Introduction. The objective of the present study was to compare the suitability of the B BACTEC (TM) Lytic/10 Anaerobic/F versus B BACTEC (TM) Plus Aerobic/F vials at the time of both Enterobacteriaceae recovery rate and detection time. Material and methods. Prospective observational study from September 2018 to January 2019 in which 150 bacteremia. The samples were incubated in the automated BD BACTEC (TM) FX system (Becton Dickison). Results. A total of 180 Enterobacteriaceae were isolated: 93 B BACTEC (TM) Plus Aerobic/F and 87 from B BACTEC (TM) Lytic/10 Anaerobic/F belonging to 106 patients The urinary focus was the most frequent origin. The average detection time in both cases was not more than 15 hours. Conclusion. The combination of both bottles seems to be the best diagnostic strategy, thus reducing the detection time as well as increasing the recovery of Enterobacteriaceae. The combination of both vials could be implemented especially in selected situation of special urgency such as the sepsis code or critical patients.

Objective: To investigate the urethral carriage rate of Haemophilus parainfluenzae isolated in men who have sex with men and to describe the clinical characteristics of carriers. We performed an analysis of the resistance determinants, virulence factors and the genetic phylogeny of the isolates. Methods: Clinical data were obtained from 234 patients attending the infectious diseases unit at the Álvaro Cunqueiro Hospital (Vigo, Spain) between 2021 and 2023. H. parainfluenzae isolated in urethral samples was subjected to antimicrobial susceptibility testing and whole-genome sequencing. Results: The urethral carriage rate was 25%. None of the risk factors studied (received antimicrobial therapy in the previous month, HIV status, Pre-Exposure Prophylaxis (PrEP) use and age) were related to a higher carriage rate. Neither multidrug-resistant (MDR), the presence of a capsule, nor virulence factors were useful to distinguish asymptomatic carriage from acute urethritis (urethral discharge, dysuria, irritation). Nearly half the isolates (48%) met the criteria for MDR. Furthermore, the bla _CTXM-15 gene was found in two isolates that were highly resistant to ceftriaxone (CRO). The other 22 CRO-resistant strains had low minimum inhibitory concentrations and showed alterations in the transpeptidase domain of penicillin-binding protein 3. Moreover, resistance to CRO was high (37%). Most of our urethral strains grouped into one cluster, and this difference was statistically significant when the phylogenetic analysis was performed with samples from different anatomical origins. Conclusions: The increase in H. parainfluenzae strains isolated in the urethra belonging to only one cluster is worrying. Moreover, the isolation of strains increasingly resistant to different groups of antimicrobials highlights the need for close monitoring of the evolution of resistance and the transmission of these resistant strains in the future. Larger studies should be planned to establish the epidemiological relevance of these difficult-to-treat MDR bacteria.

Gastroenteritis remains a leading cause of morbidity worldwide. Although conventional stool culture and microscopy are considered the reference standards for diagnosis, they are time-consuming and their performance may be affected by prior antibiotic use. Molecular syndromic panels offer a rapid alternative for the simultaneous detection of a wide range of gastrointestinal pathogens. Objective: This study aimed to evaluate the diagnostic performance and clinical utility of two molecular syndromic panels, the Seegene Allplex™ Gastrointestinal Multiplex PCR Assay on the automated STARlet AIOS platform (SGN) and the Luminex NxTAG® Gastrointestinal Pathogen Panel (LMX), using stool specimens collected in Cary-Blair medium, compared with conventional diagnostic methods. Methods: A total of 124 stool specimens from patients with suspected gastrointestinal infection were analyzed. Diagnostic performance and inter-method agreement were assessed using Positive Percent Agreement (PPA), Negative Percent Agreement (NPA), and Cohen's kappa (κ), both before and after comparison with the reference standard (stool culture and microscopy). Results: Both molecular methods significantly increased pathogen detection, identifying 19 additional pathogens with SGN and 38 with LMX compared with the reference standard. Overall agreement between the two molecular assays was excellent (κ ≥ 0.80), although lower concordance was observed for Salmonella spp. (κ = 0.20) and Adenovirus (κ = 0.65). LMX showed 100% sensitivity for Salmonella spp. but generated a high number of unconfirmed positive results. Both platforms doubled the detection rate of Giardia lamblia compared with microscopy. Conclusion: Both molecular platforms are robust tools for the rapid detection of gastrointestinal pathogens, significantly improving diagnostic yield and supporting earlier clinical decision-making. However, unconfirmed positive results should be interpreted with caution and correlated with clinical findings. A combined diagnostic strategy, using rapid multiplex PCR screening alongside conventional methods, may provide the greatest clinical value by integrating rapid pathogen detection with antimicrobial susceptibility testing and the probability of epidemiological surveillance.

Introduction. The Autonomous Community of Galicia has adopted DECREE 216/2011 on health standards for poultry production, in addition to the Spanish national programs. However, no program has yet been implemented to eradicate campylobacteriosis, which shares the same reservoir. The aim of this study was to compare the evolution of Salmonella spp. isolates with respect to those of Campylobacter spp. in faecal samples received by the Microbiology Department. Material and methods. A retrospective descriptive comparative study was conducted through the Laboratory Information System (SIL) of Salmonella spp. isolated against Campylobacter spp. in faeces between 2011 and 2022 at the Lucus Augusti University Hospital (HULA), Lugo, Spain. Results. A total of 35,704 stool samples were analysed, of which 3,045 were positive. 751 Salmonella spp. were isolated. Statistical differences were observed in the annual distribution (p<0.01), with a clear turning point in 2018. Five hundred and five patients required hospital care, especially in 2014 with 72 patients (69%). On the other hand, 1,587 Campylobacter spp. were isolated. Required hospital care 1,002 patients during the study, with a peak in 2019 with 111 cases (62%) Conclusion. The reduction of salmonellosis cases and the maintenance of campylobacteriosis cases are directly related to the implementation of DECREE 216/2011. This, in turn, has reduced the pressure on hospitals in the HULA health area. Therefore, we believe that the ONE Health concept is being strengthened in the area studied.