INFECTION OF FREE-LIVING WESTERN EUROPEAN HEDGEHOGS ().

is a ubiquitous environmental bacterium that causes disease in a wide range of species. Infection with this pathogen is most frequently diagnosed in ruminant livestock, but is also known to infect people and occasionally wildlife. Postmortem examinations of Western European hedgehogs () in Great Britain (2011-2017) identified five (5/266, 2%, 95% confidence interval: 0.

Utility of Whole Genome Sequencing To Describe the Persistence and Evolution of Listeria monocytogenes Strains within Crabmeat Processing Environments Linked to Two Outbreaks of Listeriosis.

This article describes the identification and investigation of two extended outbreaks of listeriosis in which crabmeat was identified as the vehicle of infection. Comparing contemporary and retrospective typing data of Listeria monocytogenes isolates from clinical cases and from food and food processing environments allowed the detection of cases going back several years. This information, combined with the analysis of routinely collected enhanced surveillance data, helped to direct the investigation and identify the vehicle of infection.

Gene expression in Listeria monocytogenes exposed to sublethal concentration of benzalkonium chloride.

In this study, tolerance at sublethal concentration of benzalkonium chloride and transcription levels of mdrL, ladR, lde, sigB and bcrABC genes in Listeria monocytogenes strains were evaluated. Viable cells reduction occurred in 45% of strains and clinical isolates showed lower sensitivity than isolates from foods. An increased transcription of an efflux system encoding gene was found in 60% of strains, and simultaneous mdrL overexpression and ladR underexpression occurred in 30% of isolates.

Real-time PCRs assay for serogrouping Listeria monocytogenes and differentiation from other Listeria spp.

A 5'-exonuclease real-time triplex-PCR assay was developed for serogrouping Listeria monocytogenes, and differentiation from other Listeria spp. The assay was evaluated on 109 Listeria cultures, and results were compared with a previously validated gel-based multiplex-PCR procedure. All L.

Real-time PCRs and fingerprinting assays for the detection and characterization of Salmonella Genomic Island-1 encoding multidrug resistance: application to 445 European isolates of Salmonella, Escherichia coli, Shigella, and Proteus.

Salmonella Genomic Island-1 (SGI-1) harbors a cluster of genes encoding multidrug resistance (MDR). SGI-1 is horizontally transmissible and is therefore of significant public health concern. This study presents two novel realtime PCRs detecting three SGI-1 protein-coding genes and a SGI-1 fingerprinting assay.

Detection of viral, bacterial, and parasitological RNA or DNA of nine intestinal pathogens in fecal samples archived as part of the english infectious intestinal disease study: assessment of the stability of target nucleic acid.

Fecal samples were collected from cases and controls as part of the Infectious Intestinal Disease (IID) study in England and were stored as frozen suspensions for 8 to 12 years. The purpose of this study was to apply PCR-based procedures to assess the stability of pathogen-specific nucleic acid sequences present in this archive. Samples from which Cryptosporidium, Giardia, Salmonella, Campylobacter, enteroaggregative Escherichia coli (EAggEC), enterotoxigenic Clostridium perfringens, rotaviruses, noroviruses, or sapoviruses had been previously detected during the IID study using conventional methods were selected from the archive.

Detection and genotyping by real-time PCR/RFLP analyses of Giardia duodenalis from human faeces.

A nested PCR assay (TPILC-PCR) was developed to detect and distinguish between Giardia duodenalis assemblages A and B from human faeces by analysis of the triose phosphate isomerase gene (tpi). The assay comprised an initial multiplexed block-based amplification. This was followed by two separate real-time PCR assays specific for assemblages A and B using a LightCycler and SYBR Green I to identify PCR products by melting-point analysis.

Polymerase chain reaction-based diagnosis of infection with Cryptosporidium in children with primary immunodeficiencies.

Background: Patients with deficient cell-mediated immunity are prone to chronic biliary tract infection with Cryptosporidium, which can lead to the development of sclerosing cholangitis and acute cryptosporidiosis after bone marrow transplantation (BMT). The organism is very difficult to detect during asymptomatic periods.

Methods: PCR techniques were compared with standard microscopy for detecting the organism in such patients.