Congenital cytomegalovirus infection is associated with high maternal socio-economic status and corresponding low maternal cytomegalovirus seropositivity.

Aims: Human cytomegalovirus (CMV) is the leading infectious cause of congenital infection in developed countries. Globally, CMV seropositivity has been associated with low socio-economic status (SES); however, Australian data are lacking. Therefore, we examined the association between SES and CMV seroprevalence in children and pregnant women.

Detecting human papillomavirus in ocular surface diseases.

Purpose: Human papillomavirus (HPV) infection has been implicated as a possible inducing factor for benign and neoplastic ocular surface diseases such as pterygia and ocular-surface squamous neoplasia (OSSN). However, the wide range in HPV prevalence previously reported for both diseases adds controversy to, and highlights the limitations of, this field. The aim of this study was to determine the prevalence of HPV in pterygia and OSSN and to devise a standardized approach for detecting viral DNA in ocular tissue samples.

A pilot study to determine the feasibility of collecting amniotic fluid samples from women during labour and measuring amniotic fluid lactate at point of care.

Background: The level of lactate in amniotic fluid may provide useful clinical information when assessing progress of a woman's labour and if so, a rapid, reliable method to assess amniotic fluid lactate is required in order to be clinically relevant. However, measuring lactate levels in amniotic fluid, using portable, handheld lactate meters may be less accurate than reference laboratory instruments designed to measure lactate levels in aqueous solutions. Prior to conducting a large study, we assessed recruitment, consent and sampling procedures, and the accuracy of a handheld lactate meter to measure lactate in amniotic fluid.

Human cytomegalovirus-induces cytokine changes in the placenta with implications for adverse pregnancy outcomes.

Human cytomegalovirus (CMV) infection of the developing fetus can result in adverse pregnancy outcomes including death in utero. Fetal injury results from direct viral cytopathic damage to the CMV-infected fetus, although evidence suggests CMV placental infection may indirectly cause injury to the fetus, possibly via immune dysregulation with placental dysfunction. This study investigated the effects of CMV infection on expression of the chemokine MCP-1 (CCL2) and cytokine TNF-α in placentae from naturally infected stillborn babies, and compared these changes with those found in placental villous explant histocultures acutely infected with CMV ex vivo.

Human cytomegalovirus infection is detected frequently in stillbirths and is associated with fetal thrombotic vasculopathy.

Background: Human cytomegalovirus (CMV) is the most common congenital infection in developed countries and is a known cause of intrauterine fetal death. We examined CMV infection in stillbirths and the relationship with histopathological findings at autopsy.

Methods: We collected liver, kidney, and placenta specimens from 130 stillbirths.

Outbreaks of pandemic (H1N1) 2009 and seasonal influenza A (H3N2) on cruise ship.

To determine the extent and pattern of influenza transmission and effectiveness of containment measures, we investigated dual outbreaks of pandemic (H1N1) 2009 and influenza A (H3N2) that had occurred on a cruise ship in May 2009. Of 1,970 passengers and 734 crew members, 82 (3.0%) were infected with pandemic (H1N1) 2009 virus, 98 (3.

Enhanced diagnosis of pandemic (H1N1) 2009 influenza infection using molecular and serological testing in intensive care unit patients with suspected influenza.

During the 2009 outbreak of pandemic (H1N1) 2009 influenza (pH1N1) in Australia, acute and convalescent serum specimens were collected from 33 patients with severe respiratory disease admitted to intensive care units. Using hemagglutination inhibition of pH1N1, 29 paired serum samples showed significant increases in specific antibody titers. Of these 29 patients, 18 had pH1N1 RNA detected by routine nucleic acid testing.

Successful valganciclovir treatment of post-transplant cytomegalovirus infection in the presence of UL97 mutation N597D.

Mutations in the human cytomegalovirus (CMV) UL97 protein kinase are the most common mechanism of ganciclovir (GCV) resistance in the clinical setting. A CMV strain with a previously unrecognized UL97 mutation N597D was identified in the blood of a heart transplant recipient who experienced a persistent CMV infection with high viral loads accompanying pain and fever while receiving valganciclovir (valGCV) therapy. The N597D mutation was transferred by mutagenesis to an antiviral sensitive CMV strain for analysis of antiviral susceptibility by standardized phenotypic assay.

Emergence and persistence of multiple antiviral-resistant CMV strains in a highly immunocompromised child.

Background: The emergence of human cytomegalovirus (CMV) antiviral resistance plays a significant role in disease progression in immunocompromised patients who have received antiviral therapy.

Objectives: To determine the pattern of antiviral-resistant CMV strains in a highly immunocompromised child.

Study Design: Retrospective specimens of blood and urine were analysed using PCR-sequencing to identify antiviral-resistant CMV strains containing UL97 or UL54 mutations.