Public Health Commons^™

Annual Report To The Nation On The Status Of Cancer, 1975–2003, Featuring Cancer Among U.S. Hispanic/ Latino Populations, Holly L. Howe, Xiao-Cheng Wu, Lynn A. G. Ries, Vilma Cokkinides, Faruque Ahmed, Ahmedin Jemal, Barry A. Miller, Melanie Williams, Elizabeth Ward, Phyllis A. Wingo, Amelie Ramirez, Brenda K. Edwards

United States Public Health Resources

BACKGROUND. The American Cancer Society, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, National Cancer Institute, and North American Association of Central Cancer Registries collaborate annually to provide U.S. cancer information, this year featuring the first comprehensive compilation of cancer information for U.S. Latinos.

METHODS. Cancer incidence was obtained from 90% of the Hispanic/Latino and 82% of the U.S. populations. Cancer deaths were obtained for the entire U.S. population. Cancer screening, risk factor, incidence, and mortality data were compiled for Latino and non-Latino adults and children (incidence only). Long-term (1975– 2003) and fixed-interval (1995–2003) trends and comparative analyses by disease …

Agricultural Pesticide Use And Risk Of T(14;18)-Defined Subtypes Of Non-Hodgkin Lymphoma, Brian C.-H. Chiu, Bhavana J. Dave, Aaron Blair, Susan M. Gapstur, Shelia Hoar Zahm, Dennis D. Weisenburger

United States Public Health Resources

Pesticides have been specifically associated with the t(14;18)(q32;q21) chromosomal translocation. To investigate whether the association between pesticides and risk of non-Hodgkin lymphoma (NHL) differs for molecular subtypes of NHL defined by t(14; 18) status, we obtained 175 tumor blocks from case subjects in a population-based case-control study conducted in Nebraska between 1983 and 1986. The t(14;18) was determined by interphase fluorescence in situ hybridization in 172 of 175 tumor blocks. We compared exposures to insecticides, herbicides, fungicides, and fumigants in 65 t(14;18)-positive and 107 t(14;18)-negative case subjects with those among 1432 control subjects. Multivariate polytomous logistic regression was used to …

Evaluation Of Serum Immunoglobulins Among Individuals Living Near Six Superfund Sites, Dhelia M. Williamson, Mary C. White, Charles Poole, David Kleinbaum, Robert Vogt, Kari North

United States Public Health Resources

Residents living in communities near Superfund sites have expressed concern that releases from these facilities affect their health, including adverse effects on their immune systems. We used data from six cross-sectional studies to evaluate whether people who live near several Superfund sites are more likely to have individual immunoglobulin test results (IgA, IgG, and IgM) below or above the reference range than those who live in comparison areas with no Superfund site. Study participants consisted of target-area residents who lived close to a Superfund site and comparison area residents who were not located near any Superfund or hazardous waste sites. …

Pyemotes Herfsi (Acari: Pyemotidae), A Mite New To North America As The Cause Of Bite Outbreaks, Alberto B. Broce, Ludek Zurek, James A. Kalisch, Robert Brown, David L. Keith, David Gordon, Janis Goedeke, Cal Welbourn, John Moser, Ronald Ochoa, Eduardo Azziz-Baumgartner, Fuyuen Yip, Jacob Weber

Department of Entomology: Faculty Publications

High incidences of red, itching, and painful welts on people in the midwestern United States led to the discovery of a European species of mite, Pyemotes herfsi (Oudemans) (Acari: Pyemotidae), preying on gall-making midge larvae on oak leaves. The mites' great reproductive potential, small size, and high capacity for dispersal by wind make them difficult to control or avoid.

A Coprological View Of Ancestral Pueblo Cannibalism, Karl Reinhard

Karl Reinhard Publications

As the object of my scientific study, I’ve chosen coprolites. It’s not a common choice, but to a paleonutritionist and archaeoparasitologist, a coprolite—a sample of ancient feces preserved by mineralization or simple drying—is a scientific bonanza. Analysis of coprolites can shed light on both the nutrition of and parasites found in prehistoric cultures. Dietary reconstructions from the analysis of coprolites can inform us about, for example, the origins of modern Native American diabetes. With regard to parasitology; coprolites hold information about the ancient emergence and spread of human infectious disease. Most sensational, however, is the recent role of coprolite analysis …

Geographic Factors Contributing To A High Seroprevalence Of West Nile Virus-Specific Antibodies In Humans Following An Epidemic, Beth K. Schweitzer, Wayne L. Kramer, Anthony R. Sambol, Jane L. Meza, Steven H. Hinrichs, Peter C. Iwen

United States Public Health Resources

Sera of 624 blood donors were evaluated to determine seroprevalence of West Nile virus (WNV) antibodies following the 2003 WNV epidemic in Nebraska. Geographic factors contributing to differences in WNV seropositivity were evaluated. The overall prevalence of WNV in Nebraska was higher than reported previously in other U.S. locations (9.5% WNV immunoglobulin G seroprevalence rate), with the highest prevalence identified in the western part of the state (19.7%), followed by the central (13.8%) and the eastern (4.2%) parts. Regions of the state with the highest WNV-positive mosquito rates correlated with the highest human WNV seroprevalence rates. The results showed that …

Science-Based Organic Farming 2006: Toward Local And Secure Food Systems, Charles A. Francis, Katja Koehler-Cole, Twyla Hansen, Peter Skelton

Publications from the Center for Applied Rural Innovation (CARI)

Organic farming includes growing food and fiber—animals, agronomic crops, horticultural fruits and vegetables, related products—as one dynamic and rapidly evolving component of our complex U.S. food system. Even as more farmers are moving toward organic certification and participation in an environmentally sound and economically lucrative market, questions arise about the long-term social impacts and sustainability of a set of practices that has gone from a movement to an industry. Consolidations in the organic trade have brought multinational corporations to the table, as they have observed a grassroots activity that has grown by 20% per year for the past two decades, …

Norovirus Classification And Proposed Strain Nomenclature, Du-Ping Zheng, Tamie Ando, Rebecca L. Fankhauser, R. Suzanne Beard, Roger I. Glass, Stephan S. Monroe

United States Public Health Resources

Without a virus culture system, genetic analysis becomes the principal method to classify norovirus (NoV) strains. Currently, classification of NoV strains beneath the species level has been based on sequences from different regions of the viral genome. As a result, the phylogenetic insights of some virus were not appropriately interpreted, and no consensus has been reached to establish a uniform classification scheme. To provide a consistent and reliable scientific basis for classifying NoVs, we analyzed the amino acid sequences for the major capsid protein of 164 NoV strains by first using an alignment based on the predicted 3D structures. A …

Agroterrorism—Why We’Re Not Ready: A Look At The Role Of Law Enforcement, Alberto R. Gonzales, Regina B. Schofield, Glenn R. Schmitt

United States Public Health Resources

Terrorists seeking to strike a blow at the U.S. economy need look no further than the Nation’s heartland for a “soft” target. An agroterrorist attack could dramatically impact many aspects of American life, including local law enforcement, which— especially in rural areas—is financially and strategically unprepared to respond.
Agricultural experts say that today they are most concerned about the intentional introduction of foot-and-mouth disease (FMD) into the food supply. Twenty times more infectious than smallpox, FMD causes painful blisters on the tongues, hooves, and teats of cloven-hoofed animals (like cows, pigs, goats, and deer), rendering them unable to walk, be …

Presence And Regulation Of Messenger Ribonucleic Acids Encoding Components Of The Class Ii Major Histocompatibility Complex-Associated Antigen Processing Pathway In The Bovine Corpus Luteum, Matthew J. Cannon, John S. Davis, Joy L. Pate

United States Public Health Resources

Luteal cells express class II major histocompatibility complex (MHC) molecules and can stimulate T lymphocyte proliferation in vitro. However, it is unknown whether luteal cells express the intracellular components necessary to process the peptides presented by class II MHC molecules. The objective of the present study was to examine the expression and regulation of three major class II-associated antigen processing components – class II MHC-associated invariant chain (Ii), DMa and DMb – in luteal tissue. Corpora lutea were collected early in the estrous cycle, during midcycle and late in the estrous cycle, and at various times following administration of a …

Hla Alleles Associated With Delayed Progression To Aids Contribute Strongly To The Initial Cd8+ T Cell Response Against Hiv-1, Marcus Altfeld, Elizabeth T. Kalife, Ying Qi, Hendrik Streeck, Mathais Lichterfeld, Mary N. Johnston, Nicole Burgett, Martha E. Swartz, Amy Yang, Galit Alter, Xu G. Yu, Angela Meier, Juergen K. Rockstroh, Todd M. Allen, Heiko Jessen, Eric S. Rosenberg, Mary Carrington, Bruce D. Walker

United States Public Health Resources

Background

Very little is known about the immunodominance patterns of HIV-1-specific T cell responses during primary HIV-1 infection and the reasons for human lymphocyte antigen (HLA) modulation of disease progression.

Methods and Findings

In a cohort of 104 individuals with primary HIV-1 infection, we demonstrate that a subset of CD8⁺ T cell epitopes within HIV-1 are consistently targeted early after infection, while other epitopes subsequently targeted through the same HLA class I alleles are rarely recognized. Certain HLA alleles consistently contributed more than others to the total virus-specific CD8⁺ T cell response during primary infection, and also reduced …

Rural/Nonrural Differences In Colorectal Cancer Incidence In The United States, 1998--2001, Steven S. Coughlin, Thomas B. Richards, Trevor Thompson, Barry A. Miller, Juliet Van Eenwyk, Marc T. Goodman, Recinda L. Sherman

United States Public Health Resources

BACKGROUND. Few studies of colorectal cancer incidence by rural, suburban, and metropolitan residence have been published.

METHODS. The authors examined colorectal cancer incidence among men and women in U.S. counties classified as rural, suburban, and metropolitan for the period 1998–2001. They examined rural/suburban/metropolitan differences in incidence by age, race, Hispanic ethnicity, stage at diagnosis, histology, and percentage of the total county population below the poverty level, using data from the CDC’s National Program of Cancer Registries, the NCI’s Surveillance, Epidemiology, and End Results Program, and the 2000 U.S. Census.

RESULTS. A total of 495,770 newly diagnosed or …

Colorectal Cancer In U.S. Adults Younger Than 50 Years Of Age, 1998--2001, Temeika L. Fairley, Cheryll J. Cardinez, Jim Martin, Linda Alley, Carol Friedman, Brenda K. Edwards, Patricia Jamison

United States Public Health Resources

BACKGROUND. Colorectal cancer (CRC) incidence rates are increasing among persons younger than 50 years of age, a population routinely not screened unless an individual has a high risk of CRC. This population-based study focuses primarily on describing the CRC burden for persons in this age group.

METHODS. The data used for this study were derived from the National Program of Cancer Registries (NPCR) and Surveillance, Epidemiology, and End Results (SEER) surveillance systems. Age-adjusted incidence rates, rate ratios, and their corresponding 95% confidence intervals were calculated.

RESULTS. CRC is ranked among the top 10 cancers occurring in males …

Transfusion-Associated Transmission Of West Nile Virus, United States 2003 Through 2005, Susan P. Montgomery, Jennifer A. Brown, Matthew Kuehnert, Theresa L. Smith, Nicholas Crall, Robert S. Lanciotti, Alexandre Macedo De Oliveira, Thomas Boo, Anthony A. Marfin

United States Public Health Resources

BACKGROUND: National blood donation screening for West Nile virus (WNV) started in June 2003, after the documentation of WNV transfusion-associated transmission (TAT) in 2002.

STUDY DESIGN AND METHODS: Blood donations were screened with investigational nucleic acid amplification assays in minipool formats. Blood collection agencies (BCAs) reported screening results to state and local public health authorities. Donor test results and demographic information were forwarded to CDC via ArboNET, the national electronic arbovirus surveillance system. State health departments and BCAs also reported suspect WNV TATs to CDC, which investigated these reports to confirm WNV infection in blood transfusion recipients in …

Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome (Sars): Knowledge, Attitudes, Practices And Sources Of Information Among Physicians Answering A Sars Fever Hotline Service, J.-F. Deng, B. Olowokure, S.C. Kaydos-Daniels, H.-J. Chang, R.S. Barwick, M.-L. Lee, C.-Y. Deng, S.H. Factor, C.-E. Chiang, S.A. Maloney, The Sars International Field Team

United States Public Health Resources

In June 2003, Taiwan introduced a severe acute respiratory syndrome (SARS) telephone hotline service to provide concerned callers with rapid access to information, advice and appropriate referral where necessary. This paper reports an evaluation of the knowledge, attitude, practices and sources of information relating to SARS among physicians who staffed the SARS fever hotline service. A retrospective survey was conducted using a self-administered postal questionnaire. Participants were physicians who staffed a SARS hotline during the SARS epidemic in Taipei, Taiwan from June 1 to 10, 2003. A response rate of 83% was obtained. All respondents knew the causative agent of …

Temperament In Context: Infant Temperament Moderates The Relationship Between Perceived Neighborhood Quality And Behavior Problems, Craig R. Colder, Liliana J. Lengua, Paula J. Fite, Joshua A. Mott, Nicole R. Bush

United States Public Health Resources

Hypotheses that positive affect and fear in infancy moderate later relationships between neighborhood quality and behavior problems were examined in a sample of children from the National Longitudinal Survey of Youth. Results suggested that poor neighborhood quality was associated with antisocial behavior at age 6 for children who in infancy were characterized by either high positive affect and low fear or by low positive affect and high fear. Depression/anxiety increased from age 6 to age 12 for children in poor quality neighborhoods who were characterized in infancy by low positive affect. A combination of low fear and high positive affect …

Identification Of An Epithelial-Specific Enhancer Regulating Esx Expression, Richard M. Neve, Hema Parmar, Cliff Amend, Chira Chen, Angie Rizzino, Christopher C. Benz

United States Public Health Resources

The Ets transcription factor, ESX, exhibits a unique pattern of epithelial-restricted expression and transactivates genes involved in epithelial differentiation and cancer. The aim of this study was to determine the underlying genetic basis for epithelial-specific expression of ESX. We have identified a 30bp ESX enhancer sequence (EES) approximately 3 kb upstream of the proximal promoter. This region displays enhancer activity in an epithelial-specific manner and deletion of this region abrogates ESX gene transcription. An EES binding protein complex (EBC) was identified through electrophoretic mobility shift assays whose degree of EES binding correlated well with endogenous ESX levels in …

Sulfation Of Tibolone Metabolites By Human Postmenopausal Liver And Small Intestinal Sulfotransferases (Sults), Min Wang, Christopher C. Ebmeier, John R. Olin, Robert J. Anderson

United States Public Health Resources

Sulfation is a major pathway in humans for the biotransformation of steroid hormones and structurally related therapeutic agents. Tibolone is a synthetic steroid used for the treatment for climacteric symptoms and postmenopausal osteoporosis. Sulfation inactivates the hydroxylated metabolites, 3α-hydroxytibolone (3α-OH-tibolone) and 3β-hydroxytibolone (3β-OH-tibolone), and contributes to the regulation of tissue responses to tibolone. We detected SULT1A1, SULT1A3, SULT1E1 and SULT2A1 mRNA expression by RT-PCR in postmenopausal liver and small intestine. Liver pool (n = 5) SULT activities measured with tibolone substrates reflected COS-1 expressed SULT2A1 and SULT1E1 activities. Liver SULT2A1 activity (1.8±0.3 units/mg protein, n = 8, mean ± SEM), …

Graduated Driver Licensing And Teenage Driver Research In 2006, James Hedlund, Ruth Schults, Richard Compton

United States Public Health Resources

This is the third update of research on graduated driver licensing (GDL) and related teenage driver issues. It briefly summarizes research published since or not included in the 2005 update (Hedlund, J., & Compton, R. (2005). Graduated driver licensing research in 2004 and 2005. Journal of Safety Research, 36(2), 109–119.), describes research in progress of which the authors are aware, and announces plans for a symposium on teenage driving and GDL to be held in February 2007.

The Frustrations Of Families: Henry Lynch, Heredity, And Cancer Control, 1962–1975, David Cantor

United States Public Health Resources

When Henry T Lynch thought that he had discovered the existence of hereditary cancers among Nebraskan families in the 1960s, his hope was that it would lead to more effective means of cancer control. Lynch argued that the identification of such cancers offered tremendous opportunities for improving detection and treatment. If cancer ran in families, he claimed, the discovery of a hereditary cancer in one family member should be an alert to the possibility of cancer in others, and so prompt careful scrutiny for any signs that might indicate the presence of the disease in ‘‘healthy’’ individuals. Lynch hoped that …

Sensitivity Of Second-Generation Enzyme Immunoassay For Detection Of Hepatitis C Virus Infection Among Oncology Patients, Alexandre Macedo De Oliveira, Kathryn L. White, Brady D. Beecham, Dennis P. Leschinsky, Brett P. Foley, Janel Dockter, Cristina Giachetti, Thomas J. Safranek

United States Public Health Resources

Background: The second-generation hepatitis C virus (HCV) enzyme immunoassay (EIA 2), an antibody-detection test, has high sensitivity and is one of the recommended screening tests for detecting HCV infection in the United States. However, its sensitivity among oncology patients is unknown.
Objective: Assess the EIA 2 sensitivity among a group of oncology patients at a Nebraska clinic where an HCV outbreak occurred during 2000–2001 using nucleic acid testing (NAT) and recombinant immunoblot assay (RIBA) as the gold standards.
Study design: Serum specimens were collected from patients 16 months after transmission had stopped. We tested the specimens using EIA 2 (Abbott …

West Nile Virus Quantification In Feces Of Experimentally Infected American And Fish Crows, Aaron Kipp, Jennifer Lehman, Richard Bowen, Patricia Fox, Michael Stephens, Kaci Klenk, Nicholas Komar, Michel Bunning

United States Public Health Resources

To better understand the potential environmental health risk presented by West Nile virus (WNV)- contaminated feces, we quantified the amount of WNV present in the feces of experimentally infected American crows (Corvus brachyrhynchos) and fish crows (Corvus ossifragus). Peak fecal titers ranged from 10^3.5 to 10^8.8 plaque-forming units (PFU)/g for 10 American crows and from 10^2.3 to 10^6.4 PFU/g for 10 fish crows. The presence of infectious WNV in bird feces indicates a potential for direct transmission of WNV. Thus, handlers of sick or dead birds should take appropriate precautions to avoid …

Sl1 Rna Gene Recovery From Enterobius Vermicularis Ancient Dna In Pre-Columbian Human Coprolites, Alena M. Iñiguez, Karl Reinhard, Marcelo Luiz Carvalho Gonçalves, Luiz Fernando Ferreira, Adauto Araújo, Ana Carolina Paulo Vincente

Karl Reinhard Publications

Enterobius vermicularis, pinworm, is one of the most common helminths worldwide, infecting nearly a billion people at all socio-economic levels. In prehistoric populations the paleoparasitological findings show a pinworm homogeneous distribution among hunter-gatherers in North America, intensified with the advent of agriculture. This same increase also occurred in the transition from nomad hunter-gatherers to sedentary farmers in South America, although E. vermicularis infection encompasses only the ancient Andean peoples, with no record among the pre-Colombian populations in the South American lowlands. However, the outline of pinworm paleo epidemiology has been supported by microscopic finding of eggs recovered from coprolites. …

Epidemiology Of Escherichia Coli O157:H7 Outbreaks, United States, 1982–2002, Josefa M. Rangel, Phyllis H. Sparling, Collen Crowe, Patricia M. Griffin, David L. Swerdlow

United States Public Health Resources

Escherichia coli O157:H7 causes 73,000 illnesses in the United States annually. We reviewed E. coliO157 outbreaks reported to Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) to better understand the epidemiology of E. coli O157. E. coli O157 outbreaks (>2 cases of E. coli O157 infection with a common epidemiologic exposure) reported to CDC from 1982 to 2002 were reviewed. In that period, 49 states reported 350 outbreaks, representing 8,598 cases, 1,493 (17%) hospitalizations, 354 (4%) hemolytic uremic syndrome cases, and 40 (0.5%) deaths. Transmission route for 183 (52%) was foodborne, 74 (21%) unknown, 50 (14%) person-to-person, 31 (9%) …

Evaluating Sex Offenders Under Sexually Violent Predator Laws: How Might Mental Health Professionals Conceptualize The Notion Of Volitional Impairment?, Cynthia Calkins Mercado, Robert F. Schopp, Brian H. Bornstein

Department of Psychology: Faculty Publications

This paper examines the significance of the Supreme Court’s Hendricks and Crane decisions, with focus given to how mental health professionals may conceptualize the notion of volitional impairment. The Hendricks decision authorized postsentence civil commitment for sex offenders having a mental abnormality or personality disorder, rendering them likely to engage in future acts of sexual violence. In the Supreme Court’s majority opinion, Justice Thomas implied that the Kansas Act was legitimized by limiting the class of offenders eligible for this specialized form of commitment to those who are “unable to control” their dangerousness. In Crane, the Court ruled that …

Using Photography To Cross Generational, Linguistic, And Cultural Barriers To Develop Useful Survey Instruments., Ian Newman, Suree Kanjanawong

Department of Educational Psychology: Faculty Publications

Photographs are used as a research tool by anthropologists and as a technique to empower special populations, advocacy groups, and policymakers. This case describes how photography was used to develop a survey to study alcohol expectancies among Thai adolescents. A multicultural research team faced generational, linguistic, and cultural barriers in understanding Thai adolescent alcohol use well enough to write useful questions about alcohol expectancies. Asking adolescents to take and then discuss their photographs about alcohol allowed them to express themselves without the imposition of an organizational framework by the investigators. Group discussions of the photographs revealed nuances and subtleties of …

Genome Size And Organization In The Blacklegged Tick, Ixodes Scapularis And The Southern Cattle Tick, Boophilus Microplus, A. J. Ullmann, C. M. R. Lima, F. D. Guerrero, J. Piesman, W. C. Black Iv

United States Public Health Resources

Genome sizes and the organization of repetitive DNA were determined in the hard ticks Ixodes scapularis and Boophilus microplus using reassociation kinetics. The I. scapularis genome contains ~ 2.15 pg (2.1 × 10 ³ Mbp) of DNA and consists of no foldback (FB), 27% highly repetitive (HR), 39% moderately repetitive (MR), and 34% unique DNA. The B. microplus genome contains 7.5 pg (7.1 × 10 ³ Mbp) DNA, and consists of 0.82% FB, 31% HR, 38% MR, and 30% unique DNA. In both species, repetitive sequences occur in a mixture of long and short period interspersion but most (65–80%) of …

Evolutionary Genetics Of A New Pathogenic Escherichia Species: Escherichia Albertii And Related Shigella Boydii Strains, Katie E. Hyma, David W. Lacher, Adam M. Nelson, Alyssa C. Bumbaugh, J. Michael Janda, Nancy A. Strockbine, Vincent B. Young, Thomas S. Whittam

United States Public Health Resources

A bacterium originally described as Hafnia alvei induces diarrhea in rabbits and causes epithelial damage similar to the attachment and effacement associated with enteropathogenic Escherichia coli. Subsequent studies identified similar H. alvei-like strains that are positive for an intimin gene (eae) probe and, based on DNA relatedness, are classified as a distinct Escherichia species, Escherichia albertii. We determined sequences for multiple housekeeping genes in five E. albertii strains and compared these sequences to those of strains representing the major groups of pathogenic E. coli and Shigella. A comparison of 2,484 codon positions in 14 …

Non-O157 Shiga Toxin–Producing Escherichia Coli Infections In The United States, 1983–2002, John T. Brooks, Evangeline G. Sowers, Joy G. Wells, Katherine D. Greene Greene, Patricia M. Griffin, Robert M. Hoekstra, Nancy A. Strockbine

United States Public Health Resources

Background. Shiga toxin–producing Escherichia coli (STEC) O157:H7 is a well-recognized cause of bloody diarrhea and hemolytic-uremic syndrome (HUS). Non-O157 STEC contribute to this burden of illness but have been underrecognized as a result of diagnostic limitations and inadequate surveillance.

Methods. Between 1983 and 2002, 43 state public health laboratories submitted 940 human non-O157 STEC isolates from persons with sporadic illnesses to the Centers for Diseases Control and Prevention reference laboratory for confirmation and serotyping.

Results. The most common serogroups were O26 (22%), O111 (16%), O103 (12%), O121 (8%), O45 (7%), and O145 (5%). Non-O157 STEC infections were …

Identification And Characterization Of Shigella Boydii 20 Serovar Nov., A New And Emerging Shigella Serotype, David L. Woodward, Clifford G. Clark, Richard A. Caldeira, Rafiq Ahmed, Geoff Soule, Louis Bryden, Helen Tabor, Pasquale Melito, Roger Foster, Julie Walsh, Lai-King Ng, Georgia B. Malcolm, Nancy Strockbine, Frank G. Rodgers

United States Public Health Resources

Analysis of 163 putative Shigella isolates from Canada and the USA showed biochemical reactions consistent with Shigella species, although none of the isolates reacted with antiserum raised against any of the well-established or provisional Shigella serotypes. All these isolates, provisionally designated serotype SH108, were positive for the ipaH gene and the invasion-associated locus. All fermented mannitol, were serologically indistinguishable from each other and showed no reaction in antisera prepared against Escherichia coli serotypes O1 to O181. PCR-RFLP analysis of the genes involved in O-antigen synthesis revealed a common pattern among these isolates that was distinct from recognized Shigella serotypes and …