Emerging Infectious Diseases back issues from September 2007:
Threat of hantavirus pulmonary syndrome to field biologists working with small mammals.(SYNOPSIS)
Sep 01, 2007; ... Low risk for hantavirus pulmonary syndrome (HPS) has been reported among biologists engaged in fieldwork with rodents. The overall probability of acquiring HPS when working with rodents appears to be 1 in 1,412 (0.00071). Nonetheless, a causal link between HPS and lack of personal ...
Frequent travelers and rate of spread of epidemics.(RESEARCH)
Sep 01, 2007; ... A small proportion of air travelers make disproportionately more journeys than the rest of travelers. They also tend to interact predominantly with other frequent travelers in hotels and airport lounges. This group has the potential to accelerate global spread of infectious respiratory ...
Midnight Cave, Texas: The Experiment.(ANOTHER DIMENSION)(Poem)
Sep 01, 2007; ... <Pre> Midnight Cave, Texas: The Experiment --For Michel Siffre A man descends into a cavelong abandoned by bats. For six monthsthe electrodes and wires of sciencebristle from his head.in the dark chest of the earth,a hundred feet beneath the seasons...
Detection of group 1 coronaviruses in bats in North America.(RESEARCH)
Sep 01, 2007; ... The epidemic of severe acute respiratory syndrome (SARS) was caused by a newly emerged coronavirus (SARS-CoV). Bats of several species in southern People's Republic of China harbor SARS-like CoVs and may be reservoir hosts for them. To determine whether bats in North America also harbor ...
Landscape elements and Hantaan virus-related hemorrhagic fever with renal syndrome, People's Republic of China.(RESEARCH)(Clinical report)
Sep 01, 2007; ... Hemorrhagic fever with renal syndrome (HFRS) is an important public health problem in the People's Republic of China, accounting for 90% of human cases reported globally. In this study, a landscape epidemiologic approach, combined with geographic information system and remote sensing ...
Precautionary behavior in response to perceived threat of pandemic influenza.(RESEARCH)
Sep 01, 2007; ... Faced with an epidemic of an infectious disease, persons may take precautionary actions to try to reduce their risk. Such actions include avoiding situations that persons perceive to be risky, which can have negative health and economic effects. Therefore, we conducted a population-based ...
Simian foamy virus transmission from apes to humans, rural Cameroon.(RESEARCH)(Clinical report)
Sep 01, 2007; ... Simian virus infections of humans are an increasing public health concern. Simian foamy virus (SFV) infections have been reported in persons occupationally exposed to nonhuman primates and in a few hunters in Cameroon. To better understand this retroviral zoonosis in natural settings, we ...
Family clustering of Viliuisk encephalomyelitis in traditional and new geographic regions.(RESEARCH)
Sep 01, 2007; ... Viliuisk encephalomyelitis is an acute, often fatal, meningoencephalitis that tends to develop into a prolonged chronically progressive panencephalitis. Clinical, neuropathologic, and epidemiologic data argue for an infectious cause, although multiple attempts at pathogen isolation have ...
HIV, Hepatitis C, and Hepatitis B infections and associated risk behavior in injection drug users, Kabul, Afghanistan.(RESEARCH)
Sep 01, 2007; ... Limited prevalence data for HIV, hepatitis B surface antigen (HBsAg), and hepatitis C virus (HCV) exist for Afghanistan. We studied a cross-sectional sample of adult injection drug users (IDUs) in Kabul, Afghanistan, from June 2005 through June 2006. Study participants completed ...
Spectrum of infection and risk factors for human monkeypox, United States, 2003.(RESEARCH)(Clinical report)
Sep 01, 2007; ... For the 2003 monkeypox virus (MPXV) outbreak in the United States, interhuman transmission was not documented and all case-patients were near or handled MPXV-infected prairie dogs. We initiated a case--control study to evaluate risk factors for animal-to-human MPXV transmission. ...
Effect of interventions on influenza a (H9N2) isolation in Hong Kong's live poultry markets, 1999-2005.(RESEARCH)(Clinical report)
Sep 01, 2007; ... Live poultry markets (LPMs) are a recognized source of influenza viruses. Since 2001 and 2003, respectively, a first and second monthly "rest-day" has been implemented in Hong Kong's LPMs, when stalls are cleared of unsold poultry and disinfected. We assessed the incremental effectiveness ...
Detecting human-to-human transmission of avian influenza a (H5N1).(RESEARCH)
Sep 01, 2007; ... Highly pathogenic avian influenza A (HPAI) subtype H5N1 has caused family case clusters, mostly in Southeast Asia, that could be due to human-to-human transmission. Should this virus, or another zoonotic influenza virus, gain the ability of sustained human-to-human transmission, an ...
Reduced sensitivity of influenza A (H5N1) to oseltamivir.(DISPATCHES)(Clinical report)
Sep 01, 2007; ... We tested the neuraminidase drug sensitivity of clade 1 and clade 2 influenza A (H5N1). All viruses demonstrated similar sensitivity to zanamivir, but compared with the 2004 clade 1 viruses, the Cambodian 2005 viruses were 6-fold less sensitive and the Indonesian clade 2 viruses were up to ...
New clinico-epidemiologic profile of cutaneous leishmaniasis, Morocco.(DISPATCHES)(Clinical report)
Sep 01, 2007; ... During the past 20 years, cutaneous leishmaniasis has emerged as a major public health threat in Morocco. We describe distribution of Leishmania major and L. tropica in Morocco and a new focus of cutaneous leishmaniasis due to L. infantum. We recommend using molecular techniques to ...
Tuberculosis in children and adolescents, Taiwan, 1996-2003.(DISPATCHES)(Clinical report)
Sep 01, 2007; ... Analysis of data from Taiwan's National Tuberculosis (TB) Registry showed that incidence of TB in persons <20 years of age was 9.61/100,000 person-years, biphasic, and age-relevant, with a major peak in persons slightly >12 years. Aboriginal children were 8.1-17.4x more likely to have TB ...
Risk factors for hantavirus infection in Germany, 2005.(DISPATCHES)(Clinical report)
Sep 01, 2007; ... In 2005, a marked increase in hantavirus infections was observed in Germany. Large cities and areas where hantaviruses were not known to be endemic were affected. A case-control study identified the following independent risk factors for infection: occupational exposure for construction ...
Coronavirus antibodies in African bat species.(DISPATCHES)(Clinical report)
Sep 01, 2007; ... Asian bats have been identified as potential reservoir hosts of coronaviruses associated with severe acute respiratory syndrome (SARS-CoV). We detected antibody reactive with SARS-CoV antigen in 47 (6.7%) of 705 bat serum specimens comprising 26 species collected in Africa; thus, African ...
Mokola virus in domestic mammals, South Africa.(DISPATCHES)
Sep 01, 2007; ... We recently identified 2 Mokola viruses from domestic mammals (a dog and a cat) in South Africa, These cases occurred 8 years after the last reported case of infection with this virus, Our findings emphasize the endemicity of rabies-related lyssaviruses in South Africa and the need to ...
Buruli ulcer surveillance, Benin, 2003-2005.(DISPATCHES)(Clinical report)
Sep 01, 2007; ... We reviewed Buruli ulcer (BU) surveillance in Benin, using the World Health Organization BU02 form. We report results of reliable routine data collected on 2,598 new and recurrent cases from 2003 through 2005. ********** Buruli ulcer (BU), a disease caused by ...
Equine rhinosporidiosis in United Kingdom.(DISPATCHES)(Clinical report)
Sep 01, 2007; ... We report 4 cases of equine rhinosporidiosis in the United Kingdom. These cases provide evidence of spread of infectious agents from rhinosporidiosis-endemic areas to nonendemic areas by increased international movement of livestock. Surveillance should continue for this infective agent of ...
Poultry drinking water used for avian influenza surveillance.(DISPATCHES)
Sep 01, 2007; ... Samples of drinking water from poultry cages, which can be collected conveniently and noninvasively, provide higher rates of influenza (H9N2) virus isolation than do samples of fecal droppings, Studies to confirm the usefulness of poultry drinking water for detecting influenza (H5N1) ...
Endocarditis in cattle caused by Bartonella bovis.(DISPATCHES)(Clinical report)
Sep 01, 2007; ... This study aimed to determine the role of Bartonella as an endocarditis agent in cattle. Bartonella boris was identified by PCR, gene sequences analysis, and specific internal transcribed spacer amplicon product size in 2 bovine endocarditis cases with high antibody titers, which ...
Parenteral transmission of the novel human parvovirus PARV4.(DISPATCHES)
Sep 01, 2007; ... Transmission routes of PARV4, a newly discovered human parvovirus, were investigated by determining frequencies of persistent infections using autopsy samples from different risk groups. Predominantly parenteral routes of transmission were demonstrated by infection restricted to injection ...
Norovirus and gastroenteritis in hospitalized children, Italy.(DISPATCHES)
Sep 01, 2007; ... Noroviruses were detected in 48.4% of 192 children (<3 years of age) hospitalized for gastroenteritis in Palermo, Italy, during 2004; predominant genotypes were GGIIb/Hilversum and GGII.4 Hunter. Of children with viral enteritis, 19.6% had a mixed norovirus-rotavirus infection. The ...
Anaplasma platys in dogs, Chile.(DISPATCHES)(Clinical report)
Sep 01, 2007; ... We conducted a 16S rRNA nested PCR for the genus Ehrlichia and Ehrlichia spp. with blood samples from 30 ill dogs in Chile. Phylogenetic analysis was performed by using groESL gene amplification. We identified Anaplasma platys as 1 of the etiologic agents of canine ehrlichiosis. ...
Human metapneumovirus in children, Singapore.(DISPATCHES)
Sep 01, 2007; ... Four hundred specimens were collected from pediatric patients hospitalized in Singapore; 21 of these specimens tested positive for human metapneumovirus (HMPV), with the A2 genotype predominating. A 5% infection rate was estimated, suggesting that HMPV is a significant cause of population ...
Fecal viral concentration and diarrhea in norovirus gastroenteritis.(DISPATCHES)
Sep 01, 2007; ... Fecal viral concentrations of 40 patients infected with norovirus genogroup GII.4 correlated with diarrhea duration and frequency of vomiting. Higher viral concentration and older age were independently associated with prolonged diarrhea ([greater than or equal to] 4 days). These findings ...
Malaria reemergence in Northern Afghanistan.(DISPATCHES)(Clinical report)
Sep 01, 2007; ... Field investigations were conducted in Kundoz Province, an Afghan high-risk area, to determine factors responsible for the rapid reemergence of malaria in that country, where 3 million cases were estimated to have occurred during 2002. Results indicate the presence of ...
Rickettsia monacensis and human disease, Spain.(DISPATCHES)(Clinical report)
Sep 01, 2007; ... We identified Rickettsia monacensis as a cause of acute tickborne rickettsiosis in 2 humans. Its pathogenic role was assessed by culture and detection of the organism in patients' blood samples. This finding increases the number of recognized human rickettsial pathogens and expands the ...
Methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus in pigs with exudative epidermitis.(DISPATCHES)(Clinical report)
Sep 01, 2007; ... Despite a strict control program for methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA) in human medicine in the Netherlands, MRSA was cultured from exudative epidermitis lesions of 4 piglets on a breeding farm, 20 pigs on a supplier farm, and 2 workers on these farms. The MRSA strains ...
Molecular evidence for Anaplasma phagocytophilum in Israel.(DISPATCHES)(Clinical report)
Sep 01, 2007; ... Sequences from the Anaplasma phagocytophilum 16S rRNA gene were detected in 5 ticks representing 3 species (Hyalomma marginatum, Rhipicephalus turanicus, and Boophilus kohlsi) collected from roe deer (Capreolus capreolus) in Mount Carmel, Israel, The sequences were all identical to those ...
Sympatric occurrence of Taenia solium, T. saginata, and T. asiatica, Thailand.(DISPATCHES)(Clinical report)
Sep 01, 2007; ... We confirmed sympatric occurrence of Taenia solium, T. saginata, and T. asiatica in western Thailand. DNA analysis of morphologically identified T. saginata, in a dual infection with T. solium, indicated it was T. asiatica. To our knowledge, this report is the first of T. asiatica and a ...
Increase in Clostridium difficile-related mortality rates, United States, 1999-2004.(DISPATCHES)(Clinical report)
Sep 01, 2007; ... Reported mortality rates from Clostridium difficile disease in the United States increased from 5.7 per million population in 1999 to 23.7 per million in 2004. Increased rates may be due to emergence of a highly virulent strain of C. difficile. Rates were higher for whites than for other ...
Hantavirus in northern short-tailed shrew, United States.(DISPATCHES)(Clinical report)
Sep 01, 2007; ... Phylogenetic analyses, based on partial medium- and large-segment sequences, support an ancient evolutionary origin of a genetically distinct hantavirus detected by reverse transcription--PCR in tissues of northern short-tailed shrews (Blarina brevicauda) captured in Minnesota in August ...
Imported fatal hantavirus pulmonary syndrome.(LETTERS)(Clinical report)
Sep 01, 2007; ... To the Editor: Hantavirus pulmonary syndrome (HPS) is characterized by fever, gastrointestinal symptoms, respiratory distress, elevated hematocrit, hypoalbuminemia, and thrombocytopenia. Most cases in North America are acquired from rodent vectors and are caused by the Sin Nombre virus ....
Disseminated bocavirus infection after stem cell transplant.(LETTERS)(Letter to the editor)
Sep 01, 2007; ... To the Editor: Human bocavirus (HBoV) (1) is increasingly recognized as a cause of respiratory infections worldwide. Children and infants appear to be most at risk (2-7), although HBoV's role in immunocompromised patients remains unclear. We report on a child with disseminated HBoV ...
Pure red blood cell aplasia and isoniazid use.(LETTERS)(Clinical report)
Sep 01, 2007; ... To the Editor: Isoniazid is a first-line drug in the treatment of tuberculosis; its uses include prevention as well as cure. Isoniazid is usually well tolerated, although its common side effects include gastrointestinal discomfort, rash, allergy, hepatitis, and peripheral neuropathy ....
Failure of isoniazid chemoprophylaxis during infliximab therapy.(LETTERS)(Letter to the editor)
Sep 01, 2007; ... To the Editor: A patient with ankylosing spondylitis was treated with infliximab, a tumor necrosis factor (TNF) blocker that has been associated with reactivation of latent tuberculosis (TB). Because of reactivity in testing with purified protein derivative, isoniazid chemoprophylaxis was ...
Extensively drug-resistant Mycobacterium tuberculosis, India.(LETTERS)(Clinical report)
Sep 01, 2007; ... To the Editor: India is contributing nearly one third of the world's tuberculosis (TB) cases and has the highest rate of new TB cases (1). Prevalence of multidrug-resistant TB (MDR TB) cases is on the rise in India, and proportions of new cases of MDR TB have been observed to vary from ...
Stray dogs and leishmaniasis in urban areas, Portugal.(LETTERS)(Clinical report)
Sep 01, 2007; ... To the Editor: In southern Europe, zoonotic visceral leishmaniasis caused by Leishmania infantum used to be considered a rural disease, but it is becoming more prevalent in urban areas. Outbreaks in urban/periurban settings are associated with the urbanization of natural zoonotic foci (1) ....
TaqMan assay for Swedish Chlamydia trachomatis variant.(LETTERS)(Letter to the editor)
Sep 01, 2007; ... To the Editor: Chlamydia trachomatis (CT) is the most prevalent bacterial sexually transmitted infection worldwide. Recently, a new variant of CT (swCT) has been reported in Halland County, Sweden. A total of 12 swCT specimens were sequenced and found to have the same deletion, a 377-bp ...
Highly pathogenic porcine reproductive and respiratory syndrome, China.(LETTERS)(Letter to the editor)
Sep 01, 2007; ... To the Editor: Since April 2006, a highly pathogenic disease caused by unknown agents and characterized by high fever and a high proportion of deaths in pigs of all ages, emerged in some swine farms in Jiangxi Province, People's Republic of China. The morbidity rate was 50%-100% and ...
Recurrent American cutaneous leishmaniasis.(LETTERS)(Clinical report)
Sep 01, 2007; ... To the Editor: Leishmaniasis recidivans is an unusual clinical Old World disease primarily associated with Leishmania tropica (1). Recurrence of previously cured cutaneous leishmaniasis (CL) lesions is found in American CL, for which a specific nosologic form known of disease known as ...
Leprosy as immune reconstitution inflammatory syndrome in HIV-positive persons.(LETTERS)(Clinical report)
Sep 01, 2007; ... To the Editor: More than 2 decades ago, when H1V was first detected, many investigators predicted the rise of leprosy secondary to opportunistic infection (1). Recently, the phenomenon of immune reconstitution inflammatory syndrome (IRIS), or leprosy reversal response, has received ...
Endocarditis after use of tongue scraper.(LETTERS)(Letter to the editor)
Sep 01, 2007; ... To the Editor: Tongue scraping is advocated as a therapy for managing halitosis and as a technique for preventing dental caries by reducing bacterial counts in the mouth (1). The practice has been in existence for centuries (2). A Cochrane review has concluded that tongue cleaning is ...
Physician's Guide to Arthropods of Medical Importance, 5th Edition.(Book review)
Sep 01, 2007; ... Jerome Goddard CRC Press/Taylor Francis, Boca Raton, Florida, USA, 2007 ISBN: 0849385393 Pages: 480; Price: US $159.95 The 21st century is well under way, and along with the new century has come the emergence and reemergence of arthropodborne diseases. Because of the growing ...
"Nature hath fram'd strange fellows in her time".
Sep 01, 2007; ... --William Shakespeare, the merchant of Venice. Painters take the same license as poets and madmen, Paolo Veronese told the Inquisition Tribunal in Venice during an interrogation. Buffoons, drunkards, exotic creatures, and anachronisms in his Last Supper were placed there "so ...
Upcoming infectious disease activities.(NEWS & NOTES)(Directory)(Calendar)
Sep 01, 2007 ... September 17-20, 2007 47th Interscience Conference on Antimicrobial Agents and Chemotherapy (ICAAC) Chicago, IL, USA http://www.icaac.org October 4-7, 2007 45th Annual Meeting of IDSA San Diego, CA, USA ...