New Staphylococcus aureus genetic cluster associated with infectious osteomyelitis

Diverse genotyping methods, including multiple-locus variable-number tandem-repeat (VNTR) analysis (MLVA), pulsed field gel electrophoresis (PFGE), and multilocus sequence typing (MLST), were used for genotyping Staphylococcus aureus in samples recovered from a clinical case of osteomyelitis. An unexpected genetic diversity of strains was determined, including four new sequence types (ST 1521, 1522, 1628 and 1629) belonging to the same genetic lineage, implying the appearance of a new subgroup derived from clonal complex CC121 isolated from that hospital. A close phylogenetic relationship among the STs was demonstrated, reflecting a possible diversifying evolution process. To our knowledge, there have no been previous reports of staphylococcal genetic variability observed within a single individual with such a high degree of variation. These findings emphasize the need for infection control measures to monitor the high genetic variability continuously occurring in this often dangerous infectious agent. [Int Microbiol 2011; 14(1):33-39

Outbreak of Shigella sonnei in a rural hotel in La Gomera, Canary Islands, Spain

Shigella sonnei is a significant cause of gastroenteritis in both developing and industrialized countries. Knowledge of the diversity and antimicrobial susceptibility of the bacterium may be helpful in the management of both individual cases and outbreaks. This study was undertaken to evaluate the molecular epidemiology of an outbreak of diarrhea due to S. sonnei. The outbreak involved 14 of 28 (50%) tourists in a small rural hotel in La Gomera, Canary Islands, Spain. All of the S. sonnei isolates recovered had the same antimicrobial susceptibility and pulsed-field gel electrophoresis patterns, suggesting that the outbreak was produced by a single strain. [Int Microbiol 2005; 8(2):133-136

Evolution, geographic spreading, and demographic distribution of Enterovirus D68.

Worldwide outbreaks of enterovirus D68 (EV-D68) in 2014 and 2016 have caused serious respiratory and neurological disease. We collected samples from several European countries during the 2018 outbreak and determined 53 near full-length genome ('whole genome') sequences. These sequences were combined with 718 whole genome and 1,987 VP1-gene publicly available sequences. In 2018, circulating strains clustered into multiple subgroups in the B3 and A2 subclades, with different phylogenetic origins. Clusters in subclade B3 emerged from strains circulating primarily in the US and Europe in 2016, though some had deeper roots linking to Asian strains, while clusters in A2 traced back to strains detected in East Asia in 2015-2016. In 2018, all sequences from the USA formed a distinct subgroup, containing only three non-US samples. Alongside the varied origins of seasonal strains, we found that diversification of these variants begins up to 18 months prior to the first diagnostic detection during a EV-D68 season. EV-D68 displays strong signs of continuous antigenic evolution and all 2018 A2 strains had novel patterns in the putative neutralizing epitopes in the BC- and DE-loops. The pattern in the BC-loop of the USA B3 subgroup had not been detected on that continent before. Patients with EV-D68 in subclade A2 were significantly older than patients with a B3 subclade virus. In contrast to other subclades, the age distribution of A2 is distinctly bimodal and was found primarily among children and in the elderly. We hypothesize that EV-D68's rapid evolution of surface proteins, extensive diversity, and high rate of geographic mixing could be explained by substantial reinfection of adults. Better understanding of evolution and immunity across diverse viral pathogens, including EV-D68 and SARS-CoV-2, is critical to pandemic preparedness in the future

Brote de Shigella sonnei en un hotel rural de La Gomera (Islas Canarias, España)

Shigella sonnei is a significant cause of gastroenteritis in both developing and industrialized countries. Knowledge of the diversity and antimicrobial susceptibility of the bacterium may be helpful in the management of both individual cases and outbreaks. This study was undertaken to evaluate the molecular epidemiology of an outbreak of diarrhea due to S. sonnei. The outbreak involved 14 of 28 (50%) tourists in a small rural hotel in La Gomera, Canary Islands, Spain. All of the S. sonnei isolates recovered had the same antimicrobial susceptibility and pulsed-field gel electrophoresis patterns, suggesting that the outbreak was produced by a single strain.Shigella sonnei es una causa significativa de gastroenteritis, tanto en países en desarrollo como industrializados. El conocimiento de la diversidad de esa bacteria y de su sensibilidad a los antimicrobianos puede ser una ayuda en el tratamiento de casos individuales y de brotes infecciosos. Este estudio se realizó para evaluar la epidemiología molecular de un brote de diarrea debido a S. sonnei. El brote afectó a 14 de los 28 (50%) turistas en un pequeño hotel rural en La Gomera, Islas Canarias, en España. Todos los aislados de S. sonnei recuperados presentaron el mismo patrón de sensibilidad a los antimicrobianos y el mismo patrón de electroforesis en gel de campo pulsado, lo cual indica que el brote fue causado por una sola cepa.This work was supported by grant BIO2002/00953 from the Ministry of Education and Science (Spain) to S.M.A. S.M.A. was also supported by FIS contract 99/3060.Peer reviewe

PCR Protocol for Specific Identification of Candida nivariensis, a Recently Described Pathogenic Yeast

Candida nivariensis is a recently described pathogenic yeast closely related to Candida glabrata. We developed a specific set of oligonucleotide primers based on the internal transcribed spacer regions of the rRNA gene for the rapid identification of C. nivariensis. PCR with these primers amplified a 206-bp amplicon from C. nivariensis

Association between the Presence of the Panton-Valentine Leukocidin-Encoding Gene and a Lower Rate of Survival among Hospitalized Pulmonary Patients with Staphylococcal Disease

4 pag.- 1 fig.- 2 tab.Staphylococcus aureus is responsible for more than 2% of cases of communityacquired pneumonia and 10% of cases of nosocomial-acquired pneumonia. The lethality rate of such infections ranges from 30% to 80%. These infections are complicated by the fact that these bacteria have acquired diverse genetic information that makes them resistant to most antibiotics. Methicillin-resistant S. aureus (MRSA) is the most common cause of serious hospital-acquired infections (1). Infections of the respiratory tract by S. aureus can be more severe if the infecting strain produces the Panton-Valentine leukocidin (PVL) (11). The serious impact of PVL positive S. aureus infections seems to be associated with pulmonary complications.We are grateful to J.P. de Torres for critical reading of the manuscript. The study was partially supported by grants FUNCIS 02/38 and MEC BIO2002/00953, Spain, to S.M.A. S.M.A. was partially supported by Public Health Research Foundation (FIS) grant 99/3060, Spain. E.P.R. and C.L.A. were partially supported by grants from Consejería de Educación, Cultura y Deportes and FUNCIS, respectively, Gobierno de Canarias Autonomous Government, Spain.Peer reviewe