BACKGROUND: Waste collectors have a potential risk of infectious diseases. The aim of the study was to assess; the prevalence of hepatitis B (HBV), risk factors for infection and possible ways of virus transmission among municipal solid waste workers (MSWWs) in a municipality of central Greece. METHODS: A cross-sectional study ...

ABSTRACT: A challenge experiment was performed to investigate whether administration of Mycobacterium avium subsp. paratuberculosis (MAP) via the respiratory route leads to MAP infection in calves. Eighteen calves from test negative dams were randomly allocated to four groups. Six calves were challenged with MAP nasally and six calves were challenged ...

The objective of this study was to characterize the rhesus macaque (RM) as a model for inhalational brucellosis in support of U.S. Federal Food and Drug Administration's (FDA) "Animal Rule." The pathophysiology of chronic Brucella melitensis aerosol infection was monitored in two phases that each occurred over an eight week ...

Besides the established functions of alcohol dehydrogenase (ADH) in the flooding response and in seed and pollen metabolism there is increasing evidence for a role of the fermentative pathway in biotic interactions. We have recently shown that barley ADH may be involved in susceptibility to the parasitic fungus Blumeria graminis ...

Clin Microbiol Infect 2011; 17: 1478-1483 ABSTRACT: Although there have been significant advances in the treatment of visceral leishmaniasis (VL), there remain challenges to ensure that treatments effective in India are also effective in other regions of the world and to identify treatment for post kala-azar dermal leishmaniasis as well ...

We have previously reported marked reductions in faecal worm egg counts (WECs) and drenching frequency in sheep on an intensive rotational grazing system (IRG) in a cool temperate environment with summer-dominant rainfall. These experiments were designed to determine the role of the host and environmental factors in mediating this. The ...

The reduction of Salmonella prevalence in broilers is a priority in European Union agricultural policies because treatment with antibiotics is forbidden by Regulation (EC) 2160/2003. Two trials were conducted to evaluate the efficacy of a microencapsulated blend of sorbic acid and nature-identical compounds (i.e., chemically synthesized botanicals; SAB) on the ...

The high prevalence of HIV-1/AIDS in areas endemic for schistosomiasis and other helminthic infections has led to the hypothesis that parasites increase host susceptibility to immunodeficiency virus infection. We previously showed that rhesus macaques (RM) with active schistosomiasis were significantly more likely to become systemically infected after intrarectal (i.r.) exposure ...

Moritella viscosa is considered the main causative agent of winter ulcer disease in salmonid fish. In order to obtain more details on route of infection, we challenged Atlantic salmon (Salmo salar) epidermal keratocytes with M. viscosa and performed an Atlantic salmon immersion challenge. Although keratocytes were able to remove M. ...

In the absence of secular climatic changes, the global challenges of changing epidemiological patterns of malaria have to be induced by man, i.e. by a disturbance of the equilibrium between man, vector and the parasite in an environment conducive to the natural transmission of the pathogen. There are many ways ...

The challenges faced in demonstrating Australia's freedom from equine influenza following the outbreak in 2007-08 and the responding strategy developed by the Proof of Freedom Working Group are presented.

Pregnant ewes were challenged with Chlamydia abortus at 91-98 days of gestation and euthanised at 14, 21 and 28 days post-challenge. IFNγ mRNA labelling appeared to be co-localised with Chlamydial lipopolysaccharide within trophoblast cells in discrete areas lining the primary villi in the limbus and hilar zone of the placentomes ...

Necrotic enteritis (NE) caused by Clostridium perfringens (CP) in poultry is an important bacterial disease in terms of economic implications. The disease is multifactorial and is invariably associated with predisposing factors. In the present experiments, we investigated the potential predisposing role of neonatal Salmonella Typhimurium (ST) infection for NE-associated mortality ...

A new assay (illumigene C. difficile; Meridian Bioscience), based on the original loop-mediated isothermal amplification (LAMP) assay, was evaluated with 472 unformed stools from patients suspected of Clostridium difficile infection. Compared to the toxigenic culture, the sensitivity, specificity, and positive and negative predictive values were 91.8, 99.1, 91.8, and 99.1% ...

ABSTRACT: BACKGROUND: In resource-limited settings where HIV-1 is endemic, there is a need for simple, inexpensive but effective rapid methods for detecting recent infections and estimating incidence for the purposes of surveillance and management. We sort to determine possible reasons for reported misclassifications of recent HIV-1 seroconversion as determined with ...

Two assays were conducted to assess the influence of infective juveniles (IJs) of Heterorhabditis baujardi LPP7 on the embryogenesis and hatching of Meloidogyne mayaguensis. In the first assay, eggs were incubated in water alone or in the presence of infective juveniles, and completion of embryogenesis was evaluated 14days later. In ...

Human herpesvirus infection of immunocompromised hosts may lead to central nervous system (CNS) infection and diseases.In this study, a single tube multiplex real-time PCR was developed for the detection of five herpesviruses (HSV-1, HSV-2, VZV, EBV and CMV) in clinical cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) specimens.Two primer pairs specific for the herpesvirus ...

The airway epithelium produces antimicrobial peptides (AMPs) that prevent colonization of host tissues by a wide range of pathogens. Human β-defensin 2 (hBD-2) is one of the most well-documented AMPs in humans. Several bacterial products can induce production of this peptide. Bacterial immunostimulants containing bacterial lysates have long been used ...

The fungus Candida albicans commonly causes mucosal and cutaneous infections in patients with impaired immunity. We investigated the effectiveness of the photosensitizer meso-tetra (N-methyl-4-pyridyl) porphine tetra tosylate (TMP-1363) in the photodynamic treatment (PDT) of C. albicans infection in vitro and its selectivity in an animal model. The efficacy of TMP-1363 ...

Expense inherent to molecular diagnostics may prevent laboratories from utilizing real-time PCR for Clostridium difficile infection. Frozen master mix and overnight aliquot modifications of the BD GeneOhm Cdiff assay failed to impact performance indices compared to the package insert protocol (P ≥ 0.31), provided accurate results, and decreased reagent expenditure.

The myxozoan genus Parvicapsula contains 14 species infecting fish, some of which are known to cause severe disease in farmed and wild salmonids. Parvicapsula pseudobranchicola infections were first reported from seawater-reared Atlantic salmon, Salmo salar, in Norway in 2002 and have since then been an increasing problem. The present study ...

Real-time PCR and immunohistochemistry (IHC) assays were developed to detect fish mycobacterial infections at the genus level, based on the RNA polymerase β subunit (rpoB) gene and polyclonal anti-Mycobacterium rabbit serum, respectively. The PCR assay positively identified a number of pathogenic mycobacteria including Mycobacterium abscessus, M. avium ssp. avium, M. bohemicum, M. chelonae ...

Infections with betanodavirus affect a wide range of wild and farmed fish species throughout the world, mostly from the marine environment. The aim of this work was to develop and validate real-time RT-PCR assays for sensitive and specific detection of nodavirus in diseased or carrier fish. The new detection assay ...

BACKGROUND: Untreated Chlamydia trachomatis infections in women can result in disease sequelae such as salpingitis and pelvic inflammatory disease (PID), ultimately culminating in tubal occlusion and infertility. Whilst nucleic acid amplification tests can effectively diagnose uncomplicated lower genital tract (LGT) infections, they are not suitable for diagnosing upper genital tract ...

In a multicenter study, potassium dichromate-preserved stools from patients infected with Cryptosporidium parvum (n = 20), C. hominis (n = 20), and other Cryptosporidium species (n = 10) and 60 controls were examined using four immunochromatographic assays. Assay sensitivity ranged between 50.1% and 86.7% for C. parvum and C. hominis ...

Cardiopulmonary biomarkers are biological parameters that can be objectively measured and quantified as indicators of pathogenic processes (heartworm disease) or as indicators of response to therapeutic intervention. To determine levels of cardiopulmonary biomarkers in canine dirofilariasis, measurements of cardiac troponin T, cardiac troponin I, myoglobin, and D-dimer concentrations were performed ...

The link between Kaposi's Sarcoma-associated Herpesvirus (KSHV or HHV-8) and Kaposi's Sarcoma has been proven, but the transmission routes, especially in heterosexual population, are not yet completely understood. To assess the intrafamilial patterns of transmission among first degree-relatives of Italian classic KS patients (cKS), KSHV seroprevalence and presence of viral ...

Currently approved tests for bovine spongiform encephalopathy (BSE) monitoring in cattle are based on the detection of the disease-related isoform of the prion protein in brain tissue and consequently are only suitable for postmortem diagnosis. Previously, to meet the demand for an antemortem test based on a matrix that would ...

Accurate diagnosis of infection with the parasite Strongyloides stercoralis is hampered by the low concentration of larvae in stool, rendering parasitological diagnosis insensitive. Even if the more sensitive agar plate culture method is used repeated stool sampling is necessary to achieve satisfactory sensitivity. In this manuscript we describe the development ...

Please cite this paper as: Fabbri E, Revello M, Furione M, Zavattoni M, Lilleri D, Tassis B, Quarenghi A, Rustico M, Nicolini U, Ferrazzi E, Gerna G. Prognostic markers of symptomatic congenital human cytomegalovirus infection in fetal blood. BJOG 2010; DOI: 10.1111/j.1471-0528.2010.02822.x. Objective  To identify fetal cord blood prognostic markers ...

Diagnosis of microsporidial infections is routinely performed by light microscopy, with unequivocal non-molecular species identification achievable only through electron microscopy. Here we describe a single SYBR green real time PCR assay for the simultaneous detection and species identification of such infections. This assay was highly sensitive, routinely detecting infections containing ...

To synthesise the evidence available in the literature on the effectiveness of the ultrasound bladder scanner in reducing the risk of urinary tract infection. Acute urinary retention is the inability to empty the bladder notwithstanding it being full and is frequent in the postoperative period. Using the ultrasound bladder scanner ...

A 73-year-old postmenopausal woman was admitted with recurrent urinary tract infection and a history of incontinence. General physical examination was normal. Complete labial fusion was noticed on genital examination. Surgical intervention was performed. This therapy alleviated incontinence and recurrent urinary tract infection.

Adenocarcinoma of the vermiform appendix is a rare disease that constitutes less than 0.5% of all gastrointestinal malignancies. A patient was admitted with abdominal discomfort and urinary frequency but no symptoms suggestive of enterovesical fistula, e.g. pneumaturia or urinary tract infection. She was diagnosed with adenocarcinoma of the appendix with ...

OBJECTIVE: Bladder catheterisation is a routine part of major abdominal surgery. Transurethral catheterisation is the most common method of bladder drainage but is also notorious for its discomfort and increased risk of urinary tract infection. The present study aimed to establish patient satisfaction with transurethral catheterisation and to assess the ...

Multiple tumors in the liver, kidney, and on the posterior side of the urinary bladder were accidentally found when a diabetic woman visited the hospital. She refused to undergo surgery; therefore, she was only observed for 2 months. Subsequently, she was found unconscious at home and diagnosed with urinary infection, ...

BACKGROUND: To date, the morbidity of urethral stricture disease among American men has not been analyzed using national datasets. We sought to analyze the morbidity of urethral stricture disease by measuring the rates of urinary tract infections and urinary incontinence among men with a diagnosis of urethral stricture. METHODS: We ...

Ureterosigmoidostomy is a method for total diversion of the urinary stream away from the bladder and lower urinary tract into the sigmoid colon, the anus providing the continence mechanism for urine as well as for faeces. However, this type of urinary diversion has multiple serious mid- and long-term complications, including ...

PURPOSE: We determined the functional consequences of urinary tract infection in patients with an ileal bladder substitute in terms of urinary continence, post-void residual and urinary retention. MATERIALS AND METHODS: A total of 48 patients with culture documented urinary tract infection (single organism, 10(5) or greater cfu) were retrospectively evaluated ...

BACKGROUND AND PURPOSE: Renal calculi may contain bacteria that can remain active inside the stone and produce bacteremia and/or endotoxemia after lithotripsy. Urinary tract infection associated with urinary stones represents high morbidity. The purpose of this research was to use novel artificial struvite stones inoculated with living bacteria and to ...

A myxosporidian was found in the urinary bladder of the teleost Menticirrhus americanus Linnaeus, 1758 (Sciaenidae) collected from the South Atlantic coast of Brazil. Polysporic amoeboid plasmodia containing sporoblasts, developing pansporoblasts and spores were free in the bladder lumen. The prevalence of infection was 17.64% (15/85). Unfixed spores were spherical ...

The detection of urinary antigen is the most widely used method to diagnose Legionnaires' disease (LD), so it is important that these assays have a high sensitivity for the disease. In this study, we compare two kits for their ability to detect urinary antigen in urine samples from patients infected ...

Urinary tract stones and urinary tract infection are strongly associated. Infection is implicated as the cause of stones in about 15% of stone formers, and the development of infection can complicate the management of pre-existing stones. Left untreated, both situations can result in loss of kidney function, and can, on ...

The urinary bladders of sows (n=10) without urinary tract infection (UTI) were longitudinally transrectally scanned after emptying and refilling with 200, 400, 600 and 800mL saline, and a volume dependence was found for bladder depth (BD), dorsal (dWT) and ventral wall thicknesses (vWT), wall regularity (WR) and mucosal wall surface ...

BACKGROUND AND PURPOSE: Many calculi contain bacteria, which can remain active inside kidney stones and cause infection after lithotripsy. Reduction in renal infections after extracorporeal shockwave lithotripsy has been observed; however, results are controversial, and no information on the effect of shockwaves on bacteria inside kidney stones has been reported. ...

Chronic infection by Opisthorchis viverrini (OV) is a strong risk factor for developing cholangiocarcinoma (CCA). To clarify the involvement of oxidative stress and lipid peroxidation (LPO)-derived DNA damage, the excretion of LPO-derived etheno DNA adducts was measured in urine samples collected from healthy volunteers and OV-infected Thai subjects. 1,N(6)-etheno-2'-deoxyadenosine (epsilondA) ...

The aim of this study is to examine the role of bacterial infection in complications following surgical management of urinary incontinence and genital prolapse using meshes. There were sixteen prostheses removed. Eight were monofilament polypropylene-knitted meshes, one was a silicone-coated polypropylene mesh, another was a collagen-coated polypropylene mesh, four were ...

Blockages of the ureter, e.g. due to calculi (kidney stones), can result in an increase in renal pelvic pressure. This may be relieved by inserting a stent (essentially a permeable hollow tube). However, a number of complications are associated with stent use. Stents can result in reflux (backflow of urine ...

With Medicare eliminating payment for the treatment of several preventable hospital errors and infections, the market for effective infection-control interventions is poised to grow quickly. Products that merge information technology with biotechnology can improve quality of care, reduce unnecessary suffering, and eliminate waste of resources.

Parasite infection of Opisthorchis viverrini is a major risk factor for cholangiocarcinoma. Our previous immunohistochemical studies showed that O. viverrini infection induced oxidative DNA lesions in the bile duct epithelium during cholangiocarcinoma development. The current study assessed the levels of 8-oxo-7,8-dihydro-2'-deoxyguanosine (8-oxodG), an oxidative DNA lesion, in the urine and ...