Clinical manifestations, complications and treatment of brucellosis: a retrospective evaluation of 480 patients

The aim of this study was to evaluate the clinical, laboratory findings, and therapeutic features of patients with brucellosis. The diagnosis was made by clinical findings, positive agglutination titer. and/or the isolation of Brucella species. Three hundred and twenty-two cases were acute, 121 sub-acute, 24 chronic, and 13 asymptomatic. Symptoms of patients were malaise in 432 (90%) patients, sweating in 405 (184.4%), arthralgia in 393 (81.9%), fever in 383 (79.8%), and back pain in 281 (58.5%). The most frequent findings were fever in 187 (39%) patients, hepatomegaly in 102 (21.3%). osteoarticular involvement in 91 (19%), splenomegaly in 68 (14.2%), nervous system involvement in 31 (6.5%) patients. Lymphocytosis was determined in 328 patients, anemia in 262 patients, thrombocytopenia in 35 patients, leukopenia in 37 patients, leukocytosis in 31 patients. and elevated erythrocyte sedimentation rate in 282 patients. Cultures were positive in 194 (45%) patients and all strains were identified as Brucella melitensis. Various treatment regimens were given to patients, No therapeutic failure was observed. The time to defervescence ranged from 2 to 15 days. Relapse occurred in 26 of the 480 patients (5.4%). There was no correlation between relapse and positive culture or complications. Brucellosis can present various clinical forms in endemic areas and mimics several diseases. (C) 2002 Editions scientifiques et medicales Elsevier SAS. All rights reserved

Molecular epidemiology of the Bacillus anthracis isolates collected throughout Turkey from 1983 to 2011

Doganay, Mehmet/0000-0003-3922-4901; Otlu, Baris/0000-0002-6220-0521WOS: 000309214300035PubMed: 22576652The main perspective of this study was to determine cross-transmissions amongst anthrax cases and provide detailed information regarding the genotypes of Bacillus anthracis isolates circulating in Turkey. A total of 251 B. anthracis isolates were obtained from human (93 isolates), animal (155 isolates), and environmental (three isolates) samples in various provinces of Turkey. All isolates were susceptible to quinolones, vancomycin, tigecycline, and linezolid, but not to ceftriaxone. Excluding human isolates, one of the animal isolates was found to be resistant to penicillin, erythromycin, and doxycycline. Multiple-locus variable-number tandem repeats analysis including 8 loci (MLVA8) revealed 12 genotypes, in which genotype 43 was observed at the highest frequency (41.8 %), followed by genotype 35 (25.5 %) and genotype 27 (10.4 %). Major subtype A3.a was the predominant cluster, including 86.8 % of the isolates. The MLVA25 analysis for the 251 isolates yielded 62 different genotypes, 33 of which had only one isolate, while the remaining 29 genotypes had 2 to 43 isolates, with a total of 218 isolates (86.9 %). These findings indicate very high cross-transmission rates within anthrax cases in Turkey. The genotypes diagnosed in Turkey are populated in the A major cluster. Penicillin prescribed as the first-choice antibiotic for the treatment of anthrax is still effective.Scientific and Technological Research Council of TurkeyTurkiye Bilimsel ve Teknolojik Arastirma Kurumu (TUBITAK) [108 S164]This study was supported by a grant (108 S164) from the Scientific and Technological Research Council of Turkey. The authors thank Dr. Florigio Lista and Dr. Andrea Ciammaruconi from the Histology and Molecular Biology Section, Army Medical and Veterinary Research Center, Via Santo Stefano Rotondo 4, 00184, Rome, Italy, for their help and encouraging suggestions on the MLVA typing protocol

Naturally Occurring Cutaneous Anthrax: Antibiotic Treatment and Outcome

Objectives: Cutaneous anthrax (CA) is the most common clinical presentation in human anthrax, but the duration of antibiotic therapy in naturally occurring CA is controversial. The aim of this study was to compare the clinical outcomes of patients receiving antibiotic treatment for either 3-5 days (group 1) or 7-10 days (group 2) in uncomplicated CA. Methods: A total of 66 patients were enrolled; 29 (44%) in group 1 and 37 (56%) in group 2. Infections were classified as mild (n = 22, 33%) or severe (n = 44, 67%) CA. Results: There were no significant differences between the groups in symptom resolution time, fever clearance time, healing of lesions, development and healing of eschars, requirement for surgical intervention or the development of complications. Both edema resolution time and duration of hospital stay were longer in group 2. There were no therapeutic failures, relapses or deaths in either group. Steroid therapy was used in 32% of patients with severe CA, but a beneficial effect on resolution of edema was not demonstrated. Conclusions: These results suggest that short-course antibiotic therapy is as effective as standard-duration therapy in uncomplicated CA and that steroid therapy may not be effective. Copyright (C) 2012 S. Karger AG, Base

Superfícies do ambiente hospitalar como possíveis reservatórios de bactérias resistentes: uma revisão Superficies inanimadas del ambiente hospitalario como posibles reservorios de bacterias resistentes: una revisión Surfaces of the hospital environment as possible deposits of resistant bacteria: a review

O principal objetivo deste estudo é identificar, na literatura, artigos sobre a ocorrência de contaminação das superfícies inanimadas e uma possível disseminação de bactérias resistentes no ambiente hospitalar. Realizou-se um levantamento bibliográfico de artigos publicados nas bases de dados LILACS, MEDLINE, Science Direct, SCOPUS e ISI Web of Knowledge, entre 2000 e 2008. Foram selecionados e analisados vinte e um artigos. Nos estudos analisados, realçou-se a presença de bactérias em monitores, grades de cama, mesas, torneiras, telefones, teclados de computador e outros objetos. Houve predominância de Staphylococcus aureus resistente à meticilina, Clostridium difficile, Acine-to-bacter baumannii e Enterococcus resistentes à vancomicina, sendo fator preditivo a ocupação prévia por pacientes colonizados por tais microrganismos. Verificou-se semelhança entre as cepas isoladas de pacientes colonizados e/ou infectados e as cepas do ambiente por tipificação molecular. Essas evidências reforçam a necessidade de conhecimento e controle de fontes de patógenos no ambiente hospitalar.<br>Se objetivó identificar en la literatura artículos sobre la ocurrencia de contaminación de superficies inanimadas y la posible diseminación de bacterias resistentes en el ambiente hospitalario. Se realizó una investigación bibliográfica en las bases de datos LLILACS, MEDLINE, Science Direct, SCOPUS e ISI Web of Knowledge acerca de artículos publicados entre 2000 y 2008. Fueron seleccionados veintiún artículos. En los estudios analizados, se puso de manifiesto la presencia de bacterias en monitores, barandas de camas, mesas, canillas, teléfonos, teclados de computadora y otras. Existió predominancia de Staphylococcus aureus resistente a la meticilina, Clostridium difficile, Acinetobacter baumannii y Enterococcus resistentes a la vancomicina, resultando como factor predictivo el uso previo por parte de pacientes colonizados por tales microorganismos. Se verificó semejanza en las cepas aisladas de pacientes colonizados y/o infectados y del ambiente por tipificación molecular. Esas evidencias refuerzan la necesidad de conocimiento y control de fuentes de patógenos en el ambiente hospitalario.<br>The main objective of this study is to identify, in the literature, articles about the occurrence of contamination from inanimate surfaces and a possible dissemination of resistant bacteria in the hospital environment. A bibliographic survey was performed with articles published in the databases LILACS, MEDLINE, Science Direct, SCOPUS and ISI Web of Knowledge, between 2000 and 2008. Twenty-one articles were selected and analyzed. The analyzed studies highlighted the presence of bacteria on monitors, bed grids, tables, faucets, telephones, keyboards and other objects. There was a prevalence of Staphylococcus aureus resistant to methicillin, Clostridium difficile, Acinetobacter baumannii and Enterococcus resistant to vancomycin, being the predictive factor the previous occupation of patients colonized by these microorganisms. There was a similarity observed among the isolated strains of colonized and/or infected patients and the strains of the environment by molecular typification. These evidences reinforce the need for knowledge and control of the sources of pathogens in the hospital environment

Molecular epidemiology of the Bacillus anthracis isolates collected throughout Turkey from 1983 to 2011

The main perspective of this study was to determine cross-transmissions amongst anthrax cases and provide detailed information regarding the genotypes of Bacillus anthracis isolates circulating in Turkey. A total of 251 B. anthracis isolates were obtained from human (93 isolates), animal (155 isolates), and environmental (three isolates) samples in various provinces of Turkey. All isolates were susceptible to quinolones, vancomycin, tigecycline, and linezolid, but not to ceftriaxone. Excluding human isolates, one of the animal isolates was found to be resistant to penicillin, erythromycin, and doxycycline. Multiple-locus variable-number tandem repeats analysis including 8 loci (MLVA8) revealed 12 genotypes, in which genotype 43 was observed at the highest frequency (41.8 %), followed by genotype 35 (25.5 %) and genotype 27 (10.4 %). Major subtype A3.a was the predominant cluster, including 86.8 % of the isolates. The MLVA25 analysis for the 251 isolates yielded 62 different genotypes, 33 of which had only one isolate, while the remaining 29 genotypes had 2 to 43 isolates, with a total of 218 isolates (86.9 %). These findings indicate very high cross-transmission rates within anthrax cases in Turkey. The genotypes diagnosed in Turkey are populated in the A major cluster. Penicillin prescribed as the first-choice antibiotic for the treatment of anthrax is still effective

Update on treatment options for spinal brucellosis

We evaluated the efficacy and tolerability of antibiotic regimens and optimal duration of therapy in complicated and uncomplicated forms of spinal brucellosis. This is a multicentre, retrospective and comparative study involving a total of 293 patients with spinal brucellosis from 19 health institutions. Comparison of complicated and uncomplicated spinal brucellosis was statistically analysed. Complicated spinal brucellosis was diagnosed in 78 (26.6%) of our patients. Clinical presentation was found to be significantly more acute, with fever and weight loss, in patients in the complicated group. They had significantly higher leukocyte and platelet counts, erythrocyte sedimentation rates and C-reactive protein levels, and lower haemoglobulin levels. The involvement of the thoracic spine was significantly more frequent in complicated cases. Spondylodiscitis was complicated, with paravertebral abscess in 38 (13.0%), prevertebral abscess in 13 (4.4%), epidural abscess in 30 (10.2%), psoas abscess in 10 (3.4%) and radiculitis in 8 (2.7%) patients. The five major combination regimens were: doxycycline 200mg/day, rifampicin 600mg/day and streptomycin 1g/day; doxycycline 200mg/day, rifampicin 600mg/day and gentamicin 5mg/kg; doxycycline 200mg/day and rifampicin 600mg/day; doxycycline 200mg/day and streptomycin 1g/day; and doxycycline 200mg/day, rifampicin 600mg/day and ciprofloxacin 1g/day. There were no significant therapeutic differences between these antibiotic groups; the results were similar regarding the complicated and uncomplicated groups. Patients were mostly treated with doxycycline and rifampicin with or without an aminoglycoside. In the former subgroup, complicated cases received antibiotics for a longer duration than uncomplicated cases. Early recognition of complicated cases is critical in preventing devastating complications. Antimicrobial treatment should be prolonged in complicated spinal brucellosis in particular