Disseminated cat-scratch disease: case report and review of the literature.

Cat scratch disease (CSD) can present as a systemic disease in 5-10% of cases and lead to various disease entities. A previously healthy 16-month-old boy presented with fever for 7 days without other obvious symptoms. Abdominal computed tomography scan demonstrated enlarged right inguinal lymph nodes and multiple small round hypodensities in the spleen. Despite antibiotic treatment for 1 week, the fever persisted and the intrasplenic lesions progressed. Inguinal lymph node biopsy confirmed CSD by immunohistochemistry staining. The diagnosis of CSD was also supported by a history of contact, imaging and serological findings. The patient recovered after treatment with azithromycin for a total of 5 weeks and, in serial follow-up, the hepatosplenic micro-abscesses resolved after 4th months.

Clinical features of coxsackievirus A4, B3 and B4 infections in children.

BACKGROUND: Clinical features of coxsackievirus A4 (CA4), B3 (CB3) and B4 (CB4) infections in children have not been comprehensively described. METHODS/PRINCIPAL FINDINGS: From January 2004 to June 2012, a total of 386 children with culture-proven CA4, CB3 and CB4 infections treated at Chang Gung Memorial Hospital, including 296 inpatients (CA4, 103; CB3, 131; CB4, 62) and 90 outpatients (CA4, 55; CB3, 14; CB4, 21), were included. From outpatients, only demographics were extracted and from inpatients, detailed clinical and laboratory data were collected retrospectively. The mean age was 32.1 ± 30.2 months; male to female ratio was 1.3 ∶ 1. Children with CB3 infection were youngest (76.6% <3 years of age), and had a highest hospitalization rate (90.3%) and a longest duration of hospitalization (mean ± SD, 7.5 ± 6.2 days). Herpangina (74.8%) was the most common presentation for children with CA4 infection, aseptic meningitis (26.7%) and young infant with fever (23.7%) for those with CB3 infection, and herpangina (32.3%) and tonsillitis/pharyngitis (27.4%) for children with CB4 infection. Almost all the inpatients had fever (97.6%). Twelve out of thirteen (92.3%) children with complications and ten of 11 children with long-term sequelae had CB3 infections. Two fatal cases were noted, one due to myocarditis with CA4 infection and CB3 were detected from the other case which had hepatic necrosis with coagulopathy. The remaining 285 children (96.3%) recovered uneventfully. CONCLUSION: CA4, CB3 and CB4 infections in children had different clinical disease spectrums and involved different age groups. Though rare, severe diseases may occur, particularly caused by CB3.

First isolation of ciprofloxacin-resistant Salmonella enterica serovar Typhi in Taiwan.

BACKGROUND/PURPOSE: Typhoid fever is a major cause of disease burden in developing countries. The use of fluoroquinolones, once considered the drugs of choice, should be re-evaluated due to the emergence of quinolone-resistant Salmonella enterica serovar Typhi. In Taiwan, typhoid fever is rare but constitutes an important public health concern. METHODS: In August 2011, two ciprofloxacin-resistant S. Typhi isolates were identified from one patient who had recently travelled to India. The two isolates together with four other ciprofloxacin-susceptible S. Typhi isolates were subjected for molecular investigation. Polymerase chain reaction (PCR) and sequencing were used to analyze the resistance mechanisms. Pulsed-field gel electrophoresis (PFGE) was performed to delineate the genetic relatedness among the isolates. RESULTS: In 2011, a total of 49 typhoid fever cases were reported to the Center for Disease Control in Taiwan, with a significant increase in indigenous cases in northern Taiwan from August to November. In the two S. Typhi isolates with complete resistance to ciprofloxacin [minimum inhibitory concentration (MIC) >32 µg/mL], multiple point mutations in the quinolone resistance-determining regions (QRDRs) of gyrA and parC genes were identified. A unique PFGE pattern was found in the resistant isolates and was different from the other representative susceptible isolates. CONCLUSIONS: The first ciprofloxacin-resistant S. Typhi infection in Taiwan is reported. The emergence and spread of antimicrobial-resistant S. Typhi infection as a result of international travel may become a threat to public health in Taiwan. Clinicians should be well alert when treating patients who may have acquired resistant infections associated with international travel among endemic regions.

Adenovirus serotype 3 and 7 infection with acute respiratory failure in children in Taiwan, 2010-2011.

OBJECTIVE: Increased incidence of adenovirus infection in children was noticed since September 2010 in Taiwan and severe cases requiring intensive care were noted later. We did this study to find the clinical characteristics and risk factors associated with severe adenovirus infection. PATIENTS AND METHODS: We collected cases of severe adenovirus infection between November 2010 and June 2011 to analyze their clinical characteristics in two medical centers in northern Taiwan. Severe adenovirus infection was defined as laboratory-confirmed adenovirus cases with required intensive care. Hexon gene sequencing was performed for molecular genotyping. RESULTS: 45 patients were included, 22 cases (49%) were infected with serotype 7, 19 (42%) with serotype 3, and 4 with serotype 2. The median age (range) was 2.75 years (0.08-15.43 years); 87% were below 5 years. Male to female ratio was 1.65 (28 to 17). Of these patients, 56% had underlying neurological diseases, 50% experienced fever higher than 40°C and 69% suffered fever longer than one week. The clinical diagnosis included pneumonia in 40 (89%) patients, bronchopneumonia in 5 (11%), and encephalitis in 7 (16%). At least 22 patients had pleural effusion. They had complications of respiratory failure (53%), acute respiratory distress syndrome (24%), hypotension (40%), and 6 (13%) patients needed extracorporeal membranous oxygenation. Ten (22%) patients died, all with underlying major systemic diseases and 7 (70%) infected with serotype 7. CONCLUSIONS: Adenovirus serotype 7 and 3 can cause severe disease-even death-in children, especially those with underlying neurological diseases. Patients infected with adenovirus serotype 7 tended to have a higher case-fatality rate.