Molecular Epidemiology of Anthrax Cases Associated with Recreational Use of Animal Hides and Yarn in the United States

Abstract

To determine potential links between the clinical isolate to animal products and their geographic origin, we genotyped (MLVA-8, MVLA-15, and canSNP analysis) 80 environmental and 12 clinical isolates and 2 clinical specimens from five cases of anthrax (California in 1976 [n = 1], New York in 2006 [n = 1], Connecticut in 2007 [n = 2], and New Hampshire in 2009[n = 1]) resulting from recreational handling of animal products. For the California case, four clinical isolates were identified as MLVA-8 genotype (GT) 76 and in the canSNP A.Br.Vollum lineage, which is consistent with the Pakistani origin of the yarn. Twenty eight of the California isolates were in the A.Br.Vollum canSNP lineage and one isolate was in the A.Br. 003/004 canSNP sub-group. All 52 isolates and both clinical specimens related to the New York and Connecticut cases were MLVA-8 GT 1. The animal products associated with the NY and CT cases were believed to originate from West Africa, but no isolates from this region are available to be genotyped for comparison. All isolates associated with the New Hampshire case were identical and had a new genotype (GT 149). Isolates from the NY, CT and NH cases diverge from the established canSNP phylogeny near the base of the A.Br.011/009. This report illustrates the power of the current genotyping methods and the dramatically different epidemiological conditions that can lead to infections (i.e., contamination by a single genotype versus widespread contamination of numerous genotypes). These cases illustrate the need to acquire and genotype global isolates so that accurate assignments can be made about isolate origins.

Genotyping of Bacillus anthracis Strains Circulating in Albania

“…The HRM analysis showed that all the strains belong to the subgroup A.Br.008/011 [16]. The MLVA test at 15 loci showed three different genotypes: Albania GT/1, Albania GT/2 and Albania GT/3 ( Figure 2 and Table 3).…”

Application of High-Throughput Sequencing: Discovery of Informative SNPs to Subtype <i>Bacillus anthracis</i>

“…Nine novel DNA signatures were selected and developed into SNP discrimination assays. Combined with previously established canSNPs [10]- [12] [24], the set of 27 markers described here allows a more precise and reliable phylogenetically assignment of any B. anthracis strain into 20 sub-lineages or sub-groups. The present method will contribute to improve our ability to characterize B. anthracis strains and to react rapidly when the identity and origin of a suspicious strain need to be established.…”

Multiple-locus variable number of tandem repeat analysis assay as a tool for the epidemiological study of Brucella canis in Korea

“…MLVA has been used in epidemiological studies of Brucella species (9,10), Streptococcus agalactiae (11), Pseudomonas aeruginosa (12), Bacillus anthracis (13,14), and Salmonella typhimurium (15,16). The discriminatory power of the assay has been increased by the inclusion of more markers.…”