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The polio endgame has been complicated by unintended consequences that have arisen from our strategies. Among patients with paralyzed polio, 5% to 10% may die, meaning that polio mortality is currently mostly related to vaccine-derivatives rather than wild strains. Prolonged VDPV excreters are a serious obstacle in the pathway of OPV cessation, and polio eradication will require eliminating all sources and reservoirs of polioviruses. They provided evidence that antibiotics did not directly affect poliovirus replication but that gut microbiota depletion diminished polioviruses replication. [Extracted from the article]

Background: Necrotizing enterocolitis (NEC) is a devastating gastrointestinal disease with high morbidity and mortality that predominantly affects preterm neonates during outbreaks. In a previous study, the present authors identified 15 Clostridium butyricum isolates from stool samples during a series of NEC cases involving four neonatal intensive care units. A clonal lineage of these strains was observed by in-silico multi-locus sequence typing.Aim: To confirm the previous findings by sequencing a larger number of C. butyricum genomes and using other genotyping approaches.Methods: The previously isolated 15 C. butyricum strains were characterized and compared with 17 other commensal and environmental C. butyricum strains using whole-genome sequencing (WGS). In addition, the clustering was analysed using multi-spacer sequence typing (MST).Findings: The core genome of C. butyricum was composed of 1251 genes, and its pan-genome consisted of 12,628 genes with high variability between strains. It was possible to distinguish the clonal lineage of strains from a series of NEC cases, forming three clades with geographical clustering. The results obtained using WGS and MST approaches were congruent.Conclusion: MST is a fast, cheap and effective genotyping method for investigating NEC outbreaks associated with C. butyricum. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Plague, a deadly zoonose caused by the bacterium Yersinia pestis, has been firmly documented in 39 historical burial sites in Eurasia that date from the Bronze Age to two historical pandemics spanning the 6th to 18th centuries. Palaeomicrobiologic data, including gene and spacer sequences, whole genome sequences and protein data, confirmed that two historical pandemics swept over Europe from probable Asian sources and possible two-way-ticket journeys back from Europe to Asia. These investigations made it possible to address questions regarding the potential sources and routes of transmission by completing the standard rodent and rodent–flea transmission scheme. This suggested that plague was transmissible by human ectoparasites such as lice, and that Y. pestis was able to persist for months in the soil, which is a source of reinfection for burrowing mammals. The analyses of seven complete genome sequences from the Bronze Age indicated that Y. pestis was probably not an ectoparasite-borne pathogen in these populations. Further analyses of 14 genomes indicated that the Justinian pandemic strains may have formed a clade distinct from the one responsible for the second pandemic, spanning in Y. pestis branch 1, which also comprises the third pandemic strains. Further palaeomicrobiologic studies must tightly connect with historical and anthropologic studies to resolve questions regarding the actual sources of plague in ancient populations, alternative routes of transmission and resistance traits. Answering these questions will broaden our understanding of plague epidemiology so we may better face the actuality of this deadly infection in countries where it remains epidemic. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Preexposure prophylaxis (PrEP) against HIV is currently the subject of great interest, as clinical trials have shown high efficacy in terms of decreasing transmission among men who have sex with men. Because the prevalence of bacterial sexual transmitted infections (STIs) is increasing within this community, a recent pilot study demonstrated the efficacy of reducing transmission of bacterial STIs by administering PrEP with daily doxycycline to men who have sex with men. This creative initiative raises several questions which are discussed in this review. Relevant information should be drawn from the huge amount of available epidemiologic data to identify those who could benefit from such prophylactic treatment. The choice of antimicrobial agents is crucial, as antimicrobial susceptibility of STI agents is heterogeneous. Finally, we discuss challenges to improve the control of STIs through the use of PrEP. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The authors discuss the plan of the periodical " Clinical Microbiology and Infection" (CMI) in 2016. Topics include the discontinued operation of the editorial team in April 2016 due to articulation and conflict of interest, the creation of a new journal "New Microbes New Infections (NMNI) with M. Drancourt as editor in chief, and the online publication of the journal.

We report here the isolation of a new bacterial species ‘Helcococcus massiliensis’ strain Marseille P4590 (CSURP4590), isolated from the vaginal sample of a woman with bacterial vaginosis. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Summary: Introduction: Antibodies against mimivirus, a recently discovered giant virus, have been found in patients presenting with pneumonia suggesting a potential role for this virus as a respiratory pathogen. Several bacterial and viral pathogens have been associated with the occurrence of acute exacerbations in COPD. However, a large part of these exacerbations have an unknown cause. In the present study we evaluated the presence of mimivirus in sputum samples of COPD patients. Methods: From March 2009 until January 2010 all sputum samples collected during stable conditions and during exacerbations of COPD patients, referred for pulmonary rehabilitation, were included. All sputum samples were analysed by real-time PCR targeting mimivirus. Furthermore, serum samples were analysed for the presence of antibodies against mimivirus. Results: A total of 220 sputum samples from 109 patients were eligible for inclusion. None of the sputum samples showed the presence of mimivirus DNA. Antibodies against mimivirus were detected in 3 serum samples from 3 patients, of which one showed an increase in antibody-titre. Conclusions: Although mimivirus was suggested as a potential respiratory pathogen, its presence could not be confirmed in the present study-population of patients with COPD. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract: Bartonella henselae is the causative agent of cat scratch disease, a human infection usually characterized by persistent regional lymphadenopathy. It is transmitted to humans by cat scratches or bites. Cats are the major reservoir for this bacterium thus B. henselae has a worldwide distribution. The bacterial pathogenicity may bay emphasized by the immune status of the infected host. Angiomatosis or hepatic peliosis are the most frequent clinical manifestations in immunocompromised patients. B. henselae is also responsible for endocarditis in patients with valvular diseases, and may induce various clinical presentations such as: bacteriemia, retinitis, musculoskeletal disorders, hepatic or splenic diseases, encephalitis, or myocarditis. Several diagnostic tools are available; they may be combined and adapted to every clinical setting. B. henselae is a fastidious bacterium; its diagnosis is mainly made by PCR and blood tests. No treatment is required for the benign form of cat scratch disease. For more severe clinical presentations, the treatment must be adapted to every clinical presentation. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

OBJECTIVES: Q fever is a worldwide zoonosis caused by Coxiella burnetii. Its presentation can be atypical, delaying and complicating the diagnosis. We report 7 cases of Q fever mimicking vasculitis, systemic inflammatory disease, or auto-immune disorder. METHODS: Seven cases of Q fever diagnosed between 1995 and 2007 in Nantes University Hospital (France) are described. They occurred in a nonendemic region and were selected on the basis of initial clinical presentation suggesting systemic immune disease. C. burnetii was detected using indirect immunofluorescence serology. RESULTS: Q fever was acute in 4 of the 7 patients and chronic in 3. None had endocarditis. The initial presentations suggested Crohn's disease, Goodpasture's syndrome, polymyalgia rheumatica, adult-onset Still's disease, polyarteritis nodosa, giant-cell arteritis, and essential type II cryoglobulinemia. Two patients had antiphospholipid antibodies, 1 had transient IgG kappa monoclonal gammopathy, and 1 had polyclonal T CD8+ large granular lymphocyte expansion. CONCLUSION: Clinicians must be aware of the potential diagnosis of Q fever, and C. burnetii serology is a helpful diagnostic tool in the investigation of fever of unknown origin with atypical systemic symptoms suggesting vasculitis or inflammatory disease. Copyright © 2010 by Elsevier Inc. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

We report the main characteristics of Haloferax massiliensis strain Arc-Hr T (= CSUR P974) isolated from stool specimen of a 22-year-old Amazonian obese female patient. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract: Rickettsiae are strictly intracellular bacteria belonging to the Rickettsiaceae family. They are transmitted by various arthropods species, which are either vectors or reservoirs for the bacteria. The specific association between Rickettsieae and the vector are extensively studied, moreover Rickettsieae associated diseases are part of a continuously evolving field. Nevertheless, some rickettsiosis, such as epidemic typhus, have been described since the 16th century. Emerging diseases related to these bacteria are being investigated as well as new species, the implication of which is not always clear in human pathology when they are discovered. Some of these diseases are benign, others may be potentially fatal. Clinicians must therefore be aware of them. These issues are reviewed. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

Unidentified Gram-negative aerobic rods were recovered from the blood cultures of six neonates in a neonatal intensive care facility in Tunis, Tunisia. 16S rRNA gene sequencing showed that these were members of the Halomonas genus, with <97% sequence similarity to their closest relative. The observation of unique phenotypic characteristics of these organisms supported a novel species and the name Halomonas phocaeensis sp. nov. was proposed. A case-control study and conditional logistic regression analysis suggested that the administration of fresh frozen plasma was the only independent risk factor for developing H. phocaeensis bacteraemia. Observational studies indicated that fresh frozen plasma was warmed up using a water-bath. This first description of a nosocomial outbreak of H. phocaeensis bacteraemia illustrates the infection risks associated with poorly controlled water hygiene in healthcare settings. Copyright © 2007 The Hospital Infection Society [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Summary: Outbreaks due to Mycobacterium xenopi have been linked with contaminated water. M. xenopi has been shown to interact with the biofilm formed in water distribution systems and to be hosted by free-living Acanthamoeba. The present study investigated the interaction between M. xenopi and A. polyphaga amoeba, and between M. xenopi and human fibroblast HEL cells. Examination using the light microscopy together with electronic and confocal microscopy demonstrated that M. xenopi was located within the amoeba and in HEL cells. The Light Cycler measurement of the M. xenopi:A. polyphaga DNA ratio and the M. xenopi:HEL cell DNA ratio demonstrated intra-amoebal and intracellular growth of M. xenopi with doubling-times of five-days and 10 days, respectively. Intra-amoebal M. xenopi survived protozoan encystment and germination. These data demonstrate that M. xenopi is a facultative intra-amoebal and intracellular pathogen. Testing intra-amoebal M. xenopi might be necessary to properly evaluate decontamination procedures for hospital water supply systems in order to achieve eradication. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

18F-Fluorodeoxyglucose Positron Emission Tomography (18F-FDG PET) has been shown to be useful for the diagnosis of infective endocarditis (IE), but its prognostic value remains unknown. This study sought to assess the prognostic value of 18F-FDG PET/CT in prosthetic (PVE) and native valve endocarditis (NVE). We prospectively studied 173 consecutive patients (109 PVE and 64 NVE) with definite IE who underwent an 18F-FDG PET/CT study and were follow-up for one year. Primary end-point was a composite of major cardiac events i.e. death, recurrence of IE, acute cardiac failure, non-scheduled hospitalization for cardiovascular reason, and new embolic event. 18F-FDG PET/CT was positive in 100 (58%) patients, 83% (n = 90/109) in the PVE and 16% (n = 10/64) in the NVE group. At a mean follow of 225 days (199 to 251 days), the primary end-point occurred in 94 (54%) patients, 63 (58%) in the PVE group and 31 (48%) in the NVE group. In the PVE group, positive 18F-FDG PET/CT was significantly associated with higher rate of primary end-point (OR = 2.6, IC95% = 1.04 to 6.6; P = 0.04). Moderate to intense 18F-FDG valvular uptake was also associated with worse outcome (OR = 2.1; IC95% = 1.1 to 4.0; P = 0.03) and to new embolic events, (OR = 7.5; IC95% = 1.24 to 45.2) P = 0.03). In the NVE group, 18F-FDG PET/CT was not associated with occurrence of the primary end-point. In addition to be an accurate diagnostic tool, 18F-FDG PET/CT is predictive of major cardiac events in PVE and of embolic events during the first year following IE episode. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Summary: Objective: The aim of the study was to characterise the causative agents of rickettsial disease in Malta. A secondary objective was to study the epidemiology of cases of rickettsial disease. Methods: Cases admitted to St Luke''s Hospital between June 2002 and May 2003 presenting with complaints of fever, headache, rash and/or an eschar were considered possible cases of rickettsial disease. A patient interview was conducted within 24h of admission. Paired sera were taken for serology and blood samples sent for rickettsial PCR and culture. Whenever an eschar was present, biopsies were taken for culture and immunohistochemical analysis. Results: Thirty-three cases of possible rickettsial disease were identified. Although serological tests showed cross reactivities between different species of rickettsiae, one was diagnostic for Rickettsia conorii. None of the sera showed any cross-reactivity with Rickettsia typhi. There was one positive biopsy for R. conorii when tested by PCR and another was positive for spotted fever group Rickettsia by immunohistochemistry. Conclusion: Spotted fever rickettsiosis is endemic in Malta. Contrary to previous belief, none of the cases were due to murine typhus. The predominant causative agent of rickettsial disease in Malta is likely to be R. conorii, although the animal reservoir has still not been definitely identified. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

The article offers information on the horizontal gene transfers (HGT) between amoeba and bacteria. It informs that these HGT may occur between intracellular pathogens and this bacterium was not found in amoebae but its genome possesses genes related to genes from the amoeba-parasites Legionella pneumophila and Protochlamydia amoebophila. Further, it informs that amoeba not only represent a place of gene exchange for these microorganisms, but can also participate in these exchanges.

The article focuses on a study carried out to screen rodents trapped in Omsk region of western Siberia in Russia for proteobacteria by using polymerase chain reaction (PCR) amplification and sequencing. The research was conducted by extracting DNA from the spleen samples of rodents and performing PCR screening of all specimens for Rickettsia and Bartonella species. The study revealed that proteobacteria were present in 10 percent of the rodents.

The article focuses on a study done to examine whether Rickettsia hulinii pertains to the Rickettsia heilongjiangensis species. It states that multigene sequencing and mouse serotyping were used to clarify the taxonomic status of strain HL-93 by comparing it with other validated Rickettsia species. The results revealed that Rickettsia species HL-93, which is pathogenic for animals, does not fulfils the genetic or the phenotypic criteria to be considered as a separate Rickettsia species.

I am adopting an epistemological point of view to decrypt the recent Lancet gate, revealing current weaknesses in Sciences and its production in western countries, giving an unique opportunity to refound both. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Funding and gifts from the pharmaceutical industry have an influence on the decisions made by physicians and medical experts. In the context of the coronavirus disease 2019 epidemic, several treatments are available to treat patients infected with the virus. Some are protected by patents, such as remdesivir, others0020stare not, such as hydroxychloroquine. We wanted to observe the possible correlation between the fact, for an academic doctor in infectious diseases, of having benefited from funding by Gilead Sciences, producer of remdesivir, and the public positions taken by this doctor towards hydroxychloroquine. Our results show a correlation (Spearman test, p = 0.017) between the amount received from the Gilead Sciences company and public opposition to the use of hydroxychloroquine in France. This should open up the debate on the role of the interest links of doctors with pharmaceutical companies in the medical and scientific public debate. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Randomized clinical trials are not relevant for infectious disease outbreaks due to a new pathogen, for which public health decisions have to be made urgently. An approach based on group comparisons, in silico , may provide valuable results in a reasonably short period of time for a negligible amount of money. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In infective endocarditis (IE), neurological complications (NC) may be a cause of delayed cardiac surgery. However, whether this delay impact prognosis or not is unknown. To evaluate prognosis in patients presenting IE with NC compared to a control group. To describe the impact of temporary surgical contraindication on patient mortality and evaluate the predictive factors for death among patients with NC. In a prospective single-center study, all patients with IE had a systematic screening for cerebral complication. Six months mortality was compared and in patients presenting NC, prognosis according to surgical status was analyzed. The Cox regression model was used to analyze variables predictive of mortality in case of NC. Between 2014 and 2018, 351 patients with a diagnosis of left-sided IE were included. 94 patients (26.8%) presented at least one NC. Fifty-nine patients (17.9%) died in the first 6 months of follow-up. Six-months mortality was not significantly different between patients with NC and the control group (P = 0.6). Regarding patients with NC, mortality was higher in non-operated vs. operated patients when cardiac surgery was indicated (P = 0.02). Forty patients had temporary surgical contraindication due to NC. During the period of surgical contraindication, 7 patients (17.5%) died, 6 patients (15%) presented new embolic event, 12 patients (30%) presented cardiac or septic deterioration. By multivariate analysis, predictive factors for mortality among patients with NC were temporary surgical contraindication (HR 7.36; 95% CI 1.61–33.67; P = 0.01) and existence of mechanical prosthetic valve (HR 16.4; 95% CI 2.22–121.17; P = 0.006). With current management of IE, mortality of patients with NC is not higher than in control patients. Patients with temporary surgical contraindication because of NC were high-risk patients: they presented a higher risk of death and frequent major complications while waiting for surgery. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The article focuses on the catastrophic illness related to antibiotic resistance. It includes information on human deaths due to multidrug-resistant bacterial strains and infections. It also discusses topics including methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus, Streptococcus pneumoniae infections, and MDR risk for patients hospitalized in Intensive Care Units.

The article discusses the need of both microbiologists and medical doctors in the study of microbiota.

We report the primary characteristics of “ Ezakiella massiliensis ” strain Marseille P2951 (= DSM 103122 = CSUR P2951), a new member of the Ezakiella genus. Strain Marseille P2951 was isolated from a vaginal sample taken from an asymptomatic 20-year-old woman who had sex with another woman who had bacterial vaginosis. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The article reports that a model published recently favours the hypothesis that Black Death was propagated by human ectoparasites after it was introduced by rats and rat ectoparasites. It mentioned that based on the incompatibility of the epidemic model with the traditional mode of transmission of plague, airborne transmission after plague pneumonia also seemed to us discordant with the speed of development of the diseases.

The article presents the author's views regarding role of microbes on human cells, notably the role of the microbiota and its influence over weight loss and gain. Topics include the role of antibiotics with regard to weight gain, emerging role of microbes in cancer control and role of microbes in human diseases.

An introduction to this issue of "Clinical Microbiology and Infection," in which the authors discusses the problem of drug resistance in bacteria," is presented.

The authors reflect on the guidelines published by the European Society of Clinical Microbiology and Infectious Diseases (ESCMID). Topics include the Clinical Microbiology and Infection (CMI), the ESCMID policy on managing and commissioning the guidelines, and the important roles of the policy in validating the guidelines.

The article focuses on the analysis of the risk factors associated with the bioterrorism. Particular focus is given to the bioterrorism caused due to anthrax bacilli in the U.S., initiatives to prevent the bioterrorism, and Iraq war. Funds for the prevention of bioterrorism, ban on the research of diseases caused by the microorganism, and need to find the risk of infectious diseases are also discussed.

The article presents research on the epidemic of bacteria Escherichia coli (E. coli) among women in California. The study attributes the community-acquired urinary tract infections to unrecognized clonal group of multidrug-resistant E. coli. It puts emphasis on the resistance level of E. coli-achieved resistance as infections vary.