Diagnosis and typing of influenza using fluorescent barcoded probes.

In this work, we explore a new hybridization technology using barcoded probes which has large-scale multiplexing capability. We used influenza virus to test whether the technology has application in virus diagnostics. Typing of influenza virus strains is an important aspect of global health surveillance.

Isolation of Zika Virus Imported from Tonga into Australia.

Introduction: The globally emergent Zika virus (ZIKV) is a threat to Australia, given the number of imported cases from epidemic regions and the presence of competent mosquito vectors. We report the isolation of ZIKV from a female traveler who recently returned from Tonga to Brisbane, Queensland, Australia in 2016.

Methods: A specific TaqMan real-time reverse transcriptase polymerase chain reaction assay (RT-PCR) assay was used to detect ZIKV in serum and urine samples.

Arboviruses isolated from mosquitoes collected from urban and peri-urban areas of eastern Australia.

To determine the presence of arboviruses in mosquito populations from major urban areas of eastern Australia, a total of 67,825 mosquitoes, representing -60 species, was collected and tested from Cairns, Brisbane, and Sydney between January 2005 and April 2008. Mosquito pools were screened by inoculation onto mosquito cell cultures and the detection of viral antigen using a panel of flavivirus and alphavirus monoclonal antibodies in an enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay. Suspect positive samples were confirmed using virus-specific real-time reverse transcriptase-polymerase chain reaction assays.

Leptospira kmetyi sp. nov., isolated from an environmental source in Malaysia.

A single Leptospira strain (designated Bejo-Iso9(T)) was isolated from a soil sample taken in Johor, Malaysia. The isolate showed motility and morphology typical of the genus Leptospira under dark-field microscopy. Cells were found to be 10-13 microm in length and 0.

Leptospira wolffii sp. nov., isolated from a human with suspected leptospirosis in Thailand.

A single Leptospira strain (designated Khorat-H2(T)) was isolated from the urine of an adult male patient with suspected leptospirosis from the province of Nakornrachasima, Thailand. The isolate showed typical Leptospira motility and morphology under dark-field microscopy. Cells were 10-13 mum long and 0.

Detection of Australian bat lyssavirus using a fluorogenic probe.

Background: Australian bat lyssavirus (ABLV) has been transmitted to humans following a scratch or bite from an infected bat in two cases. Following a scratch or bite to a person, the bat is usually submitted for testing and diagnosis is made using a direct fluorescent antibody test on a brain smear. A nested RT-PCR assay has also been utilised to confirm diagnosis.