A genetically related cluster of cases in humans associated with ruminant livestock and related food chains, United Kingdom, August 2021-December 2022.

Following an outbreak of in Wales in July 2021 associated with sheep meat and offal, further genetically related cases were detected across the UK. Cases were UK residents with laboratory-confirmed in the same 5-single-nucleotide polymorphism (SNP) single-linkage cluster with specimen date between 01/08/2021-2031/12/2022. We described cases using routine (UK) and enhanced (Wales only) surveillance data.

A large outbreak of COVID-19 in a UK prison, October 2020 to April 2021.

Prisons are susceptible to outbreaks. Control measures focusing on isolation and cohorting negatively affect wellbeing. We present an outbreak of coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) in a large male prison in Wales, UK, October 2020 to April 2021, and discuss control measures.

Large outbreak of multiple gastrointestinal pathogens associated with fresh curry leaves in North East England, 2013.

A total of 592 people reported gastrointestinal illness following attendance at Street Spice, a food festival held in Newcastle-upon-Tyne, North East England in February/March 2013. Epidemiological, microbiological and environmental investigations were undertaken to identify the source and prevent further cases. Several epidemiological analyses were conducted; a cohort study; a follow-up survey of cases and capture re-capture to estimate the true burden of cases.

Novel application of the matched case-control design to compare food supply chains during an O157 outbreak, United Kingdom, 2016.

There is a need for innovative methods to investigate outbreaks of food-borne infection linked to produce with a complex distribution network. The investigation of a large outbreak of O157 PT34 infection in the United Kingdom in 2016 indicated that catering venues associated with multiple cases had used salad leaves sourced from one supplier. Our aim was to investigate whether catering venues linked to cases were more likely to have used salad leaves from this supplier.

Whole genome sequencing reveals an outbreak of Salmonella Enteritidis associated with reptile feeder mice in the United Kingdom, 2012-2015.

Analysis of whole genome sequencing data uncovered a previously undetected outbreak of Salmonella Enteritidis that had been on-going for four years. Cases were resident in all countries of the United Kingdom and 40% of the cases were aged less than 11 years old. Initial investigations revealed that 30% of cases reported exposure to pet snakes.

Prevalence of Giardia infection in households of Giardia cases and risk factors for household transmission.

Background: Giardia is a leading but neglected cause of infectious gastroenteritis worldwide and is treatable. There is a substantial burden of undetected Giardia in the UK and for every one case of Giardia reported to national surveillance there are 14 cases in the community. We aimed to ascertain the prevalence of, and risk factors associated with secondary household Giardia infections to assess the burden of infection and inform control measures.

Whole-genome sequencing to determine transmission of Neisseria gonorrhoeae: an observational study.

Background: New approaches are urgently required to address increasing rates of gonorrhoea and the emergence and global spread of antibiotic-resistant Neisseria gonorrhoeae. We used whole-genome sequencing to study transmission and track resistance in N gonorrhoeae isolates.

Methods: We did whole-genome sequencing of isolates obtained from samples collected from patients attending sexual health services in Brighton, UK, between Jan 1, 2011, and March 9, 2015.

Selection of population controls for a Salmonella case-control study in the UK using a market research panel and web-survey provides time and resource savings.

Timely recruitment of population controls in infectious disease outbreak investigations is challenging. We evaluated the timeliness and cost of using a market research panel as a sampling frame for recruiting controls in a case-control study during an outbreak of Salmonella Mikawasima in the UK in 2013. We deployed a web-survey by email to targeted members of a market research panel (panel controls) in parallel to the outbreak control team interviewing randomly selected public health staff by telephone and completing paper-based questionnaires (staff controls).

Control selection methods in recent case-control studies conducted as part of infectious disease outbreaks.

Successful investigation of national outbreaks of communicable disease relies on rapid identification of the source. Case-control methodologies are commonly used to achieve this. We assessed control selection methods used in recently published case-control studies for methodological and resource issues to determine if a standard approach could be identified.

Preventing congenital syphilis - a regional audit of syphilis in pregnant women seen in Genitourinary Medicine services.

Genitourinary case records of 42 pregnant women with syphilis were reviewed as part of a regional audit following the re-emergence of congenital syphilis in the north east of England. National standards, from the British Association of Sexual Health and HIV guidelines on managing syphilis in pregnancy, were met in the majority of cases with 69% being treated according to national guidance and all cases completing treatment. Locally developed standards on multidisciplinary working and communication were met less well, with particular issues regarding the documentation of pregnancy outcomes in GUM records and communication between specialities being highlighted.

An ongoing outbreak of heterosexually-acquired syphilis across Teesside, UK.

Prior to 2006, diagnoses of heterosexually acquired syphilis were rare in Teesside (an area in the north east of England, UK). Since 2006, there has been an increase in such cases, with 24 cases diagnosed in 2006 and 22 in 2007. There was a marked reduction in cases in 2008 with six cases reported, but a large increase in diagnoses in 2009 (34 cases).

Top-down systems biology modeling of host metabotype-microbiome associations in obese rodents.

Covariation in the structural composition of the gut microbiome and the spectroscopically derived metabolic phenotype (metabotype) of a rodent model for obesity were investigated using a range of multivariate statistical tools. Urine and plasma samples from three strains of 10-week-old male Zucker rats (obese (fa/fa, n=8), lean (fa/-, n=8) and lean (-/-, n=8)) were characterized via high-resolution 1H NMR spectroscopy, and in parallel, the fecal microbial composition was investigated using fluorescence in situ hydridization (FISH) and denaturing gradient gel electrophoresis (DGGE) methods. All three Zucker strains had different relative abundances of the dominant members of their intestinal microbiota (FISH), with the novel observation of a Halomonas and a Sphingomonas species being present in the (fa/fa) obese strain on the basis of DGGE data.

Kinetics of the reactions between [S(2)MoS(2)Cu(SC(6)H(4)R-4)](2-)(R = MeO, H, Cl or NO(2)) and CN(-): substitution mechanism at a 3-coordinate Cu(I) site.

The kinetics of the reaction between [S(2)MoS(2)Cu(SC(6)H(4)R-4)](2-)(R = MeO, H, Cl or NO(2)) and CN(-) to form [S(2)MoS(2)CuCN](2-) have been studied in MeCN using stopped-flow spectrophotometry. In all cases, the rate law is of the form, Rate ={k+k(2)(R)[CN(-)]}[S(2)MoS(2)Cu(SC(6)H(4)R-4)(2-)]. It is proposed that both k and k correspond to associative substitution mechanisms.