scholarly journals Insights into the Bacterial Profiles and Resistome Structures Following the Severe 2018 Flood in Kerala, South India

2019 ◽  
Vol 7 (10) ◽  
pp. 474
Author(s):  
Soumya Jaya Divakaran ◽  
Jamiema Sara Philip ◽  
Padma Chereddy ◽  
Sai Ravi Chandra Nori ◽  
Akshay Jaya Ganesh ◽  
...  

Extreme flooding is one of the major risk factors for human health, and it can significantly influence the microbial communities and enhance the mobility of infectious disease agents within the affected areas. The flood crisis in 2018 was one of the severe natural calamities recorded in the southern state of India (Kerala) that significantly affected its economy and ecological habitat. We utilized a combination of shotgun metagenomics and bioinformatics approaches to understand the bacterial profile and the abundance of pathogenic and antibiotic-resistant bacteria in extremely flooded areas of Kuttanad, Kerala (4–10 feet below sea level). Here we report the bacterial profiles of flooded sites that are abundant with virulent and resistant bacteria. The flooded sites were heavily contaminated with faecal contamination indicators such as Escherichia coli and Enterococcus faecalis and multidrug-resistant strains of Pseudomonas aeruginosa, Salmonella typhi/typhimurium, Klebsiella pneumoniae, Vibrio cholerae. The resistome of the flooded sites contains 103 known resistant genes, of which 38% are plasmid-encoded, where most of them are known to be associated with pathogenic bacteria. Our results reveal an overall picture of the bacterial profile and resistome of sites following a devastating flood event, which might increase the levels of pathogens and its associated risks.

2019 ◽  
Author(s):  
Soumya Jaya Divakaran ◽  
Jamiema Sara Philip ◽  
Padma Chereddy ◽  
Sai Ravi Chandra Nori ◽  
Akshay Jaya Ganesh ◽  
...  

AbstractExtreme flooding is one of the major risk factors for human health, and it can significantly influence the microbial communities and enhance the mobility of infectious disease agents within its affected areas. The flood crisis in 2018 was one of the severe natural calamities recorded in the southern state of India (Kerala) that significantly affected its economy and ecological habitat. We utilized a combination of shotgun metagenomics and bioinformatics approaches for understanding microbiome disruption and the dissemination of pathogenic and antibiotic-resistant bacteria on flooded sites. Here we report, altered bacterial profiles at the flooded sites having 77 significantly different bacterial genera in comparison with non-flooded mangrove settings. The flooded regions were heavily contaminated with faecal contamination indicators such asEscherichia coliandEnterococcus faecalisand resistant strains ofPseudomonas aeruginosa, SalmonellaTyphi/Typhimurium, Klebsiella pneumoniae, Vibrio choleraeandStaphylococcus aureus. The resistome of the flooded sites contains 103 resistant genes, of which 38% are encoded in plasmids, where most of them are associated with pathogens. The presence of 6 pathogenic bacteria and its susceptibility to multiple antibiotics including ampicillin, chloramphenicol, kanamycin and tetracycline hydrochloride were confirmed in flooded and post-flooded sites using traditional culture-based analysis followed by 16S rRNA sequencing. Our results reveal altered bacterial profile following a devastating flood event with elevated levels of both faecal contamination indicators and resistant strains of pathogenic bacteria. The circulation of raw sewage from waste treatment settings and urban area might facilitate the spreading of pathogenic bacteria and resistant genes.


2017 ◽  
Vol 63 (11) ◽  
pp. 865-879 ◽  
Author(s):  
Ayman El-Shibiny ◽  
Salma El-Sahhar

Since their discovery in 1915, bacteriophages have been used to treat bacterial infections in animals and humans because of their unique ability to infect their specific bacterial hosts without affecting other bacterial populations. The research carried out in this field throughout the 20th century, largely in Georgia, part of USSR and Poland, led to the establishment of phage therapy protocols. However, the discovery of penicillin and sulfonamide antibiotics in the Western World during the 1930s was a setback in the advancement of phage therapy. The misuse of antibiotics has reduced their efficacy in controlling pathogens and has led to an increase in the number of antibiotic-resistant bacteria. As an alternative to antibiotics, bacteriophages have become a topic of interest with the emergence of multidrug-resistant bacteria, which are a threat to public health. Recent studies have indicated that bacteriophages can be used indirectly to detect pathogenic bacteria or directly as biocontrol agents. Moreover, they can be used to develop new molecules for clinical applications, vaccine production, drug design, and in the nanomedicine field via phage display.


mBio ◽  
2018 ◽  
Vol 9 (3) ◽  
Author(s):  
Roberto Adamo ◽  
Immaculada Margarit

ABSTRACT Antibiotics and vaccines have greatly impacted human health in the last century by dramatically reducing the morbidity and mortality associated with infectious diseases. The recent challenge posed by the emergence of multidrug-resistant bacteria could possibly be addressed by novel immune prophylactic and therapeutic approaches. Among the newly threatening pathogens, Klebsiella pneumoniae is particularly worrisome in the nosocomial setting, and its surface polysaccharides are regarded as promising antigen candidates. The majority of Klebsiella carbapenem-resistant strains belong to the sequence type 158 (ST258) lineage, with two main clades expressing capsular polysaccharides CPS1 and CPS2. In a recent article, S. D. Kobayashi and colleagues (mBio 9:e00297-18, 2018, https://doi.org/10.1128/mBio.00297-18) show that CPS2-specific IgGs render ST258 clade 2 bacteria more sensitive to human serum and phagocytic killing. E. Diago-Navarro et al. (mBio 9:e00091-18, 2018, https://doi.org/10.1128/mBio.00091-18) generated two murine monoclonal antibodies recognizing distinct glycotopes of CPS2 that presented functional activity against multiple ST258 strains. These complementary studies represent a step toward the control of this dangerous pathogen.


Author(s):  
Karolina Jeżak ◽  
Anna Kozajda

AbstractIntensive animal farming emits to the environment very high concentrations of bioaerosol, mainly composed of microorganisms, including antibiotics resistant strains, and their derivatives. Poland is a significant producer of poultry and swine in Europe; Ukraine is located in the immediate vicinity of Poland and the EU. Thus, the review focuses on the presence of potentially pathogenic and antimicrobial-resistant zoonotic bacteria and antimicrobial genes in the environment of farms and food of animal origin in Poland and Ukraine. Existing data confirms presence of these bacteria in the food animal origin chain environment in both countries. However, it is difficult to compare the scale of multidrug-resistant bacteria (e.g. MRSA, ESBL) dissemination in Poland and Ukraine with other EU countries due to lack of more extensive studies and large-scale monitoring in these two countries. A series of studies concerning resistance of pathogenic bacteria isolated from livestock environment have been published in Poland but usually on single farms with a very limited number of samples, and without a genotypic drug resistance marking. From Ukraine are available only few reports, but also disturbing. The risk of antibiotic-resistant bacteria transmission does not only concern animal farming, but also other facilities of animal origin food supply chains, especially slaughterhouses.


2021 ◽  
Vol 15 (10) ◽  
pp. 2506-2511
Author(s):  
Nayyab Sultan ◽  
Sabahat Javaid Butt ◽  
Wajeeha Mehak ◽  
Samreen Qureshi ◽  
Syed Hamza Abbas ◽  
...  

Antibiotics have played a crucial role in the treatment of bacterial infections. Past few decades are marked with advancement of multidrug resistant (MDR) pathogens, which have endangered antibiotic’s therapeutic efficacy. Scientific world is now struggling with the crisis of MDR pathogens. This supreme matter demands careful attention or otherwise it would jeopardize clinical management of infectious diseases. Implication of alternative approaches can pave a new way in the treatment of these troublesome bacteria. Tea leaves are known to pose antibacterial activity against many pathogenic microorganisms. This review has summarized the antibacterial potential of tea leave’s extracts against resistant bacterial pathogens such as Staphylococcus aureus, Pseudomonas aeruginosa, Helicobacter pylori, Escherichia coli, Klebsiella pneumonia, Salmonella typhi, Acenitobacter spp, Campylobacter spp. Consumption of natural products such as tea may very well replace, minimize or obliterate this complicated situation. Keywords: Anti-bacterial, Tea, Camellia sinensis, Drug resistant bacteria, Antibiotic resistant bacteria, Synergism, Polyphenols.


2018 ◽  
Vol 16 (2) ◽  
pp. 136-139 ◽  
Author(s):  
Binod Lekhak ◽  
Anjana Singh ◽  
Dwij Raj Bhatta

Background: Human pathogens are rapidly acquiring resistance to antibiotics leading to treatment failure. We carried out this study to isolate and screen actinomycetes strains that have potential to kill bacterial and fungal pathogens.Methods: In this descriptive study 288 soil and water samples were processed by standard microbiological techniques at Central Department of Microbiology, Tribhuvan University from 2013 to 2015. Screened actinomycetes were cultivated for bioactive metabolite production and minimum inhibitory concentration (MIC) of metabolites were determined against bacterial pathogens including multidrug resistant bacteria and fungi.Results: One hundred twenty isolates having antimicrobial property were screened. Out of them, four most potent strains, Nocardiopsis prasina, Streptomyces violarus, Streptomyces krainskii and Streptomyces tsusimaensis were identified all having both antibacterial and anti-fungal property.Highest zone of inhibition (ZOI)was given by N. prasina against Candida albicans(41.33 ±1.15mm) and among bacteria, maximum ZOI was against Acinetobacter baumannii(31.33±3.05mm). MIC value of metabolite of N.prasina was 0.125mg/ml for E.coli and C. albicans. It was 2.5 mg/ml each for methicillin resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA), A. baumannii and Salmonella Typhi and 0.625 mg/ml for Bacillus Subtilis.Conclusions: Bioactive metabolite producing actinomycetes were recovered from soil and tested against human pathogenic bacteria and fungiand found to have antibacterial and antifungal property.


2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
Anke Breine ◽  
Megane Van Gysel ◽  
Mathias Elsocht ◽  
Clemence Whiteway ◽  
Chantal Philippe ◽  
...  

Synopsis Objectives: The spread of antibiotic resistant bacteria is an important threat for human healthcare. Acinetobacter baumannii bacteria impose one of the major issues, as multidrug- to pandrug-resistant strains have been found, rendering some infections untreatable. In addition, A. baumannii is a champion in surviving in harsh environments, being capable of resisting to disinfectants and to persist prolonged periods of desiccation. Due to the high degree of variability found in A. baumannii isolates, the search for new antibacterials is challenging. Here, we screened a compound library to identify compounds active against recent isolates of A. baumannii bacteria. Methods: A repurposing drug screen was undertaken to identify A. baumannii growth inhibitors. One hit was further characterized by determining its IC50 and testing its activity on 43 recent clinical A. baumannii isolates, amongst which 40 are extensively drug- and carbapenem-resistant strains. Results: The repurposing screen led to the identification of a harmine-derived compound, called HDC1, which proved to have bactericidal activity on the multidrug-resistant AB5075-VUB reference strain with an IC50 of 48.23 [mu]M. In addition, HDC1 impairs growth of all 43 recent clinical A. baumannii isolates. Conclusions: We identified a compound with inhibitory activity on all tested, extensively drug-resistant clinical A. baumannii isolates.


Antibiotics ◽  
2021 ◽  
Vol 10 (4) ◽  
pp. 353
Author(s):  
Immacolata La Tela ◽  
Maria Francesca Peruzy ◽  
Nicola D’Alessio ◽  
Fabio Di Nocera ◽  
Francesco Casalinuovo ◽  
...  

Wild animals are potential vectors of antibiotic-resistant bacteria in the environment. The present study aimed to investigate the occurrence of antimicrobial resistance among Salmonella serovars isolated from wildlife and the environment in Italy. A total of 164 Salmonella isolates were analyzed, and six different subspecies and 64 serovars were detected. High proportions of Salmonella isolates proved resistant to streptomycin (34.1%), followed by trimethoprim-sulfamethoxazole (23.2%), tetracycline (17.7%), ciprofloxacin (14.63%) and ampicillin (11.59%). By source, the lowest level of resistance was observed in Salmonella serovars isolated from a water environment, while antimicrobial resistance was frequent in strains collected from shellfish, reptiles and birds. Multidrug-resistant strains were recovered from seafood (n = 11), mammals (n = 3) and water (n = 1). Three S. Typhimurium monophasic variant strains showed asimultaneous resistance to ampicillin, streptomycin, tetracycline and trimethoprim-sulfamethoxazole, which represents a recognized alert resistance profile for this serovar. These data indicate the environmental dissemination of resistant strains due to anthropogenic activities, which, in southern Italy, probably have a higher impact on marine ecosystems than on terrestrial ones. Moreover, as most of the animals considered in the present study are usually consumed by humans, the presence of resistant bacteria in them is a matter of great concern.


2019 ◽  
Vol 56 (2) ◽  
pp. 388-391
Author(s):  
Letitia Doina Duceac ◽  
Geta Mitrea ◽  
Elena Ariela Banu ◽  
Madalina Irina Ciuhodaru ◽  
Irina Mihaela Ciomaga ◽  
...  

Carbapenem antibiotics resistance is a medical threat in antibacterial therapy as the pathogen resistant strains easily evolve a multi-drug resistance action to other incurable agents. The protective transport of current antibiotic molecules using nano-carriers initiates a huge approach in the antibacterial therapy, allowing the nanohybrids to defeat all these health threat pathogen agents. Chitosan is a linear cationic polysaccharide being often used in medical area as a biocompatible encapsulating agent in antibiotic delivery nanosystems. This work refers to encapsulation of imipenem into biodegradable chitosan nanoparticles in order to destroy antibiotic-resistant bacteria and limit the microbial adhesion and multiplication. Nanoparticles were prepared by ion gelation method using tripolyphosphate as cross linking agent. The obtained hybrid nanocapsules were then characterized and evaluated as a potential nano-device to beat antimicrobial resistance.


2012 ◽  
Vol 11 (1) ◽  
pp. 31-48
Author(s):  
Suma Sarojini

The “antibiotic era” saw the discovery of a lot of wonder drugs which killed pathogenic bacteria without significantly harming the host. Never before had nature and sickness seemed so much within the control of mankind. The hopes soon died down with the reports of antibiotic resistant bacteria. The extensive overuse and misuse of antibiotics by human beings coupled with the alarming rate of spread of resistance genes to other bacteria by horizontal and lateral gene transfer has given the problem a larger dimension in that now we have superbugs resistant to a variety of antibiotics. People need to be informed of the dangers of antibiotics and educated on the forms of illnesses that antibiotics cannot treat.


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