bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025_split huggingface dataset:
Detection of Toscana Virus-Specific Immunoglobulins G and M by an Enzyme-Linked Immunosorbent Assay Based on Recombinant Viral Nucleoprotein
Authors: Ciufolini Maria Grazia , Fiorentini Cristiano , di Bonito Paola , Mochi Stefania , Giorgi Colomba 
Published: December 2019

ABSTRACT
An enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA) based on the recombinant Toscana virus nucleoprotein (rN) has been developed. Its sensitivity and specificity for the detection of virus-specific immunoglobulins G and M in human sera were similar to those of the ELISA that is based on an antigen extracted from infected mouse brain and that is routinely used for serodiagnosis.
Evaluation of the New MB Redox System for Detection of Growth of Mycobacteria
Authors: Cambau Emmanuelle , Wichlacz Claudine , Truffot-Pernot Chantal , Jarlier Vincent 
Published: December 2019

ABSTRACT

We evaluated a new mycobacterial culture system, MB Redox, for recovery rate and time to detection of mycobacteria from 742 consecutive respiratory specimens and compared the results to those found with Löwenstein-Jensen (LJ) medium. Twenty specimens (2.7%) were positive for
M. tuberculosis
: 17 on LJ medium and 19 in MB Redox, with 16 specimens positive in both media. In addition, 24 specimens (3.2%) were positive for nontuberculous mycobacteria (NTM), 20 on LJ medium, 18 in MB Redox, and 14 in both media. For
M. tuberculosis
, the mean times to detection were 28.9 days on LJ medium and 23.6 days in MB Redox, and for NTM, the mean times to detection were 40.6 days on LJ medium and 32.3 days in MB Redox.
Times to Detection of Bacteria and Yeasts in BACTEC 9240 Blood Culture Bottles
Authors: Reisner Barbara S. , Woods Gail L. 
Published: December 2019

ABSTRACT
A 7-day incubation protocol was instituted with the BACTEC 9240 system for a 1-year period to determine the times to detection of clinically relevant organisms. A total of 23,686 blood and 693 sterile body fluid cultures were received; some cultures were held longer by special request. Of 1,609 likely skin contaminants, 42 were recovered on day 5, 34 on day 6, 16 on day 7, and 5 on day 8. Of 2,803 usual pathogens, 34 were recovered on day 5, 24 on day 6, 15 on day 7 and 1 on day 8. Twenty-one of the latter organisms were considered significant laboratory isolates because they were the first isolates from the respective patients. Chart review showed that 10 of 21 were considered clinically significant, but only 3 (all yeasts) affected the treatment of the patient. Our data show that 4 days of incubation were sufficient to recover all clinically relevant bacteria and 6 days were required to recover all clinically relevant yeasts.
Southern Extension of the Range of Human Babesiosis in the Eastern United States
Authors: Eskow Eugene S. , Krause Peter J. , Spielman Andrew , Freeman Kathy , Aslanzadeh Jaber 
Published: December 2019

ABSTRACT

We sought evidence of babesiosis in three residents of New Jersey who were suspected of local acquisition of
Babesia microti
infection. We tested serial blood samples from these residents for
B. microti
antibodies and amplifiable DNA by using immunofluorescent antibody and PCR techniques. All three residents experienced symptoms suggestive of acute babesiosis. The sera of each of the patients reacted against babesial antigen at a titer fourfold or higher in sequentially collected blood samples. PCR-amplifiable DNA, characteristic of
B. microti
, was detected in their blood. These data suggest that human
B. microti
infections were acquired recently in New Jersey, extending the range of this piroplasmosis in the northeastern United States.
Amplified-Fragment Length Polymorphism Analysis versus Macro-Restriction Fragment Analysis for Molecular Typing of
Streptococcus pneumoniae
Isolates
Authors: van Eldere Johan , Janssen Paul , Hoefnagels-Schuermans Annette , van Lierde Stefaan , Peetermans Willy E. 
Published: December 2019

ABSTRACT
Forty-eight pneumococci were genotyped by on-line laser fluorescence amplified-fragment length polymorphism (AFLP) and pulsed-field gel electrophoresis (PFGE) analysis of chromosomal restriction fragments. Overall, the data generated by the two methods corresponded well. However, with AFLP, clusters were delineated at a higher similarity level, and isolate differentiation was more pronounced. AFLP and PFGE were equally efficient for assessing intraserotype diversity. We conclude that AFLP is a useful alternative to PFGE.
Typing of
Salmonella enterica
Serotype Paratyphi C Isolates from Various Countries by Plasmid Profiles and Pulsed-Field Gel Electrophoresis
Authors: Kariuki S. , Cheesbrough J. , Mavridis A. K. , Hart C. A. 
Published: December 2019

ABSTRACT

Pulsed-field gel electrophoresis (PFGE) of 61
Salmonella enterica
serotype Paratyphi C isolates from six countries gave five distinct clusters. Twenty-four isolates from five countries were susceptible to 10 antimicrobials tested and gave similar restriction endonuclease digest patterns of the 38-MDa plasmid. In contrast, plasmid and PFGE profiles of 37 multidrug-resistant isolates from Zaire were different from those from other countries.
Detection of Antibodies to Hepatitis C Virus in Dried Blood Spot Samples from Mothers and Their Offspring in Lahore, Pakistan
Authors: Parker S. P. , Khan H. I. , Cubitt W. D. 
Published: December 2019

ABSTRACT
Dried blood spot samples from mothers and their offspring attending the obstetric and pediatric departments of two hospitals in Lahore, Pakistan, were tested for antibodies to hepatitis C virus (HCV). The seroprevalence of HCV in the women was 6.7% (95% confidence interval [CI], 4.3 to 9.1), and that in the children was 1.3% (95% CI, 0.34 to 2.26). Four anti-HCV immunoglobulin G (IgG)-positive children had mothers that were anti-HCV IgG negative, which suggested that their infection was community acquired.
Relative Frequencies of G and P Types among Rotaviruses from Indian Diarrheic Cow and Buffalo Calves
Authors: Gulati Baldev R. , Nakagomi Osamu , Koshimura Yumi , Nakagomi Toyoko , Pandey Ramayan 
Published: December 2019

ABSTRACT
While an increasing number of studies suggest that there is a high prevalence of rotaviruses with P8[11], a typical P type of bovine rotavirus (BRV), among human neonates or infants in India, no data are available on the distribution of G and P types of Indian BRVs. Thus, fecal specimens were collected from cow and buffalo calves under 1 month of age on organized dairy farms in India during the period between 1994 and 1997, and 36 rotavirus-positive specimens were used to determine the relative frequencies of the G and P types of Indian BRVs. As to the G type, G10 was predominant (83%), followed by G6 (6%). The majority (94%) of BRVs had P8[11], and only one isolate possessed P6[1]. The most common combination of G and P types was G10P8[11] (81%), followed by G6P6[1] (3%) and G6P8[11] (3%). The high prevalence of BRVs possessing P8[11] VP4s strongly supports the hypothesis that BRVs may cross the host species barrier and circulate among neonates in India.
PCR Amplification from Fixed Tissue Indicates Frequent Involvement of
Brachyspira aalborgi
in Human Intestinal Spirochetosis
Authors: Mikosza Andrew S. J. , La Tom , Brooke C. Josephine , Lindboe Christian F. , Ward Peter B. , Heine Ralf G. , Guccion John G. , de Boer W. Bastiaan , Hampson David J. 
Published: December 2019

ABSTRACT

PCR procedures amplifying portions of the 16S rRNA and NADH oxidase genes of
Brachyspira aalborgi
and
Serpulina pilosicoli
were applied to DNA extracted from paraffin-embedded human colonic or rectal tissues from 30 Norwegian, Australian, and U.S. patients, 16 of whom had histologic evidence of intestinal spirochetosis (IS).
B. aalborgi
-specific sequences were identified by PCR in 10 of the IS patients (62.5%) but none of the others, while
S. pilosicoli
sequences were not detected in tissues from any patient. Direct sequencing of products from three of the positive samples provided further confirmation of the presence of
B. aalborgi. B. aalborgi
may be a more common cause of intestinal spirochetosis than has been previously thought.
Primary
Shewanella alga
Septicemia in a Patient on Hemodialysis
Authors: Iwata Morihiro , Tateda Kazuhiro , Matsumoto Tetsuya , Furuya Nobuhiko , Mizuiri Sonoo , Yamaguchi Keizo 
Published: December 2019

ABSTRACT

We report the first Japanese case of primary septicemia with
Shewanella alga
and also describe the bacteriological characteristics of and results of antibiotic susceptibility tests of the isolate.
S. alga
was repeatedly isolated, at times simultaneously with
Escherichia coli
, from the blood of a 64-year-old female undergoing hemodialysis. The isolated organism was determined to be
S. alga
based on recently published identification criteria, such as hemolysis on sheep blood agar, no acid production from carbohydrates, and growth on agar containing 6.5% NaCl. Results of antibiotic susceptibility tests demonstrated that the isolate was sensitive to levofloxacin and cefpirome (MICs, ≤0.063) but resistant to cefazolin, ceftizoxime, and imipenem (MICs, >128, 64, and 8 μg/ml, respectively). Although the role of
S. alga
as a human pathogen has not been fully determined, accumulating data suggest that this organism may be a potential pathogen, especially in compromised hosts.
Mycobacterium bovis
BCG Causing Vertebral Osteomyelitis (Pott’s Disease) Following Intravesical BCG Therapy
Authors: Aljada Ibrahim S. , Crane John K. , Corriere Nancy , Wagle Datta G. , Amsterdam Daniel 
Published: December 2019

ABSTRACT

We report a case of
Mycobacterium bovis
BCG vertebral osteomyelitis in a 79-year-old man 2.5 years after intravesical BCG therapy for bladder cancer. The recovered isolate resembled
M. tuberculosis
biochemically, but resistance to pyrazinamide (PZA) rendered that diagnosis suspect. High-pressure liquid chromatographic studies confirmed the diagnosis of
M. bovis
BCG infection. The patient was originally started on a four-drug antituberculous regimen of isoniazid, rifampin, ethambutol, and PZA. When susceptibility studies were reported, the regimen was changed to isoniazid and rifampin for 12 months. Subsequently, the patient was transferred to a skilled nursing facility for 3 months, where he underwent intensive physical therapy. Although extravesical adverse reactions are rare, clinicians and clinical microbiologists need to be aware of the possibility of disseminated infection by
M. bovis
BCG in the appropriate setting of clinical history, physical examination, and laboratory investigation.
Development of Amplified 16S Ribosomal DNA Restriction Analysis for Identification of
Actinomyces
Species and Comparison with Pyrolysis-Mass Spectrometry and Conventional Biochemical Tests
Authors: Hall Val , O’Neill G. L. , Magee J. T. , Duerden B. I. 
Published: December 2019

ABSTRACT

Identification of
Actinomyces
spp. by conventional phenotypic methods is notoriously difficult and unreliable. Recently, the application of chemotaxonomic and molecular methods has clarified the taxonomy of the group and has led to the recognition of several new species. A practical and discriminatory identification method is now needed for routine identification of clinical isolates. Amplified 16S ribosomal DNA restriction analysis (ARDRA) was applied to reference strains (
n
= 27) and clinical isolates (
n
= 36) of
Actinomyces
spp. and other gram-positive rods. Clinical strains were identified initially to the species level by conventional biochemical tests. However, given the low degree of confidence in conventional methods, the findings obtained by ARDRA were also compared with those obtained by pyrolysis-mass spectrometry. The ARDRA profiles generated by the combination of
Hae
III and
Hpa
II endonuclease digestion differentiated all reference strains to the species or subspecies level. The profiles correlated well with the findings obtained by pyrolysis-mass spectrometry and by conventional tests and enabled the identification of 31 of 36 clinical isolates to the species level. ARDRA was shown to be a simple, rapid, cost-effective, and highly discriminatory method for routine identification of
Actinomyces
spp. of clinical origin.
Upper Respiratory Tract Disease in the Gopher Tortoise Is Caused byMycoplasma agassizii
Authors: Brown M. B. , McLaughlin G. S. , Klein P. A. , Crenshaw B. C. , Schumacher I. M. , Brown D. R. , Jacobson E. R. 
Published: December 2019

ABSTRACTUpper respiratory tract disease (URTD) has been observed in a number of tortoise species, including the desert tortoise (Gopherus agassizii) and the gopher tortoise (Gopherus polyphemus). Clinical signs of URTD in gopher tortoises are similar to those in desert tortoises and include serous, mucoid, or purulent discharge from the nares, excessive tearing to purulent ocular discharge, conjunctivitis, and edema of the eyelids and ocular glands. The objectives of the present study were to determine ifMycoplasma agassiziiwas an etiologic agent of URTD in the gopher tortoise and to determine the clinical course of the experimental infection in a dose-response infection study. Tortoises were inoculated intranasally with 0.5 ml (0.25 ml/nostril) of either sterile SP4 broth (control group;n= 10) or 108color-changing units (CCU) (total dose) ofM. agassizii723 (experimental infection group;n= 9).M. agassiziicaused clinical signs compatible with those observed in tortoises with natural infections. Clinical signs of URTD were evident in seven of nine experimentally infected tortoises by 4 weeks postinfection (p.i.) and in eight of nine experimentally infected tortoises by 8 weeks p.i. In the dose-response experiments, tortoises were inoculated intranasally with a low (101CCU;n= 6), medium (103CCU;n= 6), or high (105CCU;n= 5) dose ofM. agassizii723 or with sterile SP4 broth (n= 10). At all time points p.i. in both experiments,M. agassiziicould be isolated from the nares of at least 50% of the tortoises. All of the experimentally infected tortoises seroconverted, and levels of antibody were statistically higher in infected animals than in control animals for all time points of >4 weeks p.i. (P< 0.0001). Control tortoises in both experiments did not show clinical signs, did not seroconvert, and did not have detectableM. agassiziiby either culture or PCR at any point in the study. Histological lesions were compatible with those observed in tortoises with natural infections. The numbers ofM. agassizii723 did not influence the clinical expression of URTD or the antibody response, suggesting that the strain chosen for these studies was highly virulent. On the basis of the results of the transmission studies, we conclude thatM. agassiziiis an etiologic agent of URTD in the gopher tortoise.
Molecular Epidemiology of an Outbreak of Febrile Gastroenteritis Caused by
Listeria monocytogenes
in Cold-Smoked Rainbow Trout
Authors: Miettinen M. K. , Siitonen A. , Heiskanen P. , Haajanen H. , Björkroth K. J. , Korkeala H. J. 
Published: December 2019

ABSTRACT

Febrile gastroenteritis in five healthy persons was associated with the consumption of vacuum-packed cold-smoked rainbow trout containing
Listeria monocytogenes. L. monocytogenes
isolates from the incriminated fish product lot and the stool samples were all of serotype 1/2a and were indistinguishable by pulsed-field gel electrophoresis employing
Asc
I and
Sma
I.
Chlamydia pneumoniae
in a Free-Ranging Giant Barred Frog (
Mixophyes iteratus
) from Australia
Authors: Berger Lee , Volp Kym , Mathews Sarah , Speare Rick , Timms Peter 
Published: December 2019

ABSTRACT

The koala biovar of
Chlamydia pneumoniae
was identified in lung tissue from a sick, free-ranging giant barred frog (
Mixophyes iteratus
) by using electron microscopy,
C. pneumoniae
-specific fluorescent-antibody staining, cell culture, and sequencing of the
ompA
,
ompB
and 16S rRNA genes. This is the first report of a chlamydial strain infecting both a homeotherm and a poikilotherm and only the fourth host (in addition to humans, koalas, and horses) to be naturally infected with this species of
Chlamydia
. The frog had severe, chronic, mononuclear pneumonia and nonregenerative anemia and pancytopenia.
Typhoid Fever Due to
Salmonella
Kapemba Infection in an Otherwise Healthy Middle-Aged Man
Authors: Sarnighausen Hans-Eckart , Benz Claus , Eickenberg Martin , Bockemühl J. , Tschäpe H. , Riemann Jürgen F. 
Published: December 2019

ABSTRACT

We report the case of a patient with a
Salmonella
Kapemba infection, who suffered, 3 weeks after a holiday in Israel, occurrences of high fever and lower back pain for 10 days and icterus for 2 days before admission. Laboratory findings revealed a slight cholestasis and elevation of acute phase protein levels. In the blood culture a
Salmonella
Kapemba-type organism was cultured. The patient was afebrile for 10 days after hospitalization and then suddenly developed a temperature of 40°C again. At the same time leukopenia, thrombocytopenia, and a rise of D-dimer levels were detected. The patient was admitted to the intensive care unit for a few days, because a disseminated intravascular coagulation was suspected. With magnetic resonance imaging and bone scintigraphy no osteomyelitis or abscess formation could be found. A transesophageal ultrasonography of the heart revealed no signs of endocarditis. In multiple stool cultures no salmonellas could be detected. After antibiotic treatment with ciprofloxacin the fever and lower back pain subsided, and the patient was discharged a fortnight later. This is the first reported case of typhoid fever due to the bacterium
Salmonella
Kapemba.
Genetic Basis for Immunological Aberrations in Poliovirus Sabin Serotype 3 Strains Imported in The Netherlands
Authors: Reimerink Johan H. J. , van der Avoort Harrie G. A. M. , van Loon Anton M. , Koopmans Marion P. G. 
Published: December 2019

ABSTRACT
During the characterization of poliovirus type 3 strains imported in The Netherlands, Sabin serotype 3 strains that reacted with both specific antisera against Sabin-like (vaccine) and non-Sabin-like (wild-type) strains by the intratypic strain differentiation assay have been found. The present study was done to determine the pathogenic potential of these virus strains for humans. Characterization of these so-called double-reactive strains with neutralizing monoclonal antibodies (MAbs) against the major antigenic sites of serotype 3 Sabin virus led to the identification of two groups with different antigenic properties. Six of the seven strains were resistant to neutralization with MAbs against sites 2B and 3B and one strain was neutralized by all the MAbs in a manner similar to that for the Sabin serotype 3 virus. Partial sequencing of the coding regions confirmed the antigenic changes for all six antigenically distinct strains. By inoculation of these viruses into transgenic mice which express the human poliovirus receptor, one strain was identified as highly neurovirulent, three were identified as intermediate, and three were identified as attenuated. Sera from vaccinated persons efficiently neutralized the mutants. Our data suggest that some double-reactive strains are a potential risk to the unvaccinated community but not to the vaccinated population.
Specific Detection of
Fusarium
Species in Blood and Tissues by a PCR Technique
Authors: Hue Francois-Xavier , Huerre Michel , Rouffault Marie Ange , de Bievre Claude 
Published: December 2019

ABSTRACT

Fusarium
species are opportunistic nosocomial pathogens that often cause fatal invasive mycoses. We designed a primer pair that amplifies by PCR a fragment of a gene coding for the rRNA of
Fusarium
species. The DNAs of the main
Fusarium
species and
Neocosmospora vasinfecta
but not the DNAs from 11 medically important fungi were amplified by these primers. The lower limit of detection of the PCR system was 10 fg of
Fusarium solani
DNA by ethidium bromide staining. To test the ability of this PCR system to detect
Fusarium
DNA in tissues, we developed a mouse model of disseminated fusariosis. Using the PCR, we detected
Fusarium
DNA in mouse tissues and in spiked human blood. Furthermore,
F. solani
,
Fusarium moniliforme
, and
Fusarium oxysporum
were testing by random amplified polymorphic DNA (RAPD) analysis. The bands produced by RAPD analysis were purified, cloned, and sequenced. The information was used to design primer pairs that selectively amplified one or several
Fusarium
species. The method developed may be useful for the rapid detection and identification of
Fusarium
species both from culture and from clinical samples.
Abiotrophia elegans
Strains Comprise 8% of the Nutritionally Variant Streptococci Isolated from the Human Mouth
Authors: Sato Setsuko , Kanamoto Taisei , Inoue Masakazu 
Published: December 2019

ABSTRACT

Ninety-one isolates of nutritionally variant streptococci (NVS) that were previously isolated from the human mouth were regarded as consisting of 7
Streptococcus defectivus
isolates, 78
Streptococcus adjacens
isolates, and 6
Gemella morbillorum
isolates. However, recent references to the taxonomic reclassification of NVS, from
S. defectivus
to
Abiotrophia defectiva
and from
S. adjacens
to
Abiotrophia adiacens
, and the newly introduced species
Abiotrophia elegans
as a third
Abiotrophia
species, emphasize the need for genetic analyses for identification of NVS. When PCR-restriction fragment length polymorphism (RFLP) and phylogenetic distances were examined based on 16S rRNA gene sequences, the results indicated that 7 of the 91 NVS isolates were closely related to
A. elegans
. These seven isolates consisted of four isolates previously identified as
G. morbillorum
and three isolates previously identified as
S. adjacens
. Two isolates previously identified as
G. morbillorum
were related to
A. adiacens
. In biochemical tests,
A. elegans
and the seven isolates related to it possessed arginine dihydrolase (ADH) activity but the other
Abiotrophia
species did not. As a result,
A. elegans
strains comprised 8% of the 91 NVS isolates. Our findings suggest that
A. elegans
,
A. adiacens
, and
A. defectiva
exist in the human mouth in proportions of about 1:11:1 and that
A. elegans
can be genetically distinguished from the other two
Abiotrophia
species by PCR-RFLP analysis of 16S rRNA gene sequences and can be biochemically distinguished by ADH activity.
Serological Determination of Hepatitis C Virus Subtypes 1a, 1b, 2a, 2b, 3a, and 4a by a Recombinant Immunoblot Assay
Authors: Schröter Matthias , Feucht Heinz-Hubert , Schäfer Peter , Zöllner Bernhard , Laufs Rainer 
Published: December 2019

ABSTRACT

Serological determination of hepatitis C virus (HCV) subtypes has been hampered by the lack of suitable assays. Therefore, a recombinant immunoblot assay has been established for serological differentiation of HCV subtypes 1a, 1b, 2a, 2b, 3a, and 4a. It consists of recombinant HCV proteins from the NS-4 region propagated in
Escherichia coli
. To confirm the serotyping assay results, the results were compared with those obtained by nucleotide sequencing of the NS-5 region. Sera from 157 patients with chronic HCV infection were examined by this assay, and specific antibodies could be detected in 86% (
n
= 135) of them. The HCV genotype was determined correctly in all but one sample, and the subtypes determined by the serotyping assay corresponded to the HCV subtypes detected by nucleotide sequencing for 95% (
n
= 128) of the samples. These data indicate that HCV subtypes can be distinguished serologically. The assay that is described provides an easier means of identification of infection with different HCV subtypes for wider clinical and epidemiological applications.