Three new basidiomycetous yeasts, Pseudozyma alboarmeniaca sp. nov., Pseudozyma crassa sp. nov. and Pseudozyma siamensis sp. nov. isolated from Thai patients.

We previously reported the first isolation of Pseudozyma species from the blood of Thai patients. In this study, three additional new Pseudozyma species were isolated from clinical specimens from Thai patients. The Pseudozyma species showed relatively low sensitivity to azole antifungal agents. The names proposed for these isolates are Pseudozyma alboarmeniaca (DMST 17135(T) = JCM 12454(T ) = CBS 9961(T)), Pseudozyma crassa (DMST 17136(T ) = JCM 12455(T) = CBS 9959(T)) and Pseudozyma siamensis (DMST 17137(T ) = JCM 12456(T) CBS 9960(T)), where DMST is Department of Medical Sciences Culture Collection, JCM is Japan Collection of Microorganisms and CBS is Centraalbureau voor Schimmelcultures.

Cost-effectiveness analysis of antiretroviral drug treatment and HIV-1 vaccination in Thailand.

The prevalence of adult HIV/AIDS in Thailand is declining due to intense prevention strategies, but it still continues to be a critical health problem with a prevalence of 1.5%. Several HIV vaccine candidates for the prevention of HIV infection or progress to AIDS were examined in clinical trials. We evaluated the cost-effectiveness of a vaccination regimen (rBCG prime-rDIs boost) currently in its pre-clinical phase. The cost-effectiveness of three interventions (vaccination, highly active antiretroviral treatment [HAART], and the combination of the two) through an existing vaccination program was assessed in a Markov model. The disability-adjusted life year (DALY) was the main effectiveness measure. In the base case the efficacy of the vaccine for preventing HIV infection was assumed to be 30%. The cost of the vaccine was estimated on the basis of its predicted production capacities in Thailand. The incremental cost-effectiveness ratios of vaccination, HAART, and the combination were about dollar US 75, dollar US 610, and dollar US 267 per DALY averted compared with the do-nothing strategy in the base case. The HAART-only strategy seemed to be less cost-effective than the other options under the current assumptions. Sensitivity analyses indicated that the new HIV infection rate and the vaccine efficacy could affect the results.