Molecular epidemiology of tuberculosis in Cambodian children.

SUMMARY We analysed Mycobacterium tuberculosis strains from children, hospitalized from January 2004 to July 2008 in the largest paediatric hospital complex in Cambodia. Specimens were tested for drug susceptibility and genotypes. From the 260 children, 161 strains were available. The East African-Indian genotype family was the most common (59.0%), increasing in frequency with distance from the Phnom Penh area, while the frequency of the Beijing genotype family strains decreased. The drug resistance pattern showed a similar geographical gradient: lowest in the northwest (4.6%), intermediate in the central (17.1%), and highest in the southeastern (30.8%) parts of the country. Three children (1.9%) had multidrug-resistant tuberculosis. The Beijing genotype and streptomycin resistance were significantly associated (P < 0.001). As tuberculosis in children reflects recent transmission patterns in the community, multidrug resistance levels inform about the current quality of the tuberculosis programme.

Genome Sequences of Rare Human Enterovirus Genotypes Recovered from Clinical Respiratory Samples in Bern, Switzerland.

We report on genomic sequences of human enteroviruses (EVs) that were identified in respiratory samples in Bern, Switzerland, in 2018 and 2019. Besides providing sequences for coxsackievirus A2, echovirus 11, and echovirus 30, we determined the sequences of rare EV-D68 and EV-C105 genotypes circulating in Switzerland.

Laboratory diagnosis of tuberculosis in a large pediatric hospital in Cambodia.

SETTING: Tuberculosis laboratory in the Jayavarman VII Children's Hospital in Siem Reap, part of the Kantha Bopha Hospitals, the largest pediatric hospital complex in Cambodia. OBJECTIVE: To determine the efficiency of on-site microscopy and rRNA amplification in children with a clinical diagnosis of tuberculosis (TB) and specimen sampling for culture. RESULTS: From 1 July 2005 to 31 March 2006, 52,400 children were admitted to the hospital. Among these, 405 children had tuberculosis, including 91 (22.5%) laboratory-confirmed cases, or respectively 7.7 and 1.7 per 1000 admissions. Among cases confirmed by microscopy or rRNA assay, rRNA identified 91.2%. Among all culture-confirmed cases, rRNA identified 90.5%. Culture alone contributed 7.1% to all laboratory confirmed cases. The yield of culture from preserved specimens was not affected by shipment delay. For 97.4% of the children, the maximum turnaround time for the on-site laboratory result was 48 h. CONCLUSION: Implementation of a mycobacteriology service in a referral hospital is feasible, as the molecular technique is highly efficient. Storage of specimen aliquots allows subsequent culture without loss of viability due to shipment delay.