We used whole-genome sequence typing (WGST) to investigate an outbreak of Sarocladium kiliense bloodstream infections (BSI) associated with receipt of contaminated antinausea medication among oncology patients in Colombia and Chile during 2013-2014. Twenty-five outbreak isolates (18 from patients and 7 from medication vials) and 11 control isolates unrelated to this outbreak were subjected to W...

Denmark faced an outbreak of verocytotoxin-producing E. coli (VTEC) O157:H7 infections in autumn 2012. Thirteen cases were diagnosed of which eight had haemolytic uraemic syndrome (HUS). Epidemiological investigations suggested ground beef as the vehicle of the outbreak. The outbreak strain had a rare toxin gene subtype profile: eae, vtx1a and vtx2a, and a high proportion of HUS (62%) among cas...

Locally manufactured sodium hypochlorite (chlorine) solution has been sold in Zimbabwe since 2010. During October 1, 2011-April 30, 2012, 4,181 suspected and 52 confirmed cases of typhoid fever were identified in Harare. In response to this outbreak, chlorine tablets were distributed. To evaluate household water treatment uptake, we conducted a survey and water quality testing in 458 randomly s...

This case study was written based on events of an outbreak investigation of an unfamiliar disease in Ethiopia during October-December 2012. Ethiopia did not have reports of similar cases in the 50 years prior to this outbreak. In this case study, we recapitulate and analyse this outbreak investigation based on data gathered from the community, health facility, and laboratory systems. It can be ...

This case study is based on a real-life outbreak investigation undertaken in Mozambique in 1981. This case study describes and promotes one particular approach to unknown disease outbreak investigation. Investigational procedures, however, may vary depending on location and outbreak. It is anticipated that the epidemiologist investigating an unknown disease outbreak will work within the framewo...

Widespread tree mortality caused by outbreaks of native bark beetles (Circulionidae: Scolytinae) in recent decades has raised concern among scientists and forest managers about whether beetle outbreaks fuel more ecologically severe forest fires and impair postfire resilience. To investigate this question, we collected extensive field data following multiple fires that burned subalpine forests i...

Smallpox was eradicated in the 1970s, but new outbreaks could be seeded by bioterrorism or accidental release. Substantial vaccine-induced morbidity and mortality make pre-emptive mass vaccination controversial, and if vaccination is voluntary, then there is a conflict between self- and group interests. This conflict can be framed as a tragedy of the commons, in which herd immunity plays the ro...

Epidemiological findings of a listeriosis outbreak in 2013 implicated Hispanic-style cheese produced by Company A, and pulsed-field gel electrophoresis (PFGE) and whole genome sequencing (WGS) were performed on clinical isolates and representative isolates collected from Company A cheese and environmental samples during the investigation. The results strengthened the evidence for cheese as the ...

most highly pathogenic avian influenza viruses (aiv) emerge after field passage of non-pathogenic aivs in birds. the outbreak of low-pathogenic h7n1 avian influenza virus in italy during 1999-2000 followed by outbreak of highly pathogenic h7n1 avian influenza virus is one example in this regard. this experiment has been designed to investigate the effect of pre-infection of birds with lpai on s...