Statement of Ownership
(Source: Clinical Microbiology Newsletter)
Source: Clinical Microbiology Newsletter - October 21, 2016 Category: Microbiology Source Type: news
A special invitation to authors
The editors of Clinical Microbiology Newsletter welcome proposals for review articles on topics relevant to clinical microbiologists and infectious disease physicians. If you would like to prepare a brief manuscript on such a topic, please contact Paul Granato with your proposal (see contact information and general guidelines below) to discuss the details of the potential submission. (Source: Clinical Microbiology Newsletter)
Source: Clinical Microbiology Newsletter - October 21, 2016 Category: Microbiology Source Type: news
Update on Laboratory Diagnosis and Epidemiology of Trichomonas vaginalis: You Can Teach an “Old” Dog “New” Trichs
Past viewpoints on Trichomonas vaginalis infection have characterized the associated clinical disease as a “nuisance” condition, with affected demographics largely being older African American females residing in urban centers. The advent of commercial molecular assays specific for T. vaginalis has offered a new outlook on trichomoniasis. Within high-prevalence sexually transmitted infection populati ons, parasite distribution is not localized to specific population centers, and T. vaginalis prevalence is elevated among both younger and older age groups. (Source: Clinical Microbiology Newsletter)
Source: Clinical Microbiology Newsletter - October 7, 2016 Category: Microbiology Authors: Erik Munson, Maureen Napierala, Kimber L. Munson Source Type: news
Staphylococcus saprophyticus Bacteremia in a Pediatric Patient with Central Venous Catheter-Associated Infection
We report a case of S. saprophyticus central venous catheter (CVC)-associated bacteremia identified by matrix-assisted laser desorption ionization-time-of-flight (MALDI-TOF) mass spectrometry and provide a review of how to report and interpret antimicrobial susceptibility results for coagulase-negative staphylococci (CoNS) when species identification is warranted. (Source: Clinical Microbiology Newsletter)
Source: Clinical Microbiology Newsletter - September 21, 2016 Category: Microbiology Authors: Peera Hemarajata, Kristina Adachi, Lynn Ramirez-Avila, Romney M. Humphries Source Type: news
A special invitation to authors
The editors of Clinical Microbiology Newsletter welcome proposals for review articles on topics relevant to clinical microbiologists and infectious disease physicians. If you would like to prepare a brief manuscript on such a topic, please contact Paul Granato with your proposal (see contact information and general guidelines below) to discuss the details of the potential submission. (Source: Clinical Microbiology Newsletter)
Source: Clinical Microbiology Newsletter - September 21, 2016 Category: Microbiology Source Type: news
Burkholderia cepacia: a Complex Problem for More than Cystic Fibrosis Patients
It is always surprising to find that an organism we know only from the clinical laboratory is a “player” in other venues. Therefore, it was with some fascination that we learned that Burkholderia cepacia, long known as a pathogen in cystic fibrosis patients, is also the number one organism isolated from product recalls. We recount the story of this amazing organism, which has a place in th e clinical, agricultural, and pharmaceutical sectors. (Source: Clinical Microbiology Newsletter)
Source: Clinical Microbiology Newsletter - September 3, 2016 Category: Microbiology Authors: Nehemiah J. Landes, Hannah N. Livesay, Fran Schaeffer, Pam Terry, Ernest Trevino, Alice Schauer Weissfeld Source Type: news
Acute Respiratory Distress Syndrome Caused by Plasmodium falciparum Infection
A 23-year-old male was admitted to an inpatient facility in June for the evaluation of a fever that was not responding to antibacterial therapy. The patient had presented at a local clinic 2 days previously with a nonproductive cough and fever of 24-h duration. Left basilar crackles were heard on physical examination. Chest X ray revealed no significant findings, and vital signs were normal with the exception of slight tachycardia (76 beats per minute) and a fever of 101.7 °F. The patient was diagnosed with bronchitis/early community-acquired pneumonia and sent home on a 1-week regimen of levofloxacin. (Source: Clinical M...
Source: Clinical Microbiology Newsletter - September 3, 2016 Category: Microbiology Authors: Erik Munson, Patricia G. Luedke, William D. Timm Tags: Case Report Source Type: news
Molecular Detection of Diarrheal Pathogens
Acute diarrhea is an extremely common illness and causes a spectrum of disease, from loose bowel movements to severe dehydration and death. Most cases of acute diarrhea, and a proportion of chronic diarrhea cases, are associated with infections or their toxins, yet current diagnostic strategies are complex, time-consuming, and generally unproductive. Uniplex assays for bacteria such as Clostridium difficile or Shiga toxin-producing Escherichia coli are quicker than culture and more sensitive than antigen-based methods, while molecular methods for viral targets have largely replaced electron microscopy or antigen detection....
Source: Clinical Microbiology Newsletter - August 24, 2016 Category: Microbiology Authors: Marek Smieja, David M. Goldfarb Source Type: news
A special invitation to authors
The editors of Clinical Microbiology Newsletter welcome proposals for review articles on topics relevant to clinical microbiologists and infectious disease physicians. If you would like to prepare a brief manuscript on such a topic, please contact Paul Granato with your proposal (see contact information and general guidelines below) to discuss the details of the potential submission. (Source: Clinical Microbiology Newsletter)
Source: Clinical Microbiology Newsletter - August 24, 2016 Category: Microbiology Source Type: news
Monitoring for Viral Infections in Transplant Patients
Monitoring of transplant patients for viral infections allows individualized treatment regimens based on the risk for severe viral disease and quantification of viral loads in patient samples. Depending on the transplant type (solid-organ versus hematopoietic stem cell transplant), donor/recipient serostatus, degree of immunosuppression, and time from transplant, a variety of strategies can be used to manage the risk of post-transplant viral infections. They include empiric suppressive therapy, viral load monitoring, and diagnostic testing algorithms. (Source: Clinical Microbiology Newsletter)
Source: Clinical Microbiology Newsletter - August 4, 2016 Category: Microbiology Authors: Steve Miller Source Type: news
Failure to Detect Oxacillin Susceptibility in Staphylococcus aureus Due to the Presence of an Extended-Spectrum Beta-Lactamase Producer in a Patient with Polymicrobial Bacteremia
A 58-year-old male who had undergone liver transplantation 2 years previously was admitted to our hospital for the evaluation of fever and abdominal pain. Three blood culture sets were collected, and both bottles in each set were positive for the presence of bacterial growth within 10 h of incubation using the Bactec FX system (Becton-Dickinson Microbiology Systems, Cockeysville, MD). Gram-stained smear of the positive blood culture broths showed the presence of Gram-positive cocci in clusters and Gram-negative rods. (Source: Clinical Microbiology Newsletter)
Source: Clinical Microbiology Newsletter - August 4, 2016 Category: Microbiology Authors: Felipe P érez-García, Carlos Sánchez-Carrillo, Emilia Cercenado, Mercedes Marín, Emilio Bouza Tags: Case Report Source Type: news
Laboratory Blood Cultures: Past, Present, and Future
The expedient recovery of microorganisms from blood is an important subject both for the clinical microbiology laboratory and for the care of the patient. Blood culture techniques continue to be the subject of research and development, in part because the early identification of a potential microbial pathogen and because the subsequent antibiotic susceptibility results influence patient outcomes and guide targeted antimicrobial therapy. These functions are of even greater importance in the current era of multidrug-resistant pathogens and a more limited therapeutic armamentarium. (Source: Clinical Microbiology Newsletter)
Source: Clinical Microbiology Newsletter - July 23, 2016 Category: Microbiology Authors: Glen T. Hansen Source Type: news
Mold Causes and Effects “in a Material World”
Microorganisms, including mold and yeast, are everywhere. You may be breathing some noxious spores right now as you are reading this article. Journalists interested in sensationalism call most of the mold that causes health issues or property damage “black” mold or “toxic” mold. Stachybotrys chartarum (also known as Stachybotrys atra) and other fungi/molds have made it into the public's consciousness. In this article, you will see that there is no such thing as “toxic” mold. Bacteria and fungi can and do produce secondary metabolites called toxins. (Source: Clinical Microbiology Newsletter)
Source: Clinical Microbiology Newsletter - July 12, 2016 Category: Microbiology Authors: Paula H. Vance, Fran Schaeffer, Pam Terry, Ernest Trevino, Alice S. Weissfeld Source Type: news
Clostridium tertium Bacteremia in a Patient with Febrile Neutropenia: Potential Benefit of Matrix-Assisted Laser Desorption Ionization–Time of Flight Mass Spectrometry
We report a patient with febrile neutropenia who developed Clostridium tertium bacteremia while receiving empiric broad-spectrum antibiotic therapy. The aerotolerance of C. tertium can result in its misidentification, thereby delaying diagnosis and the administration of appropriate antimicrobial therapy. Such delays in high-risk oncology patients, especially those with febrile neutropenia, could result in serious complications and adverse outcomes. C. tertium was rapidly and reliably identified by using matrix-assisted laser desorption ionization–time of flight mass spectrometry (MALDI-TOF MS). (Source: Clinical Microbiology Newsletter)
Source: Clinical Microbiology Newsletter - July 12, 2016 Category: Microbiology Authors: María José González-Abad, Mercedes Alonso Sanz Source Type: news
Hot Topics in Antifungal Susceptibility Testing: a New Drug, a Bad Bug, Sweeping Caspofungin Testing under the Rug, and Solving the Epidemiological Cutoff Value Shrug
There are several new hot topics in antifungals and antifungal susceptibility testing. In this review, four topics of general interest to the clinical microbiology community are discussed. The first topic is the introduction of isavuconazole, a new triazole approved for clinical use in the United States. The second is triazole resistance in Aspergillus fumigatus isolates. A specific set of mutations are being found with greater frequency in isolates globally, including the U.S. The third topic of interest is a word of caution about antifungal susceptibility testing for caspofungin in Candida isolates; some laboratories hav...
Source: Clinical Microbiology Newsletter - June 18, 2016 Category: Microbiology Authors: Shawn R. Lockhart, Elizabeth L. Berkow Source Type: news
