Leptospirosis in Slaughterhouse Personnel: A Seroepidemiologic Study Using Microscopic Agglutination Test

Background and Objective: Meat can be contaminated by Leptospira species. This bacterial pathogen causes severe leptospirosis disease in humans and animals. The major aims of this study were to assess seroepidemiological prevalence of leptospirosis in employees of a slaughterhouse in Guilan Province, Iran, using microscopic agglutination test and further investigate the positive samples using nested polymerase chain reaction method. Material and Methods: In this study, 150 employees of a slaughterhouse in Guilan Province, Iran, were participated after completing written consents and personal questionnaires. This sample size was calculated based on the mean prevalence of the pathogen in the region. After assessing sera of the participants for Leptospira antibody using microscopic agglutination test, urine samples were collected from the positive participant for further assessments using nested polymerase chain reaction. Results and Conclusion: Based on the results, microscopic agglutination test was positive for 10.7% of the participants. However, Nested-PCR was negative for the positive microscopic agglutination tests on sera collected from the participants with antibodies against Leptospira antigens. The current results demonstrate that Leptospira can occur in asymptomatic humans in slaughterhouses and highlight the high potential of the disease transmission to humans in the province. Therefore, further extended control and prevention measures for slaughterhouse workers are recommended to guarantee the food safety. Conflict of interest: The authors declare no conflict of interest

Comparison of Two ELISA Methods for the Laboratory Diagnosis of Acute Leptospirosis

AbstractBackground: Leptospirosis is the most common zoonosiswidespread in tropical and temperate countries with low social-economic status. We aimed to compare an ELISA kit withan in-house ELISA assay to test the serum samples of the patientswho were suspicious of leptospirosis according to theirclinical symptoms.Methods: A total of 282 serum samples of patients suspiciousof leptospirosis admitted to hospitals in Rasht city (north ofIran) were examined for sero-diagnosis of leptospirosis. Bloodsamples were obtained with mean time of 6.36 days after theonset of the symptoms. Antibodies were detected using a commercialqualitative and by an in-house semi quantitative IgMand IgG ELISA and the results were compared with microscopicagglutination test (MAT) as the gold standard. Allspecimens with titers ≥320 against a pathogenic serovar inMAT were considered positive for leptospirosis.Results: The results of MAT have demonstrated that 70 serumsamples (24.8%) had a positive reaction with one of the leptospiraserovar. The sensitivity, specificity, positive and negativepredictive values were 87.1% , 91.0 %, 67.8%, and 95.5% for inhouseELISA assay, respectively, and 100%, 42.9%, 36.6%, and100 % for commercial IgM ELISA assay, respectively.Conclusion: Our results showed that IgM ELISA assay is areliable and sensitive method for the laboratory diagnosis ofacute leptospirosis. In-house semi quantitative IgM ELISAwas more specific and commercial IgM ELISA was moresensitive.Iran J Med Sci 2010; 35(2): 116-121

Antimicrobial Activities of the Secondary Metabolite Extracted from a Nocardia Strain

Background & Objective: The emergence of antibiotic-resistant bacteria and limited treatment options for these infections is a challenging problem in the world. There is increasing interest in isolating bioactive molecules from actinobacteria and elucidating their antimicrobial mechanisms at the moment. The current study aimed to investigate the antimicrobial activities of a Nocardia strain (N4) that was previously isolated from the soil samples in Tehran, Iran.  Materials & Methods: The cultural, morphological, and physiological characteristics of the strain were determined and the identity of the strain was confirmed using 16SrRNA gene sequencing. The strain was screened for antimicrobial metabolite production. The in vitro anti-microbial activity of the extracted metabolite was assessed by agar well diffusion and minimum inhibitory concentrations methods. Finally, the structure of the extracted metabolite was confirmed by HPLC and mass spectrometry methods. Results: The isolate shared 99% sequence similarity with Nocardia soli. The strain showed broad-spectrum antimicrobial activities against some pathogenic bacteria (Escherichia coli ATCC 25922, Pseudomonas aeruginosa ATCC 27853, Klebsiella pneumoniae ATCC 700603, Salmonella Typhimurium ATCC 14028 and Shigella sonnei RI366) and fungi (Aspergillus niger ATCC 1015 and Aspergillus fumigatus ATCC 1022) in the agar well diffusion method. The ethyl acetate extract of the strain exhibited the highest antimicrobial activity against E. coli (MIC= 4.67±3.055 μg/mL) and K. pneumoniae (MIC=3.33±1.155 μg/mL). The metabolite showed high similarity with C21H28N7O14. Conclusions: The current study confirmed the presence of a bioactive metabolite in strain N4, suggesting that this may be a promising candidate for discovering bioactive components with broad antibacterial activities against a variety of pathogens Keywords

Evaluation of anti-biofilm potential of biosurfactant extracted from Nocardia species

Introduction: Bacterial natural products such as biosurfactants and surface-active agents are important compounds which exhibit many applications in the fields of medicine.Aim: The aim of the present study was to isolate and identify Nocardia strains with high biosurfactant production and antibiofilm ability.Materials and methods: In the present study, a biosurfactant producing Nocardia species was isolated and identified by a laboratory method. Nocardia species were initially screened and then tested for their ability to produce biosurfactant. The oil spreading test and the surface tension measurements showed that one strain was a biosurfactant producer. The strain with the best surface activity results was selected for further studies and identified by 16S rRNA gene sequencing method. Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (FTIR) and compositional analysis proved a biosurfactant structure.Results: Oil spreading test and blue agar plate test confirmed biosurfactants and extracellular anionic glycolipids. E24% assay using olive oil revealed strong emulsifying characteristic of the extracted biosurfactant with 100% emulsifying strength. FTIR spectrum indicated the presence of aliphatic hydrocarbon chain (lipid) along with the polysaccharide portion, confirming the glycolipid nature of the biosurfactant. The stability of the biosurfactant produced in different conditions was significant. Increasing concentration of BS significantly inhibited Pseudomonas aeruginosa biofilm.Conclusions: N. coubleae can be a representative of the genus Nocardia for the production of biosurfactants with beneficial physicochemical properties

Evaluation of anti-biofilm potential of biosurfactant extracted from Nocardia species

Introduction: Bacterial natural products such as biosurfactants and surface-active agents are important compounds which exhibit many applications in the fields of medicine.Aim: The aim of the present study was to isolate and identify Nocardia strains with high biosurfactant production and antibiofilm ability.Materials and methods: In the present study, a biosurfactant producing Nocardia species was isolated and identified by a laboratory method. Nocardia species were initially screened and then tested for their ability to produce biosurfactant. The oil spreading test and the surface tension measurements showed that one strain was a biosurfactant producer. The strain with the best surface activity results was selected for further studies and identified by 16S rRNA gene sequencing method. Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (FTIR) and compositional analysis proved a biosurfactant structure.Results: Oil spreading test and blue agar plate test confirmed biosurfactants and extracellular anionic glycolipids. E24% assay using olive oil revealed strong emulsifying characteristic of the extracted biosurfactant with 100% emulsifying strength. FTIR spectrum indicated the presence of aliphatic hydrocarbon chain (lipid) along with the polysaccharide portion, confirming the glycolipid nature of the biosurfactant. The stability of the biosurfactant produced in different conditions was significant. Increasing concentration of BS significantly inhibited Pseudomonas aeruginosa biofilm.Conclusions: N. coubleae can be a representative of the genus Nocardia for the production of biosurfactants with beneficial physicochemical properties

Outcomes and Complications of Percutaneous Endoscopic Gastrostomy in Qom Shahid Beheshti Hospital During 2014-2017

Background and Objectives: Percutaneous endoscopic gastrostomy (PEG) is a common method for maintaining enteral nutrition in patients who, for any reason, have dysphagia for more than 30 days. With respect to widespread application of this method, the present study was carried out with the aim of determining its outcomes and complications.   Methods: This cross-sectional study was conducted by Gastroenterology and Hepatology Diseases Research Center of Qom University of Medical Sciences using information of patients who underwent PEG tube placement in Qom Shahid Beheshti Hospital during 2014-2017. Data were analyzed by using Chi-square test.   Results: Out of 717 patients, 402 (56.07%), were male with the mean age of 47±8 years, and 315 subjects (43.93%), were female with the mean age of 53±11 years. The most common indication of PEG placement was cerebrovascular accident. Seventy-nine (11.01%) patients had complications, and the most observed complication was reported to be leakage (21.52%), which in most cases was delayed (in 3 month follow-up). Displacement of the PEG tube, obstruction, and infection or bleeding of the site, were expressed as common complications. There was also no significant difference between the two genders in terms of the incidence of complications, and mortality rate was reported 0 in the 3 month follow-up.   Conclusion: Based on the results of this study, PEG placement can be a safe method for maintaining enteral nutrition with low rate of complications and mortality. &nbsp

Isolation and identification of Nocardia asteroids complex isolated from thigh abscess in a patient with Behçet\\\'s syndrome: the first report from Iran

Background: Nocardia species are Gram-positive, partially acid fast, non-motile, catalase positive, aerobic and saprophytic actinomycetes found all around the world. They invade the human body from the environment via trauma and respiratory tract and cause cutaneous, pulmonary and systemic diseases. They are able to grow in various media.The organisms opportunistically infect both immunocompromised and immunocompetent individuals. Behcet's disease is an autoimmune disease and immunocompromised patient which may suitable host for Nocardia bacterium. The present study is the first case report of isolation of Nocardia from the thigh abscess in a patient with behcet’s disease from Iran.Case Presentation: A 39-year-old man with Behcet’s disease in August 2011 was admitted to Shariati hospital Tehran, with swelling and pain in the left flank and left thigh. Microscopic identification from direct microbiological slide of thigh abscess discharge demonstrated number of lymphocytes, neutrophils and macrophages foamy and white blood cells together with filamentous bacteria. Further microbiological characterization using phenotypic and antibiogram tests with disk diffusion method, demonstrated that the isolated bacterium is Nocardia asteroides complex. The bacteria were sensitive to ampicillin, vancomycin, ceftriaxone, amikacin and cotrimoxazole but it was resistant to clindamycin, erythromycin, penicillin G, cephalothin and gentamicin. The patient was treated with cotrimoxazole.Conclusion: Because of the high incidence and high mortality of Nocardia infection in immunocompromised cases, rapid detection and timely treatment for these patients is necessary