Isolation of Borrelia burgdorferi sensu lato from blood of children with solitary erythema migrans.

Objectives: To establish the frequency of isolation of Borrelia burgdorferi sensu lato from blood of children with solitary erythema migrans (EM) in Europe, to determine the strains of the isolated borreliae and to compare the clinical course and the outcome of the disease according to positive and negative blood culture result.

Methods: In the prospective study we included 134 consecutive patients younger than 15 years with solitary EM, referred to our institution in 1996 and 1997. One milliliter of blood was withdrawn before treatment and cultured in modified Kelly-Pettenkofer medium.

Comparison of cefuroxime axetil and phenoxymethyl penicillin for the treatment of children with solitary erythema migrans.

Objective: To compare the clinical efficacy and drug-related adverse effects of 14 days of treatment with cefuroxime axetil 30 mg/kg/day or phenoxymethyl penicillin 100,000 IU/kg/day in the treatment of children with erythema migrans.

Methods: Consecutive patients younger than 15 years, referred to our institution in 1996 with solitary erythema migrans and without prior antibiotic therapy, were included in this prospective study. Basic demographic features and clinical data were collected by questionnaire.

Laboratory acquired tick-borne meningoencephalitis: characterisation of virus strains.

Background: The handling of tick-borne encephalitis (TBE) virus is potentially hazardous, as indicated by a number of laboratory-acquired infections in the prevaccination era.

Objectives: (1) To reemphasize the hazard of handling TBE virus without being vaccinated by describing the case of a laboratory-acquired full-blown TBE in a microbiologist who isolated the virus from a blood sample. (2) To molecularly characterize the causative virus strain isolated in Slovenia in comparison with the European prototype strain Neudoerfl.

Septicaemia and meningitis with campylobacter fetus subspecies intestinalis.

Two cases of infection with Campylobacter fetus subspecies intestinalis are reported. In a 46-year-old farmer the development of septicaemic campylobacteriosis with acute gastroenterocolitis was favoured by malnutrition due to chronic alcoholism. After treatment with erythromycin the patient recovered completely.