Detection of sequence type 131 in multi-drug resistant uropathogenic Escherichia coli isolates from two hospitals of Sabah

Background: Escherichia coli sequence type 131 (ST131) has emerged among bacteria causing urinary tract infection (UTI) in the previous decade. This ST contains multiple drug resistant (MDR) genes together with genes encoding many virulence factors. As a result, this strain of uropathogenic E. coli (UPEC) gives rise to treatment failure with consequent prolonged stay in a hospital. Therefore, earlier identification of this strain in the hospital has advantage in combating severe type of UTI. Objective: To detect ST 131 strains in MDR UPEC isolates from two hospitals of Sabah. Materials and Methods: Antibiotic susceptibility tests were performed to detect MDR isolates. Two polymerase chain reactions (PCRs) including mdh and gyrB allelic-specific PCR were performed on these MDR to detect ST131 strains. Results: The results showed four isolates were resistant to TMP-SMX, gentamycin, ciprofloxacin, and cefotaxime, and three isolates of these were investigated to be ST131 clones by two PCR reactions. Conclusion: There is the presence of ST131 strains in hospitals of Sabah. This information will be a guideline for the clinician in the management of UTI in the clinical settings

Virulence factors and genetic characteristics of methicillin-resistant and - susceptible staphylococcus aureus isolates in Myanmar

Staphylococcus aureus produces virulence factors, including various exotoxins and adhesins, which are associated with a variety of symptoms caused by its infections. In the present study, the prevalence of these virulence factors was analyzed for 23 S. aureus strains isolated from wound infections in hospitals, nasal swabs, or vomit from patients and cooks in a food poisoning case and from healthy adults in Yangon, Myanmar. Among these strains, five were methicillin-resistant S. aureus (MRSA) derived from pus (four strains, SCCmec III, ST239) and a healthy adult (one strain, SCCmec-IVa, ST5). The Panton-Valentine leukocidine (PVL) gene was detected in five methicillin-susceptible S. aureus (MSSA) clinical strains belonging to ST121 (CC121). The MRSA clinical strains had only a few or no staphylococcal enterotoxin (SE) genes, whereas PVL-positive MSSA and an MRSA strain from a healthy adult possessed an enterotoxin gene cluster (seg, sei, sem, sen, seo, and selu). Strains from the food poisoning case had either SE genes or only etd and edin-B. Adhesin genes, which are associated with binding to fibronectin, fibrinogen, and elastin, were detected in all the MRSA and most of the MSSA strains examined. However, the bone sialoprotein-binding protein gene (bbp) and the variant form of the elastin-binding protein gene (ebpS-v) with an internal 180 bp deletion were identified only in the MSSA strains harboring the PVL gene. These findings suggest that those genetic traits are characteristic of PVL-positive ST121 S. aureus strains in Myanmar

Nasal Carriage of Staphylococcus aureus and its antibiotic susceptibility pattern among Medical and Nursing Students

Nasal carriage of Staphylococcus aureus (S.aureus) especially methicillin-resistant S. aureus (MRSA) among health care personnel poses a risk to the patient. Objectives: To determine the prevalence of nasal colonization of S. aureus and its antibiotic susceptibility pattern among pre-clinical and clinical medical and nursing students attending Faculty of Medicine and Health Sciences at the Universiti Malaysia Sabah. Materials and Methods: Between April and November 2013, nasal swabs were collected from anterior nares of 449 students and inoculated on Mannitol salt agar and Tryptone soya broth. Staphylase coagulase test kit and tube coagulase test were done for identification. Antibiotic susceptibility test was done on seven antibiotics by Kirby–Bauer method. S. aureus isolates which showed zone diameter of 22 mm to cefoxitin discs were further tested with Slidex® MRSA detection kit to detect penicillin-binding protein product of MRSA. Results: The prevalence of nasal colonization of S. aureus was 31.0% and all were methicillin susceptible S. aureus (MSSA). Antibiotic susceptibility testing revealed all 139 S. aureus isolates were sensitive to oxacillin, trimethoprim/sulfamethoxazole and cefoxitin, whereas 116 (83.5%), 1 (0.7%), 3 (2.2%) and 24 (17.3%) were resistant to penicillin, erythromycin, clindamycin and tetracycline, respectively. Conclusions: There was no MRSA among S. aureus isolated in this study. S. aureus isolates were highly resistance to penicillin, however, no resistant to oxacillin, co-trimoxazole, and cefoxiti

Full genome sequence analysis of Group B human rotaviruses

Rotavirus is a major causative pathogen of severe diarrhea in humans and animals. On the basis of VP6 antigen, Rotaviruses are classified into seven groups (A-G), among which only groups A-C rotaviruses cause infection in humans. Group B rotavirus (GBR) was first detected in China in 1982 as a cause of adult diarrheal outbreaks. Although the detection of GBR had been limited in China, GBR has been found in India since 1998, in Bangladesh since 2000, and in Myanmar in 2007. Because of limited data, genetic characteristics of GBR have not been well known so far. Methods: GBRs detected recently in India (IDH-084 in 2007, IC-008 in 2008), Bangladesh (Bang117 in 2003), and Myanmar (MMR-B1 in 2007) were analyzed genetically. Full genome sequences of these strains were determined by RT-PCR and direct sequencing methods. Sequence data was analyzed phylogenetically by MEGA4 program with those of GBRs reported previously. Results: Sequences of all genes of GBRs, including those of animals, were classified into three clusters, i.e., Chinese lineage, India-Bangladeshi-Myanmar lineage, and animal (bovine and murine) lineages. Each strain showed high sequence identity among the same lineage (e.g.,95.6-100% among India-Bangladeshi-Myanmar lineage). The evolutionary rate of all segment genes of GBRs was estimated to be 1.89-2.05310-3 nucleotide substitutions per site per year, using the synonymous substitutions between CAL-1(1998 in India) and IDH-084, CAL-1 and IC-008, and Bang373(2000 in Bangladesh) and Bang117. Conclusion: Full genome sequences of recent group B human rotaviruses were determined and revealed the presence of two major lineages in human GBRs by phylogenetic analysis. Compared to the strains detected in different years, the substitution rate was estimated for the first time for all the gene segments. It was similar to those from partial sequence data reported previously and was comparable to the rate of other rapidly evolving RNA viruses. Further accumulation of genetic data is needed for resolution of ecological features of group B rotaviruses

Establishment of the molecular method in the laboratory Diagnosis of Chikungunya in Sabah state

To find out the endemicity of Chikungunya (CHIK) infection in Sabah State, 100 serum samples of suspected Dengue/ Chikungunya cases both in patients and out patients, were collected from Pathology laboratory of Women and Children Hospital, Likas, Kota Kinabalu, Sabah, Malaysia between August 2014 to November 2014. The age of the cases ranged from the youngest 1 year old to the eldest of 75 years. Chikungunya RNA was tested by Reverse Transcriptase Polymerase Chain Reaction (RT-PCR) using non structural protein 1 (nsPl) primer pairs. Out of 100 serum samples tested only one sample was CHIK RNA positive. CHIK IgM antibody were tested from 50 samples and only one sample showed weak positive for CHIK IgM. The test results showed that CHIK infection was endemic in Kota Kinabalu, Sabah but very few cases. According to hospital data only one fifth of the above patients were dengue rapid test positive. RTPCR test is a rapid and sensitive test essential in differentiating dengue, CHIK infection and also other viral infections

Exposure to diverse sarbecoviruses indicates frequent zoonotic spillover in human communities interacting with wildlife

BackgroundSarbecoviruses are a subgenus of Coronaviridae that mostly infect bats with known potential to infect humans (SARS-CoV and SARS-CoV-2). Populations in Southeast Asia, where these viruses are most likely to emerge, have been undersurveyed to date.MethodsWe surveyed communities engaged in extractive industries and bat guano harvesting from rural areas in Myanmar. Participants were screened for exposure to sarbecoviruses, and their interactions with wildlife were evaluated to determine the factors associated with exposure to sarbecoviruses.ResultsOf 693 people screened between July 2017 and February 2020, 12.1% were seropositive for sarbecoviruses. Individuals were significantly more likely to have been exposed to sarbecoviruses if their main livelihood involved working in extractive industries (logging, hunting, or harvesting of forest products; odds ratio [OR] = 2.71, P = 0.019) or had been hunting/slaughtering bats (OR = 6.09, P = 0.020). Exposure to a range of bat and pangolin sarbecoviruses was identified.ConclusionExposure to diverse sarbecoviruses among high-risk human communities provides epidemiologic and immunologic evidence that zoonotic spillover is occurring. These findings inform risk mitigation efforts needed to decrease disease transmission at the bat-human interface, as well as future surveillance efforts warranted to monitor isolated populations for viruses with pandemic potential