Comparison of biofilm formation between major clonal lineages of methicillin resistant Staphylococcus aureus.

Objectives: Epidemic methicillin-resistant S. aureus (MRSA) clones cause infections in both hospital and community settings. As a biofilm phenotype further facilitates evasion of the host immune system and antibiotics, we compared the biofilm-forming capacities of various MRSA clones.

Molecular epidemiology of HIV-1 transmission in a cohort of HIV-1 concordant heterosexual couples from Dakar, Senegal.

Background: A large number of HIV-1 infections in Africa occur in married couples. The predominant direction of intracouple transmission and the principal external origins of infection remain important issues of debate.

Methods: We investigated HIV-1 transmission in 46 HIV-1 concordant positive couples from Dakar, Senegal.

Evaluation of molecular assays for rapid detection of methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus.

The diagnostic sensitivities of the BD GeneOhm and Cepheid Xpert assays were compared using culture on log-serial dilutions of well-characterized methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA) and non-MRSA strains and on nasal and groin swabs from patients with histories of MRSA carriage. The sensitivities of GeneOhm and Xpert were high at 10(3)-CFU/ml MRSA concentrations (92.3% and 96.