Investigating Anthrax-Associated Virulence Genes among Archival and Contemporary Group Genomes.

causes anthrax through virulence factors encoded on two plasmids. However, non- organisms within the closely related, environmentally ubiquitous group (BCG) may cause an anthrax-like disease in humans through the partial adoption of anthrax-associated virulence genes, challenging the definition of anthrax disease. To elucidate these phenomena and their evolutionary past, we performed whole-genome sequencing on non- BCG isolates, including 93 archival (1967-2003) and 5 contemporary isolates (2019-2023).

Virulence of Burkholderia pseudomallei ATS2021 Unintentionally Imported to United States in Aromatherapy Spray.

In the United States in 2021, an outbreak of 4 cases of Burkholderia pseudomallei, the etiologic agent of melioidosis and a Tier One Select Agent (potential for deliberate misuse and subsequent harm), resulted in 2 deaths. The causative strain, B. pseudomallei ATS2021, was unintentionally imported into the United States in an aromatherapy spray manufactured in India.

Locally Acquired Melioidosis Linked to Environment - Mississippi, 2020-2023.

Melioidosis, caused by , is a rare but potentially fatal bacterial disease endemic to tropical and subtropical regions worldwide. It is typically acquired through contact with contaminated soil or fresh water. Before this investigation, was not known to have been isolated from the environment in the continental United States.

Burkholderia thailandensis Isolated from the Environment, United States.

Burkholderia thailandensis, an opportunistic pathogen found in the environment, is a bacterium closely related to B. pseudomallei, the cause of melioidosis. Human B.

Melioidosis in Cynomolgus Macaques ( ) Imported to the United States from Cambodia.

Melioidosis, a potentially fatal infectious disease of humans and animals, including nonhuman primates (NHPs), is caused by the high-consequence pathogen This environmental bacterium is found in the soil and water of tropical regions, such as Southeast Asia, where melioidosis is endemic. The global movement of humans and animals can introduce into nonendemic regions of the United States, where environmental conditions could allow establishment of the organism. Approximately 60% of NHPs imported into the United States originate in countries considered endemic for melioidosis.

Multistate Outbreak of Melioidosis Associated with Imported Aromatherapy Spray.

Melioidosis, caused by the bacterium is an uncommon infection that is typically associated with exposure to soil and water in tropical and subtropical environments. It is rarely diagnosed in the continental United States. Patients with melioidosis in the United States commonly report travel to regions where melioidosis is endemic.

Analysis and modeling of coolants and coolers for specimen transportation.

Maintaining cold chain while transporting medical supplies and samples is difficult in remote settings. Failure to maintain temperature requirements can lead to degraded sample quality and inaccuracies in sample analysis. We performed a systematic analysis on different types of transport coolers (polystyrene foam, injection-molded, and rotational molded) and transport coolants (ice, cold packs, frozen water bottles) frequently in use in many countries.

Human neuroglial cells internalize Borrelia burgdorferi by coiling phagocytosis mediated by Daam1.

Borrelia burgdorferi, the agent of Lyme borreliosis, can elude hosts' innate and adaptive immunity as part of the course of infection. The ability of B. burgdorferi to invade or be internalized by host cells in vitro has been proposed as a mechanism for the pathogen to evade immune responses or antimicrobials.

Evaluation of Selected Borrelia burgdorferi lp54 Plasmid-Encoded Gene Products Expressed during Mammalian Infection as Antigens To Improve Serodiagnostic Testing for Early Lyme Disease.

Laboratory testing for the diagnosis of Lyme disease is performed primarily by serologic assays and is accurate for detection beyond the acute stage of the infection. Serodiagnostic assays to detect the early stages of infection, however, are limited in their sensitivity, and improvement is warranted. We analyzed a series of Borrelia burgdorferi proteins known to be induced within feeding ticks and/or during mammalian infection for their utility as serodiagnostic markers against a comprehensive panel of Lyme disease patient serum samples.

Evaluation of Borrelia burgdorferi BbHtrA Protease as a Vaccine Candidate for Lyme Borreliosis in Mice.

Borrelia burgdorferi synthesizes an HtrA protease (BbHtrA) which is a surface-exposed, conserved protein within Lyme disease spirochetes with activity toward CheX and BmpD of Borrelia spp, as well as aggrecan, fibronectin and proteoglycans found in skin, joints and neural tissues of vertebrates. An antibody response against BbHtrA is observed in Lyme disease patients and in experimentally infected laboratory mice and rabbits. Given the surface location of BbHtrA on B.

Debridement increases survival in a mouse model of subcutaneous anthrax.

Anthrax is caused by infection with Bacillus anthracis, a spore-forming gram-positive bacterium. A major virulence factor for B. anthracis is an immunomodulatory tripartite exotoxin that has been reported to alter immune cell chemotaxis and activation.

Updating perspectives on the initiation of Bacillus anthracis growth and dissemination through its host.

Since 1957, it has been proposed that the dissemination of inhalational anthrax required spores to be transported from the lumena of the lungs into the lymphatic system. In 2002, this idea was expanded to state that alveolar macrophages act as a "Trojan horse" capable of transporting spores across the lung epithelium into draining mediastinal lymph nodes. Since then, the Trojan horse model of dissemination has become the most widely cited model of inhalational infection as well as the focus of the majority of studies aiming to understand events initiating inhalational anthrax infections.