101 research outputs found
Multiresistant Salmonella enterica serovar 4,[5],12:i:- in Europe: a new pandemic strain?
A marked increase in the prevalence of S. enterica serovar 4,[5],12:i:- with resistance to ampicillin, streptomycin, sulphonamides and tetracyclines (R-type ASSuT) has been noted in food-borne infections and in pigs/pig meat in several European countries in the last ten years. One hundred and sixteen strains of S. enterica serovar 4,[5],12:i:- from humans, pigs and pig meat isolated in England and Wales, France, Germany, Italy, Poland, Spain and the Netherlands were further subtyped by phage typing, pulsed-field gel electrophoresis and multilocus variable number tandem repeat analysis to investigate the genetic relationship among strains. PCR was performed to identify the fljB flagellar gene and the genes encoding resistance to ampicillin, streptomycin, sulphonamides and tetracyclines. Class 1 and 2 integrase genes were also sought. Results indicate that genetically related serovar 4,[5],12:i:- strains of definitive phage types DT193 and DT120 with ampicillin, streptomycin, sulphonamide and tetracycline resistance encoded by blaTEM, strA-strB, sul2 and tet(B) have emerged in several European countries, with pigs the likely reservoir of infection. Control measures are urgently needed to reduce spread of infection to humans via the food chain and thereby prevent the possible pandemic spread of serovar 4,[5],12:i:- of R-type ASSuT as occurred with S. Typhimurium DT104 during the 1990s
Assessment of virulence factors characteristic of human Escherichia coli pathotypes and antimicrobial resistance in O157:H7 and non-O157:H7 isolates from Livestock in Spain
The distribution of virulence factors (VFs) typical of diarrheagenic Escherichia coli and the antimicrobial resistance (AMR) profiles were assessed in 780 isolates from healthy pigs, broilers, and cattle from Spain. VF distribution was broader than expected, although at low prevalence for most genes, with AMR being linked mainly to host species
Genome comparison of erythromycin resistant campylobacter from Turkeys identifies hosts and pathways for horizontal spread of erm(B) genes
Los patĂłgenos en el gĂ©nero Campylobacter son la causa mĂĄs comĂșn de gastroenteritis bacteriana transmitida por los alimentos. La campilobacteriosis, causada principalmente por Campylobacter jejuni y Campylobacter coli, se transmite a los humanos mediante alimentos de origen animal, especialmente aves de corral. En cuanto a muchos patĂłgenos, la resistencia antimicrobiana en Campylobacter estĂĄ aumentando a un ritmo alarmante. La prescripciĂłn de eritromicina es el tratamiento de elecciĂłn para los casos clĂnicos que requieren terapia antimicrobiana, pero esto se ve comprometido por la movilidad del gen de resistencia a la eritromicina erm (B) entre las cepas. AquĂ, evaluamos la resistencia a seis antimicrobianos en 170 aislados de Campylobacter (133 C. coli y 37 C. jejuni) de pavos. Los aislados resistentes a la eritromicina (n = 85; 81 C. coli y 4 C. jejuni) se examinaron en busca de la presencia del gen erm (B), que no se ha identificado previamente en aislamientos de pavos. Se secuenciaron los genomas de dos aislamientos positivos de C. coli y en ambos aislamientos el gen erm (B) se agrupĂł con determinantes de resistencia contra aminoglucĂłsidos mĂĄs tetraciclina, incluidos aad9, aadE, aph (2 ") - IIIa, aph (3 ') - IIIa , y genes tet (O). El anĂĄlisis genĂłmico comparativo identificĂł secuencias erm (B) idĂ©nticas entre Campylobacter de pavos, Streptococcus suis de cerdos y Enterococcus faecium y Clostridium difficile de humanos. Esto es consistente con mĂșltiples eventos de transferencia horizontal entre diferentes especies de bacterias que colonizan pavos. Este ejemplo destaca el potencial de diseminaciĂłn de la resistencia antimicrobiana a travĂ©s de los lĂmites de las especies bacterianas que pueden comprometer su efectividad en la terapia antimicrobiana.Pathogens in the genus Campylobacter are the most common cause of food-borne bacterial gastro-enteritis. Campylobacteriosis, caused principally by Campylobacter jejuni and Campylobacter coli, is transmitted to humans by food of animal origin, especially poultry. As for many pathogens, antimicrobial resistance in Campylobacter is increasing at an alarming rate. Erythromycin prescription is the treatment of choice for clinical cases requiring antimicrobial therapy but this is compromised by mobility of the erythromycin resistance gene erm(B) between strains. Here, we evaluate resistance to six antimicrobials in 170 Campylobacter isolates (133 C. coli and 37 C. jejuni) from turkeys. Erythromycin resistant isolates (n = 85; 81 C. coli and 4 C. jejuni) were screened for the presence of the erm(B) gene, that has not previously been identified in isolates from turkeys. The genomes of two positive C. coli isolates were sequenced and in both isolates the erm(B) gene clustered with resistance determinants against aminoglycosides plus tetracycline, including aad9, aadE, aph(2âł)-IIIa, aph(3âČ)-IIIa, and tet(O) genes. Comparative genomic analysis identified identical erm(B) sequences among Campylobacter from turkeys, Streptococcus suis from pigs and Enterococcus faecium and Clostridium difficile from humans. This is consistent with multiple horizontal transfer events among different bacterial species colonizing turkeys. This example highlights the potential for dissemination of antimicrobial resistance across bacterial species boundaries which may compromise their effectiveness in antimicrobial therapy.âą Ministerio de Ciencia e InnovaciĂłn. Ayudas AGL2009-07550, AGL2012-39028
âą Ministerio de Agricultura, AlimentaciĂłn y Medio Ambiente. Ayuda 2014/000223
âą Comunidad AutĂłnoma de Madrid. Ayudas S2009 / AGR-1489; S2013 / ABI-2747
âą Ministerio de EconomĂa y Competitividad de España. Ayuda AGL2012-39028
âą Ministerio de EconomĂa y Competitividad. Beca BES-2013-065003, para Diego FlĂłrez Cuadrado
âą Consejo de InvestigaciĂłn MĂ©dica. Ayuda MR / L015080 / 1, para Samuel K. SheppardpeerReviewe
armA and Aminoglycoside Resistance in Escherichia coli
We report armA in an Escherichia coli pig isolate from Spain. The resistance gene was borne by self-transferable IncN plasmid pMUR050. Molecular analysis of the plasmid and of the armA locus confirmed the spread of this resistance determinant
Gene pool transmission of multidrug resistance among Campylobacter from livestock, sewage and human disease
The use of antimicrobials in human and veterinary
medicine has coincided with a rise in antimicrobial
resistance (AMR) in the food-borne pathogens
Campylobacter jejuni and Campylobacter coli.
Faecal contamination from the main reservoir hosts
(livestock, especially poultry) is the principal route of
human infection but little is known about the spread of
AMR among source and sink populations. In particular,
questions remain about how Campylobacter resistomes
interact between species and hosts, and the potential
role of sewage as a conduit for the spread of AMR. Here,
we investigate the genomic variation associated with
AMR in 168 C. jejuni and 92 C. coli strains isolated from
humans, livestock and urban effluents in Spain. AMR
was tested in vitro and isolate genomes were sequenced
and screened for putative AMR genes and alleles. Genes
associated with resistance to multiple drug classes were
observed in both species and were commonly present in
multidrug-resistant genomic islands (GIs), often located
on plasmids or mobile elements. In many cases, these
loci had alleles that were shared among C. jejuni and
C. coli consistent with horizontal transfer. Our results
suggest that specific antibiotic resistance genes have
spread among Campylobacter isolated from humans,
animals and the environment.S.K.S., B.P. and S.C.B. were supported by grants from the
Medical Research Council (MR/L015080/1), the Wellcome
Trust (088786/C/09/Z), the Food Standards Agency
(FS246004) and the Biotechnology and Biological Sciences
Research Council (BB/I02464X/1). E.M. received a University of Bath Faculty of Science URSA studentship. D.F.C. is
supported by the FPI program (BES-2013-065003) from the
Spanish Ministry of Economy and Competitiveness. J.K.C. is
supported by a BBSRC KTN PhD studentship (BB/P504750/1)
Diversity of Staphylococcus aureus Isolates in European Wildlife
Staphylococcus aureus is a well-known colonizer and cause of infection among
animals and it has been described from numerous domestic and wild animal
species. The aim of the present study was to investigate the molecular
epidemiology of S. aureus in a convenience sample of European wildlife and to
review what previously has been observed in the subject field. 124 S. aureus
isolates were collected from wildlife in Germany, Austria and Sweden; they
were characterized by DNA microarray hybridization and, for isolates with
novel hybridization patterns, by multilocus sequence typing (MLST). The
isolates were assigned to 29 clonal complexes and singleton sequence types
(CC1, CC5, CC6, CC7, CC8, CC9, CC12, CC15, CC22, CC25, CC30, CC49, CC59, CC88,
CC97, CC130, CC133, CC398, ST425, CC599, CC692, CC707, ST890, CC1956, ST2425,
CC2671, ST2691, CC2767 and ST2963), some of which (ST2425, ST2691, ST2963)
were not described previously. Resistance rates in wildlife strains were
rather low and mecA-MRSA isolates were rare (n = 6). mecC-MRSA (n = 8) were
identified from a fox, a fallow deer, hares and hedgehogs. The common cattle-
associated lineages CC479 and CC705 were not detected in wildlife in the
present study while, in contrast, a third common cattle lineage, CC97, was
found to be common among cervids. No Staphylococcus argenteus or
Staphylococcus schweitzeri-like isolates were found. Systematic studies are
required to monitor the possible transmission of human- and livestock-
associated S. aureus/MRSA to wildlife and vice versa as well as the possible
transmission, by unprotected contact to animals. The prevalence of S.
aureus/MRSA in wildlife as well as its population structures in different
wildlife host species warrants further investigation
Frequency of resistance to methicillin and other antimicrobial agents among Staphylococcus aureus strains isolated from pigs and their human handlers in Trinidad
Background: Methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA) has emerged recently worldwide in production animals, particularly pigs and veal calves, which act as reservoirs for MRSA strains for human infection. The study determined the prevalence of MRSA and other resistant strains of S. aureus isolated from the anterior nares of pigs and human handlers on pig farms in Trinidad. Methods: Isolation of S. aureus was done by concurrently inoculating Baird-Parker agar (BPA) and Chromagar MRSA (CHROM) with swab samples and isolates were identified using standard methods. Suspect MRSA isolates from Chromagar and BPA were subjected to confirmatory test using Oxoid PBP2 latex agglutination test. The disc diffusion method was used to determine resistance to antimicrobial agents. Results: The frequency of isolation of MRSA was 2.1% (15 of 723) for pigs but 0.0% (0 of 72) for humans. Generally, for isolates of S. aureus from humans there was a high frequency of resistance compared with those from pigs, which had moderate resistance to the following antimicrobials: penicillin G (54.5%, 51.5%), ampicillin (59.1%, 49.5%), and streptomycin (59.1%, 37.1%), respectively. There was moderate resistance to tetracycline (36.4%, 41.2%) and gentamycin (27.2%, 23.7%) for human and pig S. aureus isolates, respectively, and low resistance to sulfamethoxazole-trimethoprim (4.5%, 6.2%) and norfloxacin (9.1%, 12.4%), respectively. The frequency of resistance to oxacillin by the disc method was 36.4 and 34.0% from S. aureus isolates from humans and pigs, respectively. Out of a total of 78 isolates of S. aureus from both human and pig sources that were resistant to oxacillin by the disc diffusion method, only 15 (19.2%) were confirmed as MRSA by the PBP'2 latex test kit. Conclusions: The detection of MRSA strains in pigs, albeit at a low frequency, coupled with a high frequency of resistance to commonly used antimicrobial agents in pig and humans could have zoonotic and therapeutic implications. Finally, the diagnostic limitation of using CHROMagar and testing for oxacillin resistance by the disc diffusion method alone to determine MRSA strains without performing confirmatory tests cannot be overemphasized because the possibility of overdiagnosis of MRSA infections cannot be ignored
Association between maltreatment and polydrug use among adolescents.
Different studies have related sexual and physical abuse during childhood and adolescence to the development of substance abuse disorders. Nevertheless, we are not aware of the role that other more common maltreatment types, such as neglect, will play among the most risky pattern of consumption: the polydrug use. A clinical sample of 655 adolescents, divided into two groups: polydrug users and non-polydrug users, were assessed on their pattern of drug consumption, history of childhood maltreatment, current psychopathology and their family history of alcoholism. Polydrug users had a greater prevalence of all types of maltreatment, although the most associated to this group were sexual abuse and emotional neglect. Other relevant variables to adolescent consumption were: the diagnosis of depressive disorder, the presence of anxiety traits and the family history of alcohol dependence. Polydrug users have higher risks of having had problems during infancy and adolescence, such as maltreatment and other psychopathological conditions, with the addition of family history of alcoholism. Accordingly, practitioners should take into account that those variables may influence polydrug abuse because it is the most risky pattern for subsequent dependence of substances, and they should always be considered during treatment.This research was funded by the âPlan Nacional Sobre Drogasâ from the Ministry of Health, Social Services and Equality (Spain).Peer reviewe
Comparison of two recombinant erythropoietin formulations in patients with anemia due to end-stage renal disease on hemodialysis: A parallel, randomized, double blind study
BACKGROUND: Recombinant human erythropoietin (EPO) is used for the treatment of last stage renal anemia. A new EPO preparation was obtained in Cuba in order to make this treatment fully nationally available. The aim of this study was to compare the pharmacokinetic, pharmacodynamic and safety properties of two recombinant EPO formulations in patients with anemia due to end-stage renal disease on hemodialysis. METHODS: A parallel, randomized, double blind study was performed. A single 100 IU/Kg EPO dose was administered subcutaneously. Heberitro (Heber Biotec, Havana, formulation A), a newly developed product and Eprex (CILAG AG, Switzerland, formulation B), as reference treatment were compared. Thirty-four patients with anemia due to end-stage renal disease on hemodialysis were included. Patients had not received EPO previously. Serum EPO level was measured by enzyme immunoassay (EIA) during 120 hours after administration. Clinical and laboratory variables were determined as pharmacodynamic and safety criteria until 216 hours. RESULTS: Both groups of patients were similar regarding all demographic and baseline characteristics. EPO kinetics profiles were similar for both formulations; the pharmacokinetic parameters were very close (i.e., AUC: 4667 vs. 4918 mIU.h/mL; Cmax: 119.1 vs. 119.7 mIU/mL; Tmax: 13.9 vs. 18.1 h; half-life, 20.0 vs. 22.5 h for formulations A and B, respectively). The 90% confidence intervals for the ratio between both products regarding these metrics were close to the 0.8 â 1.25 range, considered necessary for bioequivalence. Differences did not reach 20% in any case and were not determined by a formulation effect, but probably by a patients' variability effect. Concerning pharmacodynamic features, a high similitude in reticulocyte counts increments until 216 hours and the percentage decrease in serum iron until 120 hours was observed. There were no differences between formulations regarding the adverse events and their intensity. The more frequent events were pain at injection site (35.3%) and hypertension (29%). Additionally, further treatment of the patients with the study product yielded satisfactory increases in hemoglobin and hematocrit values. CONCLUSION: The formulations are comparable. The newly developed product should be acceptable for long-term application
Defining the Earliest Transcriptional Steps of Chondrogenic Progenitor Specification during the Formation of the Digits in the Embryonic Limb
The characterization of genes involved in the formation of cartilage is of key importance to improve cell-based cartilage regenerative therapies. Here, we have developed a suitable experimental model to identify precocious chondrogenic events in vivo by inducing an ectopic digit in the developing embryo. In this model, only 12 hr after the implantation of a TgfÎČ bead, in the absence of increased cell proliferation, cartilage forms in undifferentiated interdigital mesoderm and in the course of development, becomes a structurally and morphologically normal digit. Systematic quantitative PCR expression analysis, together with other experimental approaches allowed us to establish 3 successive periods preceding the formation of cartilage. The âpre-condensation stageâ, occurring within the first 3 hr of treatment, is characterized by the activation of connective tissue identity transcriptional factors (such as Sox9 and Scleraxis) and secreted factors (such as Activin A and the matricellular proteins CCN-1 and CCN-2) and the downregulation of the galectin CG-8. Next, the âcondensation stageâ is characterized by intense activation of Smad 1/5/8 BMP-signaling and increased expression of extracellular matrix components. During this period, the CCN matricellular proteins promote the expression of extracellular matrix and cell adhesion components. The third period, designated the âpre-cartilage periodâ, precedes the formation of molecularly identifiable cartilage by 2â3 hr and is characterized by the intensification of Sox 9 gene expression, along with the stimulation of other pro-chondrogenic transcription factors, such as HifIa. In summary, this work establishes a temporal hierarchy in the regulation of pro-chondrogenic genes preceding cartilage differentiation and provides new insights into the relative roles of secreted factors and cytoskeletal regulators that direct the first steps of this process in vivo
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