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This chapter is a review of rare yet clinically relevant viral encephalitides that have been transmitted from organ donors to recipients. We will discuss the potential pitfalls in diagnosing and managing these illnesses and also discuss the challenges and next steps to better outcomes from these infections.

Multidrug-resistant organisms (MDROs) cause morbidity and mortality after organ transplantation. Infection from these organisms may arise from pre-transplant colonization/infectious events, and these organisms may be donor-derived. Here we review the epidemiology, clinical manifestations, disease diagnostics, and therapeutic modalities for six common MDRO bacterial pathogens in the context of solid organ and bone marrow transplantation.

The incidence of extended-spectrum β-lactamase (ESBL)-producing Enterobacterales (ESBL-EB) and carbapenem-resistant Enterobacterales (CRE) infections has been increasing worldwide, although the prevalence and mechanism of resistance vary by geographic region and institutional patterns of resistance. These multidrug-resistant infections are challenging to diagnose and treat and can cause significant morbidity and mortality in transplant patients. In this chapter we highlight recent trends in...

Infections are an important cause of morbidity and mortality after transplantation. Some of these infections are environmental and geographically or seasonally important. West Nile virus is one such infection, tied to the epidemiology of infected mosquitos which varies over time. It can cause disease for a transplant recipient either from direct inoculation from an infected mosquito or as a donorderived infection. This chapter reviews current data about the epidemiology of West Nile virus,...

Cystic fibrosis is an autosomal recessive inherited disorder of salt transport. The natural history of the disease is determined by the development of chronic bronchiectasis and ensuing chronic colonization with multidrug-resistant bacteria and fungi. End-stage lung disease commonly necessitates lung transplant, and occasionally even combined lung/liver or lung/kidney transplant may be the only way forward for affected patients. Due to the common organisms colonizing the lungs of patients...

Chagas disease is a vector-borne infection caused by the protozoan Trypanosoma cruzi that is endemic in Latin America. More recently, the geographic distribution of the disease has changed due to immigration of asymptomatic infected individuals from endemic to non-endemic regions. Therefore, Chagas disease involving acute infection among negative recipients receiving a transplant graft from positive donors and reactivation episodes among positive recipients due to posttransplant...

Infectious and noninfectious diarrheas are important complications in immunocompromised host (ICH) populations including hematologic stem cell (HSCT) and solid organ transplant (SOT) recipients. Adverse consequences of diarrhea, including fluid and electrolyte imbalances with resultant malabsorption of nutrition and medications, can lead to prolonged hospital stays or rehospitalizations. Clostridioides (formerly Clostridium) difficile is the most common infectious etiology of infectious...

Pneumocystis pneumonia (PJP) is caused by Pneumocystis jiroveci and is an important infection of chronically immunocompromised patients, especially those receiving higher doses of corticosteroids and those with abnormalities in cell-mediated immunity. Until recently, the vast majority of cases were in HIV patients. This has changed with an increasing proportion occurring in non-HIV patients, including in solid organ and hematopoietic stem cell transplant recipients. The risk factors,...

Rapidly growing mycobacteria (RGM) are environmental microorganisms that thrive in water-associated biofilms and grow more quickly in the laboratory than slow-growing nontuberculous mycobacteria. Prevalence of RGM infection appears to be increasing, and patients with structural lung disease and immunocompromised hosts, especially patients with cystic fibrosis or lung transplant recipients, are at increased risk. Transplant recipients can acquire RGM from the community or from healthcare...

Infections due to Mucorales fungi in hematopoietic stem cell transplantation (HSCT) and solid organ transplant (SOT) recipients may be increasing. Disease is severe and rapidly progressive and carries high mortality. Both the prevalence and species epidemiology vary with geography. Rhizopus species is the most common pathogen followed by Mucor species. Risk factors in SOT patients include renal failure, diabetes mellitus, and immunosuppression to prevent rejection. Additional risks in HSCT...

Free-living amoebae (FLA) are ubiquitous in the environment. Although they rarely cause infection in humans, when they do so, the infection is often severe and diagnosed late. The three most clinically relevant genera of FLA are Acanthamoeba spp., Naegleria fowleri, and Balamuthia mandrillaris. An increasing body of literature points to these organisms as potential diseasecausing agents in immunocompromised and transplant patients, particularly with regard to donor-derived infections. This...

Transplant centers have varying policies for marijuana (MJ) use in donors, transplant candidates, and recipients. Rationales for these differences range from concerns for fungal complications, impaired adherence, and drug interactions. This paper reviews the current status of MJ policies and practices in transplant centers and results of a survey sent to the American Society of Transplantation (AST) membership by the Executive Committee of the AST Infectious Diseases Community of...

As one of the most formidable bacterial pathogens encountered in clinical practice, infections related to Pseudomonas aeruginosa (PsA) present a number of challenges to the infectious disease physician. In immunocompromised hosts in particular, PsA has the potential to manifest with unique, recurrent, and often severe clinical syndromes that warrant infectious disease consultation. A staggering array of virulence factors combined with a host of intrinsic and acquired genetic elements...

Practitioners caring for pediatric transplant patients face unique issues compared with adult transplant providers. Distinct challenges to pediatric providers include incomplete or missed primary immunizations, lack of primary immunity to common illnesses, inability to definitively determine infectious serostatus in infants, and recognition of pediatric-specific disease states. Further, the lack of pediatric indications and dosing data for antimicrobials as well as variations in pediatric...

Vascularized composite allografts, or VCA transplants, are allotransplants that incorporate multiple tissues transplanted as a single functional unit, most commonly hands or face. They are, by definition, transplants aimed at improving quality of life rather than life sparing. Yet they may also be life-giving in the case of temporary uterine transplants, where the goal is to carry a healthy pregnancy through to term and delivery. Because of the multiple tissue layers involved and the systemic...

What is already known about this topic? Immunocompromised persons experience a higher incidence of herpes zoster and related complications. On July 23, 2021, the Food and Drug Administration expanded the indication for use of recombinant zoster vaccine (RZV) to include immunodeficient or immunosuppressed adults. What is added by this report? On October 20, 2021, the Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices recommended 2 RZV doses for prevention of herpes zoster and related complications...

The inadequate supply of transplantable organs necessitates new approaches to organ availability. Serologies and nucleic acid testing (NAT) for hepatitis C virus (HCV), hepatitis B virus (HBV), and human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) are used in microbiologic screening of potential organ donors. Organs from donors considered at “high risk” (Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, CDC 1994) or “increased risk” (U.S. Public Health Service, PHS 2013) for transmission of viral infection to...