Ciprofloxacin-Resistant Shigella sonnei among Men Who Have Sex with Men, Canada, 2010.

In 2010, we observed isolates with matching pulsed-field gel electrophoresis patterns from 13 cases of ciprofloxacin-resistant Shigella sonnei in Montréal. We report on the emergence of this resistance type and a study of resistance mechanisms. The investigation suggested local transmission among men who have sex with men associated with sex venues

Antimicrobial Resistance of Campylobacter jejuni subsp. jejuni Strains Isolated from Humans in 1998 to 2001 in Montréal, Canada

The rates of resistance of 51 to 72 human strains of Campylobacter jejuni subsp. jejuni isolated annually from 1998 to 2001 in Montréal, Québec, Canada, varied from 1 to 12% for erythromycin, 43 to 68% for tetracycline, and 10 to 47% for ciprofloxacin. In the last years of the study, there was a significant increase in the rate of resistance to ciprofloxacin (P = 0.00003) but not in the rate of resistance to erythromycin (P = 0.056) or tetracycline (P = 0.095) compared to the rate obtained in the first years. All 51 C. jejuni strains isolated in 2001 were susceptible to gentamicin, amoxicillin-clavulanic acid, imipenem, and meropenem. From 1999 to 2001, 74 strains of C. jejuni acquired abroad were significantly more resistant to ciprofloxacin than 109 strains of C. jejuni acquired locally (66 versus 9%, P < 0.00001) but were not significantly more resistant to erythromycin (1 versus 6%, P = 0.15) or to tetracycline (55 versus 58%, P = 0.87)

Helicobacter pylori Antibiotic Resistance: Trends Over Time

Resistance to antibiotics can be a major problem in the treatment of bacterial infections. As the use of antibiotics increases, bacterial resistance to these agents is rising and in many cases is responsible for the failure of treatment regimens. Although the treatment of Helicobacter pylori infection requires the use of more than one antibiotic to obtain adequate eradication rates, the efficacy of the currently used antibiotic combinations has been shown to be decreased by resistance to one of the antibiotics. The use of antibiotics in regimens for the treatment of H pylori is increasing in many countries, including Canada. This increase is both in the use of these antibiotics alone for the treatment of nongastrointestinal infections and in their use in association with proton pump inhibitors for the treatment of H pylori infection. In several European and Asian countries, where resistance to antibiotics is being monitored, it has been demonstrated that H pylori resistance to metronidazole and to clarithromycin increased throughout the 1990s. Thus far, the data available in Canada do not show increased resistance to either of these antibiotics. As for other antibiotics used in the treatment of H pylori infection, such as tetracycline and amoxicillin, the rate of resistance to these agents is still very low and does not constitute a significant problem. Because the efficacy of the regimens used in the treatment of H pylori infection is compromised by resistance to the antibiotics used, it is important that H pylori resistance rates in Canada and throughout the world continue to be monitored. Only with such reliable data can the most optimal regimens be recommended

Epidemiology and Antimicrobial Susceptibilities of 111 Campylobacter fetus subsp. fetus Strains Isolated in Québec, Canada, from 1983 to 2000

The epidemiology and antimicrobial susceptibilities of 111 Campylobacter fetus subsp. fetus strains isolated from 103 patients from 1983 to 2000 in Québec, Canada, were determined. The median number of patients infected annually with this bacteria was seven, with an incidence of 0.1 per 100,000 population. The male-to-female ratio was 1.1 to 1.0. The patients originated from 13 of the 18 Québec socioeconomic regions. The age range of the patients was 6 months to 90 years old, 53% being ≥70 years old and 2% being <20 years old. The isolation site was blood for 69% of the patients, stools for 20%, and other body fluids for 11% of them. Three patients suffered a relapse, with the same strain being isolated from the same site at different times as confirmed by pulse-field gel electrophoresis. All isolates were susceptible to ampicillin, gentamicin, meropenem, and imipenem, with 90% minimal inhibitory concentrations of 4, 1, 0.12, and ≤0.06 μg/ml, respectively. Three percent and two percent of the strains were, respectively, resistant and intermediate to ciprofloxacin. Thirty-four percent of the strains were resistant to tetracycline. There was a nonsignificant increase in resistance to ciprofloxacin (P = 0.27) and to tetracycline (P = 0.65) in recent years. The percentages of intermediate and resistant MICs were, respectively, 12 and 1% for cefotaxime and 71 and 0% for erythromycin. All strains were β-lactamase negative

Les écoles publiques alternatives québécoises : étude d’un cas de participation parentale à la gouvernance du système éducatif

Cette étude de cas vise à mieux comprendre comment des parents peuvent proposer un modèle éducatif différent pour contribuer démocratiquement à l’évolution du système éducatif. Inscrits dans le cadre théorique de la gouvernance réflexive de l’éducation, ses résultats décrivent les démarches réalisées par les parents, identifient les facteurs ayant favorisé ou contraint l’avancement de leurs projets d’écoles alternatives, selon eux, et notamment, les rôles qu’ont joué les dispositifs participatifs et décisionnels du système scolaire par rapport à ces projets, puis dégagent les apprentissages démocratiques réalisés par les parents et l’institution à travers ces interactions, du point de vue des parents.This case study aims to gain a deeper understanding of how parents can propose a different educational model to contribute democratically to the evolution of the education system. Situated within the theoretical framework of reflexive governance of education, the results describe the steps taken by the parents, identify the factors that have, according to them, facilitated or hindered the progress of their alternative school projects, and examine the roles played by participatory and decision-making mechanisms within the school system in relation to these projects. Furthermore, the study highlights the democratic learning processes achieved by the institution and the parents through their interactions, from the parents’ viewpoint.Este estudio de casos se propone comprender mejor cómo los padres pueden proponer un sistema educativo diferente para contribuir democráticamente a la evolución del sistema educativo. Inscritos en el marco teórico de la gobernanza reflexiva de la educación, los resultados describen las etapas realizadas por los padres, identifican los factores que favorecen o dificultan, según ellos mismos, el avance de sus proyectos de escuelas alternativas y, en particular, los papeles jugados por los dispositivos participativos y decisionales del sistema escolar con respecto a estos proyectos; finalmente, también identifican los aprendizajes democráticos realizados por los padres y la institución a través de estas interacciones, desde el punto de vista de los padres