Pathogens最新文献

{"title":"Prevalence and Molecular Characterization of <i>Cryptosporidium</i> Species in Diarrheic Children in Cameroon.","authors":"Bertrand Sone, Lum Abienwi Ambe, Mireille Nguele Ampama, Constance Ajohkoh, Desmond Che, Julien Alban Nguinkal, Anja Taubert, Carlos Hermosilla, Faustin Kamena","doi":"10.3390/pathogens14030287","DOIUrl":"10.3390/pathogens14030287","url":null,"abstract":"<p><p>Cryptosporidiosis remains a major cause of diarrhea-related childhood death, particularly in developing countries. Although effective anti-retroviral therapy has significantly reduced the cryptosporidiosis burden in western nations, the situation in developing countries remains alarming due to limited therapeutic options and a lack of preventive measures. To better control disease transmission and develop effective prevention strategies, a thorough understanding of the genetic diversity of circulating species is crucial. While cryptosporidiosis has previously been reported in Cameroon, information on the genetic diversity of parasite strains is lacking. In a large cross-sectional study conducted between March 2020 and March 2021 in four regions of Cameroon, Southwest, Littoral, Center and West, a total of 1119 fecal samples of children (<i>n</i> = 1119) were collected and genetically analyzed. This study aimed to assess the genetic diversity of <i>Cryptosporidium</i> strains circulating in this patient cohort in Cameroon. Using modified Ziehl-Neelsen fecal smear staining, an overall prevalence of 8.5% (96/1119) was recorded. PCR analysis revealed a prevalence of 15.4% in the Center, 7.2% in the Littoral, 10.5% in the West, and 13.1% in the Southwest regions. Molecular analysis identified <i>Cryptosporidium. hominis</i> and <i>Cryptosporidium parvum</i> as circulating species, with all subtype families suggesting anthroponotic transmission. No zoonotic subtypes of <i>C. parvum</i> were detected. These findings confirm that cryptosporidiosis transmission in Cameroon is primarily anthroponotic. Nonetheless, much larger epidemiological surveys, including other patient cohorts, are necessary for final confirmation of this statement.</p>","PeriodicalId":19758,"journal":{"name":"Pathogens","volume":"14 3","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":3.3,"publicationDate":"2025-03-14","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC11945035/pdf/","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"143731174","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":3,"RegionCategory":"医学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"OA","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Metronidazole Activation by a Deeply Entangled Dimeric Malic Enzyme in <i>Entamoeba histolytica</i>.","authors":"Arindam Chakrabarty, Debajyoti Dutta, Mithu Baidya, Anirudha Dutta, Amit Kumar Das, Sudip K Ghosh","doi":"10.3390/pathogens14030277","DOIUrl":"10.3390/pathogens14030277","url":null,"abstract":"<p><p>Metronidazole is the preferred drug for treating amoebiasis caused by <i>Entamoeba histolytica</i>. Its antiamoebic activity is primarily attributed to activation by various reductases. This study reports an alternative activation pathway in <i>E. histolytica</i> mediated by the decarboxylating malic enzyme. Functional characterization of this NADPH-dependent enzyme reveals that it is secreted into the extracellular milieu and may play a role in <i>E. histolytica</i> adhesion to human enteric cells. Structural analysis of the <i>E. histolytica</i> malic enzyme (EhME) demonstrates that the protein forms a strict dimer, with the protomers interlocked by a unique knot structure formed by two polypeptide chains. This distinctive structural feature closely aligns EhME with its prokaryotic counterparts. In conclusion, our findings reveal that <i>E. histolytica</i> harbors a deeply entangled dimeric malic enzyme that contributes to metronidazole susceptibility, sharing structural similarities with bacterial malic enzymes.</p>","PeriodicalId":19758,"journal":{"name":"Pathogens","volume":"14 3","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":3.3,"publicationDate":"2025-03-13","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC11944484/pdf/","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"143731080","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":3,"RegionCategory":"医学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"OA","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Comprehensive Insights into Highly Pathogenic Avian Influenza H5N1 in Dairy Cattle: Transmission Dynamics, Milk-Borne Risks, Public Health Implications, Biosecurity Recommendations, and One Health Strategies for Outbreak Control.","authors":"Henrietta Owusu, Yasser M Sanad","doi":"10.3390/pathogens14030278","DOIUrl":"10.3390/pathogens14030278","url":null,"abstract":"<p><p>Highly pathogenic avian influenza (HPAI) H5N1 has been traditionally linked to poultry and wild birds, which has recently become a serious concern for dairy cattle, causing outbreaks all over the United States. The need for improved surveillance, biosecurity protocols, and interagency collaboration is highlighted by the discovery of H5N1 in dairy herds in several states and its human transmission. The epidemiology, transmission dynamics, and wide-ranging effects of H5N1 in cattle are reviewed in this paper, with particular attention paid to the disease's effects on agricultural systems, public health, and animal health. Nonspecific clinical symptoms, such as decreased milk production and irregular milk consistency, are indicative of infection in dairy cows. Alarmingly, significant virus loads have been discovered in raw milk, raising worries about potential zoonotic transmission. The dangers of viral spillover between species are further highlighted by cases of domestic cats experiencing severe neurological symptoms after ingesting raw colostrum and milk from infected cows. Even though human cases remain rare, and they are mostly related to occupational exposure, constant attention is required due to the possibility of viral adaptability. The necessity of a One Health approach that integrates environmental, animal, and human health efforts is further supported by the broad occurrence of H5N1 across multiple species. For early detection, containment, and mitigation, cooperation between veterinary clinics, public health organizations, and agricultural stakeholders is crucial. Controlling the outbreak requires stringent movement restrictions, regular testing of dairy cows in reference labs, and adherence to biosecurity procedures. This review highlights the importance of thorough and coordinated efforts to manage H5N1 in dairy cattle by combining existing knowledge and pointing out gaps in surveillance and response strategies. Additionally, it sheds light on the potential risk of consumption of cow's milk contaminated with H5N1 virus by humans and other companion animals like cats. In the face of this changing threat, proactive monitoring, strict biosecurity protocols, and cross-sector cooperation are crucial for reducing financial losses and protecting human and animal health.</p>","PeriodicalId":19758,"journal":{"name":"Pathogens","volume":"14 3","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":3.3,"publicationDate":"2025-03-13","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC11944845/pdf/","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"143731005","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":3,"RegionCategory":"医学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"OA","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"A 10-Year Study of Neonatal Sepsis from Tuen Mun Hospital, Hong Kong.","authors":"Pascoe Lee, Eugene Sin, Kam-Tong Yip, Kenneth Ng","doi":"10.3390/pathogens14030276","DOIUrl":"10.3390/pathogens14030276","url":null,"abstract":"<p><strong>Background: </strong>Neonatal sepsis is a major cause of infant mortality, and it accounts for a significant consumption of antimicrobials in paediatrics. This is the first comprehensive study on neonatal sepsis in Hong Kong.</p><p><strong>Methods: </strong>From 2014 to 2023, all neonates admitted to a single institution with culture-proven infections from the blood and/or cerebrospinal fluid were selected and reviewed retrospectively. The infecting organisms, their antibiotic nonsusceptibility pattern, and the concordance of empirical antimicrobial therapy with the microbiological profiles were described and were further compared between infants of normal/low birth weight (≥1.5 kg) and very low/extremely low birth weight (<1.5 kg), early-onset sepsis (<72 h), and late-onset sepsis (4-28 days), the first and the second 5-year periods (2014-2018 vs. 2019-2023).</p><p><strong>Results: </strong>After contaminants were excluded, there were 118 affected neonates with 125 organisms identified. Fifty-nine were male. Thirty-four were very low/extremely low birth weight infants, and twenty-eight infants had early-onset sepsis. Patient demographics and the microbiology findings did not differ between the first 5 years and the latter 5 years. However, the incidence of neonatal sepsis was significantly lower in the latter 5 years (3.23 vs. 1.61 per 1000 live births, <i>p</i> < 0.001), the period that coincided with the COVID-19 pandemic. <i>Escherichia coli</i> was the most common Gram-negative pathogen. <i>Streptococcus agalactiae</i> and <i>Streptococcus bovis</i> group infections were more common in early-onset sepsis, while coagulase-negative <i>Staphylococcus</i> and non-<i>E. coli</i> Gram-negative pathogens were more likely to occur in late-onset sepsis. In very low/extremely low birth weight infants, the rate of cefotaxime or ceftriaxone nonsusceptibility among Gram-negative isolates was higher (<i>p</i> = 0.01), and concordance of empirical antimicrobial therapy was lower (<i>p</i> = 0.006).</p><p><strong>Conclusions: </strong>Management of neonatal sepsis remains challenging, and there is a need for optimising antimicrobial therapy, especially in preterm patients. Antepartum screening with intrapartum antibiotic prophylaxis is effective in reducing the risk of early-onset sepsis associated with <i>S. agalactiae</i>, while stringent infection control measures are important for the prevention of late-onset sepsis.</p>","PeriodicalId":19758,"journal":{"name":"Pathogens","volume":"14 3","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":3.3,"publicationDate":"2025-03-13","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC11945203/pdf/","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"143730876","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":3,"RegionCategory":"医学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"OA","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Insights into Functions of Universal Stress Proteins Encoded by Genomes of Gastric Cancer Pathogen <i>Helicobacter pylori</i> and Related Bacteria.","authors":"Raphael D Isokpehi, Shaneka S Simmons, Angela U Makolo, Antoinesha L Hollman, Solayide A Adesida, Olabisi O Ojo, Amos O Abioye","doi":"10.3390/pathogens14030275","DOIUrl":"10.3390/pathogens14030275","url":null,"abstract":"<p><p>The genes that encode the universal stress protein (USP) family domain (pfam00582) aid the survival of bacteria in specific host or habitat-induced stress conditions. Genome sequencing revealed that the genome of <i>Helicobacter pylori</i>, a gastric cancer pathogen, typically contains one USP gene, while related helicobacters have one or two distinct USP genes. However, insights into the functions of <i>Helicobacteraceae</i> (<i>Helicobacter</i> and <i>Wolinella</i>) USP genes are still limited to inferences from large-scale genome sequencing. Thus, we have combined bioinformatics and visual analytics approaches to conduct a more comprehensive data investigation of a set of 1045 universal stress protein sequences encoded in 1014 genomes including 785 <i>Helicobacter pylori</i> genomes. The study generated a representative set of 183 USP sequences consisting of 180 <i>Helicobacter</i> sequences, two <i>Wolinella succinogenes</i> sequences, and a sequence from a related campylobacteria. We used the amino acid residues and positions of the 12 possible functional sites in 1030 sequences to identify 25 functional sites patterns for guiding studies on functional interactions of <i>Helicobacteraceae</i> USPs with ATP and other molecules. Genomic context searches and analysis identified USP genes of gastric and enterohepatic helicobacters that are adjacent or in operons with genes for proteins responsive to DNA-damaging oxidative stress (ATP-dependent proteases: ClpS and ClpA); and DNA uptake proteins (natural competence for transformation proteins: ComB6, ComB7, ComB8, ComB9, ComB10, ComBE, and conjugative transfer signal peptidase TraF). Since transcriptomic evidence indicates that oxidative stress and the presence of virulence-associated genes regulate the transcription of <i>H. pylori</i> USP gene, we recommend further research on <i>Helicobacter</i> USP genes and their neighboring genes in oxidative stress response and virulence of helicobacters. To facilitate the reuse of data and research, we produced interactive analytics resources of a dataset composed of values for variables including phylogeography of <i>H. pylori</i> strains, protein sequence features, and gene neighborhood.</p>","PeriodicalId":19758,"journal":{"name":"Pathogens","volume":"14 3","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":3.3,"publicationDate":"2025-03-13","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC11944479/pdf/","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"143731075","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":3,"RegionCategory":"医学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"OA","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Acid Tolerance of <i>Coxiella burnetii</i> Is Strain-Specific and Might Depend on Stomach Content.","authors":"Katharina Sobotta, Jan Schulze-Luehrmann, Martha Ölke, Katharina Boden, Anja Lührmann","doi":"10.3390/pathogens14030272","DOIUrl":"10.3390/pathogens14030272","url":null,"abstract":"<p><p>Q fever is a zoonotic disease caused by the obligate intracellular bacterium <i>Coxiella</i> (<i>C.</i>) <i>burnetii</i>. Human infections occur mainly via inhalation, but infections via the oral route have been observed. Gastric acidic conditions (pH 2-4) are the first defense mechanism to limit food-associated infections. In this study, we tested the ability of <i>C. burnetii</i> to survive extremely acidic conditions (pH 2-3) to assess the risk of oral infection in humans. We treated different <i>C. burnetii</i> strains with different pH values and calculated the recovery rate by counting colony-forming units. The analysis of an additional eight <i>C. burnetii</i> strains showed that some strains are acid-resistant, while others are not. Importantly, the presence of pepsin, an endopeptidase and the main digestive enzyme in the gastrointestinal tract, increases the survival rate of <i>C. burnetii</i>. Similarly, the presence of milk might also increase the survival rate. These results suggest that oral infections by <i>C. burnetii</i> are possible and depend on the bacterial strain and the stomach microenvironment. Consequently, the digestive infection route of <i>C. burnetii</i> could play a role in the transmission of the pathogen.</p>","PeriodicalId":19758,"journal":{"name":"Pathogens","volume":"14 3","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":3.3,"publicationDate":"2025-03-12","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC11945843/pdf/","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"143731027","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":3,"RegionCategory":"医学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"OA","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Development of a Simple and Accurate Molecular Protocol Using 16SrRNA for Species-Specific Identification of <i>Achromobacter</i> spp.","authors":"Giulia Maria Saitta, Laura Veschetti, Rebecca Feletti, Angela Sandri, Marzia Boaretti, Paola Melotti, Maria Carelli, Maria M Lleò, Giovanni Malerba, Caterina Signoretto","doi":"10.3390/pathogens14030271","DOIUrl":"10.3390/pathogens14030271","url":null,"abstract":"<p><p>The <i>Achromobacter</i> genus comprises 22 species and various genogroups. Some species with higher virulence or antibiotic resistance are more likely to cause chronic infections in people with cystic fibrosis (CF). Current identification methods often fail to accurately distinguish between the species or result in misidentifications due to biochemical similarities. This study aims to develop an accurate qPCR protocol for species-level identification that is applicable in clinical diagnostic laboratories. Whole-genome sequencing of clinical isolates from different <i>Achromobacter</i> species identified species-specific single-nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) in two 16S gene regions. Based on these SNPs, two sets of primers and qPCR probes were designed to generate unique identification profiles. Thermal profiles were optimized, and qPCR was performed on serial bacterial DNA dilutions to determine the detection limit (LOD). Four probes successfully identified three species: <i>A. xylosoxidans</i>, <i>A. dolens</i>, and <i>A. insuavis</i>. Two additional probes were designed for novel genotypes unrelated to publicly available sequences. The LOD ranged from 0.005 pg/µL to 1 pg/µL. Combined probes achieved 100% sensitivity, with specificity ranging from 97.95% to 100%. This qPCR protocol enables accurate species identification, overcoming the limitations of current methods, and represents a reliable tool for clinical diagnostics.</p>","PeriodicalId":19758,"journal":{"name":"Pathogens","volume":"14 3","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":3.3,"publicationDate":"2025-03-12","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC11945698/pdf/","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"143731093","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":3,"RegionCategory":"医学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"OA","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Molecular Survey of Anaplasmataceae Agents, <i>Rickettsia</i> spp., <i>Bartonella</i> spp., and Piroplasmids in Ectoparasites from Cave-Dwelling Bats in Mainland Portugal.","authors":"Gustavo Seron Sanches, Luísa Rodrigues, Estefania Torrejón, Ricardo Bassini-Silva, Ana Cláudia Calchi, Daniel Antônio Braga Lee, Paulo Vitor Cadina Arantes, Eder Barbier, Darci Moraes Barros-Battesti, Gustavo Graciolli, Rosangela Zacarias Machado, Sandra Antunes, Ana Domingos, Marcos Rogério André","doi":"10.3390/pathogens14030273","DOIUrl":"10.3390/pathogens14030273","url":null,"abstract":"<p><p>Bats and their ectoparasites play a crucial role in understanding the ecology and transmission of vector-borne pathogens, yet these dynamics remain poorly studied in Portugal. This study aimed to investigate the molecular occurrence of vector-borne bacteria (<i>Anaplasma</i> spp., <i>Bartonella</i> spp., <i>Ehrlichia</i> spp., and <i>Rickettsia</i> spp.) and protozoa (<i>Babesia</i> spp. and <i>Theileria</i> spp.) in ectoparasites of cave-dwelling bats. Bats were sampled from two caves in Portugal, and their ectoparasites included wing mites (<i>Spinturnix myoti</i>), ticks (<i>Ixodes simplex</i>), and bat flies (<i>Penicillidia conspicua</i> and <i>Nycteribia schmidlii</i>). Molecular analyses revealed the presence of <i>Bartonella</i> spp. in <i>S. myoti</i> and <i>N. schmidlii</i>. Phylogenetic inference based on the <i>gltA</i> gene positioned the detected genotypes close to those previously reported in bats and Nycteribiidae flies in Europe, Asia, and Africa. Notably, no DNA from Anaplasmataceae, <i>Rickettsia</i> spp., or piroplasmids was detected. The prevalence of <i>S. myoti</i> was high, with all examined bats being infested, showing notable differences in ectoparasite diversity concerning sex and cave-specific location. These findings suggest that host behavior, environmental conditions, and ectoparasite lifecycles play critical roles in shaping pathogen transmission dynamics. This study advances the understanding of bat ectoparasite-pathogen interactions in a region with limited data and highlights the need for continued research to assess the zoonotic potential and ecological impacts of the <i>Bartonella</i> genotypes detected herein.</p>","PeriodicalId":19758,"journal":{"name":"Pathogens","volume":"14 3","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":3.3,"publicationDate":"2025-03-12","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC11946244/pdf/","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"143731107","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":3,"RegionCategory":"医学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"OA","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Conformational and Stability Analysis of SARS-CoV-2 Spike Protein Variants by Molecular Simulation.","authors":"Gustavo E Olivos-Ramirez, Luis F Cofas-Vargas, Tobias Madl, Adolfo B Poma","doi":"10.3390/pathogens14030274","DOIUrl":"10.3390/pathogens14030274","url":null,"abstract":"<p><p>We performed a comprehensive structural analysis of the conformational space of several spike (S) protein variants using molecular dynamics (MD) simulations. Specifically, we examined four well-known variants (Delta, BA.1, XBB.1.5, and JN.1) alongside the wild-type (WT) form of SARS-CoV-2. The conformational states of each variant were characterized by analyzing their distributions within a selected space of collective variables (CVs), such as inter-domain distances between the receptor-binding domain (RBD) and the N-terminal domain (NTD). Our primary focus was to identify conformational states relevant to potential structural transitions and to determine the set of native contacts (NCs) that stabilize these conformations. The results reveal that genetically more distant variants, such as XBB.1.5, BA.1, and JN.1, tend to adopt more compact conformational states compared to the WT. Additionally, these variants exhibit novel NC profiles, characterized by an increased number of specific contacts distributed among ionic, polar, and nonpolar residues. We further analyzed the impact of specific mutations, including T478K, N500Y, and Y504H. These mutations not only enhance interactions with the human host receptor but also alter inter-chain stability by introducing additional NCs compared to the WT. Consequently, these mutations may influence the accessibility of certain protein regions to neutralizing antibodies. Overall, these findings contribute to a deeper understanding of the structural and functional variations among S protein variants.</p>","PeriodicalId":19758,"journal":{"name":"Pathogens","volume":"14 3","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":3.3,"publicationDate":"2025-03-12","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC11945020/pdf/","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"143731010","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":3,"RegionCategory":"医学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"OA","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Susceptibility to Postbiotic Substances-Enterocins of the Strains <i>Enterococcus thailandicus</i> from Beavers (<i>Castor fiber</i>).","authors":"Andrea Lauková, Valentína Focková, Marián Maďar, Renata Miltko, Monika Pogány Simonová","doi":"10.3390/pathogens14030269","DOIUrl":"10.3390/pathogens14030269","url":null,"abstract":"<p><p>Eurasian beaver (<i>Castor fiber</i>) populations have been reintroduced to European countries, though this bears the risk of novel wildlife pathogen reservoir establishment. The species nova <i>E. thailandicus</i> was described first in Thailand as a food-derived strain. Later, this species was detected in the feces of pigs, poultry, sewage, and humans. In those studies, the potential risk posed by this species was evaluated. Against that background, the aim of this study was to investigate the susceptibility to postbiotic active substances (enterocins) against fecal <i>E. thailandicus</i> strains from beavers caught in Poland. The strains were identified with the use of 16S rRNA gene similarity sequencing. These six <i>E. thailandicus</i> strains with low-grade biofilm-forming abilities and two strains with the presence of the <i>gelE</i> virulence factor gene were susceptible to seven enterocins produced by non-autochthonous strains, mostly of the species <i>E. faecium</i> and <i>E. durans</i>. The inhibitory activity against the tested strains reached 25,600 AU/mL. Although the studied <i>E. thailandicus</i> strains did not show a strictly pathogenic character, their growth inhibition by postbiotics was identified as a novel elimination strategy.</p>","PeriodicalId":19758,"journal":{"name":"Pathogens","volume":"14 3","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":3.3,"publicationDate":"2025-03-11","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC11944569/pdf/","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"143730779","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":3,"RegionCategory":"医学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"OA","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}