Infectious Disease Commons^™

Unexplained Recurrent Fevers And The Importance Of Inquiring About Occupation: A Case Report, Zachary Reese, Ms4, Poonam Maru, Do

The Medicine Forum

INTRODUCTION

Many different tick-borne diseases are identified in various geographical areas throughout the United States. Ixodes scapularis tick-borne diseases can present unique diagnostic challenges because of their constellation of vague symptoms. The Ixodes scapularis tick, more commonly known as the blacklegged tick, is responsible for three specific tick-borne infections: Lyme disease (Borellia burgdorferii), Babesiosis (Babesia microti), and Anaplasmosis (Anaplasma phagocytophilum) also known as human granulocytic anaplasmosis. Although these three tick-borne diseases are characteristically found in the New England area, the geographical distribution of the Ixodes tick has expanded to encompass much of the northeastern United States and even states in …

Extrapolating Evidence About Preventing Recurrent Cellulitis For An Individual Patient Concern, Christina L. Benkert D.O., Amrit K. Basi, Kristina L. Bahrou M.D., Catherine R. Cherri M.D., Suraiya K. Azom M.D., Nicholus H. Yee M.D.

Clinical Research in Practice: The Journal of Team Hippocrates

A critical appraisal and clinical application of Thomas KS, Crook AM, Nunn AJ, et al. Penicillin to prevent recurrent leg cellulitis, N Engl J Med. 2013, May 2;368(18):1695-1703. doi: 10.1056/NEJMoa1206300

Clinical, Lifestyle, Socioeconomic Determinants And Rate Of Asymptomatic Intracranial Atherosclerosis In Stroke Free Pakistanis., Ayeesha Kamran Kamal, Farzin Majeed, Omrana Pasha, Hasan Rehman, Muhammad Islam, Iqbal Azam Syed, Muhammad Saleem Ilyas, Munawar Hussain, Kamran Masood, Bilal Ahmed, Sumaira Nazir, Zafar Sajjad, Scott E. Kasner

Department of Medicine

Background: Intracranial Atherosclerotic Disease (ICAD) is the most frequent etiology of stroke with high prevalence among Asians. Despite this, early determinants of ICAD have not been described from this region.

Methods: The study is an analytical prospective cross-sectional study of 200 adults from Radiology Departments of two diagnostic centers in Karachi. Eligible participants confirmed the absence of stroke symptoms via the Questionnaire for Verifying Stroke Free Status (QVSFS) and underwent an interview covering medical, socio demographic, lifestyle and anthropometric evaluation using locally validated and standardized definitions. Magnetic Resonance Images (MRI) were centrally reviewed to detect ICAD using the criterion used …

Fulminant Invasive Aspergillosis Of The Mediastinum In An Immunocompetent Host: A Case Report., Muhammad Tariq Shakoor, Samia Ayub, Zunaira Ayub, Syed Faisal Mahmood

Department of Medicine

Introduction: Invasive aspergillosis is a serious complication in immunocompromised patients. It is an opportunistic disease, which predominantly occurs in the lungs, although dissemination to virtually any organ is possible. Invasive aspergillosis in an immunocompetent patient with extension to the mediastinum has rarely been reported. Here, we present the case of a patient with no apparent immunodeficiency state, who presented with Aspergillus endocarditis and fulminant invasive aspergillosis with extensive involvement of the mediastinal structures, which ultimately was responsible for her death. To the best of our knowledge, this is the first reported case in the literature on fulminant invasive mediastinal aspergillosis …

Role Played By Serum, A Biological Cue, In The Adherence Of Enterococcus Faecalis To Extracellular Matrix Proteins, Collagen, Fibrinogen, And Fibronectin, Sreedhar R Nallapareddy, Barbara E Murray

Faculty, Staff and Student Publications

BACKGROUND: Most previous studies have found that Enterococcus faecalis isolates do not show significant adherence to fibronectin and fibrinogen.

METHODS: The influence of various conditions on E. faecalis adherence to extracellular matrix (ECM) proteins was evaluated using a radiolabeled-cell adherence assay.

RESULTS: Among the conditions studied, growth in 40% horse serum (a biological cue with potential clinical relevance) elicited adherence of all 46 E. faecalis strains tested to fibronectin and fibrinogen but not to elastin; adherence levels were independent of strain source, and adherence was eliminated by treating cells with trypsin. As previously reported, serum also elicited adherence to collagen. …

Importance Of The Ebp (Endocarditis- And Biofilm-Associated Pilus) Locus In The Pathogenesis Of Enterococcus Faecalis Ascending Urinary Tract Infection, Kavindra V Singh, Sreedhar R Nallapareddy, Barbara E Murray

Faculty, Staff and Student Publications

BACKGROUND: We recently demonstrated that the ubiquitous Enterococcus faecalis ebp (endocarditis- and biofilm-associated pilus) operon is important for biofilm formation and experimental endocarditis. Here, we assess its role in murine urinary tract infection (UTI) by use of wild-type E. faecalis OG1RF and its nonpiliated, ebpA allelic replacement mutant (TX5475).

METHODS: OG1RF and TX5475 were administered transurethrally either at an ~1 : 1 ratio (competition assay) or individually (monoinfection). Kidney pairs and urinary bladders were cultured 48 h after infection. These strains were also tested in a peritonitis model.

RESULTS: No differences were observed in the peritonitis model. In mixed UTIs, …