Bacteriology Commons^™

Oroya Fever And Verruga Peruana: Bartonelloses Unique To South America, Michael F. Minnick, Burt E. Anderson, Amorce Lima, James M. Battisti, Phillip G. Lawyer, Richard J. Birtles

Biological Sciences Faculty Publications

Bartonella bacilliformis is the bacterial agent of Carrión's disease and is presumed to be transmitted between humans by phlebotomine sand flies. Carrión's disease is endemic to high-altitude valleys of the South American Andes, and the first reported outbreak (1871) resulted in over 4,000 casualties. Since then, numerous outbreaks have been documented in endemic regions, and over the last two decades, outbreaks have occurred at atypical elevations, strongly suggesting that the area of endemicity is expanding. Approximately 1.7 million South Americans are estimated to be at risk in an area covering roughly 145,000 km2 of Ecuador, Colombia, and Peru. Although disease …

Phages Of Non-Diary Lactococci: Isolation And Characterization Of Phi L47, A Phage Infecting The Grass Isolate Lactococcus Lactis Ssp Cremoris Dpc6860, Daniel Cavanagh, Caitríona M. Guinane, Horst Neve, Aidan Coffey, R. Paul Ross, Gerald F. Fitzgerald, Olivia Mcauliffe

Department of Biological Sciences Publications

Lactococci isolated from non-dairy sources have been found to possess enhanced metabolic activity when compared to dairy strains. These capabilities may be harnessed through the use of these strains as starter or adjunct cultures to produce more diverse flavor profiles in cheese and other dairy products. To understand the interactions between these organisms and the phages that infect them, a number of phages were isolated against lactococcal strains of non-dairy origin. One such phage, ΦL47, was isolated from a sewage sample using the grass isolate L. lactis ssp. cremoris DPC6860 as a host. Visualization of phage virions by transmission electron …

Phi X 174, David J. Hall

Infectious Pathogens

Phi X 174 database number # 1CD3. Phi X 174 is a virus that infects bacteria and was the first DNA-based genome to be sequenced in 1977. This bacteriophage has a [+] circular single-stranded DNA genome. The assembly of the capsid has been successfully done in vitro and is the focus of many studies on self-assembly, drug delivery and nanotechnology.

Dengue Virus, David J. Hall

Infectious Pathogens

Dengue virus, database # 1THD Dengue fever, is an infectious tropical disease caused by the dengue virus and transmitted by mosquito. Symptoms include fever, headache, muscle and joint pains, and a characteristic skin rash that is similar to measles. In a small proportion of cases the disease develops into the life-threatening dengue hemorrhagic fever. Dengue is a positive strand RNA virus that is part of the flavivirus family. Dengue is an enveloped virus meaning it has a nucleocapsid protecting the RNA and the nucleocapsid is surrounded by lipids (hence the name enveloped).

Human Papilloma Virus 16, David J. Hall

Infectious Pathogens

Human Papilloma virus 16, database# 1DZL Infection by most papillomaviruses is either asymptomatic or causes small benign tumors, known as papillomas or warts (e.g. human papillomavirus HPV6 or HPV11). Papillomas caused by some types, however, such as human papillomaviruses 16 and 18, carry a risk of becoming cancerous. Human papilloma virus is a non-enveloped, double stranded, circular DNA virus.

Hepatitis B, David J. Hall

Infectious Pathogens

Hepatitis B, database # 2g33. Hepatitis B is an infectious inflammatory illness of the liver caused by the hepatitis B virus (HBV). Hepatitis B virus (HBV) is a member of the Hepadnavirus family.The virus particle, (virion) consists of an outer lipid envelope and an icosahedral nucleocapsid core composed of protein. These virions are 42 nM in diameter. The nucleocapsid encloses the viral DNA and a DNA polymerase that has reverse transcriptase activity.

Equine Serum Antibody Responses To Streptococcus Equi And Streptococcus Zooepidemicus, Rafaela De Negri

Theses and Dissertations--Veterinary Science

Streptococcus zooepidemicus (Sz) and Streptococcus equi (Se) share 98% DNA sequence homology, but display different pathogenic properties. Infection by one organism does not cross-protect against the other. To better understand pathogenic differences between these organisms and gain information about which proteins are expressed in horses infected experimentally with Se, intrauterine Sz or naturally with respiratory Sz we compared antibody specificities of convalescent sera using ELISA. These comparisons were based on sets of 8 and 14 immunoreactive recombinant proteins of Se strain CF32 and Sz strain NC78, respectively. Sera from donkeys that were previously naturally affected with strangles and later developed …

Regulation Of To Xin Synthesis By Clostridium Difficile, Charles Darkoh

Dissertations and Theses (Open Access)

Clostridium difficile is the leading definable cause of nosocomial diarrhea worldwide due to its virulence, multi-drug resistance, spore-forming ability, and environmental persistence. The incidence of C. difficile infection (CDI) has been increasing exponentially in the last decade. Virulent strains of C. difficile produce either toxin A and/or toxin B, which are essential for the pathogenesis of this bacterium. Current methods for diagnosing CDI are mostly qualitative tests that detect the bacterium, the toxins, or the toxin genes. These methods do not differentiate virulent C. difficile strains that produce active toxins from non-virulent strains that do not produce toxins or produce …

Efficacy Comparison Of Various Pcr Master Mixes And Thermal Cycling Parameters For Detection Of Brucella Abortus In Multiplex Assays, Kevin J. Testo, Jason A. Olivas, Alda C. Carrillo, Pejman Naraghi-Arani

STAR Program Research Presentations

Diagnostic testing for bioterrorism agents in food is essential for the safety and welfare of the general populace. Multiplex assays provide the means to test for multiple pathogen signatures with a single polymerase chain reaction (PCR) test. PCR, Luminex xMAP ® infrared fluorophore bead technology, and flow cytometry, multiplex diagnostic assays are incredibly specific and sensitive to highly conserved regions at various loci in a microbe’s genome. In order to increase the effectiveness of the PCR and the resulting fluorescent response of the beads, different PCR master mix commercial kits were compared to the standard AgPath RT-PCR mix. This study …

Host Pathogen Interactions: Is Arabidopsis Thaliana Remembered By Its Nemesis Pseudomonas Syringae?, Daniel Z. Kreiser

Lawrence University Honors Projects

Plants contain innate immune systems that deter pathogen infection. Pattern recognition receptors bind microbe-associated molecular patterns (MAMPs), triggering immunity. MAMPs are proteins exclusive to pathogens that are typically indispensable for their survival. For this reason, MAMPs cannot be mutated or removed without causing pathogen death. However, this does not necessitate constitutive expression of MAMPs. In this study, the MAMP response of Arabidopsis thaliana was utilized to determine differential detection of MAMPs expressed by Pseudomonas syringe pv. tomato DC3000 when pretreated with A. thaliana. Results demonstrated that more MAMPs are detected when P. syringae had previously encountered A. thaliana, …

Cloning And Characterization Of The Cell Wall Acting Enzyme Cd1034 From The Pathogen Clostridium Difficile, Zachary Suter

Honors Projects in Science and Technology

The manifestation of multidrug resistance in bacteria over the past several decades has resulted in one of the foremost challenges in the management of infectious diseases. The question arises, “How do we address this growing problem?” One solution to stem the growing rise in antimicrobial resistance is to investigate new targets, while another approach is to re-examine classical antibacterial targets with a fresh perspective. The aim of this paper is to begin the process of antibacterial development for the pathogen Clostridium difficile by characterizing the cell wall acting glucosaminidase CD1034. It is inunderstanding how CD1034 functions biochemically that it can …

Emerging Dynamics Of Human Campylobacteriosis In Southern Ireland, Susan Bullman, Daniel Corcoran, James O'Leary, Derry O'Hare, Brigid Lucey, Roy D. Sleator

Department of Biological Sciences Publications

Infections with Campylobacter spp. pose a significant health burden worldwide. The significance of Campylobacter jejuni/Campylobacter coli infection is well appreciated but the contribution of non-C. jejuni/C. coli spp. to human gastroenteritis is largely unknown. In this study, we employed a two-tiered molecular study on 7194 patient faecal samples received by the Microbiology Department in Cork University Hospital during 2009. The first step, using EntericBio® (Serosep), a multiplex PCR system, detected Campylobacter to the genus level. The second step, utilizing Campylobacter species-specific PCR identified to the species level. A total of 340 samples were confirmed as Campylobacter genus positive, 329 of …

Western Australia's Biosecurity, Department Of Agriculture And Food, Western Australia, Department Of Environment And Conservation, Western Australia, Department Of Fisheries, Western Australia, Forest Products Commission, Western Australia

Biosecurity published reports

Biosecurity is the protection of the economy, environment and human health from the negative impacts of pests, weeds and diseases, including the management of invasive species if they become established (definition adopted by AusBIOSEC).

This requires steps to prevent the entry of harmful organisms, as well as the timely and efficient management of them if they do enter.

Biosecurity threats range from catastrophic diseases such as Foot and Mouth Disease, which causes rapid and widespread animal deaths, to more subtle and slower spreading problems such as invasive weeds, mussels that foul vessel hulls and fungus-induced dieback disease of trees. These …

Campylobacter Ureolyticus: An Emerging Gastrointestinal Pathogen?, Susan Bullman, Daniel Corcoran, James O'Leary, Brigid Lucey, Deirdre Byrne, Roy D. Sleator

Department of Biological Sciences Publications

A total of 7194 faecal samples collected over a 1-year period from patients presenting with diarrhoea were screened for Campylobacter spp. using EntericBios, a multiplex-PCR system. Of 349 Campylobacter-positive samples, 23.8% were shown to be Campylobacter ureolyticus, using a combination of 16S rRNA gene analysis and highly specific primers targeting the HSP60 gene of this organism. This is, to the best of our knowledge, the first report of C. ureolyticus in the faeces of patients presenting with gastroenteritis and may suggest a role for this organism as an emerging enteric pathogen.

Probiotic Therapy - Recruiting Old Friends To Fight New Foes, Roy D. Sleator

Department of Biological Sciences Publications

Against a backdrop of increasing antibiotic resistance, and the emergence of new and evolving pathogens, clinicians are increasingly forced to consider alternative therapies - probiotics are one such alternative.

Pathogenic Adaptation Of Intracellular Bacteria By Rewiring A Cis-Regulatory Input Function, Suzanne E. Osborne, Don Walthers, Ana M. Tomljenovic, David T. Mulder, Uma Silphaduang, Nancy Duong, Michael J. Lowden

Dartmouth Scholarship

The acquisition of DNA by horizontal gene transfer enables bacteria to adapt to previously unexploited ecological niches. Although horizontal gene transfer and mutation of protein-coding sequences are well-recognized forms of pathogen evolution, the evolutionary significance of cis-regulatory mutations in creating phenotypic diversity through altered transcriptional outputs is not known. We show the significance of regulatory mutation for pathogen evolution by mapping and then rewiring a cis-regulatory module controlling a gene required for murine typhoid. Acquisition of a binding site for the Salmonella pathogenicity island-2 regulator, SsrB, enabled the srfN gene, ancestral to the Salmonella genus, to play a …

Failure Of E. Coli Bacteria To Induce Preterm Delivery In The Rat, Emmet Hirsch, Yana Filipovich, Roberto Romero

Wayne State University Associated BioMed Central Scholarship

Abstract

Background

We sought to develop a model of bacterially induced preterm delivery in rats to parallel similar models in mice.

Methods

Female Sprague-Dawley rats on day 17 of gestation (normal term = 21–22 days) were inoculated into the uterus with either 2 × 10⁹ – 7 × 10¹⁰ killed E. coli organisms, 1 – 4 × 10⁸ live E. coli or sterile solution. These inoculations were made either via trans-cervical catheter or by direct intrauterine injection at laparotomy. Animals were then observed for delivery for variable periods up to term. Necropsies were performed and fetal viability …

Antibiotic Resistant And Coliform Bacteria In The Ohio River; 2002 To 2004, Lisa Marie Smith

Theses, Dissertations and Capstones

During 2002 and 2003 samples, collected every five miles along the Ohio River, were analyzed for total cultivable bacteria, ciprofloxacin resistant bacteria, erythromycin resistant bacteria, tetracycline resistant bacteria, and fecal coliforms. During 2004 samples were analyzed for total cultivable bacteria, ciprofloxacin resistant bacteria, sulfamethizole resistant bacteria, tetracycline resistant bacteria, Virginiamycin resistant bacteria, total coliforms, and Escherichia coli. The objectives of this study were to systematically collect data on fecal coliforms, E. coli, and antibiotic resistant bacteria in the Ohio River and its major tributaries; to determine if antibiotic resistance populations are correlated to each other or to coliforms; and …

Comparison Of Tnf-A Levels Produced By Macrophages Treated With Brucella Abortus And Escherichia Coli Lps, Tajie Harris

Honors Capstones

Capstone submitted as a graduation requirement for the BSU Honors Program.

Characterization Of Host-Bacteria Interactions Contributing To Group B Streptococcus Colonization, Jennifer Marie Smith

Theses, Dissertations and Capstones

Group B streptococcus (GBS) is the leading cause of life-threatening bacterial infections during the first three months of life. GBS is also a frequent cause of maternal postpartum infections. Both types of infections stem from maternal vaginal and/or rectal colonization with GBS in the perinatal period. Limited information is available concerning how the colonization process occurs and what role the host immune system may play in the establishment of persistent colonization by GBS. The complex interactions between the immune system and GBS normally should end in clearance of the bacteria. However, since colonization by GBS occurs in a large number …

Investigations Into The Innate Resistance Of The Tick, Dermacentor Variabilis, When Challenged With The Bacterium, Escherichia Coli, Shane Michael Ceraul

Biological Sciences Theses & Dissertations

In addition to the soluble response, many invertebrates control bacterial infections by means of phagocytosis or melanotic encapsulation. In some insects, Escherichia coli growth is reported to be inhibited by aggregation/encapsulation. Soluble and phagocytic responses to bacterial challenge have been reported in ticks, but evidence of an aggregation/encapsulation response was reported only for inanimate (araldite) implants. This study was done to determine how ticks control infection by E. coli. Ticks were challenged by direct inoculation of bacteria into the hemocoel cavity. Using plate counts, no viable E. coli were detected I hour post-inoculation. A direct fluorescence assay (DF A) …

Integronlike Structures In Campylobacter Spp. Of Human And Animal Origin, Brigid Lucey, D. Crowley, P. Moloney, B. Cryan, M. Daly, F. O'Halloran, E. J. Threlfall, S. Fanning

Department of Biological Sciences Publications

Resistance to antimicrobial agents used to treat severe Campylobacter spp. gastroenteritis is increasing worldwide. We assessed the antimicrobial resistance patterns of Campylobacter spp. isolates of human and animal origin. More than half (n = 32) were resistant to sulphonamide, a feature known to be associated with the presence of integrons. Analysis of these integrons will further our understanding of Campylobacter spp. epidemiology.

Miscellaneous Publication 39/91 - How To Eradicate Virulent Footrot From Your Property. A Farmer's Guide., Dianne Hopkins

Animal production and livestock published reports

The first thing to understand about virulent footrot is that it can occur on any farm in the medium to high rainfall zone.

People often associate footrot with properties managed by inefficient farmers. This is a belief based on fallacy. Many good farmers have found the disease in their sheep, including high profile stud producers.

Footrot can strike anywhere and without warning.

The important thing to remember is, that once it is found, getting to know the disease and understanding it will help you beat it. This manual, the video and your stock inspector will help you eradicate footrot from …

Footrot In Sheep And Goats, Department Of Agriculture, Western Australia

Animal production and livestock published reports

Reference to sheep in this pamphlet applies equally to goats.

Footrot is a contagious disease of sheep and goats caused by the bacterium Baueroides nodosus.

The bacterium can cause varying degrees of damage to the horn of the foot. The resulting infection can lead to lameness and serious loss of body condition.

The Effect Of Elevated Glucose On Neutrophilic Phagocytosis In Genetically Diabetic Mice, Larry B. Thompson

Loma Linda University Electronic Theses, Dissertations & Projects

Infiltration to an injury site or area of bacterial contamination by polymorphonuclear leucocytes (or neutrophils) is an early and essential phase of the early inflammatory reaction. Their action on foreign matter is the most critical step taken by body defense mechanisms in the first 24 hours. Anything which interferes with that action, phagocytosis, greatly hampers early inflammation. This study was designed to see the effect of elevated glucose levels on neutrophil phagocytosis in a unique strain of genetically diabetic mice.

Twenty-two diabetic and twenty-four control female mice were used. Blood glucose determinations and total white counts were made on each …

Infectivity And Development Of Trichinella Spiralis In Germ-Free, Monocontaminated And Conventional Mice, Daulat Sitanggang

Loma Linda University Electronic Theses, Dissertations & Projects

The purpose of the experiment was to compare the development of Trichinella spiralis in germ-free, Lactobacillus casei monocontaminated, Escherichia coli monocontaminated and conventional mice. The criteria used in the experiments were the recovery of adults and larvae of T. spiralis after 72 hours and one month post-infection, respectively. which gave an indication of the effects of no bacteria or only a certain, single species of bacterium on the development of this nematode in mice.

Germ-free T. spiralis larvae were obtained by washing them several times with sterile normal saline, and treatment with antibiotics. The gavaging procedure was done without anesthetization …

Quantitative Evaluation Of Streptococcal Antibodies By A Serum Inhibition Fluorescent Antibody Tube Method, Charles Glenn Nichols

Loma Linda University Electronic Theses, Dissertations & Projects

The development and description of a quantitative method of evaluating streptococcal antibodies by inhibition of fluorescent staining is reported. Suspensions of Streptococcus pyogenes group A, treated with methyl alcohol to reduce auto-fluorescence, were used as antigen. The degree of inhibition of uptake of fluorescent labeled antibody produced by the presence of antibodies in the immune test sera was measured after elution of the labeled antibody. Comparisons were made with controls using normal sera containing no inhibiting antibodies. A method of reporting the results in terms of titer is described.

Streptococcal antibodies were demonstrated quantitatively by this inhibition test in sera …

Pullorum Tested Poultry Flocks : 1962, Department Of Agriculture, Western Australia

Journal of the Department of Agriculture, Western Australia, Series 4

THIS year's pullorum tests of poultry flocks have revealed the lowest incidence of reactors since the tests began.

Results are recorded below.