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Human T-lymphotropic virus type 1 (HTLV-1) can induce adult T-cell leukemia or lymphoma and HTLV-1-associated myelopathy or tropical spastic paraparesis. These pathologies are a serious threat to the several million [...]

In wild chimpanzees in the Tai National Park, Cote d'Ivoire, sudden deaths which were preceded by respiratory problems had been observed since 1999. Two new clones of Streptococcus pneumoniae were identified in deceased apes on the basis of multilocus sequence typing analysis and ply, lytA, and pbp2x sequences. The findings suggest that virulent S. pneumoniae occurs in populations of wild chimpanzees with the potential to cause infections similar to those observed in humans.

We present the microbiological and molecular characterization of bacteria isolated from four chimpanzees and one gorilla thought to have died of an anthrax-like disease in Cote d'Ivoire and Cameroon. These isolates differed significantly from classic Bacillus anthracis by the following criteria: motility, resistance to the gamma phage, and, for isolates from Cameroon, resistance to penicillin G. A capsule was expressed not only after induction by C[O.sub.2] and bicarbonate but also under normal growth conditions. Subcultivation resulted in beta-hemolytic activity and gamma phage susceptibility in some subchmes, suggesting differences in gene regulation compared to classic B. anthracis. The isolates from Cote d'Ivoire and Cameroon showed slight differences in their biochemical characteristics and MICs of different antibiotics but were identical in all molecular features and sequences analyzed. PCR and Southern blot analyses confirmed the presence of both the toxin and the capsule plasmid, with sizes corresponding to the B. anthraeis virulence plasmids pXO1 and pXO2. Protective antigen was expressed and secreted into the culture supernatant. The isolates possessed variants of the Ba813 marker and the SG-749 fragment differing from that of classic B. anthraeis strains. Multilocus sequence typing revealed a close relationship of our atypical isolates with both classic B. anthracis strains and two uncommonly virulent Bacillus cereus and Bacillus thuringiensis isolates. We propose that the newly discovered atypical B. anthraeis strains share a common ancestor with classic B. anthracis or that they emerged recently by transfer of the B. anthracis plasmids to a strain of the B. cereus group.

A prospective anonymous study of HTLV-I and HTLV-II seroprevalence among 23,078 pregnant women in most of the cities in the United Kingdom was conducted. It was concluded that the seroprevalence of HTLV-I and HTLV-II in Western Europe is 6-fold higher among pregnant women than among blood donors.

We developed a set of three real-time reverse transcription--polymerase chain reaction (PCR) assays that amplify three different regions of the SARS-associated coronavirus (SARS-CoV), can be run in parallel or in [...]

In a study of 64 newly-diagnosed HIV patients in Germany who had not begun treatment, 13% had a virus that was resistant to an AIDS drug. For this reason, doctors may want to test all newly diagnosed HIV patients for drug resistance before starting therapy.

Bacillus subtilis produces surfactin, a cyclic lipopeptide antibiotic and biosurfactant, that increases the proliferation rates and changes the morphology of mycoplasma-contaminated mammalian cells. The high level of membrane phospholipids in the Mycoplasma cells makes the membranes susceptible to surfactin. Surfactin causes the disintegration of the mycoplasma membranes due to its physicochemical interaction with the outer part of the lipid membrane bilayer. The interaction makes the membranes permeable. Surfactin is active against Mycoplasma hyorhinis and M. orale.

To enable rapid and reliable detection of poxviruses in clinical and environmental specimens, a diagnostic approach was developed to detect [less than or equal to] 3 PFU of infectious poxvirus [...]

Abstract Porcine Hokovirus (PHoV) was recently discovered in Hong Kong. This new Parvovirus of pigs is closely related to the human Parvoviruses 4 and 5 (PARV4/5) and bovine Hokovirus (BHoV). So far, nothing is known about the presence and prevalence of PHoV in regions of the world other than Hong Kong. A study was initiated to investigate PHoV in German wild boars from five different geographical regions, using a newly established quantitative real-time PCR assay. Analysis of collected liver and serum samples revealed high overall prevalence (32.7%; 51/156) of PHoV in wild boars. The prevalence differed between the regions and increased with age. Two near full-length genomes and a large fragment for three additional isolates from different regions were sequenced and used for phylogenetic analysis. The German PHoV sequences from wild boars showed a close relationship with sequences of isolates from Hong Kong.

Abstract Background As a new class of therapeutic and diagnostic reagents, more than fifteen years ago RNA and DNA aptamers were identified as binding molecules to numerous small compounds, proteins and rarely even to complete pathogen particles. Most aptamers were isolated from complex libraries of synthetic nucleic acids by a process termed SELEX based on several selection and amplification steps. Here we report the application of a new one-step selection method (MonoLEX) to acquire high-affinity DNA aptamers binding Vaccinia virus used as a model organism for complex target structures. Results The selection against complete Vaccinia virus particles resulted in a 64-base DNA aptamer specifically binding to orthopoxviruses as validated by dot blot analysis, Surface Plasmon Resonance, Fluorescence Correlation Spectroscopy and real-time PCR, following an aptamer blotting assay. The same oligonucleotide showed the ability to inhibit in vitro infection of Vaccinia virus and other orthopoxviruses in a concentration-dependent manner. Conclusion The MonoLEX method is a straightforward procedure as demonstrated here for the identification of a high-affinity DNA aptamer binding Vaccinia virus. MonoLEX comprises a single affinity chromatography step, followed by subsequent physical segmentation of the affinity resin and a single final PCR amplification step of bound aptamers. Therefore, this procedure improves the selection of high affinity aptamers by reducing the competition between aptamers of different affinities during the PCR step, indicating an advantage for the single-round MonoLEX method.

The abilities and limitations of the diagnostic methods like real-time PCR, electron microscopy (EM) and virus isolation when used to detect potential bioweapons are discussed. Two different frontline techniques, such as EM and PCR, should be used in parallel in order to improve diagnostic simplicity, speed and reliability.

The number of great apes in Central Africa is dramatically declining and the populations are seriously threatened by diseases, mainly Ebola. However, results of a study show that the role of anthrax in great ape mortality might be underestimated, suggesting that risk identification, assessment, and management for the survival of the last great apes should be performed with an open mind, since various pathogens with distinct characteristics in epidemiology and pathogenicity might impact the populations.

To the Editor: Despite the eradication of smallpox in the past century, other orthopoxviruses, such as monkeypox virus, vaccinia virus in Brazil, and cowpox virus (CPXV) in Europe (1), still [...]