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Y Piémont

Publications and source records attributed to Y Piémont.

41 records · Page 3Linked to original sources

[Demonstration by electrosyneresis of 2 exfoliation serotypes produced by Staphylococcus aureus].

The method described allowed a rapid, easy and reliable detection of exfoliative toxin produced by Staphylococcus aureus. A new culture technique of S. aureus strains and the detection of exfoliative toxin by electrosyneresis are described. This could replace the new-born mouse test. Such a method was useful for epidemiological studies because a lot of strains of S. aureus could be screened for exfoliative toxin production; thus the serotype of the toxin (ETA or ETB) was also determined.

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[Bartonellosis: I. Bartonella henselae].

The recent discovery of the bacterium Bartonella henselae was mainly due to the development of molecular biology techniques adapted to microbial diagnosis and to the description of new human diseases linked to Aids. About 10% of pet cats and 33% of stray cats harbour that bacterium in their blood. In immunocompetent patients, that bacterium is responsible for human cat scratch disease, characterized essentially by a localized lymph nodes enlargement in the vicinity of the entry site of the bacteria. This disease occurs more likely in pet cats less than 1-year-old and infested with fleas. The bacterium is transmitted to humans by scratches or bites; the role of fleas is possible, but is not yet documented. In 5 to 13% of cases, the cat scratch disease appears as more severe, including health impairment, hepatitis, Parinaud's oculo-glandular syndrome, neurological complications or stellate retinitis. In immunocompromised patients, B. henselae is responsible for various clinical presentations: bacillary angiomatosis, bacillary peliosis, recurrent or persistent bacteremia or endocarditis. Diagnosis of infections due to B. henselae can be performed by serological specific testing with sensitivity and specificity values ranging from 75 to 100%. Cultivation of the bacterium is fastidious, particularly in cases of cat scratch disease. The most efficient diagnostic test is the in vitro DNA amplification which has the drawback to require a lymph node sample. Antibiotics are usually inefficient for the treatment of cat scratch disease. By contrast, in immunocompromised patients, these infections are successfully treated for a more or less long time by macrolides or tetracyclines or rifampin.

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[Bartonellosis. II. Other Bartonella responsible for human diseases].

In addition to Bartonella henselae, five other Bartonella species were involved in human pathology. As for B. henselae, ectoparasites seem to be responsible for the transmission of most or all these bacterial species. B. bacilliformis is responsible for Carrion's disease that occurs in some valleys of Colombia, Ecuador and Peru. This disease is transmitted by biting of infected sandflies. The bacterial reservoir is constituted by humans only. That disease occurs either as an acute form with severe infectious hemolytic anemia (or Oroya fever), or as benign cutaneous tumors, also called verruga peruana. Healthy blood carriers of the bacterium exist. Trench fever was described during the First World War. This non-lethal disease is constituted of recurrent febrile attacks associated particularly with osseous pains. The causative agent of the disease is B. quintana, transmitted by the body louse. Humans seem to be the reservoir of that bacterium. In some patients, B. quintana can be responsible for endocarditis, bacillary angiomatosis and chronic or recurrent bacteremia. Other human infections due to Bartonella sp. have been described: B. vinsonii, isolated from blood of small rodents, and B. elizabethae, the reservoir of which is currently unknown, can be responsible for endocardites. B. clarridgeiae (isolated from blood of 5% of pet cats and 17% of stray cats) may be responsible for human cat scratch disease. All these bartonelloses are diagnosed by non-standard blood culture or by in vitro DNA amplification or by serological testing. Their treatment requires tetracyclines or chloramphenicol or macrolides.

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