Article
Veterinary Sciences
Joerg Linde, Istvan Szabo, Simon H. Tausch, Carlus Deneke, Ulrich Methner
Summary: Salmonella enterica subspecies enterica serovar Dublin (S. Dublin) is a highly pathogenic serovar causing enteritis and/or systemic diseases in cattle. It has the potential to cause severe infections in humans. This study used whole-genome sequencing to evaluate the genetic relationship between S. Dublin strains from cattle and food sources, and found a high genetic correlation between the two, highlighting the potential for human infections.
FRONTIERS IN VETERINARY SCIENCE
(2023)
Article
Microbiology
Yuan Yuan, Yara Seif, Kevin Rychel, Reo Yoo, Siddharth Chauhan, Saugat Poudel, Tahani Al-bulushi, Bernhard O. Palsson, Anand Sastry
Summary: By combining pan-genome and transcriptomic analytics, variations in transcriptional regulatory networks across six strains of Salmonella enterica serovar Typhimurium were revealed.
Article
Gastroenterology & Hepatology
Meiying Yan, Yongming Zhou, Yang Cao, Zhenpeng Li, Xin Lu, Bo Pang, Shukun Wang, Biao Kan
Summary: This study discovered a new serovar of Salmonella (S. enterica subsp. II serovar 4,5,12:a:-) and demonstrated its ability to infect humans and cause clusters of cases. Whole-genome sequencing detection and surveillance of Salmonella can accurately define Salmonella classification and clonality, improve diagnosis, facilitate outbreak detection, and aid in the source tracing of salmonellosis epidemics.
Article
Microbiology
Lauren K. K. Hudson, William E. E. Andershock, Xiaorong Qian, Paula L. L. Gibbs, Kelly Orejuela, Katie N. N. Garman, John R. R. Dunn, Thomas G. G. Denes
Summary: This study evaluated the clinical and epidemiological significance of Salmonella enterica subsp. enterica serovar Newport. The results showed that Newport serovar is the second most prevalent clinically isolated Salmonella serovar in the United States and can contaminate various food products. The study also identified 18 potential epidemiological clusters and highlighted the importance of this research for public health surveillance and the Salmonella research community.
MICROBIOLOGY SPECTRUM
(2023)
Article
Biotechnology & Applied Microbiology
Diessy Kipper, Renato H. Orsi, Laura M. Carroll, Andrea K. Mascitti, Andre F. Streck, Andre S. K. Fonseca, Nilo Ikuta, Eduardo C. Tondo, Martin Wiedmann, Vagner R. Lunge
Summary: The study assessed the population structure, recent temporal evolution, and important genetic characteristics of multidrug-resistant Salmonella enterica serovar Heidelberg isolated from Brazilian poultry farms, revealing a monophyletic group with antibiotic resistance genes and virulence factors. This lineage poses a threat to Brazilian and global poultry operations.
APPLIED AND ENVIRONMENTAL MICROBIOLOGY
(2021)
Article
Microbiology
Xenia Vazquez, Javier Fernandez, Silvia Hernaez, Rosaura Rodicio, Maria Rosario Rodicio
Summary: This study characterized two fluoroquinolone-resistant isolates of Salmonella enterica and found that they carried widely spread plasmids conferring resistance to multiple antibiotics. This finding is of great importance for the prevention and control of Salmonella.
Article
Genetics & Heredity
Benjamin M. Hetman, David L. Pearl, Dillon O. R. Barker, James Robertson, John H. E. Nash, Richard Reid-Smith, Agnes Agunos, Catherine Carrillo, Edward Topp, Gary Van Domselaar, E. Jane Parmley, Amrita Bharat, Michael Mulvey, Vanessa Allen, Eduardo N. Taboada
Summary: Antimicrobial resistance (AMR) is a major threat to global public health. The use of antimicrobials in poultry production is believed to contribute to the dissemination of antibiotic resistant bacteria (ARB) and the genes and plasmids that confer resistance (ARG). However, more research is needed to understand the dynamics of ARB and ARG in food production and the factors involved in the increased risk of transmission in order to determine their relative contribution to the emergence and transmission of resistant pathogens in poultry production and human infections.
MICROBIAL GENOMICS
(2022)
Article
Microbiology
Adelumola Oladeinde, Zaid Abdo, Maximilian O. Press, Kimberly Cook, Nelson A. Cox, Benjamin Zwirzitz, Reed Woyda, Steven M. Lakin, Jesse C. Thomas, Torey Looft, Douglas E. Cosby, Arthur Hinton, Jean Guard, Eric Line, Michael J. Rothrock, Mark E. Berrang, Kyler Herrington, Gregory Zock, Jodie Plumblee Lawrence, Denice Cudnik, Sandra House, Kimberly Ingram, Leah Lariscy, Martin Wagner, Samuel E. Aggrey, Lilong Chai, Casey Ritz
Summary: The study demonstrates that antibiotic-susceptible Salmonella enterica serovar Heidelberg strains can acquire multidrug resistance from commensal bacteria even in the absence of antibiotic selection. Exposure to acidic pH drove the horizontal transfer of antimicrobial resistance plasmids, suggesting that simply removing antibiotics from food animal production might not be sufficient to limit the spread of antimicrobial resistance.
Article
Veterinary Sciences
Luisa D'Angelo, Rubina Paradiso, Domenico Alfano, Marita Georgia Riccardi, Giorgia Borriello, Giorgio Galiero
Summary: This study describes the first detection of Salmonella enterica subsp. enterica Serovar Enteritidis in an aborted water buffalo fetus in southern Italy, providing significant insights into the role of S. Enteritidis in causing abortion in water buffalo.
FRONTIERS IN VETERINARY SCIENCE
(2022)
Article
Public, Environmental & Occupational Health
Rosemarie Slowey, Seon Woo Kim, Deirdre Prendergast, Gillian Madigan, Jo Ann S. Van Kessel, Bradd J. Haley
Summary: The study investigated the genetic diversity and antimicrobial sensitivity patterns of S. Kentucky strains isolated from non-human sources in Ireland. Most isolates belonged to ST314 and only a few were antimicrobial-resistant. The presence of multidrug-resistant ST198 in food sources in Ireland was also identified.
ZOONOSES AND PUBLIC HEALTH
(2022)
Article
Microbiology
Silvia Garcia-Soto, Joerg Linde, Ulrich Methner
Summary: Cattle-adapted serovar Salmonella Dublin is the most important serovar causing enteritis and systemic diseases in cattle in the German state of Schleswig-Holstein. Whole-genome sequencing was used to analyze the genetic traits of 78 S. Dublin strains collected over six years, revealing transmission routes between herds and persistence at single farms. The spreading of manure on pastures and grassland may be a possible risk factor for the repeated occurrence of S. Dublin in certain districts of Schleswig-Holstein. Farm-specific analysis and whole-genome sequencing of outbreak strains are necessary for effective control of S. Dublin.
Article
Microbiology
Stephy Mol Robinson, Vyshakh Rajachandran, Suchismita Majumdar, Satabdi Saha, Sneha Das, Sujay Chattopadhyay
Summary: Detecting adaptive mutations leading to gene inactivation or loss of function is crucial for understanding the evolution of bacterial virulence and antibiotic resistance. Truncation mutations, which trim the length of encoded proteins, can contribute to gene inactivation. This study analyzed the accumulation of truncation mutations in two serovars of Salmonella, finding distinct sets of core truncated genes in each serovar. These truncation mutations were acquired by different subsets of isolates and were also targeted by convergent amino acid mutations in different serovars, suggesting adaptation. Further research is needed to investigate the impact of adaptive truncation mutations on bacterial virulence evolution.
MICROBIOLOGY SPECTRUM
(2022)
Article
Microbiology
Silvia Garcia-Soto, Herbert Tomaso, Joerg Linde, Ulrich Methner
Summary: The study investigated 74 S. Dublin strains collected from 10 federal states in Germany, and found important virulence determinants in all strains, but multidrug resistance in German S. Dublin organisms is uncommon. By analyzing cgSNPs, the study revealed the spreading patterns of S. Dublin in Germany and indicated both persistence and spread within and between federal states over short and longer time periods.
MICROBIOLOGY SPECTRUM
(2021)
Article
Microbiology
Jianmin Zhang, Zhong Peng, Kaifeng Chen, Zeqiang Zhan, Haiyan Shen, Saixiang Feng, Hongchao Gou, Xiaoyun Qu, Mark Ziemann, Daniel S. Layton, Xiangru Wang, Huanchun Chen, Bin Wu, Xuebin Xu, Ming Liao
Summary: Through whole-genome sequencing, it was found that ST365 is the major sequence type of S. Weltevreden in diarrheal patients in China and other regions globally. Additionally, ST365 was widely recovered from animal, food, and environmental samples worldwide. The study also revealed the presence of a virulence-contributing plasmid in S. Weltevreden strains.
MICROBIOLOGY SPECTRUM
(2023)
Article
Microbiology
Jean Guard, Adam R. Rivers, Justin N. Vaughn, Michael J. Rothrock, Adelumola Oladeinde, Devendra H. Shah
Summary: Research has found that the adenine and thymine homopolymer strings in Salmonella show variability and may be associated with serovars, with the motif also being linked to plasmid content.
Article
Immunology
Alexander L. Greninger, Amin Addetia, Kimberly Starr, Robert J. Cybulski, Mary K. Stewart, Stephen J. Salipante, Andrew B. Bryan, Brad Cookson, Christiane Gaudreau, Sadjia Bekal, Ferric C. Fang
CLINICAL INFECTIOUS DISEASES
(2020)
Article
Biotechnology & Applied Microbiology
Ruimin Gao, Sohail Naushad, Sylvain Moineau, Roger Levesque, Lawrence Goodridge, Dele Ogunremi
Article
Multidisciplinary Sciences
Tamazight Cherifi, Julie Arsenault, Franco Pagotto, Sylvain Quessy, Jean-Charles Cote, Kersti Neira, Sylvain Fournaise, Sadjia Bekal, Philippe Fravalo
Article
Microbiology
Khadidja Yousfi, Valentine Usongo, Chrystal Berry, Rufaida H. Khan, Denise M. Tremblay, Sylvain Moineau, Michael R. Mulvey, Florence Doualla-Bell, Eric Fournier, Celine Nadon, Lawrence Goodridge, Sadjia Bekal
FRONTIERS IN MICROBIOLOGY
(2020)
Article
Microbiology
Jean-Guillaume Emond-Rheault, Jeremie Hamel, Julie Jeukens, Luca Freschi, Irena Kukavica-Ibrulj, Brian Boyle, Sandeep Tamber, Danielle Malo, Eelco Franz, Elton Burnett, France Daigle, Gitanjali Arya, Kenneth Sanderson, Martin Wiedmann, Robin M. Slawson, Joel T. Weadge, Roger Stephan, Sadjia Bekal, Samantha Gruenheid, Lawrence D. Goodridge, Roger C. Levesque
Article
Genetics & Heredity
Genevieve Labbe, Peter Kruczkiewicz, James Robertson, Philip Mabon, Justin Schonfeld, Daniel Kein, Marisa A. Rankin, Matthew Gopez, Darian Hole, David Son, Natalie Knox, Chad R. Laing, Kyrylo Bessonov, Eduardo N. Taboada, Catherine Yoshida, Kim Ziebell, Anil Nichani, Roger P. Johnson, Gary Van Domselaar, John H. E. Nash
Summary: Hierarchical genotyping approaches, such as BioHansel, provide rapid and high-resolution classification of bacterial pathogens. The tool is organism-agnostic and uses SNP-based genotyping schemes to distinguish predefined lineages, showing full concordance with traditional methods while being significantly faster. Additionally, the quality assurance module of BioHansel is effective in detecting contamination even in populations with low genetic diversity, making it ideal for use by public health agencies.
MICROBIAL GENOMICS
(2021)
Article
Microbiology
Graham W. Cox, E. Jane Parmley, Brent P. Avery, Rebecca J. Irwin, Richard J. Reid-Smith, Anne E. Deckert, Rita L. Finley, Danielle Daignault, David C. Alexander, Vanessa Allen, Sameh El Bailey, Sadjia Bekal, Linda Chui, Greg J. German, David Haldane, Linda Hoang, Jessica Minion, George Zahariadis, Michael R. Mulvey, Amrita Bharat
Summary: The increased prevalence of gentamicin resistance in Salmonella from human infections might be related to a similar increase in isolates from broiler chickens, possibly due to coselection from the use of lincomycin-spectinomycin in chickens. Genomic analysis showed closely related isolates from human and chicken sources with resistance genes linked on same plasmids, suggesting transmission of resistant strains from chickens to humans.
ANTIMICROBIAL AGENTS AND CHEMOTHERAPY
(2021)
Article
Biotechnology & Applied Microbiology
Camille Cavestri, Patricia Savard, Ismail Fliss, Jean-Guillaume Emond-Rheault, Jeremie Hamel, Irena Kukavica-Ibrulj, Brian Boyle, France Daigle, Danielle Malo, Sadjia Bekal, Linda J. Harris, Roger C. Levesque, Lawrence Goodridge, Gisele LaPointe
Summary: This study evaluated the survival capability of high and low virulence Salmonella strains in a simulated gastrointestinal environment. Results showed that high virulence strains had a significantly better survival rate, possibly due to their enhanced acid and bile resistance.
Review
Microbiology
Alfred Ke, Valeria R. Parreira, Lawrence Goodridge, Jeffrey M. Farber
Summary: Cronobacter species, particularly C. sakazakii, pose a risk of severe illness in infants, with probiotics, prebiotics, and synbiotics showing potential efficacy in reducing invasive Cronobacter infections during early infancy.
FRONTIERS IN MICROBIOLOGY
(2021)
Article
Genetics & Heredity
Isabelle Bernaquez, Christiane Gaudreau, Pierre A. Pilon, Sadjia Bekal
Summary: Public health laboratories worldwide have implemented whole-genome sequencing (WGS) for surveillance of foodborne pathogens. Shigella spp. cases predominantly involve men who have sex with men and are transmitted through continuous person-to-person contact, leading to long term and recurrent outbreaks.
MICROBIAL GENOMICS
(2021)
Article
Microbiology
Florence Doualla-Bell, David A. Boyd, Patrice Savard, Khadidja Yousfi, Isabelle Bernaquez, Simon Wong, Valentine Usongo, Laura F. Mataseje, Michael R. Mulvey, Sadjia Bekal
Summary: In the context of rising prevalence of NDM-producing Enterobacterales in Québec, Canada, the genetic environment of blaNDM-1 was investigated in three clinical isolates. Two closely related isolates possessed both a large IncFII conjugative multidrug resistance plasmid and a smaller IncR plasmid containing important antimicrobial resistance genes. This indicates a potential role of these isolates as a reservoir for antibiotic resistance genes.
MICROBIOLOGY SPECTRUM
(2021)
Editorial Material
Environmental Sciences
Jemaneh Habtewold, David McCarthy, Edward McBean, Ilya Law, Larry Goodridge, Marc Habash, Heather M. Murphy
Summary: Three field experiments were conducted in Ontario, Canada to study wastewater-based surveillance of SARS-CoV-2 using passive samplers. Membrane filters were found to linearly accumulate the virus up to 48 hours, making them a cost-effective option for detecting virus levels in wastewater for up to two days.
ENVIRONMENTAL RESEARCH
(2022)
Article
Microbiology
Brigitte Cadieux, Opeyemi U. Lawal, Jean-Guillaume Emond-Rheault, Julie Jeukens, Luca Freschi, Irena Kukavica-Ibrulj, Roger C. Levesque, John W. Austin, Lawrence Goodridge
Summary: Clostridium botulinum is a pathogen responsible for severe food-borne intoxication. This study reports the draft genome sequences of two C. botulinum strains and reveals the presence of multiple similar mobile genetic elements.
MICROBIOLOGY RESOURCE ANNOUNCEMENTS
(2022)
Article
Microbiology
Alfred Ke, Valeria R. Parreira, Jeffrey M. Farber, Lawrence Goodridge
Summary: The study finds that the combination of probiotics and prebiotics can inhibit the contamination of Cronobacter sakazakii in powdered infant formula (PIF), preventing severe illnesses in infants. The combination may inhibit the growth of C. sakazakii through the production of antimicrobial metabolites, increasing species diversity, or a combination of mechanisms. Additionally, the native gut microbiota may also play a role in inhibiting C. sakazakii.
FRONTIERS IN MICROBIOLOGY
(2022)
Article
Microbiology
Gregory R. Mccracken, Daniel Gaston, Janice Pettipas, Allana Loder, Anna Majer, Elsie Grudeski, Genevieve Labbe, Bryn K. Joy, Glenn Patriquin, Jason J. Leblanc
Summary: During the COVID-19 pandemic, nucleic acid amplification tests (NAATs) played a crucial role in clinical management and public health interventions. This study sequenced the target sites of commercial SARS-CoV-2 NAATs to assess the impact of mutations on detection. They identified several novel mutations that compromised target detection and highlighted the importance of ongoing genetic surveillance for quality assurance of NAAT target sites.
MICROBIOLOGY SPECTRUM
(2023)