Emerging Infectious Diseases back issues from August 2008:
Bacterial pneumonia and pandemic influenza planning.(PERSPECTIVE)
Aug 01, 2008; ... Pandemic influenza planning is well under way across the globe. Antiviral drugs and vaccines have dominated the therapeutic agenda. Far less work has been conducted on stockpiling and planning for deployment of antimicrobial drugs against secondary bacterial pneumonia, a cause of ...
Deaths from bacterial pneumonia during 1918-19 influenza pandemic.
Aug 01, 2008; ... Deaths during the 1918-19 influenza pandemic have been attributed to a hypervirulent influenza strain. Hence, preparations for the next pandemic focus almost exclusively on vaccine prevention and antiviral treatment for infections with a novel influenza strain. However, we hypothesize that ...
Diverse contexts of zoonotic transmission of simian foamy viruses in Asia.(RESEARCH)
Aug 01, 2008; ... In Asia, contact between persons and nonhuman primates is widespread in multiple occupational and nonoccupational contexts. Simian foamy viruses (SFVs) are retroviruses that are prevalent in all species of nonhuman primates. To determine SFV prevalence in humans, we tested 305 persons who ...
Puumala hantavirus excretion kinetics in bank voles (Myodes glareolus).(RESEARCH)
Aug 01, 2008; ... Puumala hantavirus is present in bank voles (Myodes glareolus) and is believed to be spread mainly by contaminated excretions. In this study, we subcutaneously inoculated 10 bank voles with Puumala virus and sampled excretions until day 133 postinfection. Levels of shed viral RNA peaked ...
Community strains of methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus as potential cause of healthcare-associated infections, Uruguay, 2002-2004.(RESEARCH)
Aug 01, 2008; ... Community-associated methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (CA-MRSA) strains have emerged in Uruguay. We reviewed S. aureus isolates from a large healthcare facility in Montevideo (center A) and obtained information from 3 additional hospitals on patients infected with CA-MRSA. An ...
Systematic literature review of role of noroviruses in sporadic gastroenteritis.(RESEARCH)
Aug 01, 2008; ... We conducted a systematic review of studies that used reverse transcription-PCR to diagnose norovirus (NOV) infections in patients with mild or moderate (outpatient) and severe (hospitalized) diarrhea. NoVs accounted for 12% (95% confidence interval [CI] 10%-15%) of severe gastroenteritis ...
Genetic and serologic properties of Zika virus associated with an epidemics, Yap State, Micronesia, 2007.(RESEARCH)
Aug 01, 2008; ... Zika virus (ZIKV) is a mosquito-borne flavivirus first isolated in Uganda from a sentinel monkey in 1947. Mosquito and sentinel animal surveillance studies have demonstrated that ZIKV is endemic to Africa and Southeast Asia, yet reported human cases are rare with <10 cases reported in the ...
Interepidemic Rift Valley fever virus seropositivity, Northeastern Kenya.(RESEARCH)
Aug 01, 2008; ... Most outbreaks of Rift Valley fever (RVF) occur in remote locations after floods. To determine environmental risk factors and long-term sequelae of human RVF, we examined rates of previous Rift Valley fever virus (RVFV) exposure by age and location during an interepidemic period in 2006 ....
Aquatic invertebrates as unlikely vectors of Buruli ulcer disease.
Aug 01, 2008; ... Buruli ulcer is a necrotizing skin disease caused by Mycobacterium ulcerans and associated with exposure to aquatic habitats. To assess possible transmission of M. ulcerans by aquatic biting insects, we conducted a field examination of biting water bugs (Hemiptera: Naucoridae, ...
Cutaneous infrared thermometry for detecting febrile patients.
Aug 01, 2008; ... We assessed the accuracy of cutaneous infrared thermometry, which measures temperature on the forehead, for detecting patients with fever in patients admitted to an emergency department. Although negative predictive value was excellent (0.99), positive predictive value was low (0.10) ....
Increased amoxicillin-clavulanic acid resistance in Escherichia coli blood isolates, Spain.(DISPATCHES)
Aug 01, 2008; ... To determine the evolution and trends of amoxicillin-clavulanic acid resistance among Escherichia coli isolates in Spain, we tested 9,090 blood isolates from 42 Spanish hospitals and compared resistance with trends in outpatient consumption. These isolates were collected by Spanish ...
Endemic circulation of European bat lyssavirus type 1 in serotine bats, Spain.(DISPATCHES)
Aug 01, 2008; ... To determine the presence of European bat lyssavirus type 1 in southern Spain, we studied 19 colonies of serotine bats (Eptesicus isabellinus), its main reservoir, during 1998-2003. Viral genome and antibodies were detected in healthy bats, which suggests subclinical infection. The ...
Highly pathogenic avian influenza virus (H5N1) in experimentally infected adult mute swans.
Aug 01, 2008; ... Adult, healthy mute swans were experimentally infected with highly pathogenic avian influenza virus A/Cygnus cygnus/Germany/R65/2006 subtype H5N1. Immunologically naive birds died, whereas animals with preexisting, naturally acquired avian influenza virus-specific antibodies became ...
Infection with Panton-Valentine leukocidin-positive methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus t034.(DISPATCHES)
Aug 01, 2008; ... Panton-Valentine leukocidin (PVL)-positive methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA), sequence type 398 is believed to be of animal origin. We report 2 cases of infection due to PVL-positive MRSA, spa type t034, in patients in Sweden who had had no animal contact. ...
Identification of residual blood proteins in ticks by mass spectrometry proteomics.(DISPATCHES)
Aug 01, 2008; ... Mass spectrometry-based proteomics of individual ticks demonstrated persistence of mammalian host blood components, including [alpha]-and [beta]-globin chains, histones, and mitochondrial enzymes, in Ixodes scapularis and Amblyomma americanum ticks for months after molting. Residual host ...
Isolation and molecular characterization of Banna virus from mosquitoes, Vietnam.(DISPATCHES)
Aug 01, 2008; ... We isolated and characterized a Banna virus from mosquitoes in Vietnam; 5 strains were isolated from field-caught mosquitoes at various locations; Banna virus was previously isolated from encephalitis patients in Yunnan, China, in 1987. Together, these findings suggest widespread ...
Oseltamivir prescribing in pharmacy-benefits database, United States, 2004-2005.(DISPATCHES)
Aug 01, 2008; ... We reviewed information from a US pharmacy benefits manager database from 2004 through 2005 during periods with little influenza activity. We calculated rates of oseltamivir prescriptions to enrollees. Prescription rates increased significantly from 27.3/100,000 in 2004 to 134/100,000 in ...
Cluster of falciparum malaria cases in UK airport.(DISPATCHES)
Aug 01, 2008; ... A cluster of 6 cases of Plasmodium falciparum malaria occurred in a UK airport among 30 travelers returning to the United States from East Africa. Molecular genotyping analysis indicated that all had been exposed to different parasites, The travelers' use of ehemoprophylaxis was poor; ...
Analysis of collection of hemolytic uremic syndrome--associated enterohemorrhagic Escherichia coli.(DISPATCHES)
Aug 01, 2008; ... Multilocus sequence typing of 169 non-O157 enterohemorrhagic Escherichia coli (EHEC) isolated from patients with hemolytic uremic syndrome (HUS) demonstrated 29 different sequence types (STs); 78.1% of these strains clustered in 5 STs. From all STs and serotypes identified, we established ...
Virus transfer from personal protective equipment to healthcare employees' skin and clothing.(DISPATCHES)
Aug 01, 2008; ... We evaluated a personal protective equipment removal protocol designed to minimize wearer contamination with pathogens. Following this protocol often resulted in virus transfer to hands and clothing. An altered protocol or other measures are needed to prevent healthcare worker ...
Rickettsia felis in fleas, Germany.(DISPATCHES)
Aug 01, 2008; ... Among 310 fleas collected from dogs and cats in Germany, Rickettsia felis was detected in all specimens (34) of Archaeopsylla erinacei (hedgehog flea) and in 9% (24/226) of Ctenocephalides felis felis (cat flea). R. helvetica was detected in 1 CeratophyIlus gallinae (hen flea). ...
Macrolide-resistant Shigella sonnei.(DISPATCHES)
Aug 01, 2008; ... Shigella sonnei UCN59, isolated during an outbreak of S. sonnei in January 2007, was resistant to azithromycin (MIC 64 mg/L). The isolate contained a plasmid-borne mph(A) gene encoding a macrolide 2'-phosphotransferase that inactivates macrolides. Emergence of the mph(A) gene in S. sonnei ...
Genotyping Rickettsia prowazekii isolates.(DISPATCHES)
Aug 01, 2008; ... We developed a typing method that can differentiate 8 strains of Rickettsia prowazekii into 7 genotypes. This method can be used to type and trace the origin of R. prowazekii isolated from samples collected during epidemics after a bioterrorism attack. ********** ...
Environmental contamination during influenza A virus (H5N1) outbreaks, Cambodia, 2006.(DISPATCHES)
Aug 01, 2008; ... To determine potential risk for bird-to-human transmission during influenza A virus (H5N1) outbreaks among backyard poultry in rural Cambodia, we collected environmental specimens. Viral RNA was detected in 27 (35%) of 77 specimens of mud, pond water, water plants, and soil swabs. Our ...
Detection and molecular characterization of a canine norovirus.(DISPATCHES)
Aug 01, 2008; ... We identified a novel calicivirus in a pup with enteritis. The isolate was related genetically (90.1% aa identity in the a lion norovirus strain. ********** Caliciviridae are small, nonenveloped viruses, [approximately equal to] 35 nm in diameter with ...
Henipavirus infection in fruit bats (Pteropus gigantous), India.(DISPATCHES)
Aug 01, 2008; ... We tested 41 bats for antibodies against Nipah and Hendra viruses to determine whether henipaviruses circulate in pteropid fruit bats (Pteropus giganteus) in northern India. Twenty bats were seropositive for Nipah virus, which suggests circulation in this species, thereby extending the ...
Pediatric pneumonia death caused by community-acquired methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus, Japan.(LETTERS)
Aug 01, 2008; ... To the Editor: Community-acquired methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (CA-MRSA), which carries genes for Panton-Valentine leukocidin (PVL), has become a major concern worldwide (1-3). CA-MRSA is mainly associated with skin and soft tissue infections in young, otherwise healthy, ...
Rarity of influenza a virus in spring shorebirds, Southern Alaska.(LETTERS)
Aug 01, 2008; ... To the Editor: Knowledge of avian influenza (AI) virus and its host epidemiology and ecology is essential for effective monitoring and mitigation (1). Applicability of global and continental-scale models will be key for expanding this knowledge base. Research in the Delaware Bay area, ...
Isolation of Brucella microti from soil.(LETTERS)
Aug 01, 2008; ... To the Editor: Brucella microti is a recently described Brucella species (1) that was isolated in 2000 from systemically infected common voles (Microtus arvalis) in South Moravia, Czech Republic. The organism is characterized by rapid growth on standard media and high metabolic activity, ...
Plasmodium falciparum in ancient Egypt.(LETTERS)
Aug 01, 2008; ... To the Editor: Malaria is a disease caused by parasites of the genus Plasmodium. The infection is transmitted to humans through the bites of female flies of the genus Anopheles. Four species of Plasmodium are pathogenic to humans, and each leads to different clinical features: P ....
Brucellosis in infant after familial outbreak.(LETTERS)
Aug 01, 2008; ... To the Editor: Brucellosis is a known cause of small household outbreaks (1,2), usually attributed to exposure of all infected family members to the animal/animal product pathogen source. Although the means of disease transmission is well delineated (3), in certain cases the pathogen's ...
Hepatitis E virus genotype 1, Cuba.(LETTERS)
Aug 01, 2008; ... To the Editor: Hepatitis E virus (HEV) causes acute viral hepatitis, which in rare cases leads to fulminant hepatitis with high death rates, especially among women in their third trimester of pregnancy (1). Sporadic infections and epidemics have been reported from all parts of the world, ...
Ciprofloxacin resistance in Neisseria meningitidis, France.(LETTERS)
Aug 01, 2008; ... To the Editor: Infections with Neisseria meningitidis may occur as outbreaks or epidemics. Consequently, chemoprophylaxis for contacts is generally recommended. Ciprofloxacin is frequently used in adults in a convenient 1-dose regimen (1). Resistance to this antimicrobial drug in N ....
Rare Cryptosporidium hominis subtype associated with aquatic center use.(Letters)
Aug 01, 2008; ... To the Editor: Cryptosporidiosis is the most frequently reported gastrointestinal illness in outbreaks associated with treated (disinfected) recreational water venues in the United States (1). In 2003, an increased number of cryptosporidiosis cases occurred in the Tri-Cities area of the ...
Two imported Chikungunya cases, Taiwan.(LETTERS)
Aug 01, 2008; ... To the Editor: Chikungunya is a reemerging infectious disease, endemic to Africa and Southeast Asia, caused by a mosquito-borne alphavirus in the family Togaviridae. Numerous chikungunya outbreaks have been reported in Africa and Southeast Asia since chikungunya virus (CHIKV) was first ...
Chikungunya-related fatality rates, Mauritius, India, and Reunion Island.(LETTERS)
Aug 01, 2008; ... To the Editor: During the epidemic of chikungunya virus infection that occurred on Reunion Island in 2005-06, we reported an overmortality corresponding to the epidemic peak, which was estimated by comparing observed and expected deaths (1). The excess was similar to the number ...
Aquaculture and florfenicol resistance in Salmonella enterica Typhimurium DT104.(LETTERS)(Letter to the editor)
Aug 01, 2008; ... To the Editor: In June 2006, the World Health Organization (WHO), the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO), and the World Organisation for Animal Health (OIE) convened an Expert Consultation to consider the risks to human health represented by the use of ...
Imported dengue hemorrhagic fever, Europe.(LETTERS)
Aug 01, 2008; ... To the Editor: Dengue infection is an endemic and epidemic urban disease (1), transmitted by infected Aedes mosquitoes. Its incidence is increasing in tropical and subtropical areas (1,2) because of 1) introduction of the virus into areas where it was not previously endemic, and 2) the ...
Mycobacterium setense infection in humans.(LETTERS)
Aug 01, 2008; ... To the Editor: A 66-year-old man had a bone graft for treatment of an oroantral fistula in March 2007 in Marseille, France. The surgery consisted of a bilateral maxillary sinus filling with a parietal osseous graft to close the fistula (position 24-25). Painful edema of the hemiface and ...
Human bocavirus in tonsillar lymphocytes.(LETTERS)
Aug 01, 2008; ... To the Editor: We read with great interest the recent report by Longtin and colleagues (1) describing human bocavirus (HBoV) infection among Canadian children with acute respiratory tract illnesses (ARI). The authors identified HBoV by PCR in nasopharyngeal aspirates from 13.8% of young ...
Assessment of reporting bias for Clostridium difficile hospitalizations, United States.(LETTERS)
Aug 01, 2008; ... To the Editor: Burckhardt et al. (1) recently reported on Clostridium difficile-associated disease (CDAD) in Saxony, Germany. In contrast to the observation by Wilcox and Fawley in the United Kingdom (2), the report from Germany argued against a reporting bias for gastroenteritides as a ...
Improving methods for reporting spatial epidemiologic data.(LETTERS)(Letter to the editor)
Aug 01, 2008; ... To the Editor: A recent perspective in this journal (1) pointed out problems with the present, county-referenced system for reporting spatial epidemiologic data. Problems identified included coarse spatial resolution of county-referenced data and differences across the United States in ...
Wolbachia: A Bug's Life in Another Bug.(BOOKS & MEDIA)(Book review)
Aug 01, 2008; ... Wolbachia: A Bug's Life in Another Bug Achim Hoerauf and Ramakrishna U. Rao, editors Karger, Basel, Switzerland, 2007 ISBN: 978-3-8055-8180-6 ISBN-13:978-3-8055-8180-6 e-ISBN: 978-3-318-01399-3 Pages: 150; Price: US $195 ...
"The Rainbow at the Edge of the Shadow of the Egg".(ABOUT THE COVER)(Cover story)
Aug 01, 2008; ... [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] "The Rainbow at the Edge of the Shadow of the Egg"--John Updike "Rockwell is terrific. It's become too tedious to pretend he isn't, said art critic Peter Schjeldahl in 1999, summing up recent opinion about this well-loved American artist, whose ...