Catastrophic scapular fracture in a stallion

A 4-year-old Thoroughbred stallion suffered a fracture of the left thoracic limb while racing. Because of the poor prognosis, the horse was euthanized Follow-up questions: • Morphologic diagnosis? • Etiopathogenesis? • Risk factors?

Phenotypic and genotypic characterization of Streptococcus agalactiae in pregnant women: first study in a province of Argentina

Group B Streptococcus (GBS) is the leading cause of neonatal infections. Our purpose was to characterize GBS colonization in pregnant women, current serotypes, resistance phenotypes and genes associated with virulence. In Misiones, Argentina, there are no previous data on this topic. Vaginal-rectal swabs from 3125 pregnant women were studied between 2004 and 2010. GBS strains were identified by conventional and serological methods (Phadebact Strep B Test, ETC International, Bactus AB, Sweden). Serotypes were detected using Strep-B Latex (Statens Serum Institut, Denmark). Resistance phenotypes were determined by the double-disk test. Genes were studied by PCR. Maternal colonization was 9.38%. Resistance to erythromycin was 11.6%, and the constitutive phenotype was the predominant one. Serotype Ia was the most frequent, whereas serotypes IV, VI, VII and VIII were not detected. The lmb, bca and hylB genes were detected in more than 79% of the strains. In this study, the colonization rate with GBS and the serotype distribution were compared with studies reported in other areas of the country. The high resistance to erythromycin in Misiones justifies performing antibiotic susceptibility testing. The serotype distribution, the genes encoding putative virulence factors, and the patterns of resistance phenotypes of GBS may vary in different areas. They thus need to be evaluated in each place to devise strategies for prevention.(AU)

Antibiotic susceptibility patterns and prevalence of group B Streptococcus isolated from pregnant women in Misiones, Argentina

This study was performed to determine the susceptibility patterns and the colonization rate of Group B Streptococcus (GBS) in a population of pregnant women. From January 2004 to December 2006, vaginal-rectal swabs were obtained from 1105 women attending Dr. Ramón Madariaga Hospital, in Posadas, Misiones, Argentina. The carriage rate of GBS among pregnant women was 7.6%. A total of 62 GBS strains were randomly selected for in vitro susceptibility testing to penicillin G, ampicillin, tetracycline, levofloxacin, gatifloxacin, ciprofloxacin, quinupristin-dalfopristin, linezolid, vancomycin, rifampicin, trimethoprim-sulfametoxazol, nitrofurantoin, gentamicin, clindamycin and erythromycin, and determination of resistance phenotypes. No resistance to penicillin, ampicillin, quinupristin-dalfopristin, linezolid, and vancomycin was found. Of the isolates examined 96.8%, 98.3%, 46.8%, and 29.0% were susceptible to rifampicin, nitrofurantoin, trimethoprim-sulfametoxazol and tetracycline, respectively. Rank order of susceptibility for the quinolones was: gatifloxacin (98.4%) > levofloxacin (93.5%) > ciprofloxacin (64.5%). The rate of resistance to erythromycin (9.7%) was higher than that of other reports from Argentina. High-level resistance to gentamicin was not detected in any of the isolates. Based on our finding of 50% of GBS isolates with MIC to gentamicin equal o lower than 8 µg/ml, a concentration used in one of the selective media recommended for GBS isolation, we suggested, at least in our population, the use of nalidixic acid and colistin in selective media with the aim to improve the sensitivity of screening cultures for GBS carriage in women.

Esse estudo objetivou determinar os padrões de sensibilidade a antibióticos e as taxas de colonização de Streptococcus do grupo B (GBS) em uma população de mulheres grávidas. Entre janeiro de 2004 e dezembro de 2006, foram obtidos swabs vaginais-retais de 1105 mulheres no Hospital Dr. Ramon Madariaga, em Posadas, Missiones, Argentina. A positividade para GBS nas mulheres grávidas foi 7,6%. Um total de 62 cepas de GBS foi selecionado ao acaso para testes in vitro de sensibilidade a penicilina G, ampicilina, tetraciclina, levofloxacina, gatifloxacina, ciprofloxacina, quinupristina-dalfopristina, linezolida, vancomicina, rifampicina, trimetoprim-sulfametoxazol, nitrofurantoína, gentamicina, clindamicina e eritromicina, e determinação dos fenótipos de resistência. Não foi encontrada resistência à penicilina, ampicilina, quinupristina-dalfopristina, linezolida e vancomicina. Entre as cepas, 96,8%, 98,3%, 46,8% e 29,0% foram sensíveis à rifampicina, nitrofurantoína, trimetoprim-sulfametoxazol e tetraciclina, respectivamente. Para as quinolonas, a ordem de sensibilidade foi: gatifloxacina (98,4%) > levofloxacina (93,8%) > ciprofloxacina (64,5%). A taxa de resistência à eritromicina (9,7%) foi superior a de outros relatos na Argentina. Nenhuma das cepas apresentou alto nível de resistência à gentamicina. Devido a 50% das cepas de GBS terem apresentado MIC para gentamicina igual ou inferior a 8 mg/ml, correspondente à concentração usada em um dos meios seletivos recomendados para GBS, sugeriu-se ao menos em nossa população, o emprego de ácido nalidíxico e colistina em meios seletivos para melhorar a sensibilidade da triagem de culturas para GBS em mulheres grávidas.

The first report of Tityus (Scorpiones: Buthidae) in Anzoátegui State, Venezuela: a new species

Tityus gonzalespongai n. sp. is a species endemic to the high mountains of Anzoátegui State, Venezuela. It is found between 1,600 and 2,200 m in ''La Laguna'' mountain. Its habitat includes the area of ''Bosque Húmedo Montano Bajo'' with the type of vegetation of ''Bosque Ombrófilo Montano Siempreverde'' (''Bosques Nublados Costeros'' that includes the ''Subpáramos Arbustivos''). It is distinguished from other Tityus species (T. caripitensis, T. monaguensis, and T. nororientalis) by the following characteristics: 1- the disposition of the trichobothria in the pedipalps; 2- ventral keels of the caudal segments of the metasoma (segment II, double and parallel in the proximal two thirds, then convergent and finally divergent in the base; segments III and IV, double and parallel in the basal third, then convergent in a single keel that divides in the base); 3- the number of lines of denticles of the movable finger of the right pedipalp (male = 14; female = 14); 4- pectineous teeth (right/left: male = 15/15: female = 16/15); 5- color: movable and fixed fingers dark brown; prosoma and metasoma, ochre; caudal segment IV, slightly darker than the previous ones; V and the telson, dark brown. T. gonzalespongai belongs to the ''androcottoides'' group and presents a marked sexual dimorphism. It is the first species of the Tityus genus described and reported in Anzoátegui State, expanding this taxa distribution in Venezuela.