Emerging Infectious Diseases back issues from March 2008:
Rescinding community mitigation strategies in an influenza pandemic.(RESEARCH)
Mar 01, 2008; ... Using a networked, agent-based computational model of a stylized community, we evaluated thresholds for rescinding 2 community mitigation strategies after an influenza pandemic. We ended child sequestering or all-community sequestering when illness incidence waned to thresholds of 0, 1, 2, ...
Mycobacterium ulcerans disease, Peru.(RESEARCH)(Clinical report)
Mar 01, 2008; ... Eight adult patients (ages 18-58, 5 women) with Buruli ulcer (BU) confirmed by at least 2 diagnostic methods were seen in a 10-year period. Attempts to culture Mycobacterium ulcerans failed. Five patients came from jungle areas, and 3 from the swampy northern coast of Peru. The patients ...
Multicenter cross-sectional study of nontuberculous mycobacterial infections among cystic fibrosis patients, Israel.(RESEARCH)
Mar 01, 2008; ... This 2-year cross-sectional evaluation of nontuberculous mycobacterial (NTM) infections involved all Israeli medical centers that treat cystic fibrosis patients. The study comprised 186 patients whose sputum was analyzed for NTM. The prevalence of NTM isolates was 22.6%, and 6.5% and 10.8% ...
Mycobacterium xenopi clinical relevance and determinants, the Netherlands.(RESEARCH)
Mar 01, 2008; ... In the Netherlands, isolation of Mycobacterium xenopi is infrequent, and its clinical relevance is often uncertain. To determine clinical relevance and determinants, we retrospectively reviewed medical files of all patients in the Netherlands in whom M. xenopi was isolated from January ...
Epidemiology of nontuberculous mycobacteria in patients without HIV infection, New York City.(RESEARCH)
Mar 01, 2008; ... We reviewed medical records of patients without known HIV and with positive cultures for nontuberculous mycobacteria (NTM) isolated during 2000-2003 from 1 large hospital in New York, New York. Overall, 505 patients had positive NTM cultures; 119 (24%) met the criteria for NTM disease. The ...
Exposure to novel parainfluenza virus and clinical relevance in 2 bottlenose dolphin (Tursiops truncatus) populations.(RESEARCH)
Mar 01, 2008; ... Parainfluenza virus (PIV) is a leading cause of respiratory infections in humans. A novel virus closely related to human and bovine parainfluenza viruses types 3 (HPIV-3 and BPIV-3), named Tursiops truncatus parainfluenza virus type 1 (TtPIV-1), was isolated from a dolphin with respiratory ...
Hantavirus RNA in saliva from patients with hemorrhagic fever with renal syndrome.(RESEARCH)(Disease/Disorder overview)
Mar 01, 2008; ... Hantaviruses cause 2 zoonotic diseases, hemorrhagic fever with renal syndrome (HFRS) and hantavirus cardiopulmonary syndrome. Infection is usually initiated after inhalation of virus-contaminated rodent excreta. In addition to the zoonotic infection route, growing evidence suggests ...
Increased mortality rate associated with chikungunya epidemic, Ahmedabad, India.(RESEARCH)
Mar 01, 2008; ... In 2005-2006, Reunion Island in the Indian Ocean reported [approximately equal to] 266,000 cases of chikungunya; 254 were fatal (case-fatality rate 1/1,000). India reported 1.39 million cases of chikungunya fever in 2006 with no attributable deaths; Ahmedabad, India, reported 60,777 ...
Chikungunya fever in travelers returning to Europe from the Indian Ocean region, 2006.(RESEARCH)
Mar 01, 2008; ... Chikungunya fever has spread through several Indian Ocean islands and India, including popular travel destinations. To compare usefulness of diagnostic tests and to understand reasons for the magnitude and severity of an outbreak, we used 3 diagnostic methods to test 720 samples from 680 ...
High rate of mobilization for [bla.sub.CTX-M]s.(RESEARCH)
Mar 01, 2008; ... We constructed a phylogenetic analysis of class A [beta]-lactamases and found that the [blac.sub.CTX-M.]s have been mobilized to plasmids [approximately equal to] 10 times more frequently than other class A [beta]-lactamases. We also found that the [bla.sub.CTX-M]s are descended from a ...
Integrated food chain surveillance system for Salmonella spp. in Mexico (1).(RESEARCH)
Mar 01, 2008; ... Few developing countries have foodborne pathogen surveillance systems, and none of these integrates data from humans, food, and animals. We describe the implementation of a 4-state, integrated food chain surveillance system (IFCS) for Salmonella spp. in Mexico. Significant findings were 1) ...
Genetic variability of West Nile virus in US blood donors, 2002-2005.(RESEARCH)
Mar 01, 2008; ... West Nile virus (WNV) was detected in the United States in 1999, has reoccurred every summer since, and has become endemic. Transfusion transmission was documented in 2002, and screening of blood donations for WNV began in 2003. We investigated genetic variation of WNV in human isolates ...
Discovering and differentiating new and emerging clonal populations of Chlamydia trachomatis with a novel shotgun cell culture harvest assay.(RESEARCH)
Mar 01, 2008; ... Chlamydia trachomatis is the leading cause of preventable blindness and bacterial sexually transmitted diseases worldwide. Plaque assays have been used to clonally segregate laboratory-adapted C. trachomatis strains from mixed infections, but no assays have been reported to segregate ...
Molecular epidemiology of eastern equine encephalitis virus, New York.(Research)
Mar 01, 2008; ... Perpetuation, overwintering, and extinction of eastern equine encephalitis virus (EEEV) in northern foci are poorly understood. We therefore sought to describe the molecular epidemiology of EEEV in New York State during current and past epizootics. To determine whether EEEV overwinters, is ...
Transmission of equine influenza virus to English foxhounds.(DISPATCHES)
Mar 01, 2008; ... We retrospectively demonstrated that an outbreak of severe respiratory disease in a pack of English foxhounds in the United Kingdom in September 2002 was caused by an equine influenza A virus (H3N8). We also demonstrated that canine respiratory tissue possesses the relevant receptors for ...
Screening pneumonia patients for mimivirus (1).(DISPATCHES)(Clinical report)
Mar 01, 2008; ... Acanthamoeba polyphaga mimivirus (APM), a virus of free-living amebae, has reportedly caused human respiratory disease. Using 2 newly developed real-time PCR assays, we screened 496 respiratory specimens from 9 pneumoniapatient populations for APM. This virus was not detected in any ...
Protective effect of maritime quarantine in South Pacific jurisdictions, 1918-19 influenza pandemic.(DISPATCHES)
Mar 01, 2008; ... We reviewed mortality data of the 1918-19 influenza pandemic for 11 South Pacific Island jurisdictions. Four of these appear to have successfully delayed or excluded the arrival of pandemic influenza by imposing strict maritime quarantine. They also experienced lower excess death rates ...
Dolphin morbillivirus epizootic resurgence, Mediterranean Sea.(DISPATCHES)
Mar 01, 2008; ... In July 2007, >100 striped dolphins, Stenella coeruleoalba, were found dead along the coast of the Spanish Mediterranean. Of 10 dolphins tested, 7 were positive for a virus strain closely related to the dolphin morbillivirus that was isolated during a previous epizootic in 1990. ...
Gastroenteritis outbreak at holiday resort, central Italy.(DISPATCHES)
Mar 01, 2008; ... During the summer of 2003, a gastroenteritis outbreak spread throughout a holiday resort in central Italy. Fecally contaminated groundwater and seawater were leaking into the non-drinking-water system, which was found to be connected to the drinking-water system of a large resort. This ...
Methicillin-resistant and -susceptible Staphylococcus aureus sequence type 398 in pigs and humans.(DISPATCHES)
Mar 01, 2008; ... Methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus sequence type 398 (ST398 MRSA) was identified in Dutch pigs and pig farmers. ST398 methicillin-susceptible S. aureus circulates among humans at low frequency (0.2%) but was isolated in 3 human cases of bacteremia (2.1%; p = 0.026). Although its ...
Hemagglutinating encephalomyelitis coronavirus infection in pigs, Argentina.(DISPATCHES)
Mar 01, 2008; ... We describe an outbreak of vomiting, wasting, and encephalomyelitis syndrome in piglets in Argentina, caused by porcine hemagglutinating encephalomyelitis coronavirus (PHE-CoV) infection. Diagnosis was made by epidemiologic factors, pathologic features, immunohistochemistry, reverse ...
Highly pathogenic avian influenza virus (H5N1) in domestic poultry and relationship with migratory birds, South Korea.(DISPATCHES)
Mar 01, 2008; ... During the 2006-2007 winter season in South Korea, several outbreaks of highly pathogenic avian influenza virus (H5N1) were confirmed among domestic poultry and in migratory bird habitats. Phylogenetic analysis showed that all isolates were closely related and that all belong to the A/ ...
Mutations in influenza A virus (H5N1)and possible limited spread, Turkey, 2006.(DISPATCHES)
Mar 01, 2008; ... We report mutations in influenza A virus (H5N1) strains associated with 2 outbreaks in Turkey. Four novel amino acid changes (Q447L, N556K, and R46K in RNA polymerase and S133A in hemagglutinin) were detected in virus isolates from 2 siblings who died. ********** ...
Ciprofloxacin-resistant Salmonella enterica serotype Typhimurium, China.(DISPATCHES)
Mar 01, 2008; ... We characterized 44 Salmonella enterica serotype Typhimurium isolates from Tongji Hospital outpatients in Wuhan, China, May 2002-October 2005. All 31 eiprofloxacin-resistant isolates were also resistant to [greater than or equal to] 8 other antimicrobial drugs and carried [greater than or ...
Geographic linkage and variation in Cryptosporidium hominis.(DISPATCHES)
Mar 01, 2008; ... UK Cryptosporidium hominis isolates have previously shown slight PCR fragment length polymorphism at multiple loci. To further investigate transmission, we conducted a case--control study and sequenced the GP60 locus from 115 isolates. Nine subtypes were identified; IbA10G2 predominated ....
Low frequency of infection with avian influenza virus (H5N1) among poultry farmers, Thailand, 2004.(DISPATCHES)
Mar 01, 2008; ... In Thai provinces where avian influenza outbreaks in poultry had been confirmed in the preceding 6 months, serum from 322 poultry farmers was tested for antibodies to avian influenza virus subtype H5N1 by microneutralization assay. No study participant met the World Health Organization ...
Sylvatic dengue virus type 2 activity in humans, Nigeria, 1966.(DISPATCHES)
Mar 01, 2008; ... Using phylogenetic analysis of complete virus genomes from human isolates obtained in Nigeria in 1966, we identified sylvatic dengue virus (DENV) strains from 3 febrile patients. This finding extends current understanding of the role of sylvatic DENV in febrile disease and documents ...
Leptospirosis-associated severe pulmonary hemorrhagic syndrome, Salvador, Brazil.(DISPATCHES)
Mar 01, 2008; ... We report the emergence of leptospirosis-associated severe pulmonary hemorrhagic syndrome (SPHS) in slum communities in Salvador, Brazil. Although active surveillance did not identify SPHS before 2003, 47 cases were identified from 2003 through 2005; the case-fatality rate was 74%. By ...
Pandemic influenza, reopening schools, and returning to work.(COMMENTARY)
Mar 01, 2008; ... In this issue of Emerging Infectious Diseases, Victoria Davey and Robert Glass present a paper (1) in which they consider the question of when to "switch off" community-based interventions designed to reduce the spread of pandemic influenza. These authors attempt to answers questions such ...
On Rickettsia nomenclature.(COMMENTARY)(Editorial)
Mar 01, 2008; ... This issue of Emerging Infectious Diseases contains 2 independent reports of Rickettsia sibirica infections in Spain and Portugal. The authors identify the agent both as a subspecies (1) and as a strain (2). This inconsistency reflects a lack of consensus regarding the use of subspecies ...
Hospital resources for pandemic influenza.(LETTERS)(Letter to the editor)
Mar 01, 2008; ... To the Editor: In their November 2007 article, Pandemic Influenza and Hospital Resources, Nap et al. evaluated hospital resources for pandemic influenza in the northern part of the Netherlands (1). Their results can be compared with those that I have described for the combined suburban ...
Multidrug-resistant Acinetobacter baumannii osteomyelitis from Iraq.(LETTERS)(Letter to the editor)
Mar 01, 2008; ... To the Editor: Acinetobacter baumannii identified in military settings is commonly multidrug resistant (MDR) (1-3). Tigecycline displays A. baumannii activity, but clinical experience is limited. We report a case of probable osteomyelitis caused by MDR A. baumannii and treated with ...
Dengue virus, Nepal.(LETTERS)(Letter to the editor)
Mar 01, 2008; ... To the Editor: Dengue virus belongs to the genus Flavivirus, family Flaviviridae. It has 4 serotypes: dengue virus type 1 (DENV-1), dengue virus type 2 (DENV-2), dengue virus type 3 (DENV-3), and dengue virus type 4 (DENV-4). Dengue virus is maintained in a cycle between humans and Aedes ...
Human tuberculosis caused by Mycobacterium bovis, Taiwan.(LETTERS)(Letter to the editor)
Mar 01, 2008; ... To the Editor: Mycobacterium bovis is one of the causative agents of tuberculosis (TB) in humans and animals. Drinking unpasteurized milk, eating undercooked meat, and close contact with infected animals are the main sources of infection for humans. Currently, 119 M. bovis spoligotypes are ...
Marine mammal Brucella genotype associated with zoonotic infection.(LETTERS)(Letter to the editor)
Mar 01, 2008; ... To the Editor: Brucellosis is a zoonotic disease that remains endemic to many parts of the world. There are 6 classic Brucella species described with different preferred hosts. Human disease is most commonly associated with consumption of unpasteurized dairy products or with occupational ...
Ehrlichia chaffeensis in child, Venezuela.(LETTERS)(Letter to the editor)
Mar 01, 2008; ... To the Editor: Human monocytic ehrlichiosis is a tick-borne infectious disease caused by Ehrlichia chaffeensis (1). Serologic studies have indicated E. chaffeensis infection in Latin American countries: Venezuela (2), Mexico (3), Argentina (4), Chile (5), and Brazil (6). However, no ...
Resource allocation during an influenza pandemic.(LETTERS)(Letter to the editor)
Mar 01, 2008; ... To the Editor: Planning for pandemic influenza is accepted as an essential healthcare service and has included creation of national and international antiviral drug stockpiles and novel approaches to emergency vaccine development (1). The effectiveness of these strategies in a pandemic may ...
Novel relapsing fever spirochete in bat tick.(LETTERS)(Letter to the editor)
Mar 01, 2008; ... To the Editor: Tick-borne relapsing fever in western North America is a zoonosis caused by spirochetes in the genus Borrelia that are transmitted by argasid ticks of the genus Ornithodoros (1). Human disease occurs in many focal areas and is associated with infections of Borrelia hermsii, ...
KI and WU Polyomaviruses in children, France.(LETTERS)(Letter to the editor)
Mar 01, 2008; ... To the Editor: Two new members of the Polyomaviridae family, provisionally named Karolinska Institutet virus (KIPyV) and Washington University virus (WUPyV), have been recently discovered (1,2). These new polyomaviruses were identified by screening human respiratory secretions with ...
Milk replacers and bovine spongiform encephalopathy in calves, Japan.(LETTERS)(Letter to the editor)
Mar 01, 2008; ... To the Editor: Milk replacers produced from a specific feed factory in Japan were suspected of being associated with a cluster of bovine spongiform encephalopathy (BSE) infection in calves. We conducted a case-control study to test this association. In Japan, BSE infection has ...
Control of hepatitis A by universal vaccination of adolescents, Puglia, Italy.(LETTERS)(Letter to the editor)
Mar 01, 2008; ... To the Editor: The incidence of hepatitis A in Italy has decreased in the past 2 decades because of improved sanitation and better living conditions (1). However, large outbreaks occurred in the 1990s in several southern regions of Italy, despite lower rates of infection among the general ...
Human Rickettsia sibirica mongolitimonae infection, Spain.(LETTERS)(Letter to the editor)
Mar 01, 2008; ... To the Editor: Rickettsia sibirica mongolitimonae has been recently reported as a subspecies of R. sibirica (1). The first evidence of R. sibirica mongolitimonae pathogenicity in humans was documented in France in 1996 (2). Since then, 11 more cases in France, Algeria, South Africa, ...
Lymphangitis in a Portuguese patient infected with Rickettsia sibirica.(LETTERS)(Letter to the editor)
Mar 01, 2008; ... To the Editor: We report a case of Rickettsia sibirica mongolitimoniae strain infection associated with lymphangitis (1). A 44-year-old man was admitted to Sao Bernardo Hospital in Setubal, Portugal, on August 21, 2006. Twelve days previously while on vacation at Troia Peninsula, he noted ...
The Same Air.(ANOTHER DIMENSION)(Poem)
Mar 01, 2008; ... <Pre> The Same Air The same airthat movesthrough me and youthrough the waving branchesof the bronchial treethrough veinsthrough the heartthe same airthat fills balloonsthat carries voicesfull of lies and truthsand ...
Cold War, Deadly Fevers: Malaria Eradication in Mexico, 1955-1975.(Book review)
Mar 01, 2008; ... Cold War, Deadly Fevers: Malaria Eradication in Mexico, 1955-1975 Marcos Cueto, editor Woodrow Wilson Center Press, Johns Hopkins University Press, Baltimore, Maryland, USA, 2007 ISBN: 978-0-8018-8645-4 Pages: 288; Price: US $45,00 Marcos Cueto ...
Parasites and Infectious Diseases: Discovery by Serendipity and Otherwise.(Book review)
Mar 01, 2008; ... Parasites and Infectious Diseases: Discovery by Serendipity and Otherwise Gerald Esch Cambridge University Press, Cambridge, United Kingdom, 2007 ISBN-10:0521675391, ISBN-13:978-0521675390 Pages: 366; Price US $45.00 The author of this book ...
Hygeia as muse.(ABOUT THE COVER)(Cover story)
Mar 01, 2008; ... [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] "A line will take us hours maybe; / Yet if it does not seem a moment's thought, / Our stitching and unstitching has been naught," wrote William Butler Yeats (1865-1939) about the creative process (1). For sheer spontaneity, evocativeness, and impeccable ...
Upcoming infectious disease activities.(NEWS & NOTES)
Mar 01, 2008 ... March 10-13, 2008 2008 National STD Prevention Conference: Confronting Challenges, Applying Solutions Hilton Chicago Chicago, IL, USA http://www.cdc.gov/stdconference/ March 16-19, 2008 ...