Characterization of endemic Shigella boydii strains isolated in Iran by serotyping, antimicrobial resistance, plasmid profile, ribotyping and pulsed-field gel electrophoresis

Background: Shigellosis is one of the major causes of morbidity in children with diarrhea in Iran. The present study was undertaken to characterize apparently sporadic Shigella boydii strains isolated from pediatric patients in Iran. Findings: Ten S. boydii strains isolated from pediatric cases of gastroenteritis and acute diarrhea in Tehran between December 2002 and November 2003 were submitted to serotyping, antimicrobial susceptibility testing, plasmid profile analysis, ribotyping and pulsed field gel electrophoresis (PFGE). Seven isolates were attributed to serotype 2, whereas the remaining three belonged to serotypes 14, 18, 19, respectively. Six drug resistance phenotypes (R1 to R6) were defined with R4 - streptomycin (STR), ampicillin (AMP), sulfamethoxazole-trimethoprim (SXT) - being the most prevalent. Plasmid analysis resulted in seven different plasmid profiles with one to five DNA bands. All strains, but one, shared the same ribotype, but PFGE differentiated them in four groups. Conclusion: Based upon ribotyping and PFGE results, endemic circulation of S. boydii in Tehran, Iran, could be attributed to a few clones. Resistance pattern and plasmid profile analysis proved to be very effective in discriminating apparently unrelated strains of S. boydi

Increased Isolation and Characterization of Shigella sonnei Obtained from Hospitalized Children in Tehran, Iran

Shigella flexneri has been the most frequent cause of shigellosis in children in Iran. To evaluate the changes in frequency of serogroups, 302 Shigella species were isolated in 2003 from hospitalized children, aged less than 12 years, with acute diarrhoea in Tehran, Iran. The number of collected S. sonnei, S. flexneri, S. boydii, and S. dysenteriae isolates was 178 (58.9%), 110 (37.4%), 10 (3.3%), and 4 (1.3%) respectively. Most (94%) S. sonnei isolates were resistant to co-trimoxazole. They were, however, relatively or completely sensitive to 15 commonly-used antibiotics. The extracted plasmids showed 12 different profiles with two closely-related patterns constituting 70% of the total isolates. Ribotyping, using PvuII, HindIII or SalI restriction enzymes, generated a single pattern for all S. sonnei isolates. Data suggest that S. sonnei has become the predominant serogroup in children in the hospitals of Tehran

Prevalence of Enteropathogenic and Shiga Toxin-producing Escherichia coli Among Children With and Without Diarrhoea in Iran

The aim of the study was to determine the rates of detection of enteropathogenic Escherichia coli (EPEC) and Shiga toxin-producing E. coli (STEC) strains among children in two randomly-selected populations in Iran. In total, 1,292 randomly-selected faecal samples from children aged less than 10 years were screened for EPEC and STEC. Of the 1,292 cases participated in the study, 184 had diarrhoea, and 1,108 were healthy/asymptomatic children. The conventional culture method and slide agglutination with 12 different commercial EPEC antisera were used for the detection of EPEC. The colony sweep polymyxin- B extraction method, non-sorbitol fermentation (NSF) phenotype, and slide agglutination with O157: H7 antisera were used for the screening and detection of STEC. Of EPEC belonging to 11 different serogroups, O111 and O127 were most commonly found in 36.4% of the diarrhoeal cases and 7.2% of the asymptomatic children. A significant association (p<0.05) was found between isolation of EPEC and diarrhoea. 8.7% of the diarrhoeal cases and 2% of children without diarrhoea were infected with STEC, but none of the isolates belonged to the O157:H7 serotype. A significant association (p<0.05) was found between STEC and diarrhoeal cases. Based on these findings, it can be concluded that different EPEC serogroups may be agents of endemic infantile diarrhoea, and STEC strains are an important enteropathogen among young children

Genomic insights into the 2016-2017 cholera epidemic in Yemen.

Yemen is currently experiencing, to our knowledge, the largest cholera epidemic in recent history. The first cases were declared in September 2016, and over 1.1 million cases and 2,300 deaths have since been reported1. Here we investigate the phylogenetic relationships, pathogenesis and determinants of antimicrobial resistance by sequencing the genomes of Vibrio cholerae isolates from the epidemic in Yemen and recent isolates from neighbouring regions. These 116 genomic sequences were placed within the phylogenetic context of a global collection of 1,087 isolates of the seventh pandemic V. cholerae serogroups O1 and O139 biotype El Tor2-4. We show that the isolates from Yemen that were collected during the two epidemiological waves of the epidemic1-the first between 28 September 2016 and 23 April 2017 (25,839 suspected cases) and the second beginning on 24 April 2017 (more than 1 million suspected cases)-are V. cholerae serotype Ogawa isolates from a single sublineage of the seventh pandemic V. cholerae O1 El Tor (7PET) lineage. Using genomic approaches, we link the epidemic in Yemen to global radiations of pandemic V. cholerae and show that this sublineage originated from South Asia and that it caused outbreaks in East Africa before appearing in Yemen. Furthermore, we show that the isolates from Yemen are susceptible to several antibiotics that are commonly used to treat cholera and to polymyxin B, resistance to which is used as a marker of the El Tor biotype

Increased Isolation and Characterization of Shigella sonnei Obtained from Hospitalized Children in Tehran, Iran

Shigella flexneri has been the most frequent cause of shigellosis in children in Iran. To evaluate the changes in frequency of serogroups, 302 Shigella species were isolated in 2003 from hospitalized children, aged less than 12 years, with acute diarrhoea in Tehran, Iran. The number of collected S. sonnei, S. flexneri, S. boydii, and S. dysenteriae isolates was 178 (58.9%), 110 (37.4%), 10 (3.3%), and 4 (1.3%) respectively. Most (94%) S. sonnei isolates were resistant to co-trimoxazole. They were, however, relatively or completely sensitive to 15 commonly-used antibiotics. The extracted plasmids showed 12 different profiles with two closely-related patterns constituting 70% of the total isolates. Ribotyping, using PvuII, HindIII or SalI restriction enzymes, generated a single pattern for all S. sonnei isolates. Data suggest that S. sonnei has become the predominant serogroup in children in the hospitals of Tehran

Inhibition of secreted IL-8 of selected <i>Lactobacillus</i> isolates.

<p>These isolates were selected based on their significant activities found in Figs <a href="http://www.plosone.org/article/info:doi/10.1371/journal.pone.0144467#pone.0144467.g004" target="_blank">4</a> and <a href="http://www.plosone.org/article/info:doi/10.1371/journal.pone.0144467#pone.0144467.g005" target="_blank">5</a>. The results are reported as the mean ± SD of triplicate samples. Mean comparison was done with unpaired t-test. * & ** indicate statistically significant difference p<0.05 and p<0.001, respectively, for reduction of IL-8 production by lactobacilli isolates in HT-29 cell line stimulated with LPS.</p

Effect of selected <i>Lactobacillus</i> sp. on myeloperoxidase (MPO) activity, disease activity index (DAI) and colon length, on DSS-induced colitis.

<p>Mean comparison was done with unpaired t-test. ** Highly significantly different from DSS group at P <0.01. *Significantly different from DSS group at P < 0.05.</p

Prevalence of Enteropathogenic and Shiga Toxin-producing Escherichia coli Among Children With and Without Diarrhoea in Iran

The aim of the study was to determine the rates of detection of enteropathogenic Escherichia coli (EPEC) and Shiga toxin-producing E. coli (STEC) strains among children in two randomly-selected populations in Iran. In total, 1,292 randomly-selected faecal samples from children aged less than 10 years were screened for EPEC and STEC. Of the 1,292 cases participated in the study, 184 had diarrhoea, and 1,108 were healthy/asymptomatic children. The conventional culture method and slide agglutination with 12 different commercial EPEC antisera were used for the detection of EPEC. The colony sweep polymyxin- B extraction method, non-sorbitol fermentation (NSF) phenotype, and slide agglutination with O157: H7 antisera were used for the screening and detection of STEC. Of EPEC belonging to 11 different serogroups, O111 and O127 were most commonly found in 36.4% of the diarrhoeal cases and 7.2% of the asymptomatic children. A significant association (p<0.05) was found between isolation of EPEC and diarrhoea. 8.7% of the diarrhoeal cases and 2% of children without diarrhoea were infected with STEC, but none of the isolates belonged to the O157:H7 serotype. A significant association (p<0.05) was found between STEC and diarrhoeal cases. Based on these findings, it can be concluded that different EPEC serogroups may be agents of endemic infantile diarrhoea, and STEC strains are an important enteropathogen among young children

Antibacterial effect of total 20 selected <i>Lactobacillus Spp</i>. against pathogens bacteria.

<p>Antibacterial effect of total 20 selected <i>Lactobacillus Spp</i>. against pathogens bacteria.</p