Mutation detection analysis of a region of 16S-like ribosomal RNA gene of <Emphasis Type="Italic">Entamoeba histolytica</Emphasis>, <Emphasis Type="Italic">Entamoeba dispar</Emphasis> and <Emphasis Type="Italic">Entamoeba moshkovskii</Emphasis>

Background  

The level of intra-species genetic variation in Entamoeba histolytica, Entamoeba dispar and Entamoeba moshkovskii populations in a localized geographic area, like Puducherry, India, remains unknown.     

Effective <Emphasis Type="Italic">in vivo</Emphasis> and <Emphasis Type="Italic">ex vivo</Emphasis>gene transfer to intestinal mucosa by VSV-G-pseudotyped lentiviral vectors

Background  

Gene transfer to the gastrointestinal (GI) mucosa is a therapeutic strategy which could prove particularly advantageous for treatment of various hereditary and acquired intestinal disorders, including inflammatory bowel disease (IBD), GI infections, and cancer.     

The <Emphasis Type="Italic">Helicobacter pylori</Emphasis> duodenal ulcer promoting gene, <Emphasis Type="Italic">dupA</Emphasis>in China

Background  

The prevalence of H. pylori is as high as 60–70% in Chinese population. Although duodenal ulcer and gastric cancer are both caused by H. pylori, they are at opposite ends of the spectrum and as such are considered mutually exclusive. Duodenal ulcer promoting (dupA) gene was reported to be associated with duodenal ulcer development. The aim of this study was to determine the prevalence of dupA gene of Helicobacter pylori in patients with various gastroduodenal diseases and to explore the association between the gene and other virulence factors.     

Effect of treating <Emphasis Type="Italic">Schistosoma haematobium</Emphasis> infection on <Emphasis Type="Italic">Plasmodium falciparum-specific</Emphasis> antibody responses

Background  

The overlapping geographical and socio-economic distribution of malaria and helminth infection has led to several studies investigating the immunological and pathological interactions of these parasites. This study focuses on the effect of treating schistosome infections on natural human immune responses directed against plasmodia merozoite surface proteins MSP-1 (DPKMWR, MSP1₁₉), and MSP-2 (CH150 and Dd2) which are potential vaccine candidates as well as crude malaria (schizont) and schistosome (whole worm homogenate) proteins.     

Purulent pericarditis due to co-infection with <Emphasis Type="Italic">Streptococcus pneumoniae</Emphasis> and <Emphasis Type="Italic">Mycobacterium tuberculosis</Emphasis>in a patient with features of advanced HIV infection

Background  

Both Mycobacterium tuberculosis and Streptococcus pneumoniae are common pathogens in patients with HIV infection.     

Reduction of <Emphasis Type="Italic">Clostridium Difficile</Emphasis> and vancomycin-resistant <Emphasis Type="Italic">Enterococcus</Emphasis> contamination of environmental surfaces after an intervention to improve cleaning methods

Background  

Contaminated environmental surfaces may play an important role in transmission of some healthcare-associated pathogens. In this study, we assessed the adequacy of cleaning practices in rooms of patients with Clostridium difficile-associated diarrhea (CDAD) and vancomycin-resistant Enterococcus (VRE) colonization or infection and examined whether an intervention would result in improved decontamination of surfaces.     

<Emphasis Type="Italic">Staphylococcus aureus</Emphasis> intestinal colonization is associated with increased frequency of <Emphasis Type="Italic">S. aureus</Emphasis>on skin of hospitalized patients

Background  

Intestinal colonization by Staphylococcus aureus among hospitalized patients has been associated with increased risk of staphylococcal infection and could potentially contribute to transmission. We hypothesized that S. aureus intestinal colonization is associated with increased frequency of S. aureus on patients' skin and nearby environmental surfaces.     

Aerial Dissemination of <Emphasis Type="Italic">Clostridium difficile</Emphasis>spores

Background  

Clostridium difficile-associated diarrhoea (CDAD) is a frequently occurring healthcare-associated infection, which is responsible for significant morbidity and mortality amongst elderly patients in healthcare facilities. Environmental contamination is known to play an important contributory role in the spread of CDAD and it is suspected that contamination might be occurring as a result of aerial dissemination of C. difficile spores. However previous studies have failed to isolate C. difficile from air in hospitals. In an attempt to clarify this issue we undertook a short controlled pilot study in an elderly care ward with the aim of culturing C. difficile from the air.     

Impact of Empiric Antimicrobial Therapy on Outcomes in Patients with <Emphasis Type="Italic">Escherichia coli</Emphasis> and <Emphasis Type="Italic">Klebsiella pneumoniae</Emphasis> Bacteremia: A Cohort Study

Background  

It is unclear whether appropriate empiric antimicrobial therapy improves outcomes in patients with bacteremia due to Escherichia coli or Klebsiella. The objective of this study is to assess the impact of appropriate empiric antimicrobial therapy on in-hospital mortality and post-infection length of stay in patients with Escherichia coli or Klebsiella bacteremia while adjusting for important confounding variables.     

Resistance of <Emphasis Type="Italic">Leishmania (Leishmania) amazonensis</Emphasis> and <Emphasis Type="Italic">Leishmania (Viannia) braziliensis</Emphasis>to nitric oxide correlates with disease severity in Tegumentary Leishmaniasis

Background  

Nitric oxide (NO^•) plays a pivotal role as a leishmanicidal agent in mouse macrophages. NO^• resistant Escherichia coli and Mycobacterium tuberculosis have been associated with a severe outcome of these diseases.     

<Emphasis Type="Italic">In vitro</Emphasis> evaluation of antibiotics' combinations for empirical therapy of suspected methicillin resistant <Emphasis Type="Italic">Staphylococcus aureus</Emphasis>severe respiratory infections

Background  

Methicillin resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA) is an increasingly common cause of nosocomial infections, causing severe morbidity and mortality worldwide, and accounting in some hospitals for more than 50% of all S. aureus diseases. Treatment of infections caused by resistant bacterial pathogens mainly relies on two therapeutic modalities: development of new antimicrobials and use of combinations of available antibiotics.     

The influenza pandemic preparedness planning tool <Emphasis Type="Italic">InfluSim</Emphasis>

Background  

Planning public health responses against pandemic influenza relies on predictive models by which the impact of different intervention strategies can be evaluated. Research has to date rather focused on producing predictions for certain localities or under specific conditions, than on designing a publicly available planning tool which can be applied by public health administrations. Here, we provide such a tool which is reproducible by an explicitly formulated structure and designed to operate with an optimal combination of the competing requirements of precision, realism and generality.     

Posttraumatic ankle arthritis due to a novel <Emphasis Type="Italic">Nocardia</Emphasis> species

Introduction  

Nocardial arthritis in immunocompetent patients is rare, and the optimum duration of antimicrobial therapy is unknown, although several months of antibiotic treatment is often recommended.     

Association of <Emphasis Type="Italic">Escherichia coli</Emphasis> O157:H7 <Emphasis Type="Italic">tir</Emphasis>polymorphisms with human infection

Background  

Emerging molecular, animal model and epidemiologic evidence suggests that Shiga-toxigenic Escherichia coli O157:H7 (STEC O157) isolates vary in their capacity to cause human infection and disease. The translocated intimin receptor (tir) and intimin (eae) are virulence factors and bacterial receptor-ligand proteins responsible for tight STEC O157 adherence to intestinal epithelial cells. They represent logical genomic targets to investigate the role of sequence variation in STEC O157 pathogenesis and molecular epidemiology. The purposes of this study were (1) to identify tir and eae polymorphisms in diverse STEC O157 isolates derived from clinically ill humans and healthy cattle (the dominant zoonotic reservoir) and (2) to test any observed tir and eae polymorphisms for association with human (vs bovine) isolate source.     

Gastritis Induced by <Emphasis Type="Italic">Helicobacter pylori</Emphasis> Infection in Experimental Rats

Background  

Gastritis, an inflammation of gastric mucosa, may be due to many pathological factors and infection, such as with Helicobacter pylori. The use of experimental models of gastritis is important to evaluate the biochemical changes and study chemotherapeutic intervention. In a previous study we demonstrated an acute gastritis model induced by iodoacetamide.     

Role of <Emphasis Type="Italic">Culex</Emphasis> and <Emphasis Type="Italic">Anopheles</Emphasis> mosquito species as potential vectors of rift valley fever virus in Sudan outbreak, 2007

Background  

Rift Valley fever (RVF) is an acute febrile arthropod-borne viral disease of man and animals caused by a member of the Phlebovirus genus, one of the five genera in the family Bunyaviridae. RVF virus (RVFV) is transmitted between animals and human by mosquitoes, particularly those belonging to the Culex, Anopheles and Aedes genera.     

Erythema caused by a localised skin infection with <Emphasis Type="Italic">Arthrobacter mysorens</Emphasis>

Background  

Skin erythemas of unknown origin are a frequent reason for consulting the general practitioner or dermatologist.     

<Emphasis Type="Italic">MBL2</Emphasis>and Hepatitis C Virus Infection among Injection Drug Users

Background  

Genetic variations in MBL2 that reduce circulating levels and alter functional properties of the mannose binding lectin (MBL) have been associated with many autoimmune and infectious diseases. We examined whether MBL2 variants influence the outcome of hepatitis C virus (HCV) infection.     

Age-adjusted <Emphasis Type="Italic">Plasmodium falciparum</Emphasis> antibody levels in school-aged children are a stable marker of microgeographical variations in exposure to <Emphasis Type="Italic">Plasmodium</Emphasis>infection

Background  

Amongst school-aged children living in malaria endemic areas, chronic morbidity and exacerbation of morbidity associated with other infections are often not coincident with the presence or levels of Plasmodium parasitaemia, but may result from long-term exposure to the parasite. Studies of hepatosplenomegaly associated with Schistosoma mansoni infection and exposure to Plasmodium infection indicate that differences that occur over 1–2 km in levels of Plasmodium transmission are related to the degree of exacerbation of hepatosplenomegaly and that Plasmodium falciparum schizont antigen (Pfs)-IgG3 levels may be a marker for the differing levels of exposure.     

Diversity of <Emphasis Type="Italic">Mycobacterium tuberculosis</Emphasis> genotypes circulating in Ndola,Zambia

Background  

Tuberculosis (TB) is one of the major public health problems in Zambia. However, information about lineages of M. tuberculosis complex (MTBC) isolates useful for epidemiology investigations is unknown. In this study, we investigated the diversity of MTBC isolates from Ndola, a typical Zambian urbanized city with a documented high HIV prevalence.