Dermatitis in captive Wyoming toads (Bufo baxteri) associated with Fusarium spp.

From May 2007 to June 2008, 30 of 49 Wyoming toads (Bufo baxteri) kept at Omaha's Henry Doorly Zoo (Nebraska, USA) died showing clinical signs of ventral erythema, inappetance, lethargy, and delayed righting reflex. Treatment with antifungals and antibiotics was unsuccessful in all cases. Histopathologic analyses revealed dermatitis as the primary problem in 20 of 21 toads in which skin was examined.

Utilization of the QuantiFERON-TB Gold test in a two-step process with the tuberculin skin test to evaluate health care workers for latent tuberculosis.

A cost analysis of combining a tuberculin skin test (TST) and the QuantiFERON-TB Gold test (QFT-GT) to detect latent tuberculosis in newly hired health care workers was performed. An approximately 50% reduction in the cost of additional care was realized when workers with positive TST results were subsequently screened using the QFT-GT.

Pharmacoeconomic analysis of microbiologic techniques for differentiating staphylococci directly from blood culture bottles.

Differentiating staphylococci in blood cultures is a critical issue, particularly when only one of two cultures is positive by Gram staining for staphylococci. New tests for the identification of Staphylococcus aureus allow faster results and definitive treatment compared to the tube coagulase test interpreted at 24 h (TCT24). These newer tests, peptide nucleic acid fluorescence in situ hybridization (PNA-FISH) and real-time PCR (RT-PCR), offer improved sensitivity at higher cost.