High Prevalence Of Infection Research Articles

Prevalence and Associated Factors of Soil Transmitted Helminths (Sths) and Schistosomes Mansoni Among School-Age Children in West Ethiopia

Background: Soil-Transmitted Helminths (STHs) and schistosomes have been major public health problems in tropical and sub-tropical developing countries. School-age and preschool children are predominantly affected by soil-transmitted helminths and schistosomes. Parasite infections may cause micronutrient deficiency that results in anemia, growth retardation, and impaired cognitive development among children. Objective: This study aimed to determine the prevalence and associated factors of soil-transmitted helminths and schistosomes among school-aged children. Methods: A community-based cross-sectional study was conducted among 307 school-age children in West Ethiopia. Data regarding associated factors was collected through face-to-face interviews using a structured questionnaire. The stool specimen was examined for the existence of parasitic agents according to standard operating procedures. The data was entered into Epi-Data version3.1 and then exported to SPSS version 22 for analysis. Bivariate and multivariable logistic regressions were computed. Variables with a p ≤ 0.25 on the bivariate analysis were candidates for the multivariable analysis. The significance of the association was declared by a 95% confidence interval of AOR and a p < 0.05 in the multivariate model. Result: A total of 307 stool samples were collected from school-age children who were included in the study. This study's results showed that the prevalence of intestinal parasitic infections was 40.4%. The most predominant intestinal parasitic infections were Ascaris lumbricoid (38.7%), followed by Hookworm (27.4%), and Trichuris trichiura (26.6%). Not handwashing after toilet (AOR = 2.19,95% (1.27-4.63) p = 0.025), eating unwashed fruits (AOR = 2.28,95% CI(1.209-4.29) p = 0.011), unclean fingernails (AOR = 2.38,95% CI(1.20-4.54), p = 0.013), eating street food (AOR = 2.98,95%CI (1.809-6.37, p = 0.001), unprotected water source (AOR = 2.87,95% CI(1.47) p = 5.56) (p = 0.002) and poor knowledge about the ways of transmission of IPIs (AOR = 2.28, 95% CI(1.01-5.12), p = 0.046) were found to be significantly associated with intestinal parasitic infections. Conclusion: This study findings revealed a high prevalence of multiple parasitic infections that need annual mass deworming. This study called for mass drug administration, the provision of clean water supplies, scaling sanitation and hygiene, and health education.

Severe bronchiolitis profiling as the first step towards prevention of asthma.

Bronchiolitis is the most common respiratory infection leading to hospitalization and constitutes a significant healthcare burden. The two main viral agents causing bronchiolitis, respiratory syncytial virus (RSV) and rhinovirus (RV), have distinct cytopathic, immune response, and clinical characteristics. Different approaches have been suggested for subtyping bronchiolitis based on viral etiology, atopic status, transcriptome profiles in blood, airway metabolome, lipidomic data, and airway microbiota. The highest risk of asthma at school age has been in a subgroup of bronchiolitis characterized by older age, high prevalence of RV infection, previous breathing problems, and/or eczema. Regarding solely viral etiology, RV-bronchiolitis in infancy has been linked to a nearly three times higher risk of developing asthma than RSV-bronchiolitis. Although treatment with betamimetics and systemic corticosteroids has been found ineffective in bronchiolitis overall, it can be beneficial for infants with severe RV bronchiolitis. Thus, there is a need to develop a more individualized therapeutic approach for bronchiolitis and follow-up strategies for infants at higher risk of asthma in the future perspective.

Prevalence and predictors of tuberculosis infection among people living with HIV in a high tuberculosis burden context

BackgroundTuberculosis (TB) disease is the leading cause of mortality among people living with HIV (PLHIV). Interferon-gamma release assays (IGRAs) are approved for TB infection ascertainment. However, current IGRA data on...

Epidemiology and Risk Factors for Viral Infections in Pediatric Liver Transplant Recipients and Impact on Outcome.

Infections after liver transplantation (LT) are risk factors for morbidity and mortality. Infections, especially of viral etiologies, still have an impact on the graft function and overall outcome. The aim was to review the epidemiology and risk factors of EBV, CMV and non-EBV non-CMV viral infections and their impacts on outcomes after LT. Demographic, clinical, and laboratory data were retrieved from patients' electronic databases. Over 2 years, 96 patients were transplanted at the Pediatric Liver Centre at Kings College Hospital. The majority of the infections were of viral origin; 73 (76%) patients. The incidence of EBV viremia was 60.4%, CMV infection 35.4%, and other viruses 30%. Older donor age, auxiliary graft, and bacterial infections were risk factors for EBV infection. Younger recipient age, D+R- CMV IgG, and left lateral segment graft were risk factors for CMV infection. More than 70% of patients with non-EBV and CMV viral infections stayed positive post-LT but did not contribute to increased complications. Despite the high prevalence of viral infections, EBV, CMV, and non-EBV non-CMV viral infections were not associated with rejection, morbidity, or mortality. Although some of the risk factors for viral infections are unavoidable, identifying the characteristics and risk pattern will help improve the care for pediatric LT recipients.

"Resistance Is Futile": Weaker Selection for Resistance by Abundant Parasites Increases Prevalence and Depresses Host Density.

AbstractTheory often predicts that host populations should evolve greater resistance when parasites become abundant. Furthermore, that evolutionary response could ameliorate declines in host populations during epidemics. Here, we argue for an update: when all host genotypes become sufficiently infected, higher parasite abundance can select for lower resistance because its cost exceeds its benefit. We illustrate such a "resistance is futile" outcome with mathematical and empirical approaches. First, we analyzed an eco-evolutionary model of parasites, hosts, and hosts' resources. We determined eco-evolutionary outcomes for prevalence, host density, and resistance (mathematically, "transmission rate") along ecological and trait gradients that alter parasite abundance. With high enough parasite abundance, hosts evolve lower resistance, amplifying infection prevalence and decreasing host density. In support of these results, a higher supply of nutrients drove larger epidemics of survival-reducing fungal parasites in a mesocosm experiment. In two-genotype treatments, zooplankton hosts evolved less resistance under high-nutrient conditions than under low-nutrient conditions. Less resistance, in turn, was associated with higher infection prevalence and lower host density. Finally, in an analysis of naturally occurring epidemics, we found a broad, bimodal distribution of epidemic sizes consistent with the resistance is futile prediction of the eco-evolutionary model. Together, the model and experiment, supplemented by the field pattern, support predictions that drivers of high parasite abundance can lead to the evolution of lower resistance. Hence, under certain conditions, the most fit strategy for individual hosts exacerbates prevalence and depresses host populations.

The epidemiological profile associated with lifestyle risk factors and nutritional status for COVID-19 patients in the Iraqi population.

To determine the prevalence of COVID-19 infection and to identify the lifestyle factors and nutritional status associated with the epidemiological profile of COVID-19 patients. This cross-sectional survey was carried out in the eighteen Iraqi governorates, from 1st August to 20th of October 2020. At the end of this study, 433 participants were recruited. The prevalence of coronavirus infection was 37.18%. Smoking and active physical activity were relatively higher for COVID-19 patients who are male, and belonged to the under-45 age range were 91.3%. It notices that COVID-19 patients who smoked and had active physical activity were married, residents in urban, and worked. Likewise, COVID-19 patients who had equal or more than an institute/college level of education are smokers and had active physical activity. Obesity prevalence was higher for patients aged <45 (92.2%), and higher for females (51%). The proportion of obesity was generally higher for married and for those living in urban areas (92.2%). Obesity was significantly more common among those in worked (70.6%). Of note is the high prevalence of COVID-19 infection observed. A strong correlation between the prevalence of active physical activity among COVID-19 patients and gender, marital status, residence, education, and occupation. Unexpectedly, the prevalence rate of obesity among COVID-19 patients correlating with socio-demographic status did not yield a significant difference.

Update on the First Finding of the Rat Lungworm, Angiostrongylus cantonensis, in Rattus spp. in Continental Europe, Valencia, Spain, 2022.

The rat lungworm, Angiostrongylus cantonensis, is an emerging parasite that can cause eosinophilic meningitis in humans. Over the past 60 years, the worm has greatly expanded its original Asian distribution to most tropical and subtropical areas of the world, mostly by traveling on ships with its definitive hosts, rats. Angiostrongylus cantonensis was recently found for the first time in Continental Europe, specifically in 3 (2 Rattus norvegicus and 1 Rattus rattus) out of 27 rats trapped in the sewer system of the city of Valencia, Spain. Updating the investigation, the parasite has subsequently been found in 8 (5 R. norvegicus and 3 R. rattus) out of 94 rats analyzed. The highest prevalence of infection (20%) was obtained in rats trapped in the orchards that surround the city, where both snails and slugs (intermediate hosts) abound, and where vegetables consumed in Valencia, other parts of Spain, and abroad, are produced. The presence of the parasite in rats does not necessarily mean that the disease it causes becomes a relevant public health concern since it strongly depends on the food habits of the population at risk. If proper precautions are taken, the risk of acquiring neuroangiostrongylosis should be minimal.

Acceptability of test and treat with doxycycline against Onchocerciasis in an area of persistent transmission in Massangam Health District, Cameroon.

The main onchocerciasis elimination strategy is annual Community-Directed Treatment with ivermectin (CDTi). However, as a response to persistent high infection prevalence in Massangam Health District in Cameroon, two rounds of alternative treatments including biannual CDTi, ground larviciding and test and treat with doxycycline (TTd) were implemented. This led to a significant prevalence reduction from 35.7% to 12.3% (p<0.001) as reported by Atekem and colleagues. Here we report on the acceptability of TTd component based on qualitative and quantitative data. The TTd involved microscopic examination for microfilaria in skin biopsy and those infected were offered doxycycline 100 mg daily for 35 days by community-directed distributors (CDDs). Participation level was significantly high with 54% of eligible population (age > 8, not pregnant, not breastfeeding, not severely ill,) participating in the test in each round, increasing to 83% over the two rounds. Factors associated with non-participation included mistrust, being female; being younger than 26 years; short stay in the community; and belonging to semi-nomadic sub population due to their remote and disperse settlement, discrimination, their non selection as CDD, and language and cultural barriers. Treatment coverage was high -71% in round 1 and 83% in round 2. People moving away between testing and treatment impacted treatment coverage. Some participants noted mismatch between symptoms and test result; and that ivermectin is better than doxycycline, while others favoured doxycycline. CDD worried about work burden with unmatching compensation. Overall, TTd participation was satisfactory. But can be improved through reinforcing sensitisation, reducing time between test and treatment; combining TTd and CDTi in one outing; augmenting CDDs compensation and/or weekly visit; exploring for frequently excluded populations and adapting strategies to reach them; and use of a sensitive less invasive test.

Prevalence of asymptomatic infections of Chlamydia psittaci in psittacine birds in Korea.

Avian chlamydiosis is an acute or chronic bacterial disease of birds. Chlamydia psittaci is the primary agent of the disease. It is also an important zoonotic pathogen. Chlamydia avium and Chlamydia gallinacea have also been recognized as potential causative agents of the disease. Clinical signs of this disease can vary in severity. Asymptomatic infections of Chlamydia have commonly been reported in various birds worldwide. In this study, we investigated the distribution of Chlamydia species in healthy psittacine birds in Korea. A total of 263 samples (pharyngeal/cloacal swabs and faeces) were collected from psittacine birds of 26 species in five zoos, five parrot farms and seven parrot cafes between 2020 and 2021. Ages of these birds had a wide range (1 month to 30 years). During sample collection, no bird showed any clinical signs indicating diseases such as chlamydiosis. Samples were tested for the presence of Chlamydia spp. using real-time PCR assays. Chlamydia spp. were detected in 168 (63.9%) samples and C. psittaci was detected in 96 (36.5%) samples. However, C. avium and C. gallinacea were not detected. There were no significant differences in the prevalence of asymptomatic infections in birds among three types of housing environments. Regarding ompA genotypes, 87 C. psittaci-positive samples had genotype A based on sequence analysis (n = 28) and genotype-specific real-time PCR (n = 59). Other positive samples were untyped (n = 9). Overall findings showed high prevalence of asymptomatic infections of C. psittaci in psittacine birds in Korea, posing a significant hazard to public health.

Diseases associated with feline leukemia virus and feline immunodeficiency virus infection: A retrospective study of 1470 necropsied cats (2010-2020).

Feline leukemia virus (FeLV) and feline immunodeficiency virus (FIV) are retroviruses affecting cats worldwide, and the prevalence of infection varies considerably according to the geographic area. We retrospectively described FIV- and FeLV-associated diseases in a population of 1470 necropsied cats, of which 396 (26.9%) were infected with FeLV, 199 (13.5%) with FIV, and 134 (9.1%) with FeLV and FIV concomitantly. Cats infected with FeLV (OR 3.4) and co-infected with FeLV and FIV (OR 1.9) were more likely to have neoplasms. The diagnosis of lymphoma and leukemia was higher in cats infected with FeLV (OR 3.9 and 19.4, respectively) and coinfected with FeLV and FIV (OR 1.9 and 19.3, respectively). The odds of diagnosing bacterial diseases were higher in cats coinfected with FeLV and FIV (OR: 2.8), whereas the odds of viral diseases were higher in those infected with FeLV (OR: 2.8), with 2.2 times more diagnoses of feline infectious peritonitis. Neoplastic and infectious diseases in FIV-infected cats did not differ significantly from those in uninfected cats. According to our results, a high prevalence of retroviral infections was observed in southern Brazil, mainly in relation to FeLV. Infected cats were significantly younger than uninfected cats. The main causes of death associated with FeLV infection and FeLV and FIV coinfection were neoplastic and infectious diseases. In contrast, FIV infection was not associated with any specific condition.

Wide Margin Excision in Patients with Giant Condyloma Acuminata

Giant condyloma acuminata (GCA) is one of sexually transmitted infections caused by the Human Papilloma Virus (HPV) infection, specifically HPV types 6 and 11. Giant condyloma acuminata is a rare disease with an incidence of around 0.1%. The age distribution peaked in 25-29 years. The higher prevalence of infection is associated with number of sexual partners, history of chlamydia and gonorrhea infection, smoking and human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) infection. A 24 years old male presented with a cauliflower-like mass on the penis that has been growing slowly for 2 years. Physical examination of the penis revealed a pedunculated reddish verrucous mass, mobile, well-defined, 5x2x1.5 cm in size, and positive acetowhite test. The histopathological picture is in accordance with condyloma acuminata. Surgery with wide margin excision was performed to remove the lump. After 14 days post-surgery, the wound was healed completely without any sign of recurrence.

Prevalence of Concomitant Bacteria among malaria Patients attending Government Hospitals in Ondo State, South-West Nigeria

Background:Patients suffering from severe malaria have an increased risk of co-occurring bacterial sepsis, which results in higher mortality rates than malaria alone. Concomitant bacterial infections can worsen malaria symptoms, leading to increased illness and death rates. This study aimed to investigate the relationship between malaria and concomitant bacteremia among patients in Ondo State, Nigeria.Aim: The study's objective was to determine the prevalence of bacterial concomitant among malaria patients and assess the relationship between malaria and bacteremia in the study population.Material and Methods: A cross-sectional study was conducted among feverish individuals in certain Ondo State government hospitals. One milliliter of blood was collected from malaria-positive patients, confirmed using microscopic examination of Giemsa-stained thick and thin blood films, and an Malaria rapid diagnostic tests (RDT) kit was cultured for bacterial enumeration. The collected data were statistically analyzed using Chi-square and correlation tests, with a 𝑃value &lt;0.05 considered significant.Result: The study found a concomitant bacteria prevalence of 19.95% (85/426), with a significant (P= &lt;0.001, r = 0.00334) positive correlation between malaria and bacterial concomitant.Age was significantly (p = 0.072, df= 18, χ2 = 27.389) associated with bacterial concomitant, and the mean bacterial count was 9.71±1.481 cfu/ml x 107. Furthermore, level of education, marital status and tribe also significantly (p&lt;0.05) contributed to the prevalence of concomitant bacteria.Conclusion: Our research concludes that malaria may increase the risk of bacteremia, and a significant association between malaria and concomitant bacterial infection exists. However, the reasons for bacteria's abilityto invade and thrive in the bloodstream vary. The study's findings suggest that interventions are needed to address the high prevalence of concomitant bacterial infections among malaria patients in the study area.

Infection strategies of different chytrids in a diatom spring bloom

Abstract Diatom blooms are often accompanied by an increase in parasitic chytrids that kill the host cells, which they are infecting, and can contribute to the decline of the bloom. However, host specificity and range of these chytrids are currently poorly understood. Low host specificity would enable the parasites to opportunistically infect any diatom species, while specialisation on infecting specific high‐biomass species could result in high prevalence and rapid spread of infection. We investigated such host–parasite interactions by monitoring the diverse diatom spring bloom in lake Erken using amplicon sequencing. We also performed infection experiments with two different, newly isolated chytrid species and several diatom cultures from the bloom. Chytridiomycota displayed the highest relative abundance of all parasitic lineages and were probably physically attached to larger organisms. Since the chytrids reached maximum abundance shortly after a peak in diatom reads, they were probably infecting these important primary producers. Phylogenetic analyses of the isolated chytrid strains identified them as members of the classes Rhizophydiales and Lobulomycetales. The infection experiments revealed high host specificity in these two chytrids targeting different diatom species. The experimental results supported statistical analyses of the environmental sequencing data, which suggested the presence of two different infection strategies: the most abundant chytrid species were specialised on infecting dominant diatom genera (i.e. Stephanodiscus, Aulacoseira, Asterionella), while rarer chytid species infected a range of less abundant diatoms.

Prevalence of cytomegalovirus IgG antibodies among women in Buguma, Rivers State, Nigeria

Cytomegalovirus (CMV) is a ubiquitous virus that belongs to the family of herpes virus. CMV causes serious illness in immuno-compromised patients and congenitally infected neonates. This study was conducted to determine the prevalence of the immunoglobulin (IgG) antibodies to cytomegalovirus among women in Buguma-City, Rivers State, Nigeria. Blood samples were collected from 93 women from Buguma-City Health Centre between February and August 2022. Serum obtained from the blood samples was examined for CMV IgG antibodies by ELISA method. Among the 93 women investigated, 89 (95.7%) were seropositive for Cytomegalovirus IgG antibodies. A total prevalence rate of 100.0% was recorded in the age group of 20 to 30 years, with the highest prevalence, while 89.5% was found in the age group of 31 to 56 years. Among the 38 single women, all were found to be seropositive (100.0%) for Cytomegalovirus antibodies, while 51 (92.7%) of the 55 married women were seropositive. The women with a secondary level of education had a higher prevalence of 97.0% than those with a tertiary level of education, which had a prevalence of 95.0%. The unemployed women had a higher prevalence (95.8%) than the employed, which had a prevalence of 95.7%. The results were statistically significant with age (p = 0.01). There was no significant association (p&gt;0.05) between CMV infection, marital status, education and occupation. The high prevalence of CMV infection observed in this study indicates that the virus is prevalent in the study area. Therefore, routine screening for CMV infection is advisable for all antenatal women in the State.

Assessment of the Knowledge of Hepatitis B Virus Infection in Primary Healthcare Centers in Abuja, Nigeria

Hepatitis B virus (HBV) infection affects the liver and can lead to potentially life-threatening acute or chronic disease. The population with high HBV infection prevalence of ≥ 8%, such as Nigeria, presents the highest risk of HBV transmission among health-workers. There is a need to disseminate knowledge of HBV infection and the risk of transmission to health-workers. In this baseline study, the team assessed the knowledge of HBV infection among health-workers in Primary Healthcare Centers (PHCs) in AMAC, Abuja. We conducted cross-sectional descriptive research that studied 168 randomly selected health-workers from 58 PHCs in AMAC, collected data with a pre-tested structured questionnaire, and analyzed it with SPSS version 21.0. The knowledge level of HBV symptoms and transmission ranged from 57.1% to 85.7%s and 84.5% to 91.7%, respectively. About 67% demonstrated good knowledge of HBV screening for pregnant women and 69% of Hepatitis B vaccination at birth. All the PHCs (100%) reported the unavailability of guidelines/protocols for HBV infection in pregnancy management and prevention. Furthermore, 51.2%, 53.7%, and 55.6% demonstrated poor knowledge of referral, PMTCT eligibility, and increased need for laboratory tests, respectively. Moreover, 60.2% showed poor awareness of treatment eligibility and 61.2% of choice of drug. Concluding, the respondents demonstrated good knowledge of HBV infection symptoms, transmission, screening for pregnant women, and vaccination schedules to prevent HBV infection. They showed a poor understanding of the referral of pregnant HBV seropositive women from the PHCs to secondary/tertiary hospitals, PMTCT, laboratory requirements for pregnant seropositive clients, and management of chronic HBV in pregnancy. Keywords: Abuja, Hepatitis B virus Infection, Health-workers, Knowledge, Primary healthcare centers.

Molecular Characterization of the ClpC AAA+ ATPase in the Biology of Chlamydia trachomatis.

Bacterial AAA+ unfoldases are crucial for bacterial physiology by recognizing specific substrates and, typically, unfolding them for degradation by a proteolytic component. The caseinolytic protease (Clp) system is one example where a hexameric unfoldase (e.g., ClpC) interacts with the tetradecameric proteolytic core ClpP. Unfoldases can have both ClpP-dependent and ClpP-independent roles in protein homeostasis, development, virulence, and cell differentiation. ClpC is an unfoldase predominantly found in Gram-positive bacteria and mycobacteria. Intriguingly, the obligate intracellular Gram-negative pathogen Chlamydia, an organism with a highly reduced genome, also encodes a ClpC ortholog, implying an important function for ClpC in chlamydial physiology. Here, we used a combination of in vitro and cell culture approaches to gain insight into the function of chlamydial ClpC. ClpC exhibits intrinsic ATPase and chaperone activities, with a primary role for the Walker B motif in the first nucleotide binding domain (NBD1). Furthermore, ClpC binds ClpP1P2 complexes via ClpP2 to form the functional protease ClpCP2P1 in vitro, which degraded arginine-phosphorylated β-casein. Cell culture experiments confirmed that higher order complexes of ClpC are present in chlamydial cells. Importantly, these data further revealed severe negative effects of both overexpression and depletion of ClpC in Chlamydia as revealed by a significant reduction in chlamydial growth. Here, again, NBD1 was critical for ClpC function. Hence, we provide the first mechanistic insight into the molecular and cellular function of chlamydial ClpC, which supports its essentiality in Chlamydia. ClpC is, therefore, a potential novel target for the development of antichlamydial agents. IMPORTANCE Chlamydia trachomatis is an obligate intracellular pathogen and the world's leading cause of preventable infectious blindness and bacterial sexually transmitted infections. Due to the high prevalence of chlamydial infections along with negative effects of current broad-spectrum treatment strategies, new antichlamydial agents with novel targets are desperately needed. In this context, bacterial Clp proteases have emerged as promising new antibiotic targets, since they often play central roles in bacterial physiology and, for some bacterial species, are even essential for survival. Here, we report on the chlamydial AAA+ unfoldase ClpC, its functional reconstitution and characterization, individually and as part of the ClpCP2P1 protease, and establish an essential role for ClpC in chlamydial growth and intracellular development, thereby identifying ClpC as a potential target for antichlamydial compounds.

Association between multidimensional prognostic index (MPI) and infections in a population of older people affected by COVID-19.

Only limited studies analyzed a possible relationship between frailty and infections. Our aim was to investigate the possible association between higher multidimensional prognostic index (MPI) values, a tool for evaluating multidimensional frailty, and the prevalence of infectious diseases, including antibiotics' cost and the prevalence of MDR (multidrug resistance) pathogens. Older patients, affected by COVID-19, were enrolled in the hospital of Palermo over fourmonths. 112 participants (mean age 77.6, 55.4% males) were included. After adjusting for potential confounders, frailer participants had a higher odds of any positivity to pathogens (prevalence: 61.5%, odds ratio = 15.56, p < 0.0001) compared to a prevalence of 8.6% in more robust, including MDR, and a higher costs in antibiotics. Higher MPI values, indicating frailer subjects, were associated with a higher prevalence of infections, particularly of MDR pathogens, and a consequent increase in antibiotics' cost.

Biological risk in Italian prisons: data analysis from the second to the fourth wave of COVID-19 pandemic

BackgroundThe management of COVID-19 in Italian prisons triggered considerable concern at the beginning of the pandemic due to numerous riots which resulted in inmate deaths, damages and prison breaks. The...

Staphylococcus aureus adlb gene is associated with high prevalence of intramammary infection in dairy herds of northern Italy: A cross-sectional study

Staphylococcus aureus is a major mastitis pathogen in dairy cattle worldwide, responsible for substantial economic losses. Environmental factors, milking routine, and good maintenance of milking equipment have been described as important factors to prevent intramammary infections (IMI). Staphylococcus aureus IMI can be widespread within the farm or the infection can be limited to few animals. Several studies have reported that Staph. aureus genotypes differ in their ability to spread within a herd. In particular, Staph. aureus belonging to ribosomal spacer PCR genotype B (GTB)/clonal complex 8 (CC8) is associated with high within-herd prevalence of IMI, whereas other genotypes are generally associated with individual cow disease. The adlb gene seems to be strictly related to Staph. aureus GTB/CC8, and is a potential marker of contagiousness. We investigated Staph. aureus IMI prevalence in 60 herds in northern Italy. In the same farms, we assessed specific indicators linked to milking management (e.g., teat condition score and udder hygiene score) and additional milking risk factors for IMI spread. Ribosomal spacer-PCR and adlb-targeted PCR were performed on 262 Staph. aureus isolates, of which 77 underwent multilocus sequence typing. In most of the herds (90%), a predominant genotype was identified, especially Staph. aureus CC8 (30%). In 19 of 60 herds, the predominant circulating Staph. aureus was adlb-positive and the observed IMI prevalence was relevant. Moreover, the adlb gene was detected only in genotypes of CC8 and CC97. Statistical analysis showed a strong association between the prevalence of Staph. aureus IMI, the specific CCs, and carriage of adlb, with the predominant circulating CC and presence of the gene alone explaining the total variation. Interestingly, the difference in the odds ratio obtained in the models for CC8 and CC97 suggests that it is carriage of the adlb gene, rather than the circulation of these CCs per se, that leads to higher within-herd prevalence of Staph. aureus. In addition, the model showed that environmental and milking management factors had no or minimal effect on Staph. aureus IMI prevalence. In conclusion, the circulation of adlb-positive Staph. aureus strains within a herd has a strong effect on the prevalence of IMI. Thus, adlb can be proposed as a genetic marker of contagiousness for Staph. aureus IMI in cattle. However, further analyses using whole-genome sequencing are required to understand the role of genes other than adlb that may be involved in the mechanisms of contagiousness of Staph. aureus strains associated with high prevalence of IMI.

Bacterial Profile of External Ocular Infections, Its Associated Factors, and Antimicrobial Susceptibility Pattern among Patients Attending Karamara Hospital, Jigjiga, Eastern Ethiopia.

External ocular infection is a global public health problem. Frequently, bacteria cause an ocular infection that ranges from morbidity to loss of vision. The increasing bacterial resistance in ocular infections leads to the risk of treatment failure with possibly serious consequences. The study aimed to assess the bacterial profile of external ocular infections, their associated factors, and antimicrobial susceptibility pattern among patients admitted to Karamara hospital, Jigjiga, Eastern Ethiopia. Institutional-basedcross-sectional study was conducted on 288 conveniently selected patients among patients admitted to Karamara hospital from May 1 to June 30, 2020. Data were collected using a structured questionnaire. The ocular sample was collected and cultured in the appropriate culture media and identified using a series of biochemical tests. Antimicrobial susceptibility testing of isolates was performed by using the disk diffusion method. Data were double entered onto EpiData version 3.1 then exported to SPSS version 20 and analyzed to calculate descriptive frequency and odds ratio, and p value ≤0.05 was taken as the significant value. The prevalence of bacterial infection in external ocular samples was 62.2% (95% CI: 56.6%, 68.4%). Out of the 179 isolates, the majority of the bacterial isolates (87.7%) were Gram-positive. Staphylococcus aureus (53.1%) was the predominant isolate. Using soap for washing the face (AOR = 0.43; 95% CI: 0.29, 0.95), having diabetes mellitus (AOR = 3.11; 95% CI: 1.45, 6.75), and history of hospitalization (AOR = 2.82; 95% CI: 1.44, 5.54) were significantly associated with external ocular infection. Most (95.5%) of the Gram-positive bacteria showed resistance to penicillin, but they were susceptible to vancomycin, clindamycin, and ciprofloxacin. The study showed a high prevalence of bacterial infections with the predominant isolate was S. aureus. Penicillin-resistant bacteria were identified among Gram-positive bacterial isolates. Soap usage, hospitalization, and diabetes mellitus were associated with the infection. Antibiotics that were susceptible to the specific bacteria should be used as a drug of choice and using soap for washing the face is advisable to protect against external ocular infection.