Plasma Microbial Cell-free DNA Sequencing for the Detection of Kingella kingae Pediatric Spinal Infections.

Background: Diagnosis of Kingella kingae skeletal system infections is made challenging by the microbe's fastidious nature. Detection and quantification of circulating microbial cell-free DNA (mcfDNA) in plasma by the Karius Test, a commercial metagenomic sequencing test, may offer promise in diagnosing pediatric spinal infections caused by difficult-to-culture organisms such as K. kingae.

The Stealth and Potentially Fatal Nature of Outbreaks in Daycare Facilities.

Although infections are usually sporadic, outbreaks of disease have been reported. Outbreaks of invasive infections in daycare centers were searched through the Pubmed database. Twenty-seven outbreaks have been detected in North America, Western Europe, and Israel.