Contaminated ventilator air flow sensor linked to Bacillus cereus colonization of newborns.

We investigated Bacillus cereus-positive tracheal aspirates from infants on ventilators in a neonatal intensive care unit. Multilocus sequence typing determined a genetic match between strains isolated from samples from a case-patient and from the air flow sensor in the ventilator. Changing the sterilization method for sensors to steam autoclaving stopped transmission.

Neisseria-avoiding the jump to conclusions.

Neisseria gonorrhoeae infection in a prepubertal child is virtually diagnostic of sexual abuse, provided perinatal infection has been excluded. Therefore, it is imperative that Neisseria gonorrhoeae be correctly identified. We present two cases of false positive Neisseria gonorrhoeae meningitis encountered at two different children's hospitals.

Outbreak of Salmonella javiana infection at a children's hospital.

Objective: To determine the source of an outbreak of Salmonella javiana infection.

Design: Case-control study.

Participants: A total of 101 culture-confirmed cases and 540 epidemiologically linked cases were detected between May 26, 2003, and June 16, 2003, in hospital employees, patients, and visitors.

Polymerase chain reaction for Streptococcus pyogenes used to evaluate an optical immunoassay for the detection of group A streptococci in children with pharyngitis.

Background: In evaluations of sensitive rapid tests for group A streptococci such as the optical immunoassay (OIA), some samples are positive by the antigen test but negative by culture. A method is needed for resolving these discrepant results.

Objective: To develop a PCR-based assay to detect group A streptococci and to use it to establish a reference standard for evaluating an OIA for group A streptococcal antigen.

Comparison of the BacT/Alert FAN aerobic and the Difco ESP 80A aerobic bottles for pediatric blood cultures.

We compared the BacT/Alert system using the aerobic FAN bottle with the ESP system using the 80A aerobic bottle for the detection of pediatric bloodstream pathogens at a children's hospital. From 6,636 blood culture sets complying with the inclusion criteria, 308 pathogens were detected, including 177 that were detected by both systems, 69 that were detected by BacT/Alert FAN only, and 62 that were detected by ESP 80A only (P = 0.6; not significant).