2023
Paenibacillus spp infection among infants with postinfectious hydrocephalus in Uganda: an observational case-control study
Morton S, Hehnly C, Burgoine K, Ssentongo P, Ericson J, Kumar M, Hagmann C, Fronterre C, Smith J, Movassagh M, Streck N, Bebell L, Bazira J, Kumbakumba E, Bajunirwe F, Mulondo R, Mbabazi-Kabachelor E, Nsubuga B, Natukwatsa D, Nalule E, Magombe J, Erickson T, Ngonzi J, Ochora M, Olupot-Olupot P, Onen J, Ssenyonga P, Mugamba J, Warf B, Kulkarni A, Lane J, Whalen A, Zhang L, Sheldon K, Meier F, Kiwanuka J, Broach J, Paulson J, Schiff S. Paenibacillus spp infection among infants with postinfectious hydrocephalus in Uganda: an observational case-control study. The Lancet Microbe 2023, 4: e601-e611. PMID: 37348522, PMCID: PMC10529524, DOI: 10.1016/s2666-5247(23)00106-4.Peer-Reviewed Original ResearchConceptsMother-newborn pairsPostinfectious hydrocephalusCerebrospinal fluidNeonatal sepsisSpp infectionUgandan infantsMaternal bloodObservational case-control studyHospital OfficeInfant's cerebrospinal fluidBurden of morbidityCase-control studyRoute of infectionSubset of participantsMaternal feverCranial ultrasoundNeonatal infectionSepsis cohortOptimise treatmentTransplacental transmissionCord bloodObservational studyPlacental samplesSepsisHydrocephalusNeonatal Paenibacilliosis: Paenibacillus Infection as a Novel Cause of Sepsis in Term Neonates With High Risk of Sequelae in Uganda
Ericson J, Burgoine K, Kumbakumba E, Ochora M, Hehnly C, Bajunirwe F, Bazira J, Fronterre C, Hagmann C, Kulkarni A, Kumar M, Magombe J, Mbabazi-Kabachelor E, Morton S, Movassagh M, Mugamba J, Mulondo R, Natukwatsa D, Kaaya B, Olupot-Olupot P, Onen J, Sheldon K, Smith J, Ssentongo P, Ssenyonga P, Warf B, Wegoye E, Zhang L, Kiwanuka J, Paulson J, Broach J, Schiff S. Neonatal Paenibacilliosis: Paenibacillus Infection as a Novel Cause of Sepsis in Term Neonates With High Risk of Sequelae in Uganda. Clinical Infectious Diseases 2023, 77: 768-775. PMID: 37279589, PMCID: PMC10495130, DOI: 10.1093/cid/ciad337.Peer-Reviewed Original ResearchConceptsNeonatal sepsisPostinfectious hydrocephalusCerebrospinal fluidSigns of sepsisFull-term neonatesOptimal antibiotic treatmentUgandan referral hospitalQuantitative polymerase chain reactionNeonatal characteristicsClinical sepsisTerm neonatesUnderdiagnosed causeAntibiotic choiceMedian ageReferral hospitalUgandan hospitalNeurodevelopmental impairmentAdverse outcomesSpecimen typesAntibiotic treatmentPolymerase chain reactionClinical signsUnusual pathogensSepsisHigh risk
2022
Type IV Pili Are a Critical Virulence Factor in Clinical Isolates of Paenibacillus thiaminolyticus
Hehnly C, Shi A, Ssentongo P, Zhang L, Isaacs A, Morton S, Streck N, Erdmann-Gilmore P, Tolstoy I, Townsend R, Limbrick D, Paulson J, Ericson J, Galperin M, Schiff S, Broach J. Type IV Pili Are a Critical Virulence Factor in Clinical Isolates of Paenibacillus thiaminolyticus. MBio 2022, 13: e02688-22. PMID: 36374038, PMCID: PMC9765702, DOI: 10.1128/mbio.02688-22.Peer-Reviewed Original ResearchConceptsPostinfectious hydrocephalusClinical isolatesVirulence factorsCritical virulence factorPotential virulence factorsPoor long-term outcomesPrevention of hydrocephalusLong-term outcomesBacterial pathogensDevastating sequelaeNeonatal sepsisMiddle-income countriesNeonatal infectionSurgical interventionReference strainsNovel bacterial pathogensAfrican cohortBeta-lactamase genesChildhood mortalityHydrocephalusTherapeutic targetInfectionVirulent strainDevastating diseaseWhole-genome sequencing
2021
Immune activation during Paenibacillus brain infection in African infants with frequent cytomegalovirus co-infection
Isaacs A, Morton S, Movassagh M, Zhang Q, Hehnly C, Zhang L, Morales D, Sinnar S, Ericson J, Mbabazi-Kabachelor E, Ssenyonga P, Onen J, Mulondo R, Hornig M, Warf B, Broach J, Townsend R, Limbrick D, Paulson J, Schiff S. Immune activation during Paenibacillus brain infection in African infants with frequent cytomegalovirus co-infection. IScience 2021, 24: 102351. PMID: 33912816, PMCID: PMC8065213, DOI: 10.1016/j.isci.2021.102351.Peer-Reviewed Original ResearchNeonatal sepsisBrain infectionImmune activationInnate immune system responseRisk of hydrocephalusDominant bacterial pathogenHost immune responsePlatelet-activating factorImmune system responseOxidative stress reactionSecondary sequelaeAdjunctive treatmentImmune response networkNeutrophil activityIL-12Hydrocephalic infantsAfrican infantsIL-13IL-4JAK/STAT pathwayAntigen-presenting complexImmune responseHydrocephalusPotential targetNeuroinflammation
2020
The Problem of Microbial Dark Matter in Neonatal Sepsis - Volume 26, Number 11—November 2020 - Emerging Infectious Diseases journal - CDC
Sinnar S, Schiff S. The Problem of Microbial Dark Matter in Neonatal Sepsis - Volume 26, Number 11—November 2020 - Emerging Infectious Diseases journal - CDC. Emerging Infectious Diseases 2020, 26: 2543-2548. PMID: 33080169, PMCID: PMC7588532, DOI: 10.3201/eid2611.200004.Peer-Reviewed Original ResearchConceptsNeonatal sepsisCausative pathogenInfectious Diseases journal - CDCCulture recovery ratesAntimicrobial therapyBlood culturesTimely diagnosisAntimicrobial stewardshipWorldwide deathsMost blood culturesUnidentified pathogensTransmission patternsDeathPathogen discoveryWhole metagenomic sequencingPathogensEffective diagnosticsMetagenomic sequencingSepsisPatientsInfantsTherapyDiagnosisRecovery ratePoisson Kalman filter for disease surveillance
Ebeigbe D, Berry T, Schiff S, Sauer T. Poisson Kalman filter for disease surveillance. Physical Review Research 2020, 2: 043028. PMID: 39211287, PMCID: PMC11360429, DOI: 10.1103/physrevresearch.2.043028.Peer-Reviewed Original ResearchPaenibacillus infection with frequent viral coinfection contributes to postinfectious hydrocephalus in Ugandan infants
Paulson J, Williams B, Hehnly C, Mishra N, Sinnar S, Zhang L, Ssentongo P, Mbabazi-Kabachelor E, Wijetunge D, von Bredow B, Mulondo R, Kiwanuka J, Bajunirwe F, Bazira J, Bebell L, Burgoine K, Couto-Rodriguez M, Ericson J, Erickson T, Ferrari M, Gladstone M, Guo C, Haran M, Hornig M, Isaacs A, Kaaya B, Kangere S, Kulkarni A, Kumbakumba E, Li X, Limbrick D, Magombe J, Morton S, Mugamba J, Ng J, Olupot-Olupot P, Onen J, Peterson M, Roy F, Sheldon K, Townsend R, Weeks A, Whalen A, Quackenbush J, Ssenyonga P, Galperin M, Almeida M, Atkins H, Warf B, Lipkin W, Broach J, Schiff S. Paenibacillus infection with frequent viral coinfection contributes to postinfectious hydrocephalus in Ugandan infants. Science Translational Medicine 2020, 12 PMID: 32998967, PMCID: PMC7774825, DOI: 10.1126/scitranslmed.aba0565.Peer-Reviewed Original ResearchConceptsPostinfectious hydrocephalusCSF samplesPIH casesPotential causative organismsCerebrospinal fluid accumulationCytomegalovirus coinfectionUgandan infantsNeonatal sepsisSurgical palliationNeonatal infectionInfant casesOptimal treatmentInfant cohortCommon causeCausative organismPediatric hydrocephalusFluid accumulationHydrocephalusAnaerobic bacterial isolatesControl casesInfectionFacultative anaerobic bacterial isolatesInfantsParasitic DNADisease
2018
Economic burden of neonatal sepsis in sub-Saharan Africa
Ranjeva S, Warf B, Schiff S. Economic burden of neonatal sepsis in sub-Saharan Africa. BMJ Global Health 2018, 3: e000347. PMID: 29564153, PMCID: PMC5859806, DOI: 10.1136/bmjgh-2017-000347.Peer-Reviewed Original ResearchDisability-adjusted life yearsNeonatal sepsisEconomic burdenSuccessful treatmentAnnual economic burdenAnnual neonatal deathsYears of ageThird Sustainable Development GoalGlobal health agenciesNeonatal infectionNeonatal deathNeonatal mortalityDisease burdenPreventable deathsSepsisChild healthMortality ratePrevention strategiesLife yearsMedical literatureHealth agenciesBurdenPublic healthMortalityIncidence
2013
The Microbial Spectrum of Neonatal Sepsis in Uganda: Recovery of Culturable Bacteria in Mother-Infant Pairs
Kiwanuka J, Bazira J, Mwanga J, Tumusiime D, Nyesigire E, Lwanga N, Warf B, Kapur V, Poss M, Schiff S. The Microbial Spectrum of Neonatal Sepsis in Uganda: Recovery of Culturable Bacteria in Mother-Infant Pairs. PLOS ONE 2013, 8: e72775. PMID: 24013829, PMCID: PMC3754959, DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0072775.Peer-Reviewed Original ResearchConceptsNeonatal sepsisMother-infant pairsVaginal specimensConsecutive mother-infant pairsMicrobial spectrumSeptic newborn infantsCerebrospinal fluid culturesBacterial culture techniquesSensitive molecular approachesClinical criteriaNewborn infantsPutative causative agentFluid cultureInfant bloodMaternal bloodSepsisCerebrospinal fluidSpinal fluidInfantsBloodCausative agentMaternal transmissionEnvironmental sourcesIdentifiable bacteriaCulture techniques
2011
Association of bacteria with hydrocephalus in Ugandan infants.
Li L, Padhi A, Ranjeva S, Donaldson S, Warf B, Mugamba J, Johnson D, Opio Z, Jayarao B, Kapur V, Poss M, Schiff S. Association of bacteria with hydrocephalus in Ugandan infants. Journal Of Neurosurgery Pediatrics 2011, 7: 73-87. PMID: 21194290, DOI: 10.3171/2010.9.peds10162.Peer-Reviewed Original ResearchConceptsUgandan infantsNeonatal sepsisPostinfectious hydrocephalusMajority of patientsMost patientsRecent infectionPolymerase chain reactionEffective treatmentPatientsPrevention strategiesHydrocephalusInfectionInfantsAcinetobacter speciesChain reactionAssociation of bacteriaBacterial DNAGram-negative bacteriaNegative bacteriaSepsisEnvironmental samplingSyndromeSeason infection