Moraxella Species Research Articles

Exposures and coexisting conditions in pediatric nodular tracheobronchitis.

The aim of our study was to investigate the prevalence of coexisting conditions and exposures in children with nodular tracheobronchitis diagnosed by flexible bronchoscopy. We conducted a single-center retrospective review of 100 children diagnosed with nodular tracheobronchitis by flexible bronchoscopy between 2012 and 2023. Common coexisting diagnoses included gastroesophageal reflux disease (GERD, 50%), dysphagia/aspiration (40%), asthma (30%), recurrent croup (30%), tracheostomy dependence (19%) and eosinophilic esophagitis (EOE) (12%). Bronchoalveolar lavage (BAL) demonstrated cellular inflammation with elevated proportions of neutrophils in 63%, and lymphocytes in 24%. Among 88 patients in whom bacterial cultures were performed, 52% were positive, with Moraxella, Haemophilus, Streptococcal and Pseudomonas species predominating. Among 30 patients who underwent viral testing, 57% were positive, with rhinovirus (82%) and adenovirus (29%) predominating. Patients with neutrophilic inflammation were more likely to have a positive respiratory bacterial culture and/or viral polymerase chain reaction (p = 0.003, 0.005). Evaluation of the gastrointestinal tract included 79 patients with a history of esophagogastroduodenoscopy, 45 patients with a videofluoroscopic swallow study (VFSS), and 45 patients with multi-channel intraluminal impedance and pH testing. The majority of VFSS were abnormal (60%) demonstrating either laryngeal penetration (33%) or intratracheal aspiration (27%). Median pH reflux and impedance proximal reflux indices were 3.8% and 0.5% respectively. Potential contributing factors in the pathophysiology of nodular tracheobronchitis include bacterial and viral infections, GERD, dysphagia/aspiration, and EOE. When nodular tracheobronchitis is observed during bronchoscopy, further evaluation to assess for these conditions should be considered.

Bacterial pathogens and antimicrobial susceptibility in ocular infections: A study at Boru-Meda General Hospital, Dessie, Ethiopia

IntroductionThe eye consists of both internal and external compartments. Several variables, including microbes, dust, and high temperatures can cause eye illnesses that can result in blindness. Bacterial eye infections continue to be a major cause of ocular morbidity and blindness, and their prevalence is periodically rising. The objective of the study was to detect bacterial pathogens and assess their susceptibility profiles to antibiotics in the ophthalmology unit of Boru-meda Hospital in Dessie, Ethiopia.MethodsA hospital-based cross-sectional study was conducted from February 1 to April 30, 2021, among 319 study participants with symptomatic ocular or peri-ocular infections who were enrolled using a consecutive sampling technique. After proper specimen collection, the specimen was immediately inoculated with chocolate, blood, and MacConkey agar. After pure colonies were obtained, they were identified using standard microbiological methods. The Kirby Bauer disk diffusion method was used to test antimicrobial susceptibility patterns, based on the guidelines of the Clinical and Laboratory Standards Institute.ResultsThe majority of participants developed conjunctivitis 126 (39.5%), followed by blepharitis 47 (14.73%), and dacryocystitis 45 (14.1%). Overall, 164 (51.4%) participants were culture positive, six (1.9%) participants had mixed bacterial isolates, giving a total of 170 bacterial isolates with an isolation rate of 53.3%. The predominant species was CoNS 47 (27.6%), followed by S. aureus 38 (22.4%) and Moraxella species 32 (18.8%). The overall Multi-Drug Resistance (MDR) rate was 62.9%, with 33 (44.6%) being gram-negative and 74 (77.1%) being gram-positive isolates.ConclusionConjunctivitis was the dominant clinical case and CoNS, was the predominant isolate. A higher rate of MDR isolates, particularly gram-positive ones, was observed. Efficient peri-ocular or ocular bacterial infection surveillance, including microbiological laboratory data, is necessary for monitoring disease trends.

Clinical characteristics, predisposing factors, and management of moraxella keratitis in a tertiary eye hospital

PurposeThe Moraxella species is a very uncommon pathogen that leads to microbial keratitis (MK). This study aimed to evaluate the clinical features, predisposing factors, and outcomes of Moraxella keratitis in patients of a tertiary eye hospital.MethodsThis retrospective study was conducted from 2015 to 2022, on patients who were admitted with the diagnosis of Moraxella keratitis confirmed by positive culture in a referral eye hospital. Demographics, predisposing factors, best-corrected visual acuity (BCVA), and prognosis were assessed.ResultsA total of 106 individuals diagnosed with Moraxella keratitis, were analyzed. The mean age was 54.42 ± 19.43 years. The mean baseline BCVA of the patients was 2.28 ± 0.6 LogMAR, while this amount reached 1.49 ± 0.81 in the 6-month follow-up (P-value = 0.02). The mean BCVA in the six-month follow-up of the patients who needed surgical interventions was significantly lower than the patients who received only medical treatment (2.15 ± 0.65 vs. 1.29 ± 0.75 LogMAR, P-value = 0.02). Patients with diabetes and those without diabetes did not substantially vary in the prevalence of corneal perforation (P-value = 0.515). Three predisposing factors including corneal perforation (odds ratio = 19.27, P-value = 0.001), hypertension (HTN) (odds ratio = 3.62, P-value = 0.03), and older age (odds ratio = 1.03, P-value = 0.008) were significantly associated with more need for surgical interventions.ConclusionIn this cohort, poor prognosis necessitating surgical interventions in Moraxella keratitis was found to be associated with corneal perforation, HTN, and older age.

Microbial keratitis in the subtropical region of Korea: a comprehensive 12-year retrospective review at a single referral center

ObjectivesTo investigate the epidemiological characteristics and clinical outcomes of culture-proven bacterial and fungal keratitis at a single tertiary referral centre on Jeju Island, South Korea.DesignA retrospective study design.SettingData from a...

Venous Thromboembolism, an Unusual Complication of Infective Endocarditis Caused by Moraxella species: a Case Report

Venous Thromboembolism, an Unusual Complication of Infective Endocarditis Caused by Moraxella species: a Case Report

Septic arthritis of the cervical facet joint: Clinical report and review of the literature.

Facet joint septic arthritis (FJSA) is an uncommon cause of neck pain, most frequently occurring in the lumbosacral spine. Cervical facet joint septic arthritis is particularly rare. Symptoms typically include spinal or paraspinal pain and tenderness, with severe infections potentially causing neurological impairments. This condition can progress to discitis and osteomyelitis. High clinical suspicion is required for accurate diagnosis and timely treatment. To present the first known case of cervical spine FJSA caused by Moraxella species and provide an updated narrative review of cervical spine FJSA. A case study of a 66-year-old male with cervical spine FJSA caused by Moraxella osloensis is detailed. Additionally, a librarian-assisted literature search was conducted on MEDLINE Pubmed, filtering for adult human trials and including various study types, resulting in the inclusion of 9 relevant manuscripts. The patient's symptoms included neck, right upper thoracic, and periscapular pain, with episodes of numbness and tingling. MRI revealed septic arthritis at the C7-T1 facet joint and associated osteomyelitis. Cultures identified Moraxella osloensis as the causative agent. The patient was successfully treated with antibiotics and experienced significant symptom improvement. Literature review highlights that Staphylococcus aureus is the most common causative agent of cervical FJSA, with diagnosis typically involving MRI and culture tests. Treatment generally includes long-term antibiotics, with some cases requiring surgical intervention. This report underscores the need for high clinical suspicion in diagnosing FJSA and highlights the importance of early intervention. It documents the first known case of cervical spine FJSA caused by Moraxella osloensis, contributing valuable information to the limited literature on this rare condition.

Moraxella oculi sp. nov., isolated from a cow with infectious bovine keratoconjunctivitis.

A novel species of the genus Moraxella was isolated from an ocular swab from a cow with infectious bovine keratoconjunctivitis. 16S rRNA gene sequencing suggested this species was Moraxella bovis (99.59 % nucleotide identity). Average nucleotide identity was calculated using a draft whole genome sequence of this strain compared with type strains of closely related Moraxella species and results established that it represents a new species. The genome size was 2 006 474 nucleotides and the G+C content was 42.51 mol%. The species could not be identified by matrix assisted laser desorption/ionization-time of flight mass spectrometry using a commercial database, confirming the novelty of the strain. We propose the name Moraxella oculi sp. nov. for this new species. The type strain is Tifton1T and has been deposited into the American Type Culture Collection (TSD-373T) and the National Collection of Type Cultures (NCTC), UK Health Security Agency (NCTC 14942T).

Moraxella haemolytica sp. nov., isolated from a goat with respiratory disease.

An aerobic, haemolytic, Gram-negative and rod-shaped bacterial strain ZY171148T was isolated from the lung of a dead goat with respiratory disease in Southwest China. The strain grew at 24-39°C, at pH 6.0-9.0 and in the presence of 0.5-2.0% (w/v) NaCl. Phylogenetic analysis of 16S rRNA gene sequences showed that the strain belongs to the genus Moraxella. The nucleotide sequence similarity analysis of the 16S rRNA gene showed that the strain has the highest similarity of 98.1% to Moraxella (M.) caprae ATCC 700019T. Phylogenomic analysis of 800 single-copy protein sequences indicated that the strain is a member of the genus Moraxella and forms a separated branch on the Moraxella phylogenetic tree. The strain exhibited the highest orthologous average nucleotide identity (OrthoANI) and average amino acid identity (AAI) values of 77.0 and 77.9% to M. nasibovis CCUG 75921T and M. ovis CCUG 354T, respectively. The strain shared the highest digital DNA-DNA hybridization (dDDH) value of 26.2% to M. osloensis CCUG 350T. The genome G + C content of strain ZY171148T was 42.6mol%. The strain had C18:1 ω9c (41.7%), C18:0 (11.2%), C16:0 (14.1%) and C12:0 3OH (9.7%) as the predominant fatty acids and CoQ-8 as the major respiratory quinone. The strain contained phosphatidylglycerol, phosphatidylethanolamine, cardiolipin, dilysocardiolipin, monolysocardiolipin and phosphatidic acid as the major polar lipids. β-haemolysis was observed on Columbia blood agar. All results confirmed that strain ZY171148T represents a novel species of the genus Moraxella, for which the name Moraxella haemolytica sp. nov. is proposed, with strain ZY171148T = CCTCC AB 2021471T = CCUG 75920T as the type strain.

Targeted next-generation sequencing assay to detect 3 Moraxella spp. directly from bovine ocular swabs.

Infectious bovine keratoconjunctivitis (IBK) is associated with 2 species of Moraxella: M. bovis and M. bovoculi. A third novel Moraxella spp., designated tentatively as M. oculi, has been identified from the eyes of cattle with and without pinkeye. These 3 Moraxella spp. can be found in various combinations within the same clinical sample, making speciation of this genus directly from a sample impossible with Sanger sequencing. Assessing Moraxella diversity found in IBK- and non-IBK-affected cattle eyes, independent of culture, may provide additional information about IBK by avoiding the selectivity bias of culturing. We developed a targeted NGS panel to detect and speciate these 3 Moraxella spp. directly from bovine ocular swabs. Our targeted panel amplifies bacterial essential genes and the 16S-23S ribosomal RNA intergenic spacer region (ITS) of the 3 Moraxella spp. and speciates based on these sequences. Our panel was able to differentiate the 3 species directly from DNA extracted from 13 swabs (6 from healthy animals, 7 from animals with IBK), and every swab except one (clinically healthy eye) had the 3 Moraxella spp. Targeted NGS with sequencing of Moraxella spp. housekeeping genes appears to be a suitable method for speciation of Moraxella directly from ocular swabs.

Anitmicrobial Susceptibility to Microoranisms in Hematological Malignancies; A Need to Review Institutional Protocols

Abstract Introduction Febrile neutropenia is a medical emergency in patients with hematological malignancies. The severity of neutropenia and the duration of infection have an important implication on primary treatment outcome. Previously assessed institutional review revealed gram negative bacteria to be the most common microorganisms, and leading cause of febrile neutropenia. However, the predominance of gram positive bacteria had also increased in later past years [1]. In high risk patients, infections caused by multidrug resistant bacteria worsen treatment complications and thus at times empirical use of antibiotics like colomycin is required; otherwise the prognosis may be jeopardized [2]. Regular surveillance of local flora and susceptibility pattern of antimicrobial is must to elude the antimicrobial resistance. Objective The study was conducted to evaluate the prevalence of microorganisms and to observe the sensitivity pattern of antimicrobials as an institutional protocol to establish antimicrobial policies. Material and methods A cross sectional study was conducted at National Institute of blood diseases and bone marrow transplantation, PECHS campus from August 2021 - January 2022. Ethical approval was taken from research committee prior to the study and informed consent was taken from the patients. Febrile neutropenia was defined as a single reading of oral temperature of ≥38 °C on two or more occasions in 12 h in the presence of absolute neutrophil count of less than 1000cells/mm. Blood cultures were performed using the BACTEC blood culture system. Organisms were identified according to routine bacteriological procedures and disc diffusion method was used for interpreting antibiotic susceptibility. Data was analyzed by SPSS version 23.0. Frequencies and percentages were calculated for categorical variable and mean (standard deviation) was computed for quantitative variables. Association between categorical variables was observed using the chi-square test or Fisher’s exact test. P value of <0.05 was considered statistically significant. Results A total of 310 cultures taken from blood (37.4%), peripheral line (4.2%), hickman line (8.1%), red line (2.6%), pus (7.1%), sputum (9.7%) and urine (31%) samples were observed. Out of total 213 (69%) were found to be gram negative and 97 (31%) were gram positive. Gram negative were mostly reported in blood cultures 61 (20%) while gram positive was found in urine cultures 80 (26%). E.coli (40.8%) was the most prevalent among the gram negative microorganisms followed Klebsiella pneumonae (16.9%), Pseudomonas species (11.7%), Pseudomonas aeruginosa (11.3%), Burkholderia cepacia (7%), Enterobacter species (3.3%), Moraxella species (3.3%), Proteus mirabilis (2.8%), Salmonella typhi (1.4%), Acinetobacter species (0.9%) and Citrobacter species (0.5%). In gram negative organisms, Acinetobacter species, Burkholderia cepacia, Citrobacter species and Moraxella species were identified substantially which were not previously prevalent. In gram positive microorganisms Staphylococcus epidermidis (55.3%) was more prevalent, followed by Enterococcus species (19%), Micrococcus species (16%), Streptococcus species (6%), Staphylococcus aureus (3.7%), from which Micrococcus species was reported for first time. Sensitivity of meropenem, amikacin and colistin was higher in gram negative while the sensitivity of fosfomycin, and linezolid was found in gram positive isolates The association of sensitivity and resistance with gram negative and positive isolates was found statistically significant with amikacin, vancomycin, fosfomycin and ciprofloxacin (p=<0.05). Conclusion Gram negative isolates were found prevalent in our study. The sensitivity of meropenem, amikacin and colistin was high than other regimens in gram negative while the sensitivity of fosfomycin, and linezolid was found in gram positive isolates. Few emerging isolates were observed in the study as well. The regular review of microbial pattern and susceptibility evaluation is imminent for prevention of microbial resistance and assessment of institutional practices.

168 Characterization of the Culturable Fraction of Bovine Ocular Microbiota and Its in Vitro Antimicrobial Activities Against Pinkeye Pathogens

Abstract Pinkeye, clinically known as infectious bovine keratoconjunctivitis (IBK), is considered one of the most important ocular diseases in cattle, causing an estimated $226 million in annual losses to U.S. cow-calf producers. While Moraxella bovis is considered the principal IBK pathogen, Moraxella bovoculi has also been associated with the pathogenesis of IBK. Thus, these Moraxella species are often the target for antibiotic and/or vaccine-based treatment and prevention strategies. Despite extensive use of antibiotics, IBK infections are challenging to treat, highlighting the increased need for an antibiotic-alternative approach to control IBK. Recent evidence suggests that the microbial community associated with the bovine oculus is important for eye health, and that the ocular microbiota can be a target for enhancing disease resistance against IBK in cattle. The objectives of this study were to characterize the ocular microbiota of healthy and IBK infected cattle using sequencing and culturing techniques, and to isolate and screen commensal ocular isolates for their antimicrobial activity against M. bovis and M. bovoculi. Ocular swabs (n = 64) were collected using eSwabs from cattle diagnosed with IBK or without IBK (healthy control) before antibiotic treatment from beef herds across North Dakota. Swabs were plated onto four different agar plates (blood, Columbia blood, MRS and multi-sliced agar plates), and cultured aerobically and anaerobically. A total of 658 bacterial isolates were obtained via culturing and cryopreserved. Taxonomic identification was performed on a subset of banked isolates (n = 277) by near full-length sequencing of the 16S rRNA gene. These isolates taxonomically belong to 6 different bacterial phyla: Bacillus (42%), Firmicutes (27%), Actinomycetota (13%), Pseudomonadota (11%), Actinobacteria (5%), and Proteobacteria (2%). A total of 55 different genera were identified with Bacillus (25%), Streptococcus (13%), Staphylococcus (10%), Moraxella (6%), Macrococcus (5%), Paenibacillus (3%), Caldibacillus (3%), and Rummeliibacillus (3%) being the most dominant genera. Next, a subset of these commensal isolates (n 53) were screened for their growth inhibition against M. bovis and M. bovoculi using an agar slab method. Among the screened isolates, 6 isolates showed inhibition against M. bovis and M. bovoculi with zones of inhibition ranging from 12 mm to 28 mm. Ocular isolates identified as Weizmannia coagulans (43Y-MRSC), Lentillactobacillus buchneri (23D-MRSA) and Paenibacillus polymyxa (785-WCF) exhibited relatively strong inhibition against both Moraxella isolates. Scanning electron microscopy revealed noticeable structural and morphological damages in M. bovis and M. bovoculi cells due to Weizmannia coagulans culture-supernatant treatment. Overall, our results indicate that ocular mucosa of beef cattle is inhabited by relatively rich and diverse culturable bacterial communities, and that some ocular commensals can inhibit IBK pathogens. This suggests the potential for the development of bacterial therapeutics based on commensal ocular bacteria to mitigate IBK in cattle.

Impact of silver substitution on the structural, magnetic, optical, and antibacterial properties of cobalt ferrite

Silver-doped Cobalt Ferrite nanoparticles AgxCo1−xFe2O4 with concentrations (x = 0, 0.05, 0.1, 0.15) have been prepared using a hydrothermal technique. The XRD pattern confirms the formation of the spinel phase of CoFe2O4 and the presence of Ag ions in the spinel structure. The spinel phase AgxCo1−xFe2O4 nanoparticles are confirmed by FTIR analysis by the major bands formed at 874 and 651 cm−1, which represent the tetrahedral and octahedral sites. The analysis of optical properties reveals an increase in band gap energy with increasing concentration of the dopant. The energy band gap values depicted for prepared nanoparticles with concentrations x = 0, 0.05, 0.1, 0.15 are 3.58 eV, 3.08 eV, 2.93 eV, and 2.84 eV respectively. Replacement of the Co2+ ion with the nonmagnetic Ag2+ ion causes a change in saturation magnetization, with Ms values of 48.36, 29.06, 40.69, and 45.85 emu/g being recorded. The CoFe2O4 and Ag2+ CoFe2O4 nanoparticles were found to be effective against the Acinetobacter Lwoffii and Moraxella species, with a high inhibition zone value of x = 0.15 and 8 × 8 cm against bacteria. It is suggested that, by the above results, the synthesized material is suitable for memory storage devices and antibacterial activity.

The bacterial profile and antibiotic susceptibility pattern in respiratory tract samples from art-experienced HIV-positive adults in Uganda.

Microbial infections are a major cause of morbidity and mortality among people living with HIV (PLWH). Respiratory tract infections (RTIs) are responsible for approximately 70% of illnesses among PLWH. Drug resistant bacteria are highly prevalent among PLWH and this is a public health concern. This is a retrospective analysis of data collected during the COSTOP trial between 2011 and 2013. Sputum collected on spot from participants presenting with a productive cough was examined using Gram, Ziehl-Neelsen stains and cultured on suitable bacteriological media. Antimicrobial sensitivity testing was done on isolated pathogens, by disc diffusion technique. We included 687 participants with mean age 41.3 (SD 8.2) years of whom 76.4% were female. Two hundred one sputum samples grew bacteria; Moraxella species (27.4%), Streptococcus pneumoniae(25.4%), Haemophilus influenza(22.4%), Mycobacterium species(4.5%), Pseudomonas species(4.0%), Staphylococcus aureus(4.0%), Escherichia coli (1.0%), Klebsiella species (1.0%), other bacteria (10.4%). A higher monthly income greater than or equal to 30$ (aOR = 0.63, 95%CI: 0.40-0.99) and longer duration since HIV diagnosis (aOR = 1.06, 95%CI: 1.0-1.11) were found to be independently associated with a positive bacterial culture. Moraxella sp, H. influenza and Pseudomonas had zero sensitivity towards cotrimoxazole. Sensitivity to erythromycin was low among Moraxella sp (28.6%), H. influenza (31.6%) and S. aureus(42.9%) and other bacteria (42.9%). Most isolates were sensitive to Amoxicillin + Clavulanic acid and ceftriaxone. There is a very low sensitivity of isolated bacteria to commonly prescribed antibiotics that are more available through the national supply chain, which is of public health concern. Urgent steps to tackle the high antimicrobial resistance among PLWH is required.

Characterization of two novel colistin resistance gene mcr-1 variants originated from Moraxella spp.

This study aimed to characterize two novel mcr-1 variants, mcr-1.35 and mcr-1.36, which originated from Moraxella spp. that were isolated from diseased pigs in China. The Moraxella spp. carrying novel mcr-1 variants were subjected to whole-genome sequencing (WGS) and phylogenetic analysis based on the 16S rRNA gene. The mcr-1 variants mcr-1.35 and mcr-1.36 were characterized using phylogenetic analysis, a comparison of genetic environments, and protein structure prediction. The WGS indicated that two novel mcr-1 variants were located in the chromosomes of three Moraxella spp. with a genetic environment of mcr-1-pap2. In addition to the novel colistin resistance genes mcr-1.35 and mcr-1.36, the three Moraxella spp. contained other antimicrobial resistance genes, including aac(3)-IId, tet(O), sul2, floR, and blaROB-3. A functional cloning assay indicated that either the mcr-1.35 or mcr-1.36 gene could confer resistance to colistin in Escherichia coli DH5α and JM109. The nucleotide sequences of mcr-1.35 and mcr-1.36 presented 95.33 and 95.33% identities, respectively, to mcr-1.1. The phylogenetic analysis showed that mcr-1.35 and mcr-1.36 were derived from Moraxella spp. that belonged to subclades that were different from those of the mcr-1 variants (mcr-1.1 to mcr-1.34 except mcr-1.10) originating from Enterobacteriaceae. The deduced amino acid sequences of MCR-1.35 (MCR-1.36) showed 96.67% (96.49%), 82.59% (82.04%), 84.07% (83.52%), 55.52% (55.17%), 59.75% (59.57%), and 61.88% (61.69%) identity to MCR-1.10, MCR-2.2, MCR-6.1, MCR-LIN, MCR-OSL, and MCR-POR, respectively, that originated from Moraxella sp. Notably, protein structure alignment showed only a few changes in amino acid residues between MCR-1.1 and MCR-1.35, as well as between MCR-1.1 and MCR-1.36. In conclusion, this study identified Moraxella spp. carrying two novel mcr-1 variants, mcr-1.35 and mcr-1.36, conferring resistance to colistin, which were isolated from pig farms in China. In addition, mcr-like variants were observed to be located in the chromosomes of some species of Moraxella isolated from pig samples.

Use of Blood Powder (Ground and Irradiated) for the Manufacture of Chocolate Agar.

Chocolate agar (CA) is an enriched medium for the isolation and identification of fastidious bacteria. Defibrinated blood is used to manufacture CA, but this expensive product is not always affordable for companies in developing countries. Blood powder (BP) is potentially a cheaper alternative, although its pre-treatment using autoclaving can impair the quality of the media. Therefore, optimization of BP as a substitute for defibrinated blood for CA manufacture deserves further research. CA was manufactured with irradiated BP (dehydrated bovine blood powder) and its physical and microbiological characteristics were compared with those of conventional CA and CA prepared with autoclaved BP. Each medium was seeded with 20-200 CFU of target bacteria using the spiral pouring method. Finally, another medium was prepared using BP pre-treated by grinding and gamma irradiation and its performance assessed. Compared to conventional CA, the medium containing ground and irradiated BP provided a similar CFU count for both fastidious (Neisseria, Haemophilus, Campylobacter, and Streptococcus) and non-fastidious (Moraxella, Staphylococcus, Enterococcus, Klebsiella, and Pseudomonas) species, unlike the medium prepared with BP subjected only to irradiation, which provided a lower growth of fastidious species. Morphology and characteristics of all bacterial colonies were very similar in conventional CA and the new medium, the number of Pseudomonas CFU being higher in the latter. The medium prepared with ground plus irradiated vs. irradiated BP more closely resembled conventional CA, having a browner background. The new CA medium prepared with ground and gamma irradiation-sterilized BP has comparable productivity properties to conventional CA. Therefore, it could be a more practical and economical methodology to facilitate large-scale CA manufacture.

Investigation of the pathogens contributing to naturally occurring outbreaks of infectious bovine keratoconjunctivitis (pinkeye) using Next Generation Sequencing

Infectious bovine keratoconjunctivitis (IBK), commonly known as pinkeye, has a marked negative impact on the economy of the cattle industry. Moraxella species, including Mor. bovis and Mor. bovoculi, which have been associated with this disease, colonize clinically healthy eyes as well, suggesting that there are intrinsic changes that may occur to the ocular microbiota or the involvement of additional unrecognized organisms that contribute to IBK. To evaluate this, 104 ocular swabs collected from eyes with IBK or clinically healthy eyes from 16 different cattle herds were subjected to 16 S rRNA gene PCR and next generation sequencing (NGS) analysis. Organisms detected were similar across the herds and there was no difference in the total number of bacterial groups detected among IBK cases and controls. However, the percentages of the different organisms detected varied between the two groups, including Moraxella spp., with more Moraxella spp. in eyes with IBK than controls. Further, using culture and whole genome NGS, a new species of Moraxella (suggested name Mor. oculobovii) was detected from the eyes of cattle from two farms. This strain is non-hemolytic on blood agar, is missing the RTX operon, and is likely a non-pathogenic strain of the bovine ocular microbiome. Alteration of the ocular microbiota composition may have a predisposing role, enhancing bacterial infection and the occurrence of clinical IBK. Future studies are required to evaluate if these changes are permanent or if there is a shift in the microbiome following recovery from the infection and how antibiotics might affect the microbiome.

Moraxella nasicaprae sp. nov., Isolated from a Goat with Respiratory Disease

A novel Gram-stain-negative, aerobic, irregular coccus designated as ZY201224T, was isolated from the nasal cavity of a goat with respiratory disease in a goat farm, located at Jianshui, Yunnan Province, PR China and its taxonomic position was clarified using a polyphasic approach. The strain grew optimally at 37°C, at pH 8.0 and in the presence of 1% NaCl. Phylogenetic analysis based on 16S rRNA gene sequence and phylogenomic analysis based on 808 single-copy genes revealed that the strain is affiliated to the genus Moraxella and is distinct from the recognized species of the genus. The 16S rRNA gene sequence similarity analysis indicated that the strain is most closely related to Moraxella caviae CCUG 355T with sequence similarity of 98.1%. The genomic OrthoANI and digital DNA-DNA hybridization (dDDH) values between the strain and the type strains of Moraxella species were no higher than 74.7% (Moraxella pluranimalium CCUG 54913T) and 26.0% (Moraxella oblonga NBRC 102422T), respectively. The G + C content of the complete genome sequence was 43.6mol%. The strain contained CoQ-8 as the major respiratory quinone, and C18:1ω9c, C17:1ω8c, C16:0 and summed feature 3 (C16:1 ω7c and/ or C16:1ω6c) as the predominant fatty acids (> 5%). The major polar lipids comprised phosphatidylglycerol (PG), cardiolipin (CL), monolysocardiolipin (MLCL), phosphatidylethanolamine (PE) and lysophosphatidylglycerol (LPG). Based on these taxonomic characterizations, strain ZY201224T represents a novel species of the genus Moraxella, for which the name Moraxella nasicaprae sp. nov. is proposed. The type strain is ZY201224T (= CCTCC AB 2021474T = NBRC 115473T).

Evolving insights into the epidemiology of Moraxella species bloodstream infection from two decades of surveillance in Queensland, Australia.

The epidemiology of Moraxella species bloodstream infection (BSI) is poorly defined due to their rarity. We sought to determine the incidence, risk factors, and outcomes of Moraxella species BSI in a large Australian population. All Moraxella species BSIs in patients admitted to Queensland (population estimate 5 million) public health facilities between 2000 and 2019 and submitted to Queensland pathology laboratory-based surveillance were included. Clinical and hospitalisation data were matched with laboratory-based surveillance data. Incidence rate ratios (IRR) with 95% confidence intervals (CI) were calculated. In total, 375 incident Moraxella species BSI occurred during 86 million person-years of surveillance, with an annualised age and sex standardised incidence of 4.3 per million residents. Isolates were most commonly identified as M. catarrhalis (n = 128; 34%) and community-associated (n = 225; 60%). Incidence was highest in infants, with increasing age associated with lower incidence rate. Males were at higher risk (incidence 2.9 vs. 2.0 per million, IRR1.4; 95% CI, 1.2-1.8), this was most pronounced at age extremes. Two-thirds of adults and 43% of children with Moraxella BSI had at least one comorbid illness. When compared to infections in adults, children were more likely to have community-associated disease, and a head and neck source focus of infection. The all-cause 30-day case-fatality rate was 4% (15/375) and this was significantly higher among adults (14/191; 7% vs 1/183; 1%; p < 0.001). Our findings demonstrate the low burden of Moraxella species BSI in a state-wide cohort, for which young children have the highest risk.

Emerging Bacterial Eye Infection: Identification, Susceptibility and Immunotherapy of Kocuria Species in Patients of Basrah, Iraq

Ocular infections are common and considered sight-threatening consequences Non-pathogenic commensal bacteria can cause a serious opportunistic pathogen among immunocompetent and immunocompromised individuals leading to blindness. The aim of this study was the identification bacteria isolated from ocular infections, investigate the antibiotic susceptibility, and using interleukin 17 (IL-17) as the immunotherapeutic agent to support the patient immune system. 33 eye swab samples were collected from people with microbial eye infections including (conjunctivitis, dacrocystis, corneal ulcers, and post-traumatic). Recovered isolates were gram stained and tested for antibiotic susceptibility. Out of 36 swabs, 14 bacterial isolates were identified. Gram positive bacteria were predominant isolates, pathogenic Staphylococcus species 6 (42.85%) followed by non-pathogenic commensal bacteria Kocuria spp. 5 (35.71%). Gram negative bacteria including only Moraxella species 2 (14.28%). Antibiotic susceptibility testing indicated high sensitivity of recovered isolates to tetracycline and Ofloxacin and significant resistance to both benzylpenicillin and erythromycin. The recovered bacteria exhibited significant resistance to IL-17 via Immunotherapeutic assay in-vitro. In conclusion, non- pathogenic commensal bacteria Kocuria spp. seems to be predominant and IL-17 lack to antimicrobial activity in-vitro.

Characterization of the nasopharyngeal microbiome in patients with Kawasaki disease

IntroductionThe aetiology of Kawasaki disease (KD) remains unknown. Several studies have linked the human microbiome with some diseases. However, there are limited studies on the role of the respiratory microbiome in KD. The aim of our study was to make a more thorough analysis of the causes and processes that increase the susceptibility to KD. MethodsCase-control study comparing the respiratory microbiome of KD patients with that of healthy children. The V3–V4 region of the 16S rRNA bacterial gene and 16 respiratory viruses were analysed by real-time polimerase-chain reaction. We used the Ribosomal Database Project (RDP) version 11.5 (taxonomic assignment). ResultsThe initial sample included 11 cases and 11 controls matched for age, sex and seasonality. One of the cases was excluded to poor sample quality. The final analysis included 10 cases and 10 controls. In the case group, the analysis detected Haemophilus, Moraxella, Streptococcus and Corynebacterium species (27.62%, 19.71%, 25.28%, 11.86%, respectively). In the control group, it found Haemophilus, Streptococcus, Moraxella, and Dolosigranulum species (38.59%, 23.71%, 16.08, 8.93%, respectively). We found a higher relative abundance of Corynebacterium in patients with KD (11.86% vs. 1.55%; P = 0.004). ConclusionsTo our knowledge, this is the first study that has found differences in the composition of the respiratory microbiome between patients with KD and healthy controls. The relative abundance of Corynebacterium spp. was greater in the KD group. This study shows differences in the microbiome between cases and controls, which suggests that the microbiome may play a role in facilitating the development of KD.