Prevalence of Bacterial Lower Respiratory Tract Infections at a Tertiary Hospital in Jordan

Background: Lower respiratory tract infections (LRTI) are a major cause of morbidity and mortality globally. The World Health Organization (WHO) estimates that LRTI are the most common global cause of death from infectious diseases.  However, the specific etiologic agent associated with LRTI is often unknown. Aims: We determined the bacterial infections and seasonal patterns associated with LRTI among hospitalized cases at Jordan University Hospital (JUH) for a period of five years. Methods: We conducted a multi-year study among hospitalized patients in Jordan on LRTI-associated bacterial etiology. Results: We found bacterial infections among 105 (21.1%) out of 495 LRTI patients. The most frequently identified bacteria in the LRTI patients were Staphylococcus aureus (7.7%) followed by Pseudomonas aeruginosa (5.1%). Most of the LRTI patients (95.2%) had at least one chronic disease and many were admitted to the Intensive Care Unit (16.8%). Of the 18 (3.64%) patients with LRTI who died at the hospital, 2 had a bacterial infection. We noticed a seasonal pattern of bacterial infections, with the highest prevalence during the winter months. Conclusions: Our findings suggest that early identification of bacterial agents and control of chronic disease may improve clinical management and reduce morbidity and mortality from LRTI

Bacteriophage Moron JBD30-4 Affects type IV pilus and Flagellar Function in Pseudomonas aeruginosa

Bacteriophages can influence the virulence of Pseudomonas aeruginosa, an opportunistic pathogen causing significant morbidity and mortality in immunocompromised individuals. Morons, specific prophage genes not required for the phage life cycle, provide fitness advantages to bacteria under specific environmental conditions. JBD30-4 is a phage moron that inhibits P. aeruginosa twitching and swimming motility while remaining susceptible to phage infection. An interaction detected using the bacterial adenylate cyclase two-hybrid system suggests that JBD30-4 mediates this phenotype through an interaction with the type IV pilus response regulator PilH. Biochemical characterization of JBD30-4 revealed that the N-terminus of the protein is critical for function. Downregulation of flagella and type IV pili upon expression of JBD30-4 from a prophage, leading to a decrease in motility, may enable bacterial evasion from the host immune system during P. aeruginosa infection, promoting survival of the bacteria and the prophage genome contained within it.M.Sc