Nucleotide sequences surrounding the trans-spliced leader SL1 exon in the 5S rRNA gene spacer regions of Dirofilaria immitis, Brugia malayi, and B. pahangi were determined after PCR amplification, aligned with the genus Onchocerca for comparison, and used for the prediction of secondary structures. The nucleotide sequence of this region in B. pahangi was first shown in the present study. Hypoth...

A simple, rapid, and high-throughput method for detection and identification of Wuchereria bancrofti, Brugia malayi, Brugia pahangi, and Dirofilaria immitis in mosquito vectors and blood samples was developed using a real-time PCR combined with high-resolution melting (HRM) analysis. Amplicons of the 4 filarial species were generated from 5S rRNA and spliced leader sequences by the real-time PC...

The activity of amphotericin B methyl ester was compared with that of amphotericin B, using Candida albicans (34 isolates), Torulopsis glabrata (12 isolates), Filobasidiella neoformans (stat. conid. Cryptococcus neoformans) (14 isolates), and Coccidioides immitis (37 isolates) and tube dilution in a totally synthetic, completely defined medium (SAAMF) with inocula of 10(4) colony-forming units ...

A five-year-old, entire female mixed-breed dog was presented with corneal oedema and episcleral hyperaemia in the left eye. The ophthalmological examination revealed the presence of a free-swimming nematode in the anterior chamber. Circulating microfilariae were not observed by a modified Knott test nor were adult antigens detected in serum by a commercial ELISA. The parasite was surgically rem...

Breslau, Abraham M. (Veterans Administration Center and University of California Los Angeles Center for the Health Sciences, Los Angeles, Calif.), and Mike Y. Kubota. Continuous in vitro cultivation of spherules of Coccidioides immitis. J. Bacteriol. 87:468-472. 1964.-Spherules of Coccidioides immitis were grown in vitro in continuous culture for more than 4 years. Cultures were grown in modifi...

Next-generation sequencing enables use of whole-genome sequence typing (WGST) as a viable and discriminatory tool for genotyping and molecular epidemiologic analysis. We used WGST to confirm the linkage of a cluster of Coccidioides immitis isolates from 3 patients who received organ transplants from a single donor who later had positive test results for coccidioidomycosis. Isolates from the 3 p...

Coccidiodal meningitis is a devastating complication of disseminated coccidioidomycosis. An animal model of this infection could enhance understanding of the pathogenesis of the disease and lead to improvements in therapy. A rabbit model of central nervous system infection simulating human disease was established using a blind cisternal tap technique to inoculate 4 x 10(3)-1 x 10(6) arthroconid...

During the past 20 years, a general picture of the genetic diversity and population structure of Coccidioides, the causal agent of coccidioidomycosis (Valley fever), has emerged. The genus consists of 2 genetically diverse species, C. immitis and C. posadasii, each of which contains 1 or more distinct populations with limited gene flow. Genotypic data indicate that C. immitis is divided into 2 ...

This review investigates ancient infectious diseases in the Americas dated to the pre-colonial period and considers what these findings can tell us about the history of the indigenous peoples of the Americas. It gives an overview, but focuses on four microbial pathogens from this period: Helicobacter pylori, Mycobacterium tuberculosis, Trypanosoma cruzi and Coccidioides immitis, which cause sto...

A survey on 87 dogs necropsied in the Townsville region revealed 34 (39%) were infected with Dirofilaria immitis. Infected dogs had an average of 6.1 adult worms in the heart and associated blood vessels. The VetRED assay detected 23 of the 34 infected dogs (sensitivity 65%) and the Og4C3 ELISA detected 27 (sensitivity 80%). Sensitivity of the VetRED and Og4C3 ELISA increased to 88 and 94% resp...