Abstract
Brain abscess is a severe infectious disease with high mortality and mobility. Although culture-based techniques have been widely used for the investigation of microbial composition of brain abscess, these approaches are inherent biased. Recent studies using 16S ribosomal sequencing approaches revealed high complexity of the bacterial community involved in brain abscess but fail to detect fungal and viral composition. In the study, both culture-independent nanopore metagenomic sequencing and culture-based whole-genome sequencing using both the Illumina and the Nanopore platforms were conducted to investigate the microbial composition and genomic characterization in brain abscess. Culture-independent metagenomic sequencing revealed not only a larger taxonomic diversity of bacteria but also the presence of fungi and virus communities. The culture-based whole-genome sequencing identified a novel species in Prevotella and reconstructs a Streptococcus constellatus with a high GC-skew genome. Antibiotic-resistance genes CfxA and ErmF associated with resistance to penicillin and clindamycin were also identified in culture-based and culture-free sequencing. This study implies current understanding of brain abscess need to consider the broader diversity of microorganisms.
Highlights
Brain abscess is one of the most life-threatening infectious diseases, commonly resulting from contiguous spread from an adjacent infected focus [1]
Streptococcus is a common pathogen in head and neck infections and has been associated with brain abscess caused by contiguous spread from ear or paranasal sinus [21]
The bacterial spectrum is consistent with the host factors and reflects the polymicrobial nature of brain abscess resulting from parameningeal foci of the head and neck and previous surgical procedures
Summary
Brain abscess is one of the most life-threatening infectious diseases, commonly resulting from contiguous spread from an adjacent infected focus [1]. Despite diagnostic and therapeutic advances, the mortality remains high—from 15 to 85% [1]. The reported causative organisms vary depending on the clinical circumstances. Brain abscess may be caused by bacteria, fungi and parasites [1]. The detection of causative organisms is made by culture of drainage abscess. Culture-negative brain abscess is not uncommon, occurring in between 9% and 63% of patients in difference series [2,3,4,5]. The microbial spectrum involved in brain abscess is incompletely characterized
Sign-in/Register to view highlights & summary Talk to us
Join us for a 30 min session where you can share your feedback and ask us any queries you have
Schedule a callDisclaimer: All third-party content on this website/platform is and will remain the property of their respective owners and is provided on "as is" basis without any warranties, express or implied. Use of third-party content does not indicate any affiliation, sponsorship with or endorsement by them. Any references to third-party content is to identify the corresponding services and shall be considered fair use under The CopyrightLaw.
