Isolation and identification of Clostridium spp. from infections associated with the injection of drugs: experiences of a microbiological investigation team

Brazier, J S; Duerden, B. I.; Hall, Val; Salmon, Jane E.; Hood, John; Brett, M M; McLauchlin, James; George, Robert C.

doi:10.1099/0022-1317-51-11-985

Cited by 43 publications

(37 citation statements)

References 14 publications

Supporting

Mentioning

Contrasting

Order By: Relevance

“…A summary of the results from these 16 samples is given in Table 4. Examination of syringe residues during 2000 also yielded cultures of C. perfringens [16,34] and C. botulinum types A and B [35]. Results from that investigation (Table 4), together with the 58 samples described in this study did not identify any samples of heroin contaminated with either C. novyi or C. botulinum despite the fact that spiking experiments demonstrated that the procedures described here were capable of recovering these bacteria.…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 75%

“…None of the previous studies [22,23,25] used heating as a selective procedure, which also has the effect of heat-shocking (activating) bacterial endospores. The present study demonstrated the usefulness of this technique by the isolation of the small numbers of clostridia, although treatment to higher temperatures (70-808C) has been advocated by others for the isolation of this group of organisms [35].…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 93%

“…IDUs in 2000, 16 samples of heroin were collected in England and Scotland (two of which were not identified as part of the outbreak) and examined by various techniques [16,17,34,35]. One of the samples was obtained from an IDU and indistinguishable isolates of B. cereus were obtained from both the aspirate from an injection site wound and from a heroin sample used by the patient [17,34].…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

See 2 more Smart Citations

An investigation into the microflora of heroin

McLauchlin¹,

Mithani²,

Bolton³

et al. 2002

Journal of Medical Microbiology

Self Cite

View full text Add to dashboard Cite

In 2000, an unusual increase of morbidity and mortality among illegal injecting drug users in the UK and Ireland was reported and Clostridium novyi was identified as the likely source of the serious infection, although infections due to C. botulinum and Bacillus cereus were also reported. Because heroin was a possibile source of infection, this study investigated the microflora of heroin samples seized in England during 2000 and 2002. Two methods were developed for the examination of the microflora of heroin. The first consisted of suspension of the drug in maximum recovery diluent (MRD) which was inoculated directly into Clostridium Botulinum Isolation Cooked Meat Broth (CBI). The second method rendered the heroin soluble in citric acid, concentrated particulate material (and bacterial cells) by filtration and removed heroin residues by washing with citric acid and phosphate-buffered saline before placing the filter in CBI broth. Duplicate CBI broths from both methods were incubated without heating and after heating at 608C for 30 min. Subcultures were made after incubation for 7 and 14 days on to eight different solid media. The methods were evaluated with heroin samples spiked with either C. botulinum or C. novyi spore suspensions; recovery of 10 spores in the original sample was demonstrated. Fifty-eight heroin samples were tested by citric acid solubilisation and 34 by the MRD suspension technique. Fifteen different grampositive species of four genera were recognised. No fungi were isolated. Aerobic endospore-forming bacteria (Bacillus spp. and Paenibacillus macerans) were the predominant microflora isolated and at least one species was isolated from each sample. B. cereus was the most common species and was isolated from 95% of all samples, with B. licheniformis isolated from 40%. Between one and five samples yielded cultures of B. coagulans, B. laterosporus, B. pumilus, B. subtilis and P. macerans. Staphylococcus spp. were isolated from 23 (40%) samples; S. warneri and S. epidermidis were the most common and were cultured from 13 (22%) and 6 (10%) samples respectively. One or two samples yielded cultures of S. aureus, S. capitis and S. haemolyticus. The remainder of the flora detected comprised two samples contaminated with C. perfringens and two samples with either C. sordellii or C. tertium. Multiple bacterial species were isolated from 43 (74%) samples, a single species from the remaining 15. In 13 samples B. cereus alone was isolated, in one B. subtilis alone and in one sample B. pumilus alone. C. botulinum and C. novyi were not isolated from any of the heroin samples. Recommendations for the optimal examination of the microflora of heroin are given.

show abstract

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 75%

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 93%

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

See 1 more Smart Citation

An investigation into the microflora of heroin

McLauchlin¹,

Mithani²,

Bolton³

et al. 2002

Journal of Medical Microbiology

Self Cite

View full text Add to dashboard Cite

show abstract

“…Bacteroids infections can occur in all body sites, including the CNS, the head, the neck, the chest, the abdomen, the pelvis, the skin and the soft tissues (Brook, 2006). Pathogenic species of the genus Clostridium may contaminate the materials used in the injection of drugs and under the right conditions may cause serious or life-threatening disease (Brazier et al, 2002;Alwakeel, 2008). Staphylococcus aureus is ubiquitous and may be a part of human flora, however, the organism may cause disease through invasion and toxin production such as abscess, pneumonia, diarrhoea and the most feared toxic shock syndrome (Tolan, 2007).…”

Section: Bacteria Pollution Indoor Of Hospitalsmentioning

confidence: 99%

Microbial Allergy with Special Focus on Saudi Arabia

Mahmoud¹,

Alghmadi²

2015

Microbiology J.

View full text Add to dashboard Cite

Asthma is a clinical syndrome that typically consists of increased airway hyper-responsiveness and recurrent episodes of airway obstruction and inflammation. Allergy is a heightened sensitivity to a foreign substance. The early interventions with anti-inflammatory agents have indicated that the inhalation of corticosteroids may be effective in the treatment of recurrent wheezing. Currently, long-term asthma control medicines have been prescribed to be taken by mouth in order to open the airways and prevent airway inflammation. Examples included inhaled long-acting B2-agonists (used with low-dose inhaled corticosteroids), leukotriene modifiers, cromolyn and nedocromil and theophylline. In future, the bronchial thermoplasty may become the first non-pharmaceutical treatment for asthma. Furthermore, there is an urgent need for new anti-asthma drugs, where there are millions of people suffering of severe asthma. New treatments have been attempted especially those involving plant and herbal extracts. Asthma and allergy updated knowledge have been highlighted in this review.

show abstract

“…It was commonly applied in phylogenetic analysis of the 16S RNA gene sequence of C. butyricum (Belokopytov et al, 2012). However, it requires relatively high-standard laboratory facilities and is a time-consuming process (Brazier et al, 2002). Badenoch et al (2007) pointed out that anaerobic bacteria are rarely implicated in infections.…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Development of a cyclic voltammetry method for the detection of Clostridium novyi in black disease

Liu¹,

Jiang²,

Xiang³

et al. 2014

Genet. Mol. Res.

View full text Add to dashboard Cite

ABSTRACT. Black disease is an acute disease of sheep and cattle. The pathogen is the obligate anaerobe, Clostridium novyi. Due to difficulties of anaerobic culturing in the country or disaster sites, a simple, rapid, and sensitive method is required. In this study, an electrochemical method, the cyclic voltammetry method, basing on loop-mediated isothermal amplification (LAMP), electrochemical ion bonding (positive dye, methylene blue), was introduced. DNA extracted from C. novyi specimens was amplified through the LAMP reaction. Then the products combined were with methylene blue, which lead to a reduction in the oxidation peak current (ipA) and the reduction peak current (ipC) of the cyclic voltammetry. The changes of ipA/ipC were real-time measured by special designed electrode, so the DNA was quantitatively detected. The results displayed that this electrochemical detection of C. novyi could be completed in 1-2 h with the lowest bacterial concentration of 10 2 colony forming units/mL, and high accuracy (96.5%), sensitivity (96%), and specificity (97%) compared to polymerase chain reation. The cyclic voltammetry method was a simple and fast method, with high sensitivity and high specificity, 1725 Cyclic voltammetry detection of Clostridium novyi©FUNPEC-RP www.funpecrp.com.br Genetics and Molecular Research 13 (1): 1724-1734 (2014) and has great potential to be a usable molecular tool for fast diagnosis of Black disease.

show abstract

Isolation and identification of Clostridium spp. from infections associated with the injection of drugs: experiences of a microbiological investigation team

Cited by 43 publications

References 14 publications

An investigation into the microflora of heroin

An investigation into the microflora of heroin

Microbial Allergy with Special Focus on Saudi Arabia

Development of a cyclic voltammetry method for the detection of Clostridium novyi in black disease

Contact Info

Product

Resources

About