Journal of Medical Microbiology

Introduction. The emergence of carbapenem-resistant Pseudomonas species producing metallo-β-lactamase (MBL) has become a serious medical problem worldwide. IMP-type MBL was firstly detected in 1991 in Japan. Since then, it has become one of the most prevalent types of MBLs. Hypothesis/Gap statement. Avirulent species of Pseudomonas , such as Pseudomonas alcaligenes , function as reservoirs of drug resistance-associated genes encoding carbapenemases in clinical settings. Methodology. Active surveillance for carbapenem-resistant Gram-negative pathogens was conducted in 2019 at a hospital in Tokyo, Japan...

Introduction. In 2018, EUCAST released guidelines on rapid antimicrobial susceptibility testing (RAST) directly from positive blood culture bottles for selected bacterial species and antimicrobial agents, but not for the commonly used agents amoxicillin/clavulanate (AMC) and ampicillin/sulbactam (SAM). Hypothesis/Gap statement . This work addresses the Enterobacterales RAST capability gap for betalactam/betalactamase inhibitor combinations. Aim. We aimed to determine RAST breakpoints for AMC and SAM for Escherichia coli and Klebsiella pneumoniae after 4 and 6 h of incubation directly from positive blood cultures...

No abstract text is available yet for this article.

Sindbis virus (SINV) is the causative agent of a febrile infection commonly called Ockelbo disease, Pogosta disease or Karelian fever in northern Europe. Finland, Sweden, Russia and South Africa experience periodic SINV outbreaks. SINV is classified within the family Togaviridae and genus Alphavirus. Symptoms of SINV infection in humans include joint inflammation and pain, fever, rash and fatigue. In some cases, joint symptoms can persist for years after recovery from the initial infection. Clinical signs of SINV infection are rarely reported in animals, although infection in horses has been documented...

No abstract text is available yet for this article.

Introduction. Legionella pneumophila is a Gram-negative flagellated bacteria that can infect human lungs and cause a severe form of pneumonia named Legionnaires' disease. Hypothesis. We hypothesize that L. pneumophila infection induces methylomic changes in methylcytosine dioxygenases, ten-eleven translocation (TET) genes, and controls DNA methylation following infection. Aim. In the current research, we sought to further investigate DNA methylation changes in human lung epithelial cells upon L. pneumophila infection and determine how methylation inhibitor agents disturb L...

Introduction. Early and accurate diagnosis of Mycoplasma pneumoniae ( MP ) infection of children with pneumonia is at the core of treatment in clinical practice. Gap Statement. Serological immunoglobulin M (IgM) tests for MP infection of children in south China have been rarely described. Aim. To assess the diagnostic performance and clinical application of serodiagnosis of MP infection in paediatric pneumonia patients. Methodology. Serum samples from 144 children diagnosed with MP pneumonia were subjected to a particle agglutination (PA)-based IgM assay...

Introduction. The M. abscessus molecular identification and its drug-resistance profile are important to choose the correct therapy. Aim. This work developed a multiplex real-time PCR (mqPCR) for detection of clarithromycin resistance genes for the Mycobacterium abscessus group. Methodology. Isolates received by Adolfo Lutz Institute from 2010 to 2012, identified by PCR restriction enzyme analysis of a fragment of the hsp 65 gene (PRA- hsp 65) as M. abscessus type 1 ( n =135) and 2 ( n =71) were used. Drug susceptibility test (DST) for CLA were performed with reading on days 3 and 14...

Introduction. The Candida parapsilosis complex can be divided into C. parapsilosis sensu stricto , C. orthopsilosis , and C. metapsilosis subtypes. It is uncommon for drug sensitivity tests to type them. Gap Statement. In routine susceptibility reports, drug susceptibility of C. parapsilosis complex subtypes is lacking. Aim. The aim of this study is to investigate the antifungal susceptibility and clinical distribution characteristics of the C. parapsilosis complex subtypes causing deep infection in patients...

With the adoption of infection science as an umbrella term for the disciplines that inform our ideas of infection, there is a need for a common language that links infection's constituent parts. This paper develops a conceptual framework for infection science from the major themes used to understand causal relationships in infectious diseases. The paper proposes using the four main themes from the Principia Aetiologica to classify infection knowledge into four corresponding domains: Clinical microbiology, Public health microbiology, Mechanisms of microbial disease and Antimicrobial countermeasures...

Introduction. Starting in December, 2020, the ID NOW was implemented throughout the province of Alberta, Canada (population 4.4 million) in various settings. Gap statement. ID NOW's test performance with SARS-CoV-2 Omicron variant BA.1 is unknown. Aim. To assess the ID NOW performance among symptomatic individuals during the BA.1 Omicron wave and compare it to previous SARS-CoV-2 variant waves. Methodology. The ID NOW was assessed in two locations among symptomatic individuals: rural hospitals and community assessment centres (AC) during the period 5-18 January 2022...

No abstract text is available yet for this article.

Introduction. Resistance to antibiotics is leading to challenges in the treatment of microbial diseases. One amongst the various approaches to control these pathogens is quorum sensing (QS), which is used to rectify resistance issues. Blocking the bacterial QS circuit is the most reliable anti-virulence therapy to control pathogenicity-associated genes. Pseudomonas aeruginosa is a contagious bacterium that proliferates in the host by using signalling molecules like acyl-homoserine lactones; these molecules generate and disseminate toxins and virulence factors for increasing host infection...

Introduction. Current serological diagnosis of pertussis is usually performed by ELISA, which is typically performed in larger diagnostic or reference laboratories, requires trained staff, and due to sample batching may have longer turnaround times. Hypothesis and Aim. A rapid point-of-care (POC) assay for pertussis serology would aid in both the diagnosis and surveillance of the disease. Methodology. A quantitative lateral flow (LF)-based immunoassay with fluorescent Eu-nanoparticle reporters was developed for the detection of anti-pertussis toxin (PT) and adenylate cyclase toxin (ACT) antibodies from oral fluid samples ( N =100), from suspected pertussis cases with respiratory symptoms...

Aiming to contribute with more data on the presence of SARS-CoV-2 (severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2) in outdoor environments, we performed air sampling in outdoor terraces from restaurants in three major cities of Portugal in April 2021, following the third wave lockdown release in the country. Air samples ( n =19) were collected in 19 restaurant terraces during lunch time. Each air sample was collected using a Coriolis Compact air sampler, followed by RNA extraction and real-time quantitative PCR for the detection of viral RNA...

Introduction. Piperacillin/tazobactam and carbapenems are important agents for the treatment of serious Gram-negative infections in hospitalized patients. Resistance to both agents is a significant concern in clinical isolates of Enterobacterales and Pseudomonas aeruginosa ; new agents with improved activity are needed. Gap Statement. Publication of current, region-specific data describing the in vitro activity of newer agents such as imipenem/relebactam (IMR) against piperacillin/tazobactam-resistant and carbapenem-resistant Enterobacterales and P...

Introduction. Staphylococcus felis is a coagulase-negative staphylococcal species that is commonly isolated from healthy cats. Like other commensal staphylococci, S. felis can cause opportunistic infections, e.g. otitis externa, skin and urinary tract infections, in cats. Gap Statement. Several studies have reported within-household transmission between humans and pets and human infections caused by coagulase-positive staphylococci. However, human infections with coagulase-negative staphylococci of zoonotic origin are relatively rare...

Introduction . Using rapid antigen diagnostic tests (RADTs) in clinical practice has shown excellent specificity but often has diminished sensitivity. Gap Statement . Local data for evaluating the diagnostic performance of a new fluorescence-based RADT and its influence on the antibiotic prescription rate are not available. Aim . To evaluate the accuracy of fluorescent immunoassay (FIA)-RADTs for diagnosing group A streptococcal (GAS) pharyngitis among children and its estimated effect as a point of care test (POCT) on the antibiotic prescription rate at the paediatric emergency department...

Introduction . Colonization by carbapenem-resistant Acinetobacter baumannii (CRAB) causes therapeutic and economic problems for critically ill patients. Gap Statement . The analysis of CRAB in China was limited to certain regions. Aims . To investigate the antibiotic susceptibility, molecular characterization and clonal relationship among CRAB isolates from multiple hospitals of eastern China. Methodology . Isolates from 29 tertiary hospitals from September 2015 to September 2018 were recovered. All strains were analysed using antimicrobial susceptibility testing to detect their tolerance...

Introduction. Acinetobacter is one of the challenging drug-resistant organisms that can endanger patients' lives if not treated properly. Aim. This study was designed to investigate the activity of three synergistic antimicrobial combinations against extensive drug-resistant Acinetobacter isolates; ampicillin/sulbactam plus amikacin, ampicillin/sulbactam plus ciprofloxacin, and meropenem plus amikacin. Methodology. Minimum inhibitory concentrations of 100 XDR- Acinetobacter isolates were determined using the Vitek2 system...