Phylogenomic and MALDI-TOF MS analysis of Streptococcus sinensis HKU4T reveals a distinct phylogenetic clade in the genus Streptococcus

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Phylogenomic Analyses and Reclassification of Species within the Genus Tsukamurella: Insights to Species Definition in the Post-genomic Era

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Stage-specific manifestation of mold infections in bone marrow transplant recipients: Risk factors and clinical significance of positive concentrated smears

Potassium hydroxide-concentrated smears, prepared from sedimented remains of clinical specimens, were used to distinguish between mold infection and exogenous contamination in fungal culture-positive specimens. This method was applied in the study of 3,857 clinical specimens from 230 bone marrow transplant recipients who were followed up prospectively for infectious complications. Concentrated smears of only 86 (from 21 infected patients) of 149 fungal culture-positive specimens were positive for hyphae; 82 of the strains were Aspergillus species. Concentrated smears of the remaining 63 fungal culture-positive specimens were negative; the strains identified by culture were considered as exogenous contaminants (87% of which were Penicillium species). A stage-specific manifestation of mold infection was observed: 67% of mold infections occurred during acute graft-vs.-host disease (GVHD) a median of 47 days after transplantation, whereas 9% of mold infections occurred as rapidly fatal invasive disease before engraftment. Overall, of the 21 patients with mold infection, 17 (81%) had invasive mold disease, and four (19%) had mold colonization of airways secondary to chronic GVHD after day 100. The significant risk factors for mold infection were total-body irradiation and grade 2-4 acute GVHD. Because of our high mortality rate (82%), the consideration of antimold prophylaxis for such patients may be warranted.published_or_final_versio

A sensitive and specific antigen detection assay for Middle East respiratory syndrome coronavirus

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Human H7N9 virus induces a more pronounced pro-inflammatory cytokine but an attenuated interferon response in human bronchial epithelial cells when compared with an epidemiologically-linked chicken H7N9 virus

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Elizabethkingia anophelis bacteremia is associated with clinically significant infections and high mortality

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Identification of Novel Rosavirus Species That Infects Diverse Rodent Species and Causes Multisystemic Dissemination in Mouse Model

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Clinical and molecular epidemiological features of coronavirus HKU1-associated community-acquired pneumonia

Background. Recently, we described the discovery of a novel group 2 coronavirus, coronavirus HKU1 (CoV-HKU1), from a patient with pneumonia. However, the clinical and molecular epidemiological features of CoV-HKU1-associated pneumonia are unknown. Methods. Prospectively collected (during a 12-month period) nasopharyngeal aspirates (NPAs) from patients with community-acquired pneumonia from 4 hospitals were subjected to reverse-transcription polymerase chain reaction, for detection of CoV-HKU1. The epidemiological, clinical, and laboratory characteristics of patients with CoV-HKU1-associated pneumonia were analyzed. The pol, spike (S), and nucleocapsid (N) genes were also sequenced. Results. NPAs from 10 (2.4%) of 418 patients with community-acquired pneumonia were found to be positive for CoV-HKU1. All 10 cases occurred in spring and winter. Nine of these patients were adults, and 4 had underlying diseases of the respiratory tract. In the 6 patients from whom serum samples were available, all had a 4-fold change in immunoglobulin (Ig) G titer and/or presence of IgM against CoV-HKU1. The 2 patients who died had significantly lower hemoglobin levels, monocyte counts, albumin levels, and oxygen saturation levels on admission and had more-extensive involvement visible on chest radiographs. Sequence analysis of the pol, S, and N genes revealed 2 genotypes of CoV-HKU1. Conclusions. CoV-HKU1 accounts for 2.4% of community-acquired pneumonia, with 2 genotypes in the study population. Without performance of diagnostic tests, the illness was clinically indistinguishable from other community-acquired pneumonia illnesses. © 2005 by the Infectious Diseases Society of America. All rights reserved.published_or_final_versio

Micronutrient status and intervention programs in Malaysia

Approximately 70% of the world's malnourished children live in Asia, giving that region the highest concentration of childhood malnutrition worldwide. Prevalence of stunting and underweight are high especially in south Asia where one in every two preschool children is stunted. Iron-deficiency anemia affects 40%-50% of preschool and primary schoolchildren. Nearly half of all vitamin A deficiency and xerophthalmia in the world occurs in south and southeast Asia. Iodine deficiency disorders have resulted in high goiter rates in India, Pakistan, and parts of Indonesia. Compared with other developing countries in Asia, the nutrition situation in Malaysia is considerably better, owing to rapid economic and socioeconomic development that has occurred since Malaysia gained its independence in 1957. Prevalence of undernutrition and micronutrient deficiency is markedly lower in Malaysian children. Nonetheless, undernutrition in the form of underweight, stunting, and anemia can be found in poor communities throughout the country. A prevalence of 25% underweight and 35% stunting is reported among young children from poor rural households. Anemia and subclinical forms of vitamin A deficiency were reported in children under 5 years old. Typical of a country in nutrition transition, Malaysia faces the dual burden of malnutrition in children, with the persistence of undernutrition problems especially among the poor and the emerging overweight problem especially in urban areas. Since 1996, nutrition programs of the government sector are coordinated under the National Plan of Action for Nutrition. These activities and other nutrition intervention efforts by other agencies are discussed in this paper

Wild type and mutant 2009 pandemic influenza A (H1N1) viruses cause more severe disease and higher mortality in pregnant BALB/c mice

Background: Pregnant women infected by the pandemic influenza A (H1N1) 2009 virus had more severe disease and higher mortality but its pathogenesis is still unclear. Principal Findings: We showed that higher mortality, more severe pneumonitis, higher pulmonary viral load, lower peripheral blood T lymphocytes and antibody responses, higher levels of proinflammatory cytokines and chemokines, and worse fetal development occurred in pregnant mice than non-pregnant controls infected by either wild type (clinical isolate) or mouse-adapted mutant virus with D222G substitution in hemagglutinin. These disease-associated changes and the lower respiratory tract involvement were worse in pregnant mice challenged by mutant virus. Though human placental origin JEG-3 cell line could be infected and proinflammatory cytokines or chemokines were elevated in amniotic fluid of some mice, no placental or fetal involvement by virus were detected by culture, real-time reverse transcription polymerase chain reaction or histopathological changes. Dual immunofluorescent staining of viral nucleoprotein and type II alveolar cell marker SP-C protein suggested that the majority of infected alveolar epithelial cells were type II pneumocytes. Conclusion: The adverse effect of this pandemic virus on maternal and fetal outcome is largely related to the severe pulmonary disease and the indirect effect of inflammatory cytokine spillover into the systemic circulation. © 2010 Chan et al.published_or_final_versio