bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025_split huggingface dataset:
Failure of Quality Control Measures To Prevent Reporting of False Resistance to Imipenem, Resulting in a Pseudo-Outbreak of Imipenem-Resistant
Pseudomonas aeruginosa
Authors: Carmeli Yehuda , Eichelberger Karen , Soja Don , Dakos Joanna , Venkataraman Lata , DeGirolami Paola , Samore Matthew 
Published: December 2019

ABSTRACT

False results showing an outbreak of
Pseudomonas aeruginosa
with resistance to imipenem were traced to a defective lot of microdilution MIC testing panels. These panels contained two- to threefold lower concentrations of imipenem than expected and resulted in artifactual two- to fourfold increases in MICs of imipenem. The quality-control MIC results for
Pseudomonas aeruginosa
ATCC 27853 were 4 μg/ml, the highest value within the range recommended by the National Committee for Clinical Laboratory Standards. We recommend that this value be considered out of the quality-control range.
Standardized BACTEC Method To Measure Clarithromycin Susceptibility of
Mycobacterium genavense
Authors: Carlson La Donna C. , Wallis Carolyn K. , Coyle Marie B. 
Published: December 2019

ABSTRACT

A standardized clarithromycin susceptibility test for
Mycobacterium genavense
is reported. The BACTEC radiometric broth dilution test method recommended for
Mycobacterium avium
complex was modified to develop a reliable and reproducible procedure. Test development involved optimization of medium pH and inoculum densities for antibiotic vials as well as growth control vials. MIC control organisms included
Mycobacterium simiae
,
Mycobacterium avium
, and
Mycobacterium xenopi
. Growth control vials required two to three inoculum dilutions, which varied for each species. Clarithromycin MICs and MBCs for 12 isolates and 1 colonial variant of
M. genavense
ranged from ≤0.06 to 0.25 μg/ml.
Cellular Fatty Acid Composition, Soluble-Protein Profile, and Antimicrobial Resistance Pattern of
Eubacterium lentum
Authors: Mosca Adriana , Summanen Paula , Finegold Sydney M. , De Michele Giampiero , Miragliotta Giuseppe 
Published: December 2019

ABSTRACT

Phenotypic heterogeneity among isolates of
Eubacterium lentum
has been recognized for many years. To better delineate their taxonomic relatedness, 29 clinical isolates of
E. lentum
were examined for soluble-protein content, cellular fatty acid profile, and antimicrobial resistance pattern in order to ascertain whether differences in these characteristics could be correlated with differences in biochemical activities. Among 29 isolates we could identify 6 that were different from all the others. These strains were coccobacilli with translucent colonies; they were catalase and H
2
S negative, not fluorescent under UV light, and susceptible to beta-lactam drugs; growth was not stimulated by arginine; and fatty acid analysis revealed the presence of straight-chain fatty acids. The remainder of the strains, including the type species, were pleomorphic bacilli with speckled colonies and were catalase and H
2
S positive; all but two were fluorescent under UV light; they were resistant to beta-lactam antibiotics; growth was greatly stimulated by arginine; and they demonstrated saturated branched-chain fatty acids. Our data suggest that
E. lentum
can be further differentiated into different types.
Biochemical and Pathogenic Properties of
Shewanella alga
and
Shewanella putrefaciens
Authors: Khashe Shideh , Janda J. Michael 
Published: December 2019

ABSTRACT

We characterized 49 strains of
Shewanella
spp. from clinical (
n
= 31) and nonhuman (
n
= 18) sources. Most
Shewanella alga
organisms (Gilardi biovar 2; Centers for Disease Control and Prevention [CDC] biotype 2) originated from clinical material (92%), failed to produce acid from carbohydrates other than
d
-ribose, and were biochemically and enzymatically fairly homogeneous. In contrast,
Shewanella putrefaciens
organisms (Gilardi biovars 1 and 3; CDC biotype 1) were more often associated with nonhuman sources (70%), were able to utilize a number of sugars (sucrose,
l
-arabinose, and maltose), and were found to exhibit wider variations in biochemical characteristics; three biotypes within
S. putrefaciens
were detected. Notable differences between the two species in enzymatic activity, determined with the API-ZYM system (bioMérieux, Hazelwood, Mo.), and cellular fatty acid profiles, determined by the MIDI system (Microbial ID Inc., Newark, Del.), were also detected. Pathogenicity studies of mice indicate that
S. alga
appears to be the more virulent species, possibly due to the production of a hemolytic substance.
Evaluation of the Dade MicroScan MICroSTREP Antimicrobial Susceptibility Testing Panel with Selected
Streptococcus pneumoniae
Challenge Strains and Recent Clinical Isolates
Authors: Jorgensen J. H. , McElmeel M. L. , Crawford S. A. 
Published: December 2019

ABSTRACT

The MicroScan MICroSTREP panel is a recently marketed frozen broth microdilution panel for susceptibility testing of various streptococci, including
Streptococcus pneumoniae
. The panel contains 10 antimicrobial agents in cation-adjusted Mueller-Hinton broth supplemented with 3% lysed horse blood, similar in concept to the National Committee for Clinical Laboratory Standards (NCCLS) reference broth microdilution method for testing streptococci. A group of 210 isolates of
S. pneumoniae
were selected to include isolates with previously documented resistance to agents incorporated in the MICroSTREP panel, as well as recent invasive clinical isolates. All isolates were tested simultaneously with the MICroSTREP panel and an NCCLS reference panel whose drug concentrations were prepared to coincide with those of the MICroSTREP panel. Of the 210 isolates, 5 failed to grow in the MICroSTREP panel; 3 of those also did not grow in the reference panel. Essential agreement of MICs determined by the two methods (test MIC ± one dilution of the reference MIC) was 99.6% overall and ranged from 98.0% with chloramphenicol to 100% with penicillin, ceftriaxone, erythromycin, tetracycline, and vancomycin. There were no very major or major interpretive category errors resulting from the MICroSTREP panel tests. Minor interpretive category errors ranged from 12.2% with cefotaxime and 9.8% with ceftriaxone (due mainly to clustering of MICs for the selected strains near the breakpoints) to 0% with chloramphenicol and vancomycin. These results indicate that the MicroScan MICroSTREP frozen panels provide susceptibility results with pneumococci that are essentially equivalent to results derived by the NCCLS reference broth microdilution procedure.
A Nosocomial Cluster of
Candida inconspicua
Infections in Patients with Hematological Malignancies
Authors: D’Antonio Domenico , Violante Beatrice , Mazzoni Aldo , Bonfini Tiziana , Capuani M. Assunta , D’Aloia Francesco , Iacone Antonio , Schioppa Francesco , Romano Ferdinando 
Published: December 2019

ABSTRACT

Candida inconspicua
was recovered from three patients with hematological malignancies. Two patients had intravenous-catheter-associated fungemia, whereas the third had fungal hepatitis. The three cases of infection occurred over a period of 1 month in patients staying in adjacent single rooms. In vitro susceptibility testing of fungal strains showed all isolates to be resistant to fluconazole, with MICs greater than 32 μg/ml. All of the strains had identical DNA restriction profiles and randomly amplified polymorphic DNA fingerprints. These data suggest a nosocomially acquired infection emanating from a common source within the hospital environment.
Detection of Respiratory Syncytial Virus A and B and Parainfluenzavirus 3 Sequences in Respiratory Tracts of Infants by a Single PCR with Primers Targeted to the L-Polymerase Gene and Differential Hybridization
Authors: Eugene-Ruellan Geneviève , Freymuth François , Bahloul Chokri , Badrane Hassan , Vabret Astrid , Tordo Nöel 
Published: December 2019

ABSTRACT

A reverse transcription-PCR and hybridization-enzyme immunoassay (RT-PCR-EIA) has been developed to identify the major agents of bronchiolitis in infants: respiratory syncytial viruses A and B (RSVA and RSVB) and parainfluenzavirus 3 (PIV3). Two primer sets (P1-P2 and P1-P3) were selected in a conserved region of the polymerase L gene. In infected cell cultures, this method detected RSVA (
n
= 14), RSVB (
n
= 13), and PIV3 (
n
= 13), with the exclusion of PIV1 (
n
= 4), PIV2 (
n
= 3), measles virus (
n
= 6), mumps virus (
n
= 4), influenza A virus (
n
= 11), and influenza B virus (
n
= 4). The differentiation of the amplicons by restriction fragment length polymorphism (RFLP) showed a
Pvu
II site for PIV3 strains and an
Ava
II site for RSV strains, with RSVA distinguished from RSVB by
Bgl
II. The hybridization-EIA, using three internal probes specific for each virus, correlated with the immunofluorescence assay (IFA) and RFLP results. Clinical aspirates from 261 infants hospitalized with bronchiolitis were tested by IFA, viral isolation technique (VIT), and RT-PCR-EIA. RT-PCR-EIA detected RSV sequences in 103 samples (39.4%), and IFA-VIT detected RSV sequences in 109 cases (41.7%). A few samples (2.6%) were IFA-VIT positive but PCR negative, and one sample was RT-PCR-EIA positive only. RT-PCR-EIA detected PIV3 sequences in 14 of the 15 IFA-VIT-positive isolates. The two methods showed very good correlation (96.9%), but RT-PCR-EIA was clearly more efficient in typing, leaving 5% non-A, non-B isolates, while IFA failed to resolve 23% of the isolates. The two methods contradicted each other for <5% of the isolates.
Highly Sensitive Method for Amplification of Human Immunodeficiency Virus Type 2 DNA
Authors: Damond Florence , Loussert-Ajaka Ibtissam , Apetrei Cristian , Descamps Diane , Souquière Sandrine , Leprêtre Annie , Matheron Sophie , Brun-Vézinet Françoise , Simon François 
Published: December 2019

ABSTRACT

We evaluated a new human immunodeficiency virus type 2 (HIV-2) DNA amplification strategy based on peripheral blood mononuclear cell long PCR (XL PCR) followed by nested PCR amplification. The primers used were located in the highly conserved long terminal repeat and in the
pol
regions of the genome. Five primer pairs corresponding to different regions of the HIV-2
env
gene were used in the nested step. Samples from 42 patients were tested, which yielded positive amplification with at least two primer pairs in 40 (95%) samples. A primer pair (EB2/EB5) located on the V3 region succeeded in amplifying proviral DNA in 40 samples.
Sensitivity of Fluorochrome Microscopy for Detection of
Mycobacterium tuberculosis
versus Nontuberculous Mycobacteria
Authors: Wright Paul W. , Wallace Richard J. , Wright Nathan W. , Brown Barbara A. , Griffith David E. 
Published: December 2019

ABSTRACT

The results for 6,532 consecutive mycobacterial respiratory specimens collected from 1,040 patients from 1993 to 1995 in a Texas hospital were studied to determine the sensitivity of fluorescence microscopy for detection of
Mycobacterium tuberculosis
and nontuberculous mycobacteria (NTM). Smears were positive for acid-fast bacilli (AFB) in 63% (677 of 1,082) of specimens growing
M. tuberculosis
and 56% (638 of 1,148) of specimens growing the four most common species of NTM. Smear positivity by species was 58% (446 of 776) for
M. avium
complex, 51% (154 of 300) for rapidly growing mycobacteria (98% were
M. abscessus
), 78% (29 of 37) for
M. kansasii
, and 26% (9 of 35) for
M. gordonae
. Definite or probable disease by clinical criteria was present in 79% of patients with
M. avium
complex, 93% of patients with rapidly growing mycobacteria, 100% of patients with
M. kansasii
, and 0% of patients with
M. gordonae
. Patients with
M. avium
complex had a low incidence of AIDS (7%), and approximately 50% of non-AIDS patients had upper-lobe cavitary disease and 50% had nodular bronchiectasis. Only 23 of 6,532 (0.35%) of AFB smears were positive with a negative culture excluding patients on therapy for established mycobacterial disease. These studies suggest that NTM are as likely as
M. tuberculosis
to be detected by fluorescent microscopy in specimens from patients from areas endemic for NTM lung disease and at low risk for AIDS.
Detection of Norwalk Virus and Other Genogroup 1 Human Caliciviruses by a Monoclonal Antibody, RecombinantAntigen-Based Immunoglobulin M Capture Enzyme Immunoassay
Authors: Brinker James P. , Blacklow Neil R. , Estes Mary K. , Moe Christine L. , Schwab Kellogg J. , Herrmann John E. 
Published: December 2019

ABSTRACT
Sera obtained from two groups of adult volunteers infected with Norwalk virus (NV) and two groups of patients involved in two natural outbreaks were tested for NV-reactive immunoglobulin M (IgM) by use of a monoclonal antibody, recombinant-antigen-based IgM capture enzyme immunoassay (EIA). No NV-reactive IgM was detected in the preinoculation sera of 15 volunteers, and 14 of 15 showed NV-reactive antibodies postinfection with NV. All of the volunteers showed IgG seroconversion to NV. In the outbreak studies, all 9 persons in one outbreak and 19 of 24 in another outbreak had NV-reactive IgM. In the first outbreak, only three of nine seroconverted to NV, which was likely due to late collection of acute-phase sera. In the second outbreak, 21 of 24 showed IgG seroconversion to NV. Sequencing of viruses isolated from five stool samples selected from those in the second outbreak showed that they were human calicivirus (HuCV) genogroup 1 viruses related, but not identical, to NV. In the volunteer studies, NV-reactive IgM was first detected 8 days postinoculation. The time of development of NV-reactive IgM antibodies in natural outbreaks was estimated to be similar to that found in the volunteer studies. Sera from three Hawaii virus-infected volunteers, four Snow Mountain virus patients, and 80 healthy individuals were negative for NV-reactive IgM, indicating test specificity for HuCV genogroup I infections. This capture IgM EIA is suitable for diagnosis of NV and other HuCV genogroup I infections and is especially useful when sera and fecal samples have not been collected early in the course of an outbreak.
Misidentification of Unusual
Aeromonas
Species as Members of the Genus
Vibrio
: a Continuing Problem
Authors: Abbott Sharon L. , Seli Lourdes S. , Catino Michael , Hartley Michael A. , Janda J. Michael 
Published: December 2019

ABSTRACT

Two unusual cases of
Aeromonas
infection are described, one associated with bacteremia (
Aeromonas schubertii
) and another in which the organism was recovered from an infected gall bladder (
Aeromonas veronii
biotype veronii). These strains were initially identified as
Vibrio damsela
and
Vibrio cholerae
by the Vitek and API 20E systems, respectively. Use of appropriate screening tests and familiarity with the newer
Aeromonas
species could prevent initial misidentifications and potential public health consequences.
Long-Term Survival of
Streptococcus pneumoniae
at Room Temperature on Dorset Egg Medium
Authors: Wasas Avril D. , Huebner Robin E. , De Blanche Mignon , Klugman Keith P. 
Published: December 2019

ABSTRACT

Forty-five isolates of
Streptococcus pneumoniae
were inoculated on Dorset egg and supplemented Columbia agar base media, incubated overnight at 37°C, and then kept at room temperature (RT; 21°C) or 4°C. Long-term viability was best at RT for both media, with all isolates remaining viable on Dorset egg medium for 44 days; viability was 90 and 57% on Columbia agar base medium after 7 and 30 days. We recommend the use of Dorset egg medium for the maintenance of pneumococci at RT.
Diagnosis of
Mycoplasma pneumoniae
Infection in Autopsy and Open-Lung Biopsy Tissues by Nested PCR
Authors: Talkington Deborah F. , Thacker W. Lanier , Keller David W. , Jensen Jørgen S. 
Published: December 2019

ABSTRACT

A nested PCR specific for the
Mycoplasma pneumoniae
P1 gene was used to diagnose mycoplasma infection in two cohort patients with severe pneumonia within 24 h of tissue receipt. A postmortem diagnosis of
M. pneumoniae
infection was obtained for the first patient, who died without the collection of appropriate paired samples for serodiagnosis. An open-lung biopsy obtained from the second patient allowed a quick, definitive diagnosis and proper selection of therapy.
Enzyme-Linked Immunosorbent Assay Using Recombinant OspC and the Internal 14-kDa Flagellin Fragment for Serodiagnosis of Early Lyme Disease
Authors: Rauer Sebastian , Spohn Nicole , Rasiah Christiane , Neubert Uwe , Vogt Arnold 
Published: December 2019

ABSTRACTThe outer surface protein C (OspC) and the internal 14-kDa flagellin fragment of strain GeHo ofBorrelia burgdorferisensu stricto were expressed as recombinant proteins inEscherichia coliand were purified for use in an immunoglobulin M (IgM) enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (OspC–14-kDa antigen ELISA). No hint at disturbing protein-protein interferences, which might influence the availability of immunoreactive epitopes, was found when the recombinant antigens were combined in the ELISA. The recombinant OspC–14-kDa antigen ELISA was compared to a commercial IgM ELISA that used a detergent cell extract fromBorrelia afzeliiPKo as the antigen. According to the manufacturer’s information, the cell extract contains, in addition to other antigens, the following diagnostically relevant antigens: the 100-kDa (synonyms, 93- and 83-kDa antigens), 41-kDa, OspA, OspC, and 17-kDa antigens. The specificity was adjusted to 95% on the basis of data for 154 healthy controls. On testing of 104 serum samples from patients with erythema migrans (EM), the sensitivity of the recombinant ELISA (46%) for IgM antibodies was similar to that of the commercial ELISA (45%). However, when 42 serum samples from patients with polyclonal B-cell stimulation due to an Epstein-Barr virus infection were tested, false-positive reactions were significantly less frequent in the recombinant ELISA (10%) than in the whole-cell-extract ELISA (23%). OspC displays sequence heterogeneity of up to 40% according to the genomospecies. However, when the reactions of serum specimens from controls and EM patients with OspC from representative strains ofB. burgdorferisensu stricto (strain GeHo) andB. afzelii(strain PKo) were compared in an ELISA, almost no differences in specificity and sensitivity were seen. This demonstrates that the sera predominantly recognize the common epitopes of OspC tested in this study. In conclusion, we suggest that the OspC–14-kDa antigens ELISA is a suitable test for the detection of an IgM response in early Lyme disease.
Comparison of RapID Yeast Plus System with API 20C System for Identification of Common, New, and Emerging Yeast Pathogens
Authors: Espinel-Ingroff A. , Stockman L. , Roberts G. , Pincus D. , Pollack J. , Marler J. 
Published: December 2019

ABSTRACT

The ability to identify yeast isolates by the new enzymatic RapID Yeast Plus System was compared to the ability to identify yeast isolates by the API 20C system. A total of 447 yeast isolates representing
Blastoschizomyces capitatus
, 17
Candida
spp., 5
Cryptococcus
spp.,
Geotrichum
spp., 2
Hanseniaspora
spp.,
Hansenula anomala
,
Hansenula wingei
, 3
Rhodotorula
spp.,
Saccharomyces cerevisiae
,
Sporobolomyces salmonicolor
,
Trichosporon beigelii
, and 2
Prototheca
spp. were evaluated. Also, five quality control strains (
Candida
spp. and
Cryptococcus laurentii
) with well-documented reactivities by the RapID Yeast Plus System were used. Each isolate was evaluated by both methods with a 48-h culture grown at 30°C on Sabouraud dextrose agar (Emmons modification) by following the recommendations of the manufacturers. The RapID Yeast Plus System enzymatic reactions were read after 4 h of incubation, and the API 20C carbohydrate assimilation identification profiles were obtained after 72 h of incubation. There was good (95.7%) agreement between the identifications obtained by the two methods with the eight common
Candida
spp. and with
Cryptococcus neoformans
. The agreement was lower when the emerging
Candida
spp. and other yeast-like pathogens were tested (79.1 and 75.2%, respectively). These preliminary data suggest the potential utility of the RapID Yeast Plus System for use in the clinical laboratory for the rapid identification of common yeast pathogens as well as certain new and emerging species.
Identification of a Novel Enteric
Helicobacter
Species in a Kitten with Severe Diarrhea
Authors: Foley Janet E. , Solnick Jay V. , Lapointe Jean-Martin , Jang Spencer , Pedersen Niels C. 
Published: December 2019

ABSTRACT

A previously undescribed
Helicobacter
sp. was recovered from a cat with severe diarrhea. Based upon the absence of any other identifiable cause of diarrhea, this helicobacter may be involved in the development of the disease signs. The organism could not be cultured but was described on the basis of 16S rRNA gene sequence analysis and morphology and appeared to be a new species, with
Helicobacter canis
being the most genetically similar species. The presence of a diarrhea-inducing helicobacter in a companion animal may pose a risk of zoonosis.
Soft Salt-Mannitol Agar–Cloxacillin Test: a Highly Specific Bedside Screening Test for Detection of Colonization with Methicillin-Resistant
Staphylococcus aureus
Authors: Mir Nuria , Sánchez Miguel , Baquero Fernando , López Blanca , Calderón Celia , Cantón Rafael 
Published: December 2019

ABSTRACT

The early detection of colonization with methicillin-resistant
Staphylococcus aureus
(MRSA) of patients in intensive-care units is an essential step in the strategy for preventing MRSA epidemics. In this study, tubes containing soft salt-mannitol agar with cloxacillin (6 μg/ml) (SSMAC) were prepared for inoculation of clinical samples at patients’ bedsides by personnel of an intensive-care unit. A total of 1,914 swabs from different sample sites of 81 patients were dipped into SSMAC tubes, and after 24 h of incubation (in an incubator located near the intensive-care unit), an evident color change was considered by the intensive-care-unit personnel to be an MRSA alarm. Sixty-three (3.3%) SSMAC tubes were considered positive for MRSA, 1,827 (95.4%) were considered negative, and 24 (1.2%) were considered intermediate. Compared with values for parallel conventional surveillance cultures for MRSA, excluding tubes with intermediate results, the SSMAC test had a sensitivity of 72.7%, a specificity of 99.2%, a positive predictive value of 76.2%, and a negative predictive value of 99.0%. When intermediate tubes were considered positive, the corresponding values were 75.3, 98.2, 63.2, and 99.0%, respectively. The sensitivity and specificity values of the test to identify MRSA-colonized patients were 89.4 and 100%, respectively. Oropharyngeal and naris specimens were the most reliable samples for MRSA detection. False-negative results were frequent in bronchial aspirates with low (<10
3
to 10
6
CFU/ml) MRSA counts. False-positive results were mainly due to methicillin-resistant
Staphylococcus haemolyticus
. The SSMAC tube is a useful, rapid, and inexpensive tool for the early identification of MRSA-colonized patients and, consequently, for the implementation of measures to prevent the spread of MRSA.