Clinical guideline for diagnosis and management of melioidosis

Melioidosis is an emerging infection in Brazil and neighbouring South American countries. The wide range of clinical presentations include severe community-acquired pneumonia, septicaemia, central nervous system infection and less severe soft tissue infection. Diagnosis depends heavily on the clinical microbiology laboratory for culture. Burkholderia pseudomallei, the bacterial cause of melioidosis, is easily cultured from blood, sputum and other clinical samples. However, B. pseudomallei can be difficult to identify reliably, and can be confused with closely related bacteria, some of which may be dismissed as insignificant culture contaminants. Serological tests can help to support a diagnosis of melioidosis, but by themselves do not provide a definitive diagnosis. The use of a laboratory discovery pathway can help reduce the risk of missing atypical B. pseudomallei isolates. Recommended antibiotic treatment for severe infection is either intravenous Ceftazidime or Meropenem for several weeks, followed by up to 20 weeks oral treatment with a combination of trimethoprim-sulphamethoxazole and doxycycline. Consistent use of diagnostic microbiology to confirm the diagnosis, and rigorous treatment of severe infection with the correct antibiotics in two stages; acute and eradication, will contribute to a reduction in mortality from melioidosis.

Pneumonia Grave por Influenza B em Recém-Nascido

A infecção por vírus influenza B é rara no período neonatal com uma incidência desconhecida. Relata-se o caso de uma recém-nascida de termo, reinternada ao nono dia de vida por quadro de má perfusão periférica, gemido, dificuldade alimentar e dificuldade respiratória com necessidade de ventila ção mecânica, óxido nítrico inalado e surfactante. A radiografia de tórax no primeiro dia apresentava infiltrado intersticial ligeiro, difuso. Esteve sob ventilação invasiva durante 11 dias e oxigenoterapia 15 dias, tendo tido alta ao 20º dia, clinicamente bem. É fundamental pensar em infecção por vírus influenza B quando existe história de possível contágio, e em mães sem imunização anti-influenza. Não há terapêutica aprovada neste grupo etário, devendo ser tomadas medidas de suporte, de contenção e prevenção da disseminação da infecção.

Seroprevalence of selected viral, bacterial and parasitic infections among inpatients of a public psychiatric hospital of Mexico

We sought to determine the frequency of serological markers of selected infections in a population of psychiatric patients in Durango City, Mexico, and to determine whether there are any epidemiological characteristics of the subjects associated with the infections. One hundred and five inpatients of a public psychiatric hospital of Durango were examined for HBsAg, anti-HCV antibodies, anti-HIV antibodies, anti-Brucella antibodies, rapid plasma reagin and anti-Cysticercus antibodies by commercially available assays. Anti-Cysticercus antibodies were confirmed by Western blot and HBsAg by neutralization assay. Epidemiological data from each participant were also obtained. Seroprevalences of HBsAg, anti-HCV, anti-HIV, anti-Brucella, rapid plasma reagin and anti-Cysticercus antibodies found were 0.0%, 4.8%, 0.9%, 0.0%, 1.9%, and 0.9%, respectively. Overall, 9 (8.6%) inpatients showed seropositivity to any infection marker. We concluded that our psychiatric inpatients have serological evidence of a number of infections. HCV is an important pathogen among our psychiatric inpatients. Health care strategies for prevention and control of infections in Mexican psychiatric patients should be considered.

Pneumonia por Pneumocystis e Citomegalovírus no Doente VIH. A Propósito de Dois Casos Clínicos

Nos doentes com infecção pelo vírus da imunodeficiência humana (VIH) o citomegalovírus torna-se um agente de doença importante quando existe imunossupressão avançada. O seu papel como agente de doença pulmonar neste contexto tem sido amplamente debatido. Nos doentes com pneumocistose, a presença do citomegalovírus no pulmão não parece conferir pior prognóstico, excepto nos que recebem terapêutica adjuvante com corticóides. Os autores apresentam dois casos de doentes com infecção VIH e imunossupressão avançada, admitidos na unidade de cuidados intensivos por insuficiência respiratória. Em ambos houve isolamento de Pneumocystis jirovecii no lavado broncoalveolar. Apesar da terapêutica instituída ambos vieram a falecer. A biópsia pulmonar post mortem mostrou, nos dois casos, a presença de Pneumocystis e inclusões por citomegalovírus. Perante este achado tecem-se algumas considerações sobre o papel do citomegalovírus como agente de pneumonia na SIDA e sobre o seu significado como co-infectante na pneumocistose, sobretudo nos casos de falência terapêutica.

Perinatal Bacterial Infection: Screenning of Vertical Transmitted Infections

Perinatal bacterial infection may be caused by any microorganism colonizing the vaginal tract. Neonatologists and paediatricians are especially concerned about group B Stretpococcus (GBS). However, Enterobactereacea, mainly E.coli and Proteus, are also responsible for infection. GBS screening may be accomplished in over 90% of pregnant women. In our maternity in 2007-2008, 85% of the mothers had been screened. Screening and prophylaxis were responsible for a decreasing incidence of neonatal infection - from 0.6/1000 to 0.15/1000 live births in Portugal, from 2002 to 2007. However there are some difficulties related to screening. In the second Portuguese study 16/57 NB with early-onset infection (28%) were born to “negative” mothers. Several factors illustrate how difficult is to draw national screening policies: a wide range of carrier’s state rate throughout a country - in Portugal from 12% to 30%. The success of any screening policy may also be affected by additional technical and organizational problems. In countries where home delivery is a tradition or a trend intrapartum GBS prophylaxis requires a very well organized assistance.. Moreover factors usually accepted as protective are not so effective. In the Portuguese study 24/57 infected newborns (42%) were delivery by caesarean section. Another subject deals with the workload in the postnatal ward generated by deficient compliance to the guidelines a problem not confirm by a study of our group. Decreasing the importance of GBS, highlight the importance of E. coli in perinatal infection. From the 16 340 registrations of the National Registry 1676 were newborns with mother-related infection. Applying the same reasoning to E.coli as to GBS and Listeria monocytogenes – that is considering all of them are of maternal origin - 6.7% of these infections were due to E. coli, 4.6% to SGB and 0.5% to Listeria monocytogenes. In conclusion screening and prophylaxis may be not the best way to prevent all GBS neonatal infections but by now it is the only available procedure. The other bacteria continue to demand a high suspicion level and immediate intervention.

Studies on BolA and ribonuclease R: two important factors in the control of bacterial gene expression

Dissertation presented to obtain the Ph.D degree in Biology

Epidemiological studies of Streptococcus pneumoniae carriage in the post-vaccination era among two risk groups: children and the elderly

Dissertation presented to obtain the Ph.D. degree in Biology/ Molecular Biology

PREVALENCE OF BACTERIAL RESISTANCE IN HOSPITALIZED CIRRHOTIC PATIENTS IN SOUTHERN BRAZIL: A NEW CHALLENGE

Background & Aims: An increased frequency of infections by multiresistant bacteria has been described in hospitalized patients. The aim of this study was to evaluate the bacterial resistance profile in cirrhotic patients. Methods: This is a retrospective observational study. We assessed the antimicrobial susceptibility of 5,839 bacterial isolates from patients with and without cirrhosis. Regarding the multidrug resistance, we evaluated 4,505 bacterial isolates from 2,180 patients. Results: Two hundred and fifty-one patients had cirrhosis (mean age 57.6 ± 11 years; 61.8% were male, 47.8% of cases associated with hepatitis C virus). Of the isolates of patients with and without cirrhosis, 174/464 (37.5%) and 1,783/4,041 (44.1%) were multiresistant, respectively (p = 0.007). E. coli was the most common multiresistant bacteria in both groups. Approximately 20% of E. coli and Klebsiella sp. isolates were ESBL-producers and 44% of S. aureus isolates were methicillin-resistant in cirrhotic patients. In cirrhotic patients admitted to the emergency department, hospital ward, and intensive care unit, 28.3%, 50% and 40% had multiresistant isolates, respectively. In patients with and without cirrhosis, 36.2% and 33.5% of isolates were resistant to third-generation cephalosporins, respectively. Conclusions: The empirical treatment of infections in hospitalized patients using broad-spectrum antibiotics should consider the observed pattern of bacterial resistance.

A copper protein and a cytochrome bind at the same site on bacterial cytochrome c peroxidase

Biochemistry, 2004, 43 (46), pp 14566–14576 DOI: 10.1021/bi0485833

Utilidade da Broncofibroscopia no Diagnóstico de Neoplasia do Pulmão em Doentes com Pneumonia Arrastada

A broncofibroscopia (BF) é frequentemente efectuada em doentes com pneumonias de evolução arrastada com o objectivo de excluir patologia endobrónquica de etiologia neoplásica. Dado que a resolução radiográfica das pneumonias da comunidade é variável, sendo dependente de vários factores (agente etiológico, idade, doenças associadas) a decisão para efectuar uma BF é muitas vezes empírica. Com o objectivo de descrever a nossa experiência neste problema estudámos retrospectivamente 123 doentes com o diagnóstico de pneumonia da comunidade baseado em critérios clínicos e radiográficos e que, apesar da antibioferapia considerada adequada, não apresentavam melhoria radiográfica significativa ao fim de pelo menos 2 semanas. Obtivemós um diagnóstico histológico de neoplasia maligna do pulmão em 7 doentes (5,6° o), sendo todos do sexo masculino, com idade superior a 55 anos efuínadores de pelo menos 40 U.M.A. A análise comparativa com os restantes doentes mostrou diferenças com significado~estatístico em relação à idade e ao consumo tabágico. O tempo de evolução da doença,valores médios de hemoglobina, leucocitos, VS, existência ou não de alterações da função renal ou hepática não foram significativamente diferentes nos dois grupos. Concluimos que a BF deve ser efectuada precocemente nos doentes pertencentes ao grupo de risco identificado (fumadores, com mais de 55 anos) não se justificando a sua realização nos restantes doentes antes das 4 a 8 semanas de evolução, a menos que estejam presentes critérios clínicos objectivos tais como progressão da doença ou agravamento do estado geral.

Engineering of bacterial exopolysaccharides: from synthesis to properties

Dissertação para obtenção do Grau de Doutor em Engenharia Química e Bioquímica

Pneumonia por bacilo de Friedlander

Os autores apresentam e discutem um caso de pneumonia por bacilo de Friedlander. Chamam a atenção para suas principais complicações e prognóstico. Enfatizam a história natural da doença e o aspecto radiológico por serem elementos de suma importância, no estabelecimento diagnóstico. Discutem o diagnóstico diferencial do ponto de vista radiográfico e uma análise dos principais sinais radiológicos da condição é feita. Chamam ainda a atenção para a multiplicidade de microorganismos capazes de originar necrose do parênquima pulmonar. Finalizam analisando o papel atual da Klebsiella no determinismo de infecções hospitalares e tentam uma orientação terapêutica nas formas agudas.

A study of bacterial contamination of rattlesnake venom

The authors studied the bacterial contamination of rattlesnake venom isolated from snakes in captivity and wild snakes caught recently. The captive snakes showed a relatively high incidence of bacterial contamination of their venom.

Bacterial peptidoglycan biosynthesis and recognition by the innate immune system

Dissertation presented to obtain the Ph.D degree in Biology