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* Context.--Infections are the leading cause of perinatal and infant mortality in low-income and low-resource countries, which have a higher prevalence of infections. Definitive diagnosis of congenital and perinatal infections is largely dependent upon the results of laboratory tests. Objective.--To develop a multiplex nested polymerase chain reaction (PCR) technique for the simultaneous detection of 7 pathogens containing DNA in their genomes in suspected cases of congenital infection. Design.--Eligible participants were pregnant women with positive immunoglobulin M antibodies raised to one of the pathogens in the prenatal serologic screening, associated or not with fetal ultrasound abnormalities or positive fetal serology. Neonates whose mothers did not attend prenatal care were included when they presented with symptomatology and laboratory parameters suggestive of infection. The detection rate of the multiplex nested PCR was compared with maternal, fetal, and neonatal serology, as well as placental immunohistochemistry and noncommercial amplifications. Results.--Of 161 suspected cases, the multiplex nested PCR detected 60 (37.3%), whereas the tests available in hospital laboratories detected 13 of 60 (21.7%) of the cases detected by the multiplex nested PCR, demonstrating a 4.6 times higher detection rate for the multiplex nested PCR (Fisher exact test, P < .001). Positive amplifications were to Toxoplasma gondii (32 cases), cytomegalovirus (14 cases), parvovirus B19 (5 cases), and adenovirus (5 cases). In 4 cases, 2 pathogens were simultaneously detected. All types of biological matrices were suitable for amplification. Sequencing of multiplex nested PCR products confirmed the molecular findings. Conclusions.--The multiplex nested PCR significantly increased the number of diagnosed congenital infections. Given the scarcity of DNA recovered from amniotic fluid and some neonatal samples, this multiplex nested PCR allows the simultaneous detection of 7 pathogens associated with congenital infections in a reliable, faster, cost-effective, and more sensitive way. (Arch Pathol Lab Med. 2020;144:99-106; doi: 10.5858/arpa.2018-0544-OA), Infections are the leading cause of perinatal mortality in low- and middle-income countries, which have a higher prevalence of infections, and are responsible for 50% of infant deaths in the [...]

Hemotropic mycoplasmas (or hemoplasmas; size We identified and characterized Candidatus M. haemohominis infections in a patient with pyrexia of unknown origin. The patient had various life-threatening symptoms that were not [...]

In 1996, emerging highly pathogenic avian influenza (HPAI) viruses caused outbreaks in domestic poultry in China. The ancestral virus (A/goose/Guangdong/1/1996(H5N1); gs/Gd) and the related reassortant viruses have continued to cause [...]

Highly effective direct-acting antivirals against hepatitis C virus (HCV) have created an opportunity to transplant organs from HCV-positive individuals into HCV-negative recipients, since de novo infection can be routinely cured. As this procedure is performed more widely, it becomes increasingly important to understand the biological underpinnings of virus transmission, especially the multiplicity of infection. Here, we used single genome sequencing of plasma virus in 4 genotype 1a HCV-positive organ donors and their 7 organ recipients to assess the genetic bottleneck associated with HCV transmission following renal and cardiac transplantation. In all recipients, de novo infection was established by multiple genetically distinct viruses that reflect the full phylogenetic spectrum of replication-competent virus circulating in donor plasma. This was true in renal and cardiac transplantation and in recipients with peak viral loads ranging between 2.9-6.6 [log.sub.10] lU/mL. The permissive transmission process characterized here contrasts sharply with sexual or injection-related transmission, which occurs less frequently per exposure and is generally associated with a stringent genetic bottleneck. These findings highlight the effectiveness of current anti-HCV regimens while raising caution regarding the substantially higher multiplicity of infection seen in organ transplantation-associated HCV acquisition., Introduction Individuals with end-stage renal failure on hemodialysis experience a significant morbidity and mortality benefit with renal transplantation (1). The wait time for kidney transplantation, however, exceeds 3 to 5 [...]

In Africa, the prevalence of disease caused by Aedes mosquito-borne virus infections might be similar to that in the Americas (1,2). However, the transmission and genetic diversity of arthropodborne viruses [...]

Elephants are susceptible to infection by some members of the Mycobacterium tuberculosis complex (MTBC) (1). The MTBC comprises several genetically homogeneous species that have a wide range of hosts and [...]

Orthopoxviruses (OPXVs; family Poxviridae, subfamily Chordopoxvirinae, genus Orthopoxvirus) are complex, double-stranded DNA viruses with ongoing interest because of their potential use as bioterrorism agents and in gene therapy. Variola virus [...]

Nontyphoidal Salmonella spp. cause an estimated 93.8 million salmonellosis infections and 155,000 deaths globally each year (1). However, the population dynamics of human salmonellosis remain poorly understood, which can undermine [...]

Rotaviruses, the leading cause of acute gastroenteritis in children worldwide, are classified into G and P genotypes on the basis of 2 outer capsid proteins, viral protein (VP) 7 and [...]

Human infections caused by Streptococcus suis have been recognized as a global public health and economic problem in the swine industry (1-3). These infections afflict persons in close contact with [...]

West Nile virus (WNV) is a notable cause of neuroinvasive disease and febrile illness. In humans, WNV generates low viremia levels during infection (1). WNV is endemic in Israel and [...]

Feline infectious peritonitis (FIP) is a fatal infection that affects domestic and wild members of the family Felidae and is caused by a feline coronavirus (FCoV) of the family Coronaviridae, [...]

Hepatitis E virus (HEV) is a positive-sense single-stranded RNA virus (1), classified as the sole member of the genus Hepevirus in the family Hepeviridae (2). Hepatitis E, caused by HEV [...]

Rotavirus (ROTAV) is a leading cause of severe acute gastroenteritis in infants and young children (1). It is estimated that ROTAV is responsible for 527,000 deaths each year; most occur [...]

Group A Streptococcus (GAS) is a gram-positive bacterial pathogen responsible for ≅600 million cases of pharyngitis each year worldwide (1). The widespread prevalence of this disease results in considerable costs, [...]

Penicillium marneffei is the only pathogenic species of A Penicillium within this grouping of >270 species. This unique feature is due to the ability of P. marneffei to exhibit temperature-dependent [...]

Wheezing in preschool children is mostly associated with viral upper respiratory tract infections, can recur frequently and is not usually associated with any underlying inflammation between episodes of wheeze. While spontaneous resolution of wheezing occurs in some of these children, in others wheeze persists, and these children are at risk of developing asthma. A number of birth cohort studies have improved our understanding of the natural history of preschool wheeze disorders but many gaps in our knowledge still remain. This article summarizes existing knowledge regarding preschool wheeze phenotypes including clinical relevance, natural history of preschool wheeze disorders, pathophysiology and treatment strategies. This article will focus on preschool children with recurrent wheeze with or without viral respiratory tract infections., Author(s): Samatha Sonnappa [sup.1] Keywords: Keywords asthma; phenotype; preschool wheeze; risk factor; treatment Wheezing in the preschool years is extremely common and it is estimated that approximately one in three [...]