Development of a SYBR green I based RT-PCR assay for yellow fever virus: application in assessment of YFV infection in Aedes aegypti.

Background: Yellow Fever virus (YFV) is an important arboviral pathogen in much of sub-Saharan Africa and the tropical Americas. It is the prototype member of the genus Flavivirus and is transmitted primarily by Aedes (Stegomyia) mosquitoes. The incidence of human infections in endemic areas has risen in recent years.

Low West Nile virus circulation in wild birds in an area of recurring outbreaks in Southern France.

West Nile virus (WNV) has a history of irregular but recurrent epizootics in countries of Mediterranean and of Central and Eastern Europe. We have investigated the temporal enzootic activity of WNV in free-ranging birds over a 3-year period in an area with sporadic occurrences of WNV outbreaks in Southern France. We conducted an intensive serologic survey on several wild bird populations (>4000 serum samples collected from 3300 birds) selected as potential indicators of the WNV circulation.

Investigation towards bivalent chemically defined glycoconjugate immunogens prepared from acid-detoxified lipopolysaccharide of Vibrio cholerae O1, serotype Inaba.

A free amino group present on the acid-detoxified lipopolysaccharide (pmLPS) of V. cholerae O1 serotype Inaba was investigated for site-specific conjugation. Chemoselective pmLPS biotinylation afforded the corresponding mono-functionalized derivative, which retained antigenicity.

On the preparation of carbohydrate-protein conjugates using the traceless Staudinger ligation.

[reaction: see text] The nature of a linker used for preparing glycoconjugate vaccines is of utmost importance as it may lead to immunogenic biomolecules. We report the conjugation of carbohydrate haptens to protein carriers leading to potential vaccines using the traceless Staudinger ligation. The ligation relies on the selective transfer of a phosphane substituent to an azide to form a native amide bond in the final product upon release of an oxidized phosphane byproduct.

A simple and convenient microtiter plate assay for the detection of bactericidal antibodies to Vibrio cholerae O1 and Vibrio cholerae O139.

It is believed that the correlate of protection for cholera can be determined by the serum vibriocidal assay. The currently available vibriocidal assays, based on the conventional agar plating technique, are labor intensive. We developed a simple and convenient microtiter plate assay for the detection of vibriocidal antibodies that is equally as efficient for Vibrio cholerae O1 and for V.

One-step immunochromatographic dipstick tests for rapid detection of Vibrio cholerae O1 and O139 in stool samples.

We describe the development and evaluation of a rapid diagnostic test for Vibrio cholerae O1 and O139 based on lipopolysaccharide detection using gold particles. The specificity ranged between 84 and 100%. The sensitivity of the dipsticks ranged from 94.

Preparation, immunogenicity, and protective efficacy, in a murine model, of a conjugate vaccine composed of the polysaccharide moiety of the lipopolysaccharide of Vibrio cholerae O139 bound to tetanus toxoid.

The epidemic and pandemic potential of Vibrio cholerae O139 is such that a vaccine against this newly emerged serogroup of V. cholerae is required. A conjugate made of the polysaccharide moiety (O-specific polysaccharide plus core) of the lipopolysaccharide (LPS) of V.

[Regulation of Staphylococcus aureus capsular polysaccharide type 5: in vitro and in vivo inhibition by CO2].

Staphylococcus aureus capsular polysaccharide type 5 (CP5) expression was investigated in lung tissue and nasal polyps of two cystic fibrosis (CF) patients, in rats and in vitro using ELISA and immunofluorescence. In CF tissues, S. aureus expressed protein A and teichoic acid but only 1-5% of cells expressed CP5.

Regulation of Staphylococcus aureus capsular polysaccharide type 5: CO2 inhibition in vitro and in vivo.

Staphylococcus aureus capsular polysaccharide type 5 (CP5) expression was investigated in lung tissue and nasal polyps of two cystic fibrosis (CF) patients, in rats, and in vitro using ELISA and IFA. In CF tissues, S. aureus expressed protein A and teichoic acid but only 1%-5% of cells expressed CP5.

Epidemiology of Staphylococcus aureus in patients with cystic fibrosis.

Seven hundred and thirty-four isolates of Staphylococcus aureus, recovered from the sputum of 238 cystic fibrosis patients in six French hospitals, were characterized by esterase electrophoretic typing, capsular polysaccharide serotyping and phage typing and tested against 14 antibiotics for sensitivity. Thirty-four esterase electrophoretic types were found with a genotypic diversity coefficient of 0.91.

New latex reagent using monoclonal antibodies to capsular polysaccharide for reliable identification of both oxacillin-susceptible and oxacillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus.

A new latex agglutination test (Pastorex Staph-Plus, Sanofi Diagnostics Pasteur), consisting of a mixture of latex particles coated with fibrinogen and immunoglobulin G for the detection of clumping factor and protein A and latex particles sensitized with monoclonal antibodies directed to Staphylococcus aureus serotype 5 and 8 capsular polysaccharides, was compared with three commercially available rapid agglutination methods for the identification of 220 isolates of S. aureus (61 oxacillin resistant) and 128 isolates of coagulase-negative staphylococci. The sensitivity for identification of S.

Typing of Staphylococcus aureus by pulsed-field gel electrophoresis, zymotyping, capsular typing, and phage typing: resolution of clonal relationships.

Sixty-nine Staphylococcus aureus isolates from two epidemiologically unrelated sources were typed by pulsed-field gel electrophoresis after SmaI digestion of chromosomal DNA (genome typing), and the results were compared with those obtained by other typing methods: phage typing with the international set of phages, capsular serotyping with monoclonal antibodies against capsular polysaccharides type 5 and 8, and zymotyping by polyacrylamide agarose electrophoresis for esterase polymorphism. A good correlation of S. aureus types was found by these four typing methods.

Staphylococcal skin colonization in children with atopic dermatitis: prevalence, persistence, and transmission of toxigenic and nontoxigenic strains.

Staphylococcal skin colonization is a common feature of atopic dermatitis (AD) in adults. Little is known about prevalence and persistence of staphylococci in children. Forty-one AD children (mean age, 70 months) and 41 age-matched controls were studied.

Diagnosing Staphylococcus aureus endocarditis by detecting antibodies against S. aureus capsular polysaccharide types 5 and 8.

Consecutive serum samples from patients with Staphylococcus aureus endocarditis or septicemia or non-S. aureus endocarditis and febrile nonsepticemic controls were tested for antibodies against S. aureus capsular polysaccharide (CP) types 5 and 8 by ELISA.

Correlation between esterase electrophoretic types and capsular polysaccharide types 5 and 8 among methicillin-susceptible and methicillin-resistant strains of Staphylococcus aureus.

The relationship between capsular polysaccharide types 5 and 8 and esterase electrophoretic types (zymotypes) in 160 French clinical isolates of Staphylococcus aureus was studied. Methicillin-susceptible strains of capsular types 5 and 8 were represented by 11 zymotypes, indicating a high polymorphism. Methicillin-resistant strains were mainly distributed in only two distinct populations.

Staphylococcus aureus strains which are not identified by rapid agglutination methods are of capsular serotype 5.

A total of 183 recent Staphylococcus aureus clinical isolates were tested with three commercially available rapid agglutination methods. The capsular polysaccharide type and resistance to oxacillin of these isolates were also determined. Seven isolates were not identified correctly by agglutination methods.

Direct testing of blood culture for detection of the serotype 5 and 8 capsular polysaccharides of Staphylococcus aureus.

Monoclonal antibodies (MAbs) reactive with serotype 5 and 8 capsular polysaccharides of Staphylococcus aureus have been used to test, by enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA), blood culture fluids for the presence of S. aureus. A total of 748 blood cultures from 665 patients yielding 706 bacterial isolates belonging to more than 26 bacterial species were studied.

Staphylococcus aureus capsular types and antibody response to lung infection in patients with cystic fibrosis.

Chronic respiratory tract infections caused by Staphylococcus aureus are common in patients with cystic fibrosis (CF). Recently, it was shown in a few CF patients that S. aureus isolates produce capsular polysaccharides (CPs).

Prevalence of capsular polysaccharide types 5 and 8 among Staphylococcus aureus isolates from cow, goat, and ewe milk.

Monoclonal antibodies to Staphylococcus aureus capsular polysaccharide types 5 and 8 were used to serotype by enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay 212, 54, and 33 isolates from cow, goat, and ewe milk, respectively. Capsular types 5 and 8 accounted for 69.4% of bovine isolates and 71.

Predominance of capsular polysaccharide type 5 among oxacillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus.

The relationship between capsular polysaccharide types 5 and 8 and resistance of Staphylococcus aureus to oxacillin was studied with a collection of 406 clinical isolates from six French hospitals. Of 175 type 5 isolates, 84 (48%) were resistant to oxacillin. In contrast, only 8 of 160 type 8 isolates (5%) and 5 of 71 nontypeable isolates (7%) were resistant to oxacillin.

Serotyping and electron microscopy studies of Staphylococcus aureus clinical isolates with monoclonal antibodies to capsular polysaccharide types 5 and 8.

Monoclonal antibodies to Staphylococcus aureus capsular polysaccharide types 5 and 8 were prepared and used to serotype 821 clinical isolates of S. aureus from four countries. The capsular polysaccharide-binding sites on the bacterial membrane were examined by transmission and scanning electron microscopy.

[Description of a new Aedes of the subgenus Ochlerotatus (Diptera: Culicidae) from Madagascar: Aedes ambreensis n.sp. and general observations on the females of the subgenus Ochlerotatus in the Afro-tropical region].

The authors describe the female of a new malagasy Aedes species belonging to the sub-genus Ochlerotatus, collected during epidemiological surveys on arboviroses: Ae. ambreensis n. sp.