
Developing a Controlled Human Infection Model for Group B Streptococcus (CHIM_GBS)
Group B StreptococcusGroup B Streptococcus (GBS) is the leading cause of neonatal sepsis and meningitis. In 2015, it was estimated that worldwide there were at least 320,000 infants with invasive GBS disease, 90,000 infant deaths and 10,000 cases of children with disability related to GBS meningitis. Maternal rectovaginal colonization with GBS is the biggest risk factor for neonatal GBS sepsis and meningitis within the first 6 days of life, with transmission of the bacteria from mother to baby occurring around the time of birth. An estimated 20-35% of pregnant women are colonised with GBS. 1-2% of neonates born to GBS-colonised women develop invasive GBS disease in the absence of intrapartum antibiotic prophylaxis (IAP). The current strategy to prevent neonatal GBS is to give antibiotics during labour, called IAP. This has various limitations and is not easily achieved outside of high income settings. Additionally, widespread antibiotic use raises concerns about antibiotic resistance. A better approach would be a vaccine for GBS however in order to test any vaccines it would be necessary to develop a controlled human infection model whereby healthy female volunteers are artificially colonised with GBS to test the vaccines efficacy. Before developing these human infection models researchers need to better understand how women become colonised with GBS and whether antibodies in the blood and at the mucosal surfaces provide protection. This study will be observational and will test the antibody levels at the vaginal mucosa and in the blood of a group of women who are naturally colonised with GBS at the start of the study and a group who are not colonised. Investigators will follow women up over 12 weeks to observe how colonisation changes and the effect that this has on the mucosal and blood stream antibody concentrations. This will inform the development of human infection studies.

Efficacy of Intravenous Fosfomycin in the Treatment of Complicated Urinary in Real-life Conditions....
Complicated Urinary Tract InfectionThis will be a prospective observational multicentre study in real-life conditions of patients with complicated urinary infection of community presentation caused by Escherichia coli using intravenous fosfomycin, quinolones or beta-lactams. It's a multicenter and multinational study and it will include 200 patients in the fosfomycin cohort and 200 patients in the control cohort (quinolones or beta-lactams).

Involvement of Translation Initiation Factors in the Immune Response in the Elderly
Elderly PatientInfectionThe investigators propose that the translation initiation factors eIF4E and eIF4GI may be involved in resolution of acute inflammation (regardless of age). Furthermore, the investigators suggest that differences in translation initiation factors state of activation may contribute to inflammation. Finally, the investigators hypothesize that differences in translation initiation factors state of activation may underlie the immune compromised state of the very elderly affording additional explanation for the heightened morbidity from infection in this group. In the current study the investigators aim to test these hypotheses by measuring the levels of eIF4E and eIF4G, their regulators, and targets in elderly (65-84yrs) and very elderly (85yrs<) patients hospitalized at Meir hospital for acute infection and after their recovery (detailed in study design).

Asymptomatic Bacteriuria & Risk of Urinary Tract Infection in Renal Transplants
BacteriuriaUrinary Tract Infections2 moreThe goal of this research program is to understand the natural history of asymptomatic bacteriuria in the renal transplant patients, to determine if screening for asymptomatic bacteriuria and identification of key host characteristics and virulence factors present on uropathogenic bacteria identifies a sub-population of patients with asymptomatic bacteriuria that are at risk to develop symptomatic urinary tract infection. Ultimately, the knowledge obtained from this study will prevent inappropriate antibiotic use and may identify whether certain bacterial isolates predispose to renal allograft injury. We will test the hypothesis that (i) asymptomatic bacteriuria is common in the renal allograft recipient and (ii) that symptomatic urinary tract infection and renal allograft dysfunction do not occur unless key host susceptibility factors and uropathogenic bacterial virulence factors are present.

Observational Study of Changes in Fat Distribution and Blood Metabolites in HIV Infected Adults...
HIV InfectionsLipodystrophy3 moreThe purpose of this study is to collect data on the body's breakdown of sugar and fat in HIV infected adults. Data from this study will make clearer the roles of HIV infection and anti-HIV drugs in the development of diabetes, heart disease, and fat redistribution in HIV infected adults.

Early Infectious Disease Consultations in Staphylococcus Aureus Bacteremia
Staphylococcus Aureus BacteremiaThe primary objective is to determine if early infectious disease (ID) consultation (defined as within 48 hours of a positive blood culture) will reduce mortality rates from Staphylococcus aureus bacteremia (SAB). This study will also determine if such consultations could reduce the duration of hospitalisation, recurrence and financial costs in patients with this infection.

Nudging Effect of Timer on Surgical Rub
Operation Wound; InfectionBacterial Infections2 moreTo study whether a device has a nudging effect on the time spend on surgical rub.

Invasive Fungal Infections in Patients Following Stem Cell Transplant
Invasive Fungal InfectionsStem Cell Transplant ComplicationsThis study will be a descriptive, retrospective evaluation and analysis of invasive fungal infections (IFI) conducted in patients who underwent allogeneic haematopoiectic stem cell transplant (aHSCT) in a single tertiary transplant centre, the Bone Marrow Transplant Clinical Service across Peter MacCallum Cancer Centre (PMCC) and Royal Melbourne Hospital (RMH), Victoria, Australia.

REal-Life Cohort With DOlutegravir + LAmivudina
HIV-1-infectionSince 1996, HAART based on 3-drug regimens (3DR) in people living with HIV (PLHIV) has decreased mortality and today, PLHIV have a life expectancy close to that of the general population. In the last decade new drugs have improved tolerance and posology of these treatment. However PLHIV needs to continue the treatment and will likely remain on antiviral therapy for many years. In the recent period, active research is being sought with the aim of improving the dosage and reducing the amount of drugs necessary to maintain efficacy, to avoid the possible cumulative effects of long-term antiretroviral therapy (ART). Two-drug regimens (2DRs) have been investigated as a means for reducing the number of antiretroviral agents (ARVs) taken by individuals who need lifelong ART. Dovato® (Dolutegravir/lamivudine) has been evaluated in two phase III studies (GEMINI-1 and GEMINI-2) in treatment-naive adults achieving non inferiority according to the US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) Snapshot algorithm. These data led to the approval of the fixed-dose combination of dolutegravir/lamivudine as a once-daily, single-tablet 2DR by the FDA and the European Medicines Agency. Actual update to the US Department of Health and Human Services treatment guidelines for HIV-1 infection and European AIDS Clinical Society guidelines indicate Dovato ® as an initial treatment in HIV-naÏve patients. However there is no real- life cohort data. Our aim is to provide information related to effectiveness and tolerability/safety in naïve patients when used in routine clinical practice. It has been already published results from the phase III study in pretreatment adult patients. Our results in real life have encouraged us to conduct a multicenter cohort study in patients who have already started their first antiretroviral therapy with dolutegravir (DTG) + lamivudine (3TC), to verify efficacy and tolerance in real life. Our hypothesis is that the data will be similar to those reported in clinical trials.

The McMaster Multi-Regional COVID-19 Hospital Case Registry
Coronavirus InfectionCoronavirus2 moreThe McMaster Multi-Regional Hospital Coronavirus Registry (COREG) is a platform that is collecting detailed case data on laboratory confirmed COVID-19 hospital inpatients and outpatients. The COREG platform will provide rapid high-quality evidence to improve the prevention and clinical management of COVID-19 for older adults in Canada, and internationally. The COREG platform will also provide researchers and partners with complete regional level clinical data on COVID-19 cases to inform rapid decision-making and projections, sub-studies, extensions, and linkage for all affected populations.