in the environmental or human microbiome, and speculate on factors that might have led to its spread, including the possible roles of healthcare, antifungal use, and environmental changes, including human activities that might have expanded its presence in the environment or caused increased human contact.

Cat-transmitted sporotrichosis caused by Sporothrix brasiliensis has become a major public health concern and presents a distinct divergence from the traditional epidemiology of sporotrichosis. This emerging fungal pathogen spreads readily among cat populations, and human infections occur exclusively via zoonotic transmission. While sporotrichosis is an implantation mycosis that typically manifests as cutaneous lesions in humans and cats, severe extracutaneous manifestations are more common with S. brasiliensis than other Sporothrix species infections. Rapid diagnosis and appropriate treatment regimens are critical for successful clinical resolution of sporotrichosis in both cats and humans. Species-level identification of Sporothrix is possible with molecular diagnostics and necessary for tracking the geographic expansion of S. brasiliensis and better understanding its epidemiology. Combatting cat-transmitted sporotrichosis requires a One Health approach to successfully implement public health control measures.