Publications

[the phosphatase activity in representatives of the genus francisella].	the comparative study of phosphatase activity in the representatives of the genus francisella--f. tularensis, f. novicida, f. novicida-like, f. philomiragia--revealed that all the bacteria under study synthesized acidic phosphatase. the study also revealed that strains of the central asian subspecies possessed the highest enzymatic activity, while holarctic strains either produced no phosphatase at all, or produced less active phosphatase. bacteria belonging to nonarctic f. tularensis subspecies ...	1998	9532678
expansion of vgamma9 vdelta2 t cells is triggered by francisella tularensis-derived phosphoantigens in tularemia but not after tularemia vaccination.	tularemia is a disease caused by the facultative intracellular bacterium francisella tularensis. here we demonstrate that during the first weeks of infection, a significant increase in levels of vgamma9 vdelta2 cells occurred in peripheral blood: in 13 patients analyzed 7 to 18 days after the onset of disease, these lymphocytes represented, on average, 30.5% of cd3+ cells and nearly 100% of gammadelta+ t cells. by contrast, after vaccination with the live vaccine strain (lvs) of f. tularensis, o ...	1998	9573096
the efficacy of ciprofloxacin and doxycycline against experimental tularaemia.	the efficacy of doxycycline and ciprofloxacin against an experimental tularaemia infection was assessed by comparing the median lethal dose (mld) of francisella tularensis schu4 biotype a strain given intraperitoneally to antibiotic-treated and untreated mice. in untreated porton outbred mice this was <1 cfu. ciprofloxacin and doxycycline given at 40 mg/kg bd, initiated 48 h before infection and continued for 5 days after infection, afforded protection against intraperitoneal challenges of 3.7 x ...	1998	9598777
tularemic meningitis.		1998	9613668
recurrent francisella philomiragia sepsis in chronic granulomatous disease.		1998	9613671
nonspecific early protective immunity in francisella and listeria infections can be dependent on lymphocytes.	normal mice, but not lymphocyte-deficient or b-cell-deficient mice, given a sublethal infection of francisella tularensis lvs survive a secondary lethal challenge of more than 10,000 50% lethal doses given 3 days later. in this work, we show that similar early protection that is also strongly lymphocyte dependent operates in listeria monocytogenes infection. since sublethal infection with either lvs or l. monocytogenes protects against heterologous lethal challenge, this early protection is nons ...	1998	9632626
tularemia in a common marmoset (callithrix jacchus) diagnosed by 16s rrna sequencing.	we report a case of tularemia in a common marmoset (callithrix jacchus) diagnosed by determination of the isolate's 16s ribosomal rna (rrna) gene sequence. pathological examination of the animal revealed a multifocal acute necrotizing hepatitis, interstitial nephritis, splenitis, and lymphangitis of the mandibular, retropharyngeal, and cervical and mesenteric lymph nodes. moreover, multiple foci of acute necrosis were found in the epithelium of the jejunum and the interstitium of the lung. bacte ...	1998	9646473
[characterization of the recombinant strain francisella tularensis r1a].	for the first time f.tularensis recombinant strain r1a, obtained by the transfer of genes responsible for virulence in f.tularensis strain b 399 a-cole into recipient cells of the r-form, was studied. strain r1a was characterized by morphological, tinctorial and biochemical properties, similar to those of f.tularensis virulent strains, and became resistant to the bactericidal action of animal sera, as well as heat resistant (tr42). the results of animal experiments revealed that strain r1a prove ...	1998	9700870
mgla and mglb are required for the intramacrophage growth of francisella novicida.	francisella novicida is a facultative intracellular pathogen capable of growing in macrophages. a spontaneous mutant of f. novicida defective for growth in macrophages was isolated on lb media containing the chromogenic phosphatase substrate 5-bromo-4-chloro-3-indolyl phosphate (x-p) and designated gb2. using an in cis complementation strategy, four strains were isolated that are restored for growth in macrophages. a locus isolated from one of these strains complements gb2 for both the intracell ...	1998	9701818
isolation of francisella tularensis by centrifugation of shell vial cell culture from an inoculation eschar.	a 52-year-old man was admitted to the hospital following the development of an inoculation eschar and fever six days after being bitten by a tick. he was clinically diagnosed as suffering from rickettsiosis. eschar biopsy cultures on standard bacteriological media remained sterile. however, inoculation of cells with the homogenized specimen by the centrifugation-shell vial technique (m. marrero and d. raoult, am. j. trop. med. hyg. 40:197-199, 1989) resulted in the recovery of a bacterium. deter ...	1998	9705439
seroprevalence of selected disease agents from free-ranging black bears in florida.	sera obtained from 66 free-ranging florida black bears (ursus americanus floridanus) from three geographic areas of florida (usa) between november 1993 and august 1995 were tested for antibodies to 13 disease agents. antibody prevalences were 3 positive of 37 tested (8%) coxiella burnetti, 37 of 66 (56%) toxoplasma gondii, 3 of 61 (5%) bluetongue virus/epizootic hemorrhagic disease virus (btv/ehdv), 4 of 66 (6%) canine adenovirus-type 1, 5 of 66 (8%) canine distemper virus (cdv), 10 of 62 (16%) ...	1998	9706572
[tularemia, "volume" two].	as a continuation of libich's monograph (tularemie. prague, avicenum 1981) the author presents findings assembled in experiments pertaining to postinfectious immunity on a model of intracellular infection with the microorganism francisella tularensis.	1998	9748768
[characterization of structure and antigenic activity of lipopolysaccharides of genus francisella].	wild-type representatives of francisella genus (f. tularensis, f. novicida, f. novicida-like, and f. philomiragia) produce s-type lipopolysaccharides (lps) possessing different antigenic activity and common antigenic determinants in the core oligosaccharide. electrophoretic analysis showed that f. philomiragia produced s-lps containing two major molecular components with minor fractions between them, whereas s-lps of f. tularensis, f. novicida, and f. novicida-like are characterized by the typic ...	1998	9819824
[database on nucleotide sequences used as primers of microorganisms].	the data base (db) "primers of microorganisms" for the accumulation and systematization of information on oligonucleotide sequences, used as primers in polymerase chain reaction, has been created. this db includes data on primers for the laboratory diagnostics of 20 bacterial genera (aerococcus, aeromonas, bartonella, borrelia, burkholderia, chlamydia, clostridium, corynebacterium, escherichia, francisella, helicobacter, legionella, listeria, mycobacterium, mycoplasma, salmonella, shigella, stap ...	1998	9825498
identification of a 71-kilodalton surface-associated hsp70 homologue in coxiella burnetii.	a coxiella burnetii hsp70 homologue was identified by using an acid activation in vitro system in which protein synthesis has been followed by [35s]methionine labeling, autoradiography, and immunoblotting. the protein was one of those predominantly labeled, and the immunoblots revealed that it was recognized by anti-dnak antibodies. the corresponding gene was isolated, and its nucleotide sequence was determined and analyzed. a single open reading frame (orf) with a size of 1,968 bp was identifie ...	1998	9826369
serological survey of selected canine viral pathogens and zoonoses in grizzly bears (ursus arctos horribilis) and black bears (ursus americanus) from alaska.	between 1988 and 1991, 644 serum samples were collected from 480 grizzly bears (ursus arctos horribilis) and 40 black bears (ursus americanus) from alaska, united states of america, and were tested for selected canine viral infections and zoonoses. antibody prevalence in grizzly bears was 0% for parvovirus, 8.3% (40/480) for distemper, 14% (68/480) for infectious hepatitis, 16.5% (79/480) for brucellosis, 19% (93/480) for tularaemia and 47% (225/478) for trichinellosis. in black bears, prevalenc ...	1998	9850547
first isolation of francisella tularensis subsp. tularensis in europe.	francisella tularensis subsp. tularensis is the common causal agent of tularemia in the usa and canada, while f. tularensis subsp. palaearctica (holarctica) occurs in europe, asia, and to a minor extent in north america. f. tularensis subsp. mediaasiatica was found only in central asia in a part of the former soviet union. of the total of 155 f. tularensis strains isolated over the years 1978-1996 during the surveillance of tularemia in slovakia, 65 were from small mammals, 68 from ticks and 22 ...	1998	9928875
[preliminary report of an epidemic tularemia outbreak in valladolid].	we make here a preliminary report of the first 65 cases of tularemia diagnosed at our hospital pertaining to an epidemic outbreak occurred in the area served by the hospital. diagnosis was made by the presence of a consistent clinical picture and the following laboratory criteria: antibody titre to. francisella tularensis (tube agglutination) higher than or equal to 1/160, seroconversion or recovery of the microorganism from biological material. the mean age of our patients was 53.8 +/- 13.5 yea ...	1998	9929997
[tularemia: report of 16 cases in the castilla-leon community].	to report the clinico-epidemiological characteristics of 16 patients with the diagnosis of tularemia.	1998	9929998
tularemia in two cats.	tularemia was diagnosed in 2 cats that were examined because of pyrexia and lethargy; both cats had a history of exposure to wild rabbits. one cat was vomiting, and the other was anorectic. physical examination revealed dehydration, lymphadenopathy, and hepatomegaly. hematologic and serum biochemical abnormalities included toxic neutrophils, high band neutrophil count, thrombocytopenia, and hyperbilirubinemia. diagnosis was confirmed by isolating francisella tularensis subsp tularensis from bone ...	1998	9426784
francisella tularensis in dermacentor reticulatus ticks from the czech republic and austria.	host-seeking adult dermacentor reticulatus ticks were examined for the prevalence of francisella tularensis in an active natural focus of tularemia along the lower reaches of the dyje (thaya) river in south moravia (czech republic) and adjacent lower austria, in four localities of the flood plain forest-meadow ecosystem during the spring of 1996. the ticks were pooled (10 male or female ticks per group) and inoculated subcutaneously in 4-week-old spf mice. dead mice were sectioned, the spleens w ...	1998	10048175
infection-activated t lymphocytes resist nitric oxide-mediated immunosuppression in the course of francisella tularensis 15l experimental infection.	study of the inhibition of splenocyte proliferation stimulated by concanavalin a (con a), induced by francisella tularensis 15l infection, showed that immunosuppression is mediated by nitric oxide (no). a certain fraction of cells, however, resist the antiproliferative activities of no and these were characterized as thy-1.2 positive infection-activated t lymphocytes. the importance of this phenomenon for the development of specific anti-infectious immunity was studied further in naturally resis ...	1998	10730862
[monitoring of life-threatening infection pathogens in relation to the problem of prediction of critical situations].	the epidemic situation in the context of many infectious diseases caused by bacteria is presently assessed as being poor in russia and other countries. the spectrum of the pathogens that can deteriorate epidemic well-being is highly wide. the epidemic situation in terms of many infectious diseases, including those caused by such causative agents as bacillus anthracis, vibrio cholerae, yersinia pestis, francisella tularensis and others may deteriorate due to the emergence of their modified forms ...	1999	10709458
[pcse4 plasmid for cloning of promoter-containing dna fragments in francisella tularensis].	recombinant pcse4 plasmid has been constructed, which contains the cat gene of the tn9 without its own promoter and with the restriction bamh1 site in front of the shine-delgarno region of this gene. pcse4 is consistently inherited in the cells of f. tularensis and e. coli and makes the cells of both microorganisms to be resistant to tetracycline. by cloning the sau3a fragments of f. tularensis chromosomal dna at the bamh1 site of pcse4. promoter-containing dna fragments were selected. the plasm ...	1999	10709464
[physicochemical and antimicrobial properties of chlorine-containing compositions ciaref and dp-1].	the paper presents the results of the physicochemical properties and corrosive activity of the new chlorine-containing compositions ciaref and dp-1. various microbiological, biochemical, and biophysical studies were conducted to examine different aspects of the mechanism of action of ciaref and dp-1 on vegetative (francisella tularensis) and sporal (bacillus turingiensis) microorganisms. suspension, test-surface irrigation, and aerosol techniques were employed under close industrial conditions t ...	1999	10709466
[francisella tularensis: update on microbiological diagnosis after an epidemic outbreak].	francisella tularensis is a facultative intracellular gramnegative aerobic coccobacilli which is difficult to isolate. the appearance of an epidemic outbreak of tularemia in castilla y leon (spain) during the first months of 1998 led bur microbiology laboratory to develop the diagnostic methods of this disease which, up to then, were unknown by the authors.	1999	10614080
[the effect of tularemia live vaccine on contrasuppression of lymphocytes in patients with cancer of the corpus uteri during combined therapy and long term].	a significant decrease in the percentage of women showing contrasuppression of blood lymphocytes, as compared with control, was identified (p < 0.1); it was particularly low at terminal stages (iii-iv). surgery and subsequent radiotherapy were followed by further inhibition, particularly in terminally-ill patients. two or three years after treatment, the numbers of patients in all stage groups showing contrasuppression increased, reaching the initial, i.e. lower than normal, levels. however, con ...	1999	10629711
production of stress-inducible form of heat-shock protein 70 in mouse peritoneal adherent cells after in vivo infection by francisella tularensis.	heat-shock proteins (hsp) are ubiquitously produced molecules which participate in the protection of cells from environmental perturbation. moreover, the members of the heat-shock protein 60 (hsp60) and 70 (hsp70) families play an important role in pathogen-host interactions. we studied in vivo production of the 70-kda heat-shock proteins in the extract of peritoneal exudate cells (pec) from mice injected intraperitoneally with an attenuated vaccine strain (lvs) of francisella tularensis. we fou ...	1999	10664887
rapid local expression of interleukin-12, tumor necrosis factor alpha, and gamma interferon after cutaneous francisella tularensis infection in tularemia-immune mice.	francisella tularensis lvs is an effective live vaccine strain used for cutaneous vaccination against tularemia in man. in mice, injection of lvs causes invasive disease and subsequent development of immunity that is characterized by effective control of otherwise lethal doses of the organism. in the present investigation, it is shown that lvs-immune mice controlled an intradermal infection much more effectively than did naive mice; bacterial counts in skin samples were 1.5 to 2.0 log10 lower 24 ...	1999	10085019
[francisella pneumonia].		1999	10088423
an erythromycin resistance cassette and mini-transposon for constructing transcriptional fusions to cat.	a new cassette (er-cm cassette) and mini-transposon (mtn) (tnmaxercm) based on the previously described mtn, tnmax2 [haas et al., gene 130, 23-31.], have been constructed. the cassette and mtn make use of an erythromycin resistance (err) marker encoded by ermc'. both the er-cm cassette and tnmaxercm also carry a promoterless cat gene to allow the construction of transcriptional fusions and the measurement of transcriptional activity by assaying for chloramphenicol acetyltransferase. we show the ...	1999	10095104
tularemia: a case transmitted from a sheep.	tularemia is an arthropod-borne infectious disease caused by francisella tularensis, a gram-negative microorganism that normally resides in a wide range of wild and domestic animals. the disease is characterized by a sudden onset with high fever, headache, malaise, chills, myalgia, and arthralgia. a short time after exposure, an inflamed and ulcerated lesion rapidly appears at the site of entry. a regional lymphadenopathy follows the cutaneous presentation. cultures from the lesions or blood gen ...	1999	10328679
[the efficacy and outlook for the study of live vaccines for the prevention of melioidosis].	the effect of immunization with burkholderia pseudomallei, (pur- and ts), heterologous vaccines and the recombinant culture of francisella tularensis rm2, carrying a plasmid with fragments of b. pseudomallei chromosome, was studied on four species of experimental animals, essentially differing by their sensitivity to melioidosis. b. pseudomallei mutants formed the statistically significant level of protection in subcutaneously challenged animals, moderately sensitive to melioidosis, but were not ...	1999	10356737
[49 year-old woman with cutaneous lesion, hypoxemia and pulmonary mass].		1999	10396090
the respiratory burst-inhibiting acid phosphatase acpa is not essential for the intramacrophage growth or virulence of francisella novicida.	acid phosphatases capable of inhibiting the respiratory burst of neutrophils have been identified in certain intracellular pathogens. here we evaluate the role of acpa, a respiratory burst-inhibiting acid phosphatase of francisella, in the virulence and intracellular growth of this organism. an f. novicida acpa null mutant was created and found to exhibit wild-type growth kinetics in both cell-line and inflammatory mouse macrophages. the acpa mutant also shows wild-type replication in the spleen ...	1999	10418134
[tularemia: considerations on a new case in the monte amiata].	one sporadic case of tularemia induced by direct contact with an infected hare is described. human epidemiological data of the last ten years in tuscany, emphasize that this infection, although at low incidence, shows the presence and persistence of francisella tularensis in the animals and the ensuing transmission to humans so that it continues to be responsible for significant morbididy in "at risk" territories. difficulties in the differential diagnosis, above all for glandular and pharyngeal ...	1999	10432958
the effects of electron and chemical ionization modes on the ms profiling of whole bacteria.	free fatty acid profiling of whole bacteria [francisella tularensis, brucella melitensis, yersinia pestis, bacillus anthracis (vegetative and sporulated), and bacillus cereus] was carried out with direct probe mass spectrometry under 70-ev electron ionization (ei) and isobutane chemical ionization in both the positive (ci+) and negative modes (ci-). electron ionization produced spectra that contained molecular ions and fragment ions from various free fatty acids. spectra acquired with isobutane ...	1999	10439512
tularemia--an unusual cause of a solitary pulmonary nodule in the post-transplant setting.	we report a case of tularemia presenting as a solitary pulmonary nodule following syngeneic pbsc transplant. seven months after undergoing a syngeneic pbsc transplant for aml, our patient presented with fever without localizing signs. chest x-ray revealed a solitary pulmonary nodule. culture of a ct guided needle aspiration revealed francisella tularensis. the patient was successfully treated with ciprofloxacin. his fever resolved and clearance of the nodule was documented on a ct scan 2 months ...	1999	10455349
[immunostimulating activity of vaccines in the treatment of recurrent urinary tract infections. i].	the authors inform about the immunomodulatory properties of the vaccine urvakol aimed for the treatment of recidiving urinary infections. the results of immunostimulatory activity of the preparation and its effects on cellular and humoral immunity in mice following intraperitoneal administration of the vaccine are presented. the vaccine markedly increases cytotoxic activity of adhering peritoneal cells and has protective effects in model infection induced by intracellular pathogen francisella tu ...	1999	10458054
photo quiz. diagnosis: tularemia.		1999	10476724
do homeopathic nosodes protect against infection? an experimental test.	for centuries, homeopathic practitioners have claimed that serially agitated dilutions of infectious agents (called "nosodes") are effective in the prevention of infectious disease. however, no rigorous tests of this claim have been performed.	1999	10484829
[liposomal immunoassay as a method for detecting microorganism antigens and their antibodies].	the paper presents experimental data on the use of the liposomal immunoassay (lia) with a fluorescence marker to detect lipopolysaccharide antigens (lps-ag) of the causative agents of infectious diseases (s. typhimurium, s. typhi, f. tularensis) and antibodies to them in the model systems and human serum. the sensitivity of determination of specific antibodies to lps-ag is shown to be 15-160 times as high as that of rpga and the sensitivity of determination of lps-ag is comparable to that of sol ...	1999	10487122
[aerosol vaccination against dangerous infectious diseases].	the paper summarizes the results of development of the aerosol method, one of the mass ways of human vaccination. analysis of materials suggests that russia has designed highly effective live plague, tularemia, and anthrax vaccines that can be used to immunize in different ways: by epicutaneous and subcutaneous, and inhalation routes. the advantages and disadvantages of aerosol vaccination are shown. the correct use of this method provides a substantial effect when the epidemic situation is comp ...	1999	10487124
repeated administration of synthetic oligodeoxynucleotides expressing cpg motifs provides long-term protection against bacterial infection.	synthetic oligodeoxynucleotides (odn) expressing unmethylated cpg motifs stimulate an innate immune response characterized by the production of polyreactive immunoglobulin m antibodies and immunomodulatory cytokines. this immune response has been shown to protect mice from challenge by listeria monocytogenes and francisella tularensis for up to 2 weeks. by repeatedly administering cpg odn two to four times/month, we found that this protection could be maintained indefinitely. protection was asso ...	1999	10531213
importance of b cells, but not specific antibodies, in primary and secondary protective immunity to the intracellular bacterium francisella tularensis live vaccine strain.	although there appears to be little if any role for specific antibodies in protection against intracellular bacteria, such as the model pathogen f. tularensis live vaccine strain (lvs), the role of b cells themselves in primary and secondary infection with such bacteria has not been examined directly. we show here that mice deficient in mature b cells and antibodies (b-cell knockout mice) are marginally compromised in controlling primary sublethal infection but are 100-fold less well protected a ...	1999	10531260
chronic prosthetic device infection with francisella tularensis.		1999	10585830
treatment of tularemia with fluoroquinolones: two cases and review.	streptomycin, gentamicin, and tetracycline are currently considered the antimicrobials of choice for the treatment of tularemia. preliminary data suggest that quinolones may be effective alternative agents; however, clinical experience is limited, and their role in treating severe disease is uncertain. we recently treated two acutely ill immunocompromised patients who had presumed "atypical" pneumonia with levofloxacin. both patients had an excellent clinical response and were diagnosed with tul ...	1999	10589911
oculoglandular tularemia.		1999	9930180
bacterial dna containing cpg motifs stimulates lymphocyte-dependent protection of mice against lethal infection with intracellular bacteria.	bacterial dna containing unmethylated cpg motifs activates mammalian lymphocytes and macrophages to produce cytokines and polyclonal ig. these include ifn-gamma, il-12, tnf-alpha, and il-6, which are important in the control of intracellular bacterial infection. here, we show that bacterial dna, as well as synthetic oligonucleotides containing cpg motifs, induce protection against large lethal doses of francisella tularensis live vaccine strain (lvs) and listeria monocytogenes. methylation of dn ...	1999	9973506
differentiation of microorganisms based on pyrolysis-ion trap mass spectrometry using chemical ionization.	the ability to differentiate microorganisms using pyrolysision trap mass spectrometry was demonstrated for five gram-negative disease-causing organisms: brucella melitensis, brucella suis, vibrio cholera, yersinia pestis, and francisella tularensis. bacterial profiles were generated for gamma-irradiated bacterial samples using pyrolytic methylation and compared for electron ionization and chemical ionization using several liquid reagents with increasing proton affinities. electron ionization com ...	1999	9989380
[the outlook for the development of live vaccines for the prevention of melioidosis].	the effectiveness of immunization with burkholderia pseudomallei attenuated strains (pur and ts), heterologous vaccines and the recombinant culture of francisella tularensis rm2 carrying a plasmid with fragments of b. pseudomallei chromosome was studied in four species of experimental animals, essentially differing in their sensitivity to melioidosis. the most immunogenic b. pseudomallei mutants, introduced subcutaneously, created a statistically significant level of protection in animals, moder ...	1999	10851991
[the immunomodulating and antitoxic properties of preparations of lipopolysaccharides from representatives of the genus francisella].	the study of the biological properties of lipopolysaccharides (lps) of bacteria of the genus francisella (f. tularensis, f. novicida, f. novicida-like, f. philomiragia) revealed that the preparation of francisella lps possessed immunomodulating and antitoxic properties in the absence of toxicity. at the same time the structure of lps (s or r) was found to produce an essential effect of the immunobiological activity of this molecule. thus, the s-forms of lps proved to be more effective as immunom ...	1999	10852051
[immunostimulatory activity of the vaccine used in the treatment of recurrent urinary infections. ii].	the authors describe on the immunostimulatory properties of the vaccine urvakol aimed for the treatment of recurrent urinary infections. detection of immunostimulatory activity of the preparation and its effects on the humoral and cellular immunity were performed after oral administration of the preparation. important was the evidence of nonspecific immunity of mice against intracellular pathogen francisella tularensis induced with urvakol strain 15l. (tab. 4, fig. 1, ref. 8.)	1999	10914146
in vitro antibiotic susceptibility of francisella tularensis isolated from humans and animals.	the in vitro susceptibility of 38 strains of francisella tularensis (biovar f. tularensis palaearctica) was determined using etests on cysteine heart agar plates with 2% haemoglobin. all strains were susceptible to the antibiotics traditionally used to treat tularaemia, such as streptomycin (mic(90) 4.0 mg/l), tetracycline (mic(90) 0.38 mg/l) and chloramphenicol (mic(90) 0.38 mg/l), and to aminoglycosides, such as tobramycin (mic(90) 1.5 mg/l) and gentamicin (mic(90) 1.0 mg/l). the quinolones ex ...	2000	10933655
immunostimulatory dna sequences help to eradicate intracellular pathogens.		2000	10944809
activation of the innate immune system by cpg oligodeoxynucleotides: immunoprotective activity and safety.		2000	10944812
multi-analyte interrogation using the fiber optic biosensor.	the capabilities of the portable, automated fiber optic biosensor, raptor, have recently been evaluated. developed to perform rapid fluoroimmunoassays in the field, the raptor was designed to test samples for up to four different target analytes simultaneously. assay time could be varied from a 3-min rapid screen to a standard 10-min test. a trial of 203 blind samples tested for staphylococcal enterotoxin b, ricin, francisella tularensis, and bacillus globigii has been conducted. sensitivities o ...	2000	10945451
the development of immunoassays to four biological threat agents in a bidiffractive grating biosensor.	a critical need exists for a field deployable biosensor to detect environmental infectious agents in collected air samples rapidly, with sensitivity and specificity approaching that of standard laboratory procedures. the ideal sensor would analyze unknown samples in minutes, have programmable operation for unattended sample analysis, and be capable of multiple agent analysis for a number of agents. the goal of this project was to further the development of the bidiffractive grating biosensor (bd ...	2000	10945456
swiss army survey in switzerland to determine the prevalence of francisella tularensis, members of the ehrlichia phagocytophila genogroup, borrelia burgdorferi sensu lato, and tick-borne encephalitis virus in ticks.	a total of 6071 ixodes ricinus ticks were collected on swiss army training grounds in five regions of switzerland. the aim of the survey was to assess the prevalence of ticks infected with the human pathogens francisella tularensis, members of the ehrlichia phagocytophila genogroup, borrelia burgdorferi sensu lato, and the european tick-borne encephalitis virus. taqman pcr (pe biosystems, usa) and taqman rt-pcr (pe biosystems) analyses were performed on dna and rna extracted from pools of ten ti ...	2000	10947217
[species- and genus-specific antigenic epitopes of francisella tularensis lipopolysaccharides].	lipopolysaccharide (lps) antigenic epitopes of natural virulent and isogenic avirulent francisella tularensis strains and other species of the francisella genus (f. novicida, f. novicida-like, and f. philomiragia) were studied by dot and immunoblotting. polyclonal rabbit and human sera to virulent f. tularensis strains and monoclonal antibodies to f. tularensis lps o-side chain were used for detecting species- and genus-specific lps epitopes. typical virulent f. tularensis strains produce two ty ...	2000	10975073
treatment of tularemia with ciprofloxacin.		2000	10987739
sequencing of the francisella tularensis strain schu 4 genome reveals the shikimate and purine metabolic pathways, targets for the construction of a rationally attenuated auxotrophic vaccine.	francisella tularensis is the etiological agent of tularemia, a serious disease in several northern hemisphere countries. the organism has fastidious growth requirements and is very poorly understood at the genetic and molecular levels. given the lack of data on this organism, we undertook the sample sequencing of its genome. a random library of dna fragments from a highly virulent strain (schu 4) of f. tularensis was constructed and the nucleotide sequences of 13,904 cloned fragments were deter ...	2000	11011763
evaluation of pcr-based methods for discrimination of francisella species and subspecies and development of a specific pcr that distinguishes the two major subspecies of francisella tularensis.	previous studies have demonstrated that the four subspecies of the human pathogen francisella tularensis, despite showing marked variations in their virulence for mammals and originating from different regions in the northern hemisphere, display a very close phylogenetic relationship. this property has hampered the development of generally applicable typing methods. to overcome this problem, we evaluated the use of pcr for discrimination of the subspecies using various forms of long arbitrary pr ...	2000	11060087
bactericidal activities of antibiotics against intracellular francisella tularensis.	mics of many antibiotics for francisella tularensis are low in axenic medium, whereas only aminoglycosides, tetracyclines, and fluoroquinolones are useful in treating tularemic patients. in an in vitro cell system, only these antibiotics, rifampin, and telithromycin were bactericidal against intracellular f. tularensis. these results correlate better with clinical data than mic data do.	2000	11083651
serologic survey for selected infectious disease agents in swift and kit foxes from the western united states.	a serologic survey of swift fox (vulpes velox) and kit fox (v. macrotis) from the western usa was conducted for 12 infectious diseases. samples from swift fox were collected between 1987 and 1992 from colorado (n = 44), kansas (n = 10), and wyoming (n = 9). samples from kit fox were collected in california (n = 86), new mexico (n = 18), utah (n = 9), and arizona (n = 6). overall antibody prevalence rates were 33 of 110 (30%) for canine parvovirus (cpv), 9 of 72 (13%) for canine distemper virus ( ...	2000	11085448
chronic meningitis.	treatment of chronic meningitis depends on the underlying cause. once a specific cause has been established, appropriate targeted therapy is initiated. when the cause is unknown, a decision must be made whether to employ empiric therapy while the diagnostic evaluation is ongoing. this decision is based on three factors: 1) the clinical status of the patient; 2) the most likely cause based on demographic, historical, examination, and initial laboratory data; and 3) the risk-to-benefit ratio of th ...	2000	11096763
francisella-like endosymbionts of ticks.		2000	11112376
[the use if francisella tularensis lipopolysaccharide in the dot solid phase enzyme immunoassay].	to determine antitularemia antibodies in the sera of humans and animale, the possibility of using dot immunoassay with the use of f. tularensis lipopolysaccharide (lps) as antigen-containing preparation was ascertained. experiments demonstrated that this method made it possible to determine specific antitularemia antibodies in the sera of sick and immunized humans and animals. investigetions carried out with the use of heterologous antisera to f. novicida, f. novicida-like and f. philomiragia, a ...	2000	11220974
[the ultrastructural characteristics of francisella tularensis interaction with tetrahymena pyriformis].	the electron-microscopic study of the interaction of f. tularensis virulent and attenuated strains with infusoria of the species t. pyriformis was dynamically studied. in this study the structural changes of f. tularensis and t. pyriformis cells, as well as their capacity for survival, were revealed. the data on their ultrastructure correlated with the dynamics of the number of both f. tularensis and t. pyriformis: during the whole term of observation the tendency to a slow decrease in the numbe ...	2000	10876882
field detection of francisella tularensis.	a field investigation was undertaken following an outbreak of water-borne tularemia in northern norway. francisella tularensis bacterial cellular components were analysed by rapid immunochromatography (ri)-testing, enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (elisa) and polymerase chain reaction (pcr). water from 1 reservoir, fed from a rapid stream, tested negative. from another reservoir, 2 of a chain of 3 wells tested negative. the third well, at the end of the chain, contained lemming (lemmus lemmus) ...	2000	10879600
[the chemotherapeutic efficacy of ciprofloxacin and lomefloxacin in the inhalation method of infecting white mice with tularemia].	peculiarities of the protective effect of ciprofloxacin and lomefloxacin were studied and the optimal regimens of their use were determined in multifactor experiments on albino mice infected with finally dispersed aerosol of the virulent strain of the european subspecies of francisella tularensis. as for protective effect, the fluoroquinolones provided high percentage of the animal survival. the optimal course of the treatment was at least 7 days. the interval of 0 to 48 hours between the infect ...	2000	10904804
francisella tularensis endocarditis.		2000	10671352
influence of the bcg locus on natural resistance to primary infection with the facultative intracellular bacterium francisella tularensis in mice.	the implication of the bcg locus in the control of natural resistance to infection with a live vaccine strain (lvs) of the intracellular pathogen francisella tularensis was studied. analysis of phenotypic expression of natural resistance and susceptibility was performed using mouse strains congenic at the bcg locus. comparison of the kinetics of bacterial colonization of spleen showed that b10.a.bcg(r) mice were extremely susceptible during early phases of primary sublethal infection, while thei ...	2000	10678963
comparison of different pcr approaches for typing of francisella tularensis strains.	in this study, we evaluated three pcr methods for epidemiological typing of francisella tularensis: repetitive extragenic palindromic element pcr (rep-pcr), enterobacterial repetitive intergenic consensus sequence pcr (eric-pcr), and random amplified polymorphic dna (rapd) assay with both m13 and t3-t7 primers. the analysis was performed with 40 strains of f. tularensis isolated from hares, humans, ticks, and a vole. on the basis of the combination of rep, eric, and rapd fingerprints, f. tularen ...	2000	10698989
comparative analysis of pcr versus culture for diagnosis of ulceroglandular tularemia.	pcr and culture were comparatively evaluated for their abilities to demonstrate francisella tularensis in wound specimens from tularemia patients during an outbreak in sweden in 1998. for transport of the specimens used for pcr, a buffer solution containing a nuclease inhibitor was used, and for transport of the specimens used for culture, a commercial transport system was selected after experimental comparison of various systems. of 40 patients with culture- and/or serology-verified ulcerogland ...	2000	10618057
detection of francisella tularensis in biological specimens using a capture enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay, an immunochromatographic handheld assay, and a pcr.	the early detection of francisella tularensis, the causative agent of tularemia, is important for adequate treatment by antibiotics and the outcome of the disease. here we describe a new capture enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (celisa) based on monoclonal antibodies specific for lipopolysaccharide (lps) of francisella tularensis subsp. holarctica and francisella tularensis subsp. tularensis. no cross-reactivity with francisella tularensis subsp. novicida, francisella philomiragia, and a panel ...	2000	10618283
detection of selected fastidious bacteria.	the intent of this article is to describe the optimal methods for culture recovery of 7 fastidious bacteria: legionella species, brucella species, francisella tularensis, leptospira species, borrelia burgdorferi, bartonella species, and bordetella species. these organisms share much in common beyond the fact that their genus names all end in the letter "a." culture recovery of these organisms, even from adequate clinical specimens, is logistically demanding, often costly, and lacking in both tim ...	2000	10619747
tularemia presenting with ataxia.		2000	10619760
francisella tularensis does not manifest virulence in viable but non-culturable state.	francisella tularensis is a small gram-negative bacterium that causes tularemia in animals and man. the disease can be transmitted by handling of infected animals, by contaminated dust, by insect vectors, or by drinking contaminated water. in the present study cells of f. tularensis were subjected to extended storage in cold water devoid of carbon sources. total cell counts remained constant throughout a 70-day period and beyond, while plate counts decreased to an undetectable level after 70 day ...	2000	10719202
purified lipopolysaccharide from francisella tularensis live vaccine strain (lvs) induces protective immunity against lvs infection that requires b cells and gamma interferon.	previous results have demonstrated that nonspecific protective immunity against lethal francisella tularensis live vaccine strain (lvs) or listeria monocytogenes infection can be stimulated either by sublethal infection with bacteria or by treatment with bacterial dna given 3 days before lethal challenge. here we characterize the ability of purified lipopolysaccharide (lps) from f. tularensis lvs to stimulate similar early protective immunity. treatment of mice with surprisingly small amounts of ...	2000	10722593
report on five cases of tularaemic pneumonia in a tularaemia outbreak in spain.	a report is given on five cases of atypical tularaemic pneumonia selected from among 140 cases of tularaemic infection in a previously reported outbreak occurring in 1997. prior to this outbreak no human cases of tularaemia had been reported in spain. all cases were diagnosed serologically. all five patients reported on here had a mild form of the disease, which was treated successfully with streptomycin in four cases and ciprofloxacin in one case. tularaemic pneumonia should be considered in th ...	2000	10795596
case records of the massachusetts general hospital. weekly clinicopathological exercises. case 14-2000. a 60-year-old farm worker with bilateral pneumonia.		2000	10805829
[noncultivatable forms of francisella tularensis].	conditions for the appearance of f. tularensis uncultivated forms and for their reversion into the initial state have been studied. as revealed in this study, the combined influence of stress factors (starvation and low temperature) may result in the transition of f. tularensis into the uncultivated state in which it persists in the environment during the period between epidemics. the reversion of f. tularensis uncultivated forms into the initial state has been carried out with the use of sensit ...	2000	10808564
detection of francisella tularensis in infected mammals and vectors using a probe-based polymerase chain reaction.	we investigated the use of a taqman 5' nuclease assay (5na) directed against the francisella tularensis outer membrane protein (fop) gene and a polymerase chain reaction-enzyme immunoassay (pcr-eia) directed against the tul 4 gene for detection of this organism in experimentally infected mice and in field-collected tick vectors. we also evaluated the use of specially formulated filter paper (fta) for rapid sample preparation. the 5na had a detection limit of 1 pg of genomic dna (<100 colony-form ...	2000	10813490
ciprofloxacin for treatment of tularemia in children.	children with tularemia are, irrespective of severity of disease, usually subjected to parenteral treatment with aminoglycosides. based on available susceptibility testing, quinolones might be effective oral alternatives of parenteral therapy. these drugs cause arthropathy in immature animals, but this risk is currently regarded to be low in humans.	2000	10819342
isolation in endothelial cell cultures of chlamydia trachomatis lgv (serovar l2) from a lymph node of a patient with suspected cat scratch disease.	an inguinal lymph node, removed from a 21-year-old romanian man suspected of having cat scratch disease, was sent to our laboratory for bartonella culture. lymph node specimens were inoculated on blood-enriched agar and in an endothelial cell culture system using the centrifugation shell vial technique. bacteria were grown in cell monolayers and detected as positive with an anti-bartonella henselae rabbit serum. however, such bacteria were identified as chlamydia trachomatis biovar lgv serovar l ...	2000	10834954
isolation and characterization of francisella novicida mutants defective in lipopolysaccharide biosynthesis.	in order to identify genes involved in lps biosynthesis we isolated random mutants generated by transposon insertion in francisella novicida. the resulting mutant bank yielded mutants with three distinct lps phenotypes, and three representative mutants were chosen for further study. one mutant that had short o-antigen chains was sensitive to serum; this mutant and one other were more sensitive to killing by deoxycholate than control strains. the third mutant was resistant to deoxycholate killing ...	2000	10612732
[outbreak of tularemia in the republic of dagestan].	in daghestan in the focus of the flood-plain swamp type 64 persons fell ill with tularemia in 1999. during the epizootological survey 8 francisella tularensis strains were isolated from vectors and carriers and in 7 samples taken from open water reservoirs, as well as in 1 sample obtained from ixodes ticks, tularemia antigen was detected. humans were infected mainly by the transmissive route, as found in 71.8% of patients. 28% of patients were infected through contacts. the disease took mainly a ...	2001	12718181
an outbreak of primary pneumonic tularemia on martha's vineyard.	in the summer of 2000, an outbreak of primary pneumonic tularemia occurred on martha's vineyard, massachusetts. the only previously reported outbreak of pneumonic tularemia in the united states also occurred on the island in 1978.	2001	11757506
tularemia revisited.		2001	11757513
biological agents: weapons of warfare and bioterrorism.	the use of microorganisms as agents of biological warfare is considered inevitable for several reasons, including ease of production and dispersion, delayed onset, ability to cause high rates of morbidity and mortality, and difficulty in diagnosis. biological agents that have been identified as posing the greatest threat are variola major (smallpox), bacillus anthracis (anthrax), yersinia pestis (plague), clostridium botulinum toxin (botulism), francisella tularensis (tularaemia), filoviruses (e ...	2001	11774197
sweet's syndrome associated with francisella tularensis infection.		2001	11903682
[stress-inducible bacterial proteins and virulence].	different species of pathogenic bacteria, including salmonella, neisseria, listeria and francisella have been used to demonstrate relationship between the synthesis of stressor induced proteins by cells and the phenotypic manifestation of their virulence. the impact of such external factors as high temperature, low ph, osmolarity, substrate limitation, the content of active forms of oxygen, etc. is accompanied by the synthesis of different stressor induced proteins playing a complex role. under ...	2001	11871286
those adorable little bunny rabbits.		2001	12355661
changes of the epidemiology and the clinical picture of tularemia in southern moravia (the czech republic) during the period 1936-1999.	the author has processed data on early occurrence of tularemia in southern moravia collected from literature, materials of epidemical ward of the regional hygienic station (rhs), brno, and clinical documentation of patients treated for tularemia at the clinic of infectious diseases, brno. tularemia has been appearing in southern moravia since autumn 1936. at that time, 290 people contracted the external (mainly ulceroglandular) form of this disease by handling tularemic hares. during the 60s, la ...	2001	12086077
parinaud's oculoglandular syndrome attributable to an encounter with a wild rabbit.	to describe the clinical and histopathologic findings in a patient with parinaud's oculoglandular syndrome attributable to francisella tularensis obtained from an encounter with a wild baby rabbit.	2001	11228320
[analysis of the incidence of tularemia in the breclav district 1994-1999].	southern moravia is one of the areas where there are long-term natural foci of tularaemia. in 1994 in the breclav district an exacerbation of the disease was recorded in hares. during autumn hunts a positive reaction was recorded in 5.75% of examined hares. an elevated seropositivity persisted also in subsequent years and at the same time a higher human morbidity in the mentioned region. the objective of the investigation was to assess the causes and circumstances which led to the exacerbation o ...	2001	11233673
long-lasting recall response of cd4+ and cd8+ alphabeta t cells, but not gammadelta t cells, to heat shock proteins of francisella tularensis.	decades after recovery from tularemia, circulating alphabeta t cells are known to still recognize a variety of membrane proteins of francisella tularensis. we studied the t cell response to 3 cytoplasmic heat shock proteins of the organism: dnak, chaperone-60 (cpn-60) and cpn-10. determination of subpopulations of responding t cells was of special interest as it has been suggested that homologs of these conserved proteins may be recognized by human gammadelta t cells. compared with reference sub ...	2001	11233852
erythema nodosum revealing oculoglandular tularemia.		2001	11244242
a serological survey of rural dogs and cats on the southwestern canadian prairie for zoonotic pathogens.	a survey for antibodies against agents of plague, tularemia, and rocky mountain spotted fever (rmsf), and against sin nombre hantavirus (snv), bartonella henselae and b. clarridgeiae was conducted in the summer of 1995 using serum from rural dogs and cats living in the vicinity of four public parks in southeastern alberta and southwestern saskatchewan. antibodies to all pathogens were detected in all survey areas. overall prevalence rates were 0.075 for yersinia pestis, 0.089 for francisella tul ...	2001	11257996