| prevention and treatment of bacterial diseases caused by bacterial bioterrorism threat agents. | there is general consensus that the bacterial agents or products most likely to be used as weapons of mass destruction are bacillus anthracis, yersinia pestis, francisella tularensis and the neurotoxin of clostridium botulinum. modern supportive and antimicrobial therapy for inhalational anthrax is associated with a 45% mortality rate, reinforcing the need for better adjunctive therapy and prevention strategies. pneumonic plague is highly contagious, difficult to recognize and is frequently fata ... | 2003 | 14554016 |
| [comparative study of ixodes ticks on their infection with tularemia pathogen using biologic and serological assays]. | the paper presents the results of a long-term comparative study of the infection of ixodes tick imagoes with the pathogen of tularemia by using the biological assay and antibody neutralization test. the infection rates determined by both methods were found to be identical or close. if there was a difference in the rates in some years, it was not statistically significant. a statistically significant difference could not be found in the infection rates for ticks and in the dependence on their spe ... | 2003 | 14564840 |
| liposome delivery of ciprofloxacin against intracellular francisella tularensis infection. | the effect of liposome delivery on the controlled release and therapeutic efficacy of ciprofloxacin against intracellular francisella tularensis infection in vivo was evaluated in this study. ciprofloxacin was encapsulated in small unilamellar vesicles by a remote loading procedure using an ammonium sulfate gradient. this procedure produced uniform sized liposomes (100 nm) with an entrapment rate of 90+/-3.5%. following administration of unencapsulated or liposome-encapsulated ciprofloxacin by i ... | 2003 | 14568408 |
| bioterrorism. clinical recognition and primary management. | the recent anthrax attacks in the united states have demonstrated the reality of bioterrorist threats as well as the need for preparedness and planning to mount a successful response to such events. medical practitioners have a key role in responding to bioterrorist activity because they can contribute to the timely recognition of an event and to the mitigation of morbidity resulting from a bioterrorist attack. the medical community needs to become familiar with how to recognize and manage disea ... | 2002 | 14569808 |
| mechanisms of pathogenesis: evasion of killing by polymorphonuclear leukocytes. | few microorganisms evade killing by neutrophils. summarized here are the mechanisms used by yersinia, group a streptococci, helicobacter, ehrlichia and francisella to block phagocytosis, disrupt phagosome maturation or perturb the respiratory burst. also discussed are mechanisms used by neutrophils to control organisms that replicate inside macrophages. | 2003 | 14613776 |
| ecological conditions of natural foci of tularaemia in the czech republic. | tularaemia, a zoonosis of veterinary and public health importance, commonly occurs in the czech republic as well as other countries of northern hemisphere. the objective of this study was to analyse the environmental conditions of distribution of natural foci of tularaemia and their long-term persistence in the czech republic. a geographic information system has been used for this purpose. a new variable (chi(t)), the mean number of natural foci in a specific area, has been suggested for the eva ... | 2003 | 14620945 |
| bacterial biofilms of importance to medicine and bioterrorism: proteomic techniques to identify novel vaccine components and drug targets. | biofilms are highly ordered microbial communities enmeshed in a carefully sculpted matrix designed for survival of organisms either in multi- or mono-genus/species in a specific microniche. in human disease, biofilm infections are some of the most recalcitrant to treat. even with rigorous antibiotic regimens, some biofilms, such as those within the thick airway mucus of cystic fibrosis (cf) patients, persist throughout the course of the disease process. in this editorial, discussion will cover t ... | 2003 | 14640945 |
| glandular tularemia in a native american child. | this case report details the clinical manifestation and course of glandular tularemia, an uncommon but significant cause of cervical lymphadenopathy in children. we discuss the unique attributes of this disease along with appropriate steps that lead to early identification of the organism and effective treatment. the potential use of the organism as a bioterrorism agent is another interesting aspect of this entity. | 2003 | 14661434 |
| development of a multitarget real-time taqman pcr assay for enhanced detection of francisella tularensis in complex specimens. | tularemia is the zoonotic disease caused by the gram-negative coccobacillus francisella tularensis. its wide distribution in the environment poses a challenge for understanding the transmission, ecology, and epidemiology of the disease. f. tularensis is also considered a potential biological weapon due to its extreme infectivity. we have developed a multitarget real-time taqman pcr assay capable of rapidly and accurately detecting f. tularensis in complex specimens. targeted regions included the ... | 2003 | 14662930 |
| allelic exchange in francisella tularensis using pcr products. | we describe here a technique for allelic exchange in francisella tularensis subsp. novicida utilizing polymerase chain reaction (pcr) products. linear pcr fragments containing gene deletions with an erythromycin resistance cassette insertion were transformed into f. tularensis. the subsequent ermr progeny were found to have undergone allelic exchange at the correct location in the genome; the minimum flanking homology necessary was 500 bp. this technique was used to create mgla, iglc, bla, and t ... | 2003 | 14680699 |
| causes of febrile illnesses after a tick bite in slovenian children. | to establish the etiology in slovenian children with febrile illnesses occurring after a tick bite. | 2003 | 14688569 |
| target discrimination by surface-immobilized molecular beacons designed to detect francisella tularensis. | a molecular beacon (mb) array was designed based on unique regions of the 16s rrna of the bacterium francisella tularensis. nucleic acid molecular beacons undergo a spontaneous fluorogenic conformational change when they hybridize to specific complementary targets. the array was printed on aldehyde glass or hydrogel slides and evaluated for functioning in presence of complementary oligonucleotide sequences, single-nucleotide mismatch sequences and multiple nucleotide mismatch sequences. discrimi ... | 2004 | 14709391 |
| francisella: a little bug hits the big time. | | 2003 | 14711357 |
| [gene typing of infectious tularemia strains isolated from the stavropol and krasnodar territories]. | the typing of f. tularensis strains by four variable number of tandem repeats (vntr) loci has been carried out. among the strains isolated in the stavropol and krasnodar territories seven genotypes have been detected and their spread in different natural foci has been analyzed. the data thus obtained suggest that the vntr analysis may become an important instrument for studying the structure of the natural foci of tularemia and evolutionary relationships between individual areas of these foci. | 2003 | 14716980 |
| epizootiologic and ecologic investigations of european brown hares (lepus europaeus) in selected populations from schleswig-holstein, germany. | from 1997-99 european brown hare (lepus europaeus) population densities were estimated by spotlight surveys within different areas in schleswig-holstein, germany. these areas showed a wide variation in local hare population densities. in addition, red fox (vulpes vulpes) densities were estimated in 1997 by surveys of fox dens and litters. sera of 321 hares (shot between 1998-2000) from four study areas were examined for antibodies against european brown hare syndrome virus (ebhsv) by enzyme link ... | 2003 | 14733269 |
| biochemical characterisation of francisella tularensis strains isolated in spain. | | 2004 | 14758833 |
| bacteriological and serological survey on tularemia cases found in chiba prefecture in 1949. | | 1950 | 14774994 |
| [study of the properties of bacterium tularense and its biological correlation to host animals and tick-transmitters]. | | 1950 | 14776875 |
| persistence of agglutinins against pasteurella tularensis in serums of naturally infected sheep. | | 1950 | 14784438 |
| studies on thermostable antigens extracted from bacterium tularense and from tissues of animals dead of tularemia. | | 1951 | 14814305 |
| studies on the variation of bacterium tularense. | | 1951 | 14832199 |
| [antigenic structure of pasteurella tularensis]. | | 1951 | 14847299 |
| [certain species of gamasidae as carriers of bacillus tularense in natural conditions]. | | 1951 | 14849533 |
| on direct cultivation of bacterium tularense. | | 1951 | 14901386 |
| [sympathicotropism of bacterium tularense endotoxin]. | | 1951 | 14905742 |
| in vitro inhibition of bacterium tularense by methylene blue. | | 1952 | 14910728 |
| the activity of catalase in pasteurella tularensis. | | 1952 | 14938337 |
| studies on the immunogenic properties of bacterium tularense variants. | | 1952 | 14946430 |
| localized cutaneous infection with francisella tularensis resembling ulceroglandular tularemia in a cat. | a chronically draining subcutaneous mass was removed from the ventral cervical region of a 6-year-old spayed female domestic shorthair cat. the histopathologic diagnosis was severe locally extensive pyogranulomatous and necrotizing cellulitis. bacterial culture yielded francisella tularensis subsp. tularensis as the causative agent. immunohistochemical evaluation of sections for f. tularensis was negative. one year later, the cat was euthanized because of progressive lethargy found to be due to ... | 2004 | 14974853 |
| histologic and molecular diagnosis of tularemia: a potential bioterrorism agent endemic to north america. | francisella tularensis (ft), a zoonotic bacterium that causes tularemia, has received attention as a possible bioterrorism threat. we developed a pcr assay for use in fixed, processed tissues, which are safer to handle and allow archival testing. pcr analysis for a 211-bp fragment of the ft lipoprotein gene was performed on tissues from 16 cases of tularemia. in all, 14/15 cases with intact dna (93%) were positive for ft by pcr. frequent histologic findings in pcr-positive tissues included irreg ... | 2004 | 15001997 |
| an outbreak of tularemia in western black sea region of turkey. | the aim of this study was to investigate the source and the size of a tularemia outbreak in a village located in a non-endemic area. five patients from the same village were admitted to hospital with the same complaints all within one week of september 2001. tularemia was suspected and a diagnosis was made after physical and anamnesis examinations. the village was visited the same week that the patients were admitted to the hospital, in the january and april 2002. the villagers were examined and ... | 2004 | 15004863 |
| mgla regulates transcription of virulence factors necessary for francisella tularensis intraamoebae and intramacrophage survival. | francisella tularensis is able to survive and grow within macrophages, a trait that contributes to pathogenesis. several genes have been identified that are important for intramacrophage survival, including mgla and iglc. f. tularensis is also able to survive within amoebae. it is shown here that f. tularensis mgla and iglc mutant strains are not only defective for survival and replication within the macrophage-like cell line j774, but also within acanthamoebae castellanii. moreover, these strai ... | 2004 | 15010524 |
| francisella tularensis: possible agent in bioterrorism. | francisella tularensis, the causative agent of tularemia, is a highly infectious gram-negative coccobacillus. due to its high infectivity it is of major concern to public health officials as a possible biological weapon. although accidental exposure can occur through arthropod bites, handling infected animals, or breathing in aerosols, cases are usually isolated and contained. in the event of an intentional exposure such as in a bioterrorist attack, inhalation of aerosols can result in devastati ... | 2004 | 15011979 |
| characterization of the lipopolysaccharide o-antigen of francisella novicida (u112). | francisella novicida (u112), a close relative of the highly virulent bacterium f. tularensis, was shown to produce a lipopolysaccharide in which the antigenic o-polysaccharide component was found by chemical, 1h and 13c nmr and ms analyses to be an unbranched neutral linear polymer of a repeating tetrasaccharide unit composed of 2-acetamido-2-deoxy-d-galacturonamide (d-galnacan) and 2,4-diacetamido-2,4,6-trideoxy-d-glucose (d-qui2nac4nac, di-n-acetylbacillosamine) residues (3:1) and had the stru ... | 2004 | 15013402 |
| [diagnostic suspension for detection of the infective agent of tularemia]. | the matrix for obtaining silica-based diagnosticum was selected, its activation with surfactant was optimized and its immobilization with tularemia immunoglobulins was carried out. in the glass suspension agglutination test (sat) the sensitivity of the diagnosticum was 3.125 x 10(6) to 6.25 x 10(6) microbial cells per ml; the duration of sat, including the evaluation of its results, was 1-5 minutes. | 2004 | 15024986 |
| clinical and epidemiological characteristic of tularemia in kazakhstan. | from 1950 to 1977, 5049 human tularemia cases were registered that had been associated with a large number of non-immunized people coming to kazakh tularemia endemic areas from different places of soviet union to harvest the grain. since 1978, the number of tularemia patients has considerably decreased and during 1992-2001 thirty-one human cases were reported. epidemiological analysis showed that infection was transmitted by a variety of routes, including bites of infected arthropod, ingestion o ... | 2003 | 15029832 |
| commentary: wherry wb, lamb bh. infection of man with bacterium tularense. j infect dis 1914; 15:331-40. | | 2004 | 15031803 |
| in vitro susceptibility of field isolates of francisella tularensis subsp. holarctica recovered in spain to several antimicrobial agents. | forty-two recent (1997-1999) spanish isolates of francisella tularensis subsp.holarctica were tested in a broth microdilution method for their susceptibilities to 29 antimicrobial agents, including penicillins, cephalosporins, cephamicins, monobactams, penems, aminoglycosides, tetracyclines, macrolides, quinolones, chloramphenicol and fosfomycin. the isolates were resistant to beta-lactam antibiotics and susceptible to chloramphenicol, ciprofloxacin, levofloxacin and norfloxacin. | 2004 | 15046952 |
| an outbreak of francisella tularensis in captive prairie dogs: an immunohistochemical analysis. | an immunohistochemical assay was developed and tested for detection of francisella tularensis lipopolysaccaride antigen in tissues of captive prairie dogs (cynomys ludovicianus). tissues from 59 cases of f. tularensis were examined by this technique, which was corroborated by direct fluorescent antibody assay and direct isolation of the organism. in infected prairie dogs, studies indicated multiple, severe, necroprurulent foci occurring in the liver, lung, spleen, terminal ileum, and mandibular ... | 2004 | 15053367 |
| vaccines against biologic agents: uses and developments. | although the geneva protocol that prohibits the use of chemical and biologic weapons was ratified in 1925, many countries failed to accept this protocol: others stipulated retaliation, and some, like the united states, did not ratify the protocol for decades. this delay allowed the continued development of chemical and biologic agents. members of the health care community are responsible for determining the best way to protect society from the potentially devastating effects of these biologic ag ... | 2004 | 15062232 |
| problems in identification of francisella philomiragia associated with fatal bacteremia in a patient with chronic granulomatous disease. | francisella philomiragia is a rare gram-negative, halophilic coccobacillus with bizarre spherical forms on primary isolation. a case of f. philomiragia bacteremia in a 24-year-old patient with chronic granulomatous disease is reported. identification of f. philomiragia was problematic with conventional tests but was done correctly and rapidly by kit 16s ribosomal dna sequencing. | 2004 | 15071065 |
| microorganisms resistant to free-living amoebae. | free-living amoebae feed on bacteria, fungi, and algae. however, some microorganisms have evolved to become resistant to these protists. these amoeba-resistant microorganisms include established pathogens, such as cryptococcus neoformans, legionella spp., chlamydophila pneumoniae, mycobacterium avium, listeria monocytogenes, pseudomonas aeruginosa, and francisella tularensis, and emerging pathogens, such as bosea spp., simkania negevensis, parachlamydia acanthamoebae, and legionella-like amoebal ... | 2004 | 15084508 |
| [tularemia live vaccine as a modifier of tumorigenesis and carcinogenesis]. | | 2004 | 15088516 |
| [the use of tularemia live vaccine in clinical oncology]. | | 2004 | 15088525 |
| hemochromatosis and the enigma of misplaced iron: implications for infectious disease and survival. | the mystery surrounding the apparent lack of iron within the macrophages of individuals with hereditary hemochromatosis, a condition of excessive uptake of dietary iron, has yet to be fully explained. we have suggested that iron deficiency of macrophages in people with hereditary hemochromatosis mutations is associated with increased resistance to infection by yersinia and other intracellular pathogens, a selection pressure resulting in unusually high current population frequencies of hereditary ... | 2004 | 15088940 |
| a young man from nantucket. | | 2004 | 15101387 |
| presence of pili on the surface of francisella tularensis. | francisella tularensis is a highly infectious gram-negative bacterium with potential for use as a bioweapon. analysis of the f. tularensis live vaccine strain (lvs) ultrastructure by electron microscopy revealed the presence of long, thin fibers, similar in appearance to type 4 pili. the highly virulent f. tularensis schu s4 strain was found to contain type 4 pilus genes, and we confirmed that these genes are present and expressed in the lvs. | 2004 | 15102818 |
| infection of man with bacterium tularense. 1914. | | 2004 | 15108712 |
| laboratory analysis of tularemia in wild-trapped, commercially traded prairie dogs, texas, 2002. | oropharyngeal tularemia was identified as the cause of a die-off in captured wild prairie dogs at a commercial exotic animal facility in texas. from this point source, francisella tularensis-infected prairie dogs were traced to animals distributed to the czech republic and to a texas pet shop. f. tularensis culture isolates were recovered tissue specimens from 63 prairie dogs, including one each from the secondary distribution sites. molecular and biochemical subtyping indicated that all isolate ... | 2004 | 15109407 |
| first reported prairie dog-to-human tularemia transmission, texas, 2002. | a tularemia outbreak, caused by francisella tularensis type b, occurred among wild-caught, commercially traded prairie dogs. f. tularensis microagglutination titers in one exposed person indicated recent infection. these findings represent the first evidence for prairie-dog-to-human tularemia transmission and demonstrate potential human health risks of the exotic pet trade. | 2004 | 15109417 |
| susceptibility of immunodeficient mice to aerosol and systemic infection with virulent strains of francisella tularensis. | previous studies have shown that ifn-gamma, tnf-alpha and nos-2, but not b cells, are crucial for host defense against primary systemic infection with the attenuated live vaccine strain (lvs) of francisella tularensis. in this study, we examined the importance of these and additional immune components in host resistance against infection with virulent strains of f. tularensis initiated by systemic and airborne routes. wild-type (wt) mice and mice deficient in ifn-gamma, tnfr1r2, nos-2, or b cell ... | 2004 | 15120157 |
| [development of magnetic biosorbents and their application in microbial antigen immunoassays]. | the feasibility of rendering erythrocytes magnetic and thereby creating magnetic biosorbents (mb ss) through room temperature exposure to 25-37% iron (ii) sulfate solution for 48 +/- 2 h, followed by exposure to 15-35% ammonia water solution for 48 +/- 2 h (with drying after each procedure) was demonstrated. the feasibility of immobilizing ligands on magnetic erythrocytes (me) and obtaining biological magnetic immunosorbents (bmiss) for further use in eias for plague and tularemia antigens was d ... | 2004 | 15125202 |
| identification of francisella tularensis using real-time fluorescence polymerase chain reaction. | a francisella tularensis-specific, taqman probe-based, real-time fluorescence polymerase chain reaction (pcr) assay required approximately 60 minutes and consistently achieved a sensitivity of < or = 10 fg of f. tularensis genomic dna (five genome equivalents). specificity testing against a genomic dna cross-reaction panel comprised of 22 bacterial organisms representing closely related species, diverse genera, and human genomic dna resulted in no false positives of significance. the assay was c ... | 2004 | 15132239 |
| the influence of low-level sarin inhalation exposure on the host resistance and immune reaction of inbred balb/c mice after their infection with francisella tularensis lvs. | to study the influence of low-level sarin inhalation exposure on immune functions, inbred balb/c mice were exposed to two low concentrations of sarin for 60 minutes in the inhalation chamber and then infected with francisella tularensis lvs on the 7th day following the exposure to sarin. 24 hours after infection, the level of some isotypes of antibodies (igm, iga) against tularaemia was significantly decreased regardless of the sarin concentration used while the lymphoproliferation was significa ... | 2004 | 15141973 |
| susceptibility of various mouse strains to systemically- or aerosol-initiated tularemia by virulent type a francisella tularensis before and after immunization with the attenuated live vaccine strain of the pathogen. | the following study determined whether commonly available mouse strains could be used to reveal vaccines capable of protecting against aerosol exposure to virulent type a strains of francisella tularensis. the attenuated live vaccine strain (lvs) of the pathogen, f. tularensis lvs, was used as the model vaccine for these studies. the results showed that most mouse strains survived intradermal immunization with 10(5)cfu of lvs, except for a/j mice the majority of which died following exposure to ... | 2004 | 15149767 |
| transfer of specific antibodies results in increased expression of tnf-alpha and il12 and recruitment of neutrophils to the site of a cutaneous francisella tularensis infection. | this study demonstrates that passive transfer of francisella tularensis-specific antibodies before experimental cutaneous infection with the live vaccine strain of f. tularensis has profound effects. recipient mice showed stronger staining for tnf-alpha and il12, and larger numbers of neutrophils in skin samples after infection than control mice. | 2004 | 15150328 |
| virulent and avirulent strains of francisella tularensis prevent acidification and maturation of their phagosomes and escape into the cytoplasm in human macrophages. | francisella tularensis, the agent of tularemia, is an intracellular pathogen, but little is known about the compartment in which it resides in human macrophages. we have examined the interaction of a recent virulent clinical isolate of f. tularensis subsp. tularensis and the live vaccine strain with human macrophages by immunoelectron and confocal immunofluorescence microscopy. we assessed the maturation of the f. tularensis phagosome by examining its acquisition of the lysosome-associated membr ... | 2004 | 15155622 |
| molecular beacons for multiplex detection of four bacterial bioterrorism agents. | | 2004 | 15161722 |
| [genotyping of the francisella tularensis strains isolated from natural foci of tularemia in the rostov region by multilocus vntr analysis]. | on the basis of an analysis of the vntr alleles' distribution in 109 strains of f. tularensis it was established that 19 genotypes of the disease causative agent circulated in the rostov region from 1945 to 2002. the microbe-provoked infection episodes can be divided into polyclonal, monoclonal and cluster ones. a retrospective analysis of the genotypes' distribution is indicative of that strains of similar or of closely-related genotypes circulate simultaneously in the studied territory. all in ... | 2004 | 15164717 |
| vaccines against francisella tularensis--past, present and future. | francisella tularensis is a facultative intracellular bacterial pathogen capable of causing a spectrum of human diseases collectively called tularemia. the pathogen is highly infectious and some strains can cause rapidly lethal infection especially when inhaled. the latter were developed as biological weapons in the past and nowadays cause concern as potential bioterrorism agents. a live attenuated strain of the pathogen was developed more that 40 years ago and remains the sole prophylactic meas ... | 2004 | 15176947 |
| characterisation of the core part of the lipopolysaccharide o-antigen of francisella novicida (u112). | francisella novicida (u112), a close relative of the highly virulent bacterium f. tularensis, is known to produce a lipopolysaccharide that is significantly different in biological properties from the lps of f. tularensis. here we present the results of the structural analysis of the f. novicida lps core part, which is found to be similar to that of f. tularensis, differing only by one additional alpha-glc residue:where r is an o-chain, linked via a beta-bacillosamine (2,4-diamino-2,4,6-trideoxy ... | 2004 | 15183739 |
| methods for enhanced culture recovery of francisella tularensis. | francisella tularensis is found in a wide variety of hosts and extrahost environments, making culture recovery a diagnostic challenge. here we demonstrate improved recovery times and good sensitivity (90%) when cultures were inoculated on the site of an investigation using fresh tissues. for contaminated specimens, antibiotic supplementation of enriched cysteine heart agar blood culture medium improved recovery of f. tularensis by 81.1%. for transport of tissues, immediate freezing yielded cultu ... | 2004 | 15184180 |
| phylogenetic analysis of the francisella-like endosymbionts of dermacentor ticks. | bacterial endosymbionts with significant homology to francisella tularensis (gamma-proteobacteria) have been described from at least five species of ticks in three different genera, including two north american dermacentor species [d. andersoni stiles and d. variabilis (say)]. the evolutionary relationships among the francisella-like endosymbionts (fle) from different hosts and between fle and the arthropod-borne pathogen f. tularensis are not known. a 1,169-base fragment of the 16s rdna and a 7 ... | 2004 | 15185926 |
| [multilocus vntr-typing of francisella tularensis strains]. | in the analysis of f. tularensis genome with the use of the specially developed program "dna" a great number of loci containing tandem repeats were found. for analysis, 3 of them were selected and designated as fta, ftb, ftc. the study of dna of 40 f. tularensis strains in the polymerase chain reaction with specific primers to these loci a great variability in the number of repeats was established, the presence of 17 alleles being found in locus fta, 5 alleles in locus ftb and 5 alleles in locus ... | 2004 | 15188553 |
| [experimental study on the possibility of using live tularemia vaccine to increase resistance to heterologous infection disease]. | in experiments on guinea pigs immunized with francisella tularensis 15, or live tularemia vaccine (ltv), the level of heterologous protective effect to dangerous infectious diseases caused by yersinia pestis, burkholderia pseudomallei, b. mallei, mycobacterium tuberculosis was studied. the study revealed that during the first 4 weeks after the subcutaneous immunization with ltv the level of resistance of the immunized animals to heterologous infective agent reliably increased as indicated by the ... | 2004 | 15188557 |
| immunobiology of the tomatine adjuvant. | soluble or sub-unit protein vaccines alone are incapable of generating antigen-specific cellular immune responses. this failure can be attributed to the manner in which the immune system processes antigen; endogenous antigens are cycled through the mhc class i pathway to stimulate cd8+ restricted responses and exogenous antigens are processed through the mhc class ii pathway to generate humoral immunity. traditionally sub-unit vaccines have been formulated with adjuvants to enhance immunogenicit ... | 2004 | 15193398 |
| [francisella tularensis infection transmitted by prairie dog]. | tularemia is a zoonosis caused by francisella tularensis; it mainly affects wild animals and only occasionally affects human beings. uncontrolled trade involving "exotic" animals could become a new route of acquisition. we report the case of a 3-year-old boy who contracted the disease through a bite from a prairie dog. outbreaks of tularemia have recently been described in some of these animals captured in texas (usa) and subsequently sold to other countries. infection due to yersinia pestis has ... | 2004 | 15207172 |
| tularemia: the disease and the weapon. | tularemia is a bacterial infection usually transmitted via arthropod vectors or direct contact with infected animals. naturally occurring cases are relatively rare, and can result in six different clinical syndromes. tularemia is also a potential agent of bioterrorism or biowarfare, and is categorized as a high-level threat. effective antibiotic treatment is available, including potential use of oral antibiotics in a mass casualty situation. an awareness of potential clinical presentations of tu ... | 2004 | 15207312 |
| protection afforded by heat shock protein 60 from francisella tularensis is due to copurified lipopolysaccharide. | heat shock proteins (hsps) have attracted significant attention as protective antigens against a range of diseases caused by bacterial pathogens. however, more recently there have been suggestions that the protective response is due to the presence of peptide components other than hsps. we have shown that mice that had been immunized with purified heat shock protein 60 (hsp60) isolated from francisella tularensis were protected against a subsequent challenge with some strains of the bacterium. h ... | 2004 | 15213156 |
| genome diversity among regional populations of francisella tularensis subspecies tularensis and francisella tularensis subspecies holarctica isolated from the us. | francisella tularensis is a highly infectious facultative intracellular pathogen that is considered a potential agent of bioterrorism. four different f. tularensis subspecies have been identified and they appear to display different ecological and virulence characteristics as well as differences in geographical distribution. one simple explanation for the variation in ecological and virulence characteristics is that they are conferred by differences in genome content. to characterize genome cont ... | 2004 | 15268932 |
| [evolution of serological characteristics in 26 patients with tularemia three years after the outbreak]. | tularemia was an unknown zoonosis in our region until the first quarter of 1998. the outbreak that took place on those dates has made possible to study some scantly known characteristics of the disease, as are the determinants for the persistence of a high antibody titer. | 2004 | 15274779 |
| tularaemia in a captive golden-headed lion tamarin (leontopithecus chrysomelas) in switzerland. | | 2004 | 15285287 |
| tularaemia in europe: an epidemiological overview. | tularaemia exists endemically in most european countries. in some areas, such as finland and sweden, outbreaks comprising hundreds of cases are recorded at least once a decade. in other areas, outbreaks of such a magnitude occur only occasionally, except in times of war. between outbreaks, the natural reservoir of the causative agent, francisella tularensis, is unknown. the organism replicates intracellularly in protozoans. an association of tularaemia to natural water may be of significance in ... | 2004 | 15287379 |
| [tick borne zoonosis: selected clinical and diagnostic aspects]. | tick-borne zoonotic infections are among the most diffuse vector borne diseases: these large group of infections is caused by different microorganisms: babesia spp., borrelia spp., rickettsia spp., ehrlichia spp., francisella tularensis, coxiella burnetii) and tick-borne encephalitis virus. babesiosis is caused by the protozoa (sporozoa) babesia microti and it is quite rare in humans in europe. the ixodids ticks are the competent vectors. a few symptomatic cases have been reported, mainly in spl ... | 2004 | 15305697 |
| mice sublethally infected with francisella novicida u112 develop only marginal protective immunity against systemic or aerosol challenge with virulent type a or b strains of f. tularensis. | the current study determined the ability of francisella novicida to act as a live vaccine against the much more virulent, but closely related pathogen, francisella tularensis. live attenuated strains of the latter are effective vaccines against human tularemia. however, the molecular cause of their attenuation remains unknown, and this is a regulatory barrier for licensing such vaccines. moreover, f. tularensis is exceptionally difficult to manipulate genetically. this is hampering the developme ... | 2004 | 15312850 |
| worldwide genetic relationships among francisella tularensis isolates determined by multiple-locus variable-number tandem repeat analysis. | the intracellular bacterium francisella tularensis is the causative agent of tularemia and poses a serious threat as an agent of bioterrorism. we have developed a highly effective molecular subtyping system from 25 variable-number tandem repeat (vntr) loci. in our study, multiple-locus vntr analysis (mlva) was used to analyze genetic relationships and potential population structure within a global collection of 192 f. tularensis isolates, including representatives from each of the four subspecie ... | 2004 | 15317786 |
| novel modification of lipid a of francisella tularensis. | we have investigated the lipid a of francisella tularensis subsp. holarctica strain 1547-57, a type b strain, by using matrix-assisted laser desorption ionization-time-of-flight mass spectrometry, nanoelectrospray quadrupole ion-trap mass spectrometry, and chemical methods. in accordance with the previously published structures of the lipid a from f. tularensis live vaccine strain (lvs) (atcc 29684) (e. vinogradov et al., eur. j. biochem. 269:6112-6118, 2002), all of the major lipid a forms from ... | 2004 | 15322031 |
| msba transporter-dependent lipid a 1-dephosphorylation on the periplasmic surface of the inner membrane: topography of francisella novicida lpxe expressed in escherichia coli. | the lipid a anchor of francisella tularensis lipopolysaccharide (lps) lacks both phosphate groups present in escherichia coli lipid a. membranes of francisella novicida (an environmental strain related to f. tularensis) contain enzymes that dephosphorylate lipid a and its precursors at the 1- and 4'-positions. we now report the cloning and characterization of a membrane-bound phosphatase of f. novicida that selectively dephosphorylates the 1-position. by transferring an f. novicida genomic dna l ... | 2004 | 15339914 |
| naturally occurring tularemia in a dog. | a 4-year-old spayed female irish setter was examined because of acute onset of lethargy, anorexia, and weakness. the dog had eaten an adult rabbit 36 hours earlier. tularemia was suspected because of the rabbit exposure; however, other common diseases characterized by fever, malaise, and lymphadenopathy of acute onset were also considered (ie, ehrlichiosis and rocky mountain spotted fever). the dog was treated with doxycycline (5 mg/kg [2.3 mg/lb], po, q 24 h) for 14 days as well as supportive t ... | 2004 | 15344361 |
| factors affecting the escape of francisella tularensis from the phagolysosome. | the highly virulent bacterium francisella tularensis is well adapted to the intracellular habitat but the mechanisms behind its intracellular survival have been elusive. recently, it was shown that the bacterium is capable of escaping from the phagosome of human and mouse monocytic cells. here it is shown that this escape is affected by gamma interferon (ifn-gamma) treatment of mouse peritoneal exudate cells since in treated cells the proportion that escaped was significantly lower (80%) than in ... | 2004 | 15358816 |
| a francisella tularensis pathogenicity island required for intramacrophage growth. | francisella tularensis is a gram-negative, facultative intracellular pathogen that causes the highly infectious zoonotic disease tularemia. we have discovered a ca. 30-kb pathogenicity island of f. tularensis (fpi) that includes four large open reading frames (orfs) of 2.5 to 3.9 kb and 13 orfs of 1.5 kb or smaller. previously, two small genes located near the center of the fpi were shown to be needed for intramacrophage growth. in this work we show that two of the large orfs, located toward the ... | 2004 | 15375123 |
| comparative proteome analysis of cellular proteins extracted from highly virulent francisella tularensis ssp. tularensis and less virulent f. tularensis ssp. holarctica and f. tularensis ssp. mediaasiatica. | francisella tularensis is the causative agent of the zoonotic disease tularemia. four subspecies of this pathogen, namely ssp. tularensis, mediaasiatica, holarctica, and novicida are spread throughout the northern hemisphere. although there are marked variations in their virulence to mammals, the subspecies are difficult to identify as they are closely genetically related. we carried out the comparative proteome analysis of cellular extracts from isolates representing the highly virulent subspec ... | 2004 | 15378745 |
| toll-like receptor 4 (tlr4) does not confer a resistance advantage on mice against low-dose aerosol infection with virulent type a francisella tularensis. | francisella tularensis, the causative agent of tularemia, is a gram-negative facultative intracellular bacterium. toll-like receptor (tlr) 4 is considered to be critical for inducing host innate immunity against many gram-negative bacteria including many respiratory pathogens. to determine the role of tlr4 in host defense against airborne f. tularensis infection, tlr4-defective c3h/hej (tlr4(d)) or wild-type c3h/heouj (wt) mice were challenged by low-dose aerosol with type a f. tularensis, and t ... | 2004 | 15458779 |
| identification of francisella tularensis genes encoding exported membrane-associated proteins using tnphoa mutagenesis of a genomic library. | francisella tularensis, the causative agent of tularemia, is a highly infectious pathogen of humans and animals, yet little is known about the surface proteins of this organism that mediate mechanisms of pathogenicity. lambdatnphoa was used to generate random alkaline phosphatase gene fusions in a f. tularensis subsp. tularensis (strain schu s4) genomic library to identify genes encoding exported extracytoplasmic proteins. eleven genes encoding membrane-associated proteins were identified by thi ... | 2004 | 15458781 |
| characterization of a wild-type strain of francisella tularensis isolated from a cat. | francisella tularensis type a is the primary cause of tularemia in animals and humans in north america. the majority of research on f. tularensis has been done with the attenuated live vaccine strain (lvs), which is a type b, but very few wild-type f. tularensis strains have been characterized. a gram-negative coccobacillus that was isolated in pure culture from the lungs of a cat that died after being lost for 5 days was received for identification at the virginia-maryland regional college of v ... | 2004 | 15460318 |
| detection of staphylococcus aureus enterotoxin a and b genes with pcr-eia and a hand-held electrochemical sensor. | two electrochemical assays for detecting staphylococcus aureus enterotoxin a and b genes were developed. the assays are based on pcr amplification with biotinylated primers, hybridization to a fluorescein-labeled probe, and detection with horseradish peroxidase-conjugated anti-fluorescein antibody using a hand-held electrochemical detector. the limit of detection (lod) for both assays was approximately 16 copies of the sea and seb genes. the assays were evaluated in blinded studies, each with 81 ... | 2004 | 15488376 |
| did an epidemic of tularemia in ancient egypt affect the course of world history? | the dynamics of the spreading, and the identity of a virulent epidemic, similar to bubonic plague or typhus, which hit ancient egypt in the middle of the bronze age, are hereby presented. documented in medical papyri as well as archaeological findings, and re-echoed in biblical texts, a plague entered egypt's main harbor, avaris, around 1715 bc. as a result, the country was severely weakened at a time when it was already facing serious sociopolitical issues: crumbling central government, immigra ... | 2004 | 15488667 |
| [screening for antibodies against zoonotic agents among employees of the zoological garden of vienna, schönbrunn, austria]. | the aim of this study was to investigate the prevalence of antibodies against zoonotic agents in employees of the zoological garden of vienna, schönbrunn, austria. sixty out of 120 employees participated in the study. in 97% of them antibodies to at least one zoonotic agent were identified. only two participants were free of antibodies to the zoonotic agents tested. the following seroprevalences (in brackets) were obtained: viral zoonotic (and potentially zoonotic) agents: influenzavirus a/h1n1 ... | 2004 | 15495931 |
| [sero-epidemiological studies of zoonotic infections in hunters--comparative analysis with veterinarians, farmers, and abattoir workers]. | the aim of this study was to investigate seroprevalences to zoonotic pathogens in hunters, to compare the results with other predisposed occupational groups already investigated and to propose preventive measures. blood samples were taken from 146 male and 3 female hunters from the provinces of styria and burgenland in the south-east of austria and anamnestic data were obtained using a questionnaire. the serological investigations included the following bacterial, viral and parasitic zoonotic ag ... | 2003 | 15508783 |
| expression of iglc is necessary for intracellular growth and induction of apoptosis in murine macrophages by francisella tularensis. | francisella tularensis is a facultative intracellular bacterium capable of inducing apoptosis in murine macrophages. in a previous study, an iglc null mutant of f. tularensis live vaccine strain lvs was generated by allelic replacement and in the current study this iglc mutant was successfully complemented in trans. we characterized the capacity of this iglc mutant and the complemented strain to induce macrophage apoptosis. the iglc mutant did not induce apoptosis in the infected cells. in contr ... | 2004 | 15519043 |
| [should ticks be regarded as a tularemia vector in habitants of north-eastern poland?]. | a growing incidence of tick borne encephalitis and lyme borreliosis in north-eastern poland as well as an increasing number of ixodes ricinus ticks in wooded areas and meadows have prompted the authors to evaluate the presence of antibodies against francisella tularensis in serum of forest workers. | 2004 | 15524088 |
| molecular recognition of biowarfare agents using micromechanical sensors. | recent terrorist events have demonstrated that an urgent and widespread need exists for the development of novel sensors for threat detection, especially biowarfare agents. the advent of inexpensive, mass-produced microcantilever sensors promises to bring about a revolution in detection of terrorist threats. extremely sensitive and highly selective sensors can be developed for using a microcantilever platform. microcantilevers undergo bending when molecules are adsorbed on a single side. for bio ... | 2004 | 15525227 |
| use of transposon-transposase complexes to create stable insertion mutant strains of francisella tularensis lvs. | francisella tularensis is a highly virulent zoonotic bacterial pathogen capable of infecting numerous different mammalian species, including humans. elucidation of the pathogenic mechanisms of f. tularensis has been hampered by a lack of tools to genetically manipulate this organism. herein we describe the use of transposome complexes to create insertion mutations in the chromosome of the f. tularensis live vaccine strain (lvs). a tn5-derived transposon encoding kanamycin resistance and lacking ... | 2004 | 15528561 |
| genotypic diversity of francisella tularensis infecting dermacentor variabilis ticks on martha's vineyard, massachusetts. | martha's vineyard, mass., has been the site of two outbreaks of tularemia (1978 and 2000). although most patients from both outbreaks presented with pneumonic disease and although aerosol transmission has been suggested, the bite of a dog tick and exposure to rabbits remain the only proven modes of transmission. the factors that precipitated the tularemia outbreaks or the proximal determinants of human risk remain undescribed. we sought to test the hypothesis that the ongoing outbreak is due to ... | 2004 | 15528681 |
| comparison of enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay, western blotting, microagglutination, indirect immunofluorescence assay, and flow cytometry for serological diagnosis of tularemia. | the serodiagnostic efficiencies of five different approaches to detecting antibodies (immunoglobulins g, a, and m) developed in clinically proven infections with francisella tularensis have been assessed. fifty serum samples from patients suffering from tularemia during an outbreak in sweden were compared with samples from 50 healthy blood donors (controls) by using an enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (elisa), microagglutination (ma), western blotting (wb), an indirect immunofluorescence assay ... | 2004 | 15539498 |
| tularaemia: bioterrorism defence renews interest in francisella tularensis. | francisella tularensis is a highly infectious aerosolizable intracellular pathogen that is capable of causing a debilitating or fatal disease with doses as low as 25 colony-forming units. there is no licensed vaccine available. since the 1950s there has been concern that f. tularensis could be used as a biological threat agent, and it has received renewed attention recently owing to concerns about bioterrorism. the international conference on tularaemia in 2003 attracted more than 200 delegates, ... | 2004 | 15550942 |
| distinct roles of reactive nitrogen and oxygen species to control infection with the facultative intracellular bacterium francisella tularensis. | reactive nitrogen species (rns) and reactive oxygen species (ros) are important mediators of the bactericidal host response. we investigated the contribution of these two mediators to the control of infection with the facultative intracellular bacterium francisella tularensis. when intradermally infected with the live vaccine strain f. tularensis lvs, mice deficient in production of rns (inos(-/-) mice) or in production of ros by the phagocyte oxidase (p47(phox-/-) mice) showed compromised resis ... | 2004 | 15557642 |
| intranasal interleukin-12 treatment promotes antimicrobial clearance and survival in pulmonary francisella tularensis subsp. novicida infection. | francisella tularensis is a highly virulent facultative intracellular bacterium and is considered a potential biological warfare agent. inhalation tularemia can lead to the development of bronchopneumonia, which is frequently fatal without medical intervention. treatment strategies that directly target the respiratory mucosa may extend the efficacy of therapy, particularly for the medical management of acute aerosol exposure. to this end, we describe an intranasal (i.n.) strategy for the treatme ... | 2004 | 15561819 |
| construction and characterization of a highly efficient francisella shuttle plasmid. | francisella tularensis is a facultative intracellular pathogen that infects a wide variety of mammals and causes tularemia in humans. it is recognized as a potential agent of bioterrorism due to its low infectious dose and multiple routes of transmission. to date, genetic manipulation in francisella spp. has been limited due to the inefficiency of dna transformation, the relative lack of useful selective markers, and the lack of stably replicating plasmids. therefore, the goal of this study was ... | 2004 | 15574954 |
| broth microdilution susceptibility testing of francisella tularensis: quality control limits for nine antimicrobial agents and three standard quality control strains. | for broth microdilution susceptibility tests of francisella tularensis, mueller-hinton broth with 2% isovitalex is recommended. using that medium, we studied three standard control strains tested with nine antimicrobial agents potentially efficacious for treating tularemia. an eight-laboratory collaborative study generated the data needed to propose appropriate mic control limits. | 2004 | 15583330 |