Journal of medical microbiology最新文献

{"title":"The ability of ozone to counteract multidrug-resistant bacteria if used as an adjunct therapy: a bioinformatic modelling.","authors":"Salvatore Chirumbolo, Giuseppe Masiello, Marianno Franzini, Tommaso Richelmi, Umberto Tirelli, Luigi Valdenassi","doi":"10.1099/jmm.0.002035","DOIUrl":"10.1099/jmm.0.002035","url":null,"abstract":"<p><p>Multidrug-resistant (MDR) bacteria pose a growing threat to global health, prompting exploration of alternative therapies. This study uses bioinformatic modelling to assess ozone therapy as an adjunct treatment, analysing both linear and non-linear (chaotic) frameworks. Results suggest that ozone exerts bactericidal effects and modulates immune responses, partly through the production of 4-hydroxynonenal. Simulations indicate that ozone-induced adaptive chaos may enhance immune resilience and accelerate bacterial clearance compared to antibiotics alone. However, the findings are theoretical, and the short half-life of ozone limits direct impact, emphasizing the need for experimental validation. Ozone therapy shows promise, but its role in adaptive chaos requires further study to determine its clinical viability, despite a large number of reports showing an undisputable action of medical ozone against MDR bacteria.</p>","PeriodicalId":94093,"journal":{"name":"Journal of medical microbiology","volume":"74 6","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":2.0,"publicationDate":"2025-06-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC12205150/pdf/","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"144513020","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":"Topoisomerase inhibitory activity of ethanolic extracts from botanicals <i>Coptis chinensis</i> and <i>Salvia officinalis</i>.","authors":"Wade Ingersoll, Susan Trapp, Tiffany Turner, Guillermo Ruiz, Jeffrey Langland","doi":"10.1099/jmm.0.002024","DOIUrl":"10.1099/jmm.0.002024","url":null,"abstract":"<p><p><b>Introduction.</b> DNA topoisomerases are essential enzymes that allow cells to effectively manage the topological states of DNA. Due to the ubiquitous nature of their functions, topoisomerases have become promising treatment targets for various conditions, ranging from microbial infections to cancer.<b>Hypothesis.</b> The botanicals, <i>Coptis chinensis</i> (Chinese goldthread) and <i>Salvia officinalis</i> (common sage), are herbs that boast a long history of traditional use for their effectiveness in treating a myriad of health concerns, including microbial infections and cancer, which could be associated with topoisomerase inhibitory activity.<b>Aim.</b> This study sought to evaluate the antimicrobial and anticancer properties of these botanical extracts and determine if this activity was due to the presence of anti-topoisomerase activity.<b>Methodology.</b> Using various bacterial genera, vaccinia virus, cancerous cell lines and topoisomerase activity assays, the activity of these extracts was evaluated.<b>Results.</b> This study demonstrated that ethanolic extracts of these botanicals had potent anti-Gram-positive bacterial activity, antiviral activity and anticancer activity. Furthermore, this activity likely correlated with the ability of the extracts to inhibit topoisomerases II and IV and for <i>Salvia officinalis</i>, topoisomerase I.<b>Conclusion.</b> These results support the potential therapeutic value of <i>C. chinensis</i> and <i>S. officinalis</i> for the treatment of health concerns.</p>","PeriodicalId":94093,"journal":{"name":"Journal of medical microbiology","volume":"74 6","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":2.0,"publicationDate":"2025-06-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC12451761/pdf/","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"144210522","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":"Differentially culturable <i>Mycobacterium tuberculosis</i> in cough-generated aerosols of patients with pulmonary tuberculosis DCTB in cough-generated aerosols.","authors":"Luiz Guilherme Schmidt Castellani, Manuela Negrelli Brunetti, Mariana Abou Mourad Ferreira, Taline Canto Tristão, Pedro Sousa de Almeida Júnior, Edward C Jones-López, Kevin P Fennelly, Michael R Barer, Jerrold J Ellner, Reynaldo Dietze, Moisés Palaci","doi":"10.1099/jmm.0.002027","DOIUrl":"10.1099/jmm.0.002027","url":null,"abstract":"<p><p><b>Introduction.</b> While <i>Mycobacterium tuberculosis</i> cells in sputum in sputum have been studied extensively, little is known of their properties in exhaled aerosols.<b>Hypothesis.</b> As differentially culturable tubercle bacteria (DCTB) are readily found in sputum, we hypothesized that DCTB might also be present in aerosols and potentially contribute to transmission.<b>Aim.</b> To test cough aerosols from recently diagnosed pulmonary tuberculosis (TB) patients for DCTB.<b>Methodology.</b> Cough-generated aerosols and sputum samples were collected from active pulmonary TB patients (<i>n</i>=27). A cough aerosol sampling system was modified to include both an Andersen Cascade Impactor using solid agar and a BioSampler liquid impactor. We performed the most probable number of assays to detect DCTB, using media supplemented with <i>Mycobacterium tuberculosis</i> culture filtrate (CF).<b>Results.</b> Briefly, 63% of patients (<i>n</i>=17) had advanced TB, and 55.6% (<i>n</i>=15) had a 3+ sputum smear for acid-fast bacilli. Evidence for DCTB was found in 8 patients' aerosols (29.5%) and more than half of the 19 sputum samples tested (<i>n</i>=10; 52.6%). Two patients had DCTB in only one of the collected samples (cough aerosols or sputum). Among cough aerosol specimens, two patients (7%) only had CF-dependent DCTB.<b>Conclusion.</b> We detected DCTB in sputum and evidence for their presence in cough samples from pulmonary TB patients. These data suggest that bacilli undetected by traditional mycobacterial cultures may be aerosolized from pulmonary TB patients.</p>","PeriodicalId":94093,"journal":{"name":"Journal of medical microbiology","volume":"74 6","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":0.0,"publicationDate":"2025-06-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC12144321/pdf/","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"144236302","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":"Xpert MTB/RIF Ultra performance on bronchial specimens in diagnosing pulmonary tuberculosis in Vancouver, Canada.","authors":"Cole Schonhofer, Jennifer Bilawka, Scott Apperley, Christopher F Lowe, Michael Payne, Nancy Matic, Victor Leung, Marc G Romney, Patrick Tang, Aleksandra Stefanovic","doi":"10.1099/jmm.0.002022","DOIUrl":"10.1099/jmm.0.002022","url":null,"abstract":"<p><p><b>Introduction.</b> In cases where sputum is non-diagnostic or unavailable, bronchoscopy can yield high-value respiratory samples for tuberculosis (TB) diagnosis. Whilst <i>Mycobacterium tuberculosis</i> (MTB) <i>complex</i> culture remains the gold standard, molecular assays such as Xpert MTB/RIF Ultra (Xpert Ultra) are increasingly being used for rapid diagnosis.<b>Gap Statement.</b> Xpert Ultra is increasingly used for TB diagnosis and has been extensively evaluated on sputum specimens, but assessment of performance on bronchoscopy samples is more limited.<b>Aim.</b> To retrospectively evaluate the performance of Xpert Ultra on bronchoscopy specimens in comparison to culture in a low-incidence, high-resource setting.<b>Methodology.</b> Patients with a clinical suspicion of TB, who had non-diagnostic sputum or limited sputum production and underwent bronchoscopy between March 2019 and October 2023, were included in the study. Bronchoscopy specimens comprised bronchoalveolar lavages, bronchial washings and endobronchial ultrasound lymph node tissue biopsies. All included specimens underwent acid-fast bacilli (AFB) smear, mycobacterial culture and Xpert Ultra. Positive MTB culture was considered the reference standard for TB diagnosis.<b>Results.</b> One hundred thirty-five bronchoscopy samples from 126 patients were included. Cultures were positive for MTB in 47 out of 126 (37.3%) of included patients. Overall, positive percent agreement (PPA) and negative percent agreement (NPA) of Xpert Ultra to MTB culture were 93.6% and 98.7%, respectively. In 19 AFB smear-positive cases, Xpert Ultra had 100% PPA and NPA, whilst in 28 smear-negative cases, PPA and NPA were 89.3% and 98.6%, respectively. On average, positive culture results were available after 15.2 days of incubation (range, 5-42 days) versus 24 h for Xpert Ultra. Xpert Ultra PCR cycle threshold values correlated strongly with AFB-smear grade and time-to-culture positivity.<b>Conclusion.</b> Xpert Ultra performed on specimens collected via bronchoscopy demonstrated excellent agreement with culture, even in smear-negative cases. Our results support the use of the Ultra on bronchoscopy specimens for accurate and rapid TB diagnosis in a low-incidence setting.</p>","PeriodicalId":94093,"journal":{"name":"Journal of medical microbiology","volume":"74 6","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":0.0,"publicationDate":"2025-06-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC12144317/pdf/","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"144236303","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":"Enhanced laboratory surveillance study of <i>Campylobacter</i> species in England.","authors":"Craig Swift, Adam Crewdson, Yung-Wai Chan, Anais Painset, Amy Douglas, Suzanne Gokool, Claire Jenkins, Gauri Godbole","doi":"10.1099/jmm.0.002017","DOIUrl":"10.1099/jmm.0.002017","url":null,"abstract":"<p><p><b>Introduction.</b> Campylobacteriosis is the leading cause of gastroenteritis worldwide, and <i>Campylobacter</i> species are the most frequently reported zoonotic, bacterial foodborne pathogens in England.<b>Gap statement.</b> Currently, less than 2.0% of <i>Campylobacter</i> isolates in England undergo strain identification and typing, resulting in limited insight into their molecular epidemiology.<b>Aim.</b> To assess the feasibility of using high-throughput whole-genome sequencing (WGS) to generate data for microbiological and epidemiological analysis by the implementation of a 3-month enhanced laboratory surveillance for <i>Campylobacter</i> spp. in England, and to make recommendations for improving the current <i>Campylobacter</i> surveillance strategies.<b>Methodology.</b> All diagnostic laboratories in England were encouraged to refer isolates of <i>Campylobacter</i> spp. for WGS over a 3-month period (7 June-31 August 2021).<b>Results.</b> Over 6,000 <i>Campylobacter</i> species isolates were characterized, of which 87.5% were successfully identified as <i>Campylobacter jejuni</i> and 8.1% as <i>Campylobacter coli</i>. Just over half of the isolates were referred from patients who were male (53%), and <i>C. coli</i> isolates tended to be from older patients than <i>C. jejuni</i>, with median ages of 55 and 44 years, respectively. The most common multi-locus sequencing type clonal complex identified was ST-21, and within this, the sequencing type ST6175 was the most frequently identified, of which 96.8% were predicted to carry antimicrobial resistance determinants, inferring reduced susceptibility to both ciprofloxacin and tetracycline. The four largest <i>C. jejuni</i> 5-single nucleotide polymorphism (SNP) clusters, associated with the larger clonal complexes and sequence type groups (ST6175, ST48, ST6175 and ST5136), accounted for 23.8% (<i>n</i>=1,150/4,838) of SNP typable isolates. Conversely, 28.4% and 39.5% of isolates <i>C. jejuni</i> and <i>C. coli,</i> respectively, appeared to be sporadic, with each isolate assigned a unique SNP address at the 5-SNP level.<b>Conclusion.</b> WGS enabled identification of genetically related clusters of <i>Campylobacter</i> isolates in almost real time and shows potential for monitoring of inferred antimicrobial resistance. However, unlocking its full potential requires referral of sufficient and representative isolates for sequencing with parallel epidemiological data collection.</p>","PeriodicalId":94093,"journal":{"name":"Journal of medical microbiology","volume":"74 6","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":0.0,"publicationDate":"2025-06-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC12163181/pdf/","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"144277078","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":"Trimethoprim resistance in <i>Escherichia coli</i> exhibits an allele-specific growth advantage.","authors":"Alexandra Spencer, Qixiang Wong, Sophie T Lawson, Holly Fry, Neha M Ramchandani Ramchandani, Chris Harding, Judith Hall, Phillip D Aldridge","doi":"10.1099/jmm.0.002021","DOIUrl":"10.1099/jmm.0.002021","url":null,"abstract":"<p><p><b>Introduction.</b> The antibiotic trimethoprim has been used to treat urinary tract infection (UTI) since ~1962. Alongside the nitrofurantoin, there are still justified reasons for trimethoprim use, especially in non-pregnant women. Trimethoprim resistance is commonly the result of acquiring the trimethoprim-insensitive dihydrofolate reductase gene: <i>dfrA</i>. Assessment of clinical <i>Escherichia coli</i> isolates from two clinical trials, AnTIC and ALTAR, identified carriage of two copies of <i>dfrA</i>.<b>Hypothesis.</b> The hypothesis tested here was that dual <i>dfrA</i> carriage provided <i>E. coli</i> with a growth advantage.<b>Methodology.</b> Two hundred and seventy-eight clinical isolates from AnTIC/ALTAR were assessed for <i>dfrA</i> carriage. Microplate-based growth assays assessed growth behaviour with and without 64 mg l^-1 trimethoprim. Allelic replacement of <i>dfrA5</i> with five other alleles was also performed.<b>Results.</b> One hundred and four isolates (37%) were identified to carry a total of 112 <i>dfrA</i> genes. Eight isolates (2.9%) carried two copies of <i>dfrA</i>. Comparison of <i>dfrA</i> ⁺ to dual <i>dfrA</i> carriage could be differentiated by their growth behaviour when exposed to trimethoprim but had comparable MIC (>512 mg l^-1). Analysis of all <i>dfrA</i> ⁺ isolates determined that the growth behaviour exhibited an allelic bias. Allelic replacement of <i>dfrA5</i> with <i>dfrA1</i>, <i>dfrA7</i>, <i>dfrA8</i>, <i>dfrA14</i> and <i>dfrA17</i> demonstrated that the growth behaviour was <i>dfrA</i> specific.<b>Conclusion.</b> This analysis determined that the dual carriage of two <i>dfrA</i> alleles generated a growth advantage to <i>E. coli</i>. However, the growth behaviour was dictated by allele carriage and not specifically dual carriage, as single carriage isolates also possessed the identified phenotype. This data suggests that there is a potential clinical impact dictated by <i>dfrA</i> allele carriage that could improve clinical decisions on management strategies of UTI.</p>","PeriodicalId":94093,"journal":{"name":"Journal of medical microbiology","volume":"74 6","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":2.0,"publicationDate":"2025-06-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC12452031/pdf/","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"144210523","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":"Alterations of ocular surface microbiome in glaucoma and its association with dry eye.","authors":"Houyem Kamdougha, Bernard Taminiau, Papa Abdoulaye Fall, Saloua Ben Amor, Amira Trigui, Georges Daube, Basma Mnif","doi":"10.1099/jmm.0.002013","DOIUrl":"10.1099/jmm.0.002013","url":null,"abstract":"<p><p><b>Introduction.</b> Alterations in ocular surface microbiota (OSM) have been noted in both dry eye disease (DED) and glaucoma. However, the combined effects of these conditions on OSM have not been explored.<b>Hypothesis.</b> We hypothesized that patients with both glaucoma and dry eye would exhibit distinct changes in OSM composition and diversity compared to those with only glaucoma, only dry eye or healthy individuals.<b>Aim.</b> We employed amplicon sequencing to investigate OSM profiles in patients with glaucoma and/or dry eye disease.<b>Methods.</b> Swab samples from the conjunctiva of both eyes were collected from 28 glaucomatous patients [13 without dry eye syndrome (G-only) and 15 with dry eye syndrome (G-DED)], 13 DED patients without glaucoma (DED-only) and 31 age-matched healthy controls (HCs). After V3-V4 16S rRNA sequencing, MOTHUR tools and R language were used to elucidate and compare OSM composition and diversity between groups.<b>Results.</b> Our data revealed very diverse bacterial communities with 28 phyla and 785 genera. All the groups shared the three most abundant phyla, <i>Actinobacteria</i> (67.47%), <i>Firmicutes</i> (17.14%) and <i>Proteobacteria</i> (13.73%). <i>Corynebacterium</i> (54.75%), <i>Staphylococcus</i> (10.71%), <i>Cutibacterium</i> (8.77%) and <i>Streptococcus</i> (3.20%) were the most abundant genera. Only the G-DED group showed higher alpha diversity than the HC group (<i>P</i><0.05). However, significant differences in beta diversity were observed between all three patient groups and the HC group. The Differential Expression for Sequencing 2 (DESeq2) analysis unveiled an increased presence of opportunistic bacteria across all pathological groups, with the G-DED group demonstrating the most pronounced alterations.<b>Conclusions.</b> Our findings confirm the predominance of Gram-positive bacteria in normal OSM and the rise of opportunistic Gram-negative bacteria in glaucoma and dry eye disease. This is the first study to characterize OSM in glaucoma patients with DED.</p>","PeriodicalId":94093,"journal":{"name":"Journal of medical microbiology","volume":"74 5","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":0.0,"publicationDate":"2025-05-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC12075858/pdf/","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"144056103","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":"<i>In vitro</i> susceptibility profiles of invasive <i>Candida</i> bloodstream isolates to ten antifungal drugs in a southern area of China.","authors":"Qian-Yu Sang, Yun-Hui Liao, Kai-Xuan Huang, Yin-Rong Xie, Yi-Hui Yao, Ping Chen, Xian-Ming Liang","doi":"10.1099/jmm.0.002011","DOIUrl":"10.1099/jmm.0.002011","url":null,"abstract":"<p><p><b>Introduction.</b> In recent years, with the increase of drug resistance of <i>Candida</i>, the incidence rate and mortality of candidemia have gradually increased, which has brought a huge economic and health burden to people.<b>Gap Statement.</b> The epidemiological characteristics and antifungal drug sensitivity patterns in different regions have varied.<b>Aim.</b> To analyse the distribution and antifungal susceptibility of <i>Candida</i> strains isolated from bloodstreams and provide a basis for the use of antifungal drugs for treatment.<b>Methodology.</b> A total of 115 strains of <i>Candida</i> were collected from the bloodstream, and 28 strains of colonized <i>Candida albicans</i> were collected from the upper respiratory tract. <i>Candida</i> species were identified using matrix-assisted laser desorption/ionization time-of-flight technology. Antifungal susceptibility was assessed using broth microdilution combined with redox methods.<b>Results.</b> There were eight types of <i>Candida</i> strains isolated from the bloodstream; <i>C. albicans</i> was the most common species (36.5%), followed by <i>Candida parapsilosis</i> (24.3%), <i>Candida glabrata</i> (17.4%) and <i>Candida tropicalis</i> (14.8%). There was no significant difference in the resistance of <i>C. albicans</i> to azole drugs between the bloodstream infection group and the upper respiratory tract colonization group, but there was a significant difference in the MIC values of micafungin and fluconazole, with <i>P</i> values of 0.017 and 0.003, respectively. Amphotericin B and echinocandins are the most susceptible drugs for all <i>Candida</i> species, but the MICs of echinocandins against <i>C. parapsilosis</i> are significantly higher than those of other <i>Candida</i> species. <i>Candida</i> (except for <i>C. glabrata</i>) is highly resistant to azoles, with <i>C. parapsilosis</i> showing resistance rates of 89.3% and 82.1% to itraconazole and posaconazole, respectively; the resistance rates of <i>C. tropicalis</i> are 100% and 94.1%, respectively.<b>Conclusion.</b> <i>C. albicans</i> remains the predominant pathogen responsible for candidemia. Although the resistance of <i>Candida</i> to antifungals is relatively stable, there are significant differences in the MICs of antifungal drugs against <i>Candida</i>, indicating the importance of strain identification in the treatment of candidemia. For empirical treatment, the use of echinocandin drugs is recommended.</p>","PeriodicalId":94093,"journal":{"name":"Journal of medical microbiology","volume":"74 5","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":0.0,"publicationDate":"2025-05-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC12069814/pdf/","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"144061137","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":"Population structure, antibiotic resistance and molecular characteristics of <i>Streptococcus pneumoniae</i> causing invasive disease in Hubei, China.","authors":"Jiangqin Song, Huan Zhang, Siyu He, Huabing Yuan, Yunbo Chen","doi":"10.1099/jmm.0.002015","DOIUrl":"10.1099/jmm.0.002015","url":null,"abstract":"&lt;p&gt;&lt;p&gt;&lt;b&gt;Introduction.&lt;/b&gt; This research sought to examine the epidemiological features, antibiotic resistance profiles and molecular characteristics of &lt;i&gt;Streptococcus pneumoniae&lt;/i&gt; infections among hospitalized patients in Hubei, China, thus providing epidemiological evidence to inform the effective prevention and management of pneumococcal infections.&lt;b&gt;Hypothesis/Gap Statement.&lt;/b&gt; Current research predominantly focuses on large urban centres, leaving a substantial knowledge gap regarding pneumococcal infections and resistance patterns in smaller city-level hospitals, such as those in Hubei Province.&lt;b&gt;Aim.&lt;/b&gt; This study aimed to investigate the epidemiological features, antibiotic resistance profiles and molecular characteristics of invasive &lt;i&gt;S. pneumoniae&lt;/i&gt; isolates from hospitalized patients in Tianmen City, Hubei, China.&lt;b&gt;Methodology.&lt;/b&gt; &lt;i&gt;S. pneumoniae&lt;/i&gt; strains were isolated from hospitalized patients at the First People's Hospital of Tianmen, Hubei, China, between September 2021 and September 2022. Epidemiological characteristics, serological typing and antimicrobial susceptibility of the isolates were analysed. Whole-genome sequencing was performed on the strains to identify resistance genes and virulence genes.&lt;b&gt;Results.&lt;/b&gt; A total of 194 &lt;i&gt;S&lt;/i&gt;. &lt;i&gt;pneumoniae&lt;/i&gt; isolates were analysed, with 90% (174/194) from community-acquired pneumonia cases. Respiratory samples accounted for 96% of isolates, and children under 5 years old comprised 78% of cases. Seasonal variation was observed, with infections peaking in winter and spring. Antibiotic resistance analysis revealed notable age-related differences: penicillin resistance was 12.37% overall but absent in elderly patients. Ceftriaxone showed no resistance, whereas cefotaxime and meropenem exhibited higher resistance in children than in the elderly. Multilocus sequence typing identified 56 sequence types (STs), with ST271 (24.2%) being the most prevalent. Serotyping revealed 24 serotypes, with 19F (27.8%, 54/194) as the dominant type. Phylogenetic analysis showed two major clades, with strong correlations between serotype and ST distribution. Resistance genes &lt;i&gt;ermB&lt;/i&gt; and &lt;i&gt;tetM&lt;/i&gt; were highly prevalent (99.0% and 97.9%, respectively). Comparative genomic analysis demonstrated significantly higher resistance rates in ST271 strains than in non-ST271 strains, particularly for cefotaxime (76.60% vs. 4.76%) and meropenem (53.19% vs. 14.29%). ST271 strains predominantly expressed serotype 19F, accounting for 87% (47/54) of all serotype 19F isolates, carrying distinct resistance and virulence genes, highlighting its clinical significance.&lt;b&gt;Conclusion.&lt;/b&gt; This study highlights a significant burden of invasive &lt;i&gt;S. pneumoniae&lt;/i&gt; infections, predominantly affecting children under five, with notable peaks during winter and spring. ST271, predominantly associated with serotype 19F, exhibited significantly higher antibiotic resistance rates compared with other strains, indi","PeriodicalId":94093,"journal":{"name":"Journal of medical microbiology","volume":"74 5","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":0.0,"publicationDate":"2025-05-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC12084547/pdf/","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"144083008","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":"Species-level quantification of <i>Faecalibacterium</i> spp. in faeces of healthy Japanese adults.","authors":"Masahiro Hirasaki, Ren Kadowaki, Adeline Ang, Gaku Harata, Kenji Miyazawa, Shintaro Maeno, Miguel Gueimonde, Akihito Endo","doi":"10.1099/jmm.0.002019","DOIUrl":"10.1099/jmm.0.002019","url":null,"abstract":"<p><p><i>Faecalibacterium prausnitzii</i> has been considered one of the predominant microbes in the gut microbiota of healthy human adults. Moreover, due to its beneficial metabolites and its reduced population in patients with various disorders, this organism has been regarded as one of the key gut microbes in human health. However, following recent revisions in the taxonomy of the genus <i>Faecalibacterium</i> and <i>F. prausnitzii</i>, the reported population distribution and health benefits of this species have become unclear. In the present study, the population of nine species-level taxonomic groups (hereafter referred to as species) within <i>Faecalibacterium</i> was quantified at the species level in the faeces of healthy Japanese adults (<i>n</i>=88). qPCR, combined with <i>rpoA</i>-based species-specific primers, showed that <i>Faecalibacterium taiwanense</i> had the highest detection rate (prevalence) and copy number among <i>Faecalibacterium</i> spp., followed by <i>Faecalibacterium longum</i>, <i>Faecalibacterium duncaniae</i> and <i>F. prausnitzii</i>, while the remaining five species were detected only occasionally. The population of <i>F. duncaniae</i> varied significantly between age groups, being higher in individuals in their 40s and 50s compared to those in their 20s (<i>P</i>=0.047 and 0.002, respectively). The present study indicates that <i>F. prausnitzii</i> is not the predominant <i>Faecalibacterium</i> species in the healthy Japanese adults included in the present study. Future studies will shed light on the health benefits of the dominant <i>Faecalibacterium</i> spp.</p>","PeriodicalId":94093,"journal":{"name":"Journal of medical microbiology","volume":"74 5","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":2.0,"publicationDate":"2025-05-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC12102495/pdf/","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"144129468","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}