Project description:Community-acquired lower respiratory tract infections (CA-LRTIs) treatment is largely empirical as microbiologic testing is rarely performed. Here, we provide microbiologic data of severe CA-LRTI cases requiring hospitalization. We aim to describe the distribution and susceptibility patterns of pathogens causing severe CA-LRTI. We analyzed respiratory samples from recently admitted patients with CA-LRTIs to assess pathogen distribution and antibiotic susceptibility patterns. We divided patients into three groups: CA-LRTI and no prior healthcare exposure, CA-LRTI with healthcare exposure, and patients diagnosed with LRTI 48 to 7 days of hospital admission. In a sub-cohort, we assessed the bacteria's susceptibility to cefditoren. A total of 1,395, 2,212, and 2,760 samples were included in the three study groups. Gram-negative bacteria were the most common bacteria isolated. Streptococcus pneumoniae was over-represented in patients admitted to the intensive care unit (ICU) in the first two study groups, and was fully susceptible to penicillin in only ~50% of cases, and to fluoroquinolones and third-generation cephalosporins including cefditoren in >95% of cases. Susceptibility of Gram-negative bacteria to penicillins and to second-generation cephalosporins was lower than 50%. Age, admission to an ICU or surgical department, healthcare-associated infections, and infections with Gram-negative bacteria, Staphylococcus aureus, and Stenotrophomonas/Acinetobacter baumannii were associated with increased mortality. These results highlight pathogen diversity and concerning antibiotic susceptibility patterns in LRTI. These findings emphasize the importance of improving diagnostics and addressing antibiotic resistance in the effective management of LRTI.IMPORTANCEThis survey aims to describe the microbiologic aspects of community-acquired lower respiratory tract infections (CA-LRTI) in a large cohort of patients recently admitted to hospital. In a small sub-study, we assessed antibiotic susceptibility to cefditoren, an oral third-generation cephalosporin not used in Israel. By analyzing specimens from recently admitted patients with CA-LRTI, we aim to provide physicians with the relevant microbiologic data of the more severe CA-LRTI cases, i.e., those that resulted in hospital admission. Such microbiological data would provide primary care and emergency room physicians with additional insights as to the causative agents of severe CA-LRTI.
Project description:Periodic monitoring of antibiotic susceptibility patterns in clinical settings is vital to ascertain the potency as well as re-establishing empirical therapy. This retrospective study aimed to evaluate the antibiotic susceptibility patterns of pathogens isolated from routine laboratory specimens at Ndola Teaching Hospital. A retrospective study was conducted on routine specimens received between May 2016 and July 2018. Specimens were cultured on standard media and Kirby-Bauer disc diffusion method was used for susceptibility testing in accordance with the Clinical and Laboratory Standard Institute's recommendations. A total of 693 specimens were analyzed, of which 65.9% (457) specimens came from inpatient departments and 49.1% (340) came from female patients. The commonest specimens were urine (58.6%), blood (12.7%) and wound swabs (8.5%), and the most common microorganisms were coliform (29.3%), Staphylococcus aureus (15.4%), coagulase negative Staphylococci (CoNS, 13.4%), and Escherichia coli (13%). The highest percentage of resistance to any particular antibiotic was co-trimoxazole (91.7%, 33) followed by nalidixic acid (75.2%, 279), norfloxacin (69.0%, 100), ceftazidime (55.7%, 185), nitrofurantoin (46.6%, 191), chloramphenicol (43%, 111) and ciprofloxacin (8.6%, 271). Furthermore, patient location had resistance effect on coliform (p = 0.014), CoNS (p = 0.031), Streptococcus species (p = 0.024) and Klebsiella species (p = 0.004) to nitrofurantoin, ceftazidime, nitrofurantoin and chloramphenicol, respectively. Besides coliform, resistance of Enterobacter species to ceftazidime and Proteus species to nalidixic acid were more from female patients. Generally, the most effective antibiotics were chloramphenicol and nitrofurantoin with addition of ceftazidime on blood pathogens and ciprofloxacin on wound swab pathogens. The common isolates were coliform, S. aureus, coagulase negative Staphylococci and Escherichia coli. The resistance of most bacteria to ceftazidime and nitrofurantoin were influenced by both gender and location. Our study presents a broad overview of the resistance profiles of bacterial isolates. However, more nosocomial prevalence and antibiogram studies on individual routine specimens are required to provide a more detailed picture of resistance patterns.
Project description:Pneumonia remain an important public health problem. The primary objective was to determine the proportion of community-acquired pneumonia that is attributable to Streptococcus pneumoniae infection; secondary objectives were the description of community-acquired pneumonia attributable to Streptococcus pneumoniae according to socio-demographic and clinical variables, the clinical evolution of community-acquired pneumonia and the description of the serotype distribution of vaccine-preventable disease and antibiotic resistance rate of pneumococcal infections.An observational, prospective study was conducted on consecutive patients coming from the community, who were hospitalized with pneumonia. Data on admission, at discharge and 30 days after discharge were collected. Logistic regression models were used to evaluate the risk factors independently associated with pneumococcal pneumonia.Among the 193 patients enrolled in the study, the etiology of community-acquired pneumonia was identified in 60 patients (33%) and 35 (18%) of evaluable patients had community-acquired pneumonia due to Streptococcus pneumoniae. Of all clinical characteristics, if no previous antibiotic treatment was performed, there was a 13-fold higher risk of presenting community-acquired pneumonia due to Streptococcus pneumoniae (odds ratio, 12.9; 95% confidence interval, 1.42-117.9). Moreover, the most frequent isolated serotypes were 35F, 3 and 24 (29%, 23% and 16%, respectively).The most frequent serotypes in pneumococcal community-acquired pneumonia are 35F, 3, 24, 6 and 7A, and thus almost 50% of Streptococcus pneumoniae strains could be covered by pneumococcal conjugate vaccine 13 in adult patients with risk factors for pneumococcal infections.
Project description:Visceral leishmaniasis (VL) is a serious public health concern in the Indian state of Bihar, which has been exacerbated by an increasing HIV/AIDS incidence that has resulted in poor clinical outcomes. So far, there has been no investigation into the knowledge, attitude, and practices (KAP) of people who have been subjected to hospital-based supervision for VL or HIV/VL co-infection. This study assessed the KAP toward VL infection among 210 VL-infected patients (126 participants with VL and 84 participants with HIV/VL) using a pretested standard questionnaire. The findings are summarized descriptively and KAP scores are classified dichotomously (good/poor). Multivariable logistic regression and bivariate correlation were used in the analysis. The study showed that both VL-infected and co-infected patients exhibited similar deficits in KAP scores toward VL. The HIV/VL participants who had a personal or family history of VL were more likely to have appropriate awareness of and preventive practices toward VL. The independent predictors of attitude index in HIV/VL participants were education, VL family history, and marital status. There was a weak but significant positive correlation between knowledge and practice (rs = 0.321, p<0.001), and attitude and practice (rs = 0.294, p<0.001), while knowledge was strongly correlated with attitude (rs = 0.634, p<0.001). Based on the study findings, it is recommended that treatment programs in Bihar should concentrate on strengthening KAP among VL and HIV/VL co-infected patients to prevent reinfection-related complications. Behavior change communication intervention is ideal for tackling this problem. This proposal entails building a comprehensive public health program in endemic regions.
Project description:BackgroundPseudomonas aeruginosa is a ubiquitous free-living bacterium and is responsible for severe nosocomial infections, life-threatening infections in immune compromised persons. The bacterium, along with its natural resistance, can acquire resistance to many antibiotics by a variety of methods.MethodTherefore, to compare the antibiotic sensitivity pattern of Pseudomonas aeruginosa, a total of seventeen isolates of P. aeruginosa were isolated from different sources; for example environmental sources, frozen food sources, clinical sources and medical waste materials. Isolates were confirmed to be P. aeruginosa by cultural and biochemical properties.ResultThe isolates were tested against seventeen commercially available antibiotics to observe the antibiotic susceptibility patterns. Imipenem and meropenem were the most potent antibiotics (100% sensitivity) followed by amikacin and piperacillin with maximum sensitivity. Among others, gentamicin, ciprofloxacin, levofloxacin and aztreonam were found to be fairly active. A good number of isolates were intermediately resistant to ceftriaxone. The rates of resistance to aztreonam, cefotaxime and ceftazidime were 11.76%, 82.35% and 5.88% respectively. Complete resistance was observed against penicillin, ampicillin, cefixime and cefpodoxime.ConclusionIt can be concluded that the clinical isolates including isolate from medical waste, were multi-drug resistant than environmental and food isolates indicating the risk of transmission of resistance to the environmental isolates of P. aeruginosa.
Project description:ObjectiveTo determine the efficacy of oral supplementation of the gut enzyme intestinal alkaline phosphatase (IAP) in preventing antibiotic-associated infections from Salmonella enterica serovar Typhimurium (S. Typhimurium) and Clostridium difficile.BackgroundThe intestinal microbiota plays a pivotal role in human health and well-being. Antibiotics inherently cause dysbiosis, an imbalance in the number and composition of intestinal commensal bacteria, which leads to susceptibility to opportunistic bacterial infections. Previously, we have shown that IAP preserves the normal homeostasis of intestinal microbiota and that oral supplementation with calf IAP (cIAP) rapidly restores the normal gut flora. We hypothesized that oral IAP supplementation would protect against antibiotic-associated bacterial infections.MethodsC57BL/6 mice were treated with antibiotic(s) ± cIAP in the drinking water, followed by oral gavage of S. Typhimurium or C. difficile. Mice were observed for clinical conditions and mortality. After a defined period of time, mice were killed and investigated for hematological, inflammatory, and histological changes.ResultsWe observed that oral supplementation with cIAP during antibiotic treatment protects mice from infections with S. Typhimurium as well as with C. difficile. Animals given IAP maintained their weight, had reduced clinical severity and gut inflammation, and showed improved survival.ConclusionsOral IAP supplementation protected mice from antibiotic-associated bacterial infections. We postulate that oral IAP supplementation could represent a novel therapy to protect against antibiotic-associated diarrhea (AAD), C. difficile-associated disease (CDAD), and other enteric infections in humans.
Project description:Staphylococcus aureus is one of the major causes of nosocomial infections. This organism produces powerful toxins and cause superficial lesions, systemic infections, and several toxemic syndromes. A total of 109 S. aureus strains isolated from a variety of infections like ocular diseases, wound infection, and sputum were included in the study. Minimum inhibitory concentration (MIC) was determined against 8 antimicrobials. PCR determined the presence of 16S rRNA, nuc, mecA, czrC, qacA/B, pvl, and toxin genes in S. aureus isolates. Pulse-field gel electrophoresis (PFGE), multi-locus sequence typing (MLST), SCCmec, spa-, and agr-typing and serotyping determined the diversity among them. All isolates of S. aureus were resistant to two or more than two antibiotics and generated 32 resistance patterns. These isolates were positive for 16S rRNA and S. aureus-specific nuc gene, but showed variable results for mecA, czrC, and qacA/B and pvl genes. Of the 32 methicillin-resistant S. aureus (MRSA), 13 strains carried SCCmec type V, seven type IV, two type III, and nine carried unreported type UT6. Of the 109 strains, 98.2% were positive for hlg, 94.5% for hla, 86.2% for sei, 73.3% for efb, 70.6% for cna, 30.2% for sea, and 12.8% for sec genes. Serotypes VII and VI were prevalent among S. aureus strains. PFGE analysis grouped the 109 strains into 77 clusters. MLST classified the strains into 33 sequence types (ST) and eight clonal complexes (CCs) of which 12 were singletons, and two belong to new allelic profiles. Isolates showed 46 spa-types that included two new spa-types designated as t14911 and t14912. MRSA and methicillin-susceptible S. aureus (MSSA) isolates were diverse in terms of antibiotic resistance pattern, toxin genotypes, SCCmec types, serotypes and PFGE, MLST, and spa-types. However, few isolates from eye infection and wound infection belong to CC239, ST239, and spa-type t037/t657. The study thus suggests that S. aureus strains are multidrug resistant, virulent, and diverse irrespective of sources and place of isolation. These findings necessitate the continuous surveillance of multidrug-resistant and virulent S. aureus and monitoring of the transmission of infection.
Project description:Carbapenemase-producing clinical isolates are becoming more common over the world, posing a severe public health danger, particularly in developing nations like India. Carbapenem-resistant Gram-negative bacterial (CR-GNB) infection has become a fast-expanding global threat with limited antibiotic choice and significant mortality. This study aimed to highlight the carbapenem-resistance among clinical isolates of hospital admitted patients in Bihar, India. A cross-sectional study was conducted with 101 clinical isolates of Escherichia coli, Klebsiella pneumoniae, Acinetobacter baumannii, and Pseudomonas aeruginosa. All GNB isolates were tested for their antimicrobial susceptibility using Kirby-Bauer disc diffusion method. Double disc synergy test / modified Hodge test (DDST/MHT) were used to detect carbapenemase production by these isolates. Subsequently, these isolates were evaluated for carbapenem-resistance genes using whole-genome sequencing method. The overall percentage of carbapenem-resistance among GNB was (17/101) 16.8%. The genomic analysis of antimicrobial-resistance (AMR) demonstrates a significantly high prevalence of blaCTX-M followed by blaSHV, blaTEM, blaOXA, and blaNDM β-lactam or carbapenem resistance genes among clinical isolates of GNB. Co-occurrence of blaNDM with other beta-lactamase-encoding genes was found in 70.6% of carbapenemase-producing isolates. Our study highlights the mechanism of carbapenem-resistance to curb the overwhelming threat posed by the emergence of drug-resistance in India.
Project description:Enteroaggregative Escherichia coli (EAEC) is an evolving enteric pathogen that causes acute and chronic diarrhea in developed and industrialized nations in children. EAEC epidemiology and the importance of atypical EAEC (aEAEC) isolation in childhood diarrhea are not well documented in the Indian setting. A comparative analysis was undertaken to evaluate virulence, phylogeny, and antibiotic sensitivity among typical tEAEC versus aEAEC. A total of 171 EAEC isolates were extracted from a broad surveillance sample of diarrheal (N = 1210) and healthy children (N = 550) across North India. Polymerase chain reaction (PCR) for the aggR gene (master regulator gene) was conducted to differentiate tEAEC and aEAEC. For 21 virulence genes, we used multiplex PCR to classify possible virulence factors among these strains. Phylogenetic classes were identified by a multiplex PCR for chuA, yjaA, and a cryptic DNA fragment, TspE4C2. Antibiotic susceptibility was conducted by the disc diffusion method as per CLSI guidelines. EAEC was associated with moderate to severe diarrhea in children. The prevalence of EAEC infection (11.4%) was higher than any other DEC group (p = 0.002). tEAEC occurrence in the diarrheal group was higher than in the control group (p = 0.0001). tEAEC strain harbored more virulence genes than aEAEC. astA, aap, and aggR genes were most frequently found in the EAEC from the diarrheal population. Within tEAEC, this gene combination was present in more than 50% of strains. Also, 75.8% of EAEC strains were multidrug-resistant (MDR). Phylogroup D (43.9%) and B1 (39.4%) were most prevalent in the diarrheal and control group, respectively. Genetic analysis revealed EAEC variability; the comparison of tEAEC and aEAEC allowed us to better understand the EAEC virulence repertoire. Further microbiological and epidemiological research is required to examine the pathogenicity of not only typical but also atypical EAEC.