Intestinal spirochaetes (genus Brachyspira) colonise wild birds in the southern Atlantic region and Antarctica.

Introduction: The genus Brachyspira contains well-known enteric pathogens of veterinary significance, suggested agents of colonic disease in humans, and one potentially zoonotic agent. There are recent studies showing that Brachyspira are more widespread in the wildlife community than previously thought. There are no records of this genus in wildlife from the southern Atlantic region and Antarctica.

Best practice in placement of percutaneous endoscopic gastrostomy with jejunal extension tube for continuous infusion of levodopa carbidopa intestinal gel in the treatment of selected patients with Parkinson's disease in the Nordic region.

Objective: Continuous infusion of levodopa carbidopa intestinal gel (LCIG) is associated with a significant improvement in the symptoms and quality of life of selected patients with advanced Parkinson's disease. Percutaneous endoscopic gastrostomy with jejunal extension (PEG/J) was first described in 1998 and has become the most common and standard technique for fixing the tubing in place for LCIG infusion.

Material And Methods: A workshop was held in Stockholm, Sweden, to discuss the PEG/J placement for the delivery of LCIG in Parkinson's disease patients with the primary goal of providing guidance on best practice for the Nordic countries.

VetBact - culturing bacteriological knowledge for veterinarians.

In 2004, Karl-Erik Johansson, then professor of veterinary bacteriology at the veterinary school at Uppsala in Sweden, was asked by his students for a list of the most important bacteria and the diseases that they cause. So began the development of VetBact, an online database giving details of the bacterial species with most relevance to veterinary medicine. The non-commercial database, www.

Phenotypic and genetic diversity among intestinal spirochaetes (genus Brachyspira) in free-living wild mallards (Anas platyrhynchos) sampled in southern Sweden.

Brachyspira spp. are anaerobic intestinal spirochaetes that colonize vertebrates. Some species cause enteric diseases in pigs, chickens and possibly in humans, whereas others display a commensual relationship with their hosts.

Phenotypic and molecular characterization of Brachyspira spp. isolated from wild rodents.

The occurrence of intestinal spirochaetes of genus Brachyspira in wild rodents was studied by cultivating 209 caecal samples. Spirochaetal cultures were obtained from 83% of rats and 33% of house mice. Biochemical characterization and six different species-specific PCR methods were applied to 101 of 118 isolates and a selection of 34 brachyspiras were further studied by sequencing of the 16S rRNA gene.

Pancreatic acinar metaplasia in the distal oesophagus and the gastric cardia: prevalence, predictors and relation to GORD.

Purpose: The nature of pancreatic acinar metaplasia (PAM) in the gastro-oesophageal junction (GOJ) remains obscure. We aimed to estimate its prevalence and investigate into its risk factors in a population-based series of first-time endoscopy patients.

Methods: We investigated consecutive patients, endoscoped for the first time, representing defined catchment area populations.

Characterization of Erysipelothrix rhusiopathiae isolates from poultry, pigs, emus, the poultry red mite and other animals.

Erysipelothrix rhusiopathiae is the causative agent of erysipelas in mammals and birds, especially pigs and poultry. In order to investigate the suitability of different subtyping methods for genetic and phenotypic similarities among Swedish isolates of the organism, 45 isolates from poultry (n=23), pigs (n=17), emus (n=2) and the poultry red mite Dermanyssus gallinae (n=3) were investigated by serotyping, pulsed-field gel electrophoresis (PFGE) and antimicrobial susceptibility testing. Sequence analysis of the 16S rRNA gene was performed on eleven isolates from nine animal species.

Intestinal spirochetes isolated from wild-living jackdaws, hooded crows and rooks (genus Corvus): provisionally designated "Brachyspira corvi" sp. nov.

Intestinal spirochetes of genus Brachyspira are commonly isolated from mammalian and avian hosts, and several species have been reported to cause enteric disease in pigs and birds. Except for a previous publication on three isolates from corvid birds (order Passeriformes, family Corvidae, genus Corvus), of which two are further studied in this paper, no other reports exist on Brachyspira spp. of passerine birds.

Isolation and characterization of Treponema phagedenis-like spirochetes from digital dermatitis lesions in Swedish dairy cattle.

Background: Digital dermatitis in cattle is an emerging infectious disease. Ulcerative lesions are typically located on the plantar skin between the heel bulbs and adjacent to the coronet. Spirochetes of the genus Treponema are found in high numbers in the lesions and are likely to be involved in the pathogenesis.

Investigation of Chlamydophila spp. in dairy cows with reproductive disorders.

Background: Reports worldwide indicate high prevalence of Chlamydophila spp. infection in cattle. To assess the prevalence in Sweden, 525 cows in 70 dairy herds with reproductive disorders was investigated.

Identification of nine sequence types of the 16S rRNA genes of Campylobacter jejuni subsp. jejuni isolated from broilers.

Background: Campylobacter is the most commonly reported bacterial cause of enteritis in humans in the EU Member States and other industrialized countries. One significant source of infection is broilers and consumption of undercooked broiler meat. Campylobacter jejuni is the Campylobacter sp.

Identification and genetic fingerprinting of Brachyspira species.

Six Brachyspira type and reference strains, and 14 well characterized porcine field isolates representing all recognised porcine Brachyspira spp. were compared by different molecular methods. Sequence analysis of the 16S rRNA and the nox genes, pulsed-field gel electrophoresis (PFGE) and randomly amplified polymorphic DNA (RAPD) were used in the study.

Diagnosing Barrett's oesophagus: factors related to agreement between endoscopy and histology.

Background And Study Aim: Few previous studies have addressed the agreement between endoscopy and histology regarding Barrett's oesophagus in unselected endoscopy patients. Our aim was to quantify this agreement, and to study its relation to clinical and endoscopic characteristics in consecutive patients coming for first-time gastroscopy.

Methods: We invited consecutive patients aged 18-79 years and endoscoped for the first time at endoscopy units exclusively serving defined catchment areas in southeast Sweden.

Decreased susceptibility to doxycycline associated with a 16S rRNA gene mutation in Brachyspira hyodysenteriae.

The objective of this study was to assess whether nucleotide substitutions in the 16S rDNA sequence of selected Brachyspira hyodysenteriae isolates could explain differences in doxycycline minimal inhibitory concentrations (MICs). The main part of the 16S rRNA gene was sequenced and compared for 19 isolates with different doxycycline MICs. A mutation in the 16S rRNA gene at the position corresponding to 1058 in Escherichia coli has been shown to cause tetracycline resistance in other bacteria.

A novel enteropathogenic, strongly haemolytic spirochaete isolated from pig and mallard, provisionally designated 'Brachyspira suanatina' sp. nov.

Atypical, strongly haemolytic porcine isolates of intestinal spirochaetes differing genetically from Brachyspira hyodysenteriae were identified and characterized. The isolates were subjected to culture and biochemical tests, antimicrobial susceptibility testing and molecular analyses. None of four species-specific polymerase chain reaction systems targeting genes of B.

Evaluation of a combined culture and PCR method (NMKL-163A) for detection of presumptive pathogenic Yersinia enterocolitica in pork products.

A combined culture and PCR method for detection of pathogenic Yersinia enterocolitica in food (NMKL-163A) was evaluated by testing samples of artificially and naturally contaminated pork. The performance of the pre-PCR sample treatment, buoyant density centrifugation, was first compared with two commercially available methods (DNeasy tissue kit and PrepMan). We found that similar sensitivity was reached (i.

Risk factors for Barrett's oesophagus: a population-based approach.

Objective: Given its often subclinical course, Barrett's oesophagus (BO) hardly lends itself to epidemiologically stringent evaluations. The objective of this study was to investigate risk factors for incident BO diagnosed in a defined population in southeast Sweden while paying particular attention to epidemiological aspects of the study design.

Material And Methods: Consecutive patients (aged 18-79 years) who were endoscoped with new indications at units exclusively responsible for all gastroscopies in defined catchment area populations were invited to take part in the study.

Genetic diversity of Clostridium perfringens type A isolates from animals, food poisoning outbreaks and sludge.

Background: Clostridium perfringens, a serious pathogen, causes enteric diseases in domestic animals and food poisoning in humans. The epidemiological relationship between C. perfringens isolates from the same source has previously been investigated chiefly by pulsed-field gel electrophoresis (PFGE).

Occurrence of Helicobacter species other than H. hepaticus in laboratory mice and rats in Sweden.

The aim of this study was to determine which Helicobacter species other than H. hepaticus colonize laboratory mice and rats in Sweden. We analyzed 63 intestinal samples from mice and 42 intestinal samples from rats by partial 16S rDNA sequence analysis.

Long-term outcome is worse after laparoscopic than after conventional Nissen fundoplication.

Objective: No long-term studies of laparoscopic and open fundoplication were available in 1994. The aim of this study was to compare reflux control and side effects after laparoscopic and open fundoplication.

Material And Methods: Adult patients with uncomplicated gastro-oesophageal reflux disease were included in this prospective randomized clinical trial between laparoscopic and open 360-degree fundoplication.

Prevalence of precancerous and other metaplasia in the distal oesophagus and gastro-oesophageal junction.

Objective: The epidemiology of Barrett's oesophagus (BO) is characterized by divergent results. The aim of this study was to estimate the prevalence of BO and intestinal metaplasia (IM) at the gastro-oesophageal junction (GOJ) in a population-based series of patients referred for first-time gastroscopy.

Material And Methods: Consecutive patients who underwent endoscopy for the first time at endoscopy units exclusively serving defined catchment areas were invited to take part in the study.

[Abdominal tuberculosis--still a diagnostic challenge. Two case reports and a literature review].

Abdominal tuberculosis (TB) is unusual in Sweden today. This paper presents two patients born 1981 and 1975, one with perforated duodenal ulcer due to Helicobacter pylori and/or Mycobacterium tuberculosis. Acute operation with suture was done, signs of granulomatous inflammation revealed culture positive for TB.

Evaluation of PCR systems for the identification and differentiation of Mycoplasma agalactiae and Mycoplasma bovis: a collaborative trial.

Diagnostic differentiation between the ruminant pathogens Mycoplasma agalactiae and Mycoplasma bovis is known to be problematic when only conventional serological and biochemical tests are used. The main reason for this is that both agents share a considerable number of related proteins and common epitopes. DNA-based detection methods offer advantages in terms of specificity and sensitivity.

Detection of Renibacterium salmoninarum in tissue samples by sequence capture and fluorescent PCR based on the 16S rRNA gene.

The 16S rRNA genes from eight isolates of Renibacterium salmoninarum with different origins and dates of isolation were sequenced to evaluate the possibility to construct a diagnostic PCR system with target sites within this gene. The sequences were found to be identical but for one single position in one of the isolates, and two regions with an adequate number of nucleotide differences as compared to closely related species were identified. Species-specific fluorescent PCR primers complementary to these regions were constructed as well as oligonucleotides for DNA preparation by sequence capture.

Variability of a glucose phosphotransferase system permease in Mycoplasma mycoides subsp. mycoides Small Colony.

Intraclonal antigenic variation in pathogenic mycoplasma species is considered an important feature of host-pathogen interaction. Such intraclonal protein variation was observed for the interaction of Mycoplasma mycoides subsp. mycoides Small Colony, the agent of contagious bovine pleuropneumonia, with mAb 3F3.