Performance of cobas® 4800 and m2000 real-time™ assays for detection of Chlamydia trachomatis and Neisseria gonorrhoeae in rectal and self-collected vaginal specimen.

A prospective, multicenter trial was designed to compare the performance characteristics of the cobas® 4800 (Roche Diagnostics, Indianapolis, IN, USA) and m2000 real-time™ (Abbott Molecular Inc., Des Plaines, IL, USA) assays for detection of Chlamydia trachomatis (CT) and Neisseria gonorrhoeae (NG) in rectal and self-collected vaginal swabs. Rectal (n = 234) or self-collected vaginal swabs (n = 687) were obtained from consenting individuals visiting their general practitioners, dermatologists, gynecologists, sexually transmitted disease clinics, or family planning centers from May 2010 to February 2011.

Intraspecies variability in the dose-response relationship for Salmonella Enteritidis associated with genetic differences in cellular immune response.

To evaluate the effects of differences in host cellular immunity, we studied the dose-response relationship for infection with Salmonella enterica serovar Enteritidis (SE) in two different rat strains, skewed towards T helper 1 (Th1, Lewis rats) or T helper 2 (Th2, Brown Norway rats) immunoregulation. Rats were exposed orally to different doses of SE after overnight starvation and neutralization of gastric acid. Animals were observed for clinical signs of disease, fecal excretion and SE load in spleen and cecum, histopathology of the cecum, hematology, and cellular and humoral immune responses.

Adaptive responses of Salmonella enterica serovar Typhimurium DT104 and other S. Typhimurium strains and Escherichia coli O157 to low pH environments.

Aims: Cattle are a known main reservoir for acid-resistant Escherichia coli O157 and Salmonella enterica serovar Typhimurium DT104. We studied the response of S. Typhimurium DT104 to extreme low pH environments and compared their response to that of acid-resistant E.

The adaptive response of Escherichia coli O157 in an environment with changing pH.

Aims: To predict and validate survival of non-acid adapted Escherichia coli O157 in an environment mimicking the human stomach.

Methods And Results: Survival was predicted mathematically from inactivation rates at various, but constant pH values. Predictions were subsequently validated experimentally in a pH-controlled fermentor.

Quantification of the contamination of chicken and chicken products in the netherlands with Salmonella and Campylobacter.

The research described in this contribution provides quantitative data on contamination levels with Salmonella and Campylobacter in chicken and chicken products in The Netherlands at retail level using the most probable number method and direct counting. Most samples contained <10 Salmonella per carcass, both in fresh (89%) and frozen (68%) products, contamination levels with Campylobacter varied from <10 (18%) to more than 5,500 (18%) per fresh carcass. Most frozen samples (57%) contained < 10 Campylobacter per carcass.