Prevalence Of Bacterial Pathogens Research Articles

Prevalence of bacterial pathogens in bivalve shellfish harvested from the brackish waters of Niger Delta, Nigeria

The presence of bacterial pathogens in bivalve shellfish harvested from the marine ecosystem globally has continued to raise serious food safety concerns, thereby undermining the nutritional and health benefits derived from their consumption. Four species of bivalve shellfish: Bloody cockle (Anadara senilis), Donax clam (Donax rugosus), Knife clam (Tagelus adansonaii) and Mangrove oyster (Crassosstra gasar) harvested from the brackish waters of the Niger Delta were assessed for their bacterial pathogens. Standard methods of analysis were employed to assess microbiological hazards accumulated by shellfish species. The results of the microbiological analysis revealed that the total viable count (TVC) was lower than the recommended limit (5.7 log cfu/g) for fresh bivalve shellfish while Vibrio cholerae, Vibrio parahaemolyticus, Salmonellaspp, Shigellaspp, Listeria monocytogenes and E. coli were far above the stipulated FDA standard for molluscian shellfish. The loads of microbiological hazards in bivalve species indicated that in all the locations, Bloody cockle and Donax clam accumulated more bacterial pathogens while the samples harvested from Ibeno and Iko Town brackish waters were lower in pathogenic loads when compared to shellfish harvested from Andoni and Bonny location. The result obtained in this study is of public health importance since, it will serve as a guide towards improved processing techniques and stimulate actions towards the development of novel surveillance as well as, prevention and control strategies, that will help to reduce foodborne disease outbreaks associated with shellfish.

Prevalence of Bacterial Pathogens and Antimicrobial Susceptibility Profile in Stools of Typhoid Fever Patients Under Modern or Alternative Treatment in The City of Yaoundé

Prevalence of Bacterial Pathogens and Antimicrobial Susceptibility Profile in Stools of Typhoid Fever Patients Under Modern or Alternative Treatment in The City of Yaoundé

Antibiogram of Catheter Associated Bacterial Pathogens in Urinary Tract Infection among Pediatrics Patients in Pakistan

Background: Antimicrobial resistant (AMR) pathogens causing Urinary Tract infection is a serious public health concern in our clinical setting. Methodology: Therefore the current study was designed to investigate AMR profiles and prevalence of bacterial pathogens in catheterized pediatric patients. A total of 200 catheter tips were collected from the different wards (medical, surgical, urology) at the Children’s hospital Faisalabad. Samples were streaked on nutrient agar plates and the positivity of the samples was noted after 24 hours. Positive samples were processed further for the identification of K. pneumoniae, P. aeruginosa, S. aureus, and E. coli using culture identification, microscopy, and biochemical profiling on basis of culture characterization, microscopy, and biochemical profiling and antibiotic susceptibility testing. Results: 76 (38%) of the samples showed growth on nutrient agar. In processed samples, the high prevalence was marked for P. aeruginosa (24/200; 12%) followed by E. coli (22/200; 11%) and S. aureus (19/200; 9.5%) while 11 K. pneumoniae isolates (5.5%) were identified in this study. In antibiotic susceptibility profiling of P. aeruginosa highest susceptibility was found for colistin (100%) and imipenem (70.83%) followed by gentamicin (54.17%) while the highest resistance was found for tobramycin (54.17%) followed by meropenem, ceftazidime, and cefotaxime (50%). In antibiotic susceptibility profiling of K. pneumonia highest susceptibility was found for colistin (100%) and imipenem (72.73%) followed by gentamicin and ciprofloxacin (45.45%) while the highest resistance was found for cefotaxime (63.63%) followed by meropenem, tobramycin and amikacin (54.54%). In antibiotic susceptibility profiling of E. coli highest susceptibility was found for colistin (100%) and imipenem (63.64%) followed by ciprofloxacin (54.55%) while the highest resistance was found for gentamicin (54.55%) followed by tobramycin, meropenem, ceftazidime, and amikacin (50%). In antibiotic susceptibility profiling of S. aureus highest susceptibility was found for vancomycin (100%) clindamycin, cefoxitin, and trimethoprim-sulfamethoxazole (57.89%) while the highest resistance was found for erythromycin and ampicillin (47.37%). Conclusion: Advance studies are needed to investigate the real investigations of bacterial contamination; resistance to treatment options and resistance to antibiotics are needed.

Prevalence of enteric bacterial pathogens in diarrheic under-five children and their association with the nutritional status in Bahir Dar Zuria District, Northwest Ethiopia

BackgroundDiarrheal disease is one of the leading causes of child mortality in low and middle-income countries. Low nutritional status and bacterial infections contribute to growth deficiency and death in children. But there is a gap in identifying the bacterial etiology of diarrheal diseases and their association with the nutritional status of under-five children. This study aimed to determine the bacterial etiology of diarrheal diseases and their association with the nutritional status of diarrheic under-five children.MethodsA cross-sectional study was carried out from February 2021 to March 2022 at seven Health Centers in Bahir Dar Zuria district, Ethiopia. A total of 196 diarrheic under-five children visiting the health centers were included in the study. Stool samples were collected from each child for the isolation of Salmonella, Shigella, and E.coli O157:H7. The demographic characteristics and symptoms of children were obtained from parents/guardians. The weight, height, and age of each child were recorded and anthropometric indices were determined by WHO Anthro version 3.2.2 software. The association between bacterial prevalence and the nutritional status of children was analyzed by SPSS version 26 software using Binary logistic regression. All analyses were conducted at a 95% confidence interval and significant association was determined using a p-value < 0.05.ResultsOf the total children included in the study, 13.1% had either E.coli O157:H7, Shigella, or Salmonella. Watery diarrhea and fever were the most clinical characteristics observed in children who are positive for enteric bacteria. The prevalence of stunted, underweight, and wasted was 56.6%, 24.4%, and 13.2% respectively. Children with wasting were significantly associated with Salmonella detection (OR = 7.2, CI, 1.38–38.1, P = 0.02) whereas stunted and underweight were not associated with bacterial prevalence.ConclusionOverall, the prevalence of bacterial pathogens in the study area is high. Stunting, wasting, and being underweight are important nutritional deficits of diarrheic under-five children in the study site. Further studies targeting possible sources of bacteria and determinants of malnutrition in children are suggested. Health sectors found in the district should increase their effort to enhance good nutritional practice through health education and treatment of malnourished children by the provision of micronutrients.

Magnitude of antibiotic resistant bacterial colonization of women attending HIV clinic in Lagos, Nigeria

Opportunistic infections due microorganisms particularly bacteria have posed a threat and thus an addition burden on the management of human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) infections worldwide. The high prevalence of bacterial pathogens and the emergence of multiple drug resistance among such bacteria call for serious concern. Bacteriological examination of 320 women attending HIV clinics was carried out using standard microbiological techniques. The antimicrobial susceptibility testing was carried out by the disc diffusion technique by Bauer and CLSI. Of the 320 women, 200 (62.5%) had bacteria, 120 women were confirmed as HIV positive. Ninety (75%) of these women had both HIV-1 and HIV-2, twenty (16.7%) had only HIV-1 and 10 (8.3%) had only HIV-2. Staphylococcus aureus and Escherichia coli were the predominant bacteria. Antibiogram of the bacterial isolates determined by using the Kirby Bauer disk diffusion showed that most of them were susceptible to augmentin, gentamicin, peflacin, ciprofloxacin, ofloxacin and amoxicillin but were highly resistant to commonly used, over-the-counter drugs like chloramphenicol, tetracycline and streptomycin. This thus poses additional burden on the healthcare system in its attempt to manage HIV using anti-retroviral drugs among other methods, along with immunity enhancing drugs while the search for HIV vaccines still continues.

Compare the Effectiveness of Honey Dressing Vs Existing Dressing Practices on Wound Healing, Wound Infection and Pain among Patients with Diabetic Foot Ulcer in Selected Hospital, Kanyakumari District

Patients with diabetes are at great risk of developing lower extremity ulcers. The management of diabetic foot ulcers typically includes early recognition and appropriate clinical care. Recent advances in wound treatment include honey dressing, which has been successful in diabetic wounds. The present study was conducted to compare the effectiveness of honey dressing Vs existing dressing practices on wound healing, wound infection and pain among patients with Diabetic foot ulcer in selected hospital, Kanyakumari District. The objectives of this study were, to compare the effectiveness of honey dressing Vs existing dressing practices on wound healing, wound infection and pain among patients with diabetic foot ulcer in study group I and II, to correlate between wound healing, wound infection and pain among patients with diabetic foot ulcer in study group I and II, and to associate the post interventional levels of wound healing, wound infection and pain among patients with diabetic foot ulcer with selected socio demographic and clinical variables. The secondary objectives of the study were to find out the prevalence of bacterial pathogens among patients with diabetic foot ulcer in study group I and II, to determine the chemical composition and antibacterial properties of honey, to evaluate the effectiveness of Information booklet on diabetic foot ulcer management upon knowledge among patients in study group I and II and to infer the cost of diabetic foot ulcer management in study group I and II. The major findings of the study were, there was statistically significant improvement in wound healing between day 1 and day 15 in study group I (t=12.37 p&lt;0.0001). There was statistically significant improvement in wound healing between day 1 and day 15 in study group II (t=5.9108 p&lt;0.0001). The post test score reveals that the mean score of day 15 for study group I was 19.39 and for study group II, it was 15.88. Therefore, it concludes that there is significant difference between study group I and II with respect to wound healing. Mean level of wound healing of study group I are better than study group II. There was statistically significant reduction in level of pain between Day 1 and Day 15 in study group I (t=26.93 p&lt;0.0001). There was statistically significant reduction in level of pain between Day 1 and Day 16 in study group II (t=14.52 p&lt;0.0001). The mean score of day 15 for honey dressing group was 1.24 and for existing dressing group it was 2.72. Also, it shows that P value is less than 0.01. Therefore, it concludes that there is significant difference between study group I and II with respect to level of pain. Mean level of pain of study group I are better than study group II. Keywords : Honey Dressing, Dressing, Wound Healing, Wound Infection, Pain, Patients, Diabetic, Ulcer, Hospital,

Potential application of bacteriocins for sustainable aquaculture

AbstractThe emergence and prevalence of bacterial pathogens in freshwater aquaculture systems is a growing concern as the economic losses associated with diseases are mounting and impacting the fishery sector. One way of controlling fish mortality and morbidity is using bacteriocin‐secreting probiotics, which are generally considered safe without any adverse effects that usually accompany other treatment strategies. Understanding the mode of action of bacteriocin on pathogens is vital for considering them suitable for application as a prophylactic in aquaculture. Although several measures such as antibiotic treatment, chemotherapy, vaccination, etc., are available, though not without concerns, these methods have limitations for field‐level applications since they result in several adverse effects both for the animals and the aquatic environment affecting several species in the food chain. In this situation, the use of bacteriocin can be an excellent alternative to minimize the disease burden in freshwater aquaculture if delivered appropriately. Here, we provide an update on the various bacteriocins and their mode of action against important pathogens encountered in aquaculture.

Neonatal sepsis-causing bacterial pathogens and outcome of trends of their antimicrobial susceptibility a 20-year period at a neonatal intensive care unit.

BackgroundDue to increases in the number of infants born with younger gestational age (GA) and lower birth weight, the incidence of neonatal sepsis is increasing.PurposeWe investigated the changes in the prevalence of bacterial pathogens, their antimicrobial susceptibility, and sepsis-related mortality during 20 years at a neonatal intensive care unit.MethodsThe study period was divided into two 10-year phases (1998–2007 vs. 2008–2017). Medical records were reviewed to gather data on demographics, causative microbial pathogens, incidence of multidrug-resistant organisms, antimicrobial susceptibility, and rates of sepsis-related mortality.ResultsIn both study phases, the most common pathogens for neonatal sepsis were coagulase-negative Staphylococcus (CoNS) (28.6%) and Enterobacter cloacae (16.1%) for early-onset sepsis (EOS, ≤72 hours after birth) and CoNS (54.7%) and Staphylococcus aureus (12.9%) for late-onset sepsis (LOS, >72 hours after birth). CoNS and S. aureus showed 100% sensitivity to vancomycin in both phases. The susceptibility of S. aureus to oxacillin increased from 19.2% to 57.9% in phase II than phase I. K. pneumonia and E. cloacae showed increases in its susceptibility to gentamicin, cefotaxime and ceftriaxone in phase II than phase I. In both phases, the most common pathogens that caused sepsis-related death were K. pneumoniae (18.2%) and Pseudomonas aeruginosa (13.6%). Sepsis-related mortality rate was higher in infants with GA <37 weeks than those with GA over 37 weeks (P=0.016). In addition, the mortality rate of neonatal sepsis caused by gram-negative bacteria was significantly higher than that caused by gram-positive bacteria (P<0.001).ConclusionsCoNS was the most common pathogen for EOS and LOS. While we found significant changes in antimicrobial sensitivities over time. GA below 37 weeks and gram-negative organisms are associated with mortality rate.

156. Evaluation of Trends in Antimicrobial Use and Proportion of Culture Positive Gram-Negative/Gram-Positive Pathogens Comparing Prior to and During the SARS-CoV-2 Pandemic: A Multicenter Evaluation

BackgroundIncreased risk for bacterial co-infections has been described in the pathogenesis of primary viral infections. We evaluated trends in incidence of antibiotic use (abx) and culture positive Gram negative/Gram positive (GN/GP) pathogens in US hospitalized patients prior to and quarterly during the SARS-CoV-2 pandemic.Table. Trends in antimicrobial use, duration, and positive GN/GP pathogen results. MethodsWe conducted a multi-center, retrospective cohort analysis of all hospitalized patients from 241 US acute care facilities with >1-day inpatient admission between 7/1/19-5/15/21 in the BD Insights Research Database (Franklin Lakes, NJ USA). SARS-CoV-2 infection was defined as a positive PCR during or ≤7 days prior to hospitalization. Admissions with abx prescribed ≥24 hrs and a GN/GP non-contaminant, positive culture were evaluated.ResultsDuring the pre-pandemic period (7/19 – 2/20) 30% (600,116/2,001,793) admissions were prescribed abx ≥ 24 hrs and 5.3% were positive for a GN/GP pathogen (Table 1). During the SARS-CoV-2 pandemic, abx use ≥ 24 hrs (66.2%) and positive GN/GP culture (8.4%) was highest in SARS-CoV-2 positive patients followed by patients negative for SARS-CoV-2 (abx ≥ 24 hrs 36.7%; GN/GP pathogens 6.8%), and SARS-CoV-2 not tested (abx ≥ 24 hrs 27.5%; GN/GP pathogens 4.5%). GN/GP positive culture was consistent by quarter during the pandemic for SARS-CoV-2 positive patients, whereas SARS-CoV-2 negative and not tested patients had the highest proportion of antibiotics received and positive pathogens in the first three months of pandemic. SARS-CoV-2 positive patients with positive GN/GP culture had the longest median abx duration. (Table 1) The prevalence of abx usage was highest in all groups for all abx during the early pandemic and then declined over time with the largest declines in SARS-CoV-2 positive patients. (Table 2)ConclusionThis study highlights the impact of viral infections on both prescribing practices and prevalence of bacterial pathogens. Approximately two-thirds of SARS-CoV-2 positive patients received an antibiotic despite a low percentage of positive cultures, however aggregate antimicrobial use overall was similar prior to compared to during the SARS-CoV-2 pandemic. These data may inform opportunities for stewardship programs and antibiotic prescribing in the current and future viral pandemics.Disclosures Laura A. Puzniak, PhD, Merck & Co., Inc. (Employee) Karri A. Bauer, PharmD, Merck & Co., Inc. (Employee, Shareholder) Kalvin Yu, MD, BD (Employee) Vikas Gupta, PharmD, BCPS, Becton, Dickinson and Company (Employee, Shareholder)

English

BACKGROUND Pharyngotonsillitis is defined as a spectrum of conditions ranging from inflammation primarily confined to the tonsils to pharyngitis implying generalized inflammation of the whole of pharynx. Children are more prone to get several episodes of pharyngotonsillitis per year during their school years. Pharyngitis caused by Streptococcus pyogenes can cause two non-suppurative complications, acute rheumatic fever and acute glomerulonephritis which is responsible for significant morbidity and mortality. The present study was conducted to identify the prevalence of bacterial pathogens causing pharyngotonsillitis and to study their antibiotic sensitivity pattern that would indicate the optimum line of treatment. METHOD A total of 200 children at the age group of 2 - 12 years who had clinical features of pharyngotonsillitis according to the inclusion criteria were recruited for this study over a period of one year. With the help of a disposable wooden spatula, pus from the pharyngo tonsillar region was collected and processed. Predominant isolates obtained were identified and antibiotic sensitivity was done. RESULTS Bacteria was isolated from 70 samples. Pharyngotonsillitis was found most prevalent at the age group of 8 – 10 years. Intake of cold food stuffs and passive smoking at home was found to have statistically significant association as risk factor for pharyngotonsillitis. Staphylococcus aureus was the most common organism isolated followed by Streptococcus pyogenes. The other organisms isolated were group G and C streptococci, Streptococcus pneumoniae, Pseudomonas aeruginosa and Klebsiella pneumonia sub species (spp) aerogenes. CONCLUSIONS Staphylococcus aureus was the most common organism isolated, followed by Streptococcus pyogenes. All the isolates of beta haemolytic streptococci were found to be sensitive to penicillin. There was increased incidence of resistance to macrolides among the gram-positive isolates except Streptococcus pneumoniae and it may be due to the wide spread use of macrolides injudiciously. All the bacterial pharyngotonsillitis cases were cured with the antibiotic given according to the sensitivity except one case. KEYWORDS Pharyngotonsillitis, Acute Rheumatic Fever, Acute Glomerulonephritis, Bacterial Pathogens, Antibiogram

Prevalence and Antimicrobial susceptibility of Pathogenic Bacteria in Tilapia zilli and Mugil capito

A total of 300 marine fishes of two different species represented as (150) tilapia Zilli and 150 mugil capito) were freshly collected randomly from the different markets in the Ismailia governorate, during different seasons. The samples were subjected to full clinical, postmortem, and bacteriological studies. The common clinical signs were darkness in the skin, hemorrhage in the base of fins, eyes & different parts of the body, abdominal distention, congestion in gills, and increase in mucous secretion. The postmortem finding showed white serous fluid tinged with blood in the abdominal cavity and pale or congested liver, kidney, and spleen. The result indicated that the prevalence of bacterial pathogens among naturally infected marine fishes were Aeromonas hydrophila 91 isolates (39.39%), V. alginolyticus 67 isolates (29%), P. fluorescens 42 isolates (18.18%), V. fluvialis 17 isolates (7.4%), P.aeruginosa 14 (6.06%). The result of the antibiogram revealed that Aeromonas hydrophila is highly sensitive to ciprofloxacin, while ciprofloxacin and rifampicin are more effective against P. fluorescence, also ciprofloxacin and amikacin against P. aeruginosa, while V. alginolyticus was highly sensitive to oxytetracycline and rifampicin. Ciprofloxacin and naldixic acid more effective against V. fluvialis

Microbiological Assessment of Ready-to-Eat Food Sold in Urban Primary Schools, Douala, Littoral Region, Cameroon

Ready-to-eat (RTE) food sold to school going children at school premises can not only provide essential nutrient and energy but also a route for foodborne diseases (FBD). However, there is a paucity of data on microbiological assessment of RTE food sold in primary schools in Douala. The aims of this study was to investigate the microbiological quality of food sold in primary schools and to evaluated the food safety knowledge and practice of vendors to promote a safer school-based food for a better health and well-being of our children. Socio-demographic characteristics and the hygienic practices of 60 RTE food vendors were collected using structured questionnaire. A total of 60 food samples from three different food items (beans, spaghetti and meat) were analyzed for the presence of bacterial and fungal pathogens. Twenty-five grams of each food sample was transferred in to 225 ml of buffered peptone water and homogenized. The homogenates were serially dilute and a volume of 0.1 ml dilution was spread on solid media and incubated at 35-37°C for 24 hours and 5 days. Antibiotic susceptibility testing was done for isolated species using Muller Hinton agar and data was entered in excel and exported to SPSS version 20.0. For analysis. The overall prevalence of bacterial pathogens was 23.1% (26/60) and the total mean enterobacteriaceae count (MEC) was 8.203333x10⁴ CFU/ml in which the value ranged from 3.4 x10⁴–2.06 x 10⁵ CFU/ml. The total mean fungal count (MFC) was 1.0341x10⁵ CFU/g which varied from 0 –2.8x10⁵ CFU/ml. Of the total of 60 samples examined, 93.3% (56/60) were found positive for S. aureus of which 15% (09/60) of isolates were contaminated. Citrobacter freundii was isolated in 23.4% (14/60) of RTE food. The greatest number of S. aureus was found in beans and the lowest number in spaghetti. These findings indicated that, the ready-to-eat food sold to primary school children in Douala metropolis represent an important potential health risk to school going children. There is a need for Public Health authority to establish guidelines and standards in order to safeguard the wellbeing of the school going children.

Comprehensive Host Cell-Based Screening Assays for Identification of Anti-Virulence Drugs Targeting Pseudomonas aeruginosa and Salmonella Typhimurium.

The prevalence of bacterial pathogens being resistant to antibiotic treatment is increasing worldwide, leading to a severe global health challenge. Simultaneously, the development and approval of new antibiotics stagnated in the past decades, leading to an urgent need for novel approaches to avoid the spread of untreatable bacterial infections in the future. We developed a highly comprehensive screening platform based on quantification of pathogen driven host-cell death to detect new anti-virulence drugs targeting Pseudomonas aeruginosa (Pa) and Salmonella enterica serovar Typhimurium (ST), both known for their emerging antibiotic resistance. By screening over 10,000 small molecules we could identify several substances showing promising effects on Pa and ST pathogenicity in our in vitro infection model. Importantly, we could detect compounds potently inhibiting bacteria induced killing of host cells and one novel comipound with impact on the function of the type 3 secretion system (T3SS) of ST. Thus, we provide proof of concept data of rapid and feasible medium- to high-throughput drug screening assays targeting virulence mechanisms of two major Gram-negative pathogens.

P115 Prevalence of bacterial pathogens in respiratory secretions of cystic fibrosis patients in Argentina

P115 Prevalence of bacterial pathogens in respiratory secretions of cystic fibrosis patients in Argentina

In Vitro Biofilm Formation and Antibiotic Susceptibility Patterns of Bacteria from Suspected External Eye Infected Patients Attending Ophthalmology Clinic, Southwest Ethiopia.

Background Ocular disease with its complications is a major public health problem which has significant impacts on the quality of life particularly in developing countries. An eye infection due to bacterial agents can lead to reduced vision and blindness. This study was aimed to assess the antimicrobial susceptibility pattern and biofilm-forming potential of bacteria isolated from suspected external eye infected patients in Jimma. Method A cross-sectional facility-based study was conducted on 319 suspect patients with external eye infections from March to June 2017 at Jimma University Medical Center (JUMC) Ophthalmology Department in Ethiopia. External ocular specimens were collected and standard operating procedures were followed to handle and culture throughout the study period. Antimicrobial susceptibility was determined by the disk diffusion method according to CLSI guidelines. Microtiter (96 wells) plate method was used to screen biofilm formation by ELISA reader at 570 nm. Results Out of 319 study participants with an external eye infection, the prevalence of bacterial pathogens was 46.1%. The predominant bacterial isolates were coagulase-negative staphylococcus (CoNS) (27.7%) followed by Staphylococcus aureus (19.7%). Among Gram-negative groups, Pseudomonas aeruginosa (6.8%) was the leading isolate. Increased antimicrobial resistance was observed for tetracycline (64%), erythromycin (66.7%), and penicillin (77.1%). Amoxicillin-clavulanic acid, ciprofloxacin, and gentamicin were the most effective drugs for external eye infections due to susceptibility ranging from 70 to 100% among both Gram-negative and Gram-positive groups. Methicillin-resistant S. aureus (MRSA) accounted for 13.8%. Multidrug resistance (MDR) accounted for 68.7%. The overall biofilm formation rate of bacterial ocular pathogens was 66.1%, where P. aeruginosa (40%), CoNS (34.1%), and S. aureus (31%) formed strong biofilm phenotype. Conclusion The prevalence rate of bacterial isolates was high. Almost all bacterial isolates were resistant to at least one or more drugs. MDR pathogens were observed increasingly among biofilm formers or vice versa.

Prevalence of Bacterial Pathogens and Antimicrobial Susceptibility Pattern in Bahrain Tertiary Care Hospital

Prevalence of Bacterial Pathogens and Antimicrobial Susceptibility Pattern in Bahrain Tertiary Care Hospital

Microbiological Parameters in the Primary Production of Berries: A Pilot Study.

The primary production of fresh soft fruits was considered to be a suspected critical point for the contamination of frozen berries that were responsible for the large 2013–2014 Hepatitis A virus (HAV) outbreak in Europe. In this study, an Italian berries’ production area was studied for its agro-technical characteristics, and the fresh fruits were analyzed for the presence of enteric viruses (HAV and Norovirus (NoV) genogroup I and genogroup II (GGI and GGII)), the enumeration of hygienic quality parameters, and the prevalence of bacterial pathogens. A total of 50 producers were sampled, who specialized in the exclusive or shared cultivation of berries. Escherichia coli was detected in two blackberry samples, whereas HAV and Norovirus were not detected. The samples were negative for Salmonella spp., Listeria monocytogenes, and Shiga toxin-producing Escherichia coli (STEC). The farms’ attributes were not associated with positive samples, apart from the presence of E. coli and the aerobic mesophilic bacteria for blackberry that were statistically correlated. In blueberries, the high aerobic mesophilic count could likely be associated with the resistance of the outer layer to handling. However, the two pathogens (Salmonella spp. and STEC) and the targeted viruses (HAV, NoV GGI and GGII) were not detected, highlighting the low risk of foodborne pathogens and viral contamination at the primary production stage of the berry food chain in the area considered in this pilot study.

Studies on Bacterial Pathogens in Some Marine Fishes in EL-Mansoura, Egypt

A total of 200 marine fish of two different species (100 Tilapia zillii and100 Mugil capito) were randomly collected from different markets, during different seasons. Fish subjected to clinical, postmortem and bacteriological studies. The common clinical signs were darkness of the skin, hemorrhage in the fins base, eyes and different parts of the body, abdominal distention, congestion in gills and increasing in mucous secretion. The Post Mortem findings showed white serous fluid in the abdominal cavity and sometimes tinged with blood and pale or congested liver, kidney and spleen. The bacteriological examination, revealed that the prevalence of bacterial pathogens among naturally infected marine fishes were A. hydrophila (52; 39.39%), V. alginolyticus (38; 28.79%), Ps. fluorescens (24; 18.18%), V. cholerae (10; 7.58%) and Ps. aeruginosa (8; 6.06%). The highest prevalence of bacterial infection was during summer (33.33%) followed by spring (24.42%), then autumn (21.97%), while the least prevalence was in the winter season (20.46%). A. hydrophila was highly pathogenic to T. zillii causing 100% mortality followed by V. alginolyticus causing (90%) mortality, then Ps. fluorescens (80%), Ps. aeruginosa (60%) while V. cholerae was non-pathogenic. The results of antibiogram revealed that ciprofloxacin and nalidixic acid were effective against A. hydrophila, while ciprofloxacin and rifampicin were effective against Ps. fluorescens. Ciprofloxacin and amikacin were effective against Ps. aeruginosa. While V. alginolyticus was highly sensitive to ciprofloxacin. High prevalence of pathogenic and resistant bacterial strains among marine fishes in Egypt, requires strict control measures from the responsible authorities.

Prevalence and Antibiogram of Bacterial Uropathogens of Urinary Tract Infections from a Tertiary Care Hospital of Bangladesh

Urinary tract infections (UTIs) are one of the most frequently occurring infections majority of which are caused by multi-drug resistant (MDR) uropathogens. Hence, the present study was designed to find out the prevalence of bacterial pathogens causing UTIs and to determine their antibiotic resistance patterns against different classes of antibiotics. Clean-catch midstream urine samples were collected from 200 UTI patients of different sex and age groups. The uropathogens were isolated using Hi-Chrome UTI agar, Blood agar, MacConkey agar and then subjected to antibiotic susceptibility analysis against nine antibiotics of different classes using Kirby-Bauer’s disc diffusion method. From 55.08% positive samples, it was found that females were more prone to UTIs than males and in both cases; the prevalence rate was higher in the age group 21-40 years (33%). Among the uropathogens, E.coli was the predominant etiological agent (57.38%) followed by Enterococcus sp. (36.06%), Pseudomonas aeruginosa (3.28%) and Staphylococcus aureus (3.28%). The pathogens showed remarkable amount of sensitivity against Gentamicin and Ciprofloxacin. The present experiment can be helpful for the clinicians in finding proper drugs in the developing countries like Bangladesh where multi-drug resistance problem has just complicated the treatment of UTIs.

Prevalence of bacterial pathogens in mastitis disease: Review

One of the most common and costly disease in dairy industries i.e. Mastitis generally leads to decline in potassium, lactoferrin and casein content in milk. This disease is reported when leucocytes are released into the mammary gland, usually in response to invasion by microorganisms through teat canal. This disease can be recognized or examined ­­­­through phenotypically (external) symptoms (i.e. Swelling, heat, redness, hardness or pain of the udder) and also showed higher somatic cell count in milk samples and lowers its milk quality. There are many bacteria that are responsible for causing mastitis disease . In this review article, we focused on various bacteria that are presently or reported in mastitis disease