Emerging Infectious Diseases back issues from June 2008:
Major issues and challenges of influenza pandemic preparedness in developing countries.(PERSPECTIVE)
Jun 01, 2008; ... Better preparedness for an influenza pandemic mitigates its impact. Many countries have started developing and implementing national influenza pandemic preparedness plans. However, the level of preparedness varies among countries. Developing countries encounter unique and difficult issues ...
Managing potential laboratory exposure to Ebola virus by using a patient biocontainment care unit (1).(SYNOPSIS)
Jun 01, 2008; ... In 2004, a scientist from the US Army Medical Research Institute of Infectious Diseases (USAMRIID) was potentially exposed to a mouse-adapted variant of the Zaire species of Ebola virus. The circumstances surrounding the case are presented, in addition to an update on historical admissions ...
Transmission of human papillomavirus in heterosexual couples.(RESEARCH)(Clinical report)
Jun 01, 2008; ... We examined the transmission of human papillomavirus (HPV) in 25 heterosexual, monogamous couples (25 men, 25 women), followed up over an average of 7.5 months. A total of 53 heterosexual transmission events were observed among 16 couples (14 male-to-female and 39 female-to-male). Sexual ...
Population-attributable risk estimates for risk factors associated with Campylobacter infection, Australia.(RESEARCH)
Jun 01, 2008; ... In 2001-2002, a multicenter, prospective case-control study involving 1,714 participants [greater than or equal to]5 years of age was conducted in Australia to identify risk factors for Campylobacter infection. Adjusted population-attributable risks (PARs) were derived for each independent ...
Influenza a virus (H3N8) in dogs with respiratory disease, Florida.(RESEARCH)
Jun 01, 2008; ... In 2004, canine influenza virus subtype H3N8 emerged in greyhounds in the United States. Subsequent serologic evidence indicated virus circulation in dog breeds other than greyhounds, but the virus had not been isolated from affected animals. In 2005, we conducted virologic investigation ...
Tuberculosis from Mycobacterium bovis in binational communities, United States.(RESEARCH)
Jun 01, 2008; ... The epidemiology of tuberculosis (TB) in the United States is changing as the incidence of disease becomes more concentrated in foreign-born persons. Mycobacterium bovis appears to be contributing substantially to the TB incidence in some binational communities with ties to Mexico. We ...
Validation of syndromic surveillance for respiratory pathogen activity.(RESEARCH)
Jun 01, 2008; ... Syndromic surveillance is increasingly used to signal unusual illness events. To validate data-source selection, we retrospectively investigated the extent to which 6 respiratory syndromes (based on different medical registries) reflected respiratory pathogen activity. These syndromes ...
Antibodies against Lagos bat virus in megachiroptera from West Africa.(DISPATCHES)
Jun 01, 2008; ... To investigate the presence of Lagos bat virus (LBV)-specific antibodies in megachiroptera from West Africa, we conducted fluorescent antibody virus neutralization tests. Neutralizing antibodies were detected in Eidolon helvum (37%), Epomophorus gambianus (3%), and Epomops buettikoferi ...
Increase in adult Clostridium difficile-related hospitalizations and case-fatality rate, United States, 2000-2005.(DISPATCHES)
Jun 01, 2008; ... Virulence of and deaths from Clostridium difficile-associated disease (CDAD) are on the rise in the United States. The incidence of adult CDAD hospitalizations doubled from 5.5 cases per 10,000 population in 2000 to 11.2 in 2005, and the CDAD-related age-adjusted case-fatality rate rose ...
Syphilis and hepatitis B co-infection among HIV-infected, sex-trafficked women and girls, Nepal.(DISPATCHES)(human immunodeficiency virus )
Jun 01, 2008; ... Sex trafficking may play a major role in spread of HIV across South Asia. We investigated co-infection with HIV and other sexually transmitted diseases among 246 sex-trafficked women and girls from Nepal. Those who were HIV positive were more likely than those who were HIV negative to be ...
Underreporting of human alveolar echinococcosis, Germany.(DISPATCHES)(Report)
Jun 01, 2008; ... We estimated the total number of human alveolar echinococcosis cases in Germany from 2003 through 2005 using the multiple source capture-recapture method. We found a 3-fold higher incidence of the disease than that shown by national surveillance data. We propose a revision of the reporting ...
Rickettsial seroepidemiology among farm workers, Tianjin, People's Republic of China.(DISPATCHES)
Jun 01, 2008; ... High seroprevalence rates for Anaplasma phagocytophilum (8.8%), Coxiella burnetii (6.4%), Bartonella henselae (9.6%), and Rickettsia typhi (4.1%) in 365 farm workers near Tianjin, People's Republic of China, suggest that human infections with these zoonotic bacteria are frequent and ...
Persistence of Yersinia pestis in soil under natural conditions.(DISPATCHES)
Jun 01, 2008; ... As part of a fatal human plague case investigation, we showed that the plague bacterium, Yersinia pestis, can survive for at least 24 days in contaminated soil under natural conditions. These results have implications for defining plague foci, persistence, transmission, and bioremediation ...
Plague victims catapulted over walls into besieged city.(ANOTHER DIMENSION)(Poem)
Jun 01, 2008; ... Early germ warfare. The dead hurled this way turn like wheels in the sky. Look: there goes Larry the Shoemaker, barefoot, over the wall, and Mary Sausage Stuffer, see how she flies, and the Hatter twins, both at once, soar over the parapet, ...
Global distribution of novel rhinovirus genotype.(DISPATCHES)
Jun 01, 2008; ... Global surveillance for a novel rhinovirus genotype indicated its association with community outbreaks and pediatric respiratory disease in Africa, Asia, Australia, Europe, and North America. Molecular dating indicates that these viruses have been circulating for at least 250 years. ...
Prevalence of Cryptosporidium spp. and Giardia intestinalis in swimming pools, Atlanta, Georgia.(DISPATCHES)
Jun 01, 2008; ... Cryptosporidium spp. and Giardia intestinalis have been found in swimming pool filter backwash during outbreaks. To determine baseline prevalence, we sampled pools not associated with outbreaks and found that of 160 sampled pools, 13 (8.1%) were positive for 1 or both parasites; 10 (6.2%) ...
Spatial and temporal evolution of bluetongue virus in wild ruminants, Spain.(DISPATCHES)
Jun 01, 2008; ... We confirmed the emergence of bluetongue virus (BTV) in 5 wild ruminant species in Spain. BTV seroprevalence was high and dispersed with time, with a south-to-north gradient. Our results suggest a complex epidemiology of BTV and underline the need for additional research on wildlife in ...
Ceftriaxone-resistant Salmonella enterica serotype Newport, France.(DISPATCHES)
Jun 01, 2008; ... The multidrug-resistant (MDR) Salmonella enterica serotype Newport strain that produces CMY-2 [beta]-lactamase (Newport MDR-AmpC) was the source of sporadic cases and outbreaks in humans in France during 2000-2005. Because this strain was not detected in food animals, it was most likely ...
Avian influenza A virus (H5N1) outbreaks, Kuwait, 2007.(DISPATCHES)
Jun 01, 2008; ... Phylogenetic analysis of influenza A viruses (H5N1) isolated from Kuwait in 2007 show that (H5N1) sublineage clade 2.2 viruses continue to spread across Europe, Africa, and the Middle East. Virus isolates were most closely related to isolates from central Asia and were likely vectored by ...
Land use and West Nile virus seroprevalence in wild mammals.(DISPATCHES)
Jun 01, 2008; ... We examined West Nile virus (WNV) seroprevalence in wild mammals along a forest-to-urban gradient in the US mid-Atlantic region. WNV antibody prevalence increased with age, urbanization, and date of capture for juveniles and varied significantly between species. These findings suggest ...
High failure rates of melarsoprol for sleeping sickness, Democratic Republic of Congo.(DISPATCHES)
Jun 01, 2008; ... A retrospective chart review of 4,925 human African trypanosomiasis patients treated with melarsoprol in 2001-2003 in Equateur Nord Province of the Democratic Republic of Congo showed a treatment failure rate of 19.5%. This rate increased over the 3 years. Relapse rates were highest in the ...
Nosocomial outbreaks caused by Leuconostoc mesenteroides subsp. mesentoroides.(DISPATCHES)(Clinical report)
Jun 01, 2008; ... From July 2003 through October 2004, 42 patients became infected by strains of Leuconostoc mesenteroides subsp, mesenteroides (genotype 1) in different departments of Juan Canalejo Hospital in northwest Spain. During 2006, 6 inpatients, also in different departments of the hospital, became ...
Anaplasma phagocytophilum infection in Ixodes ricinus, Bavaria, Germany.(DISPATCHES)
Jun 01, 2008; ... Anaplasma phagocytophilum DNA was detected by real-time PCR, which targeted the msp2 gene, in 2.9% of questing Ixodes ricinus ticks (adults and nymphs; n = 2,862), collected systematically from selected locations in Bavaria, Germany, in 2006. Prevalence was significantly higher in urban ...
Internet- versus telephone-based local outbreak investigations.(DISPATCHES)(Survey)
Jun 01, 2008; ... We compared 5 locally conducted, Internet-based outbreak investigations with 5 telephone-based investigations. Internet-based surveys required less completion time, and response rates were similar for both investigation methods. Participant satisfaction with Internet-based surveys was ...
Lack of serologic evidence of Neospora caninum in humans, England.(DISPATCHES)
Jun 01, 2008; ... Retrospective testing of 3,232 serum samples from the general population and 518 serum samples from a high-risk group showed no evidence of human exposure to Neospora caninum in England. Results were obtained by using immunofluorescence antibody testing and ELISA to analyze frequency ...
Bartonella henselae.(etymologia)(Brief article)
Jun 01, 2008 ... Bartonella is a genus of gram-negative bacteria named after Peruvian scientist Alberto Leonardo Barton. He identified a unique bacterium in 1905 during an outbreak among workers building a railway between Lima and La Oroya, a mining town in the Andes. The illness. usually fatal, was ...
In Memoriam: Joshua Lederberg (1925-2008) (1).(COMMENTARY)(Obituary)
Jun 01, 2008; ... The world of emerging infections lost a valuable friend and inspiring leader earlier this year with the death of Joshua Lederberg. The globally recognized scientist, educator, national and Presidential scientific advisor, and Nobel Laureate died of pneumonia on February 2, 2008, at the age ...
Lethal Mycobacterium massiliense Sepsis, Italy.(LETTERS)(Letter to the editor)
Jun 01, 2008; ... To the Editor: A strain of Mycobacterium massiliense was isolated from the blood of a kidney transplant patient in Italy at the same time she was diagnosed as having pulmonary tuberculosis. M. massiliense bacteremia appears to have played a role in her sudden death. The patient, ...
Bovine Kobuviruses from cattle with diarrhea.(LETTERS)(Letter to the editor)
Jun 01, 2008; ... To the Editor: A new species of kobuvirus, named U-1 strain, was first recognized in 2003 as a cytopathic contaminant in a culture medium of HeLa cells that had been used for >30 years in the laboratory (1). The RNA genome of the U-1 strain comprises 8,374 nucleotides; the genome ...
Vibrio cholerae O1 Hybrid El Tor strains, Asia and Africa.(LETTERS)(Letter to the editor)
Jun 01, 2008; ... To the Editor: Vibrio cholerae is a water-borne pathogen that causes a severe watery diarrhea disease known as cholera. On the basis of variable somatic O antigen composition, >200 serogroups of V. cholerae have been recognized. Classical and El Tor are 2 well-established biotypes within ...
Mycobacterium avium subsp. hominissuis infection in 2 pet dogs, Germany.(LETTERS)(Letter to the editor)
Jun 01, 2008; ... To the Editor: The genus Mycobacterium contains various obligate and opportunistic pathogens of animals, which may also be transmitted to humans and cause disease in, thus exhibiting a considerable zoonotic potential (1,2). During the past few decades, members of the Mycobacterium ...
Serogroup y meningococcal disease, Colombia.(LETTERS)(Letter to the editor)
Jun 01, 2008; ... To the Editor: Neisseria meningitidis is the etiologic agent of outbreaks, epidemics, and sporadic cases of meningitis or meningococcemia. Such infections have high illness and death rates, especially in children <5 years of age and adolescents. N. meningitidis serogroups A, B, C, Y, and ...
Extensively drug-resistant tuberculosis, Lesotho.(LETTERS)(Letter to the editor)
Jun 01, 2008; ... To the Editor: Reports of extensively drug-resistant tuberculosis (XDR TB) in the Republic of South Africa have generated concern in the medical and public health literature (1,2). Given that XDR TB is spread through the air, it is not surprising that cases have been reported in multiple ...
Inquilinus limosus and Cystic Fibrosis.(LETTERS)(Letter to the editor)
Jun 01, 2008; ... To the Editor: Inquilinus limosus, a new multidrug-resistant species, was reported in 1999 as an unidentified gram-negative bacterium in a lung transplant patient with cystic fibrosis (CF) (1). This species was later characterized by the description of 7 new isolates of I. limosus and 1 ...
Splenic rupture and malignant Mediterranean spotted fever.(LETTERS)(Letter to the editor)
Jun 01, 2008; ... To the Editor: Mediterranean spotted fever (MSF) is a Rickettsia conorii infection endemic to the Mediterranean. In this case, a 55-year-old man was referred to the Necker-Enfants Malades Hospital, Paris, France, for fever, myalgia, and hypotensive shock. The patient had been in Southern ...
Acetobacter indonesiensis pneumonia after lung transplant.(LETTERS)(Letter to the editor)
Jun 01, 2008; ... To the Editor: Unusual and multiresistant bacterial infections are increasingly reported in cystic fibrosis (CF) patients (1). On January 25, 2007, a 31-year-old man with CF (mutation [DELTA]F 508 and I 507) was admitted to our institution in Marseille, France, for lung transplantation ....
Coronavirus antibodies in bat biologists.(LETTERS)(Letter to the editor)
Jun 01, 2008; ... To the Editor: Severe acute respiratory syndrome-associated coronavirus (SARS-CoV) is a new coronavirus that caused an epidemic of 8,096 cases of SARS and 774 deaths during 2002-2003 (1). Attempts are ongoing to identify the natural reservoir of SARS-CoV. Several horseshoe bat species ...
Chagas disease in ancient hunter-gatherer population, Brazil.(LETTERS)(Letter to the editor)
Jun 01, 2008; ... To the Editor: Chagas disease, caused by the protozoan Trypanosoma cruzi, and first described by Carlos Chagas in 1909, is endemic to Latin America. As a results of multinational control initiatives launched in the 1990s, the disease prevalence has been reduced. This campaign was focused ...
Coxiella burnetii in wild-caught filth flies.(LETTERS)(Letter to the editor)
Jun 01, 2008; ... To the Editor: Coxiella burnetii, the agent of Q fever, is a bacterium and a potential agent of bioterrorism. The most frequent signs of infection in domestic animals are abortion and reduced fertility (1). Clinical signs of Q fever in humans vary from mild fevers to pneumonia, hepatitis, ...
Conflict and emerging infectious diseases.(LETTERS)(Letter to the editor)
Jun 01, 2008; ... To the Editor: In the November 2007 issue of Emerging Infectious Diseases, Gayer et al. (1) describe how conflict leaves populations in dire poverty, internally displaced or seeking asylum, having poor access to essential services, and consequentially vulnerable to infectious diseases. ...
Legionella and the prevention of legionellosis.(BOOKS & MEDIA)(Book review)
Jun 01, 2008; ... Jamie Bartram, Yves Chartier, John V. Lee, Kathy Bond, and Susanne Surman-Lee, editors World Health Organization Press, Geneva, Switzerland, 2007 ISBN-10:9241562978 ISBN-13:9789241562973 Pages: 276; Price US $40 Legionella and the ...
Global HIV/AIDS medicine.(BOOKS & MEDIA)(human immunodeficiency virus )(Acquired immune deficiency syndrome)(Book review)
Jun 01, 2008; ... Paul Volberding, Merle Sande, Joep Lange, Warner Greene, and Joel Gallant, editors Elsevier, New York, New York, USA, 2007 ISBN-10: 1-4160-2882-X ISBN-13:978-1-4160-2822-6 Pages: 846; Price US $99.00 In 1988, Paul Volberding and ...
Immigrant medicine.(BOOKS & MEDIA)(Book review)
Jun 01, 2008; ... Patricia F. Walker and Elizabeth D. Barnett, editors Saunders Elsevier, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, USA, 2007 ISBN-10:0-323-03454-8 ISBN-13:978-0-323-03454-8 Pages: 765 (plus CD-ROM); Price: US $79.95 The United States is experiencing ...
Imported skin diseases.(BOOKS & MEDIA)(Book review)
Jun 01, 2008; ... William R. Faber, Rod J. Hay, and Ben Naafs, editors Elsevier Gezondheidszorg, Maarssen, the Netherlands, 2006 ISBN-13:9789035228047 Pages: 304; Price: US $69.95 The foreword to Imported Skin Diseases states, "This book was written and ...
"As the dew is dried up by the morning sun, so are mankind's sins at the sight of Himalaya".(ABOUT THE COVER)(Cover story)
Jun 01, 2008; ... [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] --The Puranas, scriptures of ancient India The Himalaya, "abode of snow," dominates the landscape of Nepal. Home of the highest peaks in the world, including Mount Everest, the country is traversed and bound by the massive range. "In a hundred ...
Upcoming infectious disease activities.(NEWS & NOTES)(Calendar)
Jun 01, 2008 ... June 19-22, 2008 13th International Congress on Infectious Diseases Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia http://www.isid.org June 24-27, 2008 ANAEROBE 2008 The 9th Biennial Congress of the Anaerobe Society of the Americas Marriott Hotel Long Beach, CA, USA http://www.anaerobe.org ...