Prevalence and Study of the Clonality of Extended-Spectrum Beta-Lactamase-Producing Klebsiella pneumoniae Strains in Neonatology at the University Hospitals of Abidjan by the Pulsed Field Gel Electrophoresis and the Quantitative Antibiogram

Background: ESBL-producing strains of Klebsiella pneumoniae, one of the main causes of nosocomial and hospital-acquired infections, are commonly associated with therapeutic impasses. Surveillance of these multidrug-resistant pathogens is a crucial tool for controlling and preventing infections. This surveillance involves the use of appropriate molecular and phenotypic typing techniques. The choice of techniques is based on criteria such as discriminatory power, intra- and inter-laboratory reproducibility, epidemiological concordance, ease of use and cost. The aim of our study was to identify clusters of Extended-Spectrum Beta-Lactamase-producing Klebsiella pneumoniae (ESBL-K. pneumoniae) strains circulating in neonatology using quantitative antibiogram (QA) and Pulsed Field Gel Electrophoresis (PFGE). Materials and Methods: This cross-sectional study included 55 K. pneumoniae strains isolated from a total of 513 samples. These various samples are taken from newborns, healthcare personnel, and the environment. K. pneumoniae identification followed standard bacteriological procedures and was confirmed using the Vitek® 2 (bioMérieux). The detection of the ESBL phenotype was performed using the synergy test. QA and PFGE were used to identify clonal relationships between the various strains isolated. Concordance between these two methods was assessed by calculating Cohen’s KAPPA coefficient and Simpson’s diversity index. Results: Among the 55 K. pneumoniae strains included in this study, 58.2% (32/55) were found to be Extended-Spectrum Beta-Lactamase (ESBL) producers. Most of these strains were isolated from neonatal samples (blood samples and rectal swabs). The quantitative antibiogram method applied to 28 out of the 32 ESBL-producing strains revealed that the isolates were grouped into 5 clusters. Pulsed Field Gel Electrophoresis performed on a total of 16 ESBL-producing strains showed the existence of four profiles. A perfect concordance was observed between the two methods. Conclusion: The results of this study highlighted the existence of clonal strains of various origins within neonatology units.

Production of Yam Tubers Using Seed Tubers from Vitroplants Regenerated from Aerial Stems in the Yam Species Dioscorea alata (L.) and Dioscorea cayenensis-rotundata (L. & P.) in Côte d’Ivoire

The aim of this study is to produce large quantities of yam tubers in the field from seed tubers derived from vitroplants regenerated from aerial stem cuttings and farmers’ tuber seeds. Seed tubers from ten yam cultivars, including five from Dioscorea alata (cDa083, cDa053, cDa115, cDa150 and cDa266) and five from Dioscorea cayenensis-rotundata (cDr015, cDr027, cDr150, cDr206 and cDr148) with distinct agro-morphological characteristics, were used as material. A completely randomized block design with 3 replications was used. In each block, all cultivars and seed types were represented. When put into cultivation, the tubers produced by the vitroplants all germinated and gave 100% healthy plants, compared with 86% to 100% healthy plants for the seed tubers produced by the farmers. Yields per hectare ranged from 10 to 25 tonnes for seed tubers produced by in vitro plants, and from 4 to 9 tons for seed tubers produced by farmers. Seed tubers from vitroplants can therefore be recommended to farmers as a solution to the problem of seed tuber unavailability.