This Week in Infectious Disease: HIV Retinitis and Microbiome Research

From the New England Journal of Medicine, a trial reported that pooled cytomegalovirus retinitis prevalence is 3% among people with HIV in sub-Saharan Africa ^[1].

This systematic review and meta-analysis synthesized data from 1931 people living with HIV, finding a prevalence rate with a 95% confidence interval of 1.6-5.4%. The authors describe these findings as suggesting that clinicians should consider systematic retinal screening for individuals with CD4 counts below 50 cells per microliter in this region.

Meanwhile, attention turned to the intersection of pathogens and oncology. A narrative review in Frontiers in Medicine examined microorganisms in breast cancer ^[2].

The authors note that the majority of evidence on this topic originates from cross-sectional studies and in vitro or in vivo models, indicating that current data relies heavily on these specific study designs rather than longitudinal clinical trials.

Elsewhere this week, researchers in Frontiers in Medicine described the state of microbiome research within GCC countries ^[3].

A systematic review of 110 studies found that most publications were observational and focused on human gut and oral microbiomes. The authors note uneven research distribution and highlight that no integrated One Health studies were reported in the literature surveyed.

We also saw research in Frontiers in Medicine addressing the link between viral infections and the gut. A narrative review on COVID-19 and gut microbiome disruption synthesized evidence suggesting that SARS-CoV-2 infection can induce dysbiosis and modify immune signaling ^[4].

The findings suggest these effects may affect neuropsychiatric outcomes, prompting a consideration of the observational link between the virus, gut dysbiosis, and immune changes for future pandemic planning.

Finally, a meta-analysis in Emerging microbes & infections looked at antibiotic efficacy against resistant organisms ^[5].

The study synthesized data on carbapenem therapy for monomicrobial OXA-48-producing Enterobacterales infections, analyzing a French cohort of 59 patients alongside other data. The authors analyzed these results to suggest that clinicians should consider prioritizing alternative active agents over carbapenems for OXA-48-PE infections to avoid higher clinical failure rates.