Epidemiology of Escherichia coli serogroups O26, O103, O111 and O145 in very young ('bobby') calves in the North Island, New Zealand.

The prevalence and spatial distribution of Escherichia coli serogroups O26, O103, O111 and O145 in calves 70% similarity) using pulsed field gel electrophoresis. Mapping of the farms showed the presence of farms positive for O26, O103 and O145 in three important dairy producing regions of the North Island. Calves positive for O103 were more likely to be positive for O26 and vice versa (P = 0·04).

Genomic Insights into a Sustained National Outbreak of Yersinia pseudotuberculosis.

In 2014, a sustained outbreak of yersiniosis due to Yersinia pseudotuberculosis occurred across all major cities in New Zealand (NZ), with a total of 220 laboratory-confirmed cases, representing one of the largest ever reported outbreaks of Y. pseudotuberculosis. Here, we performed whole genome sequencing of outbreak-associated isolates to produce the largest population analysis to date of Y.

The global distribution and diversity of protein vaccine candidate antigens in the highly virulent Streptococcus pnuemoniae serotype 1.

Serotype 1 is one of the most common causes of pneumococcal disease worldwide. Pneumococcal protein vaccines are currently being developed as an alternate intervention strategy to pneumococcal conjugate vaccines. Pre-requisites for an efficacious pneumococcal protein vaccine are universal presence and minimal variation of the target antigen in the pneumococcal population, and the capability to induce a robust human immune response.

Inferring Ancestral Recombination Graphs from Bacterial Genomic Data.

Homologous recombination is a central feature of bacterial evolution, yet it confounds traditional phylogenetic methods. While a number of methods specific to bacterial evolution have been developed, none of these permit joint inference of a bacterial recombination graph and associated parameters. In this article, we present a new method which addresses this shortcoming.

Detection of Drug-Responsive T-Lymphocytes in a Case of Fatal Antituberculosis Drug-Related Liver Injury.

Antituberculosis (TB) drug exposure is associated with a mild elevation of liver enzymes that occasionally develops into severe liver injury. Herein, we identify ethambutol- and rifampicin-specific CD4+ and CD8+ T-cell clones in a patient with fatal anti TB-related liver injury. The clones were activated to proliferate and secrete IFN-γ, Il-13, and granzyme B following drug treatment.

Multidrug resistant Enterobacteriaceae in New Zealand: a current perspective.

In this article we review mechanisms and potential transmission pathways of multidrug resistance in Enterobacteriaceae, with an emphasis on extended-spectrum β-lactamase (ESBL)-production. This provides background to better understand challenges presented by this important group of antimicrobial resistant bacteria, and inform measures aimed at prevention and control of antimicrobial resistance in general. Humans and animals interact at various levels; household pets cohabit with humans, and other animals interact with people through direct contact, as well as through the food chain and the environment.

A trial of a 7-valent pneumococcal conjugate vaccine in HIV-infected adults.

Background: is a leading and serious coinfection in adults with human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) infection, particularly in Africa. Prevention of this disease by vaccination with the current 23-valent polysaccharide vaccine is suboptimal. Protein conjugate vaccines offer a further option for protection, but data on their clinical efficacy in adults are needed.

Challenges in reducing group B Streptococcus disease in African settings.

Group B Streptococcus (GBS) is a leading cause of neonatal sepsis and meningitis in high-income settings and is associated with high rates of neonatal mortality and morbidity. There is now increasing evidence to suggest that there is a high GBS disease burden in resource-limited countries, and it is therefore critically important to identify suitable and practical preventive strategies. In Europe and North America, intrapartum antibiotic prophylaxis (IAP) has led to a dramatic reduction of early-onset GBS disease.

Understanding pneumococcal serotype 1 biology through population genomic analysis.

Background: Pneumococcus kills over one million children annually and over 90 % of these deaths occur in low-income countries especially in Sub-Saharan Africa (SSA) where HIV exacerbates the disease burden. In SSA, serotype 1 pneumococci particularly the endemic ST217 clone, causes majority of the pneumococcal disease burden. To understand the evolution of the virulent ST217 clone, we analysed ST217 whole genomes from isolates sampled from African and Asian countries.

New Approaches to Investigate Drug-Induced Hypersensitivity.

The workshop on "New Approaches to Investigate Drug-Induced Hypersensitivity" was held on June 5, 2014 at the Foresight Center, University of Liverpool. The aims of the workshop were to (1) discuss our current understanding of the genetic, clinical, and chemical basis of small molecule drug hypersensitivity, (2) highlight the current status of assays that might be developed to predict potential drug immunogenicity, and (3) identify the limitations, knowledge gaps, and challenges that limit the use of these assays and utilize the knowledge gained from the workshop to develop a pathway to establish new and improved assays that better predict drug-induced hypersensitivity reactions during the early stages of drug development. This perspective reviews the clinical and immunological bases of drug hypersensitivity and summarizes various experts' views on the different topics covered during the meeting.

From the Cover: Characterization of Isoniazid-Specific T-Cell Clones in Patients with anti-Tuberculosis Drug-Related Liver and Skin Injury.

Isoniazid, rifampicin, pyrazinamide, and ethambutol are commonly used for the treatment of tuberculosis. Drug exposure is occasionally associated with liver and/or skin injury. The aim of this study was to determine whether drug-specific T-cells are detectable in patients with adverse reactions and if so characterize the nature of the T-cell response.

Cryptosporidiosis Risk in New Zealand Children Under 5 Years Old is Greatest in Areas with High Dairy Cattle Densities.

The public health risks associated with dairy farming intensification are an emerging concern. We examine the association between dairy cattle density and cryptosporidiosis risk in children <5 years old in New Zealand from 1997 to 2008, a period of rapid intensification of the dairy industry. Multi-level Poisson regression was used to model reported cryptosporidiosis (N = 3869 cases) incidence in relation to dairy cattle densities across urban and rural areas separately, after controlling for microbiological quality of public drinking water supplies and neighbourhood socio-economic factors using the Census Area Unit of residence.

The relationship between sleep problems and working memory in children born very preterm.

In two studies, the relationship between sleep and working memory performance was investigated in children born very preterm (i.e., gestation less than 32 weeks) and the possible mechanisms underlying this relationship.

Recombination in Streptococcus pneumoniae Lineages Increase with Carriage Duration and Size of the Polysaccharide Capsule.

Unlabelled: Streptococcus pneumoniae causes a high burden of invasive pneumococcal disease (IPD) globally, especially in children from resource-poor settings. Like many bacteria, the pneumococcus can import DNA from other strains or even species by transformation and homologous recombination, which has allowed the pneumococcus to evade clinical interventions such as antibiotics and pneumococcal conjugate vaccines (PCVs). Pneumococci are enclosed in a complex polysaccharide capsule that determines the serotype; the capsule varies in size and is associated with properties including carriage prevalence and virulence.

Respiratory Virus-Associated Severe Acute Respiratory Illness and Viral Clustering in Malawian Children in a Setting With a High Prevalence of HIV Infection, Malaria, and Malnutrition.

Background:  We used data from 4 years of pediatric severe acute respiratory illness (SARI) sentinel surveillance in Blantyre, Malawi, to identify factors associated with clinical severity and coviral clustering.

Methods:  From January 2011 to December 2014, 2363 children aged 3 months to 14 years presenting to the hospital with SARI were enrolled. Nasopharyngeal aspirates were tested for influenza virus and other respiratory viruses.

A Randomized, Controlled Trial of Behavioral Voice Therapy for Dysphonia Related to Prematurity of Birth.

Objectives: Dysphonia is a potential complication of prematurity. Preterm children may sustain iatrogenic laryngeal damage from medical intervention in the neonatal period, and further, adopt compensatory, maladaptive voicing behaviors. This pilot study aimed to evaluate the effects of a voice therapy protocol on voice quality in school-aged, very preterm (VP) children.

Amoxicillin and Clavulanate Form Chemically and Immunologically Distinct Multiple Haptenic Structures in Patients.

Amoxicillin-clavulanate (AC) is one of the most common causes of drug induced liver injury (DILI). The association between AC-DILI and HLA alleles and the detection of drug-specific T cells in patients with AC-DILI indicate that the adaptive immune system is involved in the disease pathogenesis. In this study, mass spectrometric methods were employed to characterize the antigen formed by AC in exposed patients and the antigenic determinants that stimulate T cells.

Poor executive functioning in children born very preterm: Using dual-task methodology to untangle alternative theoretical interpretations.

Two alternative theoretical explanations have been proposed for the difficulties with executive functioning observed in children born very preterm (VP; ⩽32 weeks): a general vulnerability (i.e., in attentional and processing capacities), which has a cascading impact on increasingly complex cognitive functions, and a selective vulnerability in executive-level cognitive processes.

Distinct Salmonella Enteritidis lineages associated with enterocolitis in high-income settings and invasive disease in low-income settings.

An epidemiological paradox surrounds Salmonella enterica serovar Enteritidis. In high-income settings, it has been responsible for an epidemic of poultry-associated, self-limiting enterocolitis, whereas in sub-Saharan Africa it is a major cause of invasive nontyphoidal Salmonella disease, associated with high case fatality. By whole-genome sequence analysis of 675 isolates of S.

Unintended Childbearing and Child Growth in Northern Malawi.

Objective The study aims to assess whether unintended children experience slower growth than intended children. Methods We analysed longitudinal data linked to the Karonga Health and Demographic Surveillance Site collected over three rounds between 2008 and 2011 on women's fertility intentions and anthropometric data of children. Using the prospective information on fertility intention we assessed whether unintended children are more likely to be stunted than intended children.

Sex difference in the survival rate of wild brushtail possums (Trichosurus vulpecula) experimentally challenged with bovine tuberculosis.

The main wildlife reservoir of bovine tuberculosis (TB) in New Zealand is the introduced brushtail possum (Trichosurus vulpecula), with spillover of infection from possums to livestock being regarded as the largest barrier to eradicating TB from the country. Past studies have experimentally challenged possums with Mycobacterium bovis (the causative agent of TB) to quantify infection parameters. However, the challenge models used are invariably non-representative of natural infection due to their resulting in much faster rates, and different clinical patterns of disease progression.

Determinants of time to antiretroviral treatment initiation and subsequent mortality on treatment in a cohort in rural northern Malawi.

Background: To optimise care HIV patients need to be promptly initiated on antiretroviral therapy (ART) and subsequently retained on treatment. In this study we report on the interval between enrolment and treatment initiation, and investigate subsequent attrition and mortality of patients on ART at a rural clinic in Malawi.

Methods: HIV-positive individuals were recruited to a cohort study between January 2008 and August 2011 at Chilumba Rural Hospital (CRH).