Fate of Methicillin‐resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA) under simulated acidic conditions of the human stomach

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Detection of a novel clone of Acinetobacter baumannii isolated from a dog with otitis externa

In this study, the isolation ofAcinetobacter baumanniiin a dog with clinical bilateral otitis externa is described.Moreover, to investigate the zoonotic potential of the isolate, microbiological examinations on the familymembers were performed. AnA. baumanniistrain was isolated from nasal swab in one of the dog owners. Theidentity of bacterial strains, either from dog and owner, was confirmed by phenotypic and molecular typing(wgMLST). Furthermore, to assess the pathogenic potential of the isolates a deep characterization of virulenceand antibiotic resistance genes was done by Whole Genome Sequencing (WGS). Finally, the susceptibility to-wards a wide panel of antimicrobials was investigated. In our knowledge, this is thefirst recorded case ofA.baumanniiisolation from canine auricular swabs in Italy. And interestingly, this study underlines the possiblespread of this microorganism from human to anima

Genome Sequence of a SARS-CoV-2 VUI 202012/01 Strain Identified from a Patient Returning from London, England, to the Apulia Region of Italy

The coding-complete sequence of severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) was obtained from a sample from a 25-year-old female returning to the Apulia region of Italy from England. The characterized strain showed all of the spike protein mutations defining SARS-CoV-2 VUI 202012/01, as well as other mutations in the spike protein and in other genomic regions

Characterization of Bacillus cereus Group Isolates From Human Bacteremia by Whole-Genome Sequencing

Members of the Bacillus cereus group are spore-forming organisms commonly associated with food poisoning and intestinal infections. Moreover, some strains of the group (i.e., B. cereus sensu stricto and Bacillus thuringiensis) can cause bacteremia in humans, mainly in immunocompromised individuals. Here we performed the genetic characterization of 17 human clinical strains belonging to B. cereus group isolated from blood culture. The whole-genome sequencing (WGS) revealed that the isolates were closely related to B. cereus sensu stricto and B. thuringiensis–type strain. Multilocus sequence typing analysis performed on the draft genome revealed the genetic diversity of our isolates, which were assigned to different sequence types. Based on panC nucleotide sequence, the isolates were grouped in the phylogenetic groups III and IV. The NHE, cer, and inhA gene cluster, entA, entFM, plcA, and plcB, were the most commonly detected virulence genes. Although we did not assess the ability to generate biofilm by phenotypic tests, we verified the prevalence of biofilm associated genes using an in silico approach. A high prevalence of pur gene cluster, xerC, clpY, codY, tasA, sipW, sinI, and sigB genes, was found. Genes related to the resistance to penicillin, trimethoprim, and ceftriaxone were identified in most of the isolates. Intriguingly, the majority of these virulence and AMR genes appeared to be evenly distributed among B. cereus s.s. isolates, as well as closely related to B. thuringiensis isolates. We showed the WGS represents a good approach to rapidly characterize B. cereus group strains, being able to give useful information about genetic epidemiology, the presence of virulence and antimicrobial genes, and finally about the potential hazard related to this underestimated risk

Microbiota analysis and microbiological hazard assessment in poultry carcasses from conventional and antibiotic free farms

The aim of this study was to assess microbiota and microbiological hazards in poultry carcasses from animals reared in conventional (n=15) and antibiotic free (n=15) farms. An aliquot of neck and breast skin was obtained from each individual carcass at the end of the refrigeration tunnel and submitted to DNA extraction. Total DNA was sequenced in the 16S rRNA and reads analysed with MG-RAST to classify the colonising bacteria up to the genus level and compare each taxonomic group in terms of mean relative frequency of abundance in conventional and antibiotic free carcasses. Firmicutes displayed abundances always higher than 38% but did not show statistically significative differences between conventional and antibiotic free carcasses. On the contrary, Bacteroidetes and Actinobacteria were significantly higher in antibiotic free then conventional carcasses (21.57 vs 10.95%; 19.29 vs 12.05%), whereas Proteobacteria were higher in the latter (33.19 vs 19.52%). The genera significantly higher in antibiotic free than conventional carcasses were Chryseobacterium (10.07 vs 1.94%), Rothia (3.08 vs 0.77%) and Micrococcus (1.12 vs 0.16%), while Shewanella was significantly higher in conventional carcasses (1.38 vs 0.26%). Among Firmicutes, the genera significantly higher in conventional carcasses were Ureibacillus (1.45 vs 0.11%) and Bacillus (3.28 vs 0.56%). The higher abundance of Proteobacteria in conventional carcasses might suggest that hygienic conditions in conventional farms are worse than antibiotic free farms. However, from a food safety point of view, Salmonella was not detected in both kinds of carcasses and the Campylobacter mean relative frequency of abundance was always lower than 0.4%

Severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 detection by real time polymerase chain reaction using pooling strategy of nasal samples

COVID-19 is a life-threatening multisistemic infection caused by severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2). Infection control relies on timely identification and isolation of infected people who can alberg the virus for up to 14 days, providing important opportunities for undetected transmission. This note describes the application of rRT-PCR test for simpler, faster and less invasive monitoring of SARS-CoV-2 infection using pooling strategy of samples. Seventeen positive patients were provided with sterile dry swabs and asked to self-collected 2 nasal specimens (#NS1 and #NS2). The #NS1 was individually placed in a single tube and the #NS2 was placed in another tube together with 19 NSs collected from 19 negative patients. Both tubes were then tested with conventional molecular rRT-PCR and the strength of pooling nasal testing was compared with the molecular test performed on the single NS of each positive patient. The pooling strategy detected SARS-CoV-2 RNA to a similar extent to the single test, even when Ct value is on average high (Ct 37–38), confirming that test sensibility is not substantially affected even if the pool contains only one low viral load positive sample. Furthermore, the pooling strategy have benefits for SARS-CoV-2 routinary monitoring of groups in regions with a low SARS-CoV-2 prevalence

Arcobacter spp. in bovine milk: An emerging pathogen with potential zoonotic risk

The aim of the present study was to assess the prevalence and genetic characteristics of Arcobacter spp. in bovine bulk tank milk produced in Apulia Region (Italy). Samples collected from 396 dairy farms, after enrichment in a selective broth, were subjected to an Arcobacter genus - specific Real Time PCR. Positive broths, previously filtered, were seeded on Karmali, MCCD and Columbia Blood Agar plates; presumptive Arcobacter spp. colonies were identified using an amplification and sequencing method and then characterized by Multi-Locus Sequence Typing (MLST). Prevalence of Arcobacter spp. in bovine milk samples was 5% (20/396); A. butzleri was the only isolated species, in agreement with previous studies that reported A. butzleri as the most commonly recovered species in milk and dairy products. MLST analysis of the 20 A. butzleri strains identified 81 alleles and 16 STs. Consistent with previous studies, MLST revealed a high level of heterogeneity between the A. butzleri isolates and confirmed the high discriminatory power of this method and its suitability for epidemiological investigations. This study confirmed the importance of raw milk as a possible source of Arcobacter spp. for humans

Methicillin-Resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA) in Food of Animal Origin: A New Challenge in Food Safety?

Background: Methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA) causes a wide range of infections, sometimes fatal, and represents a major problem in both human and veterinary medicine. The global spread of intensive farming and the high and indiscriminate use of antimicrobials has favoured the selection and circulation of MRSA in livestock and, consequently, in food of animal origin. The presence of MRSA is well documented in foodstuff, such as, beef, pork, poultry and rabbit meat as well as fish, raw milk and table eggs. The strains mostly isolated from food are animal associated, i.e. CC398; however, human strains have also been isolated from foodstuff. Some of these MRSA strains are capable of synthesizing staphylococcal enterotoxins. : In this review, the origin and the significance of MRSA in food of animal origin are discussed from a food safety point of vie

Methicillin-Resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA) in Food of Animal Origin: A New Challenge in Food Safety?

Background: Methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA) causes a wide range of infections, sometimes fatal, and represents a major problem in both human and veterinary medicine. The global spread of intensive farming and the high and indiscriminate use of antimicrobials has favoured the selection and circulation of MRSA in livestock and, consequently, in food of animal origin. The presence of MRSA is well documented in foodstuff, such as, beef, pork, poultry and rabbit meat as well as fish, raw milk and table eggs. The strains mostly isolated from food are animal associated, i.e. CC398; however, human strains have also been isolated from foodstuff. Some of these MRSA strains are capable of synthesizing staphylococcal enterotoxins

Genomic Surveillance of Circulating SARS-CoV-2 in South East Italy: A One-Year Retrospective Genetic Study

In order to provide insights into the evolutionary and epidemiological viral dynamics during the current COVID-19 pandemic in South Eastern Italy, a total of 298 genomes of SARS-CoV-2 strains collected in the Apulia and Basilicata regions, between March 2020 and January 2021, were sequenced. The genomic analysis performed on the draft genomes allowed us to assign the genetic clades and lineages of belonging to each sample and provide an overview of the main circulating viral variants. Our data showed the spread in Apulia and Basilicata of SARS-CoV-2 variants which have emerged during the second wave of infections and are being currently monitored worldwide for their increased transmission rate and their possible impact on vaccines and therapies. These results emphasize the importance of genome sequencing for the epidemiological surveillance of the new SARS-CoV-2 variants' spread