ABSTRACT
Se describe el aislamiento de Sporothrix brasiliensis desde una biopsia de piel de un caso humano de esporotricosis linfocutánea, en la región de Valparaíso, Chile. Esta especie es la más virulenta del género y es de transmisión zoonótica, desde los gatos a los humanos. Hasta ahora, solo se había publicado un brote por esta especie en gatos domésticos y asilvestrados en el extremo sur de Chile, por lo que este aislamiento, en una mujer residente de un sector densamente poblado de la Región de Valparaíso, constituye una preocupación por su eventual diseminación hacia otros gatos y la población general.
The isolation of Sporothrix brasiliensis from a skin biopsy of a human case of lymphocutaneous sporotrichosis in the region of Valparaíso, Chile is described. This species is the most virulent of the genus and is zoonotic in transmission from cats to humans. Until now, only one outbreak of this species has been published in domestic and feral cats in the extreme south of Chile, so this isolation in a woman residing in a densely populated sector of the fifth region is a concern for its eventual spread to other cats and the general population.
ABSTRACT
Abstract We report the first description of a rare catalase-negative strain of Staphylococcus aureus in Chile. This new variant was isolated from blood and synovial tissue samples of a pediatric patient. Sequencing analysis revealed that this catalase-negative strain is related to ST10 strain, which has earlier been described in relation to S. aureus carriers. Interestingly, sequence analysis of the catalase gene katA revealed presence of a novel nonsense mutation that causes premature translational truncation of the C-terminus of the enzyme leading to a loss of 222 amino acids. Our study suggests that loss of catalase activity in this rare catalase-negative Chilean strain is due to this novel nonsense mutation in the katA gene, which truncates the enzyme to just 283 amino acids.
Subject(s)
Child, Preschool , Humans , Codon, Nonsense , Catalase/genetics , Catalase/metabolism , Staphylococcal Infections/microbiology , Staphylococcus aureus/enzymology , Staphylococcus aureus/genetics , Arthritis/microbiology , Bacteremia/microbiology , Chile , DNA, Bacterial/chemistry , DNA, Bacterial/genetics , Genotype , Sequence Analysis, DNAABSTRACT
Background: Following the announcement of the Influenza A(H1N1) pandemic by the World Health Organization in April 2009, a surveillance program was carried out in Chile to detect the introduction of the virus in the country and to monitor its propagation and impact. Aim: To describe the onset of the outbreak and the genetic characterization of the pandemic H1N1 influenza virus in the first detected cases in Chile. Material and Methods: Analysis of18 clinical samples coming from suspicious patients, received in a National Reference Laboratory. RNA reverse transcription and real time influenza gene DNA amplification was carried out in a 7500 Fast and Step One Real Time PCR Systems of Applied Biosystems and MxPro-Mx3000P thermocycler from Stratagene. Super Script III Platinum One-Step Quantitative RT-PCR was used. Results: The virus was first detected in three persons returning from the Dominican Republic via Panamá and a child from the east zone of Santiago. Genetic characterization of the virus showed that the child was infected by a different variant of the pandemic virus than the three persons returning from the Caribbean. Conclusions: The onset of the Influenza outbreak in Chile apparently carne from two different epidemiological groups. The spread of the virus detected in the voyagers was limited immediately However the virus of the fourth case was found in different regions of Chile.
Subject(s)
Adolescent , Adult , Child , Female , Humans , Male , Middle Aged , Young Adult , Influenza A Virus, H1N1 Subtype/genetics , Influenza, Human/virology , Pandemics , Phylogeny , RNA, Viral/genetics , Chile/epidemiology , Influenza, Human/epidemiology , Mexico , Nucleic Acid Amplification Techniques , Real-Time Polymerase Chain Reaction , Reverse Transcriptase Polymerase Chain Reaction , United StatesABSTRACT
Background: The incidence of acquired resistance to antituberculous drugs of Mycobacterium tuberculosis in Chile is approximately 23 percent. Aim: To analyze the mutations associated with drug resistance in drug resistant strains of Mycobacterium tuberculosis. Material and Methods: In 28 drug resistant Mycobacterium tuberculosis strains isolated in Chile, genes leading to drug resistance were studied. DNA was amplifed by polymerase chain reaction (PCR) and sequencing was carried out using the ABI PRISM big dye terminator cycle sequencing ready reaction kit. Results: In rifampicin-resistant strains, the mutations in rpoβ gene were in the codons S531W/L (56 percent), D516Y (16 percent) and D516V (16 percent). The predominant mutation in katG gene was in the codon S315L (73 percent) in isoniazid-resistant strains. The mutation S95T was found in the 71 percent of ciprofoxacin resistant strains. Only one ethambutol resistant strain had the M306I mutation. Three unreported mutations in katG were identifed. Conclusions: Drug resistance associated mutations of Mycobacterium tuberculosis isolated in Chile were similar to those reported abroad.
Subject(s)
Humans , Antitubercular Agents/pharmacology , Drug Resistance, Multiple, Bacterial/genetics , Genes, Bacterial/genetics , Mutation/genetics , Mycobacterium tuberculosis/genetics , Chile , DNA, Bacterial/genetics , DNA-Binding Proteins , Drug Resistance, Multiple, Bacterial/drug effects , Microbial Sensitivity Tests , Mycobacterium tuberculosis/drug effects , Polymerase Chain Reaction , Transcription Factors , Tuberculosis, Multidrug-Resistant/genetics , Tuberculosis, Multidrug-Resistant/microbiologyABSTRACT
Background: In the last two decades, Salmonella enterica serotype Enteritidis has become one of the main agents causing food borne diseases worldwide. This agent is transmitted mainly by contaminated meat and poultry. Aim: To determine the genetic subtypes of Salmonella enterica serotype Enteritidis, circulating in Chile between 2001 and 2003, a post epidemc period. Material and methods: One hundred ninety three isolates coming from human samples, prepared foods and animal products for human consumption, were analyzed bypulsed field electrophoresis, using PulseNet standardized protocol. Results: Thirteen subtypes of Salmonella enterica serotype Enteritidis were identified, that had between 0 and 13 bands. A predominant subtype was identified in 172 strains (88%) that carne from human isolates, prepared foods and animal producís for human consumption. Other four subtypes, found in prepared foods and animal products for human consumption, were also found in human isolales. Most subtypes were lighlly inlerrelaled Subtypes II, VIII and XI were also found in the 1994 epidemic. Conclusions: Subtyping of baclerial strains by pulsed field electrophoresis is useful for the surveillance of food borne diseases.