Search Our Scientific Publications & Authors

PLoS Pathog 2019 Apr 22;15(4):e1007717. Epub 2019 Apr 22.

Department of Oral Health Sciences, University of Connecticut Health Center, Storrs, Connecticut, United States of America.

Infectious complications are a common cause of morbidity and mortality in cancer patients undergoing chemotherapy due to increased risk of oral and gastrointestinal candidiasis, candidemia and septicemia. Interactions between C. albicans and endogenous mucosal bacteria are important in understanding the mechanisms of invasive infection. Read More

J Glob Antimicrob Resist 2019 Apr 18. Epub 2019 Apr 18.

Departamento de Microbiologia Geral, Instituto de Microbiologia Paulo de Góes, Universidade Federal do Rio de Janeiro, Rio de Janeiro, Brasil. Electronic address:

Objectives: The aim of this study is to report the draft genome sequence of the bacteriocinogenic strain Enterococcus faecium E86. Bacteriocins are prokaryotic peptides or proteins with antimicrobial activity. The genome information may then contribute to the identification of the enterocins produced by this strain that exhibits inhibitory activity against the foodborne pathogen Listeria monocytogenes and vancomycin-resistant enterococci (VRE) involved in human infections, among other bacterial genera and species. Read More

Infect Dis Clin North Am 2019 Jun;33(2):399-445

Department of Medicine, Division of Infectious Disease, University of Wisconsin School of Medicine and Public Health, 1685 Highland Drive, Centennial Building, 5th Floor, Madison, WI 53705, USA.

Bacteremia (bloodstream infection) is frequent (20%-30% incidence) in the stem cell transplant and hematologic malignancy population and often occurs in the early post-transplant engraftment period. In most studies, Gram-positive bacteria occur at greater frequency than gram-negative bacteria, although some centers report that rates of gram-negative bloodstream infections have recently increased. In many centers, resistance rates among Enterococci and gram-negative bacteria, especially the Enterobacteriaceae, are extensive and associated with increased mortality. Read More

Sci Rep 2019 Apr 18;9(1):6266. Epub 2019 Apr 18.

Antimicrobial Research Unit, College of Health Sciences, University of KwaZulu-Natal, Durban, South Africa.

Extended spectrum β-lactamase (ESBL)-producing Klebsiella pneumoniae remain a critical clinical concern worldwide. The aim of this study was to characterize ESBL-producing K. pneumoniae detected within and between two hospitals in uMgungundlovu district, South Africa, using whole genome sequencing (WGS). Read More

Am J Infect Control 2019 Apr 15. Epub 2019 Apr 15.

Department of Anatomy, Topographical Anatomy, and Operative Surgery, Private Higher Educational Establishment "Kyiv Medical University," Kyiv, Ukraine.

Background: The aim of this study was to obtain the first national estimates of the current prevalence and incidence and death of health care-associated infections (HAIs) of all types in acute care hospitals in Ukraine.

Methods: Prospective surveillance was conducted from January 2014 to December 2016 in 17 hospitals. Surveillance case definitions were derived from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention's National Healthcare Safety Network HAI case definitions. Read More

J Cardiol Cases 2019 Apr 17;19(4):117-120. Epub 2018 Dec 17.

Antimicrobial Resistance Research Center, Iran University of Medical Sciences, Tehran, Iran.

We present the case of a 65-year-old immunocompromised male with a history of kidney transplantation, diabetes, coronary artery bypass, and cardiac resynchronization therapy device implantation who was finally diagnosed with an unusual form of infective endocarditis due to co-infection of fungal and bacterial pathogens. He was afebrile at the time of admission and presented with decompensated heart failure and pneumonia. A spleen abscess was discovered incidentally and prompted us to search for a cardiac source of emboli. Read More

Sci Rep 2019 Apr 16;9(1):6146. Epub 2019 Apr 16.

Centro de Investigaciones Biológicas, Consejo Superior de Investigaciones Científicas, Madrid, Spain.

Proteins that act as global transcriptional regulators play key roles in bacterial adaptation to new niches. These proteins recognize multiple DNA sites across the bacterial genome by different mechanisms. Enterococcus faecalis is able to survive in various niches of the human host, either as a commensal or as a leading cause of serious infections. Read More

Front Microbiol 2019 1;10:539. Epub 2019 Apr 1.

Department of Microbiology, Savitribai Phule Pune University, Pune, India.

The acronym ESKAPE includes six nosocomial pathogens that exhibit multidrug resistance and virulence: , and spp. Persistent use of antibiotics has provoked the emergence of multidrug resistant (MDR) and extensively drug resistant (XDR) bacteria, which render even the most effective drugs ineffective. Extended spectrum β-lactamase (ESBL) and carbapenemase producing Gram negative bacteria have emerged as an important therapeutic challenge. Read More

J Infect Chemother 2019 Apr 12. Epub 2019 Apr 12.

Department of Laboratory Medicine, Dokkyo Medical University, Saitama Medical Center, 2-1-50 Minami-Koshigaya, Koshigaya City, Saitama 343-8555, Japan; Department of Infection Control & Infectious Diseases, Dokkyo Medical University, Saitama Medical Center, 2-1-50 Minami-Koshigaya, Koshigaya City, Saitama 343-8555, Japan.

Carbapenem-resistant Klebsiella pneumoniae and Escherichia coli, multidrug-resistant Pseudomonas aeruginosa and vancomycin-resistant Enterococcus faecium were isolated from a single patient. The patient came to Japan for advanced medical treatment after having undergone laparoscopic cholecystectomy and hospitalization in Vietnam. Whole-genome sequence analysis revealed that K. Read More

Am J Med 2019 Apr 12. Epub 2019 Apr 12.

Department of Internal Medicine, University of Texas Southwestern Medical Center, Dallas, TX; Department of Clinical Sciences, University of Texas Southwestern Medical Center, Dallas, TX; Division of Hospital Medicine, Chan Zuckerberg San Francisco General Hospital, University of California, San Francisco. Electronic address: https://twitter.com/anilmakam.

Introduction: Blood cultures are of limited utility in non-severe community-acquired pneumonia, though routinely recommended for severe community-acquired pneumonia or healthcare-associated pneumonia, due to perceived greater bacteremia risk, particularly with multidrug resistant organisms. The utility of this practice is unknown.

Methods: In this observational cohort study, we abstracted data from medical records for consecutive hospitalizations for pneumonia by adults to an academic medical center from 2014 to 2015. Read More

PLoS One 2019 15;14(4):e0215428. Epub 2019 Apr 15.

University of Cologne, Department I of Internal Medicine, University Hospital of Cologne, Cologne, Germany.

Objectives: Large-scale clinical studies investigating associations between intestinal microbiota signatures and human diseases usually rely on stool samples. However, the timing of repeated stool sample collection cannot be predefined in longitudinal settings. Rectal swabs, being straightforward to obtain, have the potential to overcome this drawback. Read More

Int J Health Sci (Qassim) 2019 Mar-Apr;13(2):48-55

Department of Pathology and Laboratory Medicine, College of Medicine, Qassim University, Saudi Arabia.

Objectives: This study was performed to determine the prevalence of uropathogens causing urinary tract infections (UTIs) and to determine their pattern of antimicrobial resistance.

Methods: This study was conducted on 273 urine samples collected from outpatient departments (OPDs) of Qassim University affiliated hospitals. Fully automated VITEK 2 compact system was used in the identification and antimicrobial susceptibility testing of causative microorganisms. Read More

Lett Appl Microbiol 2019 Apr 13. Epub 2019 Apr 13.

Department of Pathology and Experimental Rheumatology, Medical University of Gdańsk, Gdańsk, Poland.

Low proliferation rate of bacterial populations was recently assumed to be a reason for higher resistance to antibiotics and appearance of many chronic infections. Slowly growing populations, called 'small colony variants' (SCVs) have been described in many bacterial species to make from as low as 0,02% up to 46% of population. Thirty enterococcal strains from urine and faeces of renal transplant recipients with asymptomatic, insignificant bacteriuria were studied. Read More

Eur J Clin Microbiol Infect Dis 2019 Apr 13. Epub 2019 Apr 13.

Azrieli Faculty of Medicine, Bar-ilan University, Ramat Gan, Israel.

Little is known about the incidence, risk factors, clinical characteristics, and outcomes of patients with polymicrobial SA (PMSA). We aimed to determine the unique characteristics of patients with PMSA by comparing them to patients with monomicrobial SA (MMSA). We conducted a retrospective cohort study of patients 18 years and older admitted to a single tertiary care medical center, between 1998 and 2015, with surgically treated culture-positive SA affecting one or more joints. Read More

Appl Environ Microbiol 2019 Apr 12. Epub 2019 Apr 12.

Department of Endodontology, Kornberg School of Dentistry, Temple University, Philadelphia, PA, USA

φEf11 is a temperate, bacteriophage that infects strains of The φEf11 genome, encompassing 65 open reading frames (ORFs), is contained within 42,822 bp of DNA. Within this genome, a module of six lysis-related genes was identified. Based upon sequence homology, one of these six genes, ORF 28, was predicted to code for an N- acetylmuramoyl-L-alanine amidase endolysin of 46. Read More

Eur Rev Med Pharmacol Sci 2019 Apr;23(2 Suppl):59-64

Department of Infectious Diseases, AORN Dei Colli, Naples, Italy.

Objective: Pathogens colonizing the intestinal or urinary tract such as enterococci or Gram-negative bacilli can cause prosthetic joint infection (PJI).

Patients And Methods: PJI undergoing 2-stage exchange, referred to the Department of Infectious Diseases of the Cotugno Hospital of Naples and the Fondazione Policlinico Gemelli of Rome over a 7-year period (2009-2015) for Infectious Diseases (ID) consultation were included. Demographic data, detailed information about previous or underlying diseases, findings of the clinical examination, and results of laboratory investigations were analyzed. Read More

Eur Rev Med Pharmacol Sci 2019 Apr;23(2 Suppl):38-42

Department of Medical and Surgical Sciences, "Magna Graecia" University and "Mater Domini" University Hospital, Catanzaro, Italy.

Objective: Postoperative urine retention (POUR) is a well-known complication after total joint arthroplasty (TJA). POUR is most commonly managed with an indwelling catheter. However, indwelling catheters have been associated with a substantial risk of urinary tract infection (UTI). Read More

Ann Biol Clin (Paris) 2019 Apr 12. Epub 2019 Apr 12.

Laboratoire de virologie, Institut des agents infectieux, Groupement Hospitalier Nord des Hospices civils de Lyon, Lyon, France, Institut des sciences biologiques et pharmaceutiques de Lyon, Université Claude Bernard Lyon 1, Lyon, France, CIRI, Centre international de recherche en infectiologie, Équipe Virpath, Inserm, U1111, Université Claude Bernard Lyon 1, CNRS, UMR5308, École normale supérieure de Lyon, Lyon, France.

Liquid wastes from clinical biology automated systems are currently evacuated in the urban network after chemical treatment to eliminate a possible risk of infection. Since these wastes are ecotoxic because of the presence of numerous chemical reagents, we studied their intrinsic microbicidal power towards a selection of infectious agents widely found in clinical specimens. The objective was to determine if an additional anti-infectious treatment before elimination is necessary. Read More

Expert Rev Anti Infect Ther 2019 Apr 12. Epub 2019 Apr 12.

a Department of Medicine, Division of Infectious Diseases , University of Alberta , Edmonton , Alberta , Canada.

Introduction: Vancomycin-resistant enterococci (VRE) colonization and subsequent infection results in increased morbidity, mortality and use of healthcare resources. The burden of VRE colonization in liver transplant candidates and recipients is significant. VRE colonization is a marker of gut dysbiosis and its impact on the microbiota-liver axis, may negatively affect graft function and result in negative outcomes pre- and post-transplantation. Read More

Antimicrob Resist Infect Control 2019 29;8:61. Epub 2019 Mar 29.

1Department of Laboratory Medicine, the First Affiliated Hospital of Chongqing Medical University, No.1, Youyi Road, Yuzhong District, Chongqing, 400016 People's Republic of China.

Background: ESKAPEEc contribute to a majority of bloodstream infections (BSIs) and their antibiogram have changed overtime, while data concerning about these alterations are lacking in China. Added that a paucity of studies referred to ESKAPEEc in pediatric BSIs, our study aimed to demonstrate the longitudinal alterations of ESKAPEEc distribution and antibiogram in adult and pediatric BSIs in Southwest China.

Methods: A multicenter retrospective surveillance study was launched from 2012 to 2017. Read More

Microbiol Resour Announc 2019 Apr 11;8(15). Epub 2019 Apr 11.

Department of Biomedical Informatics, University of Arkansas for Medical Sciences, Little Rock, Arkansas, USA

Vancomycin-resistant (VREfm) is a major cause of nosocomial infections of the bloodstream and urinary tract. Here, we report the draft genome sequences of 48 vancomycin-resistant isolates recovered from inpatients exhibiting clinical signs of bacteremia at the University of Arkansas for Medical Sciences (UAMS). Read More

BMC Vet Res 2019 Apr 11;15(1):113. Epub 2019 Apr 11.

College of Veterinary Medicine, China Agricultural University, No.2 Yuanmingyuan West Road, Beijing, 100193, China.

Background: In May 2017, 17 dogs in a German Shepherd breeding kennel in northern China developed respiratory clinical signs. The owner treated the dogs with an intravenous injection of Shuang-Huang-lian, a traditional Chinese medicine, and azithromycin. The respiratory signs improved 3 days post-treatment, however, cysts were observed in the necks of eight dogs, and three of them died in the following 2 days. Read More

ACS Infect Dis 2019 Apr 19. Epub 2019 Apr 19.

Department of Chemistry , University of Nevada, Reno , 1664 N. Virginia Street , Reno , Nevada 89557 , United States.

The growing prevalence of multiantibiotic-resistant bacteria necessitates looking at potential alternative approaches for attenuating infections by bacteria while reducing the rate of antibiotic resistance development. Enterococcus faecalis is responsible for a large percentage of clinical enterococci infections, and its pathogenicity has been demonstrated to be influenced by quorum sensing (QS). In this study, we report the systematic study of the relationship between backbone hydrogens and the ability to activate the FsrC receptor. Read More

Sci Transl Med 2019 Apr;11(487)

Department of Ophthalmology and Department of Microbiology, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA 02114, USA.

Multidrug-resistant enterococcal strains emerged in the early 1980s and are now among the leading causes of drug-resistant bacterial infection worldwide. We used functional genomics to study an early bacterial outbreak in patients in a Wisconsin hospital between 1984 and 1988 that was caused by multidrug-resistant The goal was to determine how a clonal lineage of became adapted to growth and survival in the human bloodstream. Genome sequence analysis revealed a progression of increasingly fixed mutations and repeated independent occurrences of mutations in a relatively small set of genes. Read More

Antimicrob Resist Infect Control 2019 25;8:56. Epub 2019 Mar 25.

2Hannover Medical School, Centre for Laboratory Medicine, Institute of Medical Microbiology and Hospital Epidemiology, Carl-Neuberg-Str. 1, OE 5214, 30625 Hannover, Germany.

Background: Professional hand hygiene compliance represents a multifaceted behaviour with various determinants. Thus, it has been proposed to apply psychological frameworks of behaviour change to its promotion. However, randomized controlled trials of such approaches, which also assess nosocomial infections (NIs), are rare. Read More

Antimicrob Resist Infect Control 2019 25;8:55. Epub 2019 Mar 25.

1Special Infectious Agents Unit, King Fahd Medical Research Center, King Abdulaziz University, Jeddah, 21589 Saudi Arabia.

Background: is a ubiquitous member of the gut microbiota and has emerged as a life- threatening multidrug-resistant (MDR) nosocomial pathogen. The aim of this study was to survey the prevalence of multidrug-resistant and epidemiologically important strains of in the western region of Saudi Arabia using phenotypic and whole genome sequencing approaches.

Methods: In total, 155 patients positive for infection were included in this study. Read More

PLoS One 2019 8;14(4):e0215035. Epub 2019 Apr 8.

Department of Medical Microbiology and Infection Prevention, University of Groningen, University Medical Center Groningen, Groningen, The Netherlands.

Background: Obese patients are more likely to develop periprosthetic joint infection (PJI) after primary total joint arthroplasty. This study compared the clinical and microbiological characteristics of non-obese, obese and severely obese patients with early PJI, in order to ultimately optimize antibiotic prophylaxis and other prevention measures for this specific patient category.

Methods: We retrospectively evaluated patients with early PJI of the hip and knee treated with debridement, antibiotics and implant retention (DAIR) between 2006 and 2016 in three Dutch hospitals. Read More

Expert Rev Med Devices 2019 Apr 8:1-8. Epub 2019 Apr 8.

b Gastroenterology and Liver Diseases Research Center, Research Institute for Gastroenterology and Liver Diseases, Shahid Beheshti University of Medical Sciences , Tehran , Iran.

Objectives: Endogenous and exogenous infection of the biliary tract could occur during endoscopic retrograde cholangiopancreatography.

Methods: Bile samples of patients with hepatobiliary diseases, and swab samples of elevator channel samples of duodenoscope and washing instruments were prepared simultaneously and cultured aerobically and anaerobically. Antimicrobial susceptibility of the most common characterized bacterial species was tested, and their genetic relatedness was analyzed by multiple locus variable number of tandem repeats method. Read More

Vet Microbiol 2019 Apr 18;231:197-206. Epub 2019 Mar 18.

Department of Clinical Sciences, USA; Comparative Medicine Institute, North Carolina State University, Raleigh, NC, USA. Electronic address:

Typical enteropathogenic E. coli (tEPEC) carries the highest hazard of death in children with diarrhea and atypical EPEC (aEPEC) was recently identified as significantly associated with diarrheal mortality in kittens. In both children and kittens there is a significant association between aEPEC burden and diarrheal disease, however the infection can be found in individuals with and without diarrhea. Read More

Int J Antimicrob Agents 2019 Apr 4. Epub 2019 Apr 4.

Infectious Diseases Institute, Rambam Health Care Campus, Haifa, Israel; The Ruth and Bruce Rappaport Faculty of Medicine, Technion - Israel Institute of Technology, Haifa, Israel. Electronic address:

Background: The efficacy of vancomycin vs. ampicillin for Enterococcal infections is unknown. We aimed to compare their efficacy among patients with enterococcal bacteraemia. Read More

BMC Gastroenterol 2019 Apr 4;19(1):50. Epub 2019 Apr 4.

Klinikum rechts der Isar, Technische Universität München, Innere Medizin II, Ismaningerstrasse 22, 81675, Munich, Germany.

Background: Bilomas are defined collections of bile fluids mainly caused by iatrogenic injuries of the bile duct system. Owing to the infrequency of this disease, studies addressing bilomas are rare.

Methods: By using an endoscopic database, this retrospective study identified 32 patients with bilomas treated between 2004 to 2015, in order to analyse aetiology, clinical presentation, spectrum of pathogens, and resolution rate of bilomas. Read More

East Mediterr Health J 2019 Mar 19;25(2):90-97. Epub 2019 Mar 19.

Department of Nursing, Sina Hospital, Tehran University of Medical Sciences, Tehran, Islamic Republic of Iran.

Background: Surveillance of health care-associated infections (HCAIs) is an integral part of infection control programmes, especially in intensive care units (ICUs). Device-associated infections (DAIs) are a major threat to patient safety.

Aim: To measure DAI rates in ICUs. Read More

J Burn Care Res 2019 Apr 3. Epub 2019 Apr 3.

UP-PGH Alfredo T. Ramirez Burn Center Division of Burns, Department of Surgery University of the Philippines-Philippine General Hospital Manila, Philippines.

Background: Wound infection is a major cause of morbidity and mortality among burn patients. Recent changes in the epidemiology of burn wound infections were observed due to the steady rise of drug resistant bacteria. The objective of this study is to determine the most common burn wound pathogens isolated among patients admitted at the UP-PGH ATR Burn Center, describe their respective susceptibility patterns, and calculate incidence rates of burn wound colonization, local and invasive infection. Read More

Front Microbiol 2019 19;10:543. Epub 2019 Mar 19.

Life Sciences and Technology, Microbiology, Beuth University of Applied Sciences, Berlin, Germany.

The International Space Station (ISS) is a closed habitat in a uniquely extreme and hostile environment. Due to these special conditions, the human microflora can undergo unusual changes and may represent health risks for the crew. To address this problem, we investigated the antimicrobial activity of AGXX®, a novel surface coating consisting of micro-galvanic elements of silver and ruthenium along with examining the activity of a conventional silver coating. Read More

Anal Chem 2019 Apr 15. Epub 2019 Apr 15.

Department of Pharmaceutical Sciences, School of Pharmacy, Bouve College of Health Sciences , Northeastern University , 140 The Fenway , Boston , Massachusetts 02115 , United States.

Antimicrobial susceptibility testing (AST) is an essential diagnostic procedure to determine the correct course of treatment for various types of pathogen infections. Patients are treated with broad spectrum antibiotics until AST results become available, which has contributed to the emergence of multidrug resistant bacteria worldwide. Conventional AST methods require 16-24 h to assess sensitivity of the bacteria to a given drug and establish its minimum inhibitory concentration (MIC). Read More

Infect Immun 2019 Apr 1. Epub 2019 Apr 1.

Department of Immunology and Microbiology, University of Colorado School of Medicine, Aurora, CO, USA, 80045

is a human intestinal pathobiont with intrinsic and acquired resistance to many antibiotics, including vancomycin. Nature provides a diverse and virtually untapped repertoire of bacterial viruses, or bacteriophages (phages), that could be harnessed to combat multi-drug resistant enterococcal infections. Bacterial phage resistance represents a potential barrier to the implementation of phage therapy, emphasizing the importance of investigating the molecular mechanisms underlying the emergence of phage resistance. Read More

Molecules 2019 Mar 31;24(7). Epub 2019 Mar 31.

Department of Biotechnology, Chemistry and Pharmacy-Department of Excellence 2018-2020, University of Siena, via Aldo Moro 2, 53100 Siena, Italy.

Thymidylate synthase (TS) is an enzyme of paramount importance as it provides the only de novo source of deoxy-thymidine monophosphate (dTMP). dTMP, essential for DNA synthesis, is produced by the TS-catalyzed reductive methylation of 2'-deoxyuridine-5'-monophosphate (dUMP) using N⁵,N-methylenetetrahydrofolate (mTHF) as a cofactor. TS is ubiquitous and a validated drug target. Read More

Clin Exp Pharmacol Physiol 2019 Apr 1. Epub 2019 Apr 1.

Department of Chemistry, Kohat University of Science and Technology, Kohat, Pakistan.

Urinary tract infection (UTI) is one of the most severe public health problem affecting both sexes but females are more susceptible due to the differences in urogenital and reproductive anatomy, physiology and lifestyle. As in UTI, different parts of the urinary tract are affected and morbidity due to UTI is more common in women of all ages and older men. Due to multi-drug resistant strains and high recurrence rate, UTI has become a major socioeconomic burden. Read More

Eur J Case Rep Intern Med 2019 11;6(3):001054. Epub 2019 Mar 11.

Department of Internal Medicine, Centro Hospitalar e Universitário de Coimbra, Coimbra, Portugal.

Endocarditis due to is a rare condition, usually affecting older patients. The most frequent source of infection is the gastrointestinal or genitourinary tracts; it frequently involves the aortic valve and tends to produce heart failure. We present a case of endocarditis developing on a normal native heart valve. Read More

Sensors (Basel) 2019 Mar 28;19(7). Epub 2019 Mar 28.

Department of Computer Engineering and Computer Science (CECS), University of Louisville, Louisville, KY 40292, USA.

In this paper we analyze an experiment for the use of low-cost gas sensors intended to detect bacteria in wounds using a non-intrusive technique. Seven different genera/species of microbes tend to be present in most wound infections. Detection of these bacteria usually requires sample and laboratory testing which is costly, inconvenient and time-consuming. Read More

Int J Environ Res Public Health 2019 Mar 28;16(7). Epub 2019 Mar 28.

Institute of Biotechnology and Chemical Engineering, I Shou University, Kaohsiung 84001, Taiwan.

This study evaluated the prevalence of clinical multidrug-resistant organisms (MDROs) and analyzed correlations between MDROs and patient characteristics in a regional teaching hospital of Taiwan. A retrospective comparative case-control study was conducted from January 2016 to August 2018 by collecting data from 486 hospitalized and non-hospitalized patients (M = 286, F = 200), including patient gender and age, microbial species, and antibiotic susceptibility. The results indicated that at least one MDRO was isolated from 5. Read More

Workplace Health Saf 2019 Mar 29:2165079919834310. Epub 2019 Mar 29.

2 GeneCapture, Inc.

Occupational health nurses play a key role in evaluating innovative technologies that can aid in providing safe and rapid care and reduce lost work time. A nurse-led employee health clinic participated in a validation study of a novel pathogen detection technique developed by GeneCapture, Inc. Their proposed portable urinary tract infection (UTI) in vitro diagnostic test was challenged with discarded, deidentified urine samples from patients presenting with typical UTI symptoms collected at two university clinics and two multiphysician practices. Read More

Environ Sci Pollut Res Int 2019 Mar 28. Epub 2019 Mar 28.

Department of Microbiology, School of Biological Sciences, Faculty of Natural and Agricultural Sciences, North West University, Private Bag X2046, Mmabatho, 2735, South Africa.

Vancomycin-resistant enterococci (VRE) have been responsible for numerous outbreaks of serious infections in humans worldwide. Enterococcus faecium and Enterococcus faecalis are the principal species that are frequently associated with vancomycin resistance determinants, thus usually implicated in hospital- and community-acquired infections in humans. The study aim was to determine the antibiotic resistance and virulence profiles of VREs isolated from surface and groundwater samples that are used by humans in the North West Province, South Africa. Read More

Poult Sci 2019 Mar 28. Epub 2019 Mar 28.

Guelph Research and Development Centre, Agriculture and Agri-Food Canada (AAFC), Guelph, ON N1G 5C9, Canada.

There is a need to develop cost-effective approaches to modulate gut microbiota, promote bird health, and prevent infections in pasture-raised broiler chickens. The present study evaluated the efficacy of organic wild blueberry (Vaccinium angustifolium) also called low-bush blueberry pomace (LBBP)-supplemented feed to modulate the chicken gut microbiota, and blood metabolites in order to improve bird health and productivity. Slow-growing broiler chickens were reared on pasture up to 64 D for sampling after 2 wk of treatment during brooding with 0, 1, and 2% LBBP in feed. Read More

Case Rep Neurol Med 2019 24;2019:8756932. Epub 2019 Feb 24.

Croydon University Hospital, 530 London Road, Croydon CR7 7YE, UK.

Aims: To present a 60-year-old female patient who manifested clinical and radiological features of posterior reversible encephalopathy syndrome (PRES) following the administration of Daptomycin for glycopeptide-resistant Enterococcal urinary tract infection.

Material: Case report.

Method: Posterior reversible encephalopathy syndrome was diagnosed in our patient following the administration of Daptomycin based on clinical suspicion as well as brain CT and MRI imaging. Read More

Antimicrob Agents Chemother 2019 Apr 27;63(4). Epub 2019 Mar 27.

Department of Biology, Texas Christian University, Fort Worth, Texas, USA

is a leading cause of infection in the United States, and due to the rapid development of resistance, new antibiotics are constantly needed. -Translation is a particularly promising antibiotic target because it is conserved in many bacterial species, is critical for bacterial survival, and is unique among prokaryotes. We have investigated the potential of KKL-40, a small-molecule inhibitor of -translation, and find that it inhibits both methicillin-susceptible and methicillin-resistant strains of KKL-40 is also effective against Gram-positive pathogens, including a vancomycin-resistant strain of , , and , although its performance with Gram-negative pathogens is mixed. Read More

Tidsskr Nor Laegeforen 2019 Mar 25;139(6). Epub 2019 Mar 25.

Background: Purple urine bag syndrome (PUBS) can occur in cases of bacteriuria with species expressing enzymes capable of converting tryptophan metabolites to red and blue pigments which are excreted in urine, leaving a characteristic purple colour. Risk factors include urinary catheterisation, constipation and chronic kidney disease. Treatment includes catheter replacement, and antibiotics in case of urinary tract infection. Read More

Malays J Med Sci 2019 Jan 28;26(1):107-114. Epub 2019 Feb 28.

Pathology Department, Hospital Raja Perempuan Zainab 2, 15586 Kota Bharu, Kelantan, Malaysia.

Background: Foot infection is a major complication of diabetes mellitus (DM) and its agents are usually polymicrobial. This study aims to describe the agent and determine the association between polymicrobial infections and the severity of diabetic foot infections (DFI) and their outcomes.

Methods: This retrospective cohort study was conducted during one year and it involved 104 patients. Read More

Infect Dis Obstet Gynecol 2019 21;2019:9326285. Epub 2019 Feb 21.

Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, Keio University School of Medicine, Tokyo 160-8582, Japan.

Background: Surgery for gynecologic cancer with lymphadenectomy and pelvic radiotherapy can produce lymphoceles that sometimes complicate with infection, resulting in abscesses. The true pathogenic bacteria of abscesses are not always found because of false-negative results due to administered antibiotics and difficulty with detection, including for anaerobic bacteria. Analyzing bacteria flora by next-generation sequencing (NGS) using 16S ribosomal DNA may reveal the true pathogenic bacteria in abscesses. Read More