Emergent strain of human adenovirus endemic in Iowa.

We evaluated 76 adenovirus type 7 (Ad7) isolates collected in Iowa from 1992 to 2002 and found that genome type Ad7d2 became increasingly prevalent. By 2002, it had supplanted all other Ad7 genome types. The association of Ad7d2 with severe illness and death calls for heightened public health concern.

Effect of endocervical specimen adequacy on ligase chain reaction detection of Chlamydia trachomatis.

Several studies have demonstrated that the sensitivity of a commercially available PCR test for the detection of Chlamydia trachomatis (Roche Diagnostics) is affected by the cellular quality of the endocervical swab specimens. The cellular adequacies of 1,633 female endocervical swab specimens were assessed and compared with the results of C. trachomatis detection obtained by ligase chain reaction (LCR; Abbott Laboratories).