Emerging Infectious Diseases back issues from July 2008:
Spread of vector-borne diseases and neglect of leishmaniasis, Europe.(PERSPECTIVE)
Jul 01, 2008; ... The risk for reintroduction of some exotic vector-borne diseases in Europe has become a hot topic, while the reality of others is neglected at the public health policy level. Leishmaniasis is endemic in all southern countries of Europe, with [approximately equal to] 700 autochthonous human ...
Rickettsia felis as emergent global threat for humans.(SYNOPSIS)
Jul 01, 2008; ... Rickettsia felis is an emergent pathogen belonging to transitional group rickettsiae. First described in 1990, R. felis infections have been reported to occur worldwide in fleas, mammals, and humans. Because clinical signs of the illness are similar to those of murine typhus and other ...
Household responses to school closure resulting from outbreak of influenza B, North Carolina.(RESEARCH)
Jul 01, 2008; ... School closure is a proposed strategy for reducing influenza transmission during a pandemic. Few studies have assessed how families respond to closures, or whether other interactions during closure could reduce this strategy's effect. Questionnaires were administered to 220 households (438 ...
Attributable outcomes of endemic Clostridium difficile-associated disease in nonsurgical patients.(RESEARCH)
Jul 01, 2008; ... Data are limited on the attributable outcomes of Clostridium difficile--associated disease (CDAD), particularly in CDAD-endemic settings. We conducted a retrospective cohort study of nonsurgical inpatients admitted for [greater than or equal to] 48 hours in 2003 (N = 18,050). The adjusted ...
Toxinotype V Clostridium difficile in humans and food animals.(RESEARCH)
Jul 01, 2008; ... Clostridium difficile is a recognized pathogen in neonatal pigs and may contribute to enteritis in calves. Toxinotype V strains have been rare causes of human C. difficile--associated disease (CDAD). We examined toxinotype V in human disease, the genetic relationship of animal and human ...
Alcaligenes xylosoxidans bloodstream infections in outpatient oncology office.(RESEARCH)
Jul 01, 2008; ... CME ACTIVITY Medscape, LLC is pleased to provide online continuing medical education (CME) for this journal article, allowing clinicians the opportunity to earn CME credit. Medscape, LLC is accredited by the Accreditation Council for Continuing Medical Education (ACCME) to ...
Testing for Coccidioidomycosis among patients with community-acquired pneumonia.(RESEARCH)
Jul 01, 2008; ... Coccidioidomycosis is a common cause of community-acquired pneumonia (CAP) in disease-endemic areas. Because testing rates influence interpretation of reportable-disease data and quality of CAP patient care, we determined the proportion of CAP patients who were tested for Coccidioides ...
Determinants of cluster size in large, population-based molecular epidemiology study of tuberculosis, Northern Malawi.(RESEARCH)
Jul 01, 2008; ... Tuberculosis patients with identical strains of Mycobacterium tuberculosis are described as clustered. Cluster size may depend on patient or strain characteristics. In a 7-year population-based study of tuberculosis in Karonga District, Malawi, clusters were defined by using IS6110 ...
Spotted fever group rickettsiae in Ticks, Morocco.(RESEARCH)
Jul 01, 2008; ... A total of 370 ticks, encompassing 7 species from 4 genera, were collected during 2002-2006 from domestic animals and vegetation in the Taza region of northeastern Morocco. Rickettsial DNA was identified in 101 ticks (27%) by sequencing PCR products of fragments of the citrate synthase and ...
Transmission of Bartonella henselae by Ixodes ricinus.(RESEARCH)
Jul 01, 2008; ... Bartonella spp. are facultative intracellular bacteria associated with several emerging diseases in humans and animals. B. henselae causes cat-scratch disease and is increasingly associated with several other syndromes, particularly ocular infections and endocarditis. Cats are the main ...
Seasonality, annual trends, and characteristics of dengue among III returned travelers, 1997-2006.(RESEARCH)
Jul 01, 2008; ... We examined seasonality and annual trends for dengue cases among 522 returned travelers reported to the international GeoSentinel Surveillance Network. Dengue cases showed region-specific peaks for Southeast Asia (June, September), South Central Asia (October), South America (March), and ...
A prospective study of etiology of childhood acute bacterial meningitis, Turkey.(RESEARCH)(Disease/Disorder overview)(Clinical report)
Jul 01, 2008; ... Determination of the etiology of bacterial meningitis and estimating cost of disease are important in guiding vaccination policies. To determine the incidence and etiology of meningitis in Turkey, cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) samples were obtained prospectively from children (1 month-17 years ...
Wide distribution of a high-virulence Borrelia burgdorferi clone in Europe and North America.(RESEARCH)
Jul 01, 2008; ... The A and B clones of Borrelia burgdorferi sensu stricto, distinguished by outer surface protein C (ospC) gene sequences, are commonly associated with disseminated Lyme disease. To resolve phylogenetic relationships among isolates, we sequenced 68 isolates from Europe and North America at ...
AIDS patient death caused by novel Cryptococcus neoformans x C. gattii hybrid.(DISPATCHES)(Acquired immune deficiency syndrome )
Jul 01, 2008; ... Interspecies hybrids of Cryptococcus neoformans and C. gattii have only recently been reported. We describe a novel C. neoformans x C. gattii hybrid strain (serotype AB) that was previously described as C. gattii and that caused a lethal infection in an AIDS patient from Canada. ...
Swine Trichinella infection and geographic information system tools.(DISPATCHES)
Jul 01, 2008; ... Pastured pigs are vulnerable to Trichinella spiralis infection through exposure to wild reservoir hosts. To evaluate the potential impact of the expanding production of pork from pasture-raised pigs, we mapped locations of T. spiralis occurrence and pastured-pig farms in the United States ....
Unique pattern of enzootic primate viruses in Gibraltar macaques.(DISPATCHES)
Jul 01, 2008; ... Because Gibraltar's macaques (Macaca sylvanus) have frequent contact with humans, we assayed 79 macaques for antibodies to enzootic primate viruses. All macaques were seronegative for herpesvirus B, simian T-cell lymphotropie virus, simian retrovirus, simian immunodefieiency virus, and ...
Pneumocystis jirovecii transmission from immunocompetent carriers to infant.(DISPATCHES)(Disease/Disorder overview)
Jul 01, 2008; ... We report a case of Pneumocystis jirovecii transmission from colonized grandparents to their infant granddaughter. Genotyping of P. jirovecii showed the same genotypes in samples from the infant and her grandparents. These findings support P. jirovecii transmission from immunocompetent ...
Sudden onset of pseudotuberculosis in humans, France, 2004-05.(DISPATCHES)(Disease/Disorder overview)
Jul 01, 2008; ... Cases of Yersinia pseudotuberculosis infection increased in France during the winter of 2004-05 in the absence of epidemiologic links between patients or strains. This increase represents transient amplification of a pathogen endemic to the area and may be related to increased prevalence ...
Molecular typing of Trypanosoma cruzi isolates, United States.(DISPATCHES)
Jul 01, 2008; ... Studies have characterized Trypanosoma cruzi from parasite-endemic regions. With new human cases, increasing numbers of veterinary cases, and influx of potentially infected immigrants, understanding the ecology of this organism in the United States is imperative. We used a classic typing ...
Proficiency of nucleic acid tests for avian influenza viruses, Australasia.(DISPATCHES)
Jul 01, 2008; ... An avian influenza quality assurance program was used to provide information for laboratories on the sensitivity and specificity of their avian influenza nucleic acid testing. Most laboratories were able to correctly detect clinically relevant amounts of influenza virus (H5N1), and results ...
New qnr gene cassettes associated with superintegron repeats in Vibrio cholerae O1.(DISPATCHES)
Jul 01, 2008; ... A novel qnr determinant emerged in ciprofloxacin-resistant Vibrio cholerae O1 from the Amazon region of Brazil. This qnrVC1 was in a typical class 1 integron. Its attC showed 89% identity with V. parahaemolyticus superintegron repeats. Analysis showed V. cholerae O1 carrying qnrVC2 ...
Experimental infection of cattle with highly pathogenic avian influenza virus (HSN1).(DISPATCHES)(Disease/Disorder overview)
Jul 01, 2008; ... Four calves were experimentally inoculated with highly pathogenic avian influenza virus A/cat/Germany/ R606/2006 (H5N1) isolated from a cat in 2006. All calves remained healthy, but several animals shed low amounts of virus, detected by inoculation of nasal swab fluid into embryonated ...
Outbreak of dengue and chikungunya fevers, Toamasina, Madagascar, 2006.(Disease/Disorder overview)
Jul 01, 2008; ... An outbreak of dengue-like syndrome occurred in Toamasina from January through March 2006. Dengue type I or chikungunya viruses were detected in 38 of 55 patients sampled. Aedes albopictus was the only potential vector collected. Of 4,242 randomly selected representative residents ...
Integrating host genomics with surveillance for invasive bacterial diseases.(DISPATCHES)
Jul 01, 2008; ... We tested the feasibility of linking Active Bacterial Core surveillance, a prospective, population-based surveillance system for invasive bacterial disease, to a newborn dried blood spot (nDBS) repository. Using nDBS specimens, we resequenced CD46, putative host gene receptor for Neisseria ...
Invasive amebiasis in men who have sex with men, Australia.(DISPATCHES)(Disease/Disorder overview)
Jul 01, 2008; ... Entamoeba histolytica is a pathogenic ameba that has recently been recognized as an emerging pathogen in men who have sex with men (MSM) in Asia-Pacific countries where it is not endemic, i.e., Japan, Taiwan, and Republic of Korea. We report locally acquired invasive amebiasis in Sydney, ...
Persistence of diphtheria, Hyderabad, India, 2003-2006.(DISPATCHES)(Disease/Disorder overview)
Jul 01, 2008; ... During 2003-2006, diphtheria rates in Hyderabad, India, were higher among persons 5-19 years of age, women, and Muslims than among other groups. Vaccine was efficacious among those who received [greater than or equal to] 4 doses. The proportion of the population receiving boosters was low, ...
Anaplasma phagocytophilum infection in small mammal hosts of Ixodes ticks, Western United States.(DISPATCHES)(Disease/Disorder overview)
Jul 01, 2008; ... A total of 2,121 small mammals in California were assessed for Anaplasma phagocytophilum from 2006 through 2008. Odds ratios were >1 for 4 sciurids species and dusky-footed woodrats. High seroprevalence was observed in northern sites. Ten tick species were identified. Heavily infested ...
Risk for avian influenza virus exposure at human-wildlife interface.(DISPATCHES)
Jul 01, 2008; ... To assess risk for human exposure to avian influenza viruses (AIV), we sampled California wild birds and marine mammals during October 2005-August 2007 and estimated human-wildlife contact. Waterfowl hunters were 8 times more likely to have contact with AIV-infected wildlife than were ...
Optimizing use of multistream influenza sentinel surveillance data.(DISPATCHES)(Disease/Disorder overview)
Jul 01, 2008; ... We applied time-series methods to multivariate sentinel surveillance data recorded in Hong Kong during 1998-2007. Our study demonstrates that simultaneous monitoring of multiple streams of influenza surveillance data can improve the accuracy and timeliness of alerts compared with ...
Mycobacterium bohemicum and cervical lymphadenitis in children.(LETTERS)(Letter to the editor)
Jul 01, 2008; ... To the Editor: Members of the genus Mycobacterium are well-established causes of granulomatous lymphadenitis in children. M. bohemicum was first described in 1998 in a patient with Down syndrome (1). The organism is characterized by a unique 16S rRNA gene sequence (1) and has been isolated ...
Pertussis surveillance in private pediatric practices, France, 2002-2006.(LETTERS)(Letter to the editor)
Jul 01, 2008; ... To the Editor: In France, pertussis epidemiology has been extensively studied since 1993. Immunization of children with a highly efficacious pertussis whole-cell (Pw) vaccine (Sanofi Pasteur MSD, Lyon, France) for 40 years (since 1966) has reduced the incidence of pertussis. It has been ...
Avian Mycoplasma lipofaciens transmission to veterinarian.(LETTERS)(Letter to the editor)
Jul 01, 2008; ... To the Editor: Mycoplasma spp. are well-known pathogens in human and veterinary medicine. Mammals, especially primates and including humans, share similar or even identical Mycoplasma spp., which might be commensal or pathogenic (1). Additionally, sporadic infections of immunocompromised ...
Urinary tract infection caused by capnophilic Escherichia coli.(LETTERS)(Letter to the editor)
Jul 01, 2008; ... To the Editor: Increased atmospheric C[O.sub.2] concentrations promote the growth of fastidious microorganisms. However, the possibility that a strain of Escherichia coli can be C[O.sub.2] dependent is exceptional (1). An isolate of capnophilic E. coli was responsible for a ...
Duck migration and past influenza A (H5N1) outbreak areas.(LETTERS)(Letter to the editor)
Jul 01, 2008; ... To the Editor: In 2005 and 2006, the highly pathogenic avian influenza (HPAI) virus subtype H5N1 rapidly spread from Asia through Europe, the Middle East, and Africa. Waterbirds are considered the natural reservoir of low pathogenic avian influenza viruses (1), but their potential role in ...
Dihydrofolate reductase I164L mutation in Plasmodium falciparum, Madagascar.(LETTERS)(Letter to the editor)
Jul 01, 2008; ... To the Editor: Malaria remains a major public health problem and a primary cause of illness in Madagascar (1). Since 2005, the National Malaria Control Program has revised its treatment policy and replaced chloroquine (CQ) with artesunate plus amodiaquine as first-line therapy for ...
Bartonella quintana and Coxiella burnetii as causes of endocarditis, India.(LETTERS)(Letter to the editor)
Jul 01, 2008; ... To the Editor: In industrialized countries, blood culture is negative for 2.5%-31% of infectious endocarditis cases (1). In developing countries such as South Africa (2), Algeria (3), and Pakistan (4), culture is negative for 48% to 56%. Negative cultures delay diagnosis and treatment, ...
Acute gastroenteritis caused by GI/2 Sapovirus, Taiwan, 2007.(LETTERS)(Letter to the editor)
Jul 01, 2008; ... To the Editor: Sapovirus is an etiologic agent of human gastroenteritis. Although many of the previously reported cases were of mild, sporadic infections in young children (1-3), several recent sapovirus-associated gastroenteritis outbreaks have affected adults, which suggests that the ...
Importation of West Nile virus infection from Nicaragua to Spain.(LETTERS)(Letter to the editor)
Jul 01, 2008; ... To the Editor: We report the case of a 51-year-old Spanish missionary who had lived Nicaragua (Managua) from 2004 to 2006. He had no other notable travel history during that period. In June 2006, he noticed malaise and nausea, followed by abrupt onset of fever (39[degrees]C), headache, ...
Outbreak of pertussis, Kabul, Afghanistan.(LETTERS)(Letter to the editor)
Jul 01, 2008; ... To the Editor: Infectious diseases are the main cause of illness for armed forces in conflict (1), resulting in decreases in operational efficiency. The International Security Assistance Force (ISAF) in Afghanistan is a multinational force operating under the auspices of the North Atlantic ...
Anthropogenic influence on prevalence of 2 amphibian pathogens.(LETTERS)(Letter to the editor)
Jul 01, 2008; ... To the Editor: Although the relationship between the emergence of zoonotic diseases and human influenced landscapes is accepted (1-3), the relationship between human-influenced landscapes and wildlife disease is less so. Evidence does support correlations between human activities and ...
Avian influenza virus (H5N1) mortality surveillance.(LETTERS)(Letter to the editor)
Jul 01, 2008; ... To the Editor: The highly pathogenic strain of avian influenza virus subtype H5N1 presents a major challenge to global public health systems. Currently, influenza (H5N1) infection is a zoonosis with a 60% case-fatality rate for affected persons over 3 continents; the virus could mutate to ...
Klebsiella pneumoniae carbapenemase-2, Buenos Aires, Argentina.(LETTERS)(Letter to the editor)
Jul 01, 2008; ... To the Editor: The activity of carbapenem has been compromised because of the emergence of carbapenemases (1). Since 1995, carbapenem resistance has been identified among 77 Klebsiella pneumoniae isolates and 1 Citrobacter freundii clinical isolate in Argentina (WHONET-Argentina Network) ....
Foodborne Diseases.(Book review)
Jul 01, 2008; ... Shabbir Simjee, editor Humana Press, Totowa, New Jersey, USA, 2007 ISBN-10: 1588295184 ISBN-13: 978-1588295187 Pages: 540; Price: US $149.00 As the title suggests, this book covers relevant topics on foodborne diseases ....
Husband.(ANOTHER DIMENSION)(Poem)
Jul 01, 2008; ... <Pre> Husband She always brushed her hair backSternly, twisting one small knot about thecrown. He did not like the plain, broad brow. "I hate that tightness," he would mutter tohimself. But sometimes he would stoop to kiss herforehead...
"Much Madness is Divinest Sense".(NEWS & NOTES)(Essay)
Jul 01, 2008; ... "Much Madness is Divinest Sense" --Emily Dickinson "And yet I still had so much music in my head," lamented Maurice Ravel (1875-1937) near the end of his life (1). The French composer was frustrated by symptoms of an undiagnosed neurologic disorder that interfered ...
Alcaligenes xylosoxidans bloodstream infections in Outpatient Oncology Office.
Jul 01, 2008 ... <Pre> CME Questions 1. Which of the following statements about Alcaligenes xylosoxidans is most accurate? A. A. xylosoxidans is gram-positive B. A. xylosoxidans is hydrophobic C. A. xylosoxidans is associated with healthcare-associatedinfections D. A. xylosoxidans is found ...