Fresh Off The Journal: September 2025

Can the tongue help diagnose leprosy? Researchers from our Unit of Mycobacteriology explored this question in the Comoros, swabbing nearly 500 patients’ tongues. They found Mycobacterium leprae DNA in about 18% of tongue swabs, mainly in those with advanced disease. While skin biopsies and nasal swabs remain more reliable, the study opens new paths to understand how the leprosy bacterium spreads through the body and possibly between people.

Krausser, L., Van Nieuwenhove, M., Attoumane, N., Grillone, S. H., Van Dyck-Lippens, M., Rigouts, L., Baco, A., Abdou, W., Mzembaba, A., Hasker, E., Assoumani, Y., De Jong, B. C., & Braet, S. M. (2025). Exploration of tongue dorsum sampling to support clinical diagnosis of leprosy patients in the Comoros: A cross-sectional study. PLoS Neglected Tropical Diseases, 19(9), e0013541.

Can tough-to-treat tuberculosis be cured with a shorter, all-oral regimen? The international endTB-Q trial tested a 6–9 month combination of bedaquiline, delamanid, linezolid, and clofazimine against the standard WHO-recommended treatment for drug-resistant TB. Results showed the shorter regimen was not as effective, with similar side effects. The findings suggest that patients with highly resistant TB may still need longer, reinforced treatments.

Guglielmetti, L., Khan, U., Velásquez, G. E., Gouillou, M., Ali, M. H., Amjad, S., Kamal, F., Abubakirov, A., Ardizzoni, E., Baudin, E., Bektassov, S., Berry, C., Bonnet, M., Chavan, V., Coutisson, S., Dakenova, Z., De Jong, B. C., Van Dinh, L., Ferlazzo, G., . . . Mitnick, C. D. (2025). Bedaquiline, delamanid, linezolid, and clofazimine for rifampicin-resistant and fluoroquinolone-resistant tuberculosis (endTB-Q): an open-label, multicentre, stratified, non-inferiority, randomised, controlled, phase 3 trial. PubMed.

(c) image: Asim Hafeez, Médecins Sans Frontières (MSF)

In Morocco, researchers from our Unit of Experimental Parasitology zoomed in on how Leishmania tropica spreads among people with cutaneous leishmaniasis. By sequencing parasite DNA directly from skin samples, they revealed clusters of nearly identical genotypes as well as mixed lineages, clear signs of both clonal and sexual reproduction. The study shows how direct genome sequencing can uncover fine-scale transmission patterns, offering new insights into parasite evolution and spread.

Daoui, O., Monsieurs, P., Talimi, H., Späth, G. F., Dujardin, J., Heeren, S., Lemrani, M., & Domagalska, M. A. (2025). Direct genome sequencing of Leishmania tropica in tissues of Moroccan patients with cutaneous leishmaniasis reveals micro-focal transmission underlain by (pseudo-)clonal and sexual reproduction modes. The Journal Of Infectious Diseases.

In Sudan, Nepal, and Cambodia, our researchers tested over 1,300 patients with persistent fever for two overlooked bacteria: Coxiella burnetii (Q fever) and Bartonella. Around 4–5% showed antibodies, with Bartonella most common in Nepal. The findings raise questions about cross-reactivity, past exposure, or hidden co-infections. The study highlights the challenges of accurate diagnosis in low-resource settings and the need for better-tailored diagnostic tools.

Boodman, C., Edouard, S., Van Griensven, J., Koirala, K. D., Khanal, B., Rijal, S., Bhattarai, N. R., Safi, S. E., Phe, T., Lim, K., Lutumba, P., Chappuis, F., Yansouni, C. P., Tsoumanis, A., Barbé, B., Van Esbroeck, M., Verdonck, K., Boelaert, M., Gupta, N., . . . Bottieau, E. (2025). Coxiella burnetii and Bartonella species serology of febrile patients with an established infectious or inflammatory diagnosis in Sudan, Nepal, and Cambodia. Microbiology Spectrum.

Getting enough blood from a simple fingerprick is harder than it sounds. Our researchers developed the Collect2Know (C2K) device to make self-sampling more reliable and user-friendly. Through five design rounds, the final prototype allowed over 75% of participants to collect sufficient blood, with high usability scores. The device could decentralize routine blood sampling, improving access to diagnostics in both high- and low-resource settings.

Herrijgers, C., Van Landeghem, E., Vanroye, F., Cuylaerts, V., Kenyon, C., Vanbaelen, T., Van Lent, K., Smekens, B., Decuypere, S., Bosman, E., De Cock, N., Couwenbergh, C., Baert, E., Wymeersch, R., Sorgeloos, K., Beyers, K., Dierickx, T., Van Den Bossche, D., Platteau, T., & De Baetselier, I. (2025). The development of a novel device to aid in capillary macro blood self-sampling via an iterative study design. Expert Review Of Medical Devices. 

What if gonorrhea keeps coming back despite correct treatment? ITM researchers report a rare case where a patient suffered eight episodes of treatment failure with ceftriaxone, even though the bacteria were not resistant. Instead, the culprit was bacterial tolerance, a survival strategy where microbes “play dead” during treatment. The infection was finally cleared with prolonged therapy. The study highlights tolerance as an overlooked cause of treatment failure.

Kanesaka, I., Vanbaelen, T., De Baetselier, I., Van Den Bossche, D., Abdellati, S., De Block, T., Manoharan-Basil, S. S., & Kenyon, C. (2025). Could tolerance explain an individual’s eight episodes of gonococcal treatment failure with ceftriaxone? A case report. Sexually Transmitted Infections.