Journal of clinical microbiology
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J. Clin. Microbiol. · Sep 2006
Nosocomial spread of Enterococcus faecium resistant to vancomycin and linezolid in a tertiary care medical center.
In May 2004 our institution encountered its first clinical isolate of linezolid-resistant, vancomycin-resistant Enterococcus faecium (LRVRE). Between October 2004 and July 2005, 40 patients from whom LRVRE organisms were recovered in clinical specimens were characterized. Epidemiologic investigation and pulsed-field gel electrophoresis patterns indicated a clonal outbreak related to nosocomial spread.
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J. Clin. Microbiol. · Aug 2006
Case ReportsCommunity-acquired meningitis and sepsis caused by Chryseobacterium meningosepticum in a patient diagnosed with thalassemia major.
Chryseobacterium meningosepticum is a rare pathogen in cases of bacterial meningitis in adults and adolescents. We report on the case history of a 17-year-old boy with thalassemia major and meningitis and sepsis caused by C. meningosepticum in splenectomized. The patient received vancomycin therapy for 21 days and was discharged in a state of complete recovery.
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J. Clin. Microbiol. · Aug 2006
Molecular epidemiology of Neisseria gonorrhoeae in Amsterdam, The Netherlands, shows distinct heterosexual and homosexual networks.
Molecular typing, added to epidemiological data, can better identify transmission patterns of gonorrhea in Western countries, where the incidence has recently been rising. From September 2002 to September 2003, patients with a laboratory-confirmed diagnosis of gonorrhea at the Clinic for Sexually Transmitted Infections in Amsterdam, The Netherlands, were subjected to a questionnaire pertaining to sexual risk behavior and sexual partners in the 6 months prior to the diagnosis. The Neisseria gonorrhoeae isolates were all genotyped using PCR-restriction fragment length polymorphism of the porin and opacity genes. ⋯ There were 11 clusters of > or =20 patients; in seven clusters, 81% to 100% of patients were men who have sex with men (MSM), three clusters contained 87 to 100% heterosexual men and women, and one cluster was formed by equal proportions of MSM and heterosexual male and female patients. However, the various clusters differed in characteristics such as types of coinfections, numbers of sexual partners, Internet use to seek sexual partners, and locations of sexual encounters. Molecular epidemiology of gonococcal isolates in Amsterdam revealed core groups and clusters of MSM and heterosexual patients that probably indicate distinct transmission networks.
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J. Clin. Microbiol. · Aug 2006
Evaluation of the GenoType Mycobacteria Direct assay for detection of Mycobacterium tuberculosis complex and four atypical mycobacterial species in clinical samples.
We evaluated GenoType Mycobacteria Direct (GTMD), a novel commercial assay based on nucleic acid sequence-based amplification technology, for the detection of Mycobacterium tuberculosis complex, M. avium, M. intracellulare, M. kansasii, and M. malmoense directly from clinical specimens. A total of 134 respiratory and extrapulmonary samples from 65 patients were processed. Sensitivity, specificity, positive predictive, and negative predictive values for GTMD were 92, 100, 100, and 77%, respectively. The GMTD technique is useful, reliable, and rapid when used during the normal routine of a clinical laboratory.
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J. Clin. Microbiol. · Jul 2006
Comparative StudyComparisons of community-associated methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA) and hospital-associated MSRA infections in Sacramento, California.
Methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA) has long been a common pathogen in healthcare facilities, but in the past decade, it has emerged as a problematic pathogen in the community setting as well. A retrospective case series study of patients from whom MRSA was isolated from December 1, 2003, through May 31, 2004, was conducted at the University of California, Davis, Medical Center. Patient data were collected from electronic medical records and traditional chart reviews to determine whether MRSA acquisition was likely to have been in the community or in the hospital. ⋯ Our study shows that a single clone of CA-MRSA accounts for the majority of infections. This strain originated in the community and is not related to MRSA strains from healthcare settings. Injecting drug users could be a major reservoir for CA-MRSA transmission.