scholarly journals Detecting genes associated with antimicrobial resistance and pathogen virulence in three New Zealand rivers

PeerJ ◽  
2021 ◽  
Vol 9 ◽  
pp. e12440
Author(s):  
Meredith Davis ◽  
Anne C. Midwinter ◽  
Richard Cosgrove ◽  
Russell G. Death
Keyword(s):  
New Zealand ◽  
Antimicrobial Resistance ◽  
Bacterial Species ◽  
Environmental Dna ◽  
Cross Sectional Study ◽  
Cross Sectional ◽  
Pathogen Virulence ◽  
Animal Pathogens ◽  
Targeted Testing ◽  
Clinically Significant

The emergence of clinically significant antimicrobial resistance (AMR) in bacteria is frequently attributed to the use of antimicrobials in humans and livestock and is often found concurrently with human and animal pathogens. However, the incidence and natural drivers of antimicrobial resistance and pathogenic virulence in the environment, including waterways and ground water, are poorly understood. Freshwater monitoring for microbial pollution relies on culturing bacterial species indicative of faecal pollution, but detection of genes linked to antimicrobial resistance and/or those linked to virulence is a potentially superior alternative. We collected water and sediment samples in the autumn and spring from three rivers in Canterbury, New Zealand; sites were above and below reaches draining intensive dairy farming. Samples were tested for loci associated with the AMR-related group 1 CTX-M enzyme production (blaCTX-M) and Shiga toxin producing Escherichia coli (STEC). The blaCTX-M locus was only detected during spring and was more prevalent downstream of intensive dairy farms. Loci associated with STEC were detected in both the autumn and spring, again predominantly downstream of intensive dairying. This cross-sectional study suggests that targeted testing of environmental DNA is a useful tool for monitoring waterways. Further studies are now needed to extend our observations across seasons and to examine the relationship between the presence of these genetic elements and the incidence of disease in humans.

scholarly journals Bacterial Tonsillitis and Antimicrobial Resistance Profiles Among Children Within Five Years of Age At Hargeisa Group of Hospital, Somaliland: A Cross-Sectional Study

2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
Hamda Hussein Darod ◽  
Addisu Melese ◽  
Mulugeta Kibret ◽  
Wondemagegn Mulu
Keyword(s):  
Drug Resistance ◽  
Antimicrobial Resistance ◽  
Antimicrobial Susceptibility ◽  
School Attendance ◽  
Bacterial Species ◽  
Cross Sectional Study ◽  
Diffusion Method ◽  
Sectional Study ◽  
Cross Sectional ◽  
History Of

Abstract Background Tonsillitis is the third most frequently diagnosed infection in the pediatrics age group around the world. It causes significant morbidity and loss of school attendance in children. The emergence of drug resistance in bacterial tonsillitis is getting higher every year. However, data on the drug resistance profiles of bacterial causes of tonsillitis among children within five years of age is not available in Somaliland.Therefore; this study determined the bacterial causes of tonsillitis and their antimicrobial resistance profiles among children within five years of age at Hargeisa Group of Hospital, Somaliland. Methods A cross-sectional study was conducted from March to July 2020. A total of 374 children within five years of age were included using convenient sampling method. Throat swabs were collected from children, processed and bacterial species were identified using standard bacteriological procedures. Antimicrobial susceptibility was done using disc diffusion method. Data on demographic variables and clinical profiles were collected using structured questionnaires. Logistic regression analysis was computed to identify factors associated with bacterial tonsillitis. P-values < 0.05 were taken as statistically significant. Results The median age of children included in the study was 4 years. Overall, 120(32.1%)(95% CI 27.4–36.8%) of children had culture confirmed bacterial tonsillitis. Of them,23(19.2%) had mixed infections.The most frequent bacterial isolates were Streptococcus pyogenes 78(55%), Staphylococcus aureus 42 (29%) and Streptococcus pneumoniae 10(7%). Isolates revealed 83.3–100 % rate of resistance to ampicillin. S. aureus was resistant to clarithromycin (38%) while 60% of S. pneumoniae isolates were resistant to gentamicin. The overall multidrug resistance (MDR) was 50.4% and 52.6% of S.pyogenes and 60% of S.pneumoniae were MDR. History of tonsillitis(AOR = 0.12; 95% CI = 0.06–0.21), difficulty of swallowing(AOR = 6.99; 95% CI = 3.56–13.73), weight loss (AOR = 0.33; 95% CI = 0.186–0.597) and attending school (AOR = 2.98; 95% CI = 1.64–5.42) were found to be associated with tonsillitis among children within five years of age. Conclusions Bacterial tonsillitis with high degree of ampicillin resistance, mixed infections and MDR isolates are major concerns in children within five years of age at Hargeisa, Somaliland. Therefore, treatment of cases should be guided by regular culture and antimicrobial susceptibility testing to prevent disease consequences and critical drug resistance.

Gambling-like video game practices: A cross-sectional study of links with problem gambling and disordered gaming

2019 ◽  
Author(s):  
David Zendle
Keyword(s):  
Video Games ◽  
Problem Gambling ◽  
Video Game ◽  
Large Scale ◽  
Significant Degree ◽  
Cross Sectional Study ◽  
Video Gaming ◽  
Cross Sectional ◽  
Streaming Services ◽  
Clinically Significant

A variety of practices have recently emerged which are related to both video games and gambling. Most prominent of these are loot boxes. However, a broad range of other activities have recently emerged which are also related to both gambling and video games: esports betting, real-money video gaming, token wagering, social casino play, and watching videos of both loot box opening and gambling on game streaming services like Twitch.Whilst a nascent body of research has established the robust existence of a relationship between loot box spending and both problem gambling and disordered gaming, little research exists which examines whether similar links may exist for the diverse practices outlined above. Furthermore, no research has thus far attempted to estimate the prevalence of these activities.A large-scale survey of a representative sample of UK adults (n=1081) was therefore conducted in order to investigate these issues. Engagement in all measured forms of gambling-like video game practices were significantly associated with both problem gambling and disordered gaming. An aggregate measure of engagement was associated with both these outcomes to a clinically significant degree (r=0.23 and r=0.43). Engagement in gambling-like video game practices appeared widespread, with a 95% confidence interval estimating that 16.3% – 20.9% of the population engaged in these activities at least once in the last year. Engagement in these practices was highly inter-correlated: Individuals who engaged in one practice were likely to engage in several more.Overall, these results suggest that the potential effects of the blurring of lines between video games and gambling should not primarily be understood to be due to the presence of loot boxes in video games. They suggest the existence of a convergent ecosystem of gambling-like video game practices, whose causal relationships with problem gambling and disordered gaming are currently unclear but must urgently be investigated.

scholarly journals Assessing Knowledge and Perception Regarding Antimicrobial Stewardship and Antimicrobial Resistance in University Students of Pakistan: Findings and Implications

Antibiotics ◽  
2021 ◽  
Vol 10 (7) ◽  
pp. 866
Author(s):  
Iltaf Hussain ◽  
Nisa Yousaf ◽  
Sana Haider ◽  
Pervisha Jalil ◽  
Muhammad Usman Saleem ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Antimicrobial Resistance ◽  
University Students ◽  
Antimicrobial Stewardship ◽  
Antibiotic Use ◽  
Cross Sectional Study ◽  
Dosing Regimen ◽  
Student Knowledge ◽  
Chi Square ◽  
Cross Sectional ◽  
Self Administered Questionnaire

The irrational use of antimicrobials has enormously contributed to antimicrobial resistance (AMR) globally and especially in the developing world. To assess the knowledge and perception regarding AMR and antimicrobial stewardship (AMS), a descriptive cross-sectional study was carried out in university students enrolled in pharmacy, veterinary, and biology programs by using an online self-administered questionnaire. The Chi-square and Fisher exact tests (where applicable) were performed to assess the association of the demographics with the students’ knowledge and perception regarding AMR and AMS. A total of 496 students completed the questionnaire, among which, 85.7% of the participants were familiar with the term AMR and 79.4% of the participants correctly identified a poorly designed dosing regimen as a contributing factor towards AMR. The majority of participants (57.9%) were familiar with the term AMS and 86.5% were aware of the aim of AMS. The participants showed good knowledge regarding AMR and AMS, but to further improve student knowledge and perception of AMS and AMR, it is suggested that dedicated modules on antibiotic use and AMS should be incorporated into the curricula of these undergraduate and postgraduate programs.

scholarly journals Knowledge and perceptions of cardiopulmonary resuscitation amongst New Zealand podiatrists: a web-based survey

2021 ◽  
Vol 14 (1) ◽  
Author(s):  
Angela Brenton-Rule ◽  
Daniel Harvey ◽  
Kevin Moran ◽  
Daniel O’Brien ◽  
Jonathon Webber
Keyword(s):  
New Zealand ◽  
Cardiopulmonary Resuscitation ◽  
Life Support ◽  
Survival Rates ◽  
Sudden Cardiac Arrest ◽  
Cross Sectional Study ◽  
Trial Registration ◽  
Cross Sectional ◽  
Web Based ◽  
The Past

Abstract Background Podiatrists in New Zealand have a duty of care to assist patients in an emergency, and current cardiopulmonary resuscitation (CPR) certification is a requirement for registration. However, it is unknown how competent and confident podiatrists are in administering CPR and how they would respond in an emergency. Having a health professional who has a competent knowledge of CPR and skills in basic life support, can improve survival rates from sudden cardiac arrest. Therefore, the aim of this study was to survey New Zealand podiatrists to determine their CPR knowledge and qualifications; beliefs about the application of CPR; and perceptions of their competency in CPR. Methods This cross-sectional study used a web-based survey. Participants were New Zealand registered podiatrists with a current annual practising certificate. The 31-item survey included questions to elicit demographic information, CPR practice and attitudes, and CPR knowledge. Responses were collected between March and August 2020. Results 171 podiatrists responded to the survey. 16 % of the podiatrists (n = 28) had performed CPR in an emergency, with a 50 % success rate. Participants were predominantly female (n = 127, 74 %) and working in private practice (n = 140,82 %). Nearly half of respondents were younger than 40 years (n = 75,44 %) and had less than 10 years of clinical experience (n = 73, 43 %). Nearly all (n = 169,97 %) participants had received formal CPR training in the past two years, with 60 % (n = 105) receiving training in the past 12 months. Most respondents (n = 167,98 %) self-estimated their CPR ability as being effective, very effective, or extremely effective. Participants’ knowledge of CPR was variable, with the percentage of correct answers for CPR protocol statements ranging between 20 and 90 %. Conclusions This study provides the first insight into New Zealand podiatrists’ CPR knowledge and perceptions. Podiatrists were found to have high levels of CPR confidence but demonstrated gaps in CPR knowledge. Currently, New Zealand registered podiatrists require biennial CPR re-certification. However, resuscitation authorities in New Zealand and overseas recommend an annual update of CPR skills. Based on this study’s findings, and in line with Australia and the United Kingdom, the authors recommend a change from biennial to annual CPR re-certification for podiatrists in New Zealand. Trial registration The study was registered with the Australian New Zealand Clinical Trials Registry (ACTRN12620001144909).

scholarly journals Perspectives of Healthcare Professionals Regarding Factors Associated with Antimicrobial Resistance (AMR) and Their Consequences: A Cross Sectional Study in Eastern Province of Saudi Arabia

Antibiotics ◽  
2021 ◽  
Vol 10 (7) ◽  
pp. 878
Author(s):  
Mohamed A. Baraka ◽  
Amany Alboghdadly ◽  
Samar Alshawwa ◽  
Asim Ahmed Elnour ◽  
Hassan Alsultan ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Antimicrobial Resistance ◽  
Inappropriate Prescribing ◽  
Healthcare Providers ◽  
Cross Sectional Study ◽  
Sectional Study ◽  
Key Factors ◽  
Eastern Province ◽  
Cross Sectional ◽  
Factors Associated ◽  
Factors Influencing

Factors reported in the literature associated with inappropriate prescribing of antimicrobials include physicians with less experience, uncertain diagnosis, and patient caregiver influences on physicians’ decisions. Monitoring antimicrobial resistance is critical for identifying emerging resistance patterns, developing, and assessing the effectiveness of mitigation strategies. Improvement in prescribing antimicrobials would minimize the risk of resistance and, consequently, improve patients’ clinical and health outcomes. The purpose of the study is to delineate factors associated with antimicrobial resistance, describe the factors influencing prescriber’s choice during prescribing of antimicrobial, and examine factors related to consequences of inappropriate prescribing of antimicrobial. A cross-sectional study was conducted among healthcare providers (190) in six tertiary hospitals in the Eastern province of Saudi Arabia. The research panel has developed, validated, and piloted survey specific with closed-ended questions. A value of p < 0.05 was considered to be statistically significant. All data analysis was performed using the Statistical Package for Social Sciences (IBM SPSS version 23.0). 72.7% of the respondents have agreed that poor skills and knowledge are key factors that contribute to the inappropriate prescribing of antimicrobials. All of the respondents acknowledged effectiveness, previous experience with the antimicrobial, and reading scientific materials (such as books, articles, and the internet) as being key factors influencing physicians’ choice during antimicrobial prescribing. The current study has identified comprehensive education and training needs for healthcare providers about antimicrobial resistance. Using antimicrobials unnecessarily, insufficient duration of antimicrobial use, and using broad spectrum antimicrobials were reported to be common practices. Furthermore, poor skills and knowledge were a key factor that contributed to the inappropriate use and overuse of antimicrobials, and the use of antimicrobials without a physician’s prescription (i.e., self-medication) represent key factors which contribute to AMR from participants’ perspectives. Furthermore, internal policy and guidelines are needed to ensure that the antimicrobials are prescribed in accordance with standard protocols and clinical guidelines.

scholarly journals Diabetic maculopathy: multicolour and SD-OCT versus fundus photography

2021 ◽  
Vol 6 (1) ◽  
pp. e000514
Author(s):  
Obaid Kousha ◽  
Martina Maria Delle Fave ◽  
Mariano Cozzi ◽  
Elisa Carini ◽  
Sergio Pagliarini
Keyword(s):  
Macular Oedema ◽  
Cross Sectional Study ◽  
Fundus Photography ◽  
Diabetic Maculopathy ◽  
Perfect Agreement ◽  
Cross Sectional ◽  
Clinically Significant ◽  
Fundus Photographs ◽  
Diabetic Eye Screening ◽  
Sd Oct

ObjectiveThe English Diabetic Eye Screening (DES) programme recommends patients with M1 diabetic maculopathy to be referred to hospital eye services. DES uses flash fundus photography as the reference standard for maculopathy grading. We compared multicolour versus non-stereoscopic fundus photography at identifying M1 maculopathy, with spectral domain optical coherence tomography (SD-OCT) identifying macular thickening.Methods and analysisThis cross-sectional study included 345 patients with R1M1 referred from DES and reviewed in secondary care with fundus photographs, multicolour and SD-OCT. Maculopathy was graded based on DES exudate criteria on both multicolour and fundus photography in a blind fashion by two independent graders. Macular thickness was ascertained on SD-OCT.ResultsIntergrader agreement on grading maculopathy using fundus photography (Cohen’s κ=0.91) and multicolour (Cohen’s κ=0.82) was ‘almost perfect’. Agreement between fundus photography and multicolour on grading maculopathy (Cohen’s κ=0.76) was ‘substantial’. Compared with fundus photography, multicolour had sensitivity of 87% (95% CI 81% to 93%) and specificity of 90% (95% CI 87% to 94%) in detecting M1 maculopathy. SD-OCT identified 84 eyes with macular thickening, 47 of which were graded as M0 by fundus photography. 5 eyes with exudates and severe macular oedema requiring urgent intervention were also missed on fundus photography but not on multicolour. Multicolour, when complemented by SD-OCT, did not miss any clinically significant macular oedema.ConclusionMulticolour integrates synergistically in a single platform with SD-OCT providing effective monitoring of M1 diabetic maculopathy. The need for fundus photography is eliminated by multicolour/SD-OCT in dedicated R1M1 virtual clinics not requiring parallel diabetic retinopathy grading.

scholarly journals Removable denture is a risk indicator for peri-implantitis and facilitates expansion of specific periodontopathogens: a cross-sectional study

2021 ◽  
Vol 21 (1) ◽  
Author(s):  
Jasmin Grischke ◽  
Szymon P. Szafrański ◽  
Uthayakumar Muthukumarasamy ◽  
Susanne Haeussler ◽  
Meike Stiesch
Keyword(s):  
Bacterial Species ◽  
Positive Association ◽  
Cross Sectional Study ◽  
Risk Indicators ◽  
Risk Indicator ◽  
Sectional Study ◽  
Significant Positive Association ◽  
Cross Sectional ◽  
Linear Discriminant ◽  
Removable Denture

Abstract Background The prevalence of peri-implantitis ranges between 7 and 38.4% depending on risk indicators such as smoking, diabetes mellitus, lack of periodontal maintenance program, and history or presence of periodontitis. Currently, the possible effect of the type of superstructure on peri-implant health is unclear. This cross-sectional study aims to investigate the influence of the superstructure on the prevalence of peri-implant mucositis, peri-implantitis and peri-implant dysbiosis. Methods During a 32-month recruitment period dental implants were assessed to diagnose healthy peri-implant tissues, mucositis or peri-implantitis. The study included 1097 implants in 196 patients. Out of all peri-implantitis cases 20 randomly chosen submucosal biofilms from implants with fixed denture (FD) originating from 13 patients and 11 biofilms from implants with removable dentures (RD) originating from 3 patients were studied for microbiome analysis. Composition of transcriptionally active biofilms was revealed by RNAseq. Metatranscriptomic profiles were created for thirty-one peri-implant biofilms suffering from peri-implantitis and microbiome changes associated with superstructure types were identified. Results 16.41% of the implants were diagnosed with peri-implantitis, 25.00% of implants with RD and 12.68% of implants with FD, respectively. Multivariate analysis showed a significant positive association on patient (p =  < 0.001) and implant level (p = 0.03) between the prevalence of peri-implantitis and RD. Eight bacterial species were associated either with FD or RD by linear discriminant analysis effect size method. However, significant intergroup confounders (e.g. smoking) were present. Conclusions Within the limitations of the present work, RDs appear to be a risk indicator for peri-implantitis and seem to facilitate expansion of specific periodontopathogens. Potential ecological and pathological consequences of shift in microbiome from RDs towards higher activity of Fusobacterium nucleatum subspecies animalis and Prevotella intermedia require further investigation.

scholarly journals Dietary Factors of blaNDM Carriage in Health Community Population: A Cross-Sectional Study

2021 ◽  
Vol 18 (11) ◽  
pp. 5959
Author(s):  
Shuangfang Hu ◽  
Ziquan Lv ◽  
Qiumei Xiang ◽  
Yang Wang ◽  
Jianzhong Shen ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Risk Factors ◽  
Antimicrobial Resistance ◽  
Cross Sectional Study ◽  
Dietary Factors ◽  
Coarse Grain ◽  
Sectional Study ◽  
Cross Sectional ◽  
Health Community ◽  
Health Communities ◽  
Tuber Crops

Aim: There is an ongoing debate as to what extent antimicrobial resistance (AMR) can be transmitted from dietary to humans via the consumption of food products. We investigated this association between dietary and global spreading carbapenem-resistant gene blaNDM Methods: We did a cross-sectional study to assess the risk factors for carrier of blaNDM in health community. Healthy adults were recruited from the residents attending Community Healthcare Service in Shenzhen City (Guangdong Province, China), through 1February 2018 to 31December 2019, and 718 pre-participants were included in this study. Questionnaire were obtained and the qualitative food frequency questionnaire (Q-FFQ) were used to assess dietary intake. qPCR was applied to confirm the carrier of blaNDM in participants’fecal samples. Multivariable logistic regression was used to estimate the odds ratio (OR) and 95% confidence interval (95% CI) of each outcome according to each dietary factor before and after prosperity score matching (PSM). Results: we showed that a high intake of coarse grain (OR 1.003; 95% CI 1.001–1.005, p < 0.01) and root and tuber crops (OR 1.003; 95% CI 1.001–1.004, p < 0.05) were independent risk factor for blaNDM carrier in health communities, suggesting a possible transfer of AMRbetweendietary andhumans. Surprisingly, we also showed an association between a higher intake of poultry as a protective, which may be explained by the beneficial effects on the gut microbiota. Conclusion: Dietary factors such as intake of coarse grain, root and tuber crops and poultry were associated with blaNDM carrier in health communities. The influence of dietary factorson blaNDM carrier in the present study provides insights for the tangible dietary advice with guidelines to the routine of people with the risk of blaNDM carrier. This demonstrates the role of dietary intake in the prevention of blaNDM carrier, since prevention is the best way to control modifiable risk factors. A lower carrier rate of blaNDM is helpful to reduce the possibility of transmission and pathogenicity. Further studies on food, microbiota and antimicrobial resistance are necessary to confirm this possible association and unravel underlying mechanisms.

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