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Parapoxvirus infections in New Zealand farmed red deer (Cervus elaphus).

Outbreaks of infection due to a parapoxvirus were reported on eight New Zealand deer farms. Scabby lesions were seen variably on the muzzle, lips, face, ears and neck of red deer (Cervus elaphus) with morbidity rates reaching 100%. On three farms multifocal lesions were also present on the velvet. Deaths were reported on two properties where the lesions were extensive and secondary bacterial infections had occurred. On one of these farms multifactorial disease was suspected. Poxvirus particles were seen by negative contrast electron microscopy in scab material from all eight properties. Morphologically the deer virus resembled a parapoxvirus, but restriction endonuclease analysis showed its DNA fragment patterns were distinct from those of orf (contagious ecthyma) virus.

Journal Article↗

Community-acquired Pseudomonas aeruginosa infection in an infant.

A 7-month-old infant presented at a tertiary centre with a 6-day history of a skin rash, fever and diarrhoea. Clinical features included pyrexia, kwashiorkor, extensive ulcerating skin lesions suggestive of ecthyma gangrenosum, hepatomegaly, meningismus, neutropenia and iron deficiency anaemia. Blood and skin aspirate cultures yielded a positive growth of Pseudomonas aeruginosa. Apart from severe protein energy malnutrition, no other causes of immunodeficiency were found. He responded well to parenteral antibiotic therapy with gentamicin and piperacillin.

Anti-Bacterial Agents↗

Invasive Fusarium solani infections in patients with acute leukemia.

Two cases of disseminated hyalohyphomycosis due to Fusarium solani in patients with acute nonlymphocytic leukemia were studied. The clinical features in both patients included fever, fungemia, severe myalgias, disseminated ecthyma gangrenosum-like skin lesions, ocular symptoms, and a fatal outcome despite systemic administration of amphotericin B in the setting of profound, persistent granulocytopenia. In vitro studies showed the resistance of both F. solani isolates to amphotericin B, 5-fluorocytosine, and imidazoles. This investigation confirmed the emergence of F. solani infection in immunosuppressed hosts.

Adolescent↗

Meningitis due to Aeromonas species: case report and review.

In recent years, Aeromonas species has been reported to cause extraintestinal infections with a growing frequency. Meningitis due to Aeromonas species is, however, a rare entity. We report a case of aeromonas meningitis in a 54-year-old man with a history of chronic alcoholic liver disease who, after an episode of gastroenteritis, developed an acute clinical picture characteristic of meningitis with septic shock and ecthyma gangrenosum. Aeromonas veronii (biogroup sobria) was isolated from cultures of blood as well as from cultures of stool, peritoneal fluid, skin lesion, and CSF specimens (obtained by lumbar puncture). Our review of seven additional cases of aeromonas meningitis in the world literature revealed that this condition is generally secondary to metastatic dissemination from primary bacteremia. Aeromonas meningitis, which may or may not be preceded by gastroenteritis, presents clinically as bacterial meningitis, although the presence of skin lesions may increase suspicion of the diagnosis. Third-generation cephalosporins are probably the therapy of choice for patients with aeromonas meningitis.

Aeromonas↗

Pseudomonas aeruginosa infections of intact skin.

Pseudomonas aeruginosa infections of healthy skin are uncommon. We report four cases of P. aeruginosa infections of intact skin. These cases illustrate the clinical spectrum of these cutaneous infections: localized, mild epidermal infections (the green nail syndrome and webbed space infections), moderately serious infections (cutaneous folliculitis and otitis externa), and, in immunocompromised patients, extremely serious infections (malignant otitis externa, perirectal infection, and ecthyma gangrenosum).

Adult↗

Vasculitides associated with infections, immunization, and antimicrobial drugs.

Many pathogenic microbes can induce a complex series of immunologic, endothelial-cell, and hemorheological activation cascades and dysfunctions and can cause interactions of various components of the vessel wall with formed and noncellular elements of the blood. These interactions can result in manifold vasculitides. This article reviews the pathogenetic, clinicopathologic, and therapeutic aspects of infection-related vasculitides; it includes a brief discussion of parasitic, drug-related, and immunization-associated vasculitides as well as of the infection-related features of vasculitides of the central nervous system, retinal vasculitides, ecthyma gangrenosum, and erythema nodosum. Viruses are mainly associated with small-vessel vasculitides, whereas bacterial infections affect vessels of all sizes, including the aorta. The vasculitides associated with fungal infection usually are characterized by erythema nodosum and involve large vessels. The search for microbes as causes of or contributors to vasculitides should continue. Infectious vasculitides may become increasingly important as the number of immunocompromised patients grows.

Anti-Bacterial Agents↗

Bacteremia caused by Aeromonas species in hospitalized cancer patients.

Bacteremia caused by Aeromonas species occurred in 24 hospitalized patients in a cancer institute during a 13-year period. All but one of these patients had a malignancy (88% had leukemia), and most were receiving chemotherapy for cancer. There was a striking numerical predominance of male patients (82%). Unlike some previously described patients with infections due to this organism, none of these 24 patients had recently been exposed to fresh or salt water or to fish. The source of the infecting organism was thought to be endogenous--i.e., from patients' own gastrointestinal tracts. The clinical presentation of sepsis caused by this organism was nonspecific, except that ecthyma gangrenosum occurred in several patients. The overall mortality rate was 28%. The combination of an aminoglycoside and a cephalosporin is appropriate therapy for bacteremia caused by Aeromonas species.

Acute Disease↗

Skin clues in the diagnosis of life-threatening infections.

Skin lesions, an important clue to the cause of septicemia, result from five main processes: (1) disseminated intravascular coagulation and coagulopathy; (2) direct vascular invasion and occlusion by bacteria or fungi; (3) immune vasculitis and immune complex formation; (4) emboli from endocarditis; and (5) vascular effects of toxins. Disseminated intravascular coagulation probably plays only a minor role in pathogenesis. Vascular invasion by bacteria may result in a severe inflammatory reaction, as in meningococcemia, or in a minimal reaction, as in ecthyma gangrenosum. Gram-stained smears of scrapings from the base of skin lesions--a frequently neglected procedure--is an important diagnostic adjunct. Skin biopsies are particularly important in the diagnosis of Rocky Mountain spotted fever and infections caused by Candida.

Antigen-Antibody Complex↗

Increased dosage requirements of gentamicin in burn patients.

In 14 burn patients treated for serious Gram-negative infections, the use of the previously recommended gentamicin dose of 5 mg/kg/day was found to result in subtherapeutic serum concentrations (peak concentration less than 4 mg/L). The gentamicin half-life was found to be unusually short especially in the younger burn patients. Because of this shorter half-life the dosage interval was decreased to 4 hours to prevent extended periods of subtherapeutic serum concentrations. In addition, the daily dose of gentamicin was increased to achieve therapeutic peak concentration. Individualizing each patient's gentamicin regimen was thought to be instrumental in the favorable response of two patients with Pseudomonas ecthyma gangrenosum. The results of this study would strongly support the measurement of serum gentamicin levels in all burn patients with life-threatening infection. The gentamicin dosage regimen should then be individualized for each patient to provide optimal peak concentrations. In addition, patients demonstrating a short drug half-life may require a decreased dosage interval to prevent prolonged periods of sub-therapeutic concentrations.

Adolescent↗

Aeromonas septicemia in infants and children.

Our experience at the Ramathibodi Hospital with 20 infants and children who had Aeromonas septicemia is reviewed. Their ages were from 1 day to 14 years. Eighteen patients had underlying diseases: leukemia, 5; aplastic anemia, 4; cirrhosis, 2; thalassemia/hemoglobinopathy, 3; renal failure, 1; ileal perforation, 1; marasmus, 1; and cavernous hemangioma with thrombocytopenia, 1. Blood cultures yielded Aeromonas hydrophila in all patients, and four patients had polymicrobial bacteremia. Fifteen episodes of septicemia were community-acquired and five were hospital-acquired. The clinical manifestations of these patients were similar to septicemia due to other Gram-negative enteric bacilli. Two patients each had ecthyma gangrenosum, necrotizing fasciitis and meningitis. Antibiotic treatment included penicillins, cephalosporins, aminoglycosides and sulfamethoxazole-trimethoprim. The overall case fatality rate was 50%; eight of the nine patients with acute leukemia or aplastic anemia died. With the exception of one child the blood cultures were sterile in all patients before death. Aeromonas septicemia is an uncommon but severe infection which occurs predominantly in compromised hosts.

Acute Disease↗

Camel papillomatosis in Somalia.

Outbreaks of papillomatosis in camels (Camelus dromedarius) were detected for the first time in Somalia. Electron microscopic investigations revealed typical papillomavirions in skin lesions. Histopathological sections showed alterations which are regarded as pathognomonic for warts. The presumptive diagnosis of the skin disease was contagious ecthyma, as this infection was found simultaneously in some affected herds with symptoms similar to those of papillomatosis.

Animals↗

Human fusariosis.

Fusarium species frequently implicated in human infections include F. solani, F. oxysporum and F. moniliforme. Among immunocompetent patients, tissue breakdown (as caused by trauma, severe burns or foreign body) is the risk factor for fusariosis. Infections include keratitis, onychomycosis and occasionally peritonitis and cellulitis. Treatment is usually successful and requires removal of the foreign body as well as antifungal therapy. Among immunocompromised patients, mainly patients with haematological malignancies, Fusarium spp. are the second most common pathogenic mould. Risk factors for disseminated fusariosis include severe immunosuppression (neutropenia, lymphopenia, graft-versus-host disease, corticosteroids), colonisation, tissue damage, and receipt of a graft from an HLA-mismatched or unrelated donor. Clinical presentation includes refractory fever (> 90%), skin lesions and sino-pulmonary infections ( approximately 75%). Type of skin lesions includes ecthyma-like, target, and multiple subcutaneous nodules. Skin lesions lead to diagnosis in > 50% of patients and precede fungemia by approximately 5 days. In contrast to disseminated aspergillosis, disseminated fusariosis can be diagnosed by blood cultures in 40% of patients. Histopathology reveals hyaline acute-branching septate hyphae similar to those found in aspergillosis. Mortality from fusarial infections in immunocompromised patients ranges from 50% to 80%. Host immune status is the single most important factor predicting outcome. Persistent neutropenia and corticosteroid therapy significantly affect survival. Optimal treatment has not been established. Anecdotal successes have been reported with various agents (high-dose amphotericin B, lipid-based amphotericin B formulations, itraconazole, voriconazole) and with cytokine-stimulated granulocyte transfusions. Preventing fusariosis relies on detection and treatment of cutaneous damage prior to commencing immunosuppression and decreasing environmental exposure to Fusaria (via air and water).

Fusarium↗

Pseudomonas septicemia with nodules and bullae.

We examined a patient with systemic lupus erythematosus and sepsis due to Pseudomonas aeruginosa. Early in the infection, she developed skin lesions that consisted of indurated tender nodules and hemorrhagic and nonhemorrhagic bullae. Blister fluid contained gram-negative rods, which were identified as P. aeruginosa on culture. Bullae and nodules, as well as ecthyma gangrenosum, can be early cutaneous signs of pseudomonal sepsis.

Child↗

Pseudomonas septicaemia in apparently healthy children.

Among 27 cases of Pseudomonas septicaemia in the Department of Paediatrics of Queen Mary Hospital from 1981 to 1988, we have identified 10 children without known predisposing causes before presentation and report their clinical features. Six were infants, of whom 4 developed shock on admission and died. Ecthyma gangrenosum was present in 4 patients. Pseudomonas aeruginosa was isolated in 8 patients. All isolates, except Ps. cepacia, were sensitive to gentamicin. One patient had cyclical neutropenia. Another had an appendicular abscess. Salmonella was cultured from the stool in one patient. Although Pseudomonas septicaemia is normally considered to be associated with underlying immunodeficiency, in 22% it occurred in previously healthy children. Mortality is high especially in infants who develop septicaemic shock. It is advisable to cover for Pseudomonas septicaemia with aminoglycosides or ceftazidime in sick septic infants.

Carrier State↗

A review of mutual transmission of important infectious diseases between livestock and wildlife in Europe.

Oral vaccination of red foxes against rabies has been practiced in Europe since 1978 and has succeeded in greatly reducing the occurrence of this disease in foxes: this is an example of coordinated activity against a disease that affects both wild and domestic animals as well as humans. Some examples of diseases that affect both domestic and wild animals in Europe are: classical swine fever (hog cholera) in wild boars and domestic swine; myxomatosis and rabbit hemorrhagic disease in domestic and wild rabbits; bovine viral diarrhea (BVD) in cattle and roe deer; contagious ecthyma in domestic sheep and goats and also in, e.g., chamois, muskox, and reindeer; Mycobacterium bovis in cattle, wild boars, badgers, and deer; and brucellosis in a broad range of livestock and wildlife in all European countries. In addition, serological surveys performed in different free-ranging ungulate species revealed the presence of alphaherpesviruses related to bovine herpesvirus-1 in 7 European countries; and a study of malignant catarrhal fever in deer in Germany might indicate that in this case sheep are the main reservoir species. Although many data on infectious diseases are available in various European countries, there is more need for systematic surveillance and coordinated research.

Animals↗

[Pseudomonas aeruginosa bacteremia associated with hematologic disorders [I]. Predisposing factors and clinical manifestations].

We experienced 57 episodes of Pseudomonas aeruginosa bacteremia in 55 patients with hematologic disorders in a 16-year period. Ninety-five percent of the patients had hematologic malignancies such as acute leukemia. All but one patient received cytotoxic or immunosuppressive therapy at or prior to the onset of bacteremia. Seventy-seven percent of the episodes occurred during profound granulocytopenia of below 100/mm3. All the patients acquired their infection in the hospital, and 96% had received antibiotic therapy during the preceding two weeks. Periodontal, anorectal, lower respiratory tract, and urogenital infections were the sources of bacteremia in about three-quarters of the episodes. Periodontal infection tended to progress to cellulitis of the face or the floor of the mouth, often resulting in bacteremia of the unimicrobial type, while anorectal infection predisposed to abscess formation, frequently leading to bacteremia of the polymicrobial type. Cellulitis at onset was seen in 35% of the episodes. Most sites of infection did not become apparent until one to three days after the onset of fever, probably because of depressed inflammatory response associated with severe granulocytopenia. The majority of patients complained of gastrointestinal symptoms such as nausea and vomiting, abdominal pain, diarrhea, and abdominal fullness at the onset of bacteremia. Major complications included bacteremic shock (63%), impaired consciousness (25%), ecthyma gangrenosum or hemorrhagic gangrenous cellulitis (18%), and jaundice (12%). Furthermore, there were one case each of endocarditis and disseminated intravascular coagulation. It was thus suggested that the clinical picture of P. aeruginosa bacteremia complicating hematologic disorders is influenced by the predisposing conditions associated with the underlying diseases and their treatment.

Acute Disease↗

Activities of acyclic nucleoside phosphonates against Orf virus in human and ovine cell monolayers and organotypic ovine raft cultures.

Orf virus, a member of the Parapoxvirus genus, causes a contagious pustular dermatitis in sheep, goats, and humans. Previous studies have demonstrated the activity of (S)-1-[3-hydroxy-2-(phosphonomethoxy)propyl]cytosine (HPMPC; cidofovir; Vistide) against orf virus in cell culture and humans. We have evaluated a broad range of acyclic nucleoside phosphonates (ANPs) against several orf virus strains in primary lamb keratinocytes (PLKs) and human embryonic lung (HEL) monolayers. HPMPC, (S)-9-[3-hydroxy-2-(phosphonomethoxy)propyl]-2,6- diaminopurine (HPMPDAP), and (R)-9-[3-hydroxy-2-(phosphonomethoxy)propoxy]-2,4-diaminopyrimidine (HPMPO-DAPy) were three of the most active compounds that were subsequently tested in a virus yield assay with PLK and HEL cells by virus titration and DNA quantification. HPMPC, HPMPDAP, and HPMPO-DAPy were evaluated for their activities against orf virus replication in organotypic epithelial raft cultures from differentiated PLK cells. At the highest concentrations (50 and 20 microg/ml), full protection was provided by the three drugs, while at 5 microg/ml, only HPMPDAP and HPMPC offered partial protection. The activities of the three compounds in the raft culture system were confirmed by quantification of infectious virus and viral DNA. These findings provide a rationale for the use of HPMPC and other ANPs in the treatment of orf (contagious ecthyma) in humans and animals.

Adenine↗

Vaccinia virus inhibitors as a paradigm for the chemotherapy of poxvirus infections.

Poxviruses continue to pose a major threat to human health. Monkeypox is endemic in central Africa, and the discontinuation of the vaccination (with vaccinia virus) has rendered most humans vulnerable to variola virus, the etiologic agent of smallpox, should this virus be used in biological warfare or terrorism. However, a large variety of compounds have been described that are potent inhibitors of vaccinia virus replication and could be expected to be active against other poxviruses as well. These compounds could be grouped in different classes: (i) IMP dehydrogenase inhibitors (e.g., EICAR); (ii) SAH hydrolase inhibitors (e.g., 5'-noraristeromycin, 3-deazaneplanocin A, and various neplanocin A derivatives); (iii) OMP decarboxylase inhibitors (e.g., pyrazofurin) and CTP synthetase inhibitors (e.g., cyclopentenyl cytosine); (iv) thymidylate synthase inhibitors (e.g., 5-substituted 2'-deoxyuridines); (v) nucleoside analogues that are targeted at viral DNA synthesis (e.g., Ara-A); (vi) acyclic nucleoside phosphonates [e.g., (S)-HPMPA and (S)-HPMPC (cidofovir)]; and (vii) polyanionic substances (e.g., polyacrylic acid). All these compounds could be considered potential candidate drugs for the therapy and prophylaxis of poxvirus infections at large. Some of these compounds, in particular polyacrylic acid and cidofovir, were found to generate, on single-dose administration, a long-lasting protective efficacy against vaccinia virus infection in vivo. Cidofovir, which has been approved for the treatment of cytomegalovirus retinitis in immunocompromised patients, was also found to protect mice, again when given as a single dose, against a lethal aerosolized or intranasal cowpox virus challenge. In a biological warfare scenario, it would be advantageous to be able to use a single treatment for an individual exposed to an aerosolized poxvirus. Cidofovir thus holds great promise for treating human smallpox, monkeypox, and other poxvirus infections. Anecdotal experience points to the efficacy of cidofovir in the treatment of the poxvirus infections molluscum contagiosum and orf (ecthyma contagiosum) in immunosuppressed patients.

Antiviral Agents↗