Multicenter Evaluation of Candida QuickFISH BC for Identification of Candida Species Directly from Blood Culture Bottles

Candida species are common causes of bloodstream infections (BSI), with high mortality. Four species cause >90% of Candida BSI: C. albicans, C. glabrata, C. parapsilosis, and C. tropicalis. Differentiation of Candida spp. is important because of differences in virulence and antimicrobial susceptibility. Candida QuickFISH BC, a multicolor, qualitative nucleic acid hybridization assay for the identification of C. albicans (green fluorescence), C. glabrata (red fluorescence), and C. parapsilosis (yellow fluorescence), was tested on Bactec and BacT/Alert blood culture bottles which signaled positive on automated blood culture devices and were positive for yeast by Gram stain at seven study sites. The results were compared to conventional identification. A total of 419 yeast-positive blood culture bottles were studied, consisting of 258 clinical samples (89 C. glabrata, 79 C. albicans, 23 C. parapsilosis, 18 C. tropicalis, and 49 other species) and 161 contrived samples inoculated with clinical isolates (40 C. glabrata, 46 C. albicans, 36 C. parapsilosis, 19 C. tropicalis, and 20 other species). A total of 415 samples contained a single fungal species, with C. glabrata (n = 129; 30.8%) being the most common isolate, followed by C. albicans (n = 125; 29.8%), C. parapsilosis (n = 59; 14.1%), C. tropicalis (n = 37; 8.8%), and C. krusei (n = 17; 4.1%). The overall agreement (with range for the three major Candida species) between the two methods was 99.3% (98.3 to 100%), with a sensitivity of 99.7% (98.3 to 100%) and a specificity of 98.0% (99.4 to 100%). This study showed that Candida QuickFISH BC is a rapid and accurate method for identifying C. albicans, C. glabrata, and C. parapsilosis, the three most common Candida species causing BSI, directly from blood culture bottles

Weissella confusa: problems with identification of an opportunistic pathogen that has been found in fermented foods and proposed as a probiotic.

Weissella confusa is found in fermented foods and has been suggested as a probiotic, but also causes sepsis and other serious infections in humans and animals. The incidence of human infections is underestimated partly due to confusion with viridans streptococci and partly due to difficulty making a definitive identification, even if the organism is recognized to belong to another genus, owing to the inability of commercial organism systems to identify it. We report our experiences identifying W. confusa isolated from two immune-compromised patients, both of whom developed sepsis with this organism. Two gram positive MicroScan gram positive combination panels, could not identify the organism because they did not have W. confusa in their data bases, but did not provide a false identification. W. confusa is in the data base of the RapID™ Str panel (Remel), which gave three incorrect, high probability results (≥ 95%). 16S rDNA sequencing identified the isolates as W. confusa. Maldi-Tof, performed by two of our reference laboratories, also correctly identified both isolates

Use of Raman spectroscopy to decrease time for identifying the species of Candida growth in cultures

BACKGROUND: The objective of this study is to establish Raman signatures from pure cultures of different Candida species using Raman Spectroscopy (RS) and use these signatures for rapid identification of unknown Candida species. METHODS: Pure cultures of five Candida species were evaluated using RS to build a limited signature library. \u27Raman Processing\u27 (RP) software was used for Principal Component Analysis (PCA) and Differential Functional Analysis (DFA). RESULTS: Eleven principal components described at least 95% variance in the spectra. Raman signatures from these known Candida species were able to identify the species of unknown Candida cultures with 100% accuracy. CONCLUSION: Raman spectroscopy can improve early identification of Candida species and may facilitate early optimal antifungal therapy

Non-O1, non-O139 Vibrio cholerae bacteremia in an urban academic medical center in the United States

Non-O1, non-O139 Vibrio cholerae (NOVC) are genetically diverse strains that are generally non-pathogenic in healthy hosts. In immunocompromised patients or those with liver disease, NOVC have been shown to cause gastroenteritis, wound infections or sepsis and are often associated with high mortality rates. We report a case of a patient with liver cirrhosis and chronic venous insufficiency who was found to have NOVC bacteremia. The patient had recently visited Florida, USA but had no seafood consumption or exposure to aquatic environments. The patient was managed with antimicrobials, with a favorable outcome

Multicenter Evaluation of a New Shortened Peptide Nucleic Acid Fluorescence In Situ Hybridization Procedure for Species Identification of Select Gram-Negative Bacilli from Blood Cultures▿

A shortened protocol for two peptide nucleic acid fluorescence in situ hybridization (PNA FISH) assays for the detection of Gram-negative bacilli from positive blood cultures was evaluated in a multicenter trial. There was 100% concordance between the two protocols for each assay (368 of 368 and 370 of 370 results) and 99.7% (367 of 368 and 369 of 370 results) agreement with routine laboratory techniques

Detection of Oseltamivir Resistance during Treatment of 2009 H1N1 Influenza Virus Infection in Immunocompromised Patients: Utility of Cycle Threshold Values of Qualitative Real-Time Reverse Transcriptase PCR▿

Two immunocompromised patients with 2009 H1N1 influenza pneumonia had viral shedding for over 5 weeks despite therapy with oseltamivir. Declining or persistently low cycle threshold values noted on serial qualitative real-time reverse transcriptase PCR (rRT-PCR) of respiratory specimens implied increasing viral load and probable drug resistance. Oseltamivir resistance was later confirmed by pyrosequencing

Trends in Antimicrobial Resistance of Acinetobacter baumannii Isolates from a Metropolitan Detroit Health System ▿

A phenotypic and genotypic analysis of Acinetobacter baumannii was conducted from 2003 to 2008 in Detroit, MI. The incidence of A. baumannii increased from 1.7 to 3.7/1,000 patient days during the study period. Susceptibility to ampicillin-sulbactam and imipenem decreased from ∼90% to ∼40%. Genotyping revealed polyclonality, suggesting either emergence of multiple resistant strains or spread of a common genetic element. The sharp rise mandates major multidisciplinary interventions to optimize management of this multidrug-resistant pathogen

Clostridium Difficile Colonization in Hematopoietic Stem Cell Transplant Recipients: A Prospective Study of the Epidemiology and Outcomes Involving Toxigenic and Nontoxigenic Strains

AbstractClostridium difficile is a leading cause of infectious diarrhea in hematopoietic stem cell transplant (HSCT) recipients. Asymptomatic colonization of the gastrointestinal tract occurs before development of C. difficile infection (CDI). This prospective study examines the rates, risk factors, and outcomes of colonization with toxigenic and nontoxigenic strains of C. difficile in HSCT patients. This 18-month study was conducted in the HSCT unit at the Karmanos Cancer Center and Wayne State University in Detroit. Stool samples from the patients who consented for the study were taken at admission and weekly until discharge. Anaerobic culture for C. difficile and identification of toxigenic strains by PCR were performed on the stool samples. Demographic information and clinical and laboratory data were collected. Of the 150 patients included in the study, 29% were colonized with C. difficile at admission; 12% with a toxigenic strain and 17% with a nontoxigenic strain. Over a 90-day follow-up, 12 of 44 (26%) patients colonized with any C. difficile strain at admission developed CDI compared with 13 of 106 (12%) of patients not colonized (odds ratio [OR], 2.70; 95% confidence interval [95% CI], 1.11 to 6.48; P = .025). Eleven of 18 (61%) patients colonized with the toxigenic strain and 1 of 26 (4%) of those colonized with nontoxigenic strain developed CDI (OR, 39.30; 95% CI, 4.30 to 359.0; P < .001) at a median of 12 days. On univariate and multivariate analyses, none of the traditional factors associated with high risk for C. difficile colonization or CDI were found to be significant. Recurrent CDI occurred in 28% of cases. Asymptomatic colonization with C. difficile at admission was high in our HSCT population. Colonization with toxigenic C. difficile was predictive of CDI, whereas colonization with a nontoxigenic C. difficile appeared protective. These findings may have implications for infection control strategies and for novel approaches for the prevention and preemptive treatment of CDI in the HSCT patient population