Eurosurveillance

Eurosurveillance - Current Issue -Volume 29, Issue 26, 27/Jun/2024

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Rapid communication
- - Oropouche fever cases diagnosed in Italy in two epidemiologically non-related travellers from Cuba, late May to early June 2024
    
    Concetta Castilletti , Antonio Mori , Andrea Matucci , Niccolò Ronzoni , Lukas Van Duffel , Giada Rossini , Pietro Sponga , Maria Luca D’Errico , Paola Rodari , Francesco Cristini , Ralph Huits and Federico Giovanni Gobbi
    
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    Oropouche fever is caused by Oropouche virus (OROV), transmitted primarily through the bite of infected midges, particularly of the genus Culicoides. The virus is mainly circulating in Central and South America where several countries reported an ongoing outbreak. We report here two imported cases of OROV infection identified in Italy, late May–early June 2024. These cases indicate that in the shadow of a massive dengue outbreak in the Americas, the Oropouche outbreak might be more widespread than previously estimated.
    
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Outbreaks
- - Nosocomial outbreak caused by disinfectant-resistant Serratia marcescens in an adult intensive care unit, Hungary, February to March 2022
    
    Adrienn Hanczvikkel , Ákos Tóth , Irén Anna Kopcsóné Németh , Orsolya Bazsó , Lőrinc Závorszky , Lilla Buzgó , Virág Lesinszki , Dániel Göbhardter , Erika Ungvári , Ivelina Damjanova , Attila Erőss and Ágnes Hajdu
    
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    In 2022, an outbreak with severe bloodstream infections caused by Serratia marcescens occurred in an adult intensive care unit (ICU) in Hungary. Eight cases, five of whom died, were detected. Initial control measures could not stop the outbreak. We conducted a matched case–control study. In univariable analysis, the cases were more likely to be located around one sink in the ICU and had more medical procedures and medications than the controls, however, the multivariable analysis was not conclusive. Isolates from blood cultures of the cases and the ICU environment were closely related by whole genome sequencing and resistant or tolerant against the quaternary ammonium compound surface disinfectant used in the ICU. Thus, S. marcescens was able to survive in the environment despite regular cleaning and disinfection. The hospital replaced the disinfectant with another one, tightened the cleaning protocol and strengthened hand hygiene compliance among the healthcare workers. Together, these control measures have proved effective to prevent new cases. Our results highlight the importance of multidisciplinary outbreak investigations, including environmental sampling, molecular typing and testing for disinfectant resistance.
    
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Research
- - A longitudinal study on SARS-CoV-2 seroconversion, reinfection and neutralisation spanning several variant waves and vaccination campaigns, Heinsberg, Germany, April 2020 to November 2022
    
    Bianca Schulte , Enrico Richter , Antonia Büning , Maximilian Baum , Annika Breuer , Jasmin Zorn , Julia König , Melanie Geiger , Monika Eschbach-Bludau , Johanna Heuser , Dominik Zölzer , Marek Korencak , Ronja Hollstein , Eva Beins , Dorian Emmert , Souhaib Aldabbagh , Anna Maria Eis-Hübinger and Hendrik Streeck
    
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    Background
    Since its emergence in December 2019, over 700 million people worldwide have been infected with SARS-CoV-2 up to May 2024. While early rollout of mRNA vaccines against COVID-19 has saved many lives, there was increasing immune escape of new virus variants. Longitudinal monitoring of population-wide SARS-CoV-2 antibody responses from regular sample collection irrespective of symptoms provides representative data on infection and seroconversion/seroreversion rates.
    
    Aim
    To examine adaptive and cellular immune responses of a German SARS-CoV-2 outbreak cohort through several waves of infection with different virus variants.
    
    Methods
    Utilising a 31-month longitudinal seroepidemiological study (n = 1,446; mean age: 50 years, range: 2–103) initiated during the first SARS-CoV-2 superspreading event (February 2020) in Heinsberg, Germany, we analysed acute infection, seroconversion and virus neutralisation at five follow-up visits between October 2020 and November 2022; cellular and cross-protective immunity against SARS-CoV-2 Omicron variants were also examined.
    
    Results
    SARS-CoV-2 spike (S)-specific IgAs decreased shortly after infection, while IgGs remained stable. Both increased significantly after vaccination. We predict an 18-month half-life of S IgGs upon infection. Nucleocapsid (N)-specific responses declined over 12 months post-infection but increased (p < 0.0001) during Omicron. Frequencies of SARS-CoV-2-specific TNF-alpha⁺/IFN-gamma⁺ CD4⁺ T-cells declined over 12 months after infection (p < 0.01). SARS-CoV-2 S antibodies and neutralisation titres were highest in triple-vaccinated participants infected between April 2021 and November 2022 compared with infections between April 2020 and January 2021. Cross neutralisation against Omicron BQ.1.18 and XBB.1.5 was very low in all groups.
    
    Conclusion
    Infection and/or vaccination did not provide the population with cross-protection against Omicron variants.
    
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Eurosurveillance - Current Issue -Volume 29, Issue 26, 27/Jun/2024

Volume 29, Issue 26, 2024

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