Article
Microbiology
Andreas Hoefer, Despina Pampaka, Silvia Herrera-Leon, Sonia Peiro, Sarai Varona, Noemi Lopez-Perez, Josefa Masa-Calles, Laura Herrera-Leon
Summary: This study analyzed toxigenic and nontoxigenic Corynebacterium isolates submitted to the national reference laboratory in Spain between 2014 and 2019. The results showed a predominance of Corynebacterium diphtheriae and Corynebacterium belfantii, with 7 new sequence types described for the first time in Spain. Some isolates carried antibiotic resistance genes, and patients with toxigenic isolates had adverse outcomes.
JOURNAL OF CLINICAL MICROBIOLOGY
(2021)
Article
Immunology
John O. Otshudiema, Anna M. Acosta, Pamela K. Cassiday, Stephen C. Hadler, Susan Hariri, Tejpratap S. P. Tiwari
Summary: The study summarized the epidemiology of respiratory diphtheria and diphtheria-like illness, as well as the use of DAT, in the United States from 1996 to 2018. Respiratory diphtheria remains rare in the United States, with a decline in requests for DAT.
CLINICAL INFECTIOUS DISEASES
(2021)
Article
Biochemistry & Molecular Biology
Tomasz Wolkowicz, Katarzyna Zacharczuk, Aleksandra Anna Zasada
Summary: Infections caused by non-toxigenic Corynebacterium diphtheriae have been increasing in Poland, with the most common strains being ST8 biovar gravis. This study analyzed 30 strains isolated between 2017 and 2022, as well as six previously isolated strains, using classic methods and whole genome sequencing. The appearance of new strains in 2022 and the isolation of the first non-toxigenic tox gene-bearing strain suggest that C. diphtheriae should be considered a pathogen of special public health concern in Poland.
INTERNATIONAL JOURNAL OF MOLECULAR SCIENCES
(2023)
Article
Microbiology
Justine Schaeffer, Steliana Huhulescu, Anna Stoeger, Franz Allerberger, Werner Ruppitsch
Summary: Diphtheria is a vaccine-preventable disease with high potential for reemergence. A study in Austria found high genetic diversity among isolated C. diphtheriae strains, with some carrying antimicrobial resistance genes. Whole-genome sequencing provided valuable information for identifying clusters, evaluating antimicrobial resistance, and supporting toxigenicity results obtained by PCR. Routine implementation of whole-genome sequencing could greatly benefit C. diphtheriae surveillance.
JOURNAL OF CLINICAL MICROBIOLOGY
(2021)
Article
Microbiology
Eve Tessier, Melanie Hennart, Edgar Badell, Virginie Passet, Julie Toubiana, Antoine Biron, Ann-Claire Gourinat, Audrey Merlet, Julien Colot, Sylvain Brisse
Summary: The study analyzed the clinical and microbiological features of Corynebacterium diphtheriae isolates in New Caledonia. The majority of isolates were from cutaneous sources and were associated with Staphylococcus aureus and/or Streptococcus pyogenes. Toxigenic isolates were observed in patients returning from Vanuatu. The isolates showed susceptibility to commonly used antibiotics. The study highlights the importance of diphtheria surveillance and improving immunization in neighboring islands.
MICROBIOLOGY SPECTRUM
(2023)
Article
Infectious Diseases
Vyacheslav G. Melnikov, Anja Berger, Andreas Sing
Summary: This study optimized the immunoprecipitation method for detecting the toxigenicity of Corynebacterium ulcerans and successfully detected the toxin in all tested strains.
Article
Medicine, General & Internal
Maria A. Simonova, Vyacheslav G. Melnikov, Olga E. Lakhtina, Ravilya L. Komaleva, Anja Berger, Andreas Sing, Sergey K. Zavriev
Summary: The detection of diphtheria toxin (DT) in Corynebacterium diphtheriae and C. ulcerans cultures is crucial for laboratory diagnosis of diphtheria. An immunoassay based on monoclonal antibodies (mAbs) has been developed to measure the level of DT production (LTP). The assay showed high diagnostic sensitivity and specificity. It was found that C. ulcerans produces 10 times less DT than C. diphtheriae.
Article
Infectious Diseases
M. T. Traugott, S. Pleininger, S. Inschlag-Tisch, B. Eder, T. Seitz, A. Merrelaar, J. Reiss-Kornfehl, J. Fussi, S. Schindler, M. Blaschitz, F. Heger, A. Indra, M. Karolyi, M. Staudacher, T. Oelschlaegel, W. Hoepler, S. Neuhold, C. Wenisch
Summary: This study reported a case of respiratory diphtheria in a young Afghan refugee in Austria. Delayed administration of antitoxin resulted in a fulminant disease course and death. The study emphasizes the importance of raising awareness of respiratory diphtheria and the need for early antitoxin administration in countries with low case numbers.
Article
Multidisciplinary Sciences
Melissa E. Reardon-Robinson, Minh Tan Nguyen, Belkys C. Sanchez, Jerzy Osipiuk, Christian Ruckert, Chungyu Chang, Bo Chen, Rahul Nagvekar, Andrzej Joachimiak, Andreas Tauch, Asis Das, Hung Ton-That
Summary: In many gram-positive Actinobacteria, MdbA plays a crucial role in bacterial viability by catalyzing oxidative folding of exported proteins. However, in Corynebacterium diphtheriae, the deletion of mdbA only affects cell growth at 37°C, suggesting the existence of alternative oxidoreductase enzymes. Through genetic suppressor mutations, we discovered that elevated expression of tsdA can compensate for the loss of mdbA by mediating oxidative folding of pilin and toxin substrates.
PROCEEDINGS OF THE NATIONAL ACADEMY OF SCIENCES OF THE UNITED STATES OF AMERICA
(2023)
Article
Immunology
Michelle Qiu Carter, Nicole Laniohan, Antares Pham, Beatriz Quinones
Summary: The study found distinct evolutionary lineages among the O121:H7 and O121:H10 strains compared to the O121:H19 strain, and suggested reduced virulence potentials in the O121:H10 and O121:H7 STEC strains.
FRONTIERS IN CELLULAR AND INFECTION MICROBIOLOGY
(2022)
Article
Microbiology
Andreia T. Marques, Luis Tanoeiro, Aida Duarte, Luisa Goncalves, Jorge M. B. Vitor, Filipa F. Vale
Summary: This study analyzed 150 prophages from 40 clinical isolates of K. pneumoniae, revealing their impact on the evolution and phenotype of the bacteria. The prophages were found to be diverse and widely distributed in K. pneumoniae genomes, playing a role in conferring additional phenotypes and contributing to the evolution of this species. Additionally, endolysin genes were identified in K. pneumoniae prophages, coding for proteins with potential for lysin phage therapy.
Review
Biochemistry & Molecular Biology
Natalia Wiktorczyk-Kapischke, Krzysztof Skowron, Ewa Walecka-Zacharska
Summary: Listeria monocytogenes is a highly tolerant pathogen that is widespread in various environments due to its ability to withstand changing conditions. It possesses several genes related to virulence potential, stress response, biofilm formation, and resistance to disinfectants. Understanding its virulence potential is crucial for public health protection as highly pathogenic strains can cause outbreaks and severe diseases. This review highlights the importance of genomic and pathogenicity islands and the role of whole genome sequencing in epidemiology.
FRONTIERS IN MOLECULAR BIOSCIENCES
(2023)
Article
Infectious Diseases
Min Zhang, Ziwen Wang, Zhenshan Liang, Niya Hu
Summary: This study reported the first isolation of the rare bacterial infection Janibacter from a bacteremia patient in China, identified as Janibacter YFY001 belonging to J. indicus. Through genome sequencing, many virulence factors and resistance genes were identified, as well as three genomic islands in YFY001 when compared to environmental Janibacter strains.
INFECTION AND DRUG RESISTANCE
(2021)
Article
Biochemical Research Methods
Jun Kawase, Tomotake Sakai, Masaaki Iwaki, Kaoru Umeda, Aiko Fukuma, Naoki Fujisawa, Yuta Kawakami, Hiroki Hayashi, Mieko Wada
Summary: A multiplex real-time PCR assay has been developed to rapidly discriminate Corynebacterium ulcerans from Corynebacterium pseudotuberculosis and detect the bacterial diphtheria toxin gene. This assay is a valuable tool for identification of potentially toxigenic C. ulcerans.
JOURNAL OF MICROBIOLOGICAL METHODS
(2022)
Article
Multidisciplinary Sciences
Vivi Setiawaty, Nelly Puspandari, Ratih Dian Saraswati, Dwi Febriyana, Tati Febrianti, Yuni Rukminiati, Fauzul Muna, Fitriana Fitriana, Dodi Safari, Rahadian Pratama, Lisa Andriani Lienggonegoro, Sunarno Sunarno
Summary: Corynebacterium diphtheriae (C. diphtheriae) is the causative agent of diphtheria, and its main virulence factor is diphtheria toxin. In this study, whole-genome sequencing of C. diphtheriae isolates from diphtheria outbreaks in different regions in Indonesia was performed to identify single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) associated with the tox and dtxR genes. Molecular typing using multilocus sequence typing (MLST) was also conducted. The data obtained can be used for further analysis of antimicrobial resistance and bacterial virulence factors.
Article
Microbiology
Laura Uelze, Natalie Becker, Maria Borowiak, Ulrich Busch, Alexandra Dangel, Carlus Deneke, Jennie Fischer, Antje Flieger, Sabrina Hepner, Ingrid Huber, Ulrich Methner, Joerg Linde, Michael Pietsch, Sandra Simon, Andreas Sing, Simon H. Tausch, Istvan Szabo, Burkhard Malorny
Summary: Despite efforts in monitoring and prevention, Salmonella spp. still cause thousands of human infections annually, leading to important public health issues and significant socio-economic costs. Whole-genome sequencing combined with data analysis is a powerful technology for pathogen monitoring and cluster detection. The national GenoSalmSurv project in Germany aims to establish an integrated genome-based surveillance system for Salmonella spp., focusing on decentralized data analysis to improve cluster detection and outbreak investigations.
FRONTIERS IN MICROBIOLOGY
(2021)
Article
Infectious Diseases
Sabrina Jungnick, Bernhard Hobmaier, Lena Mautner, Mona Hoyos, Maren Haase, Armin Baiker, Heidi Lahne, Ute Eberle, Clara Wimmer, Sabrina Hepner, Annika Sprenger, Carola Berger, Alexandra Dangel, Manfred Wildner, Bernhard Liebl, Nikolaus Ackermann, Andreas Sing, Volker Fingerle
Article
Microbiology
Karen Schlez, Tobias Eisenberg, Joerg Rau, Sabine Dubielzig, Matthias Kornmayer, Georg Wolf, Anja Berger, Alexandra Dangel, Christiane Hoffmann, Christa Ewers, Andreas Sing
Summary: Corynebacterium diphtheriae, a significant pathogen causing human diphtheria, has recently been found to include novel species such as C. belfantii and C. rouxii. This study reported rare cases of C. rouxii isolation from dogs with multiple bacterial infections, suggesting that skin infections in companion animals may be caused by human-specific pathogens, resembling cutaneous diphtheria clinically.
ANTONIE VAN LEEUWENHOEK INTERNATIONAL JOURNAL OF GENERAL AND MOLECULAR MICROBIOLOGY
(2021)
Article
Infectious Diseases
Paul Wollschlaeger, Daniel Todt, Nadja Gerlitz, Stephanie Pfaender, Thomas Bollinger, Andreas Sing, Alexandra Dangel, Nickolaus Ackermann, Klaus Korn, Armin Ensser, Eike Steinmann, Michael Buhl, Joerg Steinmann
Summary: The study evaluated a commercially available qRT-PCR assay for identifying SARS-CoV-2 B.1.1.7 lineage samples, showing a significant N gene dropout or Ct value shift compared to the S or RdRp gene. The assay reliably discriminated between B.1.1.7 and non-B.1.1.7 positive samples, making it a rapid tool for high-throughput diagnostics.
CLINICAL MICROBIOLOGY AND INFECTION
(2021)
Article
Infectious Diseases
Inge Kroidl, Ingo Mecklenburg, Peter Schneiderat, Katharina Mueller, Philipp Girl, Roman Woelfel, Andreas Sing, Alexandra Dangel, Andreas Wieser, Michael Hoelscher
Summary: In February 2021, a breakthrough infection of the SARS-CoV-2 B.1.351 variant occurred in a fully Comirnaty vaccinated healthcare worker, which was then transmitted to their unvaccinated spouse. Sequencing revealed an identical virus in both spouses, with all nine single nucleotide polymorphisms typical for B.1.351. To date, no transmission of any variant of SARS-CoV-2 from a fully vaccinated person has been documented.
Article
Microbiology
Sabrina Jungnick, Bernhard Hobmaier, Lena Mautner, Mona Hoyos, Maren Haase, Armin Baiker, Heidi Lahne, Ute Eberle, Clara Wimmer, Sabrina Hepner, Annika Sprenger, Carola Berger, Alexandra Dangel, Siegfried Ippisch, Sonja Hahner, Manfred Wildner, Bernhard Liebl, Nikolaus Ackermann, Andreas Sing, Volker Fingerle
Summary: Rapid antigen tests (RATs) are an essential part of SARS-CoV-2 containment strategies and their performance in detecting emerging variants of concern (VOCs) was tested in this study. The RATs showed comparable performance with different strains and did not exhibit cross-reactivity with seasonal human coronaviruses, highlighting the need for ongoing evaluation of their performance in the context of evolving mutations.
Correction
Public, Environmental & Occupational Health
Susanne Heinzinger, Ute Eberle, Hildegard Angermeier, Jennifer Flechsler, Regina Konrad, Alexandra Dangel, Carola Berger, Annika Sprenger, Sabrina Hepner, Barbara Biere, Bernhard Liebl, Nikolaus Ackermann, Andreas Sing
EPIDEMIOLOGY AND INFECTION
(2022)
Article
Infectious Diseases
Jennifer Flechsler, Ute Eberle, Alexandra Dangel, Sabrina Hepner, Clara Wimmer, Johannes Lutmayr, Regina Konrad, Carola Berger, Laura Weise, Annika Sprenger, Joerg Zeitler, Natali Paravinja, Hildegard Angermeier, George Githure, Sandra Schmidt, Bianca Treis, Mercy Okeyo, Bernhard Liebl, Nikolaus Ackermann, Andreas Sing
Summary: Using PCR screening and NGS analysis, we investigated the circulation of Omicron variant in the German state of Bavaria. So far, we have detected 69 Omicron cases in our laboratory and confirmed the variant in the first 16 cases.
Article
Infectious Diseases
Sabrina Jungnick, Bernhard Hobmaier, Natali Paravinja, Lena Mautner, Mona Hoyos, Regina Konrad, Maren Haase, Armin Baiker, Ute Eberle, Magdalena Bichler, Bianca Treis, Mercy Okeyo, Barbara Streibl, Clara Wimmer, Sabrina Hepner, Annika Sprenger, Carola Berger, Laura Weise, Alexandra Dangel, Siegfried Ippisch, Walter Jonas, Manfred Wildner, Bernhard Liebl, Nikolaus Ackermann, Andreas Sing, Volker Fingerle
Summary: In this study, seven commonly used SARS-CoV-2 rapid antigen tests (RATs) from different manufacturers were analyzed to determine their performance in detecting the Omicron and Delta variants. The results showed that there were no significant differences in the analytical limit of detection (LoD) between Omicron and Delta for the RATs examined. In terms of clinical samples, no obvious differences in RAT positivity rates were observed between Omicron and Delta. However, variations were observed between tests produced by different manufacturers.
Article
Virology
Lena Mautner, Mona Hoyos, Alexandra Dangel, Carola Berger, Anja Ehrhardt, Armin Baiker
Summary: This study systematically compares all SARS-CoV-2 Variants of Concern (VOCs) on three different cell culture models. The findings provide support for researchers worldwide in experimental design for SARS-CoV-2 work, highlighting the importance of using specific cell lines for different types of experiments.
Article
Public, Environmental & Occupational Health
Michael Pietsch, Sandra Simon, Anne Richter, Burkhard Malorny, Laura Uelze, Sabrina Hepner, Alexandra Dangel, Andreas Sing, Ingrid Huber, Ulrich Busch, Jorg Linde, Ulrich Methner, Natalie Becker, Guido Werner, Alexander Mellmann, Angelika Fruth, Antje Flieger
Summary: Whole genome sequencing (WGS) combined with bioinformatic analyses is widely used for evaluating bacterial pathogenicity and resistance potential. This survey in Germany investigated the genotypic and phenotypic methods used for pathogen typing of Salmonella and STEC/EHEC. The results showed that many laboratories utilize molecular methods, particularly WGS, for species identification and typing. The survey highlights the importance of molecular biology and WGS technologies in diagnosing bacterial zoonotic pathogens.
BUNDESGESUNDHEITSBLATT-GESUNDHEITSFORSCHUNG-GESUNDHEITSSCHUTZ
(2023)
Article
Infectious Diseases
Franziska Badenschier, Anja Berger, Alexandra Dangel, Annika Sprenger, Bernhard Hobmaier, Claudia Sievers, Henrieke Prins, Achim Doerre, Christiane Wagner-Wiening, Wiebe Kuelper-Schiek, Ole Wichmann, Andreas Sing
Article
Food Science & Technology
Simone Wartha, Nancy Bretschneider, Alexandra Dangel, Bernhard Hobmaier, Stefan Hoermansdorfer, Ingrid Huber, Larissa Murr, Melanie Pavlovic, Annika Sprenger, Mareike Wenning, Thomas Alter, Ute Messelhaeusser
Summary: A study assessing the risk of Listeria monocytogenes exposure in food of non-animal origin (FNAO) found 64 Listeria spp. isolates in 39 FNAO production and processing plants in Bavaria, Germany. Eight of these isolates were identified as L. monocytogenes, showing resistance to certain antibiotics and the presence of virulence factors. This highlights the increasing significance of L. monocytogenes in FNAO and the need for attention to this issue.
Article
Public, Environmental & Occupational Health
Susanne Heinzinger, Ute Eberle, Hildegard Angermeier, Jennifer Flechsler, Regina Konrad, Alexandra Dangel, Carola Berger, Annika Sprenger, Sabrina Hepner, Barbara Biere, Bernhard Liebl, Nikolaus Ackermann, Andreas Sing
Summary: This study investigated the circulation of influenza viruses and SARS-CoV-2 among outpatients with acute respiratory infections in Bavaria, Germany during the 2019/2020 and 2020/2021 influenza seasons. The findings revealed no detectable circulation of SARS-CoV-2 during the 2019/2020 influenza season, while minimal influenza viruses were found during the 2020/2021 season amid the COVID-19 pandemic.
EPIDEMIOLOGY AND INFECTION
(2021)
Letter
Immunology
Claudia Schulz, Claudia Wylezich, Kerstin Wernike, Magdalena Gruendl, Alexandra Dangel, Christine Baechlein, Donata Hoffmann, Susanne Roehrs, Sabrina Hepner, Nikolaus Ackermann, Andreas Sing, Isabelle Pink, Beate Laenger, Holger A. Volk, Paul Becher, Gerd Sutter, Antonie Neubauer-Juric, Maren von Koeckritz-Blickwede, Martin Beer, Asisa Volz
Summary: A therapy cat in a nursing home in Germany was infected with SARS-CoV-2 during a cluster outbreak among the home residents. Despite prolonged presence of virus RNA in the asymptomatic cat, genome sequencing revealed that the cat did not play a further role in human infections on site.
EMERGING INFECTIOUS DISEASES
(2021)