An outbreak at a university in Georgia was identified after 83 cases of probable pneumonia were reported among students. Respiratory specimens were obtained from 21 students for the outbreak investigation. The TaqMan array card (TAC), a quantitative PCR (qPCR)-based multipathogen detection technology, was used to initially identify Mycoplasma pneumoniae as the causative agent in this outbreak. TAC demonstrated 100% diagnostic specificity and sensitivity compared to those of the multiplex qPCR assay for this agent. All M. pneumoniae specimens (n ‫؍‬ 12) and isolates (n ‫؍‬ 10) were found through genetic analysis to be susceptible to macrolide antibiotics. The strain diversity of M. pneumoniae associated with this outbreak setting was identified using a variety of molecular typing procedures, resulting in two P1 genotypes (types 1 [60%] and 2 [40%]) and seven different multilocus variable-number tandem-repeat analysis (MLVA) profiles. Continued molecular typing of this organism, particularly during outbreaks, may enhance the current understanding of the epidemiology of M. pneumoniae and may ultimately lead to a more effective public health response.

Background Disseminated gonococcal infections (DGI) are thought to be uncommon; surveillance is limited and case reports are analyzed retrospectively or in case clusters. We describe the population-level burden of culture-confirmed DGI through the Active Bacterial Core surveillance (ABCs) system. Methods During 2015–2016, retrospective surveillance was conducted among residents in two ABCs areas and prospectively in three ABCs areas during 2017–2019. A DGI case was defined as isolation of Neisseria gonorrhoeae (Ng) from a normally sterile site. A case report form was completed for each case and antimicrobial susceptibility testing (AST) was performed on available isolates. Results During 2015–2019, 77 DGI cases were identified (~a rate of 0.13 cases per 100,000 population) and accounted for 0.06% of all reported gonorrhea cases in the three surveillance areas. Most DGI cases were male (64%), non-Hispanic Black (68%), and ranged from 16–67 years; blood (55%) and joint (40%) were the most common sterile sites. Among 29 isolates with AST results during 2017–2019, all were susceptible to ceftriaxone. Conclusions DGI is an infrequent complication of Ng; since Ng can quickly develop antimicrobial resistance, continued DGI surveillance, including monitoring trends in antimicrobial susceptibility, could help inform DGI treatment recommendations.

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Background/Context As grounding for our work, we consider the creation and development of the teaching profession as a particularly “feminine” role. We then briefly describe the contemporary context of schooling, particularly related to neoliberal accountability and its impact on teachers’ experiences. This comparison shows that the historical claims pertaining to women in the teaching workforce have modern-day equivalents, suggesting that the workforce and emotions pertaining to it are still heavily regulated and monitored. Purpose of Study The purpose of this study is to explore how teachers’ emotions are or are not supported and nurtured in an urban high school, contextualized by an exploration of what it means to work in a “feminized” profession that is increasingly subject to regulations that limit teachers’ autonomy and agency. Research Design Drawing on portraiture methodology and using interview and field note data from a case study on teacher morale in an urban high school, we advance a theory about the emotional rules of teaching in a neoliberal era. Findings We argue that teachers have been socialized into the emotional rules of the profession in ways that inhibit their expressions of so-called outlaw emotions, or negative emotions that certain groups have been taught not to exhibit. For some teachers, these emotions may manifest as vulnerability, shame, or burnout. Conclusions/Recommendations We conclude that emotional rules are embodied and that there are material consequences to the ways teachers are required to regulate their emotions. Teachers’ expressions of outlaw emotions should be viewed as courageous. Teachers’ vulnerability should be nurtured at both individual and institutional levels in order to build teacher community, reduce feelings of burnout and isolation, and ultimately (hopefully) reduce teacher attrition. Valuing the humanity and emotions of teachers is a critical step in ensuring humanity for all of our children.

Several countries in Europe and Australia are reporting an increasing incidence of Neisseria meningitidis serogroup W (NmW) as a consequence of the rapid expansion of a single NmW clone belonging to clonal complex 11 (1–5). Because this clone is reported to be associated with more severe disease, unusual clinical presentations, and a high case fatality ratio (CFR), it is considered a hypervirulent strain (1,6). In the United States, NmW accounts for approximately 5% of meningococcal disease reported each year, and this proportion has remained stable for several years (7). However, localized increases in NmW have been reported, most notably in Florida during 2008–2009 (8). In Georgia, NmW accounted for only 3% of meningococcal disease cases reported during 2006–2013; however, between January 2014 and December 2016, 42% of all reported cases were NmW. Surveillance data from Georgia were analyzed to describe the epidemiology and clinical characteristics of NmW cases, and whole-genome sequencing of NmW isolates was performed for comparison with NmW strains circulating in the United States and worldwide. These data indicate that the U.S. NmW strains might have evolved from the same ancestor as the hypervirulent strain that is circulating globally. Genetic analysis demonstrates that these strains are closely related, which would suggest that genetic variation led to the rise of different strains from the same ancestor. Given the recent global expansion of this potentially hypervirulent NmW lineage, clinicians and public health officials need to remain vigilant in obtaining isolates to monitor changes in circulating strains.