PATHOGEN OF THE MONTH Image: Brucella spp, a gram-negative bacteria that cause Brucellosis in cattle and humans   written by Chandana Balasubramanian The Brucella species of gram-negative bacteria has an interesting past. The infection caused by Brucella – Brucellosis – is one of the most widespread zoonotic diseases and has been around for centuries. Brucella was even found in a 700-year-old skeleton from Italy [1]! The discovery that Brucella can be carried and transmitted through healthy goats is considered one of the “greatest advancements ever made in the study of epidemiology.” This ..read more

  written by Chandana Balasubramanian Epidemiologists, you can now get to your insights faster with the Quantify tool – GIDEON Informatics’ latest addition to their comprehensive infectious disease database. Many people may not realize that an epidemiologist’s work is like that of a swan. Swans may glide smoothly on a lake, but their elegance is fueled by furious and relentless pedaling under the water. Similarly, readers can peruse infectious disease journals quickly. However, these publications are the culmination of years, and even decades, of extensive and meticulous data collection ..read more

Image: Microbiologist testing poultry sample for the presence of Salmonella   written by Chandana Balasubramanian About 150 children in Finland and a total of 450 individuals have fallen ill from Salmonella poisoning. Most affected individuals are from daycare centers in the city of Jyväskylä. The cause of this outbreak is suspected to be lettuce imported from Germany via Sweden [1]. Though Salmonella outbreaks have been declining, the 2021 Finland outbreak is one of many reported worldwide this year. As our world continues to shrink due to globalization, it is getting harder for public h ..read more

Image: Newborn Aedes albopictus mosquito   written by Chandana Balasubramanian Aedes aegypti and Aedes albopictus mosquito-borne illnesses are not just tropical diseases anymore There’s Dengue fever in California and reports of Zika, Dengue, and Chikungunya cases in Florida. West Nile cases are on the rise in the US, with two recent deaths reported in Arizona and Los Angeles. What do they have in common? These diseases are all mosquito-borne diseases transmitted by the Aedes aegypti and Aedes albopictus species of mosquitoes. The Aedes aegypti mosquito can transmit Dengue, Yellow fever, Z ..read more

PATHOGEN OF THE MONTH: CLOSTRIDIUM TETANI Image: 3D illustration of Clostridium tetani, the agent of Tetanus   written by Chandana Balasubramanian There’s an urban legend about Tetanus shots. Many people feel you need them only when you step on a rusty nail or if a splinter pokes you. Like any good myth, there is a tiny bit of truth attached to it. Yes, stepping on a nail is a good reason to get a Tetanus shot – but not because of the rust. Once your skin barrier is ruptured, Tetanus bacterial spores from contaminated items can easily enter your body. The truth is there are many ways to g ..read more

Image: Brugia malayi in blood, a roundworm nematode, one of the causative agents of lymphatic filariasis, 3D illustration showing the presence of sheath around the worm and two non-continuous nuclei in the tail   written by Chandana Balasubramanian   Lymphatic Filariasis, commonly known as Elephantiasis, is considered a Neglected Tropical Disease (NTD). This is unfortunate because it is the second leading cause of permanent and long-term disability in the world! [1] As of 2019, it continues to be a threat to over 859 million people in over 70 countries.  Like other Neglected Tro ..read more

Written by Chandana Balasubramanian   Whether you are a student of nursing, health sciences, public health, or another specialty, you may be interested in expanding your knowledge of epidemiology. Today, the study of infectious diseases is not limited to specialists in the field or researchers. This is because, in our ever-shrinking world, an emerging disease can turn from a small outbreak in one country to a global pandemic in a few weeks. Additionally, shrinking forests and greater urbanization increase the risk of zoonotic transmission of pathogens (transfer of an infectious virus or ..read more

Photo by Satheesh Sankaran on Unsplash   written by Chandana Balasubramanian   Could your patient have kissed a camel recently? A new patient may have fallen ill after indulging in a little ‘tari’ (fermented date palm sap) in Southeast Asia. Or could your hospital be in the midst of a Candida Auris outbreak – the multi-drug resistant, severe-illness causing, and often-misidentified yeast?   When you need to identify an unknown pathogen or biothreat agent, as the title song of the movie ‘Ghostbusters’ goes, “Who you gonna call?” If you’re in Maryland, Sheryl Stuckey and her ..read more

PATHOGEN OF THE MONTH: BACILLUS ANTHRACIS Image: Bacillus anthracis, a gram-positive spore-forming bacteria that causes Anthrax   Trends from past decades can be delightful when they return to inspire today’s music, fashion, and art. However, recently, a dangerous blast from the past reared its ugly head. In early August 2021, China reported a case of the deadly Anthrax pneumonia – its first case after ten years [1]. A few weeks later, local health authorities in another Chinese province discovered nine suspected cases of Anthrax [2]. Around the same time, Russia confirmed a case of Anthr ..read more

GIDEON Bacterial Unknown Project. Original Photo by CDC on Unsplash   written by Chandana Balasubramanian Fast, Online Flowcharts for Bacterial Unknown Projects GIDEON’s Bacterial Unknown Project allows microbiology professors to make and print dynamic dichotomous keys online. Using hundreds of decision trees, you can help your students identify over 2,000 pathogens with a few clicks of your mouse. That’s right. No more drawing elaborate dichotomous key flowcharts by hand or using a clunky word processing program. GIDEON (Global Infectious Diseases and Epidemiology Online Network) is one ..read more