Clinical Science and Epidemiology
Research Article | Clinical Science and EpidemiologyReconstruction of the Genomes of Drug-Resistant Pathogens for Outbreak Investigation through Metagenomic SequencingThe study results reported here perfectly demonstrate the power and promise of clinical metagenomics to recover genome sequences of important drug-resistant bacteria and to rapidly provide rich data that inform outbreak investigations and treatment decisions, independently of the need to culture the organisms.
Research Article | Clinical Science and EpidemiologyContact Challenge of Cattle with Foot-and-Mouth Disease Virus Validates the Role of the Nasopharyngeal Epithelium as the Site of Primary and Persistent InfectionFoot-and-mouth disease virus (FMDV) is an important livestock pathogen that is often described as the greatest constraint to global trade in animal products. The present study utilized a standardized pig-to-cow contact exposure model to demonstrate that FMDV infection of cattle initiates in the nasopharyngeal mucosa following natural virus exposure. Furthermore, this work confirmed the role of the bovine nasopharyngeal mucosa as the...
Research Article | Clinical Science and EpidemiologyProtein Microarray Analysis of the Specificity and Cross-Reactivity of Influenza Virus Hemagglutinin-Specific AntibodiesSeasonal influenza is a serious public health problem because the viral infection spreads easily from person to person and because of antigenic drift in neutralizing epitopes. Influenza vaccination is the most effective way to prevent the disease, although challenging because of the constant evolution of influenza virus subtypes. Our high-throughput protein microarrays allow for interrogation of subunit-specific IgG and IgA responses to...
Research Article | Clinical Science and EpidemiologyMetagenomic Discovery of 83 New Human Papillomavirus Types in Patients with ImmunodeficiencyAlthough some members of the viral family Papillomaviridae cause benign skin warts (papillomas), many human papillomavirus (HPV) infections are not associated with visible symptoms. For example, most healthy adults chronically shed Gammapapillomavirus (Gamma) virions from apparently healthy skin surfaces. To further explore the diversity of papillomaviruses, we performed viromic surveys on immunodeficient...
Research Article | Clinical Science and EpidemiologyA Longitudinal Epidemiology Study of Meningococcal Carriage in Students 13 to 25 Years Old in QuebecDisease caused by Neisseria meningitidis is associated with serious complications and a high fatality rate. Asymptomatic individuals can harbor the bacterium in the throat, a state known as “carriage,” which can lead to person-to-person spread of the pathogen. This study examined N. meningitidis...
Research Article | Clinical Science and EpidemiologyTetrasodium EDTA Is Effective at Eradicating Biofilms Formed by Clinically Relevant Microorganisms from Patients’ Central Venous CathetersThe colonization of catheters by microorganisms often precludes their long-term use, which can be a problem for human patients that have few body sites available for new catheters. The colonizing organisms often form biofilms, and increasingly these organisms are resistant to multiple antibiotics, making them difficult to treat. In this article, we have taken microorganisms that are associated with biofilm formation in catheters from...
Research Article | Clinical Science and EpidemiologyMixed Chlamydia trachomatis Peptide Antigens Provide a Specific and Sensitive Single-Well Colorimetric Enzyme-Linked Immunosorbent Assay for Detection of Human Anti-C. trachomatis AntibodiesFor detection of anti-C. trachomatis antibodies by serological assays, use of classical chlamydial antigens results in high cross-reactivity and poor sensitivity. Previously, we discovered 48 strongly reactive peptide antigens of C. trachomatis-specific B-cell epitopes from 21 immunodominant...
Observation | Clinical Science and EpidemiologyCharacterization of Staphylococcal Cassette Chromosome mec Elements from Methicillin-Resistant Staphylococcus pseudintermedius Infections in Australian AnimalsStaphylococcus pseudintermedius is a significant veterinary pathogen and occasional cause of infections in humans. β-Lactams are an important group of antimicrobials used to treat staphylococcal infections in humans and animals. However, when staphylococci become methicillin resistant via the acquisition of a mobile genetic element called staphylococcal cassette...
Research Article | Clinical Science and EpidemiologyDiscovery of mcr-1-Mediated Colistin Resistance in a Highly Virulent Escherichia coli LineageEscherichia coli ST95 is a globally disseminated clone frequently associated with bloodstream infections and neonatal meningitis. However, the ST95 lineage is defined by low levels of drug resistance amongst clinical isolates, which normally provides for uncomplicated treatment options. Here, we provide the first detailed genomic analysis of an...
Research Article | Clinical Science and EpidemiologyAnalyses of a Ceftazidime-Avibactam-Resistant Citrobacter freundii Isolate Carrying blaKPC-2 Reveals a Heterogenous Population and Reversible GenotypeThe development of ceftazidime-avibactam resistance among KPC-producing isolates during treatment with this agent has been reported. Usually isolates that become resistant have a mutated blaKPC gene that confers resistance to ceftazidime-avibactam and susceptibility to meropenem. We report a Citrobacter freundii isolate that developed ceftazidime-...