Introduction: There are few studies investigating the association between BCG vaccination and atopy or asthma in adults.

Background: Candida auris screening is one of the crucial components of infection prevention and control measures to curb the spread of C. auris. However, previous research has yielded various results on the effectiveness of C. auris screening according to region, type of healthcare facility, and patient group in the various levels of endemicity. We aimed to assess the clinical effectiveness of routine C. auris screening upon admission to the intensive care unit (ICU). Methods: This retrospective study involved 3356 ICU patients during pre-screening (N = 1658, June 2020 to November 2021) and post-screening period (N = 1698, June 2022 to November 2023). Swabs for C. auris screening were taken from axilla and groin, then cultured, and identified using either matrix-assisted laser desorption/ionization-time of flight (MALDI-TOF) mass spectrometry or VITEK 2 YST identification card. We compared the positivity rates of C. auris during the pre- and post-screening period. Results: Of the 1698 patients who underwent C. auris screening, only 4 (0.2 %) tested positive. The positivity rates before and after the introduction of the screening program were 2.92 cases per 1000 patient days (36/ 12333) and 2.36 (21/8909), respectively, without significant difference (P = 0.435). Interrupted times series analysis showed no immediate (P = 0.775) or sustained (P = 0.484) effects from the screening program. Subgroup analysis of patients in the medical ICU showed similar results. Conclusions: Universal C. auris screening upon ICU admission identified a small number of cases. Instead, targeted screening and regular point prevalence surveys, along with other infection prevention and control measures may be employed. Further studies in various settings with diverse testing strategies are needed to establish the most effective approach for C. auris screening. (c) 2025 The Author(s). Published by Elsevier Ltd on behalf of King Saud Bin Abdulaziz University for Health Sciences. This is an open access article under the CC BY-NC-ND license (http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-nd/4.0/).

Vaccines against severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) have played a crucial role in mitigating the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic. However, few studies have addressed the optimal booster vaccine type in recipients of the primary series of BBIBP-CorV (an inactivated virus vaccine developed by Sinopharm). This study aimed to estimate the association between the heterologous or homologous COVID-19 vaccination and SARS-CoV-2 infection. The study enrolled healthcare personnel (HCP) who had completed two doses of BBIBP-CorV between November 2020 and September 2021. The associations between SARS-CoV-2 infection and boosters were measured using multivariable logistic regression, comparing the odds of a positive COVID-19 test result between the no booster group and booster groups (BNT162b2 {Pfizer-BioNTech COVID-19 vaccine} group and BBIBP-CorV group, respectively). A total of 495 HCP comprising 326 (65.9%) in the BNT162b2 group, 121 (24.4%) in the no booster group, and 48 (9.7%) in the BBIBP-CorV group enrolled. One hundred thirty-six cases (27.5%) tested positive for COVID-19. The odds ratios for testing positive after booster dose were 0.401 (95% CI: 0.187-0.860, p = 0.019) and 0.446 (95% CI: 0.170-1.167, p = 0.100) for BNT162b2 and BBIBP-CorV group, respectively. The BNT162b2 booster in HCP after a second dose of BBIBP-CorV, relative to no booster, and the BBIBP-CorV booster, was associated with protection against laboratory-confirmed COVID-19.

Park SS, et al. J Korean Rheum Assoc. 2010 Jun;17(2):183-187. https://doi.org/10.4078/jkra.2010.17.2.183

Candidozyma auris (formerly Candida auris) is frequently multidrug-resistant, resulting in limited treatment options and high mortality. Comparable mortality between C. auris candidemia and non-C. auris candidemia in recent studies requires confirmation in the Middle East after adjustment for confounders. This study aimed to compare mortality rates between patients with candidemia by C. auris and non-C. auris Candida species. We retrospectively analyzed 94 cases with candidemia between January 2019 and October 2025, including C. auris candidemia (n = 30) and non-C. auris candidemia (n = 64). Inverse probability weighting was used to balance baseline confounders between groups. The primary analysis used a weighted Cox proportional hazards model. Patients in the C. auris group had more comorbidities, greater healthcare exposure, and longer hospital stays. Crude 30-day all-cause cumulative mortality was comparable between the C. auris and non-C. auris groups (log-rank test, p = 0.8). The 30-day mortality of C. auris candidemia was similar to that of non-C. auris candidemia (adjusted HR 0.40; 95% CI 0.16–1.04; p = 0.060). Large multicenter studies involving diverse populations across different regions are warranted to validate these findings.