First case series of emerging Rickettsial neonatal sepsis identified by polymerase chain reaction-based deoxyribonucleic acid sequencing.
Loading...
Date
2013-10
Journal Title
Journal ISSN
Volume Title
Publisher
Abstract
Purpose: To detect and identify the aetiological agent in the peripheral blood from the cases of neonatal sepsis.
Materials and Methods: Four neonates from geographically different regions of South India presented with signs of
neonatal sepsis and all the routine clinical and laboratory investigations were performed. Blood culture by Bac T Alert
3D was negative. To establish the aetiology, polymerase chain reaction (PCR) for eubacterial genome and subsequent
amplifi cation with Gram positive and Gram negative primers were performed followed by deoxyribonucleic acid (DNA)
sequencing. Results: PCR for the detection of eubacterial genome was positive in all the four neonates and further
amplifi cation with designed Gram positive and Gram negative primers revealed the presence of Gram negative bacteria.
The amplicons were identifi ed as Orientia tsutsugamushi in three neonates and Coxiella burnetti in the other neonate.
Multalin analysis was done to further characterise the strain variation among the three strains. Conclusion: PCR-based
DNA sequencing is a rapid and reliable diagnostic tool to identify the aetiological agents of neonatal sepsis. This is the
fi rst case series of emerging Rickettsial neonatal sepsis in India.
Description
Keywords
16S ribosomal ribonucleic acid region, Coxiella burnetti, neonatal sepsis, Orientia tsutsugamushi, doxycycline, PCR-based DNA sequencing
Citation
Aarthi P, Bagyalakshmi R, Mohan K R, Krishna M, Nitin M, Madhavan H N, Kalyani S. First case series of emerging Rickettsial neonatal sepsis identified by polymerase chain reaction-based deoxyribonucleic acid sequencing. Indian Journal of Medical Microbiology. 2013 Oct-Dec; 31(4): 343-348.