This organism is XDR Shigella sonnei.
The black colonies on XLD are H2S producing Citrobacter freundii- normal enteric flora.

It's official! XBB boosters for all.

CDC Recommends Updated COVID-19 Vaccine for Fall/Winter Virus Season cdc.gov/media/releases…

#MicroRounds (Day 998): 'nucleation'

2 of 2 blood culture *sets* (not bottles) growing a non-motile spindly GNR? May be Fusobacterium.

This F. nucleatum grew in bundles & clusters, possibly related to its reported aggregation/plaque formation ability. #ASMClinMicro #IDTwitter

Spooky season is upon us
🍁🎃👻💀🍂
Name that siderophore…
#Halloween #clinicalmicrobiology #itsfallyall #path2path #uabpathology #bacteriology

I wear another hat as Emerging Public Health Crises director. Lots of partnerships with reference labs & public health/CDC over the years. Ben Bradley & I just published this work for anyone interested in the processes and considerations for EUA assays.
authors.elsevier.com/a/1hj-R9Cms9Ox…

#MicroRounds (Day 997): 'clap back'

From a genital culture on a urethral swab specimen, neutrophils and GNDC seen on direct Gram stain and confirmed by growth on MTM agar, and by only oxidizing (not fermenting!) glucose: it's Neisseria gonorrhoeae #ASMClinMicro #IDTwitter

#MicroRounds (Day 996): 'late arrival'

Leg wound bacterial culture was finaled & shelved on day 5. Our lab does quality checks to verify how techs report cultures. Lo & behold, our specialist noticed this late-growing Fusarium that would've been missed! #ASMClinMicro #IDTwitter

Hey #idtwitter #ASMClinMicro , as I'm sure you're aware, COVID is in full swing again.

It got me. I'm recovering from likely myocarditis and liver injury (unclear if drug or COVID induced). Can't wait to return to being super science-y, capable, & communicative. 🥺 STAY SAFE! 😷

#MicroRounds (Day 995): “spit take”

A video #microrounds today. Gram stain of a respiratory culture sample viewed on high power (100x, oil immersion). Bacteria everywhere but we rejected it for culture. Epithelial cells & no PMN? It’s oral/URT flora. Spit in a cup! #IDTwitter

Current Pyuria Cutoffs Promote Inappropriate Urinary Tract Infection Diagnosis in Older Women

🔓 Open Access
bit.ly/3CTNevT

Clinicians: Consider malaria diagnosis in patients with an unexplained cause of fever, particularly in areas where locally acquired malaria has occurred. Quick diagnosis & treatment can prevent severe disease & death & limit ongoing spread. Learn more: bit.ly/mm7236a1

Growing up, my mom would bottle apples and pears. Parasitologists store other things in jars. 😁

Loved this story in The The Guardian about the women building the Maternal Center of Excellence and a better future for Sierra Leone.
Very proud of the work Partners In Health and Build Health International do to work in such deep partnership with the communities they serve. theguardian.com/global-develop…

#MicroRounds (Day 994): 'jarring'

Ascaris lumbricoides arrived to the lab in a handy Mason jar!

These are found when coughed up or passed in stool. Close examination would show 3 'lips' and, if male, a curled tail. Spread by ingesting fertilized eggs from the soil #IDTwitter

Diagnostic utility of oropharyngeal swabs as an alternative to lower respiratory tract samples for PCR-based syndromic testing in patients with community-acquired pneumonia tinyurl.com/4yn9cxwx

ASM

#MicroRounds (Day 993): 'color me impressed' #FungalFriday

A fantastic isolate of Aspergillus versicolor, w/ beautiful yellow-suede, green peak colonies. Along w/ loose, biseriate heads, seeing Penicillium-like heads is completely normal for this species #ASMClinMicro #IDTwitter

If you have not seen a lot of KPC producers be very cautious when you see micro-colonies (cidal drugs should give a blunt ellipse) as per the aerobic bacteria reading guide micro-colonies = KPC.
Don’t look at the end point around 0.25mg/L look at the MCs at 12mg/L

Wow! Evidence of cross protection from the Neisseria meningitidis vaccine and Neisseria gonorrhea!