Abstract
The opportunistic infections with Gram-negative bacilli are frequently reported. The clinical studies are focused on the course of human infectious and very often the source of infection remain unclear. We aim to see if the Gram-negative bacilli isolated from a non-contaminated environment—the caves—are reported in human infections. Eleven samples were collected from six Romanian caves. We used the standard procedure used in our clinical laboratory for bacterial identification and for antibiotic susceptibility testing of the cave isolates. Out of the 14 bacterial strains, three isolates are Gram-negative bacilli—one isolate belong to Hafnia alvei and two strains belong to Sphingomonas paucimobilis. We screened for the published studies—full-text original articles or review articles—that reported human infections with S. paucimobilis and H. alvei. Data sources—PubMed and Cochrane library. We retrieved 447 cases from 49 references—262 cases (58.61%) are S. paucimobilis infections and 185 cases (41.39%) are H. alvei infections. The types of infections are diverse but there are some infections more frequent; there are 116 cases (44.27%) and many infections of the bloodstream with S. paucimobilius (116 cases) and 121 cases (65.41%) are urinary tract infections with H. alvei. The acquired source of the bloodstream infections is reported for 93 of S. paucimobilis bloodstream infections—50 cases (43%) are hospital-acquired, and 40 cases (37%) are community-acquired. Most of the infections are reported in patients with different underlying conditions. There are 80 cases (17.9%) are reported of previously healthy persons. Out of the 72 cases of pediatric infections, 62 cases (86.11%) are caused by S. paucimobilis. There are ten death casualties—three are H. alvei infections, and seven are S. paucimobilis infections.
Highlights
A recent report of the complete genome of the Hafnia alvei A23BA isolated from plant rhizosphere demonstrates that environmental strains could advance the discovery of antibiotic-producing environmental strains [7]
Even though human infections with environmental species are rare, the present study shows that S. paucimobilis and H. alvei infections are reported in a large panel of samples both in children and adults
The analysis of the factors that act in concert in a balanced environment is beyond the aim of the present paper, but the present review revealed that the infections with S. paucimobilis and H. alvei are reported worldwide and there are many open questions about the source of contamination and about the relation host-microorganism
Summary
Opportunistic infections are challenging issues [1,2]. The infections with multi-drug resistant strains are spreading in the hospital environment and cause serious diseases, mainly in immune-compromised persons [3,4]. It is difficult to establish the source of opportunistic infection, mainly in the hospital environment [5]. The need for the discovery of new antibiotics has galvanized researchers to focus on microorganisms that resist antibiotics [6]. A recent report of the complete genome of the Hafnia alvei A23BA isolated from plant rhizosphere demonstrates that environmental strains could advance the discovery of antibiotic-producing environmental strains [7]
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 callMore From: International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health
Disclaimer: 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.
