Featured Bugs 

The following are in-depth articles on important disease-causing organisms. For each organism, we try to discuss the nature of the

• Anthrax: Bacillus anthracis
• Influenza virus
• Malaria: Plasmodium species
• Norwalk and Noroviruses
• Salmonella typhimurium
• West Nile Virus
• Whipple's Disease: Tropheryma whippelii

General Interest Topics 

• Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome
• West Nile Virus
• Norwalk Virus
• Hepatitis A
• Anthrax
• Chickenpox and Group A Strep Infections
• Serious Group A Strep Infections

Fascinoma Rounds 

Fascinoma is medical slang for a fascinating medical case, usually (but not necessarily) involving a rare disease.  The following were presented as part of our department's regular fascinoma rounds that highlight unusual cases in the laboratory.

• Pinpoint Colony Vancomycin-resistant Enterococcus faecium Variant
• Penicillium marneffei
• Coagulase negative Staphylococcus in urine
• Group B Streptococcus in ascitic fluid

Clinical Scenarios 

These clinical scenarios are presented through a collaborative effort between MDS Laboratory Services, Mount Sinai Hospital, and Toronto Medical Laboratories.

• 81-year-old man with subcutaneous gas
• 32-year-old woman with severe pelvic pain
• 68-year-old man bitten on the thumb by dog
• 9-year-old female with fever and headache
• 60-year-old woman with fever, chills and hematochezia
• 15-year-old male with decreased level of consciousness