Irith De Baetselier
A5009941538- Reproductive tract infections research
- Syphilis Diagnosis and Treatment
- Bacterial Infections and Vaccines
- HIV/AIDS Research and Interventions
- HIV, Drug Use, Sexual Risk
- Adolescent Sexual and Reproductive Health
- Sex work and related issues
- Pneumonia and Respiratory Infections
- Blood groups and transfusion
- Herpesvirus Infections and Treatments
- Antibiotic Resistance in Bacteria
- Urinary Tract Infections Management
- Poxvirus research and outbreaks
- Reproductive Health and Contraception
- Bacillus and Francisella bacterial research
- HIV/AIDS drug development and treatment
- Cervical Cancer and HPV Research
- HIV Research and Treatment
- Virology and Viral Diseases
- Bacterial Identification and Susceptibility Testing
- Hepatitis B Virus Studies
- Streptococcal Infections and Treatments
- Gut microbiota and health
- Pharmaceutical and Antibiotic Environmental Impacts
- Pneumocystis jirovecii pneumonia detection and treatment
Instituut voor Tropische Geneeskunde
2016-2025
Research Institute for Tropical Medicine
2020-2025
University of Cape Town
2024
University of Antwerp
2021-2022
Örebro University
2020
The magnitude of the 2022 multi-country monkeypox virus (MPXV) outbreak has surpassed any preceding outbreak. It is unclear whether asymptomatic or otherwise undiagnosed infections are fuelling this epidemic. In study, we aimed to assess occurred among men attending a Belgian sexual health clinic in May 2022. We retrospectively screened 224 samples collected for gonorrhea and chlamydia testing using an MPXV PCR assay identified MPXV-DNA-positive from four men. At time sampling, one man had...
Bacterial vaginosis (BV) is characterised by a change in the microbial composition of vagina. The BV-associated organisms outnumber health-associated Lactobacillus species and form polymicrobial biofilm on vaginal epithelium, possibly explaining difficulties with antibiotic treatment. A better understanding emphasis Atopobium vaginae Gardnerella vaginalis may contribute to diagnosis treatment BV.To this purpose, we evaluated association between presence both bacteria fluorescence situ...
Pre-Exposure Prophylaxis (PrEP) is highly effective in reducing the risk for HIV infection among men who have sex with (MSM) and may an important impact slowing down epidemic. Concerns remain however about low adherence, increased behaviour reduced condom use when using PrEP. The aim of this study was to assess these factors prospectively MSM daily event-driven PrEP Belgium.An open-label prospective cohort conducted from October 2017 May 2018 at Institute Tropical Medicine, Antwerp, Belgium....
BackgroundGenomic surveillance using quality-assured whole-genome sequencing (WGS) together with epidemiological and antimicrobial resistance (AMR) data is essential to characterise the circulating Neisseria gonorrhoeae lineages their association patient groups (defined by demographic factors). In 2013, European gonococcal population was characterised genomically for first time. We describe in 2018 identify emerging or vanishing associated AMR characteristics of patients, elucidate recent...
Abstract Background Monkeypox is transmitted by close contact with symptomatic cases, and those infected are assumed to be uniformly symptomatic. Evidence of subclinical monkeypox infection limited a few immunological studies which found evidence immunity against orthopoxviruses in asymptomatic individuals who were exposed cases. We aimed assess whether infections occurred among underwent sexually (STI) screening large Belgian STI clinic around the start 2022 epidemic Belgium. Methods...
Abstract Non-pathogenic Neisseria are a reservoir of antimicrobial resistance genes for pathogenic meningitidis and gonorrhoeae . Men who have sex with men (MSM) at risk co-colonization resistant non-pathogenic We assessed if the susceptibility among MSM differs from general population exposure impacts susceptibility. recruited 96 participants our center in Belgium: 32 employees, did not use antibiotics previous 6 months, did. Oropharyngeal were cultured identified MALDI-TOF–MS. Minimum...
BackgroundRegular quality-assured whole-genome sequencing linked to antimicrobial resistance (AMR) and patient metadata is imperative elucidate the shifting gonorrhoea epidemiology, both nationally internationally. We aimed examine gonococcal population in European Economic Area (EEA) 2020, emerging disappearing lineages associated with AMR metadata, compare 2013 2018 data, explain changes epidemiology.MethodsIn this retrospective genomic surveillance study, we analysed consecutive isolates...
Abstract One of the most promising new treatments for gonorrhoea currently in phase 3 clinical trials is zoliflodacin. Studies have found very little resistance to zoliflodacin circulating N. gonorrhoeae strains, and in-vitro experiments demonstrated that it difficult induce resistance. However, may emerge commensal Neisseria spp., which could then be transferred via transformation. In this study, we investigated commensal-resistance-pathway hypothesis To resistance, ten wild-type...
Daily pre-exposure prophylaxis and event-driven (PrEP) are efficacious in reducing HIV transmission among men who have sex with (MSM). We analyzed baseline data from a PrEP demonstration project "Be-PrEP-ared" Antwerp, Belgium, to understand preferences for daily or MSM at high risk of factors influencing their initial choice.Cross-sectional an open-label prospective cohort study, using mixed methods. Participants preregistered online were screened eligibility tested sexually transmitted...
Abstract Objectives Novel antimicrobials for treatment of gonorrhoea are imperative. The first-in-class spiropyrimidinetrione zoliflodacin is promising and currently in an international Phase 3 randomized controlled clinical trial (RCT) uncomplicated gonorrhoea. We evaluated the vitro activity genetic conservation target (GyrB) other potential resistance determinants among 1209 consecutive Neisseria gonorrhoeae isolates obtained from 25 EU/European Economic Area (EEA) countries 2018 compared...
The European Gonococcal Antimicrobial Surveillance Programme (Euro-GASP) performs annual sentinel surveillance of Neisseria gonorrhoeae susceptibility to therapeutically relevant antimicrobials across the Union/European Economic Area (EU/EEA). We present Euro-GASP results from 2019 (26 countries), linked patient epidemiological data, and compared with data previous years.Agar dilution minimum inhibitory concentration (MIC) gradient strip methodologies were used determine antimicrobial (using...
Mpox (formerly monkeypox) is a viral disease caused by the mpox virus (MPXV), endemic in Central and West Africa currently causing global outbreak of international concern. Much remains unknown about sample types most suited for laboratory diagnosis. While it established that high loads can be found active skin lesions (currently recommended confirmation specimen type), WHO testing guidelines encourage use oropharyngeal swabs as an additional type diagnosis suggest investigating value other...
Background Antimicrobial resistance (AMR) of Mycoplasma genitalium (MG) is a growing concern worldwide and surveillance needed. In Belgium, samples are sent to the National Reference Centre Sexually Transmitted Infections (NRC-STI) on voluntary basis representative or robust national AMR data lacking. Aim We aimed estimate occurrence resistant MG in Belgium. Methods Between July November 2022, frozen remnants MG-positive from 21 Belgian laboratories were analysed at NRC-STI. Macrolide...
Screening for STIs in men who have sex with receiving HIV pre-exposure prophylaxis resulted high consumption of macrolides, extended spectrum cephalosporins, fluoroquinolones and tetracyclines. The macrolides was 52 times as that reported community-level certain European countries.
Horizontal gene transfer (HGT) in the penA and multidrug efflux pump genes has been shown to play a key role genesis of antimicrobial resistance Neisseria gonorrhoeae. In this study, we evaluated if there was evidence HGT coding for ribosomal proteins genus. We did collection 11,659 isolates Neisseria, including N. gonorrhoeae commensal species (N. cinerea, elongata, flavescens, mucosa, polysaccharea, subflava). Comparative genomic analyses identified events three genes: rplB, rplD, rplY L2,...
Four randomized controlled trials have now established that doxycycline post exposure (sex) prophylaxis (PEP) can reduce the incidence of chlamydia and syphilis in men who sex with men. These studies concluded risk selecting for antimicrobial resistance is low. We evaluated this vitro vivo using a Galleria mellonella infection model.We how long it took to emerge during passage on containing agar plates 4 species - Escherichia coli, Klebsiella pneumoniae, Neisseria gonorrhoeae subflava. then...
Abstract Background Data on human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) seroconversion among men who have sex with (MSM) using pre-exposure prophylaxis (PrEP) in West Africa are needed. This study aimed to document HIV and associated determinants, PrEP adherence, plasma drug concentrations, resistance MSM event-driven or daily Burkina Faso, Côte d’Ivoire, Mali, Togo. Methods A prospective cohort was conducted 2017–2021 HIV-seronegative aged 18 over were at high risk of infection. Participants could...
Background: Pre-exposure prophylaxis (PrEP) with daily oral emtricitabine (FTC)/tenofovir disoproxil fumarate may select for drug resistance if there is low adherence. Methods: Plasma viral HIV-1 RNA level, CD4+ T-cell counts, and were evaluated among seroconverting women in the FEM-PrEP trial (clinicaltrials.gov NCT00625404) using standard clinical tests, allele-specific PCR (ASPCR), by deep sequencing. Tenofovir, FTC, their intracellular metabolites measured plasma cells. Results: There...
In this study, we characterized all oropharyngeal and anorectal isolates of Neisseria spp. in a cohort men who have sex with men. This resulted panel pathogenic (N. gonorrhoeae [n = 5] N. meningitidis 5]) nonpathogenic subflava 11], mucosa 3] oralis 2]). A high proportion strains were resistant to azithromycin (18/26) ceftriaxone (3/26). Whole genome sequencing (WGS) these identified numerous mutations that are known confer reduced susceptibility gonorrhoeae. The presence or absence did not...