Allen C. Cheng

Endocarditis Caused by Staphylococcus aureus with Reduced Susceptibility to Vancomycin

Clinical management of infective endocarditis (IE) is expected to become more difficult with the emergence of Staphylococcus aureus with reduced susceptibility to vancomycin (SARV) in the United States and worldwide. We report the strain characterization and treatment of a patient with SARV IE.

Successful control of an outbreak of invasive aspergillosis in a regional haematology unit during hospital construction works

We report the successful control of an outbreak of six cases of nosocomial invasive aspergillosis (IA) in our haematology unit coinciding with major hospital construction works. Infection control changes included unit relocation, impermeable barriers at construction site, face-masking and voriconazole prophylaxis of 18 further high-risk patients, none of which developed breakthrough IA. A multi-faceted pre-emptive approach involving clinicians, hospital management, engineering and building departments is essential in preventing nosocomial IA outbreaks.

Q fever outbreak at a cosmetics supply factory.

Q fever is a zoonotic disease that is most commonly associated with outbreaks in slaughterhouses. We describe an outbreak of 4 cases occurring in a factory that processes ovine fetal products for the cosmetics industry. It is important that industries typically not associated with risk of Q fever are made aware of potential health risks that workers might be exposed to so further outbreaks might be prevented.

Clinical profile and strain relatedness of recurrent enterococcal bacteremia

We defined the molecular epidemiology of recurrent enterococcal bacteremia using pulsed field gel electrophoresis. We identified 27 patients, comprising 60 episodes; strain relatedness was demonstrated in 8 patients with isolates separated by up to 6u2009y. Carriage of pathogenic enterococci may be prolonged, although re-infection with novel strains is more commonly seen.