Bacteria play an important role in water purification in drinking water treatment systems. On one hand, bacteria present in the untreated water may help in its purification through biodegradation of the contaminants. On the other hand, some bacteria may be human pathogens and pose a threat to consumers. The present study investigated bacterial communities using Illumina MiSeq sequencing of 16S ...

Two of the better characterized antimicrobial mechanisms displayed by human neutrophils are the reactive oxygen species (ROS) production and the induction of apoptosis. Their importance in mycobacterial infections is, however, controversial and we aimed to analyze them simultaneously in neutrophils infected with either Mycobacterium tuberculosis or the non-pathogenic M. gordonae. Neither specie...

Background. Empyema necessitans, a rare complication of pleural effusion, could result in significant morbidity and mortality in children. It is characterized by the dissection of pus through the soft tissues and the skin of the chest wall. Mycobacterium tuberculosis and Actinomyces israelii are common causes but Gram negative bacilli could be a rare cause. However, there were challenges in dif...

With fluorescently labeled PNA (peptide nucleic acid) probes targeting 16S rRNA, we established a 3-h fluorescence in situ hybridization (FISH) procedure for specific visualization of members of the Mycobacterium tuberculosis complex, M. leprae, M. avium, and M. kansasii. Probe specificity was tested against a panel of 25 Mycobacterium spp. and 10 gram-positive organisms. After validation, prob...

Cattle are infected by a community of endemic pathogens with different epidemiological properties that invoke different managerial and governmental responses. We present characteristics of pathogens that influence their ability to persist in the UK, and describe a qualitative framework of factors that influence the political response to a livestock disease. We develop simple transmission models...

Recent in vitro studies have revealed that a certain Mycobacterium can survive and multiply within free-living amoebae. It is believed that protozoans function as host cells for the intracellular replication and evasion of Mycobacterium spp. under harmful conditions. In this study, we describe the isolation and characterization of a bacterium naturally observed within an amoeba isolate acquired...

Zoonotic pathogens in land-applied dairy wastewaters are a potential health risk. The occurrence and abundance of 10 pathogens and 3 fecal indicators were determined by quantitative real-time PCR (qPCR) in samples from 30 dairy wastewaters from southern Idaho. Samples tested positive for Campylobacter jejuni, stx(1)- and eaeA-positive Escherichia coli, Listeria monocytogenes, Mycobacterium aviu...

Erythromycin and related macrolide antibiotics have recently enjoyed a resurgence of clinical interest. This is a result of activity against organisms which are becoming more prevalent, particularly in immunocompromised hosts and, in addition, better understanding of the unique tissue penetration properties and potential immunomodulating properties of macrolides. Other features of clinical inte...

Legionella spp. and Mycobacterium avium complex (MAC) are opportunistic pathogens of public health concern. Hot water systems, including showers, have been identified as a potential source of infection. This paper describes the colonization of Legionella and MAC on the flexible tubing within a model potable shower system, utilizing thermostatic mixing and a flexible shower head. A MAC qPCR meth...