Microbe Magazine Podcast

e can probably all agree that any false positive test result is bad, but I think it’s safe to say that some false positives, like a false positive HIV test for example, is much more anxiety provoking than others. And when it comes to HIV, there have been a number of key advances in the field over the past decade, include the development of improved diagnostics and optimized algorithmic approaches, all of which have allowed for earlier detection of infected patients, and particularly those with acute HIV. Among these advancements has been the development of 4th and 5th generation serologic assays, which offer multiple benefits over prior assay versions, but unfortunately, are not immune to the possibility of false positive results. So, confirmatory test remain a necessary – the challenge though is that depending on the institution and environment, the turnaround time for such confirmatory testing can be prolonged, leaving patients and clinicians in a kind of diagnostic limbo. So, is there a way to minimize the

Novel β-lactamase/β-lactamase inhibitors have become critical drugs to combat the most resistant Gram-negative infections. A series of new compounds with even more broad and potent activity are in the horizon to add to the therapeutic armamentarium. Today, we will discuss these drugs with experts in the field. Topics discussed: BL/BLI combinations that are currently available in clinical practice. Future perspectives of BL/BLI armamentarium. Resistance developing for this class of antibiotics. Guests: Robert Bonomo. Professor, Department of Medicine, Pharmacology and Molecular Biology and Microbiology, Case Western Reserve University, Director of VA CARES Center, Cleveland, OH Patricia A. Bradford Antimicrobial Development Specialists LLC, Nyack, New York, USA This episode is brought to you by the Antimicrobial Agents and Chemotherapy journal available at aac.asm.org. If you plan to publish in AAC, ASM Members get up to 50% off publishing fees. Visit asm.org/membership to sign up. Visit journals.asm.org/j

The applications of large multiplex panels for detection of pathogens have greatly expanded in the past several years. Initial tests were for detection of respiratory viruses, and the first such test was labor intensive and vulnerable to frequent contamination. Since then, additional sample types have been added, such as cerebrospinal fluid and positive blood culture broths, and tests are easier to perform and reasonably reliable. We discuss a research use only multiplex PCR assay for detection of pathogens in joint infections, and learning how it compares to targeted metagenomic sequencing and culture for detection of pathogens in periprosthetic joint infections. Guests: Dr. Marisa Azad - Assistant Professor of Medicine in the Division of Infectious Diseases at The Ottawa Hospital and an Associate Clinical Scientist at the Ottawa Hospital Research Institute. Dr. Robin Patel - Co-Director of the Bacteriology Laboratory at the Mayo Clinic, where she is Professor of Medicine and Professor of Microbiology. Thi

COVID-19 continues to pose major problems in the winter in the USA. Infections and hospitalizations are increasing and there is a fear of emergence of new variants. Therapeutic tools are also evolving. We discuss these new developments! Watch the video version via: https://youtu.be/ElnahBl53e8 Topics discussed: The latest facts on COVID Current therapeutic approaches including antivirals and monoclonal antibodies Future perspectives for the coming year on COVID-19. Guests: Adarsh Bhimraj, MD. Director of Education and Fellowships, Division of Infectious Diseases, Houston Methodsit Hospital. Chair IDSA Guidelines for COVID-19. This episode of Editors in Conversation is brought to you by the Antimicrobial Agents and Chemotherapy Journal and hosted by AAC Editor in Chief, Cesar Arias. AAC is available at https://asm.org/aac. Follow Cesar on twitter at https://twitter.com/SuperBugDoc for AAC updates. Subscribe to the podcast at https://asm.org/eic

As we enter into the holiday season, many of us look forward to celebrating long-standing traditions with family and friends, which is no different from us here on the podcast! While not necessarily as long-standing as some of the other classic holiday traditions, after 2.5 years on air, we on this podcast have established our own end-of-year tradition, which is to take a look back at some of our favorite papers or more intriguing manuscripts published in the Journal of Clinical Microbiology over the past year. And so as you’ll see, thanks to the different areas of expertise and general interest among our panel today, we’ve selected quite a variety of papers to discuss, ranging from evaluation of new blood culture systems to use of metagenomics for infective endocarditis and to the potential application of interferon gamma release assays for detection of Histoplasma infections. And so, suffice it to say, there will be something of interest for everyone listening. But, for those watching today, you are clearly

Deciding how extensively to work up and report respiratory cultures is the worst. There are useful guidelines on how to approach this. But, in my experience, very few laboratories strictly follow these guidelines. That can be because of concerns about under-reporting pathogens or about over-reporting microbiota, or it can be the result of pressure from clinical staff to report more organisms than the guidelines suggest. Today, we’ll be talking with two guests about their study on how over-reporting of organisms from respiratory tract cultures can lead to over treatment with antimicrobials. Guests: Dr. Sarah Parker, pediatric infectious disease specialist at Children’s Hospital Colorado and the Medical Director of the Antimicrobial Stewardship Program. Dr. Andrea Prinzi, infectious disease medical science liason with bioMerieux. This episode of Editors in Conversation is brought to you by the Journal of Clinical Microbiology and hosted by JCM Editor in Chief, Alex McAdam and Dr. Elli Theel. JCM is available

Antimicrobial resistance is the ‘silent pandemic’ and to tackle this challenging public health problem we need to attract the best and brightest. Today we will discuss pathways to work on this field with trainees who will be the next generation of outstanding researchers in the field, currently as part of different T32 training programs in the United States. Welcome to Editors in Conversation Topics discussed: Different pathways to follow careers in antimicrobial research The challenges to follow an academic and research pathways Future perspectives and guidance for early stage investigators who want to pursue research on antimicrobial resistance. Guests: Cheyenne Lee.  4th Year Ph.D. Candidate | McBride Lab, Microbiology and Molecular Genetics (MMG) Program Initiative for Maximizing Student Development (IMSD) Graduate Student Representative, Emory University, Atlanta, GA. T32 predoctoral fellow Edwin Chen, MD, PhD. Infectious Diseases Fellow, Postdoctoral T32 Fellow, University of Pittsburgh. Pittsburgh,

The idea of applying machine learning and digital pathology platforms to everyday workflows in the clinical microbiology laboratory has become increasing intriguing and appealing, especially as labs continue to optimize efficiency in the midst of workforce shortages. The promise of this new digital frontier is multifold, including decreasing turnaround time and potentially cost, and freeing up technologist time to focus on higher yield activities in the lab. Many labs have now taken the initial leap into automated culture and imaging systems, but what’s next? Are the digital pathology AI algorithms ready for prime-time in clinical microbiology labs? Is the future now? Guests: Dr. Niaz Banaei, Medical Director of the Stanford Health Care Clinical Microbiology Laboratory and Professor of Pathology and Medicine at Stanford University Dr. Dan Rhoads, Section Head of Microbiology at Cleveland Clinic This episode of Editors in Conversation is brought to you by the Journal of Clinical Microbiology and hosted by JC

There are a number of regulatory proposals under consideration which could have important effects on clinical microbiology labs, and clinical labs more generally. First, the VALID act would change how clinical tests are regulated with particularly important implications for laboratory-developed tests. Second, the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services has proposed changes to the educational requirements for lab directors under CLIA and additional changes that would increase the fees that clinical labs pay to CMS. If you have been waiting for someone to explain these changes and how they could affect your lab, you’ve come to the right podcast. Guests: Dr. Melissa Miller, Director of the Clinical Microbiology Laboratory and a Professor at the University Of North Carolina School Of Medicine Mary Lee Watts, Director of Federal Affairs at ASM This episode of Editors in Conversation is brought to you by the Journal of Clinical Microbiology and hosted by JCM Editor in Chief, Alex McAdam and Dr. Elli Theel. JCM

Infections caused by Mycobacterium abscessus appear to be increasing in frequency among the immunocompromised population and are challenging to treat. Antibiotic options in these cases are scarce, prologued therapy is required and new options are needed. We will discuss this important topic with experts in the field. Topics discussed: Define M. abscessus as an opportunistic pathoge The intrinsic phenotypic characteristics of M. abscessus, including resistance to common antimicrobials Treatment approaches and rationale for these strategies Guests: Kelly Dooley, MD. PhD, MPH.  Professor of Medicine, Johns Hopkins University and Editor of AAC Charles L. Daley, MD, Professor and Chief of the Division of Mycobacterial and Respiratory Infections. National Jewish Health Thomas Dick, PhD. Professor, Center for Discovery and Innovation, Hackensack Meridian Health This episode is brought to you by the Antimicrobial Agents and Chemotherapy journal available at aac.asm.org. If you plan to publish in AAC, ASM Members

The inoculum effect of antibiotic susceptibility testing is often discussed at playgrounds and infectious diseases conferences, but many of us don’t really have a clear definition of what it is or a good understanding of its importance. We’ll be talking about the inoculum effect and susceptibility testing of Staphylococcus aureus with cefazolin. Some of the questions we’ll discuss are: • What exactly is the inoculum effect and how is it measured? • Does the inoculum effect have clinical significance? • How common is the inoculum effect with Staph aureus and cefazolin?

As July 26, the world has documented 19,188 cases of monkeypox, with 3,591 cases in the US alone, making the US the country with the most known infections amid the global outbreak. The WHO has declared monkeypox a public health emergency. Although this disease has been known for years, certain features suggest that we are facing a unique outbreak of monkeypox with the potential for worldwide spreading. In this special podcast edition of Editors in Conversation we will discuss the diagnosis and treatment of monkeypox with experts in the field who have dealt with significant number of cases in the US. Topics: • The significance of the monkeypox outbreak • The approach for the diagnosis of monkeypox • The treatment approaches and prevention tools for monkeypox This special episode is brought to you by Journal of Clinical Microbiology and Antimicrobial Agents and Chemotherapy journals. Hosts: - Cesar A. Arias, Editor in Chief of AAC, - Dr. Elli Theel, Editor of JCM This podcast is supported by the American Societ

Dr. Bobbi Pritt aka @parasitegal, creator of the blog Creepy Dreadful Wonderful Parasites, is a pathologist and clinical microbiologist with specialty interests in parasitic and vector-borne infections, and the pathology of infectious diseases. Dr. Pritt discusses her career and how she became an expert in clinical parasitology, her work internationally and how others can participate in global health work and how technology (digital pathology, AI, automation, etc.) will affect the lab and technicians in the future. This episode of Editors in Conversation is brought to you by the Journal of Clinical Microbiology and hosted by JCM Editor in Chief, Alex McAdam and Dr. Elli Theel. The Journal of Clinical Microbiology is available at asm.org/jcm. Follow EIC, Alex McAdam on twitter for JCM updates at twitter.com/JClinMicro and co-host, Elli Theel at twitter.com/ellitheelphd. Visit journals.asm.org/journal/jcm to read articles and/or submit a manuscript. Subscribe to Editors in Conversation (free) on Apple Podcas

Infections caused by Stenotrophomonas maltophilia appear to be increasing in frequency among the immunocompromised population and are challenging to treat. Moreover, resistance to traditional drugs used against these organisms is now becoming more common. Antibiotic options in these circumstances are scarce and new options are needed. We discuss this important topic with experts in the field. Recorded live in Washington DC at ASM Microbe 2022. Topics • Stenotrophomas maltophilia as an opportunistic pathogen and • The intrinsic ability of Stenotrophomonas maltophilia to resist common antimicrobials • Common mechanisms of resistance in Pseudomonas aeruginosa • Debate on treatment approaches and rationale for these strategies. Guests: Maria Fernanda Mojica PhD Senior Instructor, Case VA Center for Antimicrobial Resistance and Epidemiology. Case Western Reserve University Samuel Aitken, PharmD. Adjunct Clinical Professor of Pharmacy, University of Michigan. This episode of Editors in Conversation is brought to

We are just back from the Molecular Virology Workshop in West Palm Beach. This is a terrific meeting that is organized by the Pan-American Society for Clinical Virology or PASCV. The workshop immediately precedes the Clinical Virology Symposium that ASM organizes and many of us like to attend both. Today we’ll be talking about some of the high points of the Molecular Virology Workshop, with two members of the organizing committee from PASCV. Guests: Dr. Erin Graf, Director, Clinical Microbiology at Mayo Clinic in Phoenix Arizona. Dr. Stephanie Mitchell, Director of Medical Affairs at Cepheid. This episode of Editors in Conversation is brought to you by the Journal of Clinical Microbiology and hosted by JCM Editor in Chief, Alex McAdam and Dr. Elli Theel. JCM is available at https://jcm.asm.org and on https://twitter.com/JClinMicro. Links: On-demand sessions from PASCV https://www.pascv.org/page/MVW Visit journals.asm.org/journal/jcm to read articles and/or submit a manuscript. Follow JCM on Twitter via @J

Infections caused by multidrug-resistant Pseudomonas aeruginosa are considered a major public health problem. Antibiotic options are scarce but new drugs are emerging and more maybe available in the near future. Topics discussed: Pseudomonas aeruginosa as an important pathogen capable of developing resistance to multiple antibiotics Common mechanisms of resistance in Pseudomonas aeruginosa The current and future approaches for these MDR organisms. Guests: Michael Satlin, MD, Associate Professor of Medicine, Pathology and Laboratory Medicine, William Randolph Hearst Foundation Clinical Scholar in Microbiology and Infectious Diseases at Weill Cornell Medical College, New York, NY Alessandra Carattoli, PhD, Professor of Microbiology at the Sapienza University of Rome, Italy. Editor, AAC Visit journals.asm.org/journal/aac to browse issues and/or submit a manuscript.

It is estimated that anywhere from 575,000 to 677,000 bloodstream infections occur annually in North America, with approximately 40,000 of those directly linked to patient mortality in the United States, making bloodstream infections the 11th most common cause of death in the US according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. The detection of bloodstream infections and subsequent identification of the etiologic agent or agents is an essential role played by all clinical microbiology laboratories, day-in and day-out for routine patient care. So, today, we are going to dive into a recently published study in JCM, looking at organism-specific bloodstream infection prevalence rates and their individual mortality risks relative to patients with either negative blood cultures and in those for whom blood cultures were not ordered. Guests: - Dr. Nick Daneman - senior author on the manuscript, is a Clinical Scientists in the Division of Infectious Diseases at Sunnybrook Health Sciences Centre at the Unive

This episode is dedicated to the memory of the late George A. Jacoby, who was a pillar in the B-lactamase research community and a leader in the field of antimicrobial resistance. Assigning names to b-lactamase variants has been inconsistent and has led to confusion in the published literature. The common availability of whole genome sequencing has resulted in an exponential growth in the number of new b-lactamase genes. In November 2021 an international group of b-lactamase experts met virtually to develop a consensus for the way naturally-occurring b-lactamase genes should be named. Topics discussed: The inconsistencies in B-lactamase nomenclature Guidelines for publication of new alleles and newly discovered B-lactamases  Future needs of consensus among the b-lactamase community Guests: Patricia Bradford PhD., Antimicrobial Development Specialists LLC Karen Bush PhD, Professor of Practice, Biotechnology and Interim Director, Biotechnology Program, Indiana University. Robert Bonomo MD, Professor Case We

Antibiotic susceptibility testing is too slow. Faster identification of microorganisms is now common, as many laboratories use MALDI-TOF or molecular technologies for quick and definitive identification of bacteria. Improvements in susceptibility testing have lagged, as we continue to use tests that take a day for results, and which have not significantly changed in decades. Rapid phenotypic testing has can only be done on limited sample types, using a dedicated platform, and it has not been widely adopted. Tests for rapid genotypic testing usually include only a few genes and require confirmation by phenotypic testing. What are the prospects for fast susceptibility testing? Guests: Dr. Trish Simner. Trish, Associate Professor of Pathology at Johns Hopkins Medicine, where she is also Director of the Medical Bacteriology and Infectious Disease Sequencing. Dr. Dan Rhoads. Dan is the Section Head of Microbiology at the Cleveland Clinic, where he holds The Belinda Yen-Lieberman, PhD, and James M. Lieberman, MD, E

Bacteriophages are interesting viruses that target bacteria and have been used for therapeutic purposes. Recently, the emergence of antibiotic resistance has spurred a renewed interest in using these viruses or their products as therapeutic tools against recalcitrant human pathogens. AAC has also published a recent manuscript from ARLG to guide the use of phages in clinical practice. We will discuss with experts in the field the state-of-the-art in phage therapy. Objectives: • Understand the use of bacteriophages and their products for therapeutic purposes • Discuss the clinical applications of phages • Debate the barriers for developing of phages as therapeutic tools to treat multidrug-resistant infections Guests: • Vincent A. Fischetti, Ph.D, Professor and Director, Laboratory of Bacterial Pathogenesis and Immunology, The Rockefeller University, New York, NY. • Saima Aslam, MBBS, Professor of Medicine, University of California San Diego, San Diego, CA. • Anthony Maresso, PhD. Professor and Founder of TAILOR