{"id":2405,"date":"2016-04-01T00:25:41","date_gmt":"2016-04-01T04:25:41","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/allphasepharma.com\/dir\/?p=2405"},"modified":"2016-04-21T21:38:19","modified_gmt":"2016-04-22T01:38:19","slug":"sherlock-holmes-and-dr-watson-reflecting-on-recent-trouble-in-microbe-land","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/allphasepharma.com\/dir\/2016\/04\/01\/2405\/sherlock-holmes-and-dr-watson-reflecting-on-recent-trouble-in-microbe-land\/","title":{"rendered":"Sherlock Holmes and Dr. Watson Reflecting on Recent Trouble in Microbe-Land"},"content":{"rendered":"

\"sherlock-holmes-slider-NEW<\/a><\/p>\n

BREAKING NEWS – EARLY PRESS RELEASE<\/span>
\n APP News – April 1st \u00a0\u00a0<\/sup>2016<\/span><\/h1>\n
\n

Sherlock Holmes:<\/strong>\u00a0 Well, I am excited about taking on the case of yet another frightening new microbe\u2026<\/span>
\nDr. Watson:<\/strong> \u00a0Yes, it is a particularly virulent bug, no treatment seems to be effective.<\/span><\/p>\n

SH:<\/strong> \u00a0What else is new! \u00a0It is becoming rather uninteresting for a sleuth like me to hear only about MDR bugs. The community of newscaster ID\u2019alogues is always prone to hyperbole these days, it seems to me. Is it another Ebola or Zika or Nipah or Hendra virus? Or just an MRSA with resistance to daptomycin?<\/span>
\nDr. W:<\/strong> \u00a0You are making light of the worst nightmare we can think of. No, this is a new bacillus, pan-resistant, popping up all over the US and soon to spread\u00a0over\u00a0our entire\u00a0beloved colony.\u00a0 Many states have already reported significant outbreaks with multiple\u00a0casualties.<\/span>\"US<\/a><\/p>\n

SH:<\/strong> \u00a0What do we know so far? Just the facts, please!\u00a0 Let\u2019s start with basics: \u00a0Is it Gram-positive or -negative?\u00a0 Does it have a name yet?
\n<\/span>Dr. W:<\/strong> \u00a0Actually, neither. Early reports called it Gram-positive BLUE <\/strong>but now it has been shown as clearly Gram-negative RED <\/span><\/strong>on coloring with the standard Republican stain. The organism is called Trumpella dollar-verdensis<\/em>, formerly linked to the Pseudomonas group of pathogens but now given its own genus and species name because of its distinct 16S IRS status. You could call it Gram-variable, it clearly has a distinctive surface structure.
\n<\/span>
\nSH:<\/strong> \u00a0What were you able to learn about its origin?<\/span>
\nDr. W:<\/strong> \u00a0Glad you asked \u2013 while much is still obscure, we have some data in this regard. The pundits believe that it originated here in the US, perhaps in NY State, or around Atlantic City in NJ. However, there is also some support for the notion that it may be related to a Kenyan isolate identified close to Obama\u2019s birthplace. Hence the birthers believe\u2026<\/span><\/p>\n

SH:<\/strong> \u00a0Objection!\u00a0 Conjecture again! Just the mere facts, my dear friend\u2026we will be able to draw our own conclusions more swiftly, if we can avoid\u00a0the fluff of hearsay. Tell me about the virulence traits known so far\u2026
\n<\/span>Dr. W:<\/strong> \u00a0It is a heavily piliated organism, with a tuft of blonde hair from an apical location, a surely identifying feature. It propagates\u00a0easily and does not require any of the usual growth enhancers that money can buy. It is an aerobic \/\u00a0microaerophilic life form, totally\u00a0independent of partisan oxygen support that so many saprophytes rely on to flourish. We found that it is much attracted to light sources, especially the spectrum emitted by cameras and studio lamps.

<\/span>Trumpella dollar-verdensis is a pathogen with blond apical fimbrial growth (combed to one side) with a typical $-shaped growth\u00a0on agar. It produces a rather unique oscillating green pigment called\u00a0dollar-verdin<\/span><\/p>\n<\/div><\/span><\/span><\/p>\n

SH:<\/strong> \u00a0So, depriving it of the lime light would likely reduce its virulence potential?
\n<\/span>Dr. W:<\/strong> \u00a0This was tried but failed when it became known that it has other means to thrive in the various media, be it C-NN Wolf-Mueller, FOXy Kelly-Hinton, Middelbrook ABC or the Twitter agar. Forgot to mention the following: the rascal\u00a0affects the Latino population predominantly, in which it produces a powerful GI reaction, like Turista.<\/span><\/p>\n

SH:<\/strong> \u00a0By my recollection, there is usually an antidote \u2013 often long forgotten or relegated to obscurity \u2013 which we can rely on for an exceptional invader like this\u2026How about Clintonamycin, an old stalwart that may be able to control the Trumpella<\/em>\u2026or maybe Bernisandricin, a very old and almost forgotten antagonist?
\n<\/span>Dr. W:<\/strong> \u00a0Well, Clintonamycin is not going to work \u2013 quite predictably, it will only cause a lot of diarrhea. And too little is known about Bernisandricin just yet.\u00a0 McKainamycin is not useful, and neither is Romneymitticin, the former\u00a0being too\u00a0static and the latter too narrow-spectrum<\/span>.<\/p>\n

SH: <<\/strong>Ugh, sigh..c’mon…c’est terrible! \u00a0Hmmm…argh!>
\n<\/span>Dr. W:<\/strong> There was hope for a while that exposure to Td. cruzii<\/em>, a parasite in its own right, may be able to limit Trumpellosis. However, this is by no means certain. Both are pathogens, for sure, but Td. cruzii<\/em> has already been proven ineffective against Trumpella in many test situations\u00a0and environments. To many experts, Td. cruzii<\/em> treatment is like giving malaria to treat syphilis.\u00a0 Do you remember the Nobel prize winner Wagner-Jauregg and his malaria experiments?<\/span><\/p>\n

SH:<\/strong> \u00a0Don\u2019t stray away from our topic \u2013 I am just beginning to understand the dilemma. This Td. cruzii<\/em> is yet another newcomer to the field?
\n<\/span>Dr. W:<\/strong> \u00a0Yes, considered a non-pathogen, until recently. It is mainly known for a certain Texas-swagger-like motility in liquid media. However, this one is unequivocally Gram-negative and stains a dark Reagan RED <\/span><\/strong>even when\u00a0exposed to only BLUE <\/strong>dye \u2013 remarkable!<\/span><\/p>\n

\"HR_Trumpella<\/a>
T. dollar-verdensis. The colonies often form an S-shaped arrangement reminiscent of a $ sign. Note: The green color shift is only detectable under UV light, just like on banknotes.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

SH:<\/strong> \u00a0You have not told us much about the clinico-pathologic presentation of the Trumpella<\/em> \u2013 is there something distinctive?
\n<\/span>Dr. W:<\/strong> \u00a0It is an aggressive invader, penetrating tissues that you thought would be impregnable. It knows no anatomic barriers, demographics of age or gender. It is attacking both on\u00a0Main Street as on Wall Street. We are at a loss to explain this pervasiveness which defies all reason and has no historic parallels.
\nTrumpella<\/em> is not kept in check by immunity. Indeed, despite vigorous development of antibodies, these seem to be neither protective nor neutralizing. Some have felt that they may drive a paradoxical growth of Trumpella<\/em>.<\/span><\/p>\n

SH:<\/strong> \u00a0Last not least, there is still cellular immunity as I remember from my readings of Metchnikov. We can always count on our built-in defenses in the absence of antibiotics, right?<\/span>
\nDr. W:<\/strong> \u00a0Unfortunately, Trumpella<\/em> survives the attacks of macrophages from any party, and natural killer cells from any lobby. Amazingly, the organism has been able to penetrate the BBB, crossing into the CNS where it causes encephalitis and altered mentation. It has a strange euphoric effect on those infected, as it attacks predominantly the frontal lobes, the seat of emotions and anger control. This explains the irrational exuberance and unbridled agitation in its poor victims.<\/span><\/p>\n

SH:<\/strong> Glad to see that this is easily distinguished on MRI from Herpes encephalitis. I still don\u2019t believe there would be no remedy. What is the CDC\u2019s reaction and what do they advise?
\n<\/span>Dr. W:<\/strong> \u00a0They have promptly responded and issued reasonable guidelines. Right now, they recommend isolation for anyone with a fever and mental confusion; culture of a green-staining pathogen that grows in a $ (dollar) shape on agar with surrounding viridans hemolysis is a sure diagnostic criterium for T.\u00a0dollar-verdensis <\/em>and what is now referred to as T$$$ disease.<\/em><\/span><\/p>\n

SH:<\/strong> \u00a0This is excellent advice which we should heed. Every effort has to be made to avoid a pandemic. We were able to contain pest and cholera in the old days; we should be able to handle this outbreak as well. Isolation to the rescue, when all else fails!
\n<\/span>Dr. W:<\/strong> In this case, T. dollar-verdensis<\/em> will be contained to the US, for sure. A wall is being built as we speak (see map) although genetics indicate that the host range of this organism may be\u00a0confined to the 50 states that make up the US. But you can never be too careful!<\/span><\/p>\n

SH:<\/strong>\u00a0You are right – this is no time for complacency! \u00a0I will send a message\u00a0to Scotland Yard at once with a full description of this threat to our national security. We need new antibiotics against Trumpellas and other marauders. \u00a0I’d call the initiative\u00a0“New drugs for bad bugs”, <\/strong>or\u00a0ND4BB<\/strong>. Got it?<\/span><\/p>\n

\"ND4BB\"<\/a><\/p>\n

\n

 <\/p>\n

\"drama<\/a><\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

BREAKING NEWS – EARLY PRESS RELEASE APP News – April 1st \u00a0\u00a02016 Sherlock Holmes:\u00a0 Well, I am excited about taking on the case of yet another frightening new microbe\u2026 Dr. Watson: \u00a0Yes, it is a particularly virulent bug, no treatment seems to be effective. SH: \u00a0What else is new! \u00a0It Continue reading Sherlock Holmes and Dr. Watson Reflecting on Recent Trouble in Microbe-Land<\/span>→<\/span><\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":2407,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"jetpack_post_was_ever_published":false,"_jetpack_newsletter_access":"","_jetpack_dont_email_post_to_subs":false,"_jetpack_newsletter_tier_id":0,"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paywalled_content":false,"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paid_content":false,"footnotes":"","jetpack_publicize_message":"","jetpack_publicize_feature_enabled":true,"jetpack_social_post_already_shared":true,"jetpack_social_options":{"image_generator_settings":{"template":"highway","default_image_id":0,"font":"","enabled":false},"version":2}},"categories":[3],"tags":[1271,403,1583,1588,1587],"class_list":["post-2405","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-the_news","tag-allphase-pharma-consulting","tag-antibiotic-blog","tag-harald-reinhart","tag-t-dollar-verdensis","tag-trumpella"],"jetpack_publicize_connections":[],"jetpack_featured_media_url":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/allphasepharma.com\/dir\/wp-content\/uploads\/2016\/03\/sherlock-holmes-slider-NEW-copy.jpg?fit=640%2C180&ssl=1","jetpack_shortlink":"https:\/\/wp.me\/p4KWFr-CN","jetpack_sharing_enabled":true,"jetpack-related-posts":[{"id":1937,"url":"https:\/\/allphasepharma.com\/dir\/2015\/09\/13\/1937\/mme-erava-and-the-mysterious-case-of-auto-combustion\/","url_meta":{"origin":2405,"position":0},"title":"Mme Erava and The Mysterious Case of Auto-Combustion","author":"Harald","date":"September 13, 2015","format":false,"excerpt":"SH:\u00a0My dear Watson, did you read the news of the astonishing debacle that befell Mme Erava and made the headlines, creating anxiety of hitherto unknown proportions in Tetraland? Dr.W.: A disaster of epic proportions, for sure, and a mystery, an explanation which will require some very expert investigation. There is\u2026","rel":"","context":"In "QIDP Antibiotics"","block_context":{"text":"QIDP Antibiotics","link":"https:\/\/allphasepharma.com\/dir\/category\/qidp_antibiotic\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/allphasepharma.com\/dir\/wp-content\/uploads\/2015\/09\/sherlock-holmes-slider.jpg?fit=1200%2C495&ssl=1&resize=350%2C200","width":350,"height":200,"srcset":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/allphasepharma.com\/dir\/wp-content\/uploads\/2015\/09\/sherlock-holmes-slider.jpg?fit=1200%2C495&ssl=1&resize=350%2C200 1x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/allphasepharma.com\/dir\/wp-content\/uploads\/2015\/09\/sherlock-holmes-slider.jpg?fit=1200%2C495&ssl=1&resize=525%2C300 1.5x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/allphasepharma.com\/dir\/wp-content\/uploads\/2015\/09\/sherlock-holmes-slider.jpg?fit=1200%2C495&ssl=1&resize=700%2C400 2x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/allphasepharma.com\/dir\/wp-content\/uploads\/2015\/09\/sherlock-holmes-slider.jpg?fit=1200%2C495&ssl=1&resize=1050%2C600 3x"},"classes":[]},{"id":1969,"url":"https:\/\/allphasepharma.com\/dir\/2015\/09\/29\/1969\/two-new-antifungals-presented-at-icaac-san-diego\/","url_meta":{"origin":2405,"position":1},"title":"Two New Antifungals Presented at ICAAC San Diego","author":"Harald","date":"September 29, 2015","format":false,"excerpt":"As noticed by many other colleagues, ICAAC 2015 was a shadow of its former self.\u00a0 Few participants overall, fewer posters, and even fewer exhibitors. \u00a0Reviewing the posters, there were relatively\u00a0few from industry, most came from university or small research labs.\u00a0 In a way, ICAAC 2015 was a true reflection of\u2026","rel":"","context":"In "QIDP Antibiotics"","block_context":{"text":"QIDP Antibiotics","link":"https:\/\/allphasepharma.com\/dir\/category\/qidp_antibiotic\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"ICAAC 2015 slider","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/allphasepharma.com\/dir\/wp-content\/uploads\/2015\/09\/ICAAC-2015-slider.jpg?resize=350%2C200","width":350,"height":200,"srcset":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/allphasepharma.com\/dir\/wp-content\/uploads\/2015\/09\/ICAAC-2015-slider.jpg?resize=350%2C200 1x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/allphasepharma.com\/dir\/wp-content\/uploads\/2015\/09\/ICAAC-2015-slider.jpg?resize=525%2C300 1.5x"},"classes":[]},{"id":269,"url":"https:\/\/allphasepharma.com\/dir\/2014\/06\/16\/269\/the-antibiotic-pipeline-how-new-is-new\/","url_meta":{"origin":2405,"position":2},"title":"The Antibiotic Pipeline: How \u201cNew\u201d is New","author":"Harald","date":"June 16, 2014","format":false,"excerpt":"In a recent \u2018Viewpoint\u2019 article, Dr. Fauci, Director of NIAID,\u00a0mentioned that \"industry has expanded the pipeline of new antibacterial drugs...with 14-agents currently in phase 3 clinical trials\".[1] Regarding the number of drugs in late development, his statement may be correct but many of these drugs are anything but new.\u00a0 Reviewing\u2026","rel":"","context":"In "The Viewpoint"","block_context":{"text":"The Viewpoint","link":"https:\/\/allphasepharma.com\/dir\/category\/the_viewpoint\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/allphasepharma.com\/dir\/wp-content\/uploads\/2014\/06\/new-3-pipelines.jpg?fit=640%2C200&ssl=1&resize=350%2C200","width":350,"height":200,"srcset":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/allphasepharma.com\/dir\/wp-content\/uploads\/2014\/06\/new-3-pipelines.jpg?fit=640%2C200&ssl=1&resize=350%2C200 1x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/allphasepharma.com\/dir\/wp-content\/uploads\/2014\/06\/new-3-pipelines.jpg?fit=640%2C200&ssl=1&resize=525%2C300 1.5x"},"classes":[]},{"id":5533,"url":"https:\/\/allphasepharma.com\/dir\/2025\/10\/09\/5533\/about-diphtheria\/","url_meta":{"origin":2405,"position":3},"title":"About DIPHTHERIA","author":"Harald","date":"October 9, 2025","format":false,"excerpt":"The early work on the organism and the toxoid vaccine reads like the \u2018Who Is Who\u2019 of microbiology: Klebs, Loeffler, Koch, Roux, Yersin, Behring, Kitasato, Schick, and T. 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In those days bacteria and diseases were referred to by the\u2026","rel":"","context":"In "Did you know...?"","block_context":{"text":"Did you know...?","link":"https:\/\/allphasepharma.com\/dir\/category\/interesting_facts\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/allphasepharma.com\/dir\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/10\/Diphtheria-SLIDER.jpg?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1","width":350,"height":200,"srcset":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/allphasepharma.com\/dir\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/10\/Diphtheria-SLIDER.jpg?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1 1x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/allphasepharma.com\/dir\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/10\/Diphtheria-SLIDER.jpg?resize=525%2C300&ssl=1 1.5x"},"classes":[]},{"id":4283,"url":"https:\/\/allphasepharma.com\/dir\/2025\/05\/01\/4283\/publication-overachievers\/","url_meta":{"origin":2405,"position":4},"title":"PUBLICATION OVERACHIEVERS","author":"Harald","date":"May 1, 2025","format":false,"excerpt":"With the average number of 6-7 authors per (clinical) publication and an increasing trend for multi-authored articles there are now plenty of opportunities for industrious clinicians to publish.\u00a0 Here are just a few examples of super-achievers from the Infectious Disease space: \u201cHe authored more than 500 original papers, 330 book\u2026","rel":"","context":"In "Recent Literature"","block_context":{"text":"Recent Literature","link":"https:\/\/allphasepharma.com\/dir\/category\/recent_literature\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/allphasepharma.com\/dir\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/05\/PUB-OVERACHIEVERS-SLIDER.jpg?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1","width":350,"height":200,"srcset":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/allphasepharma.com\/dir\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/05\/PUB-OVERACHIEVERS-SLIDER.jpg?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1 1x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/allphasepharma.com\/dir\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/05\/PUB-OVERACHIEVERS-SLIDER.jpg?resize=525%2C300&ssl=1 1.5x"},"classes":[]},{"id":2246,"url":"https:\/\/allphasepharma.com\/dir\/2016\/01\/21\/2246\/ibuprofen-for-uuti-part-2-antibiotic-or-nsaid-or-both-or-neither\/","url_meta":{"origin":2405,"position":5},"title":"Ibuprofen for uUTI (Part 2): Antibiotic or NSAID? 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