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These updated guidelines from the Infectious Diseases Community of Practice of the American Society of Transplantation review the diagnosis, prevention, and management of intestinal parasites in the pre- and post-transplant period. Intestinal parasites are prevalent in the developing regions of the world. With increasing travel to and from endemic regions, changing immigration patterns, and the expansion of transplant medicine in developing countries, they are increasingly recognized as a...

Background.    Treatment options for nontuberculous mycobacteria (NTM) infections are limited by the pathogen’s intrinsic resistance profile and toxicities. Tedizolid and linezolid display in vitro activity against NTM species. However, safety data and treatment outcomes are limited in the solid organ transplant (SOT) population. Methods.    This was a single-center retrospective cohort study of adult SOT recipients receiving linezolid or tedizolid for an NTM infection from January 1, 2010,...

The number of transplant infectious disease (TID) fellowship programs has expanded rapidly in the past 5 years, with the creation of many new programs and the expansion of training tracks and dedicated years as the demand for TID physicians grows drastically. This editorial focuses on major factors and complexities that programs should consider in TID fellowship creation, as well as highlighting examples of formative experiences, programmatic structure, and fellow resources that trainees can...

These updated guidelines from the Infectious Diseases Community of Practice of the American Society of Transplantation review the diagnosis, prevention, and management of tissue and blood protozoal infections in the pre- and post-transplant period. Significant new developments in the field have made it necessary to divide the previous single guideline published in 2013 into two sections, with the intestinal parasites separated from this guideline devoted to tissue and blood protozoa. The...

Background The current study describes the spectrum of community-acquired respiratory infections (CARV) during the first year after lung transplantation (LT). Additionally, we elucidate variables associated with CARV, management strategies utilized, and impact on early and late outcomes. Methods This was a retrospective study among patients transplanted between 2012 and 2015 (n = 255, mean age 55.6 ± 13.5 years, M: F 152:103). The diagnosis of CARV was based on the multiplex PCR on...

Risk factors for acquisition of vancomycin-resistant Enterococcus (VRE) include immunosuppression, antibiotic exposure, indwelling catheters, and manipulation of the gastrointestinal tract, all of which occur in liver transplant recipients. VRE infections are documented in liver transplantation (LT); however, only one single center study has assessed the impact daptomycin-resistant Enterococcus (DRE) in this patient population.We conducted a retrospective multicenter cohort study comparing...

Despite clinical and laboratory screening of potential donors for transmissible disease, unexpected transmission of disease from donor to recipient remains an inherent risk of organ transplantation. The Disease Transmission Advisory Committee (DTAC) was created to review and classify reports of potential disease transmission and use this information to inform national policy and improve patient safety. From January 1, 2008 to December 31, 2017, the DTAC received 2185 reports; 335 (15%) were...

Mycobacterium tuberculosis can be transmitted via organ donation and result in severe outcomes. To better understand donor-derived tuberculosis (DDTB), all potential transmissions reported to the Organ Procurement and Transplantation Network (OPTN) Ad Hoc Disease Transmission Advisory Committee between 2008 and 2018 were analyzed. Among 51 total reports, nine (17%) (9 donors/35 recipients) had ≥ 1 recipient with proven/probable disease transmission. Of these, eight were reported due to...

SARS-CoV-2 is transmissible through lung transplantation, and outcomes among SARS-CoV-2-infected solid organ transplant (SOT) recipients may be severe; however, transmission risk to extrapulmonary organ recipients and recent (within 30 days of transplantation) SARS-CoV-2-infected recipient outcomes are unclear.During March 2020-March 2021, potential SARS-CoV-2 transmissions through SOT reported to the Organ Procurement and Transplantation Network were investigated. Laboratory and...

Background Infectious diseases (ID) specialists with experience in managing infections in transplant recipients and other immunocompromised hosts are increasingly needed as these fields expand. Methods To evaluate experiences and identify trainee-described needs in transplant infectious diseases (TID) training, the American Society of Transplantation, Infectious Diseases Community of Practice (AST IDCOP) surveyed ID fellows across the United States and TID fellows in the United States and...

Cryptococcus species can cause serious life-threatening infection in solid organ transplant recipients by reactivation of prior infection, post-transplant de novo infection, or donor transmission from the transplanted organ. Although previously reported in the literature, the extent of donor-derived cryptococcosis in the United States has not been documented. We analyzed potential donor-derived Cryptococcus transmission events reported to the Organ Procurement and Transplantation Network...

The impact of pre-transplant (SOT) carbapenem-resistant Enterobacterales (CRE) colonization or infection on post-SOT outcomes is unclear. We conducted a multi-center, international, cohort study of SOT recipients, with microbiologically diagnosed CRE colonization and/or infection pre-SOT. Sixty adult SOT recipients were included (liver n = 30, hearts n = 17). Klebsiella pneumoniae (n = 47, 78%) was the most common pre-SOT CRE species. Median time from CRE detection to SOT was 2.32 months...

Background Few options are available for cytomegalovirus (CMV) treatment in transplant recipients resistant, refractory, or intolerant to approved agents. Letermovir (LET) is approved for prophylaxis in hematopoietic cell transplant (HCT) recipients, but little is known about efficacy in CMV infection. We conducted an observational study to determine the patterns of use and outcome of LET treatment of CMV infection in transplant recipients. Methods Patients who received LET for treatment of...

Hepatitis B virus (HBV) can be transmitted from organ donor to recipient, but details of transmission events are not widely published. The Disease Transmission Advisory Committee (DTAC) evaluated 105 cases of potential donor derived transmission events of HBV between 2009-2017. Proven, probable or possible transmission of HBV occurred in 25 (23.8%) cases. Recipients of liver grafts were most commonly infected (20 of 21 exposed recipients) compared to 9 of 21 exposed non-hepatic recipients....

Background Decisions to transplant organs from severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) nucleic acid test-positive (NAT+) donors must balance risk of donor-derived transmission events (DDTE) with the scarcity of available organs. Methods Organ Procurement and Transplantation Network (OPTN) data were used to compare organ utilization and recipient outcomes between SARS-CoV-2 NAT+ and NAT– donors. NAT+ was defined by either a positive upper or lower respiratory tract (LRT)...