title: Molecular epidemiology of Rhodococcus equi of intermediate virulence isolated from patients with and without acquired immune deficiency syndrome in Chiang Mai, Thailand.
abstract: We investigated the prevalence of virulent Rhodococcus equi in clinical isolates from 69 sporadic cases (60 men, 8 women, and 1 patient of unknown sex) in Chiang Mai, Thailand, between 1993 and 2001. Fifty were human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) positive, 3 were HIV negative, and HIV status was unknown for 16. Fifty-two (75%) of 69 isolates were strains of intermediate virulence that contained the virulence-associated 20-kDa antigen, and 17 isolates (25%) were avirulent. No virulent strains with the virulence-associated 15-17-kDa antigens were identified. R. equi was isolated from HIV-positive patients' houses and those of their neighbors: avirulent strains were widespread, but only 1 strain of intermediate virulence was isolated. R. equi strains of intermediate virulence were isolated from 4 (0.8%) of 500 submaxillary lymph nodes from apparently healthy pigs in Chiang Mai. The routes of R. equi acquisition should be investigated from the viewpoint of zoonosis and public health.
authors.affiliation: Department of Animal Hygiene, School of Veterinary Medicine and Animal Sciences, Kitasato University, Towada, Aomori, Japan. takai@vmas.kitasato-u.ac.jp.
authors.forename: Shinji
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Takai
authors.forename: Prasit
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Tharavichitkul
authors.forename: Piyawan
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Takarn
authors.forename: Banyoung
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Khantawa
authors.forename: Mami
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Tamura
authors.forename: Azusa
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Tsukamoto
authors.forename: Saki
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Takayama
authors.forename: Noriko
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Yamatoda
authors.forename: Ayumi
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Kimura
authors.forename: Yukako
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Sasaki
authors.forename: Tsutomu
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Kakuda
authors.forename: Shiro
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Tsubaki
authors.forename: Niwat
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Maneekarn
authors.forename: Thira
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Sirisanthana
authors.forename: Teruo
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Kirikae
mesh_terms: D000163:Acquired Immunodeficiency Syndrome / Q000382:microbiology*; D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D000818:Animals; D005243:Feces / Q000382:microbiology; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008198:Lymph Nodes / Q000382:microbiology; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D016929:Rhodococcus equi / Q000302:isolation & purification* / Q000472:pathogenicity; D012988:Soil Microbiology; D013552:Swine / Q000382:microbiology; D014774:Virulence