Publications by authors named "Kathy Fauntleroy"

We evaluated the performance of SARS-CoV-2 TaqMan real-time reverse-transcription PCR (RT-qPCR) assays (ThermoFisher) for detecting 2 nonsynonymous spike protein mutations, E484K and N501Y. Assay accuracy was evaluated by whole genome sequencing (WGS). Residual nasopharyngeal SARS-CoV-2 positive samples (N = 510) from a diverse patient population in New York City submitted for routine SARS-CoV-2 testing during January-April 2020 were used.

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Objectives: Pseudomonas aeruginosa is a leading cause of opportunistic infections worldwide, particularly in healthcare settings, and frequently demonstrates resistance to commonly prescribed antimicrobials. Carbapenem resistance is prevalent worldwide, however there are currently limited data available from Haiti. The aim of this study was to characterise and document this phenotype in Port-au-Prince, Haiti, to further inform the need for appropriate infection control, empirical treatment guidelines and laboratory screening measures, both in Haiti and globally.

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Article Synopsis
  • * Research using various data shows key entry points for this variant and highlights areas with possible underreporting of cases in the US.
  • * The study predicts that B.1.1.7 will likely become the dominant variant in multiple states by mid to late March 2021, emphasizing the urgent need for improved genomic monitoring to support public health efforts.
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Severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) has emerged as the cause of a worldwide pandemic. Many commercial SARS-CoV-2 reverse transcription-PCR (RT-PCR) assays have received Emergency Use Authorization from the U.S.

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NG-Test Carba 5 is a rapid multiplex immunoassay for the phenotypic detection and differentiation of five common carbapenemase families (KPC, OXA-48-like, VIM, IMP, and NDM) directly from bacterial colonies. The assay is simple to perform and has recently received U.S.

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Antibiotic tolerance, the ability to temporarily sustain viability in the presence of bactericidal antibiotics, constitutes an understudied and yet potentially widespread cause of antibiotic treatment failure. We have previously shown that the Gram-negative pathogen can tolerate exposure to the typically bactericidal β-lactam antibiotics by assuming a spherical morphotype devoid of detectable cell wall material. However, it is unclear how widespread β-lactam tolerance is.

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Carbapenem-resistant (CRE) strains are an urgent public health threat. We evaluated the activities of 19 antimicrobial agents, including imipenem-relebactam, against (i) 106 CRE bloodstream isolates that primarily expressed carbapenemase (KPC) and (ii) 20 OXA-48-like-expressing CRE isolates. Ninety-five percent of CRE bloodstream isolates were susceptible to imipenem-relebactam.

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Article Synopsis
  • Carbapenem-resistant Enterobacteriaceae (CRE) are becoming more common in patients with blood cancers, but there's limited understanding of how they develop in these individuals.
  • A study identified 18 cases of bloodstream infections caused by CRE over 3.5 years, with a high mortality rate of 56%, especially among neutropenic patients.
  • The research highlights issues such as ineffective initial treatments and delays in administering effective antibiotics, emphasizing the need for better diagnostics and treatment approaches for this at-risk population.
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  • - This study examined the agreement and error rates of three testing methods—broth microdilution (BMD), Vitek 2, and Etest—on 48 isolates of KPC-producing Klebsiella pneumoniae regarding the effectiveness of various antibiotics.
  • - For tigecycline, both commercial methods (Vitek 2 and Etest) yielded reliable results, while Etest provided a more conservative estimate for polymyxin B susceptibility.
  • - The researchers recommend that labs use BMD or Etest as supplemental methods for testing cefepime and meropenem, as Vitek 2 was found to be unreliable for these antibiotics.
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We describe the levels of agreement between broth microdilution, Etest, Vitek 2, Sensititre, and MicroScan methods to accurately define the meropenem MIC and categorical interpretation of susceptibility against carbapenemase-producing Klebsiella pneumoniae (KPC). A total of 46 clinical K. pneumoniae isolates with KPC genotypes, all modified Hodge test and bla(KPC) positive, collected from two hospitals in NY were included.

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