bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Human disease associated with "Campylobacter upsaliensis" (catalase-negative or weakly positive Campylobacter species) in the United States
Authors: Patton C M , Shaffer N , Edmonds P , Barrett T J , Lambert M A , Baker C , Perlman D M , Brenner D J
Published: January 2020

Catalase-negative or weakly positive (CNW) thermotolerant campylobacteria, first isolated from dogs in 1983, were recently recognized as a new species, "Campylobacter upsaliensis," but their association with human illness has not been established. Twelve human isolates received at the Centers for Disease Control between 1980 and 1986 were identified as CNW campylobacteria by biochemical tests, cellular fatty acid composition, and antimicrobial susceptibility patterns. Eleven CNW Campylobacter strains tested by DNA-DNA hybridization (hydroxyapatite method) were all highly related and were related to two "C. upsaliensis" strains at the species level (86% under optimal conditions and 76% under stringent conditions). Clinical information was obtained for 11 human isolates from three stool and eight blood specimens. They were isolated from four female and seven male patients 6.5 months to 83 years of age residing in 10 different states. The patients had a wide spectrum of illnesses. The stool isolates were obtained from two previously healthy persons during episodes of acute gastroenteritis and from one immunocompromised patient with persistent diarrhea and fever. The blood isolates were obtained from two infants with fever and respiratory symptoms; a young woman with a ruptured ectopic pregnancy; three elderly men with underlying chronic diseases; and two immunocompromised adults. In a bactericidal assay to assess sensitivity to serum, seven of eight blood isolates showed some resistance to killing by pooled normal human serum. These observations suggest that "C. upsaliensis" is a potential human pathogen associated with both gastroenteritis and bacteremia in normal hosts and with opportunistic infection in immunocompromised individuals.
Epidemiology of pharyngeal colonization of infants with aerobic gram-negative rod bacteria
Authors: Baltimore R S , Duncan R L , Shapiro E D , Edberg S C
Published: January 2020

By using a selective medium, pharyngeal colonization with gram-negative rod (GNR) bacteria was determined in a cohort of 49 normal infants monitored from birth to 6 months of age. Culture swabs were diluted in 1 ml of saline for quantitation. The prevalence of GNR in the first 72 h of life was 8% and rose to 29% during the first month, 52% at 2.5 months, 67% at 4.5 months, and 62% at 6 to 7 months. Colonization was with substantial numbers of organisms, generally greater than 100 colonies per ml and frequently greater than 1,000 colonies per ml. The most common species were Klebsiella species, Escherichia coli, Enterobacter species, and Acinetobacter anitratus. Fewer infants who were breast fed rather than formula fed at the time of culture harbored GNR (26 versus 45%, P less than 0.05). The point prevalence of pharyngeal GNR colonization in our special care nursery was 12 of 47 (26%), which was found to be similar to that of age-matched normal infants. GNR carriage in normal infants does not appear to be a residual of organisms acquired at birth, and interpretations of GNR carriage in ill or hospitalized infants should be evaluated by comparison with these data in healthy infants.
Cross-reaction with Borrelia burgdorferi antigen of sera from patients with human immunodeficiency virus infection, syphilis, and leptospirosis
Authors: Raoult D , Hechemy K E , Baranton G
Published: January 2020

We have studied the cross-reaction with Borrelia burgdorferi of sera positive for leptospirosis, syphilis, or human immunodeficiency virus by using the microimmunofluorescence test (micro-IF). The percentage of sera reactive in the micro-IF before absorption varied from 7 to 37% and was reduced to 3 to 8% after absorption with a commercial Reiter treponemal antigen. The cross-reaction of sera positive for syphilis or human immunodeficiency virus was distinguished from the homologous reaction with sera from patients with Lyme disease in the immunoblot test results. However, the cross-reaction could not always be distinguished from the homologous reaction with sera from patients with leptospirosis whose sera scored positive in the micro-IF for B. burgdorferi.
Seroepidemiology of adult diarrhea rotavirus in China, 1977 to 1987
Authors: Penaranda M E , Ho M S , Fang Z Y , Dong H , Bai X S , Duan S C , Ye W W , Estes M K , Echeverria P , Hung T
Published: January 2020

In 1982, large outbreaks of diarrhea that were caused by group B adult diarrhea rotavirus (ADRV) occurred throughout the People's Republic of China. Until 1982, group B rotavirus had never been associated with disease in humans. To determine whether ADRV was a new virus introduced in 1982 or had been present before that time, we examined antibody titers of ADRV in gamma globulin (pooled immunoglobulin) pools that were prepared during 1977 to 1987 in four cities in the People's Republic of China (Shanghai, Lanzhou, Wuhan, and Chandu). ADRV antibodies were assayed by using a blocking enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay. Antibodies were present in most Chinese gamma globulins tested, including those collected in Shanghai before the 1982 epidemic, and absent from American reference pools. The highest titers of antibody to ADRV (3,200) were found in gamma globulins collected in 1983 in Shanghai just after the epidemic, and these were fourfold higher than titers present in the preceding years. The quality of the gamma globulins stored for up to 12 years was tested by measuring levels of immunoglobulin G to group A rotavirus; these were equally high in gamma globulin pools prepared in the United States and in all samples from the People's Republic of China. Serum samples from patients from an outbreak of ADRV had elevated titers to ADRV 3 and 16 months after the onset of symptoms. These findings, as well as other epidemiologic findings on ADRV, suggest that the organism is an important and continuing cause of diarrhea in the People's Republic of China, was present before the first epidemic in 1982, and represents a risk to surrounding populations in Asia.
Human antibody response to Campylobacter jejuni flagellin protein and a synthetic N-terminal flagellin peptide
Authors: Nachamkin I , Yang X H
Published: January 2020

We measured isotype-specific human antibodies directed against Campylobacter jejuni native flagellin and a synthetic peptide derived from the N-terminal amino acid sequence of the protein by using a microdilution enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA). Serum samples from patients with gastrointestinal infection caused by C. jejuni (n = 20) and control samples (number from normal subjects = 20; number from patients with diarrhea other than campylobacter = 20) were tested in this assay. Serum specimens from patients with campylobacter infection showed statistically significant higher isotype-specific antiflagellin antibody titers than control samples did. Detection of immunoglobulin G (IgG) antibodies was less specific (70%) than detection of either IgA or IgM antibodies in infected patients (95%). The sensitivity of testing for any of the isotypes ranged from 64 to 100% in acute-phase serum specimens and 85 to 95% in convalescent-phase serum specimens. An ELISA with an N-terminal synthetic peptide derived from the flagellin protein as antigen was not sensitive (60%) for detecting campylobacter infection but was very specific (97.5%). In conclusion, detection of serum IgA or IgM against C. jejuni flagellin may be a useful marker of infection. Although the N-terminal synthetic peptide was antigenic in a few patients with infection and showed good specificity in the ELISA, additional amino acid sequences with better sensitivity for detecting infection need to be identified.
Application of a direct agglutination test for detection of specific anti-Leishmania antibodies in the canine reservoir
Authors: el Harith A , Slappendel R J , Reiter I , van Knapen F , de Korte P , Huigen E , Kolk A H
Published: January 2020

A direct agglutination test (DAT) for detection of visceral leishmaniasis in humans has been developed. In this study, it was evaluated for applicability to detection of infections in dogs, a reservoir species. The reliability of the test was improved by treating the test sera with 0.2 M 2-mercaptoethanol and incubating them at 37 degrees C. Sensitivity was 100% and specificity was 98.9% when the test was used on serum samples from 220 dogs, including 26 with parasitologically confirmed canine leishmaniasis, 12 with suspected but unconfirmed leishmaniasis, and 182 with other conditions. The DAT detected specific antibodies in 10 dogs with canine leishmaniasis diagnosed by case history, clinical signs of leishmaniasis, and seropositivity in an immunofluorescence test using either promastigotes or amastigotes, as well as in 2 dogs suspected of having leishmaniasis. The performance of an antigen prepared from a homologous isolate of Leishmania infantum in the DAT was compared with that of an antigen from a laboratory-adapted strain of L. donovani (sensu lato). The homologous antigen compared favorably with the standard antigen, and the results provided further evidence of the potential of the DAT for detection of Leishmania infection in the canine reservoir host. The results of this study, together with those of our previous studies in human visceral leishmaniasis, demonstrate that the DAT is highly suitable for wide-scale epidemiological and ecological field work. This technique could also facilitate diagnosis of leishmaniasis in dogs in veterinary health services.
Detection with synthetic oligonucleotide probes of nucleotide sequence variations in the genes encoding enterotoxins of Escherichia coli
Authors: Nishibuchi M , Murakami A , Arita M , Jikuya H , Takano J , Honda T , Miwatani T
Published: January 2020

We examined variations in the genes encoding heat-stable enterotoxin (ST) and heat-labile enterotoxin (LT) in 88 strains of Escherichia coli isolated from individuals with traveler's diarrhea to find suitable sequences for use as oligonucleotide probes. Four oligonucleotide probes of the gene encoding ST of human origin (STIb or STh), one oligonucleotide probe of the gene encoding ST of porcine origin (STIa or STp), and three oligonucleotide probes of the gene encoding LT of human origin (LTIh) were used in DNA colony hybridization tests. In 15 of 22 strains possessing the STh gene and 28 of 42 strains producing LT, the sequences of all regions tested were identical to the published sequences. One region in the STh gene examined with a 18-mer probe was relatively well conserved and was shown to be closely associated with the enterotoxicity of the E. coli strains in suckling mice. This oligonucleotide, however, hybridized with strains of Vibrio cholerae O1, V. parahaemolyticus, and Yersinia enterocolitica that gave negative results in the suckling mouse assay.
Typing of urogenital, maternal, and neonatal isolates of Haemophilus influenzae and Haemophilus parainfluenzae in correlation with clinical source of isolation and evidence for a genital specificity of H. influenzae biotype IV
Authors: Quentin R , Musser J M , Mellouet M , Sizaret P Y , Selander R K , Goudeau A
Published: January 2020

Over a period of 6 years, 114 strains of Haemophilus influenzae and Haemophilus parainfluenzae were isolated from genital, mother-infant, or neonatal infections. Their serotypes, biotypes, antibiotic resistance phenotypes, and outer membrane protein (OMP) electrophoretic patterns were characterized and correlated with the various clinical outcomes. Genital H. influenzae and H. parainfluenzae appeared to behave mostly as opportunistic pathogens; for instance, 62% of the cases of endometritis or pelvic inflammatory disease were related to the presence of an intrauterine device. However, as seen clearly in one case, the strains may be sexually transmitted. The analysis of OMP patterns proved to be a very convenient method to seek evidence for the sexual origin of the infection. H. influenzae was more often involved in complicated genital infections than was H. parainfluenzae. Nontypeable and biotype II H. influenzae strains were the more frequent isolates, except in pelvic inflammatory diseases, in which biotype I prevailed, and in mother-infant infections, in which one-fourth of the cases were due to biotype IV. Characterization of H. influenzae isolates did not support a general concept of specific genital strains. However, strains of biotype IV clearly stood out with two characteristics: (i) a peritrichous fimbriation and (ii) a very peculiar homogeneous OMP pattern comprising an OMP of molecular weight approximately 18,000 unique to this biotype. These characteristics were also found in H. influenzae biotype IV strains isolated from genital infections in the United States and used as controls. H. influenzae biotype IV strains may thus correspond to a group somewhat adapted to the genital tract.
Frequency of Staphylococcus intermedius as human nasopharyngeal flora
Authors: Talan D A , Staatz D , Staatz A , Overturf G D
Published: January 2020

Staphylococcus intermedius, a veterinary flora and pathogen, has recently been isolated from humans with infected dog bite wounds. The frequency of S. intermedius as a human nasopharyngeal flora was determined by culturing samples from 144 veterinary college staff members. This bacterium was isolated from only one individual (0.7%). It appears that S. intermedius is a true zoonotic opportunistic pathogen.
Evaluation of the updated QUANTUM II system for the identification of gram-negative bacilli
Authors: Rhoden D L , O'Hara C M
Published: January 2020

The QUANTUM II system (Abbott Diagnostics, Irving, Tex.) was evaluated with 65 species of gram-negative bacilli from various culture collections at the Centers for Disease Control. The QUANTUM II system accurately identified 92.5% of 335 isolates tested, as follows: 92.6% of 258 members of the family Enterobacteriaceae, 92.7% of 55 nonfermenters, and 91% of 22 oxidase-positive fermenters. These results were obtained by using the additional biochemical and serologic tests recommended by the manufacturers of the QUANTUM II system. The 25 misidentified cultures generally belonged to newly recognized genera, atypical strains, or slower-growing strains of more widely known genera. The system identified the most commonly encountered organisms at an accuracy of greater than or equal to 95%. The system is efficient, accurate, and rapid.
Investigation of zoonotically acquired Campylobacter jejuni enteritis with serotyping and restriction endonuclease DNA analysis
Authors: Fox J G , Taylor N S , Penner J L , Shames B , Gurgis R V , Tomson F N
Published: January 2020

Five strains of Campylobacter jejuni were isolated from asymptomatic coyotes being maintained in a vivarium. According to the results of serotyping with thermostable antigens and of bacterial chromosomal restriction endonuclease analysis, one of the C. jejuni strains isolated from the coyotes was responsible for enteritis in a laboratory animal technician providing husbandry for the laboratory-maintained coyotes.
Recovery of a unique bacterial organism in human middle ear fluid and its possible role in chronic otitis media
Authors: Faden H , Dryja D
Published: January 2020

The middle ear fluids of 10 children with persistent otitis media with effusion (OME) were found to contain an unclassified, slow-growing, gram-positive organism. Large gram-positive cocci, often present as diplococci or tetrads, were readily seen in each effusion. Culture of the fluid on a blood agar plate required 2 to 5 days of incubation at 37 degrees C and yielded a slow-growing coccus in pure culture in 70% of cases and in mixed culture in 30% of cases. The organism in question was unique and could be distinguished from aerococci, gemellas, enterococci, and micrococci. It grew in 6.5% saline and on bile esculin agar. It did not grow at 45 degrees C or anaerobically. It was uniformly catalase and hippurate positive. It gave negative reactions with tellurite, tetrazolium, and pyruvate and did not utilize any of the carbohydrates tested. Reactions to bile esculin were variable. The episodes of OME associated with the bacterium in question were asymptomatic, had been present from 1 to 8 months, and occurred in children who had previously experienced OME. The middle ear fluids were typically serous or seromucinous and contained inflammatory cells. The data suggest that the gram-positive coccus is a newly described middle ear pathogen and may be responsible, in part, for persistent middle ear effusion. The characteristically slow growth of the organism in vitro could hinder recovery of the organism from clinical specimens and may therefore have prevented its earlier recognition.
Detection of influenza virus by centrifugal inoculation of MDCK cells and staining with monoclonal antibodies
Authors: Mills R D , Cain K J , Woods G L
Published: January 2020

Two methods for detection of influenza virus in 451 clinical respiratory specimens were compared: (i) 24-well-plate centrifugation with Madin-Darby canine kidney (MDCK) cells and staining with monoclonal antibody pools to influenza viruses A and B (Centers for Disease Control, Atlanta, Ga.) in an indirect immunofluorescence assay after incubation for 40 h, and (ii) conventional tissue cell culture with primary monkey cells and hemadsorption. For 100 of these specimens, direct examination of smears by the direct fluorescence assay with monoclonal antibodies (Boots Cell Tech/API Analytab Products, Plainview, N.Y.) was also performed. Influenza A virus was recovered from 28 specimens by tissue cell culture after incubation for an average of 4.75 days (range, 2 to 14 days). Influenza B virus was recovered from 35 specimens by tissue culture after incubation for an average of 5.4 days (range, 3 to 14 days). By the centrifugation assay, 23 specimens were positive for influenza A virus and 30 were positive for influenza B virus. All specimens positive by the centrifugation assay were also positive by conventional tissue cell culture. The sensitivities of the centrifugation assay were 82% for detection of influenza A virus and 86% for influenza B virus (84% overall); the specificity of the assay was 100%. Of the 100 specimens studied by direct examination, 15 were positive for influenza virus by both conventional culture and centrifugation assay; however, the direct-smear results for these 15 specimens were negative in 13 cases and inconclusive in 2. The centrifugation assay is a rapid and specific method for detection of influenza A and B viruses in clinical specimens, and it can serve as a valuable and cost-efficient adjunct to conventional culture methods.
Numerical analysis of electrophoretic protein patterns of methicillin-resistant strains of Staphylococcus aureus
Authors: Costas M , Cookson B D , Talsania H G , Owen R J
Published: January 2020

A total of 50 strains of Staphylococcus aureus, including 41 methicillin-resistant S. aureus (MRSA) strains, were characterized by one-dimensional sodium dodecyl sulfate-polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis of whole-cell proteins. The protein patterns contained 40-50 discrete bands and were highly reproducible. Partial patterns were used as the basis of a computer-assisted numerical analysis. The MRSA strains clustered into four phenons at the 83% similarity level; and further division of phenon 1, at the 86% similarity level, resulted in a total of six clusters. All of the MRSA isolates from an MRSA epidemic in the United Kingdom were found to cluster in phenon 1 together with 9 of the 12 MRSA isolates from eastern Australia and 3 other MRSA isolates from the United Kingdom. The remaining three eastern Australian isolates clustered separately in phenon 2. Phenon 3 appeared to be exclusive to strains that were both susceptible and resistant to methicillin and that reacted with group V phages, and phenon 4 comprised 11 isolates, all of which were other MRSA isolates from the United Kingdom. We conclude that computer-assisted numerical analysis by high-resolution sodium dodecyl sulfate-polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis of whole-cell proteins provides additional criteria for the study of the epidemiology and the evolution of MRSA.
Serological characterization of bovine rotaviruses isolated from dairy and beef herds in Argentina
Authors: Bellinzoni R C , Blackhall J O , Mattion N M , Estes M K , Snodgrass D R , LaTorre J L , Scodeller E A
Published: January 2020

Bovine rotaviruses isolated from beef and dairy herds in Argentina were serotyped by the immunoperoxidase focus reduction assay as previously described (G. Gerna, M. Battaglia, G. Milenesi, N. Passarani, E. Percivalle, and E. Cattaneo, Infect. Immun. 43:722-729, 1984). Three strains from beef herds were related to the UK and NCDV bovine rotavirus strains defined as serotype 6 (Y. Hoshino, R. G. Wyatt, H. B. Greenberg, J. Flores, and A. Z. Kapikian, J. Infect. Dis. 149:694-702, 1984). Two other strains from dairy herds were classified as bovine viruses related to the bovine B223 strain reported by Woode and co-workers (G. N. Woode, N. E. Kelso, T. F. Simpson, S. K. Gaul, L. E. Evans, and L. Babiuk, J. Clin. Microbiol. 18:358-364, 1983) in the United States. A serotyping antibody-capture enzyme-linked immunoassay to detect serotype 6 rotavirus using a serotype 6-specific monoclonal antibody was developed and evaluated for strain characterization. Characterization of 72 group A rotavirus-positive fecal samples from beef herds and 43 fecal samples from dairy herds showed a predominance of serotype 6 rotavirus in beef herds but both serotype 6 and non-serotype 6 rotaviruses in dairy herds. Analysis of genomic double-stranded RNA by polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis showed that when outbreaks were caused by one serotype only a single electropherotype was present in all samples.
Temporal study of staphylococcal species on the skin of human subjects in isolation and clonal analysis of Staphylococcus capitis by sodium dodecyl sulfate-polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis
Authors: Maggs A F , Pennington T H
Published: January 2020

The staphylococcal skin floras of an isolated group of subjects were studied for 1 year. A wide variation in isolation patterns was found for different species. Staphylococcus intermedius, previously thought to be of veterinary origin, was found to be part of the resident flora of some subjects, and this may indicate a wider role for it in clinical infection. Sodium dodecyl sulfate-polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis (SDS-PAGE) analysis of S. capitis isolates indicated persistent skin colonization at some sites; each region was colonized by only one clone of that species, although an adjacent area could be inhabited by a separate clone. Nine clonal groups were identified by SDS-PAGE; there was a degree of specialization between the groups with regard to the sites which they colonized. The interaction between species at a single site was less well defined. Noncolonizing isolates often exhibited phenotypic similarities that were lower than expected when compared with their presumed source. The results of SDS-PAGE analysis were compared with immunoblotting, antibiograms, and biotyping, and SDS-PAGE analysis was found to be a useful and practical tool for epidemiological work.
Controlled comparison of a new Becton Dickinson agar slant blood culture system with Roche Septi-Chek for the detection of bacteremia and fungemia
Authors: Reimer L G , Reller L B , Mirrett S
Published: January 2020

Two commercially available agar slide blood culture systems, Septi-Chek (Roche Diagnostics, Div. Hoffmann-La Roche Inc., Nutley, N.J.) and VACUTAINER agar slant (Becton Dickinson [BD] Vacutainer Systems, Rutherford, N.J.), were compared in 5,628 paired blood cultures from adult patients. The systems were inoculated with equal volumes (5 ml) of blood. There was no statistically significant difference between the two systems in the overall recovery of clinically important microorganisms; however, significantly more Escherichia coli (P less than 0.05) organisms were detected in the Septi-Chek system. Concurrently, significantly more contaminants (P less than 0.001) also were present in Septi-Chek bottles. When microorganisms grew in both systems, there was no significant difference in the time to recovery of important organisms, except that anaerobes were detected more quickly in the BD system. This study suggests that the BD VACUTAINER agar slant is an acceptable alternative to the Septi-Chek system for routine blood cultures.
Oligonucleotide probe for detection and identification of Campylobacter pylori
Authors: Morotomi M , Hoshina S , Green P , Neu H C , LoGerfo P , Watanabe I , Mutai M , Weinstein I B
Published: January 2020

We have developed a novel and practical DNA-RNA hybridization assay for the detection and identification of Campylobacter pylori in the gastric mucosa. This technique utilizes a [32P]ddATP-labeled synthetic oligonucleotide probe complementary to a nucleotide sequence present in C. pylori 16S rRNA. This probe is very sensitive and reacted with all 23 strains of C. pylori tested. It is also highly specific, since there was no cross-reactivity with the heterologous organisms Campylobacter coli, C. fetus subsp. fetus, C. jejuni, and C. laridis or with Escherichia coli. Hybridization of the oligonucleotide probe with C. pylori RNA was completely inhibited by treatment of the membrane filters with RNase but not DNase. Although a gastric mucosa tissue homogenate slightly inhibited the hybridization, as few as 10(4) C. pylori cells could be detected even in the presence of 5 mg of gastric mucosa. Gastric biopsy specimens obtained from patients referred for upper gastrointestinal tract endoscopy were tested for C. pylori infection by direct oligonucleotide hybridization, and the results were compared with those of bacteriological cultures, the urease test, and histological observations. A comparison of the urease test and the oligonucleotide hybridization results showed an excellent correlation between the two methods. The clinical usefulness of this oligonucleotide-RNA hybridization method is discussed.
In vitro bacteriological study of a new hub model for intravascular catheters and infusion equipment
Authors: Segura M , Alía C , Oms L , Sancho J J , Torres-Rodríguez J M , Sitges-Serra A
Published: January 2020

We investigated in vitro the antibacterial properties of a simulated new hub model in which the female part has an antiseptic chamber through which the needle (male part) must pass before connection of the set and the catheter. To establish the time needed for disinfection, the magnitude of reduction of the contaminating inocula by the new hub model, and the antibacterial properties of the different components of the hub, we used needles contaminated with solutions containing high inocula (1.9 x 10(7) to 1.2 x 10(11) CFU/ml) of microorganisms involved in hub-related catheter sepsis. Sterilization of the needles was accomplished by allowing them to remain in the antiseptic chamber for 10 s in all assays with Staphylococcus epidermidis, Pseudomonas aeruginosa, Escherichia coli, and Candida albicans. The rubber closures limiting the antiseptic chamber and the dilution effect of the antiseptic itself accounted for a minor part of the inoculum reduction achieved by the new hub model. This simulated hub provides good protection against endoluminal contamination. Further studies seem warranted to prove its industrial viability and clinical efficacy.
Cat-contaminated environmental substances lead to Yersinia pseudotuberculosis infection in children
Authors: Fukushima H , Gomyoda M , Ishikura S , Nishio T , Moriki S , Endo J , Kaneko S , Tsubokura M
Published: January 2020

A 1-year-old boy was infected with Yersinia pseudotuberculosis serotypes 1b and 3, and his 3-year-old brother was infected with Y. pseudotuberculosis serotype 1b; both had drunk water from puddles in a garden of their housing district of Miyoshi City, Hiroshima Prefecture, Japan. The Y. pseudotuberculosis serotype 1b and 3 strains isolated from soil from the dried-up puddles and sand and feces from the sandbox proved to be from a stray cat. The restriction endonuclease patterns of the plasmid in each strain of Y. pseudotuberculosis serotypes 1b and 3 were identical. These data provide evidence for the transmission of Y. pseudotuberculosis through water, sand, and soil contaminated by feces from cats infected with this species.
Comparative evaluation of three products for the detection of Borrelia burgdorferi antibody in human serum
Authors: Fister R D , Weymouth L A , McLaughlin J C , Ryan R W , Tilton R C
Published: January 2020

Eighty human serum specimens tested concomitantly by immunoblot and an enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay developed jointly at the University of Connecticut School of Medicine and the Connecticut Agricultural Experiment Station were used to evaluate three commercially available diagnostic products for Lyme borreliosis. The sources of the kits were Hillcrest Biologicals, Cypress, Calif.; Whittaker Bioproducts, Walkersville, Md.; and Cambridge Bioscience, Worcester, Mass. When compared with Western blot analysis, the sensitivities and specificities, respectively, for the diagnostic assays were as follows: Hillcrest Biologicals, 93 and 75%; Whittaker Bioproducts, 73 and 100%; Cambridge Bioscience, 89 and 100%; and University of Connecticut School of Medicine, 96 and 92%.
Further antigenic characterization of porcine rotavirus YM
Authors: Arias C F , Ruiz A M , López S
Published: January 2020

We recently reported that the serotype specificity of YM, a group A porcine rotavirus, is different from those of the previously established rotavirus serotypes, 1 to 6 (A. M. Ruiz, I. V. Lopez, S. Lopez, R. T. Espejo, and C. F. Arias, J. Virol. 62:4331-4336, 1988). Here we demonstrate by cross-neutralization studies that rotavirus YM is also antigenically distinct from prototype rotavirus strains of serotypes 7 (Ty1), 8 (69M), 9 (WI61), and 10 (B223). A comparison of the serotype-determining amino acid regions of the YM surface glycoprotein, VP7, with the reported homologous sequences of rotavirus strains Gottfried, 69M, B37, F45, and WI61 further supported the serotypic individuality of the rotavirus YM VP7 protein.
Evaluation of five hepatitis delta virus marker assays for detection of antigen and antibody
Authors: Bezeaud A , Rosenswajg M , Guillin M C
Published: January 2020

Five commercially available assays for hepatitis delta (HD) virus markers were compared for sensitivity, specificity, and reproducibility: three assays for antibody (anti-HD), provided by Diagnostics Pasteur, Organon Teknika, and Abbott Laboratories, and two assays for antigen (HD Ag), from Pasteur and Organon Teknika. The assay from Organon Teknika is the less sensitive assay for anti-HD detection. Although the sensitivities of the Pasteur and Abbott assays for anti-HD detection are similar, the use of Abbott reagents is hampered by the lack of specificity when HD Ag is present. The greater sensitivity for HD Ag detection is obtained with Organon assay.
Identification of Moraxella bovis by using a monoclonal antibody to a lipopolysaccharide epitope
Authors: Wannemuehler Y , Johansen K , Rosenbusch R
Published: January 2020

A monoclonal antibody to the lipopolysaccharide of Moraxella bovis is described. In an indirect fluorescent-antibody test, this monoclonal antibody reacted with 39 of 39 strains of M. bovis tested and did not react with 26 nonfermenting gram-negative coccobacilli other than M. bovis. When used in an indirect fluorescent-antibody test, it proved useful for rapid and easy identification of M. bovis.
Emergence of a restricted bioserovar of Vibrio parahaemolyticus as the predominant cause of Vibrio-associated gastroenteritis on the West Coast of the United States and Mexico
Authors: Abbott S L , Powers C , Kaysner C A , Takeda Y , Ishibashi M , Joseph S W , Janda J M
Published: January 2020

Examination of 45 human fecal isolates of Vibrio parahaemolyticus revealed the emergence of an unusual bioserovar (O4:K12, urease positive) associated with cases of gastroenteritis which appear to be domestically acquired on the West Coast of the United States and Mexico.
Capnocytophaga canimorsus sp. nov. (formerly CDC group DF-2), a cause of septicemia following dog bite, and C. cynodegmi sp. nov., a cause of localized wound infection following dog bite
Authors: Brenner D J , Hollis D G , Fanning G R , Weaver R E
Published: January 2020

CDC group DF-2 is the vernacular name given to a slow-growing gram-negative bacterium that causes septicemia and meningitis in humans. Infections frequently (one-third of cases) occur following dog bites or close contact with dogs or occasionally with cats. Splenectomy and alcoholism appear to be strong predisposing factors for DF-2 infection. In addition to 150 DF-2 strains received for identification, we received 9 DF-2-like strains; 6 were isolated from wound or eye infections, 3 of which were associated with dog bites and 1 of which was associated with a cat scratch, and 3 were isolated from dog mouths. The major characteristics of DF-2 include production of acid but no gas from lactose and maltose and usually D-glucose; positive reactions for oxidase, catalase, arginine dihydrolase, gliding motility, and o-nitrophenyl-beta-D-galactopyranoside; growth enhanced by serum and by incubation in a candle jar atmosphere; and negative reactions for sucrose, raffinose, inulin, melibiose, nitrate reduction, indole, and growth on MacConkey agar. DF-2-like strains had the same characteristics, except that acid was formed from sucrose, raffinose, inulin, and melibiose. By the hydroxyapatite method, DNAs from 12 DF-2 strains were 88% related in 60 degrees C reactions and 84% related in 75 degrees C reactions. Related sequences contained 0.5 to 1.5% unpaired bases (divergence). Three DF-2-like strains were 73 to 80% related at 60 degrees C (with 2.0 to 2.5% divergence) and 68 to 75% related at 75 degrees C. The relatedness of DF-2 and DF-2-like strains was 19 to 31% at 60 degrees Celsius and 13 to 19% at 75 degrees Celsius. The relatedness of DF-2 and DF-2-like strains to Capnocytophaga species was 4 to 7%. The DNA relatedness date indicate that eh DF-2 and the DF-2-like strains are separate, previously undescribed species. Both groups are phenotypically and genetically distinct from Capnocytophaga species, although they do share several characteristics with Capnocytophaga species, including cellular morphology, gliding motility, cellular fatty acid composition, enhancement of growth in a candle jar atmosphere, and G+C content. The new species differ from Capnocytophaga species by their positive oxidase and catalase reactions. We chose to avoid creating a new genus and proposed the names Capnocytophaga canimorsus sp. nov. for group DF-2 and C. cynodegmi sp. nov. for the DF-2-like strains.
Prevalence of hydrogen peroxide-producing Lactobacillus species in normal women and women with bacterial vaginosis
Authors: Eschenbach D A , Davick P R , Williams B L , Klebanoff S J , Young-Smith K , Critchlow C M , Holmes K K
Published: January 2020

A predominance of Lactobacillus species in the vaginal flora is considered normal. In women with bacterial vaginosis, the prevalence and concentrations of intravaginal Gardnerella vaginalis and anaerobes are increased, whereas the prevalence of intravaginal Lactobacillus species is decreased. Because some lactobacilli are known to produce hydrogen peroxide (H2O2), which can be toxic to organisms that produce little or no H2O2-scavenging enzymes (e.g., catalase), we postulated that an absence of H2O2-producing Lactobacillus species could allow an overgrowth of catalase-negative organisms, such as those found among women with bacterial vaginosis. In this study, H2O2-producing facultative Lactobacillus species were found in the vaginas of 27 (96%) of 28 normal women and 4 (6%) of 67 women with bacterial vaginosis (P less than 0.001). Anaerobic Lactobacillus species (which do not produce hydrogen peroxide) were isolated from 24 (36%) of 67 women with bacterial vaginosis and 1 (4%) of 28 normal women (P less than 0.001). The production of H2O2 by Lactobacillus species may represent a nonspecific antimicrobial defense mechanism of the normal vaginal ecosystem.
Evaluation of a disk method for detection of hippurate hydrolysis by Campylobacter spp
Authors: Cacho J B , Aguirre P M , Hernanz A , Velasco A C
Published: January 2020

A disk method for detecting hippurate hydrolysis by Campylobacter spp. was evaluated and compared with the conventional tube test used at the Centers for Disease Control (CDC) (G.K. Morris and C.M. Patton, p. 302-308, in E.H. Lennette, A. Balows, W.J. Hausler, Jr., and H.J. Shadomy, ed., Manual of Clinical Microbiology, 4th ed., 1985) and high-performance liquid chromatography (HPLC). A total of 118 Campylobacter strains were tested. Eighty-seven strains (74%) were hippurate positive by the HPLC method, and the remaining 31 (26%) were found to be hippurate negative. By using HPLC as the reference technique, the CDC method showed a sensitivity of 80% and a specificity of 81%; the disk method showed a sensitivity of 93% and a specificity of 94%. The disk method can be performed with a small inoculum of bacteria, did not present problems of interpretation, and showed better results than the CDC method (P = 0.015).
Comparison of five enzyme immunoassays, electron microscopy, and latex agglutination for detection of rotavirus in fecal specimens
Authors: Kok T W , Burrell C J
Published: January 2020

Five different enzyme immunoassays, electron microscopy, and latex agglutination (Slidex; bioMerieux) were compared for the rapid detection of human rotavirus in fecal specimens. The enzyme immunoassay using rotavirus polyclonal antiserum (Dakopatts) with simple in-house modifications was shown by the use of confirmatory tests to be the most sensitive and specific procedure.
Genetic and antigenic characterization of Borrelia coriaceae, putative agent of epizootic bovine abortion
Authors: LeFebvre R B , Perng G C
Published: January 2020

Borrelia coriaceae was characterized genetically and antigenically by utilizing the following techniques: restriction endonuclease analysis, Southern blotting and genomic hybridization, pulsed-field electrophoresis, sodium dodecyl sulfate-polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis, and immunoblotting. The B. coriaceae genome revealed unique and characteristic banding patterns both by agarose gel electrophoresis and by hybridization when compared with several Borrelia burgdorferi isolates. Pulsed-field gel electrophoresis demonstrated several linear plasmids ranging from 65 to 30 kilobase pairs. Cross-reaction with B. burgdorferi antigens ranging from 21 to 26 kilodaltons were demonstrated by immunoblotting with rabbit anti-B. coriaceae antiserum. However, most B. coriaceae antigens were quite distinct when compared with B. burgdorferi and Leptospira interrogans antigens.
Comparison of core antigen (p24) assay and reverse transcriptase activity for detection of human immunodeficiency virus type 1 replication
Authors: Land S , Beaton F , McPhee D A , Gust I D
Published: January 2020

This report compares two assay systems for monitoring human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) replication in peripheral blood leukocyte cultures. A commercial enzyme-linked immunoassay detected core antigen (p24) in 80% of cell cultures from HIV-seropositive individuals, whereas 67% of the cell cultures produced detectable levels of reverse transcriptase activity. There were clearly three patterns of reverse transcriptase activity produced, two of which may evade detection without regular sampling and maintaining cell cultures for more than 4 weeks. Once established, core antigen levels remained high so that cell cultures could be confidently monitored by an intermittent screening regimen.
Reactions to and antigenicity of two human-rhesus rotavirus reassortant vaccine candidates of serotypes 1 and 2 in Venezuelan infants
Authors: Flores J , Perez-Schael I , Blanco M , Vilar M , Garcia D , Perez M , Daoud N , Midthun K , Kapikian A Z
Published: January 2020

The reactions to and antigenicity of two human-rhesus rotavirus (RRV) reassortants (human rotavirus strain D x RRV and human rotavirus strain DS1 x RRV) with the VP7 neutralization specificity of a serotype 1 or serotype 2 rotavirus were evaluated in a placebo-controlled double-blind trial in 116 1- to 5-month-old infants in Caracas, Venezuela. The children were randomly divided into five groups to receive orally the following inocula: (i) 10(4) PFU of D x RRV reassortant; (ii) 10(4) PFU of DS1 x RRV reassortant; (iii) 10(4) PFU of RRV; (iv) 5 x 10(3) PFU of D x RRV and 5 x 10(3) PFU of RRV; and (v) placebo. The children were examined daily for 7 days following vaccine administration; 8 to 26% of the vaccinated infants developed a mild febrile reaction which in most cases lasted only 1 day. Seroresponses to rotavirus were observed in 39 to 65% of the vaccinees by plaque neutralization assay and in 57 to 88% by an immunoglobulin A enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay. Vaccine shedding was detected in 53 to 86% of the vaccinees. Analysis of neutralization antibody responses indicates that the VP4 protein represents an important component of the response induced by the vaccines.
Clinical evaluation of a direct fluorescent monoclonal antibody test for detection of Pseudomonas aeruginosa in blood cultures
Authors: Pfaller M A , Barrett M , Koontz F P , Wenzel R P , Cunningham M D , Rollins N , Darveau R P
Published: January 2020

A direct fluorescent monoclonal antibody test (DFA; Genetic Systems Corp., Seattle, Wash.) was evaluated for the detection of Pseudomonas aeruginosa in 178 blood culture broths obtained from 128 patients. The DFA identified 44 (98%) of 45 blood cultures positive for P. aeruginosa and was negative in 131 (98%) of 133 blood cultures which grew gram-negative rods other than P. aeruginosa. Upon further investigation, saline suspensions of the organism from the false-negative blood culture were strongly (4+) DFA positive. The false-positive reactions were not due to cross-reactivity, as shown by lack of DFA staining of the non-P. aeruginosa isolates following subculture to agar media. The specificity of the reagent was further demonstrated by directly staining culture isolates including 10 serotypes of P. aeruginosa (all positive) and 57 selected gram-negative bacilli including eight species of Pseudomonas that were not P. aeruginosa (all negative). DFA staining of blood culture broths was easy to perform and read with minimal background fluorescence. The DFA method can be performed in 50 min and appears promising as a rapid method for the identification of P. aeruginosa bacteremia.
Functional capacity of immunoglobulin G preparations and the F(ab')2 split product
Authors: Steele R W , Steele R W
Published: January 2020

Five immunoglobulin G preparations, including one 5S F(ab')2 split product, were compared for activity against common bacterial, viral, and protozoan pathogens. Standard assays were used to quantitate antibodies to tetanus, diphtheria, cytomegalovirus, herpes simplex virus types 1 and 2, rubella virus, and Toxoplasma gondii. Opsonization and killing of bacteria were examined by chemiluminescence methods using Streptococcus pneumoniae types 5, 12F, and 14 and Staphylococcus aureus. Antibodies to the viral pathogens and T. gondii were not detectable for the 5S immunoglobulin even at high concentrations (50 mg/ml) but were present in all 7S preparations at immunoglobulin concentrations of 10 mg/ml. Relatively lower activities for tetanus and diphtheria antibody were also seen with the F(ab')2 product. Opsonizing capacity against all pneumococcal serotypes and Staphylococcus aureus was lowest for the 5S product and highest for the commercially available intravenous immunoglobulin product that is purified by using a pH 4.25 formulation. These data do not support potential clinical usefulness of immunoglobulin G split products and suggest wide variations of specific antibody among commercial intravenous immunoglobulin preparations.
"Campylobacter upsaliensis" isolated from blood cultures of pediatric patients
Authors: Lastovica A J , Le Roux E , Penner J L
Published: January 2020

Seventeen campylobacters isolated from cultures of blood samples of 16 bacteremic patients were susceptible to cephalothin and were either catalase negative or had only weak catalase activity (CNW strains) and were classified as "Campylobacter upsaliensis" (K. Sandstedt and J. Ursing, XIV Int. Congr. Microbiol., p. B8-17, 1986). All of the patients had predisposing conditions, and 10 patients were less than or equal to 12 months old, indicating that "C. upsaliensis" is an opportunistic pathogen of humans.
Rapid bioluminescence method for bacteriuria screening
Authors: Pezzlo M T , Ige V , Woolard A P , Peterson E M , de la Maza L M
Published: January 2020

A study was performed to evaluate the UTIscreen (Los Alamos Diagnostics, Los Alamos, N. Mex.), a rapid bioluminescence bacteriuria screen. The UTIscreen was compared with three other rapid bacteriuria screens: the Bac-T-Screen (Vitek Systems, Hazelwood, Mo.), an automated filtration device; the Chemstrip LN (Boehringer Mannheim Diagnostics, BioDynamics, Indianapolis, Ind.), an enzyme dipstick; and the Gram stain. A semiquantitative plate culture was used as the reference method. Of the 1,000 specimens tested, 276 had colony counts of greater than 10(5) CFU/ml by the culture method. Of these, the UTIscreen detected 96% (265 of 276) using greater than or equal to 5% of the integrated light output of the standard reading as a positive interpretive breakpoint, the Bac-T-Screen detected 96% (266 of 276), the Chemstrip LN detected 90% (249 of 276), and the Gram stain detected 96% (264 of 276). Of the 214 probable pathogens isolated at greater than 10(5) CFU/ml, the UTIscreen detected 95% (204 of 214), the Bac-T-Screen detected 98% (210 of 214), the Chemstrip LN detected 92% (198 of 214), and the Gram stain detected 98% (209 of 214). The predictive values of negative test results at greater than 10(5) CFU/ml for the UTIscreen, the Bac-T-Screen, the Chemstrip LN, and the Gram stain were 98, 97, 93, and 98%, respectively. The overall specificities at greater than 10(5) CFU/ml for the UTIscreen, the Bac-T-Screen, the Chemstrip LN, and the Gram stain were 70, 48, 51, and 69%, respectively. There were 532 specimens with colony counts of >10(3) CFU/ml, and of these, the UTIscreen, the Bac-T-Screen, the Chemstrip LN, and the Gram stain detected 72, 81, 76, and 73%, respectively. Of the 249 probable pathogens isolated at >10(3) CFU/ml, the UTIscreen, the Bac-T-Screen, the Chemstrip LN, and the Gram stain detected 91, 95, 89, and 93%, respectively. The overall specificities at > 10(3) CFU/ml for these methods were 79, 55, 57, and 78%, respectively. The cost per test for detection was approximately $0.50 for the Chemstrip LN. Overall, the UTIscreen is rapid and easy to perform; its sensitivity compared favorably with those of the other screening methods; it had higher specificity than the Bac-T-Screen and Chemstrip LN; and it allowed for bathing of specimen.
Detection of urinary antigens of Legionella pneumophila serogroup 12 by broad-spectrum enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay
Authors: Tang P W , Toma S , Rajkumar W D
Published: January 2020

The first Canadian case of Legionella pneumophila serogroup 12 infection is reported. The initial diagnosis was made with a urine specimen by a broad-spectrum enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay; further serogrouping was done by indirect fluorescent-antibody and tube agglutination tests. This case emphasizes the importance of multivalent urinary antigen detection for the diagnosis of legionellosis.