Cautionary tale of using 16S rRNA gene sequence similarity values in identification of human-associated bacterial species.

Modern bacterial taxonomy is based on a polyphasic approach that combines phenotypic and genotypic characteristics, including 16S rRNA sequence similarity. However, the 95 % (for genus) and 98.7 % (for species) sequence similarity thresholds that are currently recommended to classify bacterial isolates were defined by comparison of a limited number of bacterial species, and may not apply to many genera that contain human-associated species.

Genome sequence and description of Bacteroides timonensis sp. nov.

Bacteroides timonensis strain AP1(T) (= CSUR P194 = DSM 26083) is the type strain of B. timonensis sp. nov.

Non-contiguous finished genome sequence and description of Collinsella massiliensis sp. nov.

Collinsella massiliensis strain GD3(T) is the type strain of Collinsella massiliensis sp. nov., a new species within the genus Collinsella.

Anti-hepatitis E virus antibody prevalence in French expatriate workers.

Objective: The hepatitis E virus (HEV) is a leading cause of acute hepatitis in developing countries and an emerging pathogen in Europe. HEV seroprevalence has rarely been assessed in cohorts of travelers, and previous studies have reported a very low rate of exposure. We assessed HEV seroprevalence in French expatriate workers.

Discrepancy between anti-hepatitis E virus immunoglobulin G prevalence assessed by two assays in kidney and liver transplant recipients.

Background: Hepatitis E virus (HEV) is an emerging clinical threat in Europe among kidney and liver-transplant recipients. The incidence and prevalence of HEV infection in this special population are poorly known. False-negative results have been observed for anti-HEV IgG detection in severely immunocompromized persons.