Virulence of Rhodococcus equi strains from 20 humans in Brazil was investigated by using a polymerase chain reaction to characterize isolates as virulent (VapA), intermediately virulent (VapB), and avirulent. Nine isolates were obtained from human immunodeficiency virus (HIV)–positive patients, six from HIV-negative patients, and five from patients of unknown status. Five isolates were VapB positive, four were VapA positive, and eleven were avirulent. Among the nine isolates from HIV-positive patients, five contained VapB plasmids and two contained VapA plasmids. Five VapB-positive isolates had the type 8 virulence plasmid. Eleven of the patients had a history of contact with livestock and/or a farm environment, and none had contact with pigs.

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A simple evaluation method for amplification of response spectrum by surface strata is proposed. The proposed method does not require any time history of design ground motion. That means the proposed method can be utilized in response and limit capacity calculation. In the proposed method, the response spectrum of design ground motion is converted to equivalent power spectrum density. The transfer function of surface strata is evaluated by one dimensional elastic wave propagation theory. The power spectrum density at ground surface is converted to response spectrum using peak factor. The good accuracy is achieved in evaluation of response spectrum amplification.