Pathogens Research Articles

Isolation of a Novel Pythium Species, P. thermoculicivorax, and Trichoderma sp. from Natural Enzootic Mosquito Larval Infections.

Only a handful of microbial mosquito larval pathogens have been described to date. Sampling several natural enzootic infections of mosquito larvae in southwestern Florida indicated the presence of microbial pathogens capable of extensive larval mortality. A microscopic analysis of one sample site revealed extensive apparent growth of a Pythium-like microbe on mosquito larvae, with the highest degree of infection observed in the siphon and head regions. Structures consistent with sporangia were seen on infected insects after lactophenol blue staining, and higher-resolution scanning electron microscopy (SEM) micrographs showed sporangia and encysted zoospores targeting the head and siphon regions. The isolate was single-colony purified, and molecular identification targeting the ITS and COX1 loci coupled to phylogenetic reconstruction indicated that the isolate belonged to the Pythium genus but was distinct from its closest characterized species, P. inflatum. Morphological features were characterized, with the isolate showing rapid growth on all mycological media tested and relatively high thermotolerance, capable of robust growth at 37 °C; hence, it was designated P. thermoculicivorax. Sampling from a second series of natural infections of mosquito larvae resulted in the molecular identification of three Trichoderma isolates, one with high similarity to T. strigosum and the other two clustering closely with T. asperellum. These data highlight the occurrence of natural enzootic infections of mosquito larvae, potentially as a resource for the identification of new mosquito pathogens.

Neutrophil Extracellular DNA Traps in Response to Infection or Inflammation, and the Roles of Platelet Interactions.

Neutrophils present the host's first line of defense against bacterial infections. These immune effector cells are mobilized rapidly to destroy invading pathogens by (a) reactive oxygen species (ROS)-mediated oxidative bursts and (b) via phagocytosis. In addition, their antimicrobial service is capped via a distinct cell death mechanism, by the release of their own decondensed nuclear DNA, supplemented with a variety of embedded proteins and enzymes. The extracellular DNA meshwork ensnares the pathogenic bacteria and neutralizes them. Such neutrophil extracellular DNA traps (NETs) have the potential to trigger a hemostatic response to pathogenic infections. The web-like chromatin serves as a prothrombotic scaffold for platelet adhesion and activation. What is less obvious is that platelets can also be involved during the initial release of NETs, forming heterotypic interactions with neutrophils and facilitating their responses to pathogens. Together, the platelet and neutrophil responses can effectively localize an infection until it is cleared. However, not all microbial infections are easily cleared. Certain pathogenic organisms may trigger dysregulated platelet-neutrophil interactions, with a potential to subsequently propagate thromboinflammatory processes. These may also include the release of some NETs. Therefore, in order to make rational intervention easier, further elucidation of platelet, neutrophil, and pathogen interactions is still needed.

Dietary supplementation of phytoncide and soybean oil increases milk conjugated linoleic acid and depresses methane emissions in Holstein dairy cows

The objective of this study was to determine whether adding phytoncide oil (PO) and soybean oil (SBO) to the dairy cow diet could increase milk conjugated linoleic acid (CLA) and depress methane (CH4) emissions in Holstein dairy cows. Rumen fermentation was conducted at four levels of SBO (0, 1, 2, and 4%, on DM basis) and two levels of PO (0 and 0.1%, on DM basis) with in vitro experiment. To evaluate blood parameters, fecal microbe population, milk yield and fatty acid compositions, and CH4 production, in vivo experiment was conducted using 38 Holstein dairy cows divided into two groups of control (fed TMR) and treatment (fed TMR with 0.1% PO and 2% SBO as DM basis). In the in vitro study (Experiment 1), PO or SBO did not affect rumen pH. However, SBO tended to decrease ruminal ammonia-N (p = 0.099). Additionally, PO or SBO significantly decreased total gas production (p = 0.041 and p = 0.034, respectively). Both PO and SBO significantly decreased CH4 production (p < 0.05). In addition, PO significantly increased both CLA isomers (c9, t11 and t10, c12 CLA) (p < 0.001). Collectively, 0.1% PO and 2% SBO were selected resulting in most effectively improved CLA and decreased CH4 production. In the in vivo study (Experiment 2), 0.1% PO with 2% SBO (PSO) did not affect complete blood count. However, it decreased blood urea nitrogen and magnesium levels in blood (p = 0.021 and p = 0.01, respectively). PSO treatment decreased pathogenic microbes (p < 0.05). It increased milk yield (p = 0.017) but decreased percentage of milk fat (p = 0.013) and MUN level (p < 0.01). In addition, PSO treatment increased both the concentration of CLA and PUFA in milk fat (p < 0.01). Finally, it decreased CH4 emissions from dairy cows. These results provide compelling evidence that a diet supplemented with PSO can simultaneously increase CLA concentration and decrease CH4 production with no influence on the amount of milk fat (kg/day) in Holstein dairy cows.

Polymicrobial bloodstream infections per se do not increase mortality compared to monomicrobial bloodstream infections in sepsis patients: a Korean nationwide sepsis cohort study

BackgroundThere is limited information about the outcomes of polymicrobial bloodstream infections in patients with sepsis. We aimed to investigate outcomes of polymicrobial bloodstream infections compared to monomicrobial bloodstream infections.MethodsThis study used data from the Korean Sepsis Alliance Registry, a nationwide database of prospective observational sepsis cohort. Adult sepsis patients with bloodstream infections from September 2019 to December 2021 at 20 tertiary or university-affiliated hospitals in South Korea were analyzed.ResultsAmong the 3,823 patients with bloodstream infections, 429 of them (11.2%) had polymicrobial bloodstream infections. The crude hospital mortality of patients with sepsis with polymicrobial bloodstream infection and monomicrobial bloodstream infection was 35.7% and 30.1%, respectively (p = 0.021). However, polymicrobial bloodstream infections were not associated with hospital mortality in the proportional hazard analysis (HR 1.15 [0.97–1.36], p = 0.11). The inappropriate use of antibiotics was associated with increased mortality (HR 1.37 [1.19–1.57], p < 0.001), and source control was associated with decreased mortality (HR 0.51 [0.42–0.62], p < 0.001).ConclusionsPolymicrobial bloodstream infections per se were not associated with hospital mortality in patients with sepsis as compared to monomicrobial bloodstream infections. The appropriate use of antibiotics and source control were associated with decreased mortality in bloodstream infections regardless of the number of microbial pathogens.

(020) Does Climate Impact IPP Infection Risk? Assessment of Temperature and Dew Point on IPP Infections

Abstract Introduction Variations in climate have been associated with greater risk of surgical site infections, urinary tract infections, and changes in the skin microbiome. Although the pathogenic organisms for inflatable penile prosthesis (IPP) infections are commonly skin flora, limited data exists on the impact of climate on IPP infections. We sought to evaluate the impact of climate on the pathogenic organisms of IPP infections in a large international, multicenter cohort. Objectives To assess whether the time of the year, during which surgery was performed, affected device infections. Methods We performed a multi-institutional, retrospective study of patients undergoing IPP surgery. We then evaluated whether the month or season, during which surgery was performed, affected device infections. Additionally, we assessed the effect of temperature, dew point, and humidity on the microorganisms involved in implant infections. Infections were classified as Gram positive, Gram negative, or mixed (including a combination of Gram positive, Gram negative, and/or fungi). A univariate logistic regression analysis was undertaken. Results A total of 5289 patients with a mean age of 62.2 ± 10.8 years received IPP placement. A total of 103 (1.9%) infections were recorded. Overall, 38 (36.9%) infections were caused by Gram positive bacteria. An increase in temperature was associated with a higher risk of infection with Gram positive bacteria (OR: 1.03, 95% CI: 1 to 1.07, p = 0.035). No statistically significant differences were recorded in terms of season (p = 0.19) and month (p = 0.29). Conclusion Higher temperature is associated with greater risk of Gram positive infections whereas lower temperature and dew point were associated with a higher risk of mixed infections. These findings may help surgeons tailor antibiotic prophylaxis based on local climate. Disclosure No.

Alternative Oxidase: From Molecule and Function to Future Inhibitors.

In the respiratory chain of the majority of aerobic organisms, the enzyme alternative oxidase (AOX) functions as the terminal oxidase and has important roles in maintaining metabolic and signaling homeostasis in mitochondria. AOX endows the respiratory system with flexibility in the coupling among the carbon metabolism pathway, electron transport chain (ETC) activity, and ATP turnover. AOX allows electrons to bypass the main cytochrome pathway to restrict the generation of reactive oxygen species (ROS). The inhibition of AOX leads to oxidative damage and contributes to the loss of adaptability and viability in some pathogenic organisms. Although AOXs have recently been identified in several organisms, crystal structures and major functions still need to be explored. Recent work on the trypanosome alternative oxidase has provided a crystal structure of an AOX protein, which contributes to the structure-activity relationship of the inhibitors of AOX. Here, we review the current knowledge on the development, structure, and properties of AOXs, as well as their roles and mechanisms in plants, animals, algae, protists, fungi, and bacteria, with a special emphasis on the development of AOX inhibitors, which will improve the understanding of respiratory regulation in many organisms and provide references for subsequent studies of AOX-targeted inhibitors.

The relationship between autophagy and respiratory viruses.

Respiratory viruses have caused severe global health problems and posed essential challenges to the medical community. In recent years, the role of autophagy as a critical process in cells in viral respiratory diseases has been noticed. One of the vital catabolic biological processes in the body is autophagy. Autophagy contributes to energy recovery by targeting and selectively directing foreign microorganisms, organelles, and senescent intracellular proteins to the lysosome for degradation and phagocytosis. Activation or suppression of autophagy is often initiated when foreign pathogenic organisms such as viruses infect cells. Because of its antiviral properties, several viruses may escape or resist this process by encoding viral proteins. Viruses can also use autophagy to enhance their replication or prolong the persistence of latent infections. Here, we provide an overview of autophagy and respiratory viruses such as coronavirus, rhinovirus, parainfluenza, influenza, adenovirus, and respiratory syncytial virus, and examine the interactions between them and the role of autophagy in the virus-host interaction process and the resulting virus replication strategy.

Joint Fluid Cell Count in Acute Bacterial Arthritis Patients Proven Positive Culture in Children.

Acute bacterial arthritis (ABA) is a serious, pediatric infection that can result in motor comorbidities. Normally, a joint fluid white blood cell (WBC) count of 50,000 or more cells/mm 3 is used to make a presumptive diagnosis of ABA. This study evaluated the utility of the joint fluid WBC count for diagnosing pediatric ABA confirmed by a positive culture result. Patients with ABA between March 2010 and March 2023 at Tokyo Metropolitan Children's Medical Center were included. ABA was confirmed by positive joint fluid culture results for a pathogenic organism. Patients with negative results and those without a joint fluid WBC count were excluded. Electronic medical records were retrospectively reviewed for demographic data, timing of arthrocentesis, culture results and the joint fluid WBC count. Ninety-five patients with ABA were identified; of these, 22 were included. The median age was 5 years [interquartile range (IQR): 2-10 years]. Males comprised 55% of the population. The median joint fluid WBC count was 19,575 (IQR: 6806-47,388) cells/mm 3 , and 23% of the patients had 50,000 cells/mm 3 or more. The median time from symptom onset to arthrocentesis was 3 days (IQR: 2-5 days). The isolated organisms were methicillin-susceptible Staphylococcus aureus (50%), methicillin-resistant S. aureus (9%), Streptococcus pyogenes (27%), Streptococcus pneumoniae (5%), Klebsiella pneumoniae (5%) and Salmonella spp. (5%). Most of the patients with ABA confirmed by positive results of a joint fluid culture had a joint fluid WBC count of less than 50,000 cells/mm 3 .

Evaluation of Microbial Pathogens and Effect of Time on the Quality of Fermented African Oil Bean Seed

Evaluation of Microbial Pathogens and Effect of Time on the Quality of Fermented African Oil Bean Seed

Effect of Lactobacillus reuteri NCIMB 30351 drops on symptoms of infantile functional gastrointestinal disorders and gut microbiota in early infants: Results from a randomized, placebo-controlled clinical trial.

Infantile functional gastrointestinal disorders, such as colic, constipation, diarrhea, and gastroesophageal reflux (regurgitation), often occur in early infancy and, representing one of the causes of significant parental anxiety, lead to a significant strain on the healthcare resources. In this study, we aimed to evaluate the effects of Lactobacillus reuteri drops (L. reuteri NCIMB 30351) on the symptoms of infantile colic, constipation, diarrhea, and gastroesophageal reflux, as well as on the levels of intestinal microbiota in full-term newborns during the first months of life. A randomized, placebo-controlled, single-masked (blinded), post-marketing clinical study was conducted in two clinical units-Children's City Clinical Hospital of Moscow and Medical Center "St. Andrew's Hospitals-NEBOLIT" from March 2020 to May 2022 in 90 infants aged from 1 to 4months (mean age (± SD) 12.3 ± 5.09weeks; 53.3% females, 46.7% males). Patients with colic, regurgitation (single symptom or combination of several symptoms), and constipation or diarrhea were randomly allocated in two parallel arms to receive either 5 drops (2 × 108 colony forming unit) of L. reuteri NCIMB 30351 (n = 60) or masked placebo (n = 30) for 25 consecutive days. Two treatment arms had equal numbers of patients with constipation and diarrhea (n = 30 each). Daily crying times and their duration, evacuations, and regurgitations were recorded in a structured diary. The levels of gut microbiota were analyzed by deep sequencing of bacterial 16S rRNA gene. Infants with colic receiving supplementary L. reuteri NCIMB 30351 for 25days had significant reduction in the numbers of colic (change from baseline - 6.3 (7.34) vs - 3.0 (7.29) in placebo, P < 0.05) and numbers of crying cases and mean duration of crying (decrease from baseline - 144 (70.7) minutes, lower in the diarrhea subgroup than in constipation infants, compared with - 80 (58.9) in placebo, P < 0.0001), as well as regurgitation numbers (decreased by - 4.8 (2.49) with L. reuteri vs - 3 (7.74) with placebo). We also observed increased numbers of evacuations in infants with constipation (L. reuteri 2.2 (2.4) vs 0.9 (1.06) in placebo, P < 0.05). There was a remarkable reduction of evacuations in infants with diarrhea, while not statistically significant. The analysis of bacterial 16S rRNA gene in the collected samples showed that L. reuteri positively influences the proportions of prevalent species, while it negatively affects both conditionally pathogenic and commensal microbes. Additional in vitro test for formation of Clostridium colonies in the presence of the probiotic demonstrated that L. reuteri effectively inhibits the growth of pathogenic Clostridium species. No adverse events were reported in this study. Conclusion:The uptake of L. reuteri NCIMB 30351 leads to a significant reduction in the number of regurgitations, feeding-induced constipations, and diarrhea as well as mean daily numbers of crying and crying duration in infants during the first months of life. Our results suggest that L. reuteri NCIMB 30351 represents a safe and effective treatment for colic in newborns. Trial registration: ClinicalTrials.gov : NCT04262648. What is Known: • Infantile functional gastrointestinal disorders, such as colic, constipation, diarrhea, and gastroesophageal reflux (regurgitation), often occur in early infancy and, represent one of the causes of significant parental anxiety. • A number of studies have shown that both the composition and diversity of the intestinal microbiota play important roles in the development and function of the gastrointestinal tract. What is New: • The uptake of L. reuteri NCIMB 30351 leads to a significant reduction in the number of regurgitations, feeding-induced constipations, and diarrhea as well as mean daily numbers of crying and crying duration in infants during the first months of life. • L. reuteri positively influences the proportions of prevalent species, while it negatively affects both conditionally pathogenic and commensal microbes in gut microbiota.

Imaging in pulmonary infections of immunocompetent adult patients.

Pneumonia is a clinical syndrome characterised by fever, cough and alveolar infiltration of purulent fluid, caused by infection with a microbial pathogen. It can be caused by infections with bacteria, viruses or fungi, but a causative organism is identified in less than half of cases. The most common type of pneumonia is community-acquired pneumonia, which is caused by infections acquired outside the hospital. Current guidelines for pneumonia diagnosis require imaging to confirm the clinical suspicion of pneumonia. Thus, imaging plays an important role in both the diagnosis and management of pneumonia, with each modality having specific advantages and limitations. Chest radiographs are commonly used but have limitations in terms of sensitivity and specificity. Lung ultrasound shows high sensitivity and specificity. Computed tomography scans offer higher diagnostic accuracy but involve higher radiation doses. Radiological patterns, including lobar, lobular and interstitial pneumonia, provide valuable insights into causative pathogens and treatment decisions. Understanding these radiological patterns is crucial for accurate diagnosis. In this review, we will summarise the most important aspects pertaining to the role of imaging in pneumonia and will highlight the imaging characteristics of the most common causative organisms.

Synthesis, characterization of Schiff base metal complexes with 1, 3 propanediamine as secondary chelates and their DNA binding, DNA cleavage, cytotoxicity, antioxidant and activities

A series of Cu(II), Co(II), Ni(II), and Zn(II) complexes were synthesised from ternary Schiff base ligand (ts) and 1,3-propanediamine (pda). These complexes were characterised using analytical and spectroscopic techniques. All these metal complexes have an octahedral geometry, which is supported by spectro-analytical experimental data. The fabricated Schiff base coordinates with the metal via imine nitrogen, a phenolic oxygen atom, and carboxylate anion as a monobasic tridentate. Thermal properties were also investigated. Antimicrobial studies were carried out against fungi and pathogenic (bacterial) organisms and a good zone of inhibition was observed irrespective of complexes. Free radical scavenging assays were performed by DPPH and H2O2 methods. The results of these two studies revealed that the Cu(II) and Zn(II) complexes were more active. The binding mode of calf thymus (Ct-DNA) to the metal complexes was analysed by the electronic absorption spectroscopy and viscosity measurement study. The findings revealed that the complex bound with DNA via a groove with electrostatic interactionand the copper complex showed a higher binding constant value. Cytotoxicity of the Schiff base and its complexes were evaluated with the breast cancer (MCF-7) cell line and all complexes exhibited moderate toxicity.

Comparative Analysis of the Avirulence Effectors Produced by the Fungal Stem Rust Pathogen of Wheat.

Crops are constantly exposed to pathogenic microbes. Rust fungi are examples of these harmful microorganisms, which have a major economic impact on wheat production. To protect themselves from pathogens like rust fungi, plants employ a multilayered immune system that includes immunoreceptors encoded by resistance genes. Significant efforts have led to the isolation of numerous resistance genes against rust fungi in cereals, especially in wheat. However, the evolution of virulence of rust fungi hinders the durability of resistance genes as a strategy for crop protection. Rust fungi, like other biotrophic pathogens, secrete an arsenal of effectors to facilitate infection, and these are the molecules that plant immunoreceptors target for pathogen recognition and mounting defense responses. When recognized, these effector proteins are referred to as avirulence (Avr) effectors. Despite the many predicted effectors in wheat rust fungi, only five Avr genes have been identified, all from wheat stem rust. Knowledge of the Avr genes and their variation in the fungal population will inform deployment of the most appropriate wheat disease-resistance genes for breeding and farming. The review provides an overview of methodologies as well as the validation techniques that have been used to characterize Avr effectors from wheat stem rust. [Formula: see text] Copyright © 2024 The Author(s). This is an open access article distributed under the CC BY 4.0 International license.

SYNTHESIS AND BIOLOGICAL COMPARISON OF TWO ANTIMICROBIAL PEPTIDES ORIGINATED FROM THE VENOM OF VESPA CRABRO AND POLYBIA PAULISTA

Bee venom is abundant in potential antimicrobial peptides, AMPs, . Among them, Mastoparan C and Polybia-MP1 are two well-known AMPs that were found in the European Hornet Vespa crabro and social wasp Polybia paulista, respectively. Due to the potent antimicrobial activity toward a wide range of microbial pathogens, including Gram-negative, Gram-positive and fungal species, they are promising to tackle the global antimicrobial resistance crisis. Thus, understanding the structure and activity relationships (SARs) is essential for the development of potential therapeutic applications. In this study, we synthesized and compared the differences in biological properties of these two antimicrobial peptides. The preliminary data suggests various important information regarding the structural requirements for optimizing the pharmacological properties of antimicrobial peptides.

Silencing of early auxin responsive genes MdGH3-2/12 reduces the resistance to Fusarium solani in apple1

Apple replant disease (ARD) has led to severe yield and quality reduction in the apple industry. Fusarium solani (F. solani) has been identified as one of the main microbial pathogens responsible for ARD. Auxin (indole-3-acetic acid, IAA), as an endogenous hormone in plants, is involved in almost all plant growth and development processes and plays a role in plant immunity against pathogens. Gretchen Hagen3 (GH3) is one of the early/primary auxin response genes. The aim of this study was to evaluate the function of MdGH3-2 and MdGH3-12 in the defense response of F. solani by treating MdGH3-2/12 RNAi plants with F. solani. These results show that under F. solani infection, RNAi of MdGH3-2/12 inhibited plant biomass accumulation and aggravated root damage. After inoculation of F. solani, MdGH3-2/12 RNAi inhibited the biosynthesis of acid-amido synthetase. This led to the inhibition of free IAA combining with amino acid, resulting in excessive free IAA accumulation. Excessive free IAA alters plant tissue structure, accelerates fungal hyphal invasion, reduced the activity of antioxidant enzymes (SOD, POD and CAT) and increased reactive oxygen species (ROS) level, reduced total chlorophyll content and photosynthetic ability, while regulating the expression of PR-related genes including PR1, PR4, PR5 and PR8. It also changed the content of plant hormones and amino acids, and ultimately decreased the resistance to F. solani. In conclusion, these results demonstrate that MdGH3-2 and MdGH3-12 play an important role in F. solani tolerance to ARD.

ZnO nanoparticles: A sustainable fabrication enhanced by eggshell waste and its germicidal, anti‐proliferative, and photodecomposition properties

AbstractRecently, there has been a lot of interest in the fabrication of metal oxide nanoparticles (NPs) due to the growing importance of developing recyclable assets, affordable methods, sustainable substances, and safe compounds. The current study demonstrates the environmentally friendly fabrication of ZnO NPs through the use of an aqueous extract derived from discarded eggshells. The analysis of ZnO NPs involved the use of UV, x‐ray diffraction (XRD), Fourier‐transform infrared spectroscopy (FT‐IR), and field‐emission scanning electron microscopy (FE‐SEM) with EDX techniques. The anti‐germs effects of fabricated NPs on pathogens were investigated using the agar diffusion technique. The cell‐damaging effects were assessed using the MTT assay, whereas the photodecomposition capacity was examined with Congo red and methylene blue dye. X‐ray diffraction analysis revealed the existence of tetragonal crystal morphology. The generated ZnO NPs have a crystallite size of 17.6 nm. According to FE‐SEM examination, the created sample's average grain size has been determined to be between 20 and 30 nm. The sustainable production of ZnO NPs showed remarkable anti‐germs properties against human pathogenic organisms and had good efficacy in damaging Osteosarcoma cell lines (MG‐63) during the experiment. Additionally, it emerged that the manifestation of remarkable catalytic efficiency fell by 78.1% after 60 min for methylene blue. Based on the findings, it has been determined that sustainable production of ZnO NPs shows great potential across multiple fields such as anti‐germs, anti‐proliferative, and photodecomposition properties.

Effect of Buteyko breathing technique on peak expiratory flow rate in patients undergone upper abdominal surgery

Upper abdominal surgery (UAS) alters postoperative pulmonary function, as observed by impairment of lung volumes such as total lung capacity, vital capacity. Impaired clearance of sputum results in a vicious cycle of colonization and infection of bronchi with pathogenic organisms, dilation of bronchi and further sputum production. Ten patients undergone UAS were assigned randomly in two groups equally; their ages ranged from 23 to 60 years. The group A received Buteyko breathing. The data were collected before and after the same treatment period for both groups. The evaluation procedure was carried out to measure peak expiratory flow meter. Post treatment evaluation showed a significant difference in peak expiratory flow meter in both groups but in the favor of group A. Post treatment result showed a significant difference within the group. The post treatment value of group A was 272 which was better than group B which was 172. Combination of Buteyko breathing with conventional physiotherapy were considered to be an effective exercise for postoperative pulmonary complications after upper abdominal surgeries.

Rapid risk assessment of plant pathogenic bacteria and protists likely to threaten agriculture, biodiversity and forestry in Zambia

A prioritisation study was conducted to address the lack of adequate information about potential pests likely to be introduced in Zambia and become invasive. The study was conducted by subject matter experts from relevant institutions in and outside Zambia. Although this study focused on major pest categories, this paper only addresses bacteria and Protista. A list of 306 bacterial and 10 Protista species adjudged to affect plants was generated using CABI’s Horizon Scanning Tool. The 316 (total) pest species were refined to focus on pests that affect value chains important to Zambia’s economy. This resulted in a final list of 133 bacteria and eight Protista. Four additional bacteria species considered of phytosanitary interest were added and all 137 bacteria and eight Protista species were subjected to a rapid risk assessment using agreed guidelines. Vectors reported to transmit any of the pathogenic organisms were also subjected to a risk assessment. A proportion of 53% (n = 77 of 145) comprising 73 bacteria and four Protista species were reported as present in Africa. Of these, 42 (57%, n = 73) bacterial species and two (n=4) Protista species were reported in neighbouring countries. Considering a cut-off of 54, the highest scoring pests were 40 bacteria (highest score of 140) and three Protista (highest score of 125). Three actions were suggested for high-scoring pests, a detection surveillance, a pest-initiated pest risk analysis (PRA) or a detection surveillance followed by pest-initiated PRA. A “no action” was suggested where the risk was very low although, for some pathogenic organisms, a “no action” was followed by periodic monitoring. This information will contribute towards proactive prevention and management of biological invasions.

Total Infectome Characterization of Respiratory Infections during the 2022-23 COVID-19 Outbreak in China Revealed Extensive Coinfections with Links to SARS-CoV-2 Status, Age, and Disease Severity.

Between 7 December 2022 and 28 February 2023, China experienced a new wave of COVID-19 that swept across the entire country and resulted in an increasing amount of respiratory infections and hospitalizations. The purpose of this study is to reveal the intensity and composition of coinfecting microbial agents. In total, 196 inpatients were recruited from The Third People's Hospital of Shenzhen, and 169 respiratory and 73 blood samples were collected for metagenomic next-generation sequencing. The total "Infectome" was characterized and compared across different groups defined by the SARS-CoV-2 detection status, age groups, and severity of disease. Our results revealed a total of 22 species of pathogenic microbes (4 viruses, 13 bacteria, and 5 fungi), and more were discovered in the respiratory tract than in blood. The diversity of the total infectome was highly distinguished between respiratory and blood samples, and it was generally higher in patients that were SARS-CoV-2-positive, older in age, and with more severe disease. At the individual pathogen level, HSV-1 seemed to be the major contributor to these differences observed in the overall comparisons. Collectively, this study reveals the highly complex respiratory infectome and high-intensity coinfection in patients admitted to the hospital during the period of the 2023 COVID-19 pandemic in China.

Clinical analysis of infectious endophthalmitis following glaucoma filtration surgery

BackgroundThis study aimed to evaluate the clinical correlative factors and outcomes of treatment of bleb-associated endophthalmitis (BAE) following glaucoma filtration surgery in a Chinese population from the year 2012 to 2022, and to compare them with the clinical course during the coronavirus disease (COVID-19) pandemic period.MethodsThis was a retrospective analysis of consecutive cases of BAE treated at the Eye & ENT Hospital of Fudan University, Shanghai, China, between January 1, 2012, and December 31, 2022. The clinical presentation, treatment modality, microbiological data, clinical course, and outcomes of visual acuity (VA) and intraocular pressure (IOP) in all BAE cases were collected and analyzed.ResultsA total of 28 eyes with BAE were examined, predominantly in male patients (71.4%, p = 0.023). Most patients underwent trabeculectomy (89.3%, p ≤ 0.001), while a smaller proportion underwent Ex-PRESS implantation (10.7%). Primary open-angle glaucoma (POAG) was the most common type of glaucoma (39.3%, p ≤ 0.001). Most patients (96.4%) presented with poor visual acuity, worse than 20/400, and IOP ranged from 3–60 mmHg. Treatment, including initial tap-and-inject procedure of antibiotics (Ceftazidime and Norvancomycin) or initial pars plana vitrectomy (PPV), was initiated 5.0 ± 7.1 days after BAE onset. Streptococcus was the most common causative organism (53.6% of cases, p ≤ 0.001). The visual acuity significantly improved from 2.58 ± 0.27 to 2.14 ± 0.85 (reported in logMAR) after treatment (p ≤ 0.001), and most patients maintained normal tension during follow-up. Poisson regression model analysis showed the annual incidence of BAE during the COVID-19 pandemic period was significantly twice greater than that of previous years.ConclusionsBAE may cause irreversible visual impairment. POAG filtering surgery with male sex and the COVID-19 pandemic period might be potentially relevant factors for BAE. Culture positivity was closely related to BAE prognosis, with Streptococcus species being the leading pathogenic organisms. Online outpatient services, early diagnosis, and timely treatment may rescue vision and maintain IOP control in the presence of BAE.