Development of real-time PCR assays for specific detection of hmsH, hmsF, hmsR, and irp2 located within the 102-kb pgm locus of Yersinia pestis.

Virulent isolates of three pathogenic Yersinia species (Yersinia pestis, Yersinia pseudotuberculosis, and Yersinia enterocolitica) harbor a 102-kb chromosomal region which encodes elements critical for virulence. A 35-kb high pathogenicity island is contained in this region, is a known virulence determinant, contains irp1 and irp2 iron-regulating genes. An additional segment, the 68-kb high pathogenicity island, contains genetic elements responsible for conferring the Y.

Impact of Plasmodium falciparum infection on haematological parameters in children living in Western Kenya.

Background: Malaria is the commonest cause of childhood morbidity in Western Kenya with varied haematological consequences. The t study sought to elucidate the haematological changes in children infected with malaria and their impact on improved diagnosis and therapy of childhood malaria.

Methods: Haematological parameters in 961 children, including 523 malaria-infected and 438 non-malaria infected, living in Kisumu West District, an area of malaria holoendemic transmission in Western Kenya were evaluated.

Regulation of the subcellular distribution of key cellular RNA-processing factors during permissive human cytomegalovirus infection.

Alternative splicing and polyadenylation of human cytomegalovirus (HCMV) immediate-early (IE) pre-mRNAs are temporally regulated and rely on cellular RNA-processing factors. This study examined the location and abundance of essential RNA-processing factors, which affect alternative processing of UL37 IE pre-mRNAs, during HCMV infection. Serine/threonine protein kinase 1 (SRPK1) phosphorylates serine/arginine-rich proteins, necessary for pre-spliceosome commitment.

An outbreak of multidrug-resistant Acinetobacter baumannii-calcoaceticus complex infection in the US military health care system associated with military operations in Iraq.

Background: We investigated an outbreak of multidrug-resistant Acinetobacter baumannii-calcoaceticus complex infection among US service members injured in Iraq.

Methods: The investigation was conducted in Iraq and Kuwait, in the 2 military hospitals where the majority of injured service members were initially treated. After initially characterizing the outbreak, we evaluated 3 potential sources of infection for the period March 2003 to December 2004.

Identification of Acinetobacter species and genotyping of Acinetobacter baumannii by multilocus PCR and mass spectrometry.

Members of the genus Acinetobacter are ubiquitous in soil and water and are an important cause of nosocomial infections. A rapid method is needed to genotype Acinetobacter isolates to determine epidemiology and clonality during infectious outbreaks. Multilocus PCR followed by electrospray ionization mass spectrometry (PCR/ESI-MS) is a method that uses the amplicon base compositions to genotype bacterial species.

Comparison of 10 different hemostatic dressings in an aortic injury.

Background: Uncontrolled hemorrhage is the leading preventable cause of death on the battlefield. Similarly, hemorrhage accounts for 80% of all deaths within the first 48 hours of injury in civilian trauma patients. New methods of hemostasis are required to reduce hemorrhagic mortality.