Eurosurveillance - Volume 30, Issue 11, 20 March 2025

Staphylococcus haemolyticus (SH) is an opportunistic pathogen associated with nosocomial infections, particularly bacteraemia in neonates. Epidemiological trends and genetic diversity of these infections worldwide are largely unknown.

To investigate an increase in SH vascular catheter-related bacteraemia in neonates and describe the molecular epidemiology in France between 2019 and 2023.

We analysed clinical and microbiological surveillance data from the French national surveillance network for central catheter-related (venous and umbilical) infections between 2019 and 2023. We also performed genomic and phylogenetic analyses of 496 strains isolated both inside (n = 383 from neonates, staff and environmental samples) and outside (n = 113 from adults) the neonatal intensive care unit (NICU) settings.

The proportion of SH among the 474 reported cases of nosocomial bacteraemia increased from about 20% to 30% over 5 years, mainly affecting very low birth weight preterm neonates (≤ 1,500 g). The ST29 sequence type (ST) not prevalent in previous studies was predominant, accounting for 74% of NICU strains. ST29 was characterised by phenotypic multidrug resistance to at least six classes of antibiotics (oxacillin, quinolones, gentamicin, cotrimoxazole, clindamycin and rifampicin), which distinguished it with good sensitivity and specificity from other prevalent multidrug-resistant STs identified (ST1 and ST25). ST29 strains more frequently harboured the drfG, vga-LC and mupA genes and a triple point mutation (D471E, I527M and S532N) in the rpoB gene.

The present study highlights the success of a highly resistant ST29 lineage in French NICUs mainly affecting very low birth weight premature neonates.

As tuberculosis (TB) incidence rates decrease faster in native than migrant populations in European countries, addressing migrant health becomes increasingly important in TB programmes.

To inform European TB prevention and control policies, we analysed data on TB in migrants in low TB-incidence European countries (TB incidence < 10/100,000 population) during 2014–2020 by migrant origin, destination, and recent vs non-recent immigration.

Data on migrant TB patients were derived from the European Surveillance System (TESSy) and data on migrant populations from Eurostat or national statistical offices. We calculated annual migrant TB crude incidence rates (CIRs) per country of origin, destination country and year, for all migrants with TB and recently arrived migrants with TB, the latter defined by TB diagnosis within 1 year after arrival in the destination country.

In 2014–2020, 104,371 migrants with TB were reported to TESSy by 20 destination countries. Average annual migrant CIRs were highest in the United Kingdom (43/100,000). Origin countries of most migrant TB patients were India (n = 9,561), Romania (n = 8,345), and Pakistan (n = 7,300). The highest CIRs were found among migrants from Eritrea (480/100,000), Somalia (414/100,000) and The Gambia (343/100,000), and were higher than estimated World Health Organization incidences for those countries. The CIRs among recently arrived migrants appeared higher than in the overall migrant population.

We found substantially higher CIRs in certain migrant subpopulations than others. TB rates in recent migrants appeared to be up to 11 times higher than in corresponding origin countries. Tailored and regularly adapted TB prevention and control strategies are needed.

Malaria is primarily transmitted through mosquito bites; occasionally, direct transmission through blood has been reported. Healthcare-associated infections refer to infections acquired in a hospital or another healthcare setting.

This systematic review aims to explore determinants of healthcare-associated malaria (HAM) cases.

This review follows the PRISMA guidelines and was registered in PROSPERO (CRD42022309701). We searched five databases for publications on HAM cases published between 1 January 2000 and 7 December 2023. We initiated a data call for HAM cases to public health authorities from 37 European countries. We performed a backward and forward search, reviewed health authorities’ websites, performed searches on Google and the European Scientific Conference on Applied Infectious Disease Epidemiology (ESCAIDE) conference abstracts book.

We identified 37 studies on HAM comprising 55 HAM cases, of which 35 (64%) were infected in Europe, primarily in Spain (nine cases), France and Italy (seven cases each). All cases were infected with Plasmodium falciparum except one individual. Fifty HAM cases were hospital inpatients and five were healthcare workers. Five patients died. Flushing of vascular catheters with contaminated heparin/saline solution and manipulation of intravenous catheters were the most frequently reported procedures leading to infection among patients.

While rare, HAM transmission can be fatal. Healthcare-associated malaria is preventable through strict adherence to infection prevention and control procedures. Despite extensive investigations, the procedure leading to infection often remained unknown, highlighting the complexity of investigations. Guidance and protocols for conducting investigations may improve the success rate of such inquiries.

Ambient temperature may affect respiratory health, while the temperature sensitivity of respiratory infections may be pathogen-dependent.

We sought to explore pathogen-specific associations between ambient temperature and respiratory infections.

We searched nine databases for a random-effects meta-analysis to pool the relative risk (RR) of respiratory infection by pathogen per 1° C temperature rise, compared to populations unexposed to the same temperature. We conducted pathogen-specific analyses, sensitivity analyses, subgroup analyses and meta-regression.

A total of 137 studies were eligible for meta-analysis. The pooled and single-study estimates revealed that the incidence of respiratory syncytial virus (RR = 0.14; 95% confidence interval (CI): 0.09–0.23), influenza virus (IV) (RR = 0.40; 95% CI: 0.27–0.61), human metapneumovirus (RR = 0.48; 95% CI: 0.32–0.73), human coronavirus (HCoV) (RR = 0.21; 95% CI: 0.07–0.61) and SARS-CoV-2 (RR = 0.52; 95% CI: 0.35–0.78) decreased per 1° C temperature rise, while that of human parainfluenza virus (HPIV) (RR = 2.35; 95% CI: 1.46–3.77), human bocavirus (HBoV) (RR = 1.86; 95% CI: 1.04–3.32) and MERS-CoV (RR = 1.05; 95% CI: 1.04–1.07) increased. The risk of infection was lower for IVA, IVB, HCoV-229E and HCoV-OC43, while HPIV-3, and HBoV-1 were at increased risk. The risk of Streptococcus pyogenes pharyngitis (RR = 0.46; 95% CI: 0.30–0.69) decreased per 1° C temperature rise, while Pseudomonas aeruginosa (RR = 1.04; 95% CI: 1.03–1.05) and Legionella pneumophila infections (RR = 2.69; 95% CI: 1.11–6.53) increased.

Temperature sensitivity of respiratory infections can vary with the specific pathogen type and subtype that causes the infection. As the climatic conditions will become warmer, public health policy makers should act to develop pathogen adaptation strategies.