Antenatal and intrapartum nucleic acid amplification test use for group B Streptococcus screening-United States, 2016.

Perinatal group B Streptococcus (GBS) disease prevention guidelines in 2010 allowed for processing of screening specimens by nucleic acid amplification tests (NAATs); however, the extent of NAAT use is unknown. A 2016 laboratory survey sent to 10 surveillance sites found that 18.7% of responding laboratories offered NAAT for GBS screening (antenatal only: 7.

A Guide to Utilization of the Microbiology Laboratory for Diagnosis of Infectious Diseases: 2018 Update by the Infectious Diseases Society of America and the American Society for Microbiology.

The critical nature of the microbiology laboratory in infectious disease diagnosis calls for a close, positive working relationship between the physician/advanced practice provider and the microbiologists who provide enormous value to the healthcare team. This document, developed by experts in laboratory and adult and pediatric clinical medicine, provides information on which tests are valuable and in which contexts, and on tests that add little or no value for diagnostic decisions. This document presents a system-based approach rather than specimen-based approach, and includes bloodstream and cardiovascular system infections, central nervous system infections, ocular infections, soft tissue infections of the head and neck, upper and lower respiratory infections, infections of the gastrointestinal tract, intra-abdominal infections, bone and joint infections, urinary tract infections, genital infections, and other skin and soft tissue infections; or into etiologic agent groups, including arthropod-borne infections, viral syndromes, and blood and tissue parasite infections.

A Guide to Utilization of the Microbiology Laboratory for Diagnosis of Infectious Diseases: 2018 Update by the Infectious Diseases Society of America and the American Society for Microbiology.

The critical nature of the microbiology laboratory in infectious disease diagnosis calls for a close, positive working relationship between the physician/advanced practice provider and the microbiologists who provide enormous value to the healthcare team. This document, developed by experts in laboratory and adult and pediatric clinical medicine, provides information on which tests are valuable and in which contexts, and on tests that add little or no value for diagnostic decisions. This document presents a system-based approach rather than specimen-based approach, and includes bloodstream and cardiovascular system infections, central nervous system infections, ocular infections, soft tissue infections of the head and neck, upper and lower respiratory infections, infections of the gastrointestinal tract, intra-abdominal infections, bone and joint infections, urinary tract infections, genital infections, and other skin and soft tissue infections; or into etiologic agent groups, including arthropod-borne infections, viral syndromes, and blood and tissue parasite infections.

Evaluation of the Lyra Direct Strep Assay To Detect Group A Streptococcus and Group C and G Beta-Hemolytic Streptococcus from Pharyngeal Specimens.

The Lyra Direct strep assay was compared to culture for its ability to detect Streptococcus group A and β-hemolytic groups C/G using rapid antigen-negative pharyngeal specimens (n = 161). The Lyra assay correctly detected all β-hemolytic streptococci (group A, n = 19; group C/G, n = 5). In batch mode, the Lyra assay reduced intralaboratory turnaround time by 60% (18.

Neonatal Pasteurella multocida subsp. septica Meningitis Traced to Household Cats: Molecular Linkage Analysis Using Repetitive-Sequence-Based PCR.

Pasteurella multocida is a rare cause of neonatal bacterial meningitis. We describe such a case and verify two household cats as the source of infection using repetitive-element PCR (rep-PCR) molecular fingering.

Performance of the Affirm VP-III using residual vaginal discharge collected from the speculum to characterize vaginitis in symptomatic women.

Objective: To evaluate the ability of collecting the Affirm VP-III test sample using the residual vaginal discharge found on the speculum.

Methods And Methods: One hundred nine symptomatic women (≥18 y) participated in this study. During pelvic examination, vaginal fluid was collected onto 3 swabs for office-based diagnostic tests and Affirm (referred to as Affirm-R).

Performance of the Directigen EZ Flu A+B rapid influenza diagnostic test to detect pandemic influenza A/H1N1 2009.

The Directigen EZ Flu A+B rapid influenza diagnostic test, as compared to real-time reverse transcriptase polymerase chain reaction, demonstrated suboptimal performance to detect pandemic influenza A/H1N1 2009. Age- and viral load-stratified test sensitivity ranged from 33.3 to 84.

Executive summary: a guide to utilization of the microbiology laboratory for diagnosis of infectious diseases: 2013 recommendations by the Infectious Diseases Society of America (IDSA) and the American Society for Microbiology (ASM)(a).

The critical role of the microbiology laboratory in infectious disease diagnosis calls for a close, positive working relationship between the physician and the microbiologists who provide enormous value to the health care team. This document, developed by both laboratory and clinical experts, provides information on which tests are valuable and in which contexts, and on tests that add little or no value for diagnostic decisions. Sections are divided into anatomic systems, including Bloodstream Infections and Infections of the Cardiovascular System, Central Nervous System Infections, Ocular Infections, Soft Tissue Infections of the Head and Neck, Upper Respiratory Infections, Lower Respiratory Tract infections, Infections of the Gastrointestinal Tract, Intraabdominal Infections, Bone and Joint Infections, Urinary Tract Infections, Genital Infections, and Skin and Soft Tissue Infections; or into etiologic agent groups, including Tickborne Infections, Viral Syndromes, and Blood and Tissue Parasite Infections.

A guide to utilization of the microbiology laboratory for diagnosis of infectious diseases: 2013 recommendations by the Infectious Diseases Society of America (IDSA) and the American Society for Microbiology (ASM)(a).

The critical role of the microbiology laboratory in infectious disease diagnosis calls for a close, positive working relationship between the physician and the microbiologists who provide enormous value to the health care team. This document, developed by both laboratory and clinical experts, provides information on which tests are valuable and in which contexts, and on tests that add little or no value for diagnostic decisions. Sections are divided into anatomic systems, including Bloodstream Infections and Infections of the Cardiovascular System, Central Nervous System Infections, Ocular Infections, Soft Tissue Infections of the Head and Neck, Upper Respiratory Infections, Lower Respiratory Tract infections, Infections of the Gastrointestinal Tract, Intraabdominal Infections, Bone and Joint Infections, Urinary Tract Infections, Genital Infections, and Skin and Soft Tissue Infections; or into etiologic agent groups, including Tickborne Infections, Viral Syndromes, and Blood and Tissue Parasite Infections.

An outbreak of Pseudomonas aeruginosa respiratory tract infections associated with intrinsically contaminated ultrasound transmission gel.

We describe an outbreak of Pseudomonas aeruginosa respiratory tract infections related to intrinsically contaminated ultrasound gel used for intraoperative transesophageal echocardiograms in cardiovascular surgery patients. This investigation led to a product safety alert by the Food and Drug Administration and the development of guidelines for appropriate use of ultrasound gel.

Evaluation of the BD MAX GBS assay to detect Streptococcus group B in LIM broth-enriched antepartum vaginal-rectal specimens.

The BD MAX GBS real-time polymerase chain reaction assay was evaluated concomitantly with Centers for Disease Control and Prevention-endorsed culture methods to detect Streptococcus group B from LIM broth-enriched antepartum vaginal-rectal specimens. The sensitivity of both methods exceeded 98%.

Loop-mediated isothermal amplification compared to real-time PCR and enzyme immunoassay for toxigenic Clostridium difficile detection.

Clostridium difficile infection is the primary cause of health care-associated diarrhea. While most laboratories have been using rapid antigen tests for detecting C. difficile toxins, they have poor sensitivity; newer molecular methods offer rapid results with high test sensitivity and specificity.

Is there a clinical association of vancomycin MIC creep, agr group II locus, and treatment failure in MRSA bacteremia?

Background: The association of vancomycin treatment failure with minimum inhibitory concentration (MIC) creep is concerning, as most isolates are still considered to be in the susceptible range. Several studies have suggested that the accessory gene regulator (agr) group II polymorphism is predictive of vancomycin treatment failure. We assessed the associations between increased vancomycin MIC, agr group II locus, and vancomycin treatment failure in Methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA) bacteremias.

Dissemination of an Enterococcus Inc18-Like vanA plasmid associated with vancomycin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus.

Of the 9 vancomycin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (VRSA) cases reported to date in the literature, 7 occurred in Michigan. In 5 of the 7 Michigan VRSA cases, an Inc18-like vanA plasmid was identified in the VRSA isolate and/or an associated vancomycin-resistant Enterococcus (VRE) isolate from the same patient. This plasmid may play a critical role in the emergence of VRSA.

Case of fulminant leptospirosis in a renal transplant patient.

We present a case of fulminant leptospirosis that was acquired in the suburban area by a 48-year-old male renal transplant recipient. He developed acute renal and hepatic failure with profound jaundice. Spirochetes were identified on liver biopsy.

Human Mycobacterium bovis infection and bovine tuberculosis outbreak, Michigan, 1994-2007.

Mycobacterium bovis is endemic in Michigan's white-tailed deer and has been circulating since 1994. The strain circulating in deer has remained genotypically consistent and was recently detected in 2 humans. We summarize the investigation of these cases and confirm that recreational exposure to deer is a risk for infection in humans.

Epidemiology and outcomes of community-associated methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus infection.

Over a 2-year period (2003 to 2005) patients with community-associated methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (CA-MRSA) and community-acquired methicillin-susceptible Staphylococcus aureus (CA-MSSA) infections were prospectively identified. Patients infected with CA-MRSA (n = 102 patients) and CA-MSSA (n = 102 patients) had median ages of 46 and 53 years, respectively; the most common sites of infection in the two groups were skin/soft tissue (80 and 93%, respectively), respiratory tract (13 and 6%, respectively), and blood (4 and 1%, respectively). Fourteen percent of patients with CA-MRSA infections and 3% of patients with CA-MSSA infections had household contacts with similar infections (P < 0.

Multicenter evaluation of ethambutol susceptibility testing of mycobacterium tuberculosis by agar proportion and radiometric methods.

Reproducibility of ethambutol (EMB) susceptibility test results for Mycobacterium tuberculosis has always been difficult for a variety of reasons, including the narrow range between the critical breakpoint for EMB resistance and the MIC for susceptible strains, borderline results obtained with the BACTEC 460TB method, the presence of microcolonies determined using the agar proportion (AP) method, and a lack of agreement between these two testing methods. To assess the frequency of these problems, M. tuberculosis drug susceptibility data were collected in a multicenter study involving four laboratories.

Bovine tuberculosis in Michigan wildlife.

White-tailed deer in Michigan are now recognized as a reservoir host of bovine tuberculosis (TB). It has been determined that the most likely cause of bovine TB infection in the deer is from congregating in artificially high numbers at feed sites. The presence of a wildlife reservoir of TB in Michigan poses a serious threat to the control and eradication programs that are now in their final stages in the United States.

Multicenter evaluation of a nonweekend reading schedule for radiometric pyrazinamide susceptibility testing of Mycobacterium tuberculosis.

Pyrazinamide (PZA) is an integral component of the short-course chemotherapy regimen for tuberculosis. The BACTEC 460TB PZA susceptibility test for Mycobacterium tuberculosis with a daily (D) reading schedule has been available for more than 10 years, but weekend laboratory staffing is necessary. A nonweekend (NW) reading schedule has not been validated in a multicenter study.