Article
Infectious Diseases
Yukitaka Ito, Naomi Kaneko, Mieko Yoshida, Haruo Nakayama
Summary: A newly developed Clostridioides difficile-selective growth broth, cultured under aerobic conditions, showed similar sensitivity/specificity (98%/89%) to conventional anaerobic culture methods. This could be a valuable diagnostic tool for detecting Clostridioides difficile infection in resource-limited regions and healthcare settings in the future.
DIAGNOSTIC MICROBIOLOGY AND INFECTIOUS DISEASE
(2023)
Article
Gastroenterology & Hepatology
Yangchun Cao, Lamei Wang, Shanlin Ke, Javier A. Villafuerte Galvez, Nira R. Pollock, Caitlin Barrett, Rebecca Sprague, Kaitlyn Daugherty, Hua Xu, Qianyun Lin, Junhu Yao, Yulin Chen, Ciaran P. Kelly, Yang-Yu Liu, Xinhua Chen
Summary: Our study identified significant differences in alpha and beta diversity between patients with CDI and asymptomatic carriers, with enrichment of Cladosporium and Aspergillus genera in carriers. The ratio of Ascomycota to Basidiomycota was notably higher in CDI patients. Using a combination of fungal operational taxonomic units and host immune markers in a random forest classifier achieved high performance in distinguishing CDI patients from carriers.
Article
Biotechnology & Applied Microbiology
Igor Vasconcelos Rocha, Carlos Alberto Neves Andrade, Marise Sobreira, Nilma Cintra Leal, Alzira Maria Paiva Almeida, Matheus Filgueira Bezerra
Summary: We developed a new selective LB-based medium called CYP broth for recovering stored Y. pestis subcultures and isolating Y. pestis strains for Plague surveillance. The CYP broth inhibited contaminating microorganisms and enriched Y. pestis growth through iron supplementation. It also successfully isolated other pathogenic Yersinia species.
APPLIED MICROBIOLOGY AND BIOTECHNOLOGY
(2023)
Article
Food Science & Technology
Unji Kim, Ye-Ji Moon, Jin-Hee Kim, So-Young Lee, Se-Wook Oh
Summary: The use of the modified enrichment broth (MEB) allows for rapid recovery and enrichment of filter-injured Salmonella Typhimurium, reducing the time required for detection.
INTERNATIONAL JOURNAL OF FOOD MICROBIOLOGY
(2022)
Article
Microbiology
Monika Kabala, Zygmunt Gofron, Malgorzata Aptekorz, Krzysztof Burdynowski, Celine Harmanus, Ed Kuijper, Gayane Martirosian
Summary: This study examined environmental samples from a clinical hospital and found antibiotic-resistant Clostridium spp. to be dominant. The use of a suitable medium such as C diff Banana Broth (TM) is recommended for determining Clostridium spp. in hospital environments.
Article
Thermodynamics
Marinos Stylianou, Charis G. Samanides, Ioannis Vyrides, Agapios Agapiou
Summary: In this study, oil-polluted environmental samples were collected from contaminated sites in Cyprus, and bacteria capable of efficient sulfur removal were isolated and identified. It was found that adding zeolite as a carrier increased the removal efficiency of dibenzothiophene (DBT). The selected bacteria were able to remove 70-80% of sulfur content in real oil samples. Additionally, anaerobic biodesulfurization using various anaerobic inocula was tested, and promising results were obtained.
Article
Multidisciplinary Sciences
Thomas G. Nuehrenberg, Jasmin Stoeckle, Federico Marini, Mark Zurek, Bjoern A. Gruening, Vladimir Benes, Lutz Hein, Franz-Josef Neumann, Christian Stratz, Marco Cederqvist, Willibald Hochholzer
Summary: Patients with sepsis have higher levels of immature platelets and decreased levels of putative circular RNA transcripts in their platelet transcriptome, suggesting a less degraded platelet transcriptome and increased protein translation as a characteristic mechanism of systemic inflammation.
Article
Immunology
Silvia Vazquez-Cuesta, Laura Villar, Nuria Lozano Garcia, Ana I. Fernandez, Maria Olmedo, Luis Alcala, Mercedes Marin, Patricia Munoz, Emilio Bouza, Elena Reigadas
Summary: This study aimed to explore the role of the microbiome as a predictive biomarker of CDI. The researchers found differences in microbiome patterns between CDI patients, C. difficile carriers, healthy individuals, and patients with diarrhea of other causes, and identified potential microbiome biomarkers that could aid in the diagnosis of true CDI infections.
FRONTIERS IN CELLULAR AND INFECTION MICROBIOLOGY
(2023)
Article
Microbiology
Jennifer J. Dawkins, Jessica R. Allegretti, Travis E. Gibson, Emma McClure, Mary Delaney, Lynn Bry, Georg K. Gerber
Summary: This study conducted a longitudinal analysis of the gut microbiome and metabolome changes in patients with primary Clostridioides difficile infection (CDI). The results showed that metabolomic data can accurately predict the recurrence of CDI, providing important insights for the development of diagnostic tests and treatments.
Article
Immunology
Lorne Schweitzer, Phillippe Gervais, Bianka Paquet-Bolduc, Vivian G. Loo, Yves Longtin
Summary: The Cell Cytotoxicity Neutralization Assay (CCNA) is considered the gold standard for diagnosing Clostridioides difficile infections. A study on asymptomatic toxigenic C. difficile carriers found that 39% tested positive, suggesting that the CCNA may have lower specificity than previously thought.
OPEN FORUM INFECTIOUS DISEASES
(2021)
Article
Biotechnology & Applied Microbiology
Lee Su Ha, Dae-Won Ki, Ji-Yul Kim, Dae-Cheol Choi, In-Kyoung Lee, Bong-Sik Yun
Summary: A new compound, dentipellin (1), and three known glycosylated diterpenes, erinacines A-C (2-4), were isolated from the culture broth of Dentipellis fragilis. These compounds showed weak antibacterial and antifungal activities, and their chemical structures were determined through spectroscopic methods.
JOURNAL OF ANTIBIOTICS
(2021)
Review
Microbiology
Joshua Heuler, Louis-Charles Fortier, Xingmin Sun
Summary: Clostridioides difficile, formerly known as Clostridium difficile, is the causative agent of C. difficile infections, which pose challenges in healthcare settings. Antibiotic-induced dysbiosis allows C. difficile colonization in the gut. Phage infection offers potential new treatment strategies against C. difficile infections.
FEMS MICROBIOLOGY REVIEWS
(2021)
Review
Microbiology
Joshua Heuler, Louis-Charles Fortier, Xingmin Sun
Summary: Clostridioides difficile, previously known as Clostridium difficile, is the causative agent of CDI. Antibiotics-induced dysbiosis of the microbiota is the primary factor allowing C. difficile to colonize the gut and cause diseases. Phages infecting C. difficile could offer new treatment strategies and insights into its biology.
FEMS MICROBIOLOGY REVIEWS
(2021)
Article
Biotechnology & Applied Microbiology
Yuki Wakabayashi, Kazuko Seto, Masashi Kanki, Tetsuya Harada, Kentaro Kawatsu
Summary: In this study, a selective enrichment broth, novobiocin-cefixime-tellurite supplemented modified tryptic soy broth (NCT-mTSB), was developed to selectively enrich and isolate Escherichia albertii from poultry samples. This new method showed superior results compared to traditional enrichment broths and was helpful for the isolation of this emerging diarrheagenic pathogen.
JOURNAL OF APPLIED MICROBIOLOGY
(2022)
Article
Immunology
Javier A. Villafuerte Galvez, Nira R. Pollock, Carolyn D. Alonso, Xinhua Chen, Hua Xu, Lamei Wang, Nicole White, Alice Banz, Mark Miller, Kaitlyn Daugherty, Anne J. Gonzalez-Luna, Caitlin Barrett, Rebecca Sprague, Kevin W. Garey, Ciaran P. Kelly
Summary: Clostridioides difficile diagnostics cannot reliably distinguish infection from colonization. Stool IL-1 beta, a proinflammatory cytokine, can accurately differentiate CDI from asymptomatic carriage and non-CDI diarrhea, making it a promising biomarker for CDI diagnosis. Significant positive correlations exist between stool toxins and stool IL-1 beta in CDI but not in asymptomatic carriers.
CLINICAL INFECTIOUS DISEASES
(2023)
Article
Microbiology
Daniel M. Webber, Meghan A. Wallace, Carey-Ann D. Burnham
Summary: By reducing the incubation time for disk diffusion testing from 24 hours to 6 hours, the turnaround time for antimicrobial susceptibility testing can be significantly improved without additional costs or equipment requirements.
JOURNAL OF CLINICAL MICROBIOLOGY
(2022)
Article
Microbiology
Miranda J. Wallace, Sophonie Jean, Meghan A. Wallace, Carey-Ann D. Burnham, Gautam Dantas
Summary: This study demonstrates species-specific patterns in antimicrobial resistance within the Bacteroides fragilis group (BFG) by using comparative genomics, validating new strategies for species-level organism identification and phenotypic resistance prediction in a routine clinical laboratory setting. The research emphasizes the importance of understanding and managing anaerobic infections, as well as the need for further investigations into the molecular basis for species-specific resistance patterns.
Article
Microbiology
Sanjam S. Sawhney, Eric M. Ransom, Meghan A. Wallace, Patrick J. Reich, Gautam Dantas, Carey-Ann D. Burnham
Summary: In this study, researchers discovered a high prevalence of Staphylococcus aureus isolates exhibiting a borderline oxacillin resistance phenotype (BORSA) in their neonatal intensive care unit (NICU). They found that the current MRSA screening methods misclassified BORSA, and identified specific markers that can distinguish BORSA from methicillin-susceptible S. aureus (MSSA). The findings have implications for epidemiological reporting of MRSA rates and can help improve MRSA screening methods.
Article
Microbiology
Tanis C. Dingle, Dulini Gamage, Sara Gomez-Villegas, Blake M. Hanson, Jinnethe Reyes, April Abbott, Carey-Ann D. Burnham, Jennifer Dien Bard, Stephanie Fritz, William R. Miller, Lars F. Westblade, Barbara Zimmer, Cesar A. Arias, Susan Butler-Wu
Summary: This multicenter study evaluated the prevalence of the cefazolin inoculum effect (CzIE) in North American methicillin-susceptible Staphylococcus aureus (MSSA) isolates. The study found that the CzIE was present in 18.6% of MSSA isolates, with varying prevalence across different study sites. Furthermore, more CzIE-positive isolates had a cefazolin MIC of 1.0 μg/mL, while more CzIE-negative isolates had a MIC of 0.25 μg/mL.
JOURNAL OF CLINICAL MICROBIOLOGY
(2022)
Article
Microbiology
Miguel A. Chavez, Satish Munigala, Carey-Ann D. Burnham, Melanie L. Yarbrough, David K. Warren
Summary: Persistent Staphylococcus aureus bacteremia (SAB) has been associated with increased mortality. Enhanced microbial detection with new blood culture technology may improve detection of S. aureus in patients with SAB. However, implementation of a new blood culture system may lead to an increased duration of SAB without affecting adverse outcomes.
JOURNAL OF CLINICAL MICROBIOLOGY
(2022)
Article
Microbiology
Allison R. Eberly, Meghan A. Wallace, Samantha Shannon, Angela K. Heitman, Audrey N. Schuetz, Carey-Ann D. Burnham, Sophonie Jean
Summary: The study developed an anaerobic carbapenem inactivation method (Ana-CIM) for detecting carbapenem resistance in Bacteroides fragilis. Clinical validation and reproducibility tests showed that Ana-CIM has good accuracy and repeatability.
JOURNAL OF CLINICAL MICROBIOLOGY
(2022)
Article
Microbiology
Stephanie A. Fritz, Todd N. Wylie, Haley Gula, Patrick G. Hogan, Mary G. Boyle, Carol E. Muenks, Melanie L. Sullivan, Carey-Ann D. Burnham, Kristine M. Wylie
Summary: Decolonization with topical antimicrobials disrupts bacterial communities on the skin, with effects differing between younger and older subjects. The disruption can persist for up to a year post-intervention.
MICROBIOLOGY SPECTRUM
(2022)
Article
Microbiology
Luke Diorio-Toth, Sidra Irum, Robert F. Potter, Meghan A. Wallace, Muhammad Arslan, Tehmina Munir, Saadia Andleeb, Carey-Ann D. Burnham, Gautam Dantas
Summary: This study used whole-genome sequencing to determine the genotypic mechanisms of beta-lactam resistance in Pseudomonas aeruginosa clinical isolates from three hospitals in Pakistan. The study found that carbapenem resistance was associated with the acquisition of metallo-beta-lactamases or extended-spectrum beta-lactamases and mutations in the porin gene. Furthermore, isolates with multiple resistance mechanisms showed significantly higher levels of imipenem resistance compared to isolates with a single resistance mechanism.
MICROBIOLOGY SPECTRUM
(2022)
Article
Microbiology
Eric M. Ransom, Sanjam S. Sawhney, Gautam Dantas, Carey-Ann D. Burnham, Skye R. S. Fishbein
Summary: This study reports the draft genome sequence of an unusual Mycobacterium isolate recovered from a patient's arm tissue. The draft genome is 4,025,753-bp in length with a GC content of 71.02%, and analysis of the 16S rRNA gene revealed the closest relative to be Mycobacterium grossiae.
MICROBIOLOGY RESOURCE ANNOUNCEMENTS
(2022)
Review
Microbiology
Sophonie Jean, Miranda J. Wallace, Gautam Dantas, Carey-Ann D. Burnham
Summary: Bacteroides fragilis group (BFG) species are common members of the human microbiota, providing benefits to hosts but also causing infections. BFG bacteria are often resistant to commonly used antimicrobials, making treatment challenging. Whole-genome sequencing supports recent proposals for taxonomic reclassifications within the BFG. Species-level reporting and susceptibility testing are important for effective treatment of BFG infections.
JOURNAL OF CLINICAL MICROBIOLOGY
(2022)
Article
Microbiology
Nicole E. Putnam, Jung-Ho Youn, Meghan A. Wallace, Paul M. Luethy, Carey-Ann D. Burnham, Susan Butler-Wu, John P. Dekker, Anna F. Lau
Summary: The Streptococcus bovis group consists of seven species and subspecies, and definitive identification is important due to their association with various diseases. However, currently used identification platforms have limitations and inconsistencies.
JOURNAL OF CLINICAL MICROBIOLOGY
(2023)
Article
Microbiology
Nicole J. Tarlton, Meghan A. Wallace, Robert F. Potter, Kailun Zhang, Gautam Dantas, Erik R. Dubberke, Carey-Ann D. Burnham, Melanie L. Yarbrough
Summary: In this study, a Morganella morganii isolate MMOR1 was found to be susceptible to third/ fourth-generation cephalosporins and intermediate to meropenem, but positive for NDM and IMP carbapenemases by NG-Test CARBA 5. Further investigation revealed the presence of blaIMP-27, which caused a false-positive NDM result in NG-Test CARBA 5, suggesting the limited stability of this assay in detecting IMP-27.
MICROBIOLOGY SPECTRUM
(2023)
Article
Public, Environmental & Occupational Health
Miguel A. Chavez, Satish Munigala, Carey-Ann D. Burnham, Melanie L. Yarbrough, Crystal Squires, Josephine Fox, Heather Gasama, Kevin Hsueh, David K. Warren
Summary: This study implemented two interventions, kits for sample collection improvement and an electronic order alert for appropriate indications of fungal blood cultures, to enhance utilization and contamination control at the institution. The results showed that the electronic order alert was associated with decreased utilization of fungal blood cultures without a decrease in positivity rate.
INFECTION CONTROL AND HOSPITAL EPIDEMIOLOGY
(2023)
Article
Microbiology
Luke Diorio-Toth, Meghan A. A. Wallace, Christopher W. W. Farnsworth, Bin Wang, Danish Gul, Jennie H. H. Kwon, Saadia Andleeb, Carey-Ann D. Burnham, Gautam Dantas
Summary: This study tracks the long-term colonization patterns of intensive care unit (ICU) sinks and water from two hospitals in the USA and Pakistan using whole-genome sequencing. The analysis of 822 bacterial genomes reveals long-term contamination by opportunistic pathogens and transient appearance of other common pathogens. Bacteria recovered from the ICU have more antibiotic resistance genes in their genomes compared to matched community spaces.
Article
Microbiology
Sanjam S. Sawhney, Eric M. Ransom, Meghan A. Wallace, Patrick J. Reich, Gautam Dantas, Carey-Ann D. Burnham
Summary: This study discovered a high prevalence of Staphylococcus aureus isolates with a borderline oxacillin resistance phenotype (BORSA) in the neonatal intensive care unit (NICU). By analyzing mutations and truncations and using a random forest classification model, BORSA and methicillin-susceptible S. aureus were distinguished among clinical isolates collected from two continents. This work highlights the need for improved MRSA screening methods and the presence of the non-mecA-mediated BORSA phenotype.