Characterization of Streptococcus pneumoniae isolates from Austrian companion animals and horses

Background: The aim of the present study was to investigate the genetic relatedness and the antimicrobial resistance profiles of a collection of Austrian Streptococcus pneumoniae isolates from companion animals and horses. A total of 12 non-repetitive isolates presumptively identified as S. pneumoniae were obtained during routinely diagnostic activities between March 2009 and January 2017. Results: Isolates were confirmed as S. pneumoniae by bile solubility and optochin susceptibility testing, matrix-assisted laser desorption-ionization-time of flight (MALDI-TOF) mass spectrometry and sequence analysis of a part recA and the 16S rRNA genes. Isolates were further characterized by pneumolysin polymerase chain reaction (PCR) and genotyped by multilocus sequence typing (MLST). Antimicrobial susceptibility testing was performed and resistance genes were detected by specific PCR assays. All isolates were serotyped. Four sequence types (ST) (ST36, ST3546, ST6934 and ST6937) and four serotypes (3, 19A, 19F and 23F) were detected. Two isolates from twelve displayed a multidrug-resistance pheno- and genotype. Conclusions: This study represents the first comprehensive investigation on characteristics of S. pneumoniae isolates recovered from Austrian companion animals and horses. The obtained results indicate that common human sero- (23F) and sequence type (ST36) implicated in causing invasive pneumococcal disease (IPD) may circulate in dogs. Isolates obtained from other examined animals seem to be host-adapted

OXA-48-Carbapenemase-Producing Klebsiella pneumoniae infections - the first cases diagnosed in Romanian National Institute of Infectious Diseases

We report first description of clinical cases of OXA-48 carbapenemase-producing Klebsiella pneumoniae originating from patients hospitalized in the most important Infectious Diseases Hospital from Romania, between December 2012 and March 2013. All strains were isolated from patients who were previously admitted in surgical wards. None of the patients had been admitted in a hospital outside of Romania

Genetic Meningococcal Antigen Typing System (gMATS): A genotyping tool that predicts 4CMenB strain coverage worldwide.

The Meningococcal Antigen Typing System (MATS) was developed to identify meningococcus group B strains with a high likelihood of being covered by the 4CMenB vaccine, but is limited by the requirement for viable isolates from culture-confirmed cases. We examined if antigen genotyping could complement MATS in predicting strain coverage by the 4CMenB vaccine. From a panel of 3912 MATS-typed invasive meningococcal disease isolates collected in England and Wales in 2007-2008, 2014-2015 and 2015-2016, and in 16 other countries in 2000-2015, 3481 isolates were also characterized by antigen genotyping. Individual associations between antigen genotypes and MATS coverage for each 4CMenB component were used to define a genetic MATS (gMATS). gMATS estimates were compared with England and Wales human complement serum bactericidal assay (hSBA) data and vaccine effectiveness (VE) data from England. Overall, 81% of the strain panel had genetically predictable MATS coverage, with 92% accuracy and highly concordant results across national panels (Lin's accuracy coefficient, 0.98; root-mean-square deviation, 6%). England and Wales strain coverage estimates were 72-73% by genotyping (66-73% by MATS), underestimating hSBA values after four vaccine doses (88%) and VE after two doses (83%). The gMATS predicted strain coverage in other countries was 58-88%. gMATS can replace MATS in predicting 4CMenB strain coverage in four out of five cases, without requiring a cultivable isolate, and is open to further improvement. Both methods underestimated VE in England. Strain coverage predictions in other countries matched or exceeded England and Wales estimates.This work was supported by GlaxoSmithKline Biologicals SA, including all costs associated with the development and publishing of the manuscript.S

Design, Synthesis, and Evaluation of a Low-Molecular-Weight ¹¹C‑Labeled Tetrazine for Pretargeted PET Imaging Applying Bioorthogonal in Vivo Click Chemistry

A low-molecular-weight tetrazine labeled with the short-lived positron emitter carbon-11 was developed as a bioorthogonal PET probe for pretargeted imaging. A method for efficient and fast synthesis of this imaging agent is presented using radiolabeling of a readily available precursor. High reactivity with <i>trans</i>-cyclooctenes was observed and in vivo investigations including PET/MR scanning showed homogeneous biodistribution, good metabolic stability, and rapid excretion in naive mice. These properties are key to the success of bioorthogonal ¹¹C-PET imaging, which has been shown in a simple pretargeting experiment using TCO-modified mesoporous silica nanoparticles. Overall, this ¹¹C-labeled tetrazine represents a highly versatile and advantageous chemical tool for bioorthogonal PET imaging and enables pretargeting approaches using carbon-11 for the first time

Genetic Meningococcal Antigen Typing System (gMATS): A genotyping tool that predicts 4CMenB strain coverage worldwide

Background: The Meningococcal Antigen Typing System (MATS) was developed to identify meningococcus group B strains with a high likelihood of being covered by the 4CMenB vaccine, but is limited by the requirement for viable isolates from culture-confirmed cases. We examined if antigen genotyping could complement MATS in predicting strain coverage by the 4CMenB vaccine. Methods: From a panel of 3912 MATS-typed invasive meningococcal disease isolates collected in England and Wales in 2007-2008, 2014-2015 and 2015-2016, and in 16 other countries in 2000-2015, 3481 isolates were also characterized by antigen genotyping. Individual associations between antigen genotypes and MATS coverage for each 4CMenB component were used to define a genetic MATS (gMATS). gMATS estimates were compared with England and Wales human complement serum bactericidal assay (hSBA) data and vaccine effectiveness (VE) data from England. Results: Overall, 81% of the strain panel had genetically predictable MATS coverage, with 92% accuracy and highly concordant results across national panels (Lin’s accuracy coefficient, 0.98; root-mean square deviation, 6%). England and Wales strain coverage estimates were 72-73% by genotyping (66-73% by MATS), underestimating hSBA values after four vaccine doses (88%) and VE after two doses (83%). The gMATS predicted strain coverage in other countries was 58-88%. Conclusions: gMATS can replace MATS in predicting 4CMenB strain coverage in four out of five cases, without requiring a cultivable isolate, and is open to further improvement. Both methods underestimated VE in England. Strain coverage predictions in other countries matched or exceeded England and Wales estimates. (C) 2019 GlaxoSmithKline Biologicals SA. Published by Elsevier Ltd