Highest Isolation Rate Research Articles

Synergistic effect of Zinc Oxide nanoparticles and Vancomycin on Methicillin resistant Staphylococcus aureus

The study was carried out on (120) various clinical samples collected from patients attended Al Salam and Al-Khansa Hospitals and the Public Health Laboratory in the Mosul city during the of 4 months (September - December 2019). Samples were cultured on Mannitol Salt Agar medium, 105 samples give a positive result (grew the bacteria). 50 isolates were fermented mannitol sugar, at a rate of 47.6%, depending on the phenotypic characteristics and production of Coagulase, 14 isolates were identified, at a rate of 13.3%, belonging to Staphylococcus aureus the diagnosis were confirmed using VITEK system. The highest isolation rate from wounds was 57%, then abscesses 21%, blood samples 14%, and urinary tract infections 7%. The sensitivity of the isolates was tested for 16 antibiotics, the isolates showed variation in their resistance to antibiotics. Most of the isolates showed high resistance at 92.8% to each of Oxacillin, Vancomycin, which were diagnosed as MRSA and VRSA. Vancomycin MICs against MRSA and VRSA ranged (2500-5000) g /mL. MIC for nanoparticles sized (30, 20, 50-150) nm ranged (5000-10000) g / mL for isolates that are positive coagulase. In this study the efficacy of vancomycin was improved in combination with ZnO nanoparticles. results showed a decrease in vancomycin MICs from (2500-5000) g / mL to (39-78.125) g \ mL when mixed with ZnO 20 nm.

Endophytic fungal community structure in olive orchards with high and low incidence of olive anthracnose

Fungal endophytes have been increasingly recognized to promote host plant protection to pathogens, but knowledge of the multiple effects that they could have in crop diseases is still scarce. This work attempts to understand the role of fungal endophytes in crop diseases, specifically in reducing disease development and interfering on lifestyle transition of the pathogen. To accomplish this, the endophytic fungal community of reproductive organs of olive tree from two orchards showing different levels of anthracnose incidence, a major disease of olive fruits, was characterized and compared between them. The two orchards showed distinct endophytic communities, differing in species richness, abundance and composition, with highest isolation rates and richness of endophytes in the orchard with low anthracnose incidence. These differences among orchards were greater on fruits than on flowers, suggesting that these changes in endophytic fungal composition may influence the lifestyle shifts in pathogen (from latent to pathogen). A number of fungal taxa were found to be positively associated to one of the two orchards. The fungal endophytes best correlated with high incidence of anthracnose are pathogens, while endophytes-associated to low anthracnose incidence are described to protect plants. Altogether, the results suggest varying pathogen–endophyte interactions among the two orchards.

A randomized control trial to test a peer support group approach for reducing social isolation and depression among female Mexican immigrants

BackgroundFemale Mexican Immigrants (FMIs) experience high rates of depression compared with other populations. For this population, depression is often exacerbated by social isolation associated with the experience of immigration.Aim 1. To measure whether a culturally situated peer group intervention will reduce depression and stress associated with the experience of immigration.Aim 2. To test whether an intervention using a “women’s funds of knowledge” approach results in improved resilience, knowledge and empowerment.Aim 3. To investigate whether a culturally situated peer group intervention using a women’s funds of knowledge approach can give participants a sense and experience of social and physical connection (“emplacement”) that is lost in the process of immigration.MethodsThis mixed-methods study will implement “Tertulias” (“conversational gatherings” in Spanish), a peer support group intervention designed to improve health outcomes for FMI participants in Albuquerque, New Mexico. We will document results of the intervention on our primary hypotheses of a decrease in depression, and increases in resilience and social support, as well as on our secondary hypotheses of decreased stress (including testing of hair cortisol as a biomarker for chronic stress), and an increase in social connectedness and positive assessment of knowledge and empowerment.DiscussionThis project will address mental health disparities in an underserved population that experiences high rates of social isolation. Successful completion of this project will demonstrate that health challenges that may appear too complex and too hard to address can be using a multi-level, holistic approach. Our use of hair samples to test for the 3-month average levels of systemic cortisol will contribute to the literature on an emerging biomarker for analyzing chronic stress.Trial registrationThis study was registered with ClinicalTrials.gov on 2/3/20, Identifier #NCT04254198.

Comparison of Chromogenic (HiCrome Urinary Tract Infection Agar) Medium with Cysteine Lactose Electrolyte Deficient Agar in a Resource-Limited Setting.

Background and Objectives:Urinary tract infections (UTI) are one of the most frequent infections encountered in hospital settings as well as in community, making urine the most cultured specimens in laboratories across the world. Urine samples occupy most of the time and manpower in the form of resources in the microbiology laboratories. The microbiological performance of HiCrome UTI agar was compared with cysteine lactose electrolyte deficient (CLED) agar for isolation and presumptive identification of bacteria from urine culture with ease of reporting with less human resource and reduction in the cost.Materials and Methods:The study was conducted in a total of 208 collected midstream catch urine samples from patients attending the Department of Microbiology, Khartoum Teaching Hospital Central Laboratories. Urine samples received in the bacteriology laboratory were inoculated on CLED agar and for HiCrome UTI agar simultaneously and incubated overnight. Isolates were identified by the colony's color for HiCrome UTI agar and by standard microbiological techniques for CLED agar.Results:Out of 208 urine samples tested, significant growth was obtained in 94 (45.2%) plates of CLED agar and 84 (40.4%) of HiCrome UTI; moreover, 15 (7.2%) and 28 (13.5%) plates showed mixed with no growth observed in 99 (47.6%) and 96 (46.1%) on CLED agar and HiCrome UTI agar, respectively. The rate of presumptive identification was found significantly higher on HiCrome UTI agar (94%) than CLED agar (84%) (P < 0.05) as the primary urine culture medium. out of 43 (100%) polymicrobial growths 28 (65.1%) were demonstrated distinctly on HiCrome UTI agar and only 15 (34.9%)were obtained fromCLED agar.Conclusions:HiCrome UTI agar was found to be more useful as a primary urine culture medium in both higher rate of isolation and presumptive identification of uropathogens in comparison to conventional media. Its inherent characteristics in demonstrating polymicrobial growth and ease of rapid identification by distinct colony color are unique.

Antimicrobialsusceptibilityof bacteria isolated from goats with subclinical mastitis in the Southern Marmara region of Turkey

The mastitis of dairy goats is a disease of the economic importance worldwide and is mostly associated with bacterial infections. The aim of this study was to isolate the bacteriae causing subclinical mastitis, and determine to the susceptibility of some clinical isolates against several antimicrobial agents frequently used to control bacterial subclinical mastitis in dairy goats in the Southern Marmara Region. A total of 68 Saanen goats were used for this investigation and subclinical mastitis was determined by using California Mastitis Test. As a result of bacteriological analysis of milk samples, 30 different bacteria species have been identified and non-aureus staphylococci found to be the predominant bacteria species with the rate of 22.1%. The species with the highest isolation rate among the isolates were Escherichia coli (18.9%), Staphylococcus aureus (15.7%), Streptococcus agalactiae (14.2%) and Staphylococcus epidermidis (7.9%). The antimicrobial susceptibility of the high isolation rate species including Escherichia coli, Staphylococcus aureus, Streptococcus agalactiae, Staphylococcus epidermidis, Streptococcus uberis, Enterococcus faecalis, Staphylococcus haemolyticus and Mannheimia haemolytica to twelve antibiotics were determined by disc diffusion method. Bacterial strains analyzed showed highest sensitivity to ofloxacin (87.9%) and followed by cefuroxime (85.8%) and cefazolin (83.6%). In conclusion, subclinical mastitis still remains a problem in dairy goats, and for the elimination of subclinical mastitis, besides protective measures, determination of the bacteriae causing mastitis and their antibiotic sensitivities should be priority.

Efficiency evaluation of some novel disinfectants and anti-bacterial nanocomposite on zoonotic bacterial pathogens in commercial Mallard duck pens for efficient control.

Objective:This work aimed to detect the frequency of pathogenic bacteria of zoonotic importance in ducks’ dropping, their surrounding environment, and farmworkers in contact with them. Furthermore, the susceptibility pattern of isolated bacteria to antimicrobial drugs and the efficiency of disinfectants (CID 20, Durak® plus, and hydrogen peroxide (H2O2), nano zinc oxide (ZnO NPs), and hydrogen peroxide loaded nano zinc oxide (H2O2/ZnO NPs) composites against isolated bacteria were evaluated.Materials and Methods:A total of 271 samples were collected from duck pens, including 35 fecal droppings, 200 environmental samples, and 36 from the hands of pen workers for isolation and identification of bacterial strains using standard microbiological procedures. After that, the antibiotic sensitivity testing of 40 bacterial isolates was carried out using disk diffusion assay. ZnO NPs and H2O2/ZnO NPs were characterized using Fourier-transform infrared spectrum and high-resolution transmission electron microscopy. The efficacy of disinfectants and nanocomposites was evaluated against enteropathogenic bacteria using the broth macro-dilution method.Results:The results showed that the overall prevalence of pathogenic bacteria in duck pens was 62.73. The highest isolation rate was detected in duck fecal droppings (100%), while Escherichia coli was found to be the most isolated pathogen (56.47%), followed by Pseudomonas aeruginosa (21.8%), Proteus mirabilis (15.29), and Salmonella species (6.47%). Multidrug resistance (MDR) was detected in the majority of bacterial isolates. The efficiency of CID 20 and Durak® plus disinfectants against all bacterial isolates was highly susceptible (100%) after 120 min of exposure time compared to the effectiveness of H2O2 on enteropathogenic bacteria which did not exceeded 60% at 5% concentration. Meanwhile, the sensitivity of Salmonella spp. to Durak® plus did not exceeded 80%.Conclusion:The duck fecal droppings are the primary source of bacterial isolates. MDR isolates were susceptible to both CID 20 and Durak® plus disinfectants after 120 min of exposure time at a concentration of 1:100 ml. Besides, H2O2/ZnO NPs composite proved its lethal effect against all testing strains at 0.02 mg/ml after 120 min of exposure. Strict biosecurity guidelines are required to mitigate and prevent the transmission of potentially zoonotic pathogens through the farm environment and/or duck droppings.

Prevalence of Enterobacteriaceae spp. and its multidrug-resistant rates in clinical isolates: A two-center cross-sectional study.

Enterobacteriaceae spp., owing to their high durability and antibiotic-resistant mechanisms, are described as an eminent part of health treatments in hospital-acquired infections. This study aimed to estimate the prevalence of clinical isolated Enterobacteriaceae spp., and their multidrug-resistant rate in the north of Iran. In this cross-sectional study, over two years (2017-2019), clinical isolates were collected and Enterobacteriaceae spp. were identified using the standard media culture and Analytical Profile Index (API 20E) kit from two centers in the north of Iran. Isolates were confirmed by targeting the rpoB gene. Moreover, the susceptibility patterns of isolates were assessed using disc diffusion methods according to the Clinical Laboratory Standard Institute (CLSI) guidelines. Out of 2645 clinical specimens, 297 (11.2%) were confirmed as Enterobacteriaceae spp. containing Eshershia. coli 93 (31%), Citrobacter freundii 65 (21.9%), Klebsiella pneumoniae 48 (16.2%), Enterobacter spp. 43 (14.5%), and Proteus spp. 23 (7.7%). As much as 8.7% of other spp. Ampicillin (81.1%) and cephalexin (80.9%) have been shown to have the greatest resistant, and nalidixic acid (65%) and amikacin (59.2%) were the most sensitive drugs. Multidrug-resistance (MDR) strains are more isolated in the Burn and Burn intensive care unit (BICU) than other wards. The MDR frequency in Bouali and Zareh hospitals were 65 (49.61%) and 130 (78.31%), respectively. Considering the high isolation rates of MDR Enterobacteriaceae spp., preventive measures need to be taken to remove the mentioned bacteria from hospital wards.

Prevalence of Escherichia coli and Salmonella spp from Chicken Meat Samples of Bharatpur, Chitwan

Bacterial contamination and high antibiotic resistance properties of broiler chicken meat are of major risk to public consumers and poultry farming. With the major objective to determine the prevalence rate of E. coli and Salmonella and their antibiotic resistance properties we conducted this cross-sectional study for the period of three months (April- July, 2018) at National Avian Disease Investigation Laboratory, Bharatpur, Chitwan. A total of 100 samples were collected in sterile/dry plastic bags from different shops located in the vicinity of Bharatpur, and transported to the laboratory for further processing following standard microbiological techniques. Samples were crushed in mortar pestle followed by streaking on EMB agar and XLD agar for isolation of E. coli and Salmonella. Isolates were identified by determining their colony characters, gram staining and biochemical results. Major isolates in our study was E. coli (n=56/100; 56%) and isolation rate was higher from the fresh meat sample (n=51/70; 72.8%) and which was washed by ground water (n=63/88; 71.5%). Isolation rate of E. coli and Salmonella was not significantly associated with the areas from where the samples were collected in urban areas (for E. coli; p=0.68 and for Salmonella; p=0.50 respectively) however higher rate of isolation was seen form shop located in urban area. Antibiotic sensitivity testing revealed that Ciprofloxacin was most effective against E. coli (n=45/56; 80.3%) and Azithromycin was effective against Salmonella, (n=9/10; 90.0%) however, both isolates showed maximum resistance over Nalidixic Acid. This study is strongly indicative of improper sanitary practices for chicken meat handling and suggests for performing antibiotics susceptibility testing against the bacteria before prescribing any antibiotics.

An Innovative Mental Health Model for Treating Culturally Diverse Older Adults

The mental health needs of older adults are largely unmet, a finding even more prevalent within culturally diverse older adult populations. Added to this is the high rate of social isolation. Research has indicated increased connection to mental health services when services are embedded within physical health care settings. For those attending community centers, 85% indicate that they are socially isolated, 68% indicate they are lonely, and 53% have a mental health need (compared to 20% nationally). The need for innovative programming is evident. When examining the needs of diverse older adults, it is increasingly important that new and innovative approaches address social isolation, loneliness, and mental health problems experienced by this cohort. Utilizing this knowledge an innovative model of embedding and integrating mental health services, provided by bilingual and bicultural clinicians, into congregate sites (older adult centers) was implemented. Those that participated were mainly female (72.1%), 68.5% English-speaking, 14.5% Spanish-speaking, 13.6% Chinese-speaking and 3.4% other. Spanish-speakers had more depression than English-speakers and both had more depression than Chinese-speakers. English and Spanish-speakers reported more social isolation and Chinese-speakers compared were more likely to participate in engagement. Chinese-speakers were less likely to be in clinical services with a positive screen compared to English-speakers. Overall, 75% engaged in treatment; 37.3% and 41% showed a 3-month improvement of depression and anxiety, respectively. This presentation focuses on the innovative components of this model, how to engage diverse older adults to utilize treatment, steps needed for replication, and policy implications around integrated mental health treatment.

A profile of social isolation and the influence of demographics in older persons living in residential care, Durban, South Africa

IntroductionResidential care settings have shown high social isolation rates with incumbent risks necessitating measurement to formulate health promotion policies. ObjectiveTo measure social isolation levels in older persons living in a lower socio-economic residential care setting in South Africa. MethodA cross sectional survey with older persons from four inner city residential care facilities. A researcher-administered questionnaire was developed based on the Working Paper No.66, Oxford Poverty and Human Development Initiative. Data were analysed to describe social isolation and assess the influence of demographics. ResultsThe response rate was 72.14% (n = 277) and representative of the residential care population for age and gender. Nearly half of the respondents (47.3%) met criteria for social isolation in terms of social network support and density and almost 20% for perceived isolation through decreased levels of friendship. ConclusionAlthough residential care does not prevent social isolation, the residents in the setting may provide a buffering in the provision of some social support.

Modelling the impact of a smallpox attack in India and influence of disease control measures

ObjectivesTo estimate the impact of a smallpox attack in Mumbai, India, examine the impact of case isolation and ring vaccination for epidemic containment and test the health system capacity under...

LGBT Seniors in the Pandemic: Silenced and Vulnerable

Lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender (LGBT) seniors face disparities in physical and mental health as well as high rates of social isolation and risk of discrimination in comparison to cisgender, heterosexual people. Having identities and experiences silenced by real or perceived risks of discrimination increases isolation and vulnerability for marginalized communities and individuals. This article presents the case of Janelle, a senior, transgender lesbian, and her experiences of isolation and intersecting disparities before and during the COVID-19 pandemic, and how those experiences shape her concerns about the future. Her experiences demonstrate the ways in which the health and social risks presented by the pandemic exacerbate preexisting vulnerabilities for older LGBT adults.

Isolation and Molecular Identification of Newcastle Disease Virus in Rural Poultry in Northern Provinces of Iran

Rural poultry like commercial poultry are susceptible to most of infectious diseases. Newcastle disease is endemic in Iran, and causes incidence of outbreaks among commercial and rural poultry, every year. The present study was conducted with the objective of figuring out the prevalence status and virus circulation among rural poultries of Northern provinces of Iran. In the study, 70 villages in 3 provinces (20 villages in Mazandaran, 20 villages in Golestan and 30 villages in Gilan Province) and a total of 1374 birds (600 birds in Mazandaran, 400 birds in Golestan, 374 birds in Gilan province) were sampled. In this study, seven viruses were isolated from Mazandaran province and three viruses were isolated from Gilan province. Seven isolates of genotype VIId were isolated from Mazandaran and Gilan provinces and three isolates of genotypes II were isolated from the above provinces. According to the results of this study, the rate of virus isolation is very high in both levels of villages and birds. Such high rates of virus isolation are indicative of continuous exposures of rural poultry of the mentioned provinces to Newcastle disease virus and virus circulation in those studied provinces.

A miniaturized Wilkinson power divider with 12th harmonics suppression

ABSTRACT In this study, a miniaturized Wilkinson Power Divider (WPD) has been designed. Central frequency of the passband for designed power divider (PD) is 1.55 GHz. Using the oval and rectangular- shaped resonators instead of each quarter-wavelength transmission lines of conventional Wilkinson power divider (CWPD) will result in reducing the size of proposed PD by 55%. Presented PD has many advantages, such as low insertion loss (3.015 dB), high return loss (24 dB), high isolation rate between output ports (27 dB), and suppressing the high-frequency harmonics (eliminating the 2nd to 12th unwanted harmonics). Finally presented PD was fabricated and measured on The RT-5880 with ϵr = 2.2 and TanD = 0.0009 with a thickness of 0.787 mm as the substrate. The measured results have good agreement with the simulation one. Due to the appropriate specifications and the small size of the designed divider, this divider can be nominated to use in many communication applications.

Multilocus Sequence Types and Antimicrobial Resistance of Campylobacter jejuni and C. coli Isolates of Human Patients From Beijing, China, 2017-2018.

Campylobacter species are zoonotic pathogens and the leading cause of bacterial enteritis worldwide. With the increase of antimicrobial resistance to fluoroquinolones and macrolides, they have been identified by the World Health Organization (WHO) as high-priority antimicrobial-resistant pathogens. There is currently little known about the prevalence and antimicrobial resistance characteristics of Campylobacter species in Beijing. In this study, we performed a 2-year surveillance of Campylobacter in Beijing, China. We used multilocus sequence typing (MLST) and antimicrobial susceptibility testing to analyze 236 Campylobacter isolates recovered from 230 clinical infectious cases in Beijing between 2017 and 2018. The Campylobacter isolation rate in diarrhea patients was 7.81%, with higher isolation rates in male patients than female patients and in autumn compared with other seasons. We identified 125 sequence types (STs) of 23 cloning complexes (CCs) among the 236 isolates, including four new alleles and 19 new STs. The most commonly isolated STs of Campylobacter jejuni were ST-22 and ST-760 (4.50%), and the most commonly isolated ST of Campylobacter coli was ST-9227 (16.67%). We also compared our isolates with clinical Campylobacter isolates from other countries in Asia, CC-353 of Campylobacter coli was found in eight countries, CC-1034 and CC-1287 of Campylobacter coli were found only in China. All C. jejuni isolates were resistant to at least one antimicrobial. C. jejuni showed the highest rate of resistance toward ciprofloxacin (94.50%), followed by tetracycline (93.50%), and nalidixic acid (92.00%), while C. coli showed highest resistance toward ciprofloxacin (94.44%) and tetracycline (94.44%) followed by nalidixic acid (88.89%). The most commonly observed MDR combination of C. jejuni were quinolone, phenicol and tetracycline (11.50%), while the most commonly observed MDR combination of C. coli were macrolide, quinolone, phenicol, tetracycline and lincosamide (30.56%). Surveillance of molecular characterization will provide important information for prevention of Campylobacter infection. This study enhances insight into Campylobacter infections in diarrheal patients, with relevance for treatment regimens in Beijing.

SARS-CoV-2 Detection on Bronchoalveolar Lavage: An Italian Multicenter experience

Background: Bronchoscopy with bronchoalveolar lavage (BAL) during the SARS-CoV-2 (Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome Coronavirus 2) pandemic should be reserved to a limited number of clinical indications. The yield of BAL for the diagnosis of suspected or confirmed pulmonary SARS-CoV-2 infection is still unknown. Objectives: We aimed to evaluate the diagnostic ratio of BAL in detecting SARS-CoV-2 pulmonary infection in patients undergoing bronchoscopy for different indications as well as describe the clinical, radiological, and endoscopic characteristics of patients with SARS-CoV-2 on BAL. Method: We conducted a multicenter retrospective study including all patients who underwent bronchoscopy for the detection of SARS-CoV-2 on BAL. Clinical, computed tomography (CT), endoscopic, and microbiologic data were gathered from March 16th to May 27th, 2020. Results: 131 patients were included. Bronchoscopy was performed for suspected SARS-CoV-2 infection (65.5%), alternative diagnosis (12.9%), suspected superinfections (19.8%), and lung atelectasis (1.5%). SARS-CoV-2 was isolated on BAL 43 times (32.8%) and the highest isolation rate was in patients with suspected SARS-CoV-2 infection (74.4%); 76% of positive patients had a double-negative nasopharyngeal swab. Peripheral, posterior and multilobar CT opacities were more frequent in SARS-CoV-2 patients, and the number of CT findings was higher in positive patients, particularly those with suspected SARS-CoV-2 infection. We recorded a progressive reduction of SARS-CoV-2 isolation during the observation period. Conclusions: In our centers, the rate of detection of SARS-CoV-2 on BAL in patients with suspected infection was 37.2%. The agreement of BAL with nasopharyngeal swabs was high; CT alterations could predict the pretest probability of SARS-CoV-2 infection, but suspicion of viral infection should be always considered.

Mortality From Forces of Nature Among Older Adults by Race/Ethnicity and Gender.

Older adults are especially vulnerable to disasters due to high rates of chronic illness, disability, and social isolation. Limited research examines how gender, race/ethnicity, and forces of nature-defined here as different types of natural hazards, such as storms and earthquakes-intersect to shape older adults' disaster-related mortality risk. We compare mortality rates among older adults (60+ years) in the United States across gender, race/ethnicity, and hazard type using the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention's Wonder database. Our results demonstrate that older adult males have higher mortality rates than females. American Indian/Alaska Native (AI/AN) males have the highest mortality and are particularly impacted by excessive cold. Mortality is also high among Black males, especially due to cataclysmic storms. To address disparities, messaging and programs targeting the dangers of excessive cold should be emphasized for AI/AN older adult males, whereas efforts to reduce harm from cataclysmic storms should target Black older adult males.

COVID-19 in Singapore: Another story of success

In this paper, we develop the Fudan-CCDC model by adding a source term to describe the imported infectors. The model is applied to analyze the situation of COVID-19 in East Asia, and then in Singapore. By data fitting, our model reveals that Singapore has a much higher isolation rate and earlier quarantine measures compared to other countries. We conclude that Singapore has been doing extraordinarily well on epidemic prevention and control. Finally we discuss the specific measures in Singapore’s success, and suggest other countries to learn from the Singapore’s style, so as to be well prepared in the future.

Distribution of Toxoplasma gondii Tissue Cysts in Shoulder Muscles of Naturally Infected Goats and Lambs

Toxoplasmosis has been recognized as a major public health problem worldwide. The consumption of uncooked or undercooked meat infected with Toxoplasma gondii tissue cysts is one of the main means of transmission of this parasite. Although sheep, goats, and pigs are commonly infected with T. gondii, little information is available on the distribution of T. gondii tissue cysts in naturally infected meat. In this study, we investigated the distribution of viable T. gondii tissue cysts in shoulder muscles of naturally infected lambs and goats. Hearts and shoulders of 46 lambs and 39 goats from a local grocery store were tested for T. gondii infection. Animals were evaluated for the presence of anti-T. gondii antibodies in heart blood and clots by the modified agglutination test. Fourteen of the 85 animals (seven lambs and seven goats) were seropositive. Six to 12 samples weighing 5, 10, and 50 g were obtained from shoulder muscles of each seropositive animal and used for bioassay in mice. The distribution of viable T. gondii differed according to the size of the sample analyzed, but in general larger sample sizes resulted in higher isolation rates (P < 0.05). Results of the study revealed an uneven distribution of T. gondii in muscle samples of lambs and goats and that T. gondii can be transmitted by consumption of very small servings (5 and 10 g) of meat when it is consumed raw or is undercooked.

Genetic diversity, antimicrobial resistance and extended-spectrum β-lactamase type of Escherichia coli isolates from chicken, dog, pig and yak in Gansu and Qinghai Provinces, China

ObjectivesIn this study, the genetic diversity, phylogenetic grouping, antimicrobial resistance and extended-spectrum β-lactamase (ESBL) types of Escherichia coli isolates from chickens, dogs, pigs and yaks in six prefectures of Gansu and Qinghai Provinces, China, were investigated. MethodsE. coli was isolated from diarrhoeic and healthy faecal samples. Multilocus sequence typing (MLST), phylogenetic grouping, antimicrobial resistance and ESBL profiles were investigated. ResultsA total of 142 MLST sequence types (STs) were identified from 400 E. coli isolates. eBURST clustering analysis resolved the 142 STs into 19 clonal complexes (CCs) and 67 singletons. PCR phylogenetic typing determined the isolation rate of potentially pathogenic B2/D group isolates among all E. coli to be 12.5% from healthy animal samples and 17.5% from diarrhoeic samples. Antimicrobial susceptibility testing revealed 78 antimicrobial resistance patterns. E. coli resistance rates were highest to doxycycline, ampicillin and tetracycline, whereas polymyxin B and meropenem had the lowest resistance rates. All polymyxin B-resistant E. coli isolates were positive for the mcr-1 gene. A total of 62 ESBL-producing isolates were identified. The ESBL prevalence was 55.0% in diarrhoeic samplings and 5.6% in healthy animals. TEM (82.3%) was the predominant ESBL type, followed by CTM (43.5%) and SHV (19.4%). ConclusionE. coli isolates in the study area have a high diversity of genetic and antimicrobial resistance patterns but a relatively low isolation rate of potentially pathogenic phylogroups. However, the somewhat high isolation rate of multidrug-resistant E. coli, particularly ESBL-producing isolates, requires continual surveillance of E. coli from animals in these areas.