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ObjectiveThe primary cervical cancer screening strategy for women over age 30 is high-risk human papillomavirus (HPV) testing combined with Papanicolaou (Pap) testing (cotesting) every 5 years. This combination strategy is a preventive service that is required by the Affordable Care Act to be covered with no cost-sharing by most health insurance plans. The cotesting recommendation was made based entirely on prospective data from an insured population that may have a lower proportion of women with HPV positive and Pap negative results (ie, discordant results). The discordant group represents a very difficult group to manage. If the frequency of discordant results among underserved women is higher, health care providers may perceive the cotesting strategy to be a less favorable screening strategy than traditional Pap testing every 3 years.Study designThe Centers for Disease Control and Prevention's Cervical Cancer Study was conducted at 15 clinics in 6 federally qualified health centers across Illinois. Providers at these clinics were given the option of cotesting for routine cervical cancer screening. Type-specific HPV detection was performed on residual extracts using linear array.ResultsPap test results were abnormal in 6.0% and HPV was positive in 7.2% of the underserved women screened in this study (mean age, 45.1 years). HPV prevalence decreased with age, from 10.3% among 30- to 39-year-olds to 4.5% among 50- to 60-year-olds. About 5% of the women had a combination of a positive HPV test and normal Pap test results; HPV 16/18 was identified in 14% of discordant women.ConclusionThe rate of discordant results among underserved women was similar to those reported throughout the US in a variety of populations. Typing for HPV 16/18 appears to assist in the management in a small proportion of women with discordant results.

Objective: To access the performance of the Tellgenplex human papillomavirus (HPV) DNA test compared to the polymerase chain reaction-reverse dot blot (PCR-RDB) assay for the HPV genotyping. Methods: Sixty cervical swab samples were genotyped by the Tellgenplex HPV DNA test and the PCR-RDB assay. The Tellgenplex HPV DNA test and the PCR-RDB assay can detect 26 and 23 HPV genotypes, respectively. Each sample showed discrepancy was genotyped using sequencing. Results: The percent agreement between the two tests ranged from 83.3% to 100.0% according to different genotype. This showed perfect agreement (>0.81) for high-risk HPV genotypes (35, 39, 45, 53, 56, 59, 66, 68, and 82), substantial agreement (>0.65) for high-risk HPV genotypes (16, 18, 33, 52, and 58) and low-risk HPV genotype 43 between the two assays by the kappa analysis. The positive rates of the two assays for frequent HPV genotypes (16, 35, 39, 45, 52, 53, 58, 59, 66, and 82) were not statistically different, but the PCR-RDB assay showed higher positive rates than the Tellgenplex HPV DNA test for HPV genotypes 81 (P

Abstract Background Enterocytozoon bieneusi is the most common pathogen of 14 microsporidian species infecting humans worldwide. In China, E. bieneusi has been reported in some common livestock and environmental specimens. However, no information is available on occurrence of E. bieneusi in reindeers. The objective of the present study was to detect and genotype E. bieneusi in reindeers in China, and assess the zoonotic potential. Findings 125 fecal specimens were collected from wild reindeers in the northeast forest region of Great Hinggan Mountains of China. By PCR and sequencing of the internal transcribed spacer (ITS) region of the ribosomal RNA (rRNA) gene of E. bieneusi, an average infection rate of 16.8 % (21/125) was observed in reindeers. E. bieneusi was detected in two age groups: 7.7 % (3/39) in the youths (aged 1 to 2 years) and 22.2 % (18/81) in the adults (aged 3 to 8 years). Five genotypes were identified: one known genotype Peru6 (n = 6) and four novel genotypes named as CHN-RD1 (n = 12), and CHN-RD 2 to CHN-RD4 (one each). In phylogenetic analysis, all the novel genotypes together with known genotype Peru 6 were clustered into group 1. Conclusions This is the first report of E. bieneusi infection in reindeers, expanding the host range of E. bieneusi. The fact of genotype Peru 6 previously reported in humans and the result of all the novel genotypes falling into zoonotic group 1 suggest the possibility of E. bieneusi transmitted from reindeers to humans.

Objective: To access the performance of the Tellgenplex human papillomavirus (HPV) DNA test compared to the polymerase chain reaction-reverse dot blot (PCR-RDB) assay for the HPV genotyping. Methods: Sixty cervical swab samples were genotyped by the Tellgenplex HPV DNA test and the PCR-RDB assay. The Tellgenplex HPV DNA test and the PCR-RDB assay can detect 26 and 23 HPV genotypes, respectively. Each sample showed discrepancy was genotyped using sequencing. Results: The percent agreement between the two tests ranged from 83.3% to 100.0% according to different genotype. This showed perfect agreement (>0.81) for high-risk HPV genotypes (35, 39, 45, 53, 56, 59, 66, 68, and 82), substantial agreement (>0.65) for high-risk HPV genotypes (16, 18, 33, 52, and 58) and low-risk HPV genotype 43 between the two assays by the kappa analysis. The positive rates of the two assays for frequent HPV genotypes (16, 35, 39, 45, 52, 53, 58, 59, 66, and 82) were not statistically different, but the PCR-RDB assay showed higher positive rates than the Tellgenplex HPV DNA test for HPV genotypes 81 (P<0.05). As for more than 10 positive results by the Tellgenplex HPV DNA test and/or the PCR-RDB assay, the PCR-RDB assay showed higher relative sensitivity and specificity than the Tellgenplex HPV DNA test for the three HPV genotypes (16, 52, and 81). All HPV genotypes that can be detected by only the Tellgenplex HPV DNA test (HPV genotypes 44 and 55) were confirmed by sequencing. Conclusions: In conclusion, our results demonstrated that the PCR-RDB assay which can detect more multiple HPV genotypes in each specimen shows higher relative sensitivity and specificity than the Tellgenplex HPV DNA test, which makes it a better option for routine clinical use. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Mycoplasma bovis in cattle may cause economic losses in cattle farms. Bovine mycoplasmosis is endemic in Egypt. The aim of the current study to determine the occurrence and molecular characterization of M. bovis strains recovered from cattle in Egypt. M. bovis was isolated by standard methods from nasal swabs, oral and conjunctival swabs of 200 diseased calves with percentages of 40, 15 and 20%, respectively. The examined M. bovis isolates were PCR positive to amplified fragment size 1626 bp of uvrC gene, 1007 bp of gapA gene and 797 bp of p40 pseudogene. Sequence analysis of uvrC gene of the field isolates showed (95.3%) similarity when compared with each other and (100%) identity with M. bovis reference strain (PG45) and the field strains on GenBank. Analysis of gapA gene of M. bovis isolates (Egy-8- Fa-14 and Egy-9-DK-14) showed (100%) identity between each other and (98.2%) identity with the reference strain (PG45). Our isolates showed (98.9% up to 100%) identity when compared with international field strains in GenBank. Concerning analysis of p40 pseudogene our field isolates showed (97.5%) identity when compared with each other, while (Egy-12-Fa-14) showed (99.8%) similarity with both M. bovis PG45 reference and field strains on GenBank. In conclusion M. bovis is circulating in bronchopneumonic calves in Egypt. This is the first record in Egypt to investigate some M. bovis genes by nucleotide sequence analysis. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The article reports on the isolation and characterization of the Edwardsiella tarda from diseased Asian swamp eel known as Monopterus albus (Zuiew). Edwardsiella tarda is the causative agent of edwardsiellosis and has caused significant losses in many marine fish species throughout the world. The commercial importance of Asian swamp eel is also discussed.

The diversity of Ochrobactrum anthropi, Ochrobactrum intermedium, Ochrobactrum tritici and Ochrobactrum grignonense in agricultural soil and on the wheat rhizoplane was investigated. O. anthropi was isolated both from soil and from the rhizoplane, O. intermedium and grignonense only from bulk soil, and O. tritici only from the wheat rhizoplane. On the genetic level, the immunotrapped isolates and a number of strains from culture collection mainly of clinical origin were compared with rep-PCR profiling using BOX primers, and a subset of these isolates and strains using REP primers. The isolates clustered according to their species affiliation. There was no correlation between rep clusters of O. anthropi isolates and habitat (place of isolation). The genetic diversity of Ochrobactrum at the species level as well as microdiversity of O. anthropi (number of BOX groups) was higher in soil than on the rhizoplane. Similarity values from genetic rep-PCR profiles correlated positively with DNA–DNA reassociation percentages. Isolates with >80.7% similarity in BOX profile and >86.4% in rep profile clustered within the same species. Similarity analysis of rep-PCR profiles is hence an alternative to DNA–DNA hybridization as a genomic criterion for species delineation within the genus Ochrobactrum. We used the substrate utilization system BIOLOG-GN to compare the immunotrapped isolates on the phenetic level. For the isolates from bulk soil, substrate utilization versatility (number of utilized substrates) and substrate utilization capacity (mean conversion rate of substrates) were slightly but significantly higher than for the isolates from the rhizoplane. This trend was also seen using API 20E and 20NE systems. Plate counts of total bacteria and the number of immunotrapped Ochrobactrum isolates per gram dry weight were higher for the rhizoplane than for the soil samples. The results of genetic and phenotypic analyses indicated a ‘rhizosphere effect’; the diversity and metabolic capacity of Ochrobactrum isolates were higher in bulk soil, and the population density was higher on the wheat rhizoplane. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]