A case of Actinomyces hongkongensis pelvic actinomycosis in an adult woman is described. Conventional phenotypic tests failed to identify the Gram-positive bacillus isolated from a fluid aspirate of a pelvic abscess. The bacterium was identified by 16S rRNA gene sequencing and analysis using the SmartGene Integrated Database Network System software.A 47-year-old, gravida 2, para 2, immunocompetent woman presented to the hospital with pelvic pain and fever 13 days after a total abdominal hysterectomy and salpingectomy for menorrhagia and hydrosalpinx. Her medical profile included smoking, perforated gastric ulcer, appendectomy, tubal ligation reversal, and two diagnostic laparoscopies. She had no history of intrauterine contraceptive device (IUCD) use. One gram of intravenous (i.v.) prophylactic cefazolin had been administered before the procedure. The surgery had proceeded without complication (200-ml estimated blood loss), and the patient was discharged on postoperative day 3. On presentation, the patient's white blood cell count was 21.7 ϫ 10 9 cells/liter (18.6 ϫ 10 9 neutrophils/liter), the hemoglobin level was 117 g/liter, and the platelet count was 570 ϫ 10 9 platelets/liter. Electrolyte and creatinine levels were normal. A mass was palpated at the vaginal apex, and computed tomography (CT) showed a bilocular abscess immediately above the vaginal vault (the larger lobule measuring 8.8 by 5.8 cm), with regional inflammation (Fig. 1). The patient received empirical cefazolin and metronidazole, followed by clindamycin and gentamicin. She was then taken to the operating room for incision and drainage via a vaginal approach, but the mass was no longer palpable, and the procedure was aborted. Her antibiotic regimen was changed to ampicillin, gentamicin, and metronidazole, and fluid was drained from the residual mass under CT guidance the following day. Final CT imaging demonstrated a marked decrease in the size of the abscess. The patient improved clinically and was discharged home after 4 days in the hospital. As she had been afebrile for 2 days, no oral antibiotics were prescribed upon discharge. The patient remains free of symptoms 6 years after discharge from the hospital. The conjoint ethics board at the University of Calgary approved this study.The fluid aspirate was subcultured on Columbia sheep blood agar (BA), chocolate agar (CHOC), MacConkey agar, and Brucella blood agar (BBA) (PML Microbiologicals, Wilsonville, OR) plates and incubated anaerobically at 35°C for 48 h before examination using an Anoxomat Mark II system (Mark Microbiology, Drachten, Netherlands). Growth occurred on BBA plates as nonhemolytic, pinpoint colonies. Gram staining showed the isolate to be a straight Gram-positive bacillus. Biochemical analysis using the Vitek 2 ANC card (bioMérieux, Laval, Quebec, Canada) provided a low-discrimination organism split between Actinomyces meyeri and Propionibacterium acnes. The isolate was biochemically inert, except for positive arginine dihydrolase, alkaline phosphatase, tyrosine arylamidase, l...
Immature fruit fly stages of the family Tephritidae are commonly intercepted on breadfruit from Pacific countries at the New Zealand border but are unable to be identified to the species level using morphological characters. Subsequent molecular identification showed that they belong to Bactrocera xanthodes, which is part of a species complex that includes Bactrocera paraxanthodes, Bactrocera neoxanthodes and an undescribed species. To establish a more reliable molecular identification system for B. xanthodes, a reference database of DNA barcode sequences for the 5'-fragment of COI gene region was constructed for B. xanthodes from Fiji, Samoa and Tonga. To better understand the species complex, B. neoxanthodes from Vanuatu and B. paraxanthodes from New Caledonia were also barcoded. Using the results of this analysis, real-time TaqMan polymerase chain reaction (PCR) assays for the detection of B. xanthodes complex and for the three individual species of the complex were developed and validated. The assay showed high specificity for the target species, with no cross-reaction observed for closely related organisms. Each of the real-time PCR assays is sensitive, detecting the target sequences at concentrations as low as ten copies µl-1 and can be used as either singleplex or multiplex formats. This real-time PCR assay for B. xanthodes has been successfully applied at the borders in New Zealand, leading to the rapid identification of intercepted Tephritidae eggs and larvae. The developed assays will be useful biosecurity tools for rapid detection of species in the B. xanthodes complex worldwide.
As part of an eradication program, field searches were conducted to verify the geographical extent of the painted apple moth (PAM; Teia anartoides Walker: Lepidoptera: Lymantriidae) incursion and to determine which plants were being attacked. Most PAM were found on the wattle species, in particular Paraserianthes lophanta and Acacia mearnsii. Other species with large numbers of PAM included the native Corynocarpus laevigatus (karaka) and Avicennia marina (grey mangrove). The large number of PAM on these New Zealand species would not have been predicted from the known unrelated Australian hosts. The relatively high number of PAM found on inanimate objects demonstrated the mobility of PAM larvae and that plants upon which few larvae were found may not be suitable hosts for PAM.
-The tracheal mite, Acarapis woodi , is an obligate endoparasite of honeybees and a regulated pest in countries where these mites are absent. This work describes the development of a real-time PCR method for detecting tracheal mites in honeybees. The real-time PCR was evaluated for specificity, sensitivity and speed to detect A. woodi , compared to the standard manual thoracic disc method (TDM). The assay detected A. woodi down to a 1 % incidence level in bees and 1000 copies of the target DNA when using plasmid standards. Initial testing showed no cross-reaction with the other two Acarapis species from different geographical regions or with other species of mites associated with bees. However, during extensive testing of bees, a rare population of Acarapis externus mite was identified that did cross-react with the assay. Despite this cross-reaction, the assay has been shown to be a useful screening tool and results are reliable if the TDM is used as a backup to screen hives where a positive signal is obtained.honeybee / tracheal bee mite / Acarapis / automated DNA extraction / real-time PCR
Eyles et al. (2008) noted the first occurrence of Macrolophus pygmaeus (Rambur, 1839) in New Zealand in 2007, with a site locality reported as the Auckland Botanic Gardens.
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