Multi-center evaluation of one commercial and 12 in-house real-time PCR assays for detection of Mycoplasma pneumoniae.

Detection of Mycoplasma pneumoniae by real-time PCR is not yet standardized across laboratories. We have implemented a standardization protocol to compare the performance of thirteen commercial and in-house approaches. Despite differences on threshold values of samples, all assays were able to detect at least 20M.

Characterization of sil in invasive group A and G streptococci: antibodies against bacterial pheromone peptide SilCR result in severe infection.

Group G beta-hemolytic streptococcus (GGS) strains cause severe invasive infections, mostly in patients with comorbidities. GGS is known to possess virulence factors similar to those of its more virulent counterpart group A streptococcus (GAS). A streptococcal invasion locus, sil, was identified in GAS.

Streptococcal pyrogenic exotoxin G gene in blood and pharyngeal isolates of Streptococcus dysgalactiae subspecies equisimilis has a limited role in pathogenesis.

Background: Streptococcus dysgalactiae subspecies equisimilis (SE) causes human infections that clinically resemble infections due to Streptococcus pyogenes (SP). SE expresses several virulence determinants initially identified in SP, including genes encoding streptococcal pyrogenic exotoxins. SE isolates from patients with toxic shock syndrome were found to harbor a gene designated spegg, which is similar to the SP pyrogenic exotoxin-G gene, termed speG.

KPC-9, a novel carbapenemase from clinical specimens in Israel.

A bla(KPC-9) carbapenemase variant was discovered in isolates of Klebsiella pneumoniae and Escherichia coli from a single patient. It differed from bla(KPC-3) by one amino acid substitution (Val239Ala). The K.

The spread of Mycoplasma pneumoniae is polyclonal in both an endemic setting in France and in an epidemic setting in Israel.

Mycoplasma pneumoniae infections occur both endemically and epidemically, and macrolide resistance has been spreading for 10 years worldwide. A substantial increased incidence of M. pneumoniae infections has been reported in several countries since 2010.

Bordetella holmesii meningitis in an asplenic patient with systemic lupus erythematosus.

Bordetella holmesii is a slow-growing, Gram-negative, non-oxidizing bacillus with colonies that produce a brown soluble pigment and was originally described by Weyant et al. (1995) as CDC nonoxidizer group 2 (NO-2). It has recently been shown that B.

Comparison of two carbapenem-resistant Klebsiella pneumoniae clones: from a contained outbreak in a paediatric population and from a national epidemic.

Objectives: A refractory epidemic of carbapenem-resistant Klebsiella pneumoniae (CRKP) emerged in the adult population at our hospital in 2005, as in most Israeli hospitals. Contemporaneously, a different clone of CRKP caused an easily contained outbreak in a paediatric long-term care facility (LTCF) in Jerusalem. While previously identified host-related risk factors for colonization by these organisms undoubtedly contributed to these outbreaks, it is very likely that bacterial factors might be crucial in explaining the striking differences in transmissibility between the implicated strains.

A carbapenem-resistant Klebsiella pneumoniae epidemic clone in Jerusalem: sequence type 512 carrying a plasmid encoding aac(6')-Ib.

Objectives: We characterized distinctive features of a hypertransmissible carbapenem-resistant Klebsiella pneumoniae (CRKP) clone that emerged at Hadassah Hospital, Ein-Kerem, Jerusalem, Israel, in 2006.

Methods: Eleven CRKP isolated at Hadassah Hospital during 2005-09 were examined by antimicrobial susceptibility testing, PFGE and multilocus sequence typing (MLST). Plasmids were analysed by conjugation, restriction mapping, PCR and sequencing.

Macrolide resistance in Mycoplasma pneumoniae, Israel, 2010.

Macrolide resistance in Mycoplasma pneumoniae is often found in Asia but is rare elsewhere. We report the emergence of macrolide-resistant M. pneumoniae in Israel and the in vivo evolution of such resistance during the treatment of a 6-year-old boy with pneumonia.

Imipenem disc for detection of KPC carbapenemase-producing Enterobacteriaceae in clinical practice.

The global spread of class A-carbapenemase-producing Enterobacteriaceae has made the development of a simple test a desirable goal. A disc diffusion test using imipenem was 100% sensitive and 96% specific in identifying carbapenemase-producing organisms, potentially reducing or eliminating the need for the relatively labor-intensive modified Hodge test.

An outbreak of achromobacter xylosoxidans associated with ultrasound gel used during transrectal ultrasound guided prostate biopsy.

Purpose: We describe an outbreak of Achromobacter xylosoxidans after transrectal ultrasound guided prostate biopsy at a urology unit at a tertiary care center as well as clinical and microbiological investigation, and intervention.

Materials And Methods: In September 2008, several days after undergoing transrectal ultrasound guided prostate biopsy, 4 patients were hospitalized with fever. We reviewed the procedure and infection control practices in the urology service.

High-resolution melt curve analysis for identification of single nucleotide mutations in the quinolone resistance gene aac(6')-Ib-cr.

We have developed a simple PCR-based high-resolution melt curve analysis for identification of the quinolone resistance gene aac(6')-Ib-cr through regions encompassing the two defining single nucleotide mutations. Dissociation curves showed 100% concordance with DNA sequencing, including the identification of a strain where aac(6')-Ib and aac(6')-Ib-cr coexist.

Cluster of pseudoinfections with Burkholderia cepacia associated with a contaminated washer-disinfector in a bronchoscopy unit.

In December 2008, bronchoalveolar lavage fluid samples obtained from 3 patients were positive for Burkholderia cepacia complex on culture. Samples obtained from bronchoscopes and rinse-water samples obtained from the washer-disinfector were found to be positive for B. cepacia complex.

Imported melioidosis, Israel, 2008.

In 2008, melioidosis was diagnosed in an agricultural worker from Thailand in the southern Jordan Valley in Israel. He had newly diagnosed diabetes mellitus, fever, multiple abscesses, and osteomyelitis. Burkholderia pseudomallei was isolated from urine and blood.

Invasive Scytalidium dimidiatum infection in an immunocompetent adult.

Scytalidium dimidiatum, a dematiaceous fungus, has been well established as an agent of dermatomycosis. There are few reports of invasive infection caused by S. dimidiatum; most infections occurred in immunocompromised hosts.

A streptococcal protease that degrades CXC chemokines and impairs bacterial clearance from infected tissues.

Group A Streptococcus (GAS) causes the life-threatening infection in humans known as necrotizing fasciitis (NF). Infected subcutaneous tissues from an NF patient and mice challenged with the same GAS strain possessed high bacterial loads but a striking paucity of infiltrating polymorphonuclear leukocytes (PMNs). Impaired PMN recruitment was attributed to degradation of the chemokine IL-8 by a GAS serine peptidase.

Characterization of biofilm formation by clinically relevant serotypes of group A streptococci.

Streptococcus pyogenes (group A streptococcus [GAS]) is a frequent cause of purulent infections in humans. As potentially important aspects of its pathogenicity, GAS was recently shown to aggregate, form intratissue microcolonies, and potentially participate in multispecies biofilms. In this study, we show that GAS in fact forms monospecies biofilms in vitro, and we analyze the basic parameters of S.

Effect of a bacterial pheromone peptide on host chemokine degradation in group A streptococcal necrotising soft-tissue infections.

Background: Necrotising soft-tissue infections due to group A streptococcus (GAS) are rare (about 0.2 cases per 100000 people). The disease progresses rapidly, causing severe necrosis and hydrolysis of soft tissues.

emm typing of M nontypeable invasive group A streptococcal isolates in Israel.

We performed emm typing of M nontypeable invasive group A streptococcal (GAS) isolates collected in a prospective population-based study in Israel. One hundred twenty of 131 isolates (92%) had emm sequences compatible with GAS, consisting of 51 different emm types. Eleven isolates were found to be group G streptococcus.

A locus of group A Streptococcus involved in invasive disease and DNA transfer.

Group A streptococcus (GAS) causes diseases ranging from benign to severe infections such as necrotizing fasciitis (NF). The reasons for the differences in severity of streptococcal infections are unexplained. We developed the polymorphic-tag-lengths-transposon-mutagenesis (PTTM) method to identify virulence genes in vivo.