Overview of Ebola virus disease in 2014.

In late December 2013, a deadly infectious epidemic, Ebola virus disease (EVD), emerged from West Africa and resulted in a formidable outbreak in areas including Guinea, Liberia, Sierra Leone and Nigeria. EVD is a zoonotic disease with a high mortality rate. Person-to-person transmission occurs through blood or body fluid exposure, which can jeopardize first-line healthcare workers if there is a lack of stringent infection control or no proper personal protective equipment available.

Evolution of carbapenem resistance in Acinetobacter baumannii: an 18-year longitudinal study from a medical center in northern Taiwan.

Background: Carbapenem-resistant Acinetobacter baumannii has emerged as an important cause of nosocomial infections with high morbidity and mortality. The carbapenemases, especially class D carbapenem-hydrolyzing oxacillinases (CHDLs), play an important role, but the relationship between their prevalence trend and carbapenem resistance remains unclear.

Materials And Methods: Between 1995 and 2012, we collected 667 isolates of A.

Klebsiella pneumoniae in gastrointestinal tract and pyogenic liver abscess.

To determine the role of gastrointestinal carriage in Klebsiella pneumoniae liver abscess, we studied 43 patients. Bacterial isolates from liver and fecal samples from 10 patients with this condition and 7 healthy carriers showed identical serotypes and genotypes with the same virulence. This finding indicated that gastrointestinal carriage is a predisposing factor for liver abscess.

Clinical characteristics and outcome of patients with community-onset Klebsiella pneumoniae bacteremia requiring intensive care.

Background: Klebsiella pneumoniae (K. pneumoniae) is the major pathogen of community-acquired pyogenic infections in Taiwan and can lead to poor prognosis in critically ill patients complicated with bacteremia. This study investigated the characteristics and outcome of patients with community-onset K.

Seroepidemiology of Klebsiella pneumoniae colonizing the intestinal tract of healthy Chinese and overseas Chinese adults in Asian countries.

Background: Capsular serotypes K1 and K2 of Klebsiella pneumoniae are thought to the major virulence determinants responsible for liver abscess. The intestine is one of the major reservoirs of K. pneumoniae, and epidemiological studies have suggested that the majority of K.

Pyogenic liver abscess as the initial manifestation of underlying hepatocellular carcinoma.

Background: Pyogenic liver abscess and hepatocellular carcinoma are common in Taiwan. We investigated the frequency of, risk factors for, and prognosis of pyogenic liver abscess as the initial manifestation of underlying hepatocellular carcinoma over a 12-year period in Taiwan.

Methods: We extracted 32,454 patients with pyogenic liver abscess from a nationwide health registry in Taiwan during the period 1997-2008.

Characteristics of healthcare-associated and community-acquired Klebsiella pneumoniae bacteremia in Taiwan.

Objectives: Klebsiella pneumoniae is the major cause of community-onset pyogenic infections in Taiwan. We investigated the clinical features and outcomes of community-acquired (CA) and healthcare-associated (HCA) infections among community-onset K. pneumoniae bacteremia.