Journal of medical microbiology最新文献

{"title":"Cold atmospheric plasma inactivates <i>Aspergillus flavus</i> and <i>Fusarium keratoplasticum</i> biofilms and conidia <i>in vitro</i>.","authors":"Darby Roberts, Jonathan Thomas, Jacklyn Salmon, Marc A Cubeta, Katharina Stapelmann, Brian C Gilger","doi":"10.1099/jmm.0.001858","DOIUrl":"10.1099/jmm.0.001858","url":null,"abstract":"<p><p><b>Introduction.</b> <i>Aspergillus flavus</i> and <i>Fusarium keratoplasticum</i> are common causative pathogens of fungal keratitis (FK), a severe corneal disease associated with significant morbidity and vision loss. Escalating incidence of antifungal resistance to available antifungal drugs poses a major challenge to FK treatment. Cold atmospheric plasma (CAP) is a pioneering nonpharmacologic antimicrobial intervention that has demonstrated potential as a broad-spectrum antifungal treatment.<b>Gap statement.</b> Previous research highlights biofilm-associated resistance as a critical barrier to effective FK treatment. Although CAP has shown promise against various fungal infections, its efficacy against biofilm and conidial forms of FK pathogens remains inadequately explored.<b>Aim.</b> This study aims to investigate the antifungal efficacy of CAP against clinical fungal keratitis isolates of <i>A. flavus</i> and <i>F. keratoplasticum in vitro</i>.<b>Methodology.</b> Power parameters (22-27 kV_pp, 300-400 Hz and 20-80 mA) of a dielectric barrier discharge CAP device were optimized for inactivation of <i>A. flavus</i> biofilms. Optimal applied voltage and total current were applied to <i>F. keratoplasticum</i> biofilms and conidial suspensions of <i>A. flavus</i> and <i>F. keratoplasticum</i>. The antifungal effect of CAP treatment was investigated by evaluating fungal viability through means of metabolic activity, c.f.u. enumeration (c.f.u. ml^-1) and biofilm formation.<b>Results.</b> For both fungal species, CAP exhibited strong time-dependent inactivation, achieving greater than 80 % reduction in metabolic activity and c.f.u. ml^-1 within 300 s or less, and complete inhibition after 600 s of treatment.<b>Conclusion.</b> Our findings indicate that CAP is a promising broad-spectrum antifungal intervention. CAP treatment effectively reduces fungal viability in both biofilm and conidial suspension cultures of <i>A. flavus</i> and <i>F. keratoplasticum</i>, suggesting its potential as an alternative treatment strategy for fungal keratitis.</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/PMC11316566/pdf/","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"141565391","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":"A high-throughput assay identifies molecules with antimicrobial activity against persister cells.","authors":"Maiken Engelbrecht Petersen, Liva Kjær Hansen, Alexander Alexandrovich Mitkin, Nicholas M Kelly, Thomas Keith Wood, Nis Pedersen Jørgensen, Lars Jørgen Østergaard, Rikke Louise Meyer","doi":"10.1099/jmm.0.001856","DOIUrl":"10.1099/jmm.0.001856","url":null,"abstract":"<p><p><b>Introduction.</b> Persister cells are transiently non-growing antibiotic-tolerant bacteria that cause infection relapse, and there is no effective antibiotic therapy to tackle these infections.<b>Gap statement.</b> High-throughput assays in drug discovery are biased towards detecting drugs that inhibit bacterial growth rather than killing non-growing bacteria. A new and simple assay to discover such drugs is needed.<b>Aim.</b> This study aims to develop a simple and high-throughput assay to identify compounds with antimicrobial activity against persister cells and use it to identify molecular motifs with such activity.<b>Methodology.</b> We quantified <i>Staphylococcus aureus</i> persister cells by enumeration of colony forming units after 24 h ciprofloxacin treatment. We first quantified how the cell concentration, antibiotic concentration, growth phase and presence/absence of nutrients during antibiotic exposure affected the fraction of persister cells in a population. After optimizing these parameters, we screened the antimicrobial activity of compound fragments to identify molecular structures that have activity against persister cells.<b>Results.</b> Exponential- and stationary-phase cultures transferred to nutrient-rich media displayed a bi-phasic time-kill curve and contained 0.001-0.07% persister cells. A short rifampicin treatment resulted in 100% persister cells for 7 h, after which cells resumed activity and became susceptible. Stationary-phase cultures displayed a low but constant death rate but ultimately resulted in similarly low survival rates as the exponential-phase cultures after 24 h ciprofloxacin treatment. The persister phenotype was only maintained in most of the population for 24 h if cells were transferred to a carbon-free minimal medium before exposure to ciprofloxacin. Keeping cells starved enabled the generation of high concentrations of <i>S. aureus</i> cells that tolerate 50× MIC ciprofloxacin, and we used this protocol for rapid screening for biocidal antibiotics. We identified seven compounds from four structural clusters with activity against antibiotic-tolerant <i>S. aureus</i>. Two compounds were moderately cytotoxic, and the rest were highly cytotoxic.<b>Conclusion.</b> Transferring a stationary-phase culture to a carbon-free minimal medium for antimicrobial testing is a simple strategy for high-throughput screening for new antibiotics that kill persister cells. We identified molecule fragments with such activity, but further screening is needed to identify motifs with lower general cytotoxicity.</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/PMC11316564/pdf/","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"141602381","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":"Enrichment culture evaluation and characterization of <i>Streptococcus agalactiae</i> among pregnant women in Japan.","authors":"Satoshi Nakano, Shota Koide, Yumiko Hosaka, Yuri Hasegawa, Kasumi Ishida-Kuroki, Sayoko Kawakami, Wataru Hayashi, Liansheng Yu, Shizuo Kayama, Noriko Miyashita, Koh Nagata, Shoko Miura, Yo Sugawara, Hiroaki Miyazaki, Kiyonori Miura, Motoyuki Sugai","doi":"10.1099/jmm.0.001849","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1099/jmm.0.001849","url":null,"abstract":"<p><p><b>Introduction.</b> Maternal screening tests and prophylactic antibiotics are important to prevent neonatal and infant group B streptococcal (GBS) infections.<b>Hypothesis/Gap Statement.</b> The performance of enrichment broth media for GBS screening that are available in Japan is unclear. Whole-genome data of GBS isolates from pregnant women in Japan is lacking.<b>Aim.</b> The aim of this study was to compare the protocol performance of six enrichment broths and two subculture agar plates, which were all available in Japan, for GBS detection. In addition, we showed whole-genome data of GBS isolates from pregnant women in Japan.<b>Methodology.</b> We collected 133 vaginal-rectal swabs from pregnant women visiting clinics and hospitals in Nagasaki Prefecture, Japan, and compared the protocol performance of 6 enrichment broths and 2 subculture agar plates. All GBS isolates collected in this study were subjected to whole-genome sequencing analysis.<b>Results.</b> We obtained 133 vaginal-rectal swabs from pregnant women at 35-37 weeks of gestation from 8 private clinics and 2 local municipal hospitals within Nagasaki Prefecture, Japan. The detection rate of the protocol involving the six enrichment broths and subsequent subcultures varied between 95.5 and 100 %, depending on the specific choice of enrichment broth. The GBS carriage rate among pregnant women in this region was 18.8 %. All 25 isolates derived from the swabs were susceptible to penicillin, whereas 48 and 36 % of the isolates demonstrated resistance to erythromycin and clindamycin, respectively. The distribution of serotypes was highly diverse, encompassing seven distinct serotypes among the isolates, with the predominant serotype being serotype V (<i>n</i> = 8). Serotype V isolates displayed a tendency towards increased resistance to erythromycin and clindamycin, with all resistant isolates containing the <i>ermB</i> gene.<b>Conclusion.</b> There was no difference in performance among the culture protocols evaluated in this study. GBS strains isolated from pregnant women appeared to have greater genomic diversity than GBS strains detected in neonates/infants with invasive GBS infections. To confirm this result, further studies with larger sample sizes are needed.</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":"141565392","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":"New generation fluoroquinolone sitafloxacin could potentially overcome the majority levofloxacin and moxifloxacin resistance in multidrug-resistant <i>Mycobacterium tuberculosis</i>.","authors":"Qing Sun, Kai Cheng, Xinlei Liao, Weijie Zhao, Chenqian Wang, Chaohong Wang, Jun Yan, Lingling Dong, Fen Wang, Guanglu Jiang, Hairong Huang, Zhenyong Guo, Guirong Wang","doi":"10.1099/jmm.0.001825","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1099/jmm.0.001825","url":null,"abstract":"<p><p><b>Introduction.</b> Pre-existing fluoroquinolones (FQs) resistance is a major threat in treating multidrug-resistant (MDR) tuberculosis. Sitafloxacin (Sfx) is a new broad-spectrum FQ.<b>Hypothesis.</b> Sfx is more active against drug-resistant <i>Mycobacterium tuberculosis</i> (Mtb) isolates.<b>Aim.</b> To determine whether there is cross-resistance between Sfx and ofloxacin (Ofx), levofloxacin (Lfx) and moxifloxacin (Mfx) in MDR Mtb.<b>Methods.</b> A total of 106 clinical Mtb isolates, including 23 pan-susceptible and 83 MDR strains, were analysed for Sfx, Lfx and Mfx resistance using MIC assay. The isolates were also subjected to whole-genome sequencing to analyse drug-resistant genes.<b>Results.</b> Sfx exhibited the most robust inhibition activity against Mtb clinical isolates, with a MIC₅₀ of 0.0313 µg ml^-1 and MIC₉₀ of 0.125 µg ml^-1, which was lower than that of Mfx (MIC₅₀ = 0.0625 µg ml^-1, MIC₉₀ = 1 µg ml^-1) and Lfx (MIC₅₀ = 0.125 µg ml^-1, MIC₉₀ = 2 µg ml^-1). We determined the tentative epidemiological cut-off values as 0.5 µg ml^-1 for Sfx. Also, 8.43% (7/83), 43.37% (36/83), 42.17% (35/83) and 51.81% (43/83) MDR strains were resistant to Sfx, Mfx, Lfx and Ofx, respectively. Cross-resistance between Ofx, Lfx and Mfx was 80.43% (37/46). Only 15.22% (7/46) of the pre-existing FQs resistance isolates were resistant to Sfx. Among the 30 isolates with mutations in <i>gyrA</i> or <i>gyrB</i>, 5 (16.67%) were Sfx resistant. The combination of Sfx and rifampicin could exert partial synergistic effects, and no antagonism between Sfx and six clinically important anti-Mtb antibiotics was evident.<b>Conclusion.</b> Sfx exhibited superior activity against MDR isolates comparing to Lfx and Mfx, and could potentially overcome the majority pre-existing FQs resistance in Mtb strains.</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":"141725318","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":"Molecular characterization of <i>Pseudomonas aeruginosa</i> from diabetic foot infections in Tunisia.","authors":"Ameni Arfaoui, Beatriz Rojo-Bezares, Meha Fethi, Maria López, Paula Toledano, Noureddine Sayem, Salma Ben Khelifa Melki, Hadda-Imene Ouzari, Naouel Klibi, Yolanda Sáenz","doi":"10.1099/jmm.0.001851","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1099/jmm.0.001851","url":null,"abstract":"<p><p><b>Background.</b> <i>Pseudomonas aeruginosa</i> is an invasive organism that frequently causes severe tissue damage in diabetic foot ulcers.<b>Gap statement.</b> The characterisation of P. aeruginosa strains isolated from diabetic foot infections has not been carried out in Tunisia.<b>Purpose.</b> The aim was to determine the prevalence of <i>P. aeruginosa</i> isolated from patients with diabetic foot infections (DFIs) in Tunisia and to characterize their resistance, virulence and molecular typing.<b>Methods.</b> Patients with DFIs admitted to the diabetes department of the International Hospital Centre of Tunisia, from September 2019 to April 2021, were included in this prospective study. <i>P. aeruginosa</i> were obtained from the wound swabs, aspiration and soft tissue biopsies during routine clinical care and were confirmed by matrix-assisted laser desorption/ionization time-of-flight mass spectrometry. Antimicrobial susceptibility testing, serotyping, integron and OprD characterization, virulence, biofilm production, pigment quantification, elastase activity and molecular typing were analysed in all recovered <i>P. aeruginosa</i> isolates by phenotypic tests, specific PCRs, sequencing, pulsed-field gel electrophoresis (PFGE) and multilocus sequence typing.<b>Results.</b> Sixteen <i>P. aeruginosa</i> isolates (16.3 %) were recovered from 98 samples of 78 diabetic patients and were classified into 6 serotypes (O:11 the most frequent), 11 different PFGE patterns and 10 sequence types (three of them new ones). The high-risk clone ST235 was found in two isolates. The highest resistance percentages were observed to netilmicin (69 %) and cefepime (43.8 %). Four multidrug-resistant (MDR) isolates (25 %) were detected, three of them being carbapenem-resistant. The ST235-MDR strain harboured the In51 class 1 integron (<i>intI1 +aadA6+orfD+qacED1-sul1</i>). According to the detection of 14 genes involved in virulence or quorum sensing, 5 virulotypes were observed, including 5 <i>exoU</i>-positive, 9 <i>exoS</i>-positive and 2 <i>exoU/exoS</i>-positive strains. The <i>lasR</i> gene was truncated by IS<i>Ppu21</i> insertion sequence in one isolate, and a deletion of 64 bp in the <i>rhlR</i> gene was detected in the ST235-MDR strain. Low biofilm, pyoverdine and elastase production were detected in all <i>P. aeruginosa</i>; however, the <i>lasR</i>-truncated strain showed a chronic infection phenotype characterized by loss of serotype-specific antigenicity, high production of phenazines and high biofilm formation.<b>Conclusions.</b> Our study demonstrated for the first time the prevalence and the molecular characterization of <i>P. aeruginosa</i> strains from DFIs in Tunisia, showing a high genetic diversity, moderate antimicrobial resistance, but a high number of virulence-related traits, highlighting their pathological importance.</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":"141500037","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":"Resurgence of influenza with increased genetic diversity of circulating viruses during the 2022-2023 season.","authors":"Neli Korsun, Ivelina Trifonova, Iveta Madzharova, Iva Christova","doi":"10.1099/jmm.0.001864","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1099/jmm.0.001864","url":null,"abstract":"<p><p><b>Introduction.</b> After two seasons of absence and low circulation, influenza activity increased significantly in the winter of 2022-2023. This study aims to characterize virological and epidemiological aspects of influenza infection in Bulgaria during the 2022-2023 season and perform a phylogenetic/molecular analysis of the hemagglutinin (<i>HA</i>) and neuraminidase (<i>NA</i>) sequences of representative influenza strains.<b>Hypothesis/Gap Statement.</b> Influenza A and B viruses generate new genetic groups/clades each season, replacing previously circulating variants. This results in increased antigenic distances from current vaccine strains. Strengthening existing influenza surveillance is essential to meet the challenges posed by the co-circulation of influenza and SARS-CoV-2.<b>Methodology.</b> We tested 2713 clinical samples from patients with acute respiratory illnesses using a multiplex real-time RT-PCR kit (FluSC2) to detect influenza A/B and Severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus-2(SARS-CoV-2) simultaneously. Representative Bulgarian influenza strains were sequenced at the WHO Collaborating Centres in London, UK, and Atlanta, USA.<b>Results.</b> Influenza virus was detected in 694 (25.6 %) patients. Of these, 364 (52.4 %), 213 (30.7 %) and 117 (16.9 %) were positive for influenza A(H1N1)pdm09, A(H3N2) and B/Victoria lineage virus, respectively. <i>HA</i> genes of the 47 influenza A(H1N1)pdm09 viruses fell into clades 5a.2. and 5a.2a.1 within the 6B.5A.1A.5a.2 group. Twenty-seven A(H3N2) viruses belonging to subclades 2b, 2a.1, 2a.1b and 2a.3a.1 within the 3C.2a1b.2a.2 group were analysed. All 23 sequenced B/Victoria lineage viruses were classified into the V1A.3a.2 group. We identified amino acid substitutions in <i>HA</i> and <i>NA</i> compared with the vaccine strains, including several substitutions in the <i>HA</i> antigenic sites.<b>Conclusion.</b> The study's findings showed genetic diversity among the influenza A viruses and, to a lesser extent, among B viruses, circulating in the first season after the lifting of anti-COVID-19 measures.</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":"141790660","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 state of play of rodent models for the study of <i>Clostridioides difficile</i> infection.","authors":"Anaïs Brosse, Héloïse Coullon, Claire Janoir, Séverine Péchiné","doi":"10.1099/jmm.0.001857","DOIUrl":"10.1099/jmm.0.001857","url":null,"abstract":"<p><p><i>Clostridioides difficile</i> is the most common cause of nosocomial antibiotic-associated diarrhoea and is responsible for a spectrum of diseases characterized by high levels of recurrence and morbidity. In some cases, complications can lead to death. Currently, several types of animal models have been developed to study various aspects of <i>C. difficile</i> infection (CDI), such as colonization, virulence, transmission and recurrence. These models have also been used to test the role of environmental conditions, such as diet, age and microbiome that modulate infection outcome, and to evaluate several therapeutic strategies. Different rodent models have been used successfully, such as the hamster model and the gnotobiotic and conventional mouse models. These models can be applied to study either the initial CDI infectious process or recurrences. The applications of existing rodent models and their advantages and disadvantages are discussed here.</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/PMC11316558/pdf/","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"141725320","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":"Intranasal administration of DSM 32444 <i>Bacillus subtilis</i> spores: safety and tolerability.","authors":"Yen-Linh Thi Ho, Daniel Hynes, Yuri Martina, Bill Love, Ed Horwell, Rong Xu, Aras Kadioglu, Linh Vo, Huynh A Hong, Linh Hanh Nguyen, Simon M Cutting","doi":"10.1099/jmm.0.001845","DOIUrl":"10.1099/jmm.0.001845","url":null,"abstract":"<p><p><b>Introduction.</b> Administered nasally, spores of the Gram-positive bacterium <i>Bacillus subtilis</i> have been shown to be able to induce innate immunity sufficient to confer protection to influenza and respiratory syncytial virus.<b>Hypothesis.</b> Although members of the aerobiome, intranasal delivery of high numbers of live spores carries potential safety issues.<b>Aim.</b> To address the potential safety risk of using live spores, we assessed the safety of spores that had been completely inactivated using heat sterilization.<b>Methodology.</b> Using autoclaved, and therefore killed, spores of a generally recognized as safe-notified <i>B. subtilis</i> strain (DSM 32444), safety was assessed <i>in vitro</i> (biotype, genome and cell based cytoxicity) and <i>in vivo</i>, using intranasal administration in rodent models and lastly in human volunteers.<b>Results.</b> Using a 15-day, repeat-dose, regimen in a rodent model, no indication of toxicity was observed. In a registered human study (NCT05984004), a formulated preparation of inactivated DSM 32444 spores referred to as SPEROVID was developed, and tolerance in human volunteers was assessed following 7 days of nasal dosing (2-4 times/day).<b>Conclusion.</b> Our study demonstrated that in humans an intranasal dose of up to 3×10⁸ killed spores was safe and well tolerated.</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":"141500036","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":"Impact of extreme weather events on the occurrence of infectious diseases in Belgium from 2011 to 2021.","authors":"Nicolas Yin, Zineb Fachqoul, Dieter Van Cauteren, Sigi van den Wijngaert, Delphine Martiny, Marie Hallin, Olivier Vandenberg","doi":"10.1099/jmm.0.001863","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1099/jmm.0.001863","url":null,"abstract":"<p><p>The role of meteorological factors, such as rainfall or temperature, as key players in the transmission and survival of infectious agents is poorly understood. The aim of this study was to compare meteorological surveillance data with epidemiological surveillance data in Belgium and to investigate the association between intense weather events and the occurrence of infectious diseases. Meteorological data were aggregated per Belgian province to obtain weekly average temperatures and rainfall per province and categorized according to the distribution of the variables. Epidemiological data included weekly cases of reported pathogens responsible for gastroenteritis, respiratory, vector-borne and invasive infections normalized per 100 000 population. The association between extreme weather events and infectious events was determined by comparing the mean weekly incidence of the considered infectious diseases after each weather event that occurred after a given number of weeks. Very low temperatures were associated with higher incidences of influenza and parainfluenza viruses, <i>Mycoplasma pneumoniae</i>, rotavirus and invasive <i>Streptococcus pneumoniae</i> and <i>Streptococcus pyogenes</i> infections, whereas very high temperatures were associated with higher incidences of <i>Escherichia coli</i>, <i>Salmonella</i> spp., <i>Shigella</i> spp., parasitic gastroenteritis and <i>Borrelia burgdorferi</i> infections. Very heavy rainfall was associated with a higher incidence of respiratory syncytial virus, whereas very low rainfall was associated with a lower incidence of adenovirus gastroenteritis. This work highlights not only the relationship between temperature or rainfall and infectious diseases but also the most extreme weather events that have an individual influence on their incidence. These findings could be used to develop adaptation and mitigation 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":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"141790659","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":"Measles outbreak in 2019: a warning for the post-COVID-19 pandemic period.","authors":"Irma Salimović-Bešić, Sanjin Musa, Šejla Kotorić-Keser, Edina Zahirović, Selma Mutevelić, Amela Dedeić-Ljubović","doi":"10.1099/jmm.0.001855","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1099/jmm.0.001855","url":null,"abstract":"<p><p><b>Introduction.</b> At the end of 2019 and the year before, there was a significant spread of measles in the World Health Organization (WHO) European Region.<b>Gap statement.</b> Among the countries that reported, a measles outbreak was Bosnia and Herzegovina (BiH).<b>Aim.</b> To describe the measles outbreak in BiH (an entity of the Federation of BiH, FBiH) in 2019.<b>Methodology.</b> Confirmatory IgM serology, measles nucleic acid detection by real-time RT-PCR and virus genotyping were done in the WHO-accredited laboratory for measles and rubella at the Clinical Center of the University of Sarajevo, Unit for Clinical Microbiology. Genotype was determined in all measles-RNA-positive cases by sequence analysis of the 450 nt fragment coding the C-terminal of measles virus nucleoprotein (N).<b>Results.</b> From 1 January to 31 December 2019, 1332 measles cases were reported, with the peak observed in April 2019 (413/1332, 31.01 %). Sarajevo Canton had the highest incidence, number of cases and percentage (206.4; 868/1332; 65.17 %) of measles cases. Around four-fifths of infected persons were unvaccinated (1086/1332, 81.53 %), while 4.58 % of the patients (61/1332) were immunized with one dose of measles-containing vaccine. The highest proportion of cases was found in children 0-6 years of age (738/1332, 55.41 %). Measles IgM positivity was determined in 75.88 % (346/456), while virus RNA was detected in 82.46 % (47/57) of the swab samples. All measles virus sequences belonged to genotype B3. SNP (position 216: C=>T) was detected in 1 of the 40 sequences obtained during this outbreak.<b>Conclusion.</b> Due to suboptimal immunization coverage, BiH belongs to countries at a high risk for measles outbreaks. Post-COVID-19 (coronavirus disease 2019) pandemic, targeted and tailored strategies are required to ensure routine vaccination demand and acceptance and broad partner and stakeholder group participation.</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":"141602382","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}