Journal of medical microbiology最新文献

{"title":"Transient reemergence of <i>Bordetella parapertussis</i> in France in 2022.","authors":"Valérie Bouchez, Julie Toubiana, Sophie Guillot, Parapertussis Study Group, Fatima Aït El Belghiti, Annie Landier, Nathalie Armatys, Sabine Trombert-Paolantoni, Anaïs Soares, Carla Rodrigues, Sylvain Brisse","doi":"10.1099/jmm.0.001843","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1099/jmm.0.001843","url":null,"abstract":"<p><p>Between March and October 2022, a peak of detection of <i>Bordetella parapertussis</i> by qPCR, real-time PCR was observed in France.<b>Hypothesis/Gap Statement.</b> Whether this peak was due to resurgence from previous circulating lineages or reintroduction into the country was unknown.<b>Objective.</b> The objective of this study is to understand <i>B. parapertussis-</i>transient increase observed in France in 2022 whereas it had virtually stopped being reported since the start of the COVID-19 pandemic in 2020.<b>Methods.</b> We analysed real-time PCR (qPCR) data from the two largest French outpatient laboratories performing whooping cough diagnosis and characterized all <i>B. parapertussis</i> isolates collected in the 2016-2022 period by the French National Reference Centre for Whooping Cough.<b>Results.</b> Microbiological analyses reveal that 13 of 18 bacterial isolates collected in 2022 produce the vaccine antigen pertactin, whereas none of the 22 isolates collected in the 2016-2021 period did.<b>Conclusion.</b> We hypothesize a re-introduction of <i>B. parapertussis</i> from regions of the world where whole-cell vaccines are still in use.</p>","PeriodicalId":94093,"journal":{"name":"Journal of medical microbiology","volume":"73 7","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":0.0,"publicationDate":"2024-07-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"141602383","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"The role of <i>N-</i>acetylcysteine on adhesion and biofilm formation of <i>Candida parapsilosis</i> isolated from catheter-related candidemia.","authors":"Xiao-Shu Zuo, Qian-Yu Wang, Sha-Sha Wang, Guang Li, Li-Ying Zhan","doi":"10.1099/jmm.0.001848","DOIUrl":"10.1099/jmm.0.001848","url":null,"abstract":"<p><p><b>Objectives.</b> Anti-fungal agents are increasingly becoming less effective due to the development of resistance. In addition, it is difficult to treat <i>Candida</i> organisms that form biofilms due to a lack of ability of drugs to penetrate the biofilms. We are attempting to assess the effect of a new therapeutic agent, <i>N</i>-acetylcysteine (NAC), on adhesion and biofilm formation in <i>Candida parapsilosis</i> clinical strains. Meanwhile, to detect the transcription level changes of adhesion and biofilm formation-associated genes (<i>CpALS6, CpALS7, CpEFG1</i> and <i>CpBCR1</i>) when administrated with NAC in <i>C. parapsilosis</i> strains, furthermore, to explore the mechanism of drug interference on biofilms.<b>Hypothesis/Gap statement.</b> N-acetylcysteine (NAC) exhibits certain inhibitory effects on adhesion and biofilm formation in C. parapsilosis clinical strains from CRBSIs through: (1) down-regulating the expression of the CpEFG1 gene, making it a highly potential candidate for the treatment of C. parapsilosis catheter-related bloodstream infections (CRBSIs), (2) regulating the metabolism and biofilm -forming factors of cell structure.<b>Methods.</b> To determine whether non-antifungal agents can exhibit inhibitory effects on adhesion, amounts of total biofilm formation and metabolic activities of <i>C. parapsilosis</i> isolates from candidemia patients, NAC was added to the yeast suspensions at different concentrations, respectively. Reverse transcription was used to detect the transcriptional levels of adhesion-related genes (<i>CpALS6</i> and <i>CpALS7</i>) and biofilm formation-related factors (<i>CpEFG1</i> and <i>CpBCR1</i>) in the <i>BCR1</i> knockout strain, CP7 and CP5 clinical strains in the presence of NAC. To further explore the mechanism of NAC on the biofilms of <i>C. parapsilosis</i>, RNA sequencing was used to calculate gene expression, comparing the differences among samples. Gene Ontology (GO) enrichment analysis helps to illustrate the difference between two particular samples on functional levels.<b>Results.</b> A high concentration of NAC reduces the total amount of biofilm formation in <i>C. parapsilosis</i>. Following co-incubation with NAC, the expression of <i>CpEFG1</i> in both CP7 and CP5 clinical strains decreased, while there were no significant changes in the transcriptional levels of <i>CpBCR1</i> compared with the untreated strain. GO enrichment analysis showed that the metabolism and biofilm-forming factors of cell structure were all regulated after NAC intervention.<b>Conclusions.</b> The non-antifungal agent NAC exhibits certain inhibitory effects on clinical isolate biofilm formation by down-regulating the expression of the <i>CpEFG1</i> gene, making it a highly potential candidate for the treatment of <i>C. parapsilosis</i> catheter-related bloodstream infections.</p>","PeriodicalId":94093,"journal":{"name":"Journal of medical microbiology","volume":"73 7","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":0.0,"publicationDate":"2024-07-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC11316557/pdf/","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"141494699","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"OA","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Synoviocytes assist in modulating the effect of Ross River virus infection in micromass-cultured primary human chondrocytes.","authors":"Wesley Freppel, Elisa X Y Lim, Penny A Rudd, Lara J Herrero","doi":"10.1099/jmm.0.001859","DOIUrl":"10.1099/jmm.0.001859","url":null,"abstract":"<p><p><b>Introduction.</b> Ross River virus (RRV) is a mosquito-borne virus prevalent in Australia and the islands of the South Pacific, where it causes an arthritogenic illness with a hallmark feature of severe joint pain. The joint space is a unique microenvironment that contains cartilage and synovial fluid. Chondrocytes and synoviocytes are crucial components of the joint space and are known targets of RRV infection.<b>Hypothesis/Gap statement.</b> Understanding the relationship between synoviocytes and chondrocytes during RRV infection will provide further insights into RRV-induced joint pathology.<b>Methodology.</b> To better understand the unique dynamics of these cells during RRV infection, we used primary chondrocytes cultured in physiologically relevant micromasses. We then directly infected micromass chondrocytes or infected primary fibroblast-like synoviocytes (FLS), co-cultured with micromass chondrocytes. Micromass cultures and supernatants were collected and analysed for viral load with a PCR array of target genes known to play a role in arthritis.<b>Results.</b> We show that RRV through direct or secondary infection in micromass chondrocytes modulates the expression of cellular factors that likely contribute to joint inflammation and disease pathology, as well as symptoms such as pain. More importantly, while we show that RRV can infect micromass-cultured chondrocytes via FLS infection, FLS themselves affect the regulation of cellular genes known to contribute to arthritis.<b>Conclusion.</b> Single-cell culture systems lack the complexity of <i>in vivo</i> systems, and understanding the interaction between cell populations is crucial for deciphering disease pathology, including for the development of effective therapeutic strategies.</p>","PeriodicalId":94093,"journal":{"name":"Journal of medical microbiology","volume":"73 7","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":0.0,"publicationDate":"2024-07-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC11316548/pdf/","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"141725319","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"OA","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Communicating and disseminating One Health: successes of the One Health European Joint Programme.","authors":"Emma Taylor, Karin Artursson, Luca Busani, Arnaud Callegari, Jennifer Cantlay, Manuela Caniça, Elaine Campling, Dolores Gavier-Widén, Arjen van de Giessen, David Itier, Hein Imberechts, Hendrik-Jan Roest, André Jestin, Lucia de Juan, Pikka Jokelainen, Annemarie Kaesbohrer, Ann Lindberg, Alberto Mantovani, Kåre Mølbak, Wim H M van der Poel, Aurore C Poirier, Ludovico P Sepe, Stefano Morabito, Jack Whitehouse, Daniel L Horton, Roberto La Ragione","doi":"10.1099/jmm.0.001842","DOIUrl":"10.1099/jmm.0.001842","url":null,"abstract":"<p><p>The application of a One Health approach recognizes that human health, animal health, plant health and ecosystem health are intrinsically connected. Tackling complex challenges associated with foodborne zoonoses, antimicrobial resistance, and emerging threats is imperative. Therefore, the One Health European Joint Programme was established within the European Union research programme Horizon 2020. The One Health European Joint Programme activities were based on the development and harmonization of a One Health science-based framework in the European Union (EU) and involved public health, animal health and food safety institutes from almost all EU Member States, the UK and Norway, thus strengthening the cooperation between public, medical and veterinary organizations in Europe. Activities including 24 joint research projects, 6 joint integrative projects and 17 PhD projects, and a multicountry simulation exercise facilitated harmonization of laboratory methods and surveillance, and improved tools for risk assessment. The provision of sustainable solutions is integral to a One Health approach. To ensure the legacy of the work of the One Health European Joint Programme, focus was on strategic communication and dissemination of the outputs and engagement of stakeholders at the national, European and international levels.</p>","PeriodicalId":94093,"journal":{"name":"Journal of medical microbiology","volume":"73 7","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":0.0,"publicationDate":"2024-07-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC11317964/pdf/","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"141763617","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"OA","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Antifungal activity of propafenone on <i>Candida</i> spp. strains: interaction with antifungals and possible mechanism of action.","authors":"Amanda Dias Barbosa, Amanda Cavalcante Leitão, Leilson Carvalho de Oliveira, Daniel Sampaio Rodrigues, Vitória Pessoa de Farias Cabral, Lara Elloyse Almeida Moreira, Maria Janielly Castelo Branco Silveira, Sarah Alves Barbosa, Beatriz Oliveira de Souza, Lívia Gurgel do Amaral Valente Sá, João Batista de Andrade Neto, Bruno Coelho Cavalcanti, Islay Lima Magalhães, Manoel Odorico de Moraes, Hélio Vitoriano Nobre Júnior, Cecília Rocha da Silva","doi":"10.1099/jmm.0.001850","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1099/jmm.0.001850","url":null,"abstract":"<p><p><b>Introduction.</b> The development of new antifungal drugs has become a global priority, given the increasing cases of fungal diseases together with the rising resistance to available antifungal drugs. In this scenario, drug repositioning has emerged as an alternative for such development, with advantages such as reduced research time and costs.<b>Gap statement.</b> Propafenone is an antiarrhythmic drug whose antifungal activity is poorly described, being a good candidate for further study.<b>Aim.</b> This study aims to evaluate propafenone activity against different species of <i>Candida</i> spp. to evaluate its combination with standard antifungals, as well as its possible action mechanism.<b>Methodology.</b> To this end, we carried out tests against strains of <i>Candida albicans</i>, <i>Candida auris</i>, <i>Candida parapsilosis</i>, <i>Candida tropicalis</i>, <i>Candida glabrata</i> and <i>Candida krusei</i> based on the evaluation of the MIC, minimum fungicidal concentration and tolerance level, along with checkerboard and flow cytometry tests with clinical strains and cell structure analysis by scanning electron microscopy (SEM).<b>Results.</b> The results showed that propafenone has a 50% MIC ranging from 32 to 256 µg ml^-1, with fungicidal activity and positive interactions with itraconazole in 83.3% of the strains evaluated. The effects of the treatments observed by SEM were extensive damage to the cell structure, while flow cytometry revealed the apoptotic potential of propafenone against <i>Candida</i> spp.<b>Conclusion.</b> Taken together, these results indicate that propafenone has the potential for repositioning as an antifungal drug.</p>","PeriodicalId":94093,"journal":{"name":"Journal of medical microbiology","volume":"73 7","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":0.0,"publicationDate":"2024-07-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"141560581","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Transcriptome analysis of <i>Candida albicans</i> planktonic cells in response to plasma medicine.","authors":"Xinhua Zhang, Kok Jun Liew, Li Cao, Jie Wang, Zhidong Chang, Melvin Chun Yun Tan, Kheng Loong Chong, Chun Shiong Chong","doi":"10.1099/jmm.0.001841","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1099/jmm.0.001841","url":null,"abstract":"<p><p><b>Introduction.</b> Cold plasma is frequently utilized for the purpose of eliminating microbial contaminants. Under optimal conditions, it can function as plasma medicine for treating various diseases, including infections caused by <i>Candida albicans</i>, an opportunistic pathogen that can overgrow in individuals with weakened immune system.<b>Gap Statement.</b> To date, there has been less molecular study on cold plasma-treated <i>C. albicans</i>.<b>Research Aim.</b> The study aims to fill the gap in understanding the molecular response of <i>C. albicans</i> to cold plasma treatment.<b>Methodology.</b> This project involved testing a cold plasma generator to determine its antimicrobial effectiveness on <i>C. albicans</i>' planktonic cells. Additionally, the cells' transcriptomics responses were investigated using RNA sequencing at various treatment durations (1, 3 and 5 min).<b>Results.</b> The results show that our cold plasma effectively eliminates <i>C. albicans</i>. Cold plasma treatment resulted in substantial downregulation of important pathways, such as 'nucleotide metabolism', 'DNA replication and repair', 'cell growth', 'carbohydrate metabolism' and 'amino acid metabolism'. This was an indication of cell cycle arrest of <i>C. albicans</i> to preserve energy consumption under unfavourable conditions. Nevertheless, <i>C. albicans</i> adapted its GSH antioxidant system to cope with the oxidative stress induced by reactive oxygen species, reactive nitrogen species and other free radicals. The treatment likely led to a decrease in cell pathogenicity as many virulence factors were downregulated.<b>Conclusion.</b> The study demonstrated the major affected pathways in cold plasma-treated <i>C. albicans</i>, providing valuable insights into the molecular response of <i>C. albicans</i> to cold plasma treatment. The findings contribute to the understanding of the antimicrobial efficiency of cold plasma and its potential applications in the field of microbiology.</p>","PeriodicalId":94093,"journal":{"name":"Journal of medical microbiology","volume":"73 7","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":0.0,"publicationDate":"2024-07-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"141536199","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Apramycin has high <i>in vitro</i> activity against <i>Mycobacterium tuberculosis</i>.","authors":"Qing Sun, Jun Yan, Sibo Long, Yiheng Shi, Guanglu Jiang, Hao Li, Hairong Huang, Guirong Wang","doi":"10.1099/jmm.0.001854","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1099/jmm.0.001854","url":null,"abstract":"<p><p><b>Introduction.</b> Aminoglycoside antibiotics such as amikacin and kanamycin are important components in the treatment of <i>Mycobacterium tuberculosis</i> (Mtb) infection. However, more and more clinical strains are found to be aminoglycoside antibiotic-resistant. Apramycin is another kind of aminoglycoside antibiotic that is commonly used to treat infections in animals.<b>Hypothesis.</b> Apramycin may have <i>in vitro</i> activity against Mtb.<b>Aim.</b> This study aims to evaluate the efficacy of apramycin against Mtb <i>in vitro</i> and determine its epidemiological cut-off (ECOFF) value.<b>Methodology.</b> One hundred Mtb isolates, including 17 pansusceptible and 83 drug-resistant tuberculosis (DR-TB) strains, were analysed for apramycin resistance using the MIC assay.<b>Results.</b> Apramycin exhibited significant inhibitory activity against Mtb clinical isolates, with an MIC₅₀ of 0.5 μg ml^-1 and an MIC₉₀ of 1 μg ml^-1. We determined the tentative ECOFF value as 1 µg ml^-1 for apramycin. The resistant rates of multidrug-resistant tuberculosis (MDR-TB), pre-extensively drug-resistant (pre-XDR-TB) and extensively drug-resistant tuberculosis (XDR-TB) strains were 12.12 % (4/33), 20.69 % (6/29) and 66.67 % (14/21), respectively. The <i>rrs</i> gene A1401G is associated with apramycin resistance, as well as the cross-resistance between apramycin and other aminoglycosides.<b>Conclusion.</b> Apramycin shows high <i>in vitro</i> activity against the Mtb clinical isolates, especially the MDR-TB clinical isolates. This encouraging discovery calls for more research on the functions of apramycin <i>in vivo</i> and as a possible antibiotic for the treatment of drug-resistant TB.</p>","PeriodicalId":94093,"journal":{"name":"Journal of medical microbiology","volume":"73 7","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":0.0,"publicationDate":"2024-07-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"141556278","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Dengue virus (DV) non-cross-reactive Omicron wave COVID-19 serums enhanced DV3 infectivity <i>in vitro</i>.","authors":"Supratim Sarker, Chiroshri Dutta, Abinash Mallick, Sayantan Das, Chandrika Das Chowdhury, Abhishek De, Surajit Gorai, Subhajit Biswas","doi":"10.1099/jmm.0.001852","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1099/jmm.0.001852","url":null,"abstract":"<p><p><b>Introduction.</b> In India, the SARS-CoV-2 Delta wave (2020-2021) faded away with the advent of the Omicron variants (2021-present). Dengue incidences were observed to be less in Southeast Asia during the active years of the pandemic (2020-2021). However, dengue virus type 3 (DV3) cases were increasingly reported in this region (including India) concurrent with the progression of the Omicron waves since 2022.<b>Hypothesis.</b> What could be the reason(s) behind this unusual DV3 surge after an overall dip in dengue incidences in many parts of Southeast Asia?<b>Aim.</b> We, therefore, investigated the current state of cross-reactivity of prevalent (Omicron era) SARS-CoV-2 serums with different DV serotypes and evaluated the impact of such serums on DV neutralization in cell culture.<b>Methodology.</b> Fifty-five COVID-19 serum samples (January-September 2022) and three pre-pandemic archived serum samples from apparently healthy individuals were tested for DV or SARS-CoV-2 IgM/IgG using the lateral flow immunoassays. DV1-4 virus neutralization tests (VNTs) were done with the SARS-CoV-2 antibody (Ab)-positive serums in Huh7 cells. DV3 envelope (<i>env)</i> gene was PCR amplified and sequenced for three archived DV isolates, one from 2017 and two from 2021.<b>Results.</b> SARS-CoV-2 Ab-positive samples constituted 74.5 % of the serums. Of these, 41.5 % were DV cross-reactive and 58.5 % were not. The DV cross-reactive serums neutralized all DV serotypes (DV1-4), as per previous results and this study. The DV non-cross-reactive serums (58.5 %) also cross-neutralized DV1, 2 and 4 but increased DV3 infectivity by means of antibody-dependent enhancement of infection as evident from significantly higher DV3 titres in VNT compared to control serums. The DV3 envelope was identical among the three isolates, including isolate 1 used in VNTs. Our results suggest that DV cross-reactivity of SARS-CoV-2 serums diminished with the shift from Delta to Omicron prevalence. Such COVID-19 serums (DV non-cross-reactive) might have played a major role in causing DV3 surge during the Omicron waves.<b>Conclusion.</b> Patients suspected of dengue or COVID-19 should be subjected to virus/antigen tests and serological tests for both the diseases for definitive diagnosis, prognosis and disease management.</p>","PeriodicalId":94093,"journal":{"name":"Journal of medical microbiology","volume":"73 7","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":0.0,"publicationDate":"2024-07-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"141500035","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Improving the diagnosis of urinary tract infections by the use of enriched media and a 48-hour incubation period.","authors":"Carla Benjumea, Ferran Navarro, Carles Alonso-Tarrés","doi":"10.1099/jmm.0.001846","DOIUrl":"10.1099/jmm.0.001846","url":null,"abstract":"<p><p><b>Introduction.</b> The absence of a gold-standard methodology for the microbiological diagnosis of urinary tract infections (UTI) has led to insufficient standardization of criteria for the interpretation of results and processing methods, particularly incubation time and culture media.<b>Hypothesis.</b> 48-hour incubation time period and use of blood agar enhances the sensitivity of microorganisms isolated significantly.<b>Aim.</b> To determine the sensitivity of blood agar and Brilliance UTI chromogenic agar, incubating for different periods (24-48 hours), for the detection of positive urine cultures.<b>Methodoloy.</b> Comparisons were made between all possible combinations of media and incubation times. As the gold-standard reference, we used the routine methodology of our laboratory, which involves prior screening with available clinical data, flow cytometry, sediment analysis and/or Gram staining. Screened samples were then cultured on blood agar and chromogenic agar and incubated for 48 hours. Also, based on the results of Gram staining, additional media were added in selected cases.<b>Results.</b> The most significant difference was found between chromogenic agar incubated for 24 hours and blood agar incubated for 48 hours, with the latter method allowing the recovery of 10.14 % more microorganisms (<i>P</i> < 0.0001). Furthermore, the value of performing Gram staining to guide processing was demonstrated, as it avoided the loss of at least 5.14 % of isolates.<b>Conclusions.</b> At least in urological and nephrological patients it is essential to include enriched culture media (blood agar) or to extend the incubation times due to the improvement of the diagnostic sensitivity of urine cultures. Gram staining also can help detect the presence of fastidious microorganisms or mixed infections, indicating whether rich and/or selective media should be included to enhance the diagnostic sensitivity of cultures. If this methodology is not followed, it should be noted that besides fastidious species, fastidious strains of <i>Escherichia coli, Proteus mirabilis, Pseudomonas aerugniosa</i> and <i>Stenotrophomonas maltophilia</i> will also be missed.</p>","PeriodicalId":94093,"journal":{"name":"Journal of medical microbiology","volume":"73 6","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":0.0,"publicationDate":"2024-06-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC11261898/pdf/","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"141461469","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"OA","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Antimicrobial resistance patterns among critical priority pathogens in an intensive care unit at a tertiary hospital in Egypt: a descriptive analysis comparing pre- and COVID-19 eras.","authors":"Mai M Zafer, Dina M Bassiouny, Soumya Ghosh, Charné Bornman, Amira F A Hussein","doi":"10.1099/jmm.0.001838","DOIUrl":"10.1099/jmm.0.001838","url":null,"abstract":"<p><p><b>Background.</b> The intensified global challenge of antimicrobial resistance, set against the backdrop of the COVID-19 pandemic, is a cause for major concern. Within healthcare settings, intensive care units are recognized as focal points for Gram-negative infections. The study pursued to assess the prevalence and antimicrobial resistance patterns of critical priority pathogens (<i>Acinetobacter baumannii</i>, <i>Pseudomonas aeruginosa</i>, Enterobacteriaceae, comprising <i>Klebsiella pneumoniae</i> and <i>Escherichia coli</i>) during both pre- and COVID-19 periods.<b>Gap Statement.</b> The decision to explore this topic stemmed from the urgent need to understand how the exceptional healthcare crisis of COVID-19 affected AMR patterns.<b>Methods.</b> This was an observational retrospective analysis of 1056 clinical specimens obtained from 950 patients who were admitted to the Medical Intensive Care Unit at Kasr Al-Aini Hospital, Cairo University, Egypt.<b>Results.</b> In the period before COVID-19, 342 pathogenic isolates (135 <i>K</i>. <i>pneumoniae</i>, 83 <i>P</i>. <i>aeruginosa</i>, 76 <i>A</i>. <i>baumannii</i> and 48 <i>E. coli</i>) were obtained from samples collected from 450 patients. Conversely, during the COVID-19 period, 714 isolates (237 <i>K</i>. <i>pneumoniae</i>, 205 <i>A</i>. <i>baumannii</i>, 199 <i>P</i>. <i>aeruginosa</i> and 73 <i>E. coli</i>) were collected from the same number of patients. In the course of the pandemic, there is a slight increase in <i>A. baumannii</i> and <i>P. aeruginosa</i> infections, whereas <i>E. coli</i> and <i>K. pneumoniae</i> exhibit a distinct trend with a noticeable reduction in infection rates during COVID-19. During the COVID-19 period, a noticeable rise in resistance rates was observed for all antibiotics utilized. The results from Fisher's exact test indicated a substantial increase in resistance towards certain antibiotics. Specifically, a significant rise in resistance was observed for <i>E. coli</i> to ciprofloxacin (<i>P</i> = 0.00), gentamicin and <i>P. aeruginosa</i> (<i>P</i> = 0.02), levofloxacin and <i>A. baumannii</i> (<i>P</i> = 0.01), piperacillin-tazobactam and <i>A. baumannii</i> (<i>P</i> = 0.04), and piperacillin-tazobactam and <i>P. aeruginosa</i> (<i>P</i> = 0.01).<b>Conclusion.</b> Our results display how the pandemic impacted bacterial infections and antibiotic resistance, indicating a general increase in resistance rates. These findings are crucial for guiding healthcare practices, emphasizing the need for continued surveillance and potentially checking antibiotic usage schemes.</p>","PeriodicalId":94093,"journal":{"name":"Journal of medical microbiology","volume":"73 6","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":0.0,"publicationDate":"2024-06-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"141447899","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}