Emerging Infectious Diseases back issues from February 2007:
Prevention of immune cell apoptosis as potential therapeutic strategy for severe infections.(SYNOPSIS)
Feb 01, 2007; ... Some labile cell types whose numbers are normally controlled through programmed cell death are subject to markedly increased destruction during some severe infections. Lymphocytes, in particular, undergo massive and apparently unregulated apoptosis in human patients and laboratory animals ...
Reduced efficacy of insecticide-treated nets and indoor residual spraying for malaria control in pyrethroid resistance area, benin.(RESEARCH)
Feb 01, 2007; ... The pyrethroid knockdown resistance gene (kdr) has become widespread in Anopheles gambiae in West Africa. A trial to test the continuing efficacy of insecticide-treated nets (ITN) and indoor residual spraying (IRS) was undertaken in experimental huts at 2 sites in Benin, the first where ...
Code-based syndromic surveillance for influenzalike illness by International Classification of Diseases, Ninth Revision.(RESEARCH)
Feb 01, 2007; ... With the spread of avian influenza, use of automated data streams to rapidly detect and track human influenza cases has increased. We performed correlation analyses to determine whether International Classification of Diseases, Ninth Revision (ICD-9), groupings used to detect influenzalike ...
Imported infectious disease and purpose of travel, Switzerland.(RESEARCH)(Clinical report)
Feb 01, 2007; ... We evaluated the epidemiologic factors of patients seeking treatment for travel-associated illness from January 2004 through May 2005 at the University Hospital of Zurich. When comparing persons whose purpose of travel was visiting friends and relatives (VFR travelers; n = 121) with ...
Invasive Group B streptococcal infection in infants, Malawi.(RESEARCH)
Feb 01, 2007; ... Group B streptococci (GBS) are a recently identified cause of neonatal sepsis in Malawi. In Queen Elizabeth Central Hospital, Blantyre, Malawi, during May 2004-June 2005, GBS were isolated from routine blood and cerebrospinal fluid cultures from 57 infants. The incidence of early (EOD) and ...
Deaths from cysticercosis, United States.(RESEARCH)(Clinical report)
Feb 01, 2007; ... Cysticercosis has emerged as a cause of severe neurologic disease in the United States. We evaluated cysticercosis-related deaths in the United States for 1990-2002 by race, sex, age, state of residence, country of birth, and year of death. A total of 221 cysticercosis deaths were ...
Community-associated methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus isolates causing healthcare-associated infections (1).(RESEARCH)(Disease/Disorder overview)
Feb 01, 2007; ... We noted a marked increase in healthcare-associated (HA) methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA) infections caused by isolates phenotypically consistent with community-associated (CA)-MRSA strains. To study this trend, we retrospectively examined all HA-MRSA isolates from ...
Subclinical infection with avian influenza A (H5N1) virus in cats.(RESEARCH)(Clinical report)
Feb 01, 2007; ... Avian influenza A virus subtype H5N1 was transmitted to domestic cats by close contact with infected birds. Virus-specific nucleic acids were detected in pharyngeal swabs from 3 of 40 randomly sampled cats from a group of 194 animals (day 8 after contact with an infected swan). All cats ...
Human African trypanosomiasis in a rural community, democratic Republic of Congo.(RESEARCH)
Feb 01, 2007; ... According to the World Health Organization, human African trypanosomiasis (HAT) (sleeping sickness) caused the loss of [approximately equal to] 1.5 million disability-adjusted life years (DALYs) in 2002. We describe the effect of HAT during 2000-2002 in Buma, a rural community near ...
Methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus ST398 in humans and animals, Central Europe.(RESEARCH)(Clinical report)
Feb 01, 2007; ... Methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus of clonal lineage ST398 that exhibits related spa types and contains SCCmec elements of types IVa or V has been isolated from colonized and infected humans and companion animals (e.g., dog, pig, horse) in Germany and Austria. Of particular ...
Campylobacter antimicrobial drug resistance among humans, broiler chickens, and pigs, France.(RESEARCH)(Disease/Disorder overview)
Feb 01, 2007; ... We describe isolates from human Campylobacter infection in the French population and the isolates' antimicrobial drug resistance patterns since 1986 and compare the trends with those of isolates from broiler chickens and pigs from 1999 through 2004. Among 5,685 human Campylobacter ...
Host-associated genetic import in Campylobacter jejuni.(RESEARCH)(Disease/Disorder overview)
Feb 01, 2007; ... Host association of Campylobacter jejuni was analyzed by using multilocus sequence typing data for 713 isolates from chickens and bovids (cattle and sheep). Commonly used summary measures of genotypes (sequence type and clonal complex) showed poor accuracy, but a method using the full ...
Meningococcal disease in South Africa, 1999-2002.(RESEARCH)
Feb 01, 2007; ... We describe the epidemiology of invasive meningococcal disease in South Africa from August 1999 through July 2002, as reported to a laboratory-based surveillance system. Neisseria meningitidis isolates were further characterized. In total, 854 cases of laboratory-confirmed disease were ...
Neutralizing antibodies after infection with dengue 1 virus.(RESEARCH)(Disease/Disorder overview)
Feb 01, 2007; ... Severity of disease is markedly increased when infection with dengue virus type 2 (DENV-2) follows infection with DENV-1 at an interval of 20 years. Studies have shown that heterologous neutralizing antibody titers are inversely correlated with severity of a second infection. If this ...
Waterborne toxoplasmosis, northeastern Brazil.(DISPATCHES)
Feb 01, 2007; ... Two waterborne outbreaks of toxoplasmosis have been described recently in southern Brazil. We present data from a community-based study of pregnant women in northeastern Brazil. Consumption of homemade ice was the only variable associated with seropositivity (adjusted odds ratio, 3.1, 95% ...
Avian influenza risk perception, Europe and Asia.(DISPATCHES)(Disease/Disorder overview)
Feb 01, 2007; ... During autumn 2005, we conducted 3,436 interviews in European and Asian countries. We found risk perceptions of avian influenza to be at an intermediate level and beliefs of efficacy to be slightly lower. Risk perceptions were higher in Asia than Europe; efficacy beliefs were lower in ...
No evidence of avian influenza A (H5N1) among returning US travelers.(DISPATCHES)(Disease/Disorder overview)(Clinical report)
Feb 01, 2007; ... We reviewed reports to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention of US travelers suspected of having avian influenza A (H5N1) virus infection from February 2003 through May 2006. Among the 59 reported patients, no evidence of H5N1 virus infection was found; none had direct contact ...
Postpartum mastitis and community-acquired methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus.(DISPATCHES)(Disease/Disorder overview)
Feb 01, 2007; ... This single-center, case-control study documents a relative increase in methicillin resistance among 48 cases of Staphylococcus aureus--associated postpartum mastitis during 1998-2005. Of 21 cases with methicillin resistance, 17 (81%) occurred in 2005. Twenty (95%) isolates contained the ...
Disseminated neonatal herpes caused by herpes simplex virus types 1 and 2.(DISPATCHES)(Disease/Disorder overview)
Feb 01, 2007; ... Disseminated neonatal herpes simplex virus (HSV) infection is characterized by progressive multiple organ failure and high mortality rates. It can result from infection with either HSV-1 or HSV-2. We report a case of disseminated neonatal herpes that was caused by HSV-1 and HSV-2. ...
Surveillance for West Nile virus in clinic-admitted raptors, Colorado.(DISPATCHES)(Disease/Disorder overview)
Feb 01, 2007; ... In 2005, 13.5% of clinic-admitted raptors in northern Colorado tested positive for West Nile virus (WNV). Clinic-admitted--raptor surveillance detected WNV activity nearly 14 weeks earlier than other surveillance systems. WNV surveillance using live raptor admissions to rehabilitation ...
Mosquitoborne infections after Hurricane Jeanne, Haiti, 2004.(DISPATCHES)(Disease/Disorder overview)
Feb 01, 2007; ... After Hurricane Jeanne in September 2004, surveillance for mosquitoborne diseases in Gonaives, Haiti, identified 3 patients with malaria, 2 with acute dengue infections, and 2 with acute West Nile virus infections among 116 febrile patients. These are the first reported human West Nile ...
Characteristics of Staphylococcus aureus infections, Chicago Pediatric Hospital.(DISPATCHES)(Disease/Disorder overview)
Feb 01, 2007; ... Invasive and skin community-associated (CA)--methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus isolates from children were matched with invasive CA-methicillin-sensitive S. aureus strains during 2000-2004, Isolates were analyzed for presence of Panton-Valentine leukocidin. A USA400 lineage clone ...
Ertapenem resistance of Escherichia coli.(DISPATCHES)(Clinical report)
Feb 01, 2007; ... An ertapenem-resistant Escherichia coli isolate was recovered from peritoneal fluid in a patient who had been treated with imipenem/cilastatin for 10 days. Ertapenem resistance may be explained by a defect in the outer membrane protein and production of extended-spectrum [beta]-lactamase ...
Surveillance for Shiga toxin--producing Escherichia coli, Michigan, 2001-2005.(DISPATCHES)(Disease/Disorder overview)
Feb 01, 2007; ... A surveillance system used different detection methods to estimate prevalence of Shiga toxin-producing Escherichia coli during 2003-2005 and 2001-2002. More non-O157 serotypes were detected by enzyme immunoassay than by evaluation of non-sorbitol-fermenting E. coli isolates. We therefore ...
Rapid genome sequencing of RNA viruses.(DISPATCHES)(Disease/Disorder overview)
Feb 01, 2007; ... We developed a system for rapid determination of viral RNA sequences whereby genomic sequence is obtained from cultured virus isolates without subcloning into plasmid vectors. This method affords new opportunities to address the challenges of unknown or untypeable emerging viruses. ...
Pneumocystis pneumonia in HIV-positive adults, Malawi (1).(DISPATCHES)
Feb 01, 2007; ... In a prospective study of 660 HIV-positive Malawian adults, we diagnosed Pneumocystis jirovecii pneumonia (PcP) using clinical features, induced sputum for immunofluorescent staining, real-time PCR, and posttreatment followup. PcP incidence was highest in patients with the lowest CD4 ...
Mycobacteria as environmental portent in Chesapeake Bay fish species.(DISPATCHES)(Clinical report)
Feb 01, 2007; ... Infection with environmental mycobacteria is increasing among many Chesapeake Bay fish species, Prevalence in juvenile Atlantic menhaden differed between tributaries and ranged from 2% to 57%. Mycobacterial infection may be a syndromic sentinel of altered environmental conditions that ...
Yersinia pestis Orientalis in remains of ancient plague patients.(DISPATCHES)
Feb 01, 2007; ... Yersinia pestis DNA was recently detected in human remains from 2 ancient plague pandemics in France and Germany. We have now sequenced Y. pestis glpD gene in such remains, showing a 93-bp deletion specific for biotype Orientalis. These data show that only Orientalis type caused the 3 ...
Rickettsia parkeri infection after tick bite, Virginia.(DISPATCHES)
Feb 01, 2007; ... We describe a man with a febrile illness and an eschar that developed at the site of a tick bite. Rickettsia parked was detected and isolated from the eschar. This report represents the second documented case of R. parked rickettsiosis in a US serviceman in eastern Virginia. ...
Mal de Mayo.(ANOTHER DIMENSION)
Feb 01, 2007; ... A few miles from the Honduran border, we waited for the closing ceremonies to mark the conclusion of our humanitarian efforts. Despite the oppressive, unrelenting heat, stifling body odor, the poverty surrounding us, and our longing to be reunited with family, the soldiers and airmen of ...
Compensation for avian influenza cleanup.(LETTERS)(Letter to the editor)
Feb 01, 2007; ... To the Editor: Since 2003, highly pathogenic avian influenza (HPAI) H5N1 has shaken the world. In 10 countries, 258 confirmed cases in humans and 154 deaths have been reported (1). The number of countries with confirmed HPAI in poultry and wild birds jumps to 54 (2). Almost all persons ...
Frog virus 3 infection, cultured American bullfrogs.(Letter to the editor)
Feb 01, 2007; ... To the Editor: Ranaculture, the practice of farm-raising frogs for scientific and culinary purposes, is practiced in many countries, including the United States (1). As with aquaculture, most ranaculture challenges relate to husbandry and disease. In aquaculture, iridovirus infections are ...
Pandemic influenza school closure policies.(Letter to the editor)
Feb 01, 2007; ... To the Editor: Holmberg et al. (1) are rightly concerned that state pandemic plans in the United States represent a patchwork without central coordination or direction. These concerns are particularly relevant for school closure decisions during an influenza pandemic. The US Department of ...
Symptomatic human hantavirus in the Americas.(Letter to the editor)
Feb 01, 2007; ... To the Editor: In a recent letter (1), dos Santos et al. described 3 cases of hantavirus pulmonary syndrome (HPS) from Juquitiba and stated that "the first human cases of symptomatic infection by hantaviruses were reported from Brazil in 1993." However, we described 8 cases of symptomatic ...
Echinococcosis risk among domestic definitive hosts, Japan.(Letter to the editor)
Feb 01, 2007; ... To the Editor: Echinococcosis is a serious parasitic zoonosis in the Northern Hemisphere. In Japan, it is characterized by alveolar, hepatic, and cerebral disorders in humans caused by the larval form (metacestode) of the tapeworm Echinococcus multilocularis. The life cycle of the parasite ...
Maculopathy and dengue.(Letter to the editor)
Feb 01, 2007; ... To the Editors: We thank Su and Chee (1) for their interest in our article, "Retinal Hemorrhages in 4 Patients with Dengue Fever" (2). We reported the findings of this small case series to highlight the presence of retinal hemorrhage as a manifestation of ophthalmic complication in ...
Enterohemorrhagic Escherichia coli excretion by child and her cat.(Letter to the editor)
Feb 01, 2007; ... To the Editor: Enterohemorrhagic Escherichia coli (EHEC) can cause severe hemorrhagic colitis characterized by gastrointestinal symptoms and bloody diarrhea as well as hemolytic uremic syndrome (1). Cattle and small ruminants are the major natural reservoir of these foodborne pathogens ...
Misdiagnosing melioidosis.(Letter to the editor)
Feb 01, 2007; ... To the Editor: Melioidosis is endemic in southern and Southeast Asia and northern Australia. Although relatively few indigenous cases are recognized in the Indian subcontinent, a substantial proportion of cases imported into the United Kingdom originate there, probably reflecting patterns ...
Subclinical Plasmodium falciparum infection and HIV-1 viral load.(Letter to the editor)
Feb 01, 2007; ... To the Editor: Studies indicate that Plasmodium falciparum infection increases HIV replication in adults (1,2). Although malaria-related illness and death are more common in children, and HIV-1 generally progresses faster in children than in adults (3,4), to our knowledge the effect of ...
African tickbite fever in travelers, Swaziland.(Letter to the editor)
Feb 01, 2007; ... To the Editor: African tickbite fever (ATBF), which is caused by Rickettsia africae, is well documented in travelers to southern Africa (1-3) and transmitted by ungulate ticks of the genus Amblyomma. Positive serologic results were reported in 9% of patients (1) and 11% of travelers (4) ...
Catheter-related bacteremia and multidrug-resistant Acinetobacter Iwoffii.(Letter to the editor)(Clinical report)
Feb 01, 2007; ... To the Editor: Acinetobacter species are ubiquitous in the environment. In recent years, some species, particularly A. baumannii, have emerged as important nosocomial pathogens because of their persistence in the hospital environment and broad antimicrobial drug resistance patterns (1,2) ....
Microbiologic and cultural interchange.(Cover story)
Feb 01, 2007; ... " ... I did develop ... a kind of root down in Atlanta," confided Hale Woodruff during an oral history interview, "You may have heard of it. It was called the 'Outhouse School' and, frankly, it was given such a name as this by one of the press writers because we used to paint landscapes in ...
Upcoming infectious disease activities.(NEWS & NOTES)(Calendar)
Feb 01, 2007 ... February 23-25, 2007 IMED 2007: International Meeting on Emerging Diseases and Surveillance Vienna, Austria Contact: info@isid.org or 617-277-0551 voice 617-278-9113 fax http://imed.isid.org ...