ABSTRACT
A 4-year retrospective study showing that we isolated Bordetella holmesii, but not Bordetella pertussis, from patients with pertussis-like symptoms was performed. From 1995 through 1998, we isolated B. holmesii from 32 nasopharyngeal specimens that had been submitted from patients suspected of having pertussis. Previously, B. holmesii had been associated mainly with septicemia and was not thought to be associated with respiratory illness. A study was undertaken to describe the characteristics of the B. holmesii isolates recovered and why we were successful in detecting the organism in nasopharyngeal specimens. B. holmesii isolates were characterized for drug sensitivities and for genetic relatedness by pulsed-field gel electrophoresis (PFGE). These isolates, an additional strain of B. holmesii isolated from a blood culture and previously confirmed by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, Atlanta, Ga., and 14 other clinical isolates of Bordetella spp., including 4 of B. bronchiseptica, 5 of B. parapertussis, and 5 of B. pertussis, were studied. They were all separately inoculated on three Bordet Gengou (BG) selective media containing either 0.625 microgram of oxacillin per ml, 40 microgram of cephalexin per ml, or 2.5 microgram of methicillin per ml, on BG agar with no antibiotic (control), and on charcoal agar (CA) with and without 40 microgram of cephalexin per ml. We found that cephalexin, the antibiotic commonly incorporated in both CA and BG agar for the recovery of Bordetella spp., is inhibitory to the growth of B. holmesii. In addition, the genotypic analysis of the 32 B. holmesii isolates by PFGE following restriction with XbaI and SpeI identified the dominant strains circulating during the study period.
Subject(s)
Bordetella/classification , Electrophoresis, Gel, Pulsed-Field , Polymorphism, Restriction Fragment Length , Whooping Cough/microbiology , Bacterial Typing Techniques , Bordetella/genetics , Bordetella/isolation & purification , Bordetella bronchiseptica/genetics , Bordetella bronchiseptica/isolation & purification , Bordetella pertussis/genetics , Bordetella pertussis/isolation & purification , Humans , Molecular Epidemiology , Nasopharynx/microbiology , Retrospective Studies , Whooping Cough/blood , Whooping Cough/epidemiologyABSTRACT
A total of 66 isolates of Salmonella javiana isolated from food, food handlers, and patrons that were epidemiologically linked to an outbreak of gastroenteritis were analyzed by pulsed-field gel electrophoresis. Analysis with restriction endonucleases XbaI and SpeI supported the epidemiologic association and suggested a pathway of transmission among food, food handlers, and patrons.
Subject(s)
Disease Outbreaks , Food Handling , Food Microbiology , Salmonella Food Poisoning/epidemiology , Salmonella/isolation & purification , DNA, Bacterial/analysis , Electrophoresis, Gel, Pulsed-Field , Humans , Massachusetts/epidemiologyABSTRACT
The relationship between superstitious beliefs and behaviors, and measures of obsessive-compulsive experiences was examined in this study. Both superstitious beliefs and superstitious behaviors were correlated with measures of compulsivity and obsessionality. Compulsive checking, but not compulsive cleaning (from the MOCI and the CAC-R) were correlated with superstitiousness. Both subscales from the Obsessional Thoughts Questionnaire were correlated with superstitiousness. The implications of these findings for the role of perceived control in obsessive-compulsive phenomena were discussed.
Subject(s)
Compulsive Behavior/psychology , Superstitions , Adult , Female , Humans , Obsessive-Compulsive Disorder/diagnosis , Obsessive-Compulsive Disorder/psychology , Personality InventoryABSTRACT
Four recent outbreaks of pertussis in Massachusetts illustrate some features that contribute to the increased incidence of the disease. The outbreaks involved unimmunized groups of children with philosophical or religious exemptions from school or day-care immunization requirements and children and adults who were reluctant to undergo antibiotic prophylaxis or therapy. Parents and physicians should be aware that failure to immunize and to cooperate in follow-up preventive measures can have public health and potential medicolegal repercussions.
Subject(s)
Disease Outbreaks , Religion and Medicine , Vaccination/statistics & numerical data , Whooping Cough/epidemiology , Whooping Cough/prevention & control , Adolescent , Adult , Anti-Bacterial Agents/therapeutic use , Child , Child, Preschool , Family Health , Humans , Infant , Massachusetts/epidemiology , Middle Aged , Whooping Cough/transmissionABSTRACT
A 78-year-old female developed microbial keratitis from which corneal scrapings grew dysgonic fermenter 2. The infection initially responded poorly to a combination of topical antibiotics and corticosteroids but healed with intensive antibiotic therapy. There was no systemic predisposition to infection, and only feline exposure had occurred. Close association with a cat probably contaminated the eye.
