molecular epidemiology
Observation | Clinical Science and EpidemiologyFunctional Characterization of Circulating Mumps Viruses with Stop Codon Mutations in the Small Hydrophobic ProteinMumps virus (MuV) outbreaks occur in the United States despite high coverage with measles, mumps, rubella (MMR) vaccine. Routine genotyping of laboratory-confirmed mumps cases has been practiced in the United States since 2006 to enhance mumps surveillance. This study reports the detection of unusual mutations in the small hydrophobic (SH) protein of contemporary laboratory-confirmed mumps cases and is the first to describe the impact...
Research Article | Clinical Science and EpidemiologyOrigin of OXA-23 Variant OXA-239 from a Recently Emerged Lineage of Acinetobacter baumannii International Clone VA. baumannii is a major cause of nosocomial infections all over the world. Although many isolates from developed countries have been studied in terms of their genome sequence, isolates from Latin America have been much less studied. In this study, using a population genomics approach considering the whole genomes of 148 isolates, we describe the recent emergence of...
Research Article | Clinical Science and EpidemiologyReduced Fitness Costs of mcr-1.2 Compared to Mutated pmrB in Isogenic Colistin-Resistant KPC-3-Producing Klebsiella pneumoniaeOur study shows a successful prolonged human colonization by a colistin-resistant Klebsiella pneumoniae isolate harboring mcr-1.2. An intense antibiotic therapy contributed to the maintenance of this microorganism through the acquisition of new resistance genes. The isolates carrying mcr-1.2 showed fewer fitness costs than isogenic isolates with a...
Research Article | Clinical Science and EpidemiologyMolecular Epidemiology of Noninvasive and Invasive Group A Streptococcal Infections in Cape TownThe development of a vaccine for group A streptococcus (GAS) is of paramount importance given that GAS infections cause more than 500,000 deaths annually across the world. This prospective passive surveillance laboratory study evaluated the potential coverage of the M protein-based vaccine currently under development. While a number of GAS strains isolated from this sub-Sahara African study were included in the current vaccine...
Observation | Clinical Science and EpidemiologyEnhanced Molecular Surveillance of Chikungunya VirusThe life cycle of arboviruses relies on efficient infection of and transmission by arthropod vectors. Adaptation to new vectors can thus dramatically increase the geographic range of an arbovirus. Several adaptive mutations enhance chikungunya virus (CHIKV) transmissibility by different mosquito species. The appearance of those adaptive mutations has led to large-scale CHIKV outbreaks in Asia, Africa, and Europe. Molecular surveillance...
Research Article | Clinical Science and EpidemiologyJet-Setting Koalas Spread Cryptococcus gattii VGII in AustraliaCryptococcus gattii molecular type VGII is one of the causes of cryptococcosis, a severe fungal disease that is acquired from the environment and affects many host species (including humans and koalas). In Australia, disease caused by C. gattii VGII is largely confined to western and central...
Research Article | Applied and Environmental ScienceA Population-Based Surveillance Study of Shared Genotypes of Escherichia coli Isolates from Retail Meat and Suspected Cases of Urinary Tract InfectionsCommunity-acquired urinary tract infection caused by Escherichia coli is one of the most common infectious diseases in the United States, affecting approximately seven million women and costing approximately 11.6 billion dollars annually. In addition, antibiotic resistance among E. coli bacteria...
Research Article | Clinical Science and EpidemiologyAn Observational Cohort Study of Clostridium difficile Ribotype 027 and Recurrent InfectionCDI is a major public health issue, with over 400,000 cases per year in the United States alone. Recurrent CDI is common, occurring in approximately one in five individuals after a primary episode. Although interventions exist that could reduce the risk of recurrence, deployment in all patients is limited by cost, invasiveness, and/or an undetermined long-term safety profile. Thus, clinicians need risk stratification tools to properly...
Research Article | Ecological and Evolutionary ScienceDating the Cryptococcus gattii Dispersal to the North American Pacific NorthwestThe recent emergence of the pathogenic fungus Cryptococcus gattii in the Pacific Northwest (PNW) resulted in numerous investigations into the epidemiological and enzootic impacts, as well as multiple genomic explorations of the three primary molecular subtypes of the fungus that were discovered. These studies lead to the general conclusion that the subtypes identified...
Research Article | Ecological and Evolutionary ScienceA Phylogeny-Based Global Nomenclature System and Automated Annotation Tool for H1 Hemagglutinin Genes from Swine Influenza A VirusesA fundamental goal in the biological sciences is the definition of groups of organisms based on evolutionary history and the naming of those groups. For influenza A viruses (IAVs) in swine, understanding the hemagglutinin (HA) genetic lineage of a circulating strain aids in vaccine antigen selection and allows for inferences about vaccine efficacy. Previous reporting of H1 virus HA in swine relied on colloquial names, frequently with...