Neomycin Blood Agar Research Articles

Clinico-microbiological spectrum of anaerobic pyogenic infections in an Indian tertiary care teaching hospital: A two-year study.

Introduction:Anaerobes are important however the most neglected pathogens. Timely isolation of anaerobes can guide the clinician about the correct course of clinical treatment and thus reduce the mortality and also the problem of antimicrobial resistance.Materials and Methods:Tissue and/or pus aspirates were collected aseptically from infectious sites in the Robertson's cooked meat medium (RCM) and sent to anaerobic bacteriology laboratory for culture. Subcultures from RCM for each sample were done on neomycin blood agar and 5% sheep blood agar along with metronidazole disc (5μg). The plates were incubated in an anaerobic jar using GasPak for 72 hrs. The preliminary identification was performed by standard biochemical tests for both obligate and facultative anaerobic isolates. Speciations of obligate anaerobes were performed by Vitek 2 automated system.Results:Obligate anaerobes either single or polymicrobial were obtained in 38/216 (14.5 %) samples processed during the study period. Polymicrobial infections were reported in 21/216 (55.26%) samples and most commonly with obligate anaerobic gramnegative bacilli i.e. Prevotella-Porphyromonas and Bacteroides fragilis group. Most common monomicrobial anaerobic infections were observed with Veillonella spp. (n=4) and Porphyromonas spp. (n=4) followed by Bacteroides fragilis (n=3). Obligate anaerobes were predominantly isolated from skin and soft tissue infections (n=14) followed by surgical site infections (n=8).Conclusion:Although most of the infections are polymicrobial, a rise in the incidence of monomicrobial anaerobic infections has been noticed. Therefore, the performance of anaerobic cultures along with aerobic cultures is much needed for complete bacterial work-up of specimens from infectious sites and better patient management.

Isolation and identification of Clostridium chauvoei from cattle in Mymensingh

Black quarter (BQ), caused by Clostridium chauvoei, is an economically important, highly infectious bacterial disease of cattle, goat and sheep. The present study was conducted to isolate and identify the causal agent of BQ from field cases. A total of 32 samples from necropsied areas of cattle presented to the Teaching Veterinary Hospital, Bangladesh Agricultural University were collected. The samples were subjected for bacteriological culture followed by identification through a series of conventional bacteriological techniques, staining properties and biochemical tests. The bacteria were cultured in anaerobic condition using candle jar. Morphological characters of bacteria were observed after Gram stain. The suspected samples were subjected for several passages in liver infusion broth to get pure culture. On neomycin blood agar, the bacteria showed hemolysis. Based on the cultural and staining characteristics and biochemical tests, 4 (12.5%) out of 32 samples were confirmed as Cl. chauvoei. It is concluded that Cl. chauvoei has been successfully isolated and identified from BQ affected cattle.

Schematic Method for Effective Identification of Anaerobes from Infected Surgical Wounds

Objective: To investigate post surgical wound infections for anaerobes and to develop effective method for their rapid identification. Method: Fifty seven (57) samples were collected in cooked meat broth, they consisted of 40 wound swabs, 7 pus, 6 vaginal and 4 rectal swabs. They were inoculated into two compounded media; Neomycin Blood Agar (NBA) and Neomycin Plasma Agar (NPA) incubated anaerobically at 37oC for (24-48) hours. Isolated anaerobes were gram-stained and tested using discs impregnated with antibiotics, bile salts and dyes, carbohydrate fermentation and other standard tests were carried out. Results: Abdominal surgery had the highest anaerobes (44%), Musculoskeletal (25%), Splenectomy and related procedures (5%). Severe outcomes associated with anaerobes were amputation of limbs and death. Anaerobes were classified into fragilis group, bile resistant, bile sensitive and Fusobacterium group. Further tests revealed Bacteroides fragilis, Fusobacterium nucleatium, Porphyromonas assacharolytica, Prevotella intermedia, and Peptosterptococcus magnus as most frequently isolated. The developed scheme interlinked the various identification steps: 1st level; inoculation and growth, 2nd level; Gram differentiation and 3rd level; Biochemical characterization. Conclusion: The study has shown anaerobic cultures as essential in the management of patients with post surgical would infections. The scheme serves as a guide of idealized representation to identification of anaerobes. KEY WORDS: Anaerobes, Culture, Compounded media, Schematic, Surgical wounds

Neomycin blood agar as a selective medium for vancomycin resistant Enterococcus faecium.

<h3>Background</h3> There is a paucity of studies on socioeconomic inequalities in cancer mortality in developing countries. We examined trends in inequalities in cancer mortality by educational attainment in Colombia during a period of epidemiological transition and rapid expansion of health insurance coverage. <h3>Methods</h3> Population mortality data (1998–2007) were linked to census data to obtain age-standardised cancer mortality rates by educational attainment at ages 25–64 years for stomach, cervical, prostate, lung, colorectal, breast and other cancers. We used Poisson regression to model mortality by educational attainment and estimated the contribution of specific cancers to the slope index of inequality in cancer mortality. <h3>Results</h3> We observed large educational inequalities in cancer mortality, particularly for cancer of the cervix (rate ratio (RR) primary vs tertiary groups=5.75, contributing 51% of cancer inequalities), stomach (RR=2.56 for males, contributing 49% of total cancer inequalities and RR=1.98 for females, contributing 14% to total cancer inequalities) and lung (RR=1.64 for males contributing 17% of total cancer inequalities and 1.32 for females contributing 5% to total cancer inequalities). Total cancer mortality rates declined faster among those with higher education, with the exception of mortality from cervical cancer, which declined more rapidly in the lower educational groups. <h3>Conclusions</h3> There are large socioeconomic inequalities in preventable cancer mortality in Colombia, which underscore the need for intensifying prevention efforts. Reduction of cervical cancer can be achieved through reducing human papilloma virus infection, early detection and improved access to treatment of preneoplastic lesions. Reinforcing antitobacco measures may be particularly important to curb inequalities in cancer mortality.

Neomycin blood agar as a selective medium for vancomycin resistant Enterococcus faecium.

Neomycin blood agar is commonly used as a selective medium for the isolation of vancomycin resistant enterococci from faeces; however, not all isolates are recovered using this medium, perhaps because the neomycin concentrations are too high. To test this hypothesis, the neomycin minimum inhibitory concentration (MIC) was determined for 27 vancomycin resistant Enterococcus faecium isolates, 14 from patients with leukaemia and 13 from patients on the renal unit. A further eight isolates that had been recovered from the faeces of patients on the renal unit on neomycin agar were also studied. Eleven of the 14 isolates from the patients with leukaemia showed equal recovery on neomycin agar and blood agar and had MICs > 64 mg/l. In three other isolates there was a 4log10 reduction in recovery on neomycin agar and the MIC was 8 mg/l. Two of the non-selected isolates from the renal unit were recovered equally on the two media, the other 11 isolates showed a 4-5 log10 reduction in recovery. All eight faecal isolates recovered from patients on the renal unit on neomycin agar were highly resistant to neomycin (MIC > 64 mg/l). Comparative studies of screening media are urgently needed as vancomycin resistant enterococci become more prevalent nosocomial pathogens.

ICMSF methods studies. XII. Comparative study for the enumeration of Clostridium perfringens in feces

As the second phase of an international comparative study for the enumeration of Clostridium perfringens, four methods were compared for "total" and spore counts of C. perfringens in fecal specimens: the SFP (Shahidi-Ferguson perfringens) agar (A), TSC (tryptose-sulfite-cycloserine) agar (B), SC (sulfite-cycloserine) agar (C), and neomycin blood agar (D) methods. In both the total and spore count procedures, the confirmed C. perfringens counts in method D were lower than in methods A, B, and C. Little differences among methods were found in the percentages of presumptive colonies confirmed as C. perfringens. The nonspecific counts in methods A and D were generally greater than in B and C, but nonspecific microorganisms did not interfere in the enumeration of C. perfringens spores by any of the four methods. In overall performance, methods B and C were superior to A and D. The mean C. perfringens spore count was only 0.17 log lower than the mean total count. Spore counts alone are, therefore, adequate in investigations of C. perfringens outbreaks.

ICMSF methods studies. VIII. Comparative study for the enumeration of Clostridium perfringens in foods

Four methods were compared in an international comparative study for the enumeration of Clostridium perfringens: the SFP (Shahidi-Ferguson perfringens) agar (A), TSC (tryptose-sulfite-cycloserin) agar (B), SC (sulfite-cycloserine) agar (C), and neomycin blood agar (D) methods. The confirmed C. perfringens counts were slightly lower for D than for A-C. The percentages of presumptive colonies confirmed as C. perfringens were essentially the same in each method. The relative numbers of nonspecific colonies were the lowest in C, followed by B, D, and A. The methods were also compared for simplicity and for aspects associated with the recognition and selection of presumptive colonies.

Group A streptococcus screening with neomycin blood agar.

Group A streptococcus screening with neomycin blood agar.

Neomycin blood agar for the selective culture of Pneumococcus and certain other bacteria.

Neomycin blood agar for the selective culture of Pneumococcus and certain other bacteria.