Colleges and Department Research
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Research, creative, and scholarly works created by the university community organized by college.
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Browsing Colleges and Department Research by Department "Clinical Laboratory Science"
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Item Bat Rabies, Texas, 1996–2000(Center for Disease Control and Prevention, 2004-05) Rohde, Rodney E.; Mayes, Bonny C.; Smith, Jean S.; Neill, Susan U.Bats submitted to the Texas Department of Health (1996–2000) were speciated and tested for rabies virus antigen by direct immunofluorescence microscopy. Antigenic analysis of rabies virus–positive specimens was performed with monoclonal antibodies against the nucleoprotein of the virus; atypical or unexpected results were confirmed by genetic analysis of nucleoprotein sequence.Item Bat-Associated Rabies Virus in Skunks(Center for Disease Control and Prevention, 2006-08) Hanlon, Cathleen; Rupprecht, Charles E.; Leslie, Mira J.; Messenger, Sharon; Rohde, Rodney E.; Smith, Jean S.; Cheshier, RonaldRabies was undetected in terrestrial wildlife of northern Arizona until 2001, when rabies was diagnosed in 19 rabid skunks in Flagstaff. Laboratory analyses showed causative rabies viruses associated with bats, which indicated cross-species transmission of unprecedented magnitude. Public health infrastructure must be maintained to address emerging zoonotic diseases. In North America, >90% of cases of rabies in animals occur in wildlife (1); several mammalian taxa harbor characteristic rabies virus variants (RABVV). In Arizona, skunks (Mephitis mephitis) and gray foxes (Urocyon cinereoargenteus) maintain independent rabies enzootic cycles, and in indigenous bats, rabies has been diagnosed in 14 of 28 species (Arizona Department of Health Services, unpub. data). Although skunks live throughout Arizona, until 2001, rabid skunks had been found only in the southeastern quadrant of the state. In the United States, but RABVV are a source of infection for humans and other mammals (2-8). Typically, interspecies infection produces a single fatal spillover event; secondary transmission has rarely been observed. Antigenic typing of rabid carnivores in Arizona from 1996 through 2000 identified bat RABVV in 1 domestic dog and 2 gray foxes. This report describes the largest documented rabies epizootic among terrestrial mammals infected with bat RABVV, with perpetuated animal-to-animal transmission. Coincident with the zoonotic disease significance, this report provides contemporary insight into pathogen evolution (9).Item Controlling Rabies at its Source: The Texas Experience - Oral Rabies Vaccination Program(American Society for Clinical Laboratory Science, 2008-05) Rohde, Rodney E.In February 1995, the Texas DSHS initiated the Oral Rabies Vaccination Program (ORVP) as a multiyear program to create zones of vaccinated coyotes (and followed in 1996 with gray foxes) along the leading edges of the epizootics to halt the spread of the virus. The ORVP is a cooperative program involving DSHS; Texas Cooperative Extension Wildlife Services; U.S. Department of Agriculture Wildlife Services; Texas National Guard; U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention; Merial Ltd.; Dynamic Aviation Group; U.S. Army Veterinary Laboratory at Fort Sam Houston, San Antonio; Texas A&M University System; and other local, state and federal agencies.Item Effect of Bacteriophage Infection in Combination with Tobramycin on the Emergence of Resistance in Escherichia coli and Pseudomonas aeruginosa Biofilms(Multidisciplinary Digital Publishing Institute, 2014-10) Coulter, Lindsey B.; McLean, Robert J. C.; Rohde, Rodney E.; Aron, Gary M.Bacteriophage infection and antibiotics used individually to reduce biofilm mass often result in the emergence of significant levels of phage and antibiotic resistant cells. In contrast, combination therapy in Escherichia coli biofilms employing T4 phage and tobramycin resulted in greater than 99% and 39% reduction in antibiotic and phage resistant cells, respectively. In P. aeruginosa biofilms, combination therapy resulted in a 60% and 99% reduction in antibiotic and PB-1 phage resistant cells, respectively. Although the combined treatment resulted in greater reduction of E. coli CFUs compared to the use of antibiotic alone, infection of P. aeruginosa biofilms with PB-1 in the presence of tobramycin was only as effective in the reduction of CFUs as the use of antibiotic alone. The study demonstrated phage infection in combination with tobramycin can significantly reduce the emergence of antibiotic and phage resistant cells in both E. coli and P. aeruginosa biofilms, however, a reduction in biomass was dependent on the phage-host system.Item Healthy Texans: The Veterinary Perspective(Texas Department of Health, 1998-04) Rohde, Rodney E.; Hodges, ConnieNo abstract prepared.Item Molecular Epidemiology of Rabies Epizootics in Texas(Elsevier, 1997-04) Rohde, Rodney E.; Neill, Susan U.; Clark, Keith A.; Smith, Jean S.Background: Texas is in the midst of two independent epizootics of rabies, involving coyotes (Canis latrans) and domestic dogs (Canis familiaris) in southern Texas and grey foxes (Urocyon cinereoargenteus) in west central Texas. The domestic dog/coyote (DDC) and grey fox (TF) rabies virus variants cannot be differentiated by antigenic typing with currently available monoclonal antibodies. These two variants also cannot be distinguished from a third variant, Sonora dog (SD) rabies, that is not enzootic in Texas, but occasionally occurs in animals along the western border with Mexico. Objectives: To determine a method for the differentiation of the DDC, TF and SD variants, which is essential for epidemiologic monitoring of the Oral Rabies Vaccination Program (ORVP), a program instituted to control rabies in coyotes and grey foxes in Texas. Study Design: Primers complimentary to nucleoprotein sequence of either the DDC or TF rabies virus permit specific reverse transcription and amplification by polymerase chain reaction. In addition, general primers, which recognize a broad range of rabies variants, used in conjunction with a restriction digest for the differentiation of DDC, TF or SD rabies virus were investigated. Results and Conclusions: Of 122 specimens tested with specific primers, 111 (91%) were specifically identified as either DDC (33 samples) or TF (78 samples). Overly stringent conditions, enzyme inhibitors, or limiting RNA may account for the 11 non-amplifications. Amplification of RNA under less stringent conditions, with primers recognizing a broad range of rabies variants followed by digestion with either restriction enzyme Desulfovibrio desulfuricans I (DdeI) or Haemophilus influenzae Rf. (HinfI), was used to identify the 11 isolates that did not amplify with specific primers (6 DDC, 4 TF and 1 SD). In addition to these 11 isolates, the less stringent method of amplification, followed by enzyme digestion has identified a total of 125 additional specimens (26 DDC, 94 TF and 5 SD) that were not tested by variant-specific amplification. These data provide a means to track the spread of the different rabies virus variants and allow the ORVP to plan its vaccine disbursement by defining the two epizootic boundaries.Item MRSA Model of Learning and Adaptation: A Qualitative Study Among the General Public(BioMed Central, 2012-04) Rohde, Rodney E.; Ross-Gordon, JovitaBackground: More people in the US now die from Methicillin Resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA) infections than from HIV/AIDS. Often acquired in healthcare facilities or during healthcare procedures, the extremely high incidence of MRSA infections and the dangerously low levels of literacy regarding antibiotic resistance in the general public are on a collision course. Traditional medical approaches to infection control and the conventional attitude healthcare practitioners adopt toward public education are no longer adequate to avoid this collision. This study helps us understand how people acquire and process new information and then adapt behaviours based on learning. Methods: Using constructivist theory, semi-structured face-to-face and phone interviews were conducted to gather pertinent data. This allowed participants to tell their stories so their experiences could deepen our understanding of this crucial health issue. Interview transcripts were analysed using grounded theory and sensitizing concepts. Results: Our findings were classified into two main categories, each of which in turn included three subthemes. First, in the category of Learning, we identified how individuals used their Experiences with MRSA, to answer the questions: What was learned? and, How did learning occur? The second category, Adaptation gave us insights into Self-reliance, Reliance on others, and Reflections on the MRSA journey. Conclusions: This study underscores the critical importance of educational programs for patients, and improved continuing education for healthcare providers. Five specific results of this study can reduce the vacuum that currently exists between the knowledge and information available to healthcare professionals, and how that information is conveyed to the public. These points include: 1) a common model of MRSA learning and adaptation; 2) the self-directed nature of adult learning; 3) the focus on general MRSA information, care and prevention, and antibiotic resistance; 4) the interconnected nature of adaptation; and, 5) the need for a consistent step by step plan to deal with MRSA provided at the time of diagnosis.Item National Laboratory Training Network Public Health Series Course: Molecular Diagnostic Techniques for the Public Health Laboratory(American Society for Clinical Pathology, 2004-08) Rohde, Rodney E.; Mulawski, Karen; Oates, MargueriteThe National Laboratory Training Network (NLTN), in cooperation with faculty from academia, federal and state public health laboratories, and industry, developed and presented a Public Health Series Course on molecular diagnostics in the clinical laboratory for scientists working in state health laboratories. The course content included theory and application of selected nucleic acid-based procedures. Participants reported that their understanding of and ability to perform molecular diagnostic assays improved as a result of attending the course. Information from the course was used to make changes in the operations of the participants' home laboratories.Item Prevention, Treatment, and Containment of Methicillin-Resistant Staphylococcus Aureus Infections in County Jails(Texas Department of State Health Services, 2006-09) Betz, Tom; Bowers, Steve; Cavanaugh, John Henry; Espinoza, Rita; Felkner, Marilyn; Hernandez, Dora; Kelley, Mike; Markham, Jeff; McElroy, Nadine; Newsome, Sky; Rohde, Rodney E.; Seale, Mike; Story, Susan; Summers, MikeNo abstract prepared.Item Prevention, Treatment, and Containment of Staphylococcal Infections in Communities(Texas Department of State Health Services, 2007-10) Atteberry, Heather; Baldwin, Tamara; Betz, Tom; Campbell, Jill; Carranco, Emilio, Jr.; Darling, Kathleen T.; Espinoza, Rita; Felkner, Marilyn; Glowicz, JanetMost people have heard terms like "staph infection," "antibiotic resistant bacteria," and "MRSA" (pronounced mersa). This manual is designed to help people understand those terms and to provide guidance in preventing infection and the pain, loss of productivity, and expenses associated with it. This information is intended to inform those who are not necessarily healthcare workers but who have responsibilities related to protecting the health of others -- people with responsibilities in care giving, administration, human resources, education, environmental sanitation, and finance. The guidance is appropriate for the community at large--schools, childcare settings, retirement homes, athletic facilities, businesses, and the home. In this manual we will use the term facility to encompass all community entities with the exception of correctional facilities and health-care facilities. Guidance for correctional facilities and health-care facilities is provided in other documents.Item Rabies: an Old Disease for a New Generation(American Society for Clinical Pathology, 2007-09) Rohde, Rodney E.Louis Pasteur’s ghost must still grimace at the devastation rabies inflicts on the global population. It still kills – globally and in our backyards. Rabies is the 11th highest cause of infectious disease deaths in humans worldwide (Haupt, 1999). Yet, it has been my career experience while chasing this virus, that the general citizen in the United States (US) doesn’t consider the threat as “immediate” as perhaps they should. I hope to bring a renewed “face” to this old disease with respect to epidemiology, testing, and prevention/treatment.Item The omicron variant is deepening severe staffing shortages in medical laboratories across the US(The Conversation US, Inc., 1/19/2022) Rohde, Rodney E.Medical laboratory professionals form the backbone of health care and the public health system. They conduct some 13 billion laboratory medicine tests annually in the U.S. As of January 2022, these individuals had also performed more than 860 million COVID-19 tests and counting during the pandemic. Why should anyone care? Laboratory testing is the single highest-volume medical activity affecting Americans, and it drives about two-thirds of all medical decisions made by doctors and other health care professionals. Simply put, every time you enter a hospital or health care facility for care, your life is in the hands of a medical laboratory professional.Item Typing of Rabies Virus Isolates by DNA Enzyme Immunoassay(Elsevier, 1999-12) Sabouraud, Alain; Smith, Jean S; Orciari, Lillian A; de Mattos, Carlos; de Mattos, Cecilia; Rohde, Rodney E.Background: Alternatives to antigenic typing are needed for epidemiologic surveys of the rabies virus associated with translocated coyotes and foxes, especially in areas where a closely related rabies virus is transmitted by striped skunks. Objectives: We developed and evaluated two enzyme based typing methods for rabies virus. The products of a reverse transcription-polymerase chain reaction (RT/PCR) or the nucleoprotein gene were hybridized to type specific probes and detected by enzyme assay after immobilization on microtiter plates. Study design: We tested RT/PCR products of 27 rabies isolates by two different DNA enzyme immunoassays (DEIA) and evaluated the quality of the results from the corresponding nucleotide sequence or the samples. Results: Using a set of two probes, one of the DEIAs correctly identified 26/27 samples as variants of rabies virus associated with either skunks, foxes, or coyotes. The identity of one fox rabies sample was unresolved by this assay. The second DEIA correctly identified 24/27 samples as variants of rabies virus associated with either skunks, foxes, or coyotes. This assay did not resolve the identity of two fox rabies samples, and misidentified one fox rabies sample as a skunk rabies sample. Conclusions: DEIA can be used for epidemiologic studies or variants of rabies virus associated with skunks, foxes, and coyotes. Both DEIA methods were effective when typing probes recognized changes at a minimum or two nucleotide positions between variants, but only one assay method was sufficiently stringent to detect a single base pair mismatch. The inherent mutability of RNA viruses must be considered when designing and evaluating typing methods.Item What monoclonal antibodies are - and why we need them as well as a vaccine(The Conversation US, Inc., 11/16/2020) Rohde, Rodney E.When President Trump was diagnosed with COVID-19, one of the cutting-edge experimental therapies he received was a mixture of monoclonal antibodies. But now a vaccine may soon be available. So are other therapies necessary or valuable? And what exactly is a monoclonal antibody? Over the past few months, the public has learned about many treatments being used to combat COVID-19. An antiviral like remdesivir inhibits the virus from replicating in human cells. Convalescent plasma from the blood of donors who have recovered from COVID-19 may contain antibodies that suppress the virus and inflammation. Steroids like dexamethasone may modify and reduce the dangerous inflammatory damage to the lungs, thereby slowing respiratory failure. The FDA issued emergency use authorization for Eli Lilly’s monoclonal antibody, called bamlanivimab, and Regeneron is waiting for FDA’s green light for its antibody treatment. Monoclonal antibodies are particularly promising in therapy because they can neutralize the SARS-CoV-2 virus, which causes COVID-19, and block its ability to infect a cell. This might be a lifesaving intervention in people who are unable to mount a strong natural immune response to the virus – those over 65 or with existing conditions that make them more vulnerable. I’ve worked in public health and medical laboratories for decades, specializing in the study of viruses and other microbes. Even when a vaccine for COVID-19 becomes available, I see a role for monoclonal antibody therapy in getting the pandemic under control.