Molecular identification and typing of Mycobacterium massiliense isolated from postsurgical infections in Brazil

OBJECTIVE: One hundred thirty-one cases of postsurgical infections were reported in Southern Region of Brazil between August 2007 and January 2008. Thirty-nine (29.8 percent) cases were studied; this report describes epidemiological findings, species identification, antimicrobial susceptibility and clonal diversity of rapidly growing mycobacteria isolated in this outbreak. METHODS: All 39 isolates were analyzed by Ziehl-Nielsen stained smear, bacterial culture and submitted to rpoB partial gene sequencing for identification. The isolates were also evaluated for their susceptibility to amikacin, cefoxitin, clarithromycin, ciprofloxacin, doxycycline, tobramycin and sulfamethoxazole. RESULTS: Thirty-six isolates out of the confirmed cases were identified as Mycobacterium massilienseand the remaining three were identified as Mycobacterium abscessus, Mycobacterium chelonae and Mycobacterium fortuitum. All M. massiliense isolates were susceptible to amikacin (MIC90 = 8 µg/mL) and clarithromycin (MIC90 = 0.25 µg/mL) but resistant to cefoxitin, ciprofloxacin, doxycycline, tobramycin and sulfamethoxazole. Molecular analysis by pulsed-field gel electrophoresis clustered all 36 M. massiliense isolates and showed the same pattern (BRA 100) observed in three other outbreaks previously reported in Brazil. CONCLUSIONS: These findings suggest a common source of infection for all patients and reinforce the hypotheses of spread of M. massiliense BRA100 in Brazilian hospital surgical environment in recent years.

Epidemiologic pattern of patients with neurocysticercosis diagnosed by computed tomography in Curitiba, Brazil / Perfil epidemiológico de pacientes com neurocisticercose diagnosticados por tomografia computadorizada em Curitiba, Brazil

The aim of this study was to drawn an epidemiological pattern of neurocystisticercosis (NCC) patients diagnosed by computed tomography at the major private diagnostic center in Curitiba, Brazil. A total of 1,009 medical files of consecutive patients presenting neurological indications were diagnosed by computed tomography from July 2007 to April 2008. Patient data included sex, age, municipality and tomography findings were analysed by Epi-info version 6.0.1. software. Most patients (81.10 percent) were living in Curitiba. A total of 91/1,009 cases (9.02 percent) were considered positive to NCC; 88 (96.7 percent) patients had inactive form of NCC and only 3 (3.2 percent) patients had cysts in granulomatous process. No patients had both forms. The prevalence of NCC cases in studied group was greater in patients between 51 to 60 years old, however, difference between sex was not significant. This epidemiological pattern of NCC was similar to the first NCC study in Curitiba, performed in 1995-1996 with 9.24 percent of positive cases.

Determinou-se o perfil epidemiológico da neurocisticercose (NCC) em pacientes diagnosticados por tomografia computadorizada (TC) no maior centro privado de diagnósticos de Curitiba, Brasil. Foram analisados 1009 registros médicos de pacientes consecutivos com indicações neurológicas submetidos a TC entre julho de 2007 a abril de 2008. Os dados dos pacientes que incluíram sexo, idade, município de residência e achados tomográficos foram analisados pelo software Epi-info versão 6.01. A maioria dos pacientes (80,10 por cento) era procedente de Curitiba; 91/1.009 casos (9,02 por cento) foram positivos para NCC; 88 (96,7 por cento) apresentaram a forma inativa e apenas em 3 (3,2 por cento) cistos em processo granulomatoso; não houve formas mistas. A prevalência de casos de NCC foi maior entre 51 e 60 anos. Não houve diferença significativa para o sexo entre os casos. O perfil dos pacientes diagnosticados para NCC por TC neste estudo é semelhante ao estudo anterior realizado em Curitiba entre 1995-1996, com 9,24 por cento de casos de NCC.

Surto de listeriose sistêmica em chinchilas / Outbreak of systemic listeriosis in chinchillas

A listeriose é uma doença infecciosa que afeta uma grande variedade de espécies animais, causando septicemia, encefalite e aborto. As chinchilas são os animais mais susceptíveis à infecção sistêmica por Listeria monocytogenes. Este relato descreve um surto de listeriose sistêmica em uma criação de chinchilas da região central do Estado do Rio Grande do Sul, onde cerca de 16 por cento das chinchilas morreram. Na necropsia, havia múltiplos focos brancos, pequenos e de distribuição aleatória nas superfícies capsular e de corte do fígado e aumento de volume do linfonodo hepático. Histologicamente, observaram-se hepatite necrossupurativa e linfadenite supurativa multifocais, com numerosos bacilos intralesionais. L. monocytogenes foi o agente etiológico do surto de listeriose sistêmica, sendo o diagnóstico confirmado por meio das lesões de necropsia e histopatológicas, das características fenotípicas e genotípicas da bactéria e da técnica de imuno-histoquímica.

Listeriosis is an infectious disease, which affects a variety of animal species and cause septicemia, encephalitis and abortion. Chinchillas are the most susceptible animals to the systemic infection by Listeria monocytogenes. This report describes an outbreak of systemic listeriosis in a farm of chinchillas in the Central region of the Rio Grande do Sul state, Brazil. Mortality rate was about 16 percent. On necropsy, there were multiple random small white foci on the liver capsule and parenchyma and enlargement of the hepatic lymph node. Histologically, there were multifocal necro-suppurative hepatitis and suppurative lymphadenitis with numerous intralesional bacilli. L. monocytogenes was the etiology of the systemic listeriosis outbreak. The diagnosis was based on gross and microscopic lesions, genotypical and phenotypical characteristics and by immunohistochemistry technique.