Emerging Infectious Diseases back issues from November 2007:
Conflict and emerging infectious diseases.
Nov 01, 2007; ... Detection and control of emerging infectious diseases in conflict situations are major challenges due to multiple risk factors known to enhance emergence and transmission of infectious diseases. These include inadequate surveillance and response systems, destroyed infrastructure, collapsed ...
Danish integrated antimicrobial resistance monitoring and research program.(PERSPECTIVE)(Clinical report)
Nov 01, 2007; ... Resistance to antimicrobial agents is an emerging problem worldwide. Awareness of the undesirable consequences of its widespread occurrence has led to the initiation of antimicrobial agent resistance monitoring programs in several countries. In 1995, Denmark was the first country to ...
Growing problem of multidrug-resistant enteric pathogens in Africa.(PERSPECTIVE)
Nov 01, 2007; ... Control of fecal-orally transmitted pathogens is inadequate in many developing countries, in particular, in subSaharan Africa. Acquired resistance to antimicrobial drugs is becoming more prevalent among Vibrio cholerae, Salmonella enteritidis, diarrheagenic Escherichia coli, and other ...
Literature review and case histories of histoplasma capsulatum var. duboisii infections in HIV-infected patients.
Nov 01, 2007; ... African histoplasmosis caused by Histoplasma capsulatum var. duboisfi is an invasive fungal infection endemic in central and west Africa. Most of its ecology and pathogenesis remain unknown. H. capsulatum var. capsulatum is an AIDS-defining opportunistic infection in HIV-infected patients ...
Mycobacterium ulcerans in mosquitoes captured during outbreak of Buruli ulcer, Southeastern Australia.(Clinical report)
Nov 01, 2007; ... Buruli ulcer (BU) occurs in >30 countries. The causative organism, Mycobacterium ulcerans, is acquired from the environment, but the exact mode of transmission is unknown. We investigated an outbreak of BU in a small coastal town in southeastern Australia and screened by PCR mosquitoes ...
Risk factors for Mycobacterium ulcerans infection, Southeastern Australia.(Clinical report)
Nov 01, 2007; ... Buruli/Bairnsdale ulcer (BU) is a severe skin and soft tissue disease caused by Mycobacterium ulcerans. To better understand how BU is acquired, we conducted a case--control study during a sustained outbreak in temperate southeastern Australia. We recruited 49 adult patients with BU and ...
Protection and virus shedding of falcons vaccinated against highly pathogenic avian influenza A virus (H5N1).
Nov 01, 2007; ... Because fatal infections with highly pathogenic avian influenza A (HPAI) virus subtype H5N1 have been reported in birds of prey, we sought to determine detailed information about the birds' susceptibility and protection after vaccination. Ten falcons vaccinated with an inactivated ...
Distribution of eosinophilic meningitis cases attributable to Angiostrongylus cantonensis, Hawaii.(RESEARCH)
Nov 01, 2007; ... During November 2004-January 2005, 5 cases of eosinophilic meningitis (EM) attributable to Angiostrongylus cantonensis infection were reported in Hawaii. To determine if this temporal clustering reflected an increased incidence, we ascertained EM and A. cantonensis cases by systematic ...
Human Salmonella and concurrent decreased susceptibility to quinolones and extended-spectrum cephalosporins.(Clinical report)
Nov 01, 2007; ... The National Antimicrobial Resistance Monitoring System monitors susceptibility among Enterobacteriaceae in humans in the United States. We studied isolates exhibiting decreased susceptibility to quinolones (nalidixic acid MIC [greater than or equal to] 32 [micro]g/mL or ciprofloxacin MIC ...
Non-A hepatitis B virus genotypes in antenatal clinics, United Kingdom.(Clinical report)
Nov 01, 2007; ... In the United Kingdom, the National Screening Programme for identification of hepatitits B virus (HBV) infection in pregnant women uses HBV e antigen (HBeAg) and antibody to HBeAg (anti-HBe) as markers of infectivity to determine use of immunoglobulin for hepatitis B. Serum samples from ...
Epidemiology of Streptococcus dysgalactiae subsp, equisimilis in tropical communities, Northern Australia.(RESEARCH)(Clinical report)
Nov 01, 2007; ... Streptococcus dysgalactiae subsp, equisimilis (groups C and G streptococci [GCS/GGS]) is an increasingly recognized human pathogen, although it may follow indirect pathways. Prospective surveillance of selected households in 3 remote Aboriginal communities in Australia provided 337 GCS/GGS ...
Genetic diversity among clonal lineages within Escherichia coli O157:H7 stepwise evolutionary model.
Nov 01, 2007; ... Escherichia coli O157:H7 variants were examined for trait mutations and by molecular subtyping to better define clonal complexes postulated on the O157:H7 evolution model. Strains of [beta]-glucuronidase--positive, sorbitol-negative O157:H7 isolated in United States and Japan were ...
Methamphetamine use and Methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus skin infections.(Clinical report)
Nov 01, 2007; ... Methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA) infections and methamphetamine use are emerging public health problems. We conducted a case-control investigation to determine risk factors for MRSA skin and soft tissue infections (SSTIs) in residents of a largely rural southeastern ...
Pandemic influenza and hospital resources.(RESEARCH)
Nov 01, 2007; ... Using estimates from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, the World Health Organization, and published models of the expected evolution of pandemic influenza, we modeled the surge capacity of healthcare facility and intensive care unit (ICU) requirements over time in northern ...
Role of terrestrial wild birds in ecology of influenza a virus (H5N1).(RESEARCH)(Clinical report)
Nov 01, 2007; ... House sparrows, European starlings, and Carneux pigeons were inoculated with 4 influenza A (H5N1) viruses isolated from different avian species. We monitored viral replication, death after infection, and transmission to uninfected contact birds of the same species. Sparrows were ...
Canonical insertion-deletion markers for rapid DNA typing of Francisella Tularensis.
Nov 01, 2007; ... To develop effective and accurate typing of strains of Francisella tularensis, a potent human pathogen and a putative bioterrorist agent, we combined analysis of insertiondeletion (indel) markers with multiple-locus variable-number tandem repeat analysis (MLVA). From 5 representative F ....
Epidemiologic and virologic investigation of hand, foot, and mouth disease, southern Vietnam, 2005.(RESEARCH)
Nov 01, 2007; ... During 2005, 764 children were brought to a large children's hospital in Ho Chi Minh City, Vietnam, with a diagnosis of hand, foot, and mouth disease. All enrolled children had specimens (vesicle fluid, stool, throat swab) collected for enterovirus isolation by cell culture. An enterovirus ...
Severe spotted fever group rickettsiosis Australia.(DISPATCHES)
Nov 01, 2007; ... We report 3 cases of spotted fever group rickettsial infection (presumed Queensland tick typhus) in residents of northern Queensland, Australia, who had unusually severe clinical manifestations. Complications included renal failure, purpura fulminans, and severe pneumonia. Clinical illness ...
Novel human herpesvirus 8 subtype D strains in Vanuatu, Melanesia.(Clinical report)
Nov 01, 2007; ... We show human herpesvirus 8 with diverse molecular subtype D variants to be highly endemic among the NiVanuatu population. Most K1 genes were nearly identical to Polynesian strains, although a few clustered with Australian or Taiwanese strains. These results suggest diverse origins of the ...
Onchocerca jakutensis filariasis in humans.(Case study)(Clinical report)
Nov 01, 2007; ... We identified Onchocerca jakutensis as the causative agent of an unusual human filariasis in a patient with lupus erythematosus. To our knowledge, this is the first case of human infection with O. jakutensis and the first human case of zoonotic onchocercosis involving >1 worm. ...
Methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus in meat products, the Netherlands.(DISPATCHES)
Nov 01, 2007; ... A new methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA) clone related to pig and cattle farming was detected in the Netherlands. We investigated the extent of S. aureus presence in meat and found 36 S. aureus strains in 79 samples. Two strains were MRSA; 1 was multilocus 398, the clone ...
Human bocavirus infection in children with gastroenteritis, Brazil.(DISPATCHES)
Nov 01, 2007; ... Human bocavirus (HBoV) was detected in 14 (2%) of 705 fecal specimens from Brazilian children with gastroenteritis. Coinfection with rotavirus, adenovirus, or norovirus was found in 3 (21.4%) HBoV-positive specimens. None of the HBoV-positive patients had respiratory symptoms. ...
Drug-resistant malaria parasites introduced into Madagascar from Comoros Islands.(DISPATCHES)(Clinical report)
Nov 01, 2007; ... To determine risk for drug-resistant malaria parasites entering Madagascar from Comoros Islands, we screened travelers. For the 141 Plasmodium falciparum isolates detected by real-time PCR, frequency of mutant alleles of genes associated with resistance to chloroquine and pyrirnethamine ...
Rocky Mountain spotted fever, Panama.(DISPATCHES)(Case study)(Clinical report)
Nov 01, 2007; ... We describe a fatal pediatric case of Rocky Mountain spotted fever in Panama, the first, to our knowledge, since the 1950s. Diagnosis was established by immunohistochemistry, PCR, and isolation of Rickettsia rickettsii from postmortem tissues. Molecular typing demonstrated strong ...
WU polyomavirus in children with acute lower respiratory tract infections, South Korea.(DISPATCHES)
Nov 01, 2007; ... In South Korea, WU polyomavirus (WUPyV) was detected in 34 (7%) of 486 children with acute lower respiratory tract infections, 3 (4.2%) of 72 asymptomatic children, and as coinfection with other respiratory viruses in 23 (67.6%) children. Although WUPyV was frequently detected, its ...
Viral load as predictor of crimean-congo hemorrhagic fever outcome.(Clinical report)
Nov 01, 2007; ... We used quantitative real-time reverse transcription-PCR to measure viral load in serum from 24 patients in Kosovo who had acute Crimean-Congo hemorrhagic fever. Viral load correlated with clinical disease and antibodies and could be used as a predictor of disease outcome. ...
Characterization of hemorrhagic fever with renal syndrome caused by hantaviruses, Estonia.(DISPATCHES)(Clinical report)
Nov 01, 2007; ... Thirty cases of hemorrhagic fever with renal syndrome (HFRS) due to Puumala virus (PUUV), Saaremaa virus (SAAV), and Dobrava virus infection were confirmed in Estonia. Except for the levels of serum creatinine, no remarkable differences were found in the clinical course of HFRS caused by ...
Human multidrug-resistant Salmonella Newport infections, Wisconsin, 2003-2005.(DISPATCHES)
Nov 01, 2007; ... We conducted a retrospective study of Salmonella Newport infections among Wisconsin residents during 20032005. Multidrug resistance prevalence was substantially greater in Wisconsin than elsewhere in the United States. Persons with multidrug-resistant infections were more likely than ...
Medical students and pandemic influenza.(DISPATCHES)(Report)
Nov 01, 2007; ... To assess knowledge of pandemic influenza, we administered a questionnaire to all medical students at the University of Alberta; 354 (69%) of 510 students responded. Data from questionnaires such as this could help determine the role of medical students during a public health ...
Newfound hantavirus in Chinese mole shrew, Vietnam.(DISPATCHES)(Report)
Nov 01, 2007; ... Sequence analysis of the full-length medium segment and the partial small and large segments of a hantavirus, detected by reverse transcription-PCR in lung tissues of the Chinese mole shrew (Anourosorex squamipes) captured in Cao Bang Province, Vietnam, in December 2006, indicated that it ...
Environmental predictors of human West Nile Virus infections, Colorado.(DISPATCHES)
Nov 01, 2007; ... To determine whether environmental surveillance of West Nile Virus-positive dead birds, mosquito pools, equines, and sentinel chickens helped predict human cases in metropolitan Denver, Colorado, during 2003, we analyzed human surveillance data and environmental data. Birds successfully ...
Primary versus nonprimary cytomegalovirus infection during pregnancy, Israel.
Nov 01, 2007; ... We examined prospectively the outcome of primary and nonprimary maternal cytomegalovirus (CMV) infection during pregnancy among 88 and 120 women, respectively. The risk for vertical transmission was 1.83x higher for primary infection than for nonprimary infection. Nonetheless, congenital ...
Rickettsia felis in Chile.(LETTERS)(Clinical report)
Nov 01, 2007; ... To the Editor: Rickettsiosis due to Rickettsia felix is an emerging disease that has been reported worldwide (1). Fever, headache, myalgia, and macular rash have been attributed to R. felix infection in humans (1). In South America, R. felix infection in fleas (mostly Ctenocephalidex spp.) ...
Possible typhoon-related melioidosis epidemic, Taiwan, 2005.(Letter to the editor)(Clinical report)
Nov 01, 2007; ... To the Editor: Melioidosis is a severe infection caused by Burkholderia pseudomallei. This organism is present in tropical and subtropical regions where melioidosis is endemic. Before 1995, melioidosis was rare in Taiwan. In 2001, when the annual number of cases ofmelioidosis in Taiwan was ...
Human bocavirus in Infants, New Zealand.(LETTERS)(Clinical report)
Nov 01, 2007; ... To the Editor: In 2005, a parvovirus, subsequently named human bocavirus (HBoV), was discovered in respiratory samples taken from infants and children hospitalized at Karolinksa University Hospital, Sweden, with lower respiratory tract infection (1). HBoV has since been identified in ...
Lyme disease in urban areas, Chicago.(LETTERS)(Clinical report)
Nov 01, 2007; ... To the Editor: Lyme disease is a multisystem illness caused by infection with the tickborne spirochete Borrelia burgdorferi. Most infections in the United States occur in the Northeast and upper Midwest, and the midwestern focus now includes Illinois (1,2). Previously, the greatest risk of ...
Oral versus IV treatment for catheter-related bloodstream infections.(LETTERS)(intravenous)
Nov 01, 2007; ... To the Editor: I read with interest the article by Halton and Graves on the economics of catheter-related blood stream infections (1). The most important determinants of infection in a temporary central venous catheter (CVC) are location and duration (2). Also important are aseptic CVC ...
AIDS vaccine development: challenges and opportunities.(Book review)
Nov 01, 2007; ... Wayne C. Koff, Patricia Kahn, and Ian D. Gust, editors Caister Academic Press, Wymondham, UK, 2007 ISBN: 9781904455110 Pages: 151; Price: US $99.00 A quarter of a century after AIDS became known as a frightening new disease, substantial progress has been attained on ...
Bird Flu: A Virus of Our Own Hatching.(Brief article)(Book review)
Nov 01, 2007; ... Michael Gerber Lantern Books, Brooklyn, New York, USA, 2006 ISBN: 159056081 Pages: 465; Price: US $30.00 Bird Flu: A Virus of Our Own Hatching, by Michael Gerber, MD, is written for a nonprofessional audience. A professional audience would quickly put it aside for ...
A Country Story.(Poem)(Reprint)
Nov 01, 2007; ... <Pre> A Country Story "When I was a little girl back in East Texas,"My mother's mother, Beulah, used to tell,"There was an outbreak of the German measles,Mama was pregnant, so I went awayTo a neighbor lady's, three or four miles from homeWhen the first signs ...
The panoramic landscape of human suffering.(Pieter Bruegel's works )(Biography)
Nov 01, 2007; ... [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] The Old Masters were never wrong about suffering, wrote W.H. Auden. They understood how it takes place, "While someone else is eating or opening a window or just walking dully along" (1). Auden was referring to the work of Pieter Bruegel the Elder, which ...
Upcoming infectious disease activities.(Brief article)(Calendar)
Nov 01, 2007 ... November 3-7, 2007 American Public Health Association Annual Meeting: Politics, Policy and Public Health Washington, DC, USA http://www.apha.org/meetings November 21-24, 2007 Genetics and Mechanisms of Susceptibility to Infectious ...