The IR Biotyper as a tool for typing organisms of significance for hospital epidemiology- A subject review.

The IR Biotyper is a novel real-time typing tool, based on a Fourier-transform infrared (FTIR) spectroscopy system. It has emerged as a promising method for the strain typing of various microorganisms and for the detection of their clonal spread within hospitals. In this review, we aim to present the applications and accuracy of the IR Biotyper in hospital epidemiology.

Bartonella quintana Endocarditis Associated With Head Lice in a Canadian Indigenous Youth.

Bartonella quintana is a rare but important cause of culture-negative endocarditis, classically associated with body lice infestation. We report the first known pediatric case of Bartonella quintana endocarditis associated with head lice. The importance of sending targeted testing for this organism in at-risk patients, ideally on tissue specimens, is emphasized.

Point-of-Care Testing Biosafety Decisions: An Investigation Summary Illustrating Current Decision-Making Process in Ontario, Canada.

Background: Point-of-care testing (POCT) is increasingly being used in healthcare, including hospitals, and POCT-style tests are also used within some laboratories. The principles of biosafety, including risk assessment and containment of biohazardous agents, can be utilized as a foundation to establish policies and procedures guiding safe performance of POCT. However, specific biosafety guidelines for POCT are generally lacking, particularly for those performed outside laboratories by healthcare workers.

A Practical Workflow for the Identification of Aspergillus, Fusarium, Mucorales by MALDI-TOF MS: Database, Medium, and Incubation Optimization.

There is an increasing body of literature on the utility of MALDI-TOF MS in the identification of filamentous fungi. However, the process still lacks standardization. In this study, we attempted to establish a practical workflow for the identification of three clinically important molds: Aspergillus, Fusarium, and Mucorales using MALDI-TOF MS.

Post-traumatic Fungal Keratitis and Endophthalmitis Caused by with Late Recurrence following Therapeutic Full-thickness Penetrating Keratoplasty.

Background: To report a rare case of fungal keratitis and endophthalmitis due to .

Methods: Case report.

Results: A 71-year-old immunocompetent male sustained a corneal laceration, traumatic cataract, and retinal detachment due to penetrating injury from a nail pulled from a wooden deck.

Assessment of panfungal PCR performance with formalin-fixed paraffin-embedded tissue specimens†.

Unlabelled: We reviewed the performance of a panfungal ITS-2 PCR and Sanger sequencing assay performed on 88 FFPE specimens at The Hospital for Sick Children (Toronto, Canada) in 2019. A potential fungal pathogen was identified by ITS PCR in 62.7 and 2.

Fourier Transform Infrared Spectroscopy for Typing Burkholderia cenocepacia ET12 Isolates.

The IR Biotyper and matrix-assisted laser desorption ionization-time of flight mass spectrometry (MALDI-TOF MS) using ClinProTools software (MALDI-TOF MS-ClinProTools) are two novel typing methods that rely on the analysis of carbohydrate and peptide residues in intact bacterial cells. These two methods have shown promising results in the rapid and accurate typing of bacteria. In this study, we evaluated these novel typing methods in comparison with genotypic typing for cluster analysis of Burkholderia cenocepacia epidemic strain ET12, isolated from adult cystic fibrosis patients.

ET12 transmission in adults with cystic fibrosis.

This report describes transmission of a ET12 strain (ET12-Bc) at the Toronto Adult Cystic Fibrosis (CF) Centre occurring from 2008 to 2017. Epidemiological and genomic data from 11 patients with CF were evaluated. Isolates were analysed using whole genome sequencing (WGS).

Evaluation of Matrix-Assisted Laser Desorption Ionization Time-of-Flight Mass Spectrometry and ClinPro Tools as a Rapid Tool for Typing .

Background: Timely strain typing of group A (GAS) is necessary to guide outbreak recognition and investigation. We evaluated the use of (matrix-assisted laser desorption ionization time-of-flight mass spectrometry) combined with cluster analysis software to rapidly distinguish between related and unrelated GAS isolates in real-time.

Methods: We developed and validated a typing model using 177 GAS isolates with known types.

Rapid detection of resistance to carbapenems and cephalosporins in Enterobacteriaceae using liquid chromatography tandem mass spectrometry.

Carbapenemase producing Enterobacteriaceae (CPE) are becoming a global healthcare concern. Current laboratory methods for the detection of CPE include screening followed by confirmatory phenotypic and genotypic tests. These processes would generally take ≥72 hours, which could negatively impact patient care and Infection Control practices.

Mandibular osteomyelitis due to species.

Introduction: is a genus of aerobic Gram-negative bacilli belonging to the family that are commonly found in water, soil and aquatic environments. With improved bacterial identification techniques, species (namely and ) have been an increasingly reported cause of infections in humans.

Case Presentation: An 85-year-old man presented to hospital with a several-week history of left jaw pain and trismus.

Epidemiologic and Genotypic Review of Carbapenemase-Producing Organisms in British Columbia, Canada, between 2008 and 2014.

Carbapenemase-producing organisms (CPOs) are a serious emerging problem for health care facilities worldwide. Owing to their resistance to most antimicrobial therapies, CPOs are difficult to treat and pose a challenge for infection prevention and control. Since 2010, lab-based surveillance for CPOs and PCR-based testing were implemented in British Columbia (BC), Canada.

Evaluation of MALDI-TOF mass spectrometry and Sepsityper Kit™ for the direct identification of organisms from sterile body fluids in a Canadian pediatric hospital.

Matrix-assisted laser desorption/ionization time of flight mass spectrometry (MALDI-TOF MS) can be used to identify bacteria directly from positive blood and sterile fluid cultures. The authors evaluated a commercially available kit - the Sepsityper Kit (Bruker Daltonik, Germany) - and MALDI-TOF MS for the rapid identification of organisms from 80 flagged positive blood culture broths, of which 73 (91.2%) were blood culture specimens and seven (8.

Epidemiology and outcome of pneumonia caused by methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA) in Canadian hospitals.

Background: MRSA remains a leading cause of hospital-acquired (HAP) and healthcare-associated pneumonia (HCAP). We describe the epidemiology and outcome of MRSA pneumonia in Canadian hospitals, and identify factors contributing to mortality.

Methods: Prospective surveillance for MRSA pneumonia in adults was done for one year (2011) in 11 Canadian hospitals.

Risk factors for Staphylococcus aureus surgical site infection during an outbreak in patients undergoing cardiovascular surgery.

Background: This study examined the epidemiology of an outbreak of Staphylococcus aureus surgical site infections (SSI) after cardiovascular surgery, and analyzed risk factors for S aureus SSIs.

Methods: This was a retrospective case-control study to determine risk factors for S aureus SSI in 38 patients who developed S aureus SSI during the outbreak period, compared with age-, sex-, and procedure-matched controls. S aureus strains were typed by pulsed-field gel electrophoresis.

New Delhi metallo-β-lactamase-1: local acquisition in Ontario, Canada, and challenges in detection.

New Delhi metallo-β-lactamase-1 (NDM-1) is a recently identified metallo-β-lactamase that confers resistance to carbapenems and all other β-lactam antibiotics, with the exception of aztreonam. NDM-1 is also associated with resistance to many other classes of antibiotics. The enzyme was first identified in organisms isolated from a patient in Sweden who had previously received medical treatment in India, but it is now recognized as endemic throughout India and Pakistan and has spread worldwide.