Trifunctional Cu-Mesh/Cu_(2)O@FeO Nanoarrays for Highly Efficient Degradation of Antibiotic, Inactivation of Antibiotic-Resistant Bacteria, and Damage of Antibiotics Resistance Genes

Trifunctional Cu-mesh/Cu_(2)O@FeO nanoarrays heterostructure is designed and fabricated by integrating CuCu_(2)O@FeO nanoarrays onto Cu-mesh(CM)via an in situ growth and phase transformation process.It is successfully applied to efficiently mitigate the antibiotic pollution,including degradation of antibiotics,inactivation of antibiotic-resistant bacteria(ARB),and damage of antibiotics resistance genes(ARGs).Under visible-light irradiation,CM/CuCu_(2)O@FeO nanoarrays exhibit a superior degradation efficiency on antibiotics(e.g.,up to 99%in 25 min for tetracycline hydrochloride,TC),due to the generated reactive oxygen species(ROS),especially the dominant·O^(2−).It can fully inactivate E.coli(HB101)with initial number of~108 CFU mL^(−1) in 10 min,which is mainly attributed to the synergistic effects of 1D nanostructure,dissolved metal ions,and generated ROS.Meanwhile,it is able to damage ARGs after 180 min of photodegradation,including tetA(vs TC)of 3.3 log 10,aphA(vs kanamycin sulfate,KAN)of 3.4 log 10,and tnpA(vs ampicillin,AMP)of 4.4 log 10,respectively.This work explores a green way for treating antibiotic pollution under visible light.

Antibiotics Resistance Profile of Bacillus cereus Strains Isolated from Soil and Pepper in Brazzaville

Introduction: Bacillus cereus and spores produced in various ecological niches are responsible for toxic infections in humans. This study is conducted to determine the antibiotics resistance profile of B. cereus strains isolated from soil and pepper consummated in Brazzaville. Methodology: An antimicrobial susceptibility test of 16 B. cereus strains from soil and peppers was performed using 11 antibiotics by the Kirby-Bauer’s diffusion on disc method. Results: Results revealed 100% (16/16) of resistance in penicillin G, amoxicillin, ceftazidime, rifampicin, and colistin, also 18.75% (3/16), 11.76% (2/16), and 18.75% (3/16) of resistance in doripenem, vancomycin and chloramphenicol respectively. In addition, we have observed 100% (16/16), 81.25% (13/16), 76.47% (13/16), 35.29% (5/16), 35.50% (6/16), and 12.5% (2/16) of sensitivity to line-zolid, tigecycline, ciprofloxacin, vancomycin, doripenem and chloram-phenicol respectively. However, all strains have been multidrug resistant (MDR) to betalactams, polypeptides, and ansamycins. Moreover, 7 strains (43.75%) have been variably multiresistant. One strain, Ri10 has been resistant to beta-lactams, polypeptides, ansamycins, cyclins and glycopeptides. No strain was ultraresistant (XDR) or largely insensitive (PDR) to different antibiotics. Conclusion: This study reveals that 51% of strains have been resistant to antibiotics, 32% are sensitive, and 17% have intermediate resistance. These results partly explain the high rate of gastroenteritis observed in Brazzaville due to food poisoning.

Analysis of the Clinical Characteristics and Antibiotics Resistance of Community-acquired Methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus

The purpose of this investigation is to study the clinical characteristics of infections by community-acquired methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA) and the condition of antibiotics resistance of the clinical isolates in order to guide for the rational use of antibiotics. With the clinical isolates from cases of hospital-acquired MRSA at the same period as controls, the clinical characteristics of infections by community-acquired MRSA in Hangzhou area and the pattern of non-β-lactamase antibiotics resistance were determined in this study. It was found that the average age of patients with community-acquired MRSA infections was 30.89±13.3, in comparison with those of the hospital-acquired patients of 56.0±11.8, appearing to be younger than those of the latter, and the former showing no any basic illness. Both of the former and the latter were sensitive to vancomycin (100% vs 100%), and they had the same degrees of sensitivity to rifampicin, fosfomycin, and STM/TMP (86.8% vs 88.1%, P >0.05; 81.6% vs 82.9%, P >0.05; and 52.6% vs 61.9%, P >0.05, respectively). The former was more sensitive to netimycin, clindamycin, erythromycin and minocycline than those of the latter (73.7% vs 50.5%, P <0.01; 60.5% vs 45.7%, P <0.05; 28.9% vs 11.4%, P <0.01; and 81.6% vs 58.6%, P <0.01 respectively). Meanwhile, the incidence of multi-resistant strain of isolates in the former was significantly lower than that of the latter (31.6% vs 81.0%, P <0.01). In conclusion, it appears that the strains of clinical isolates isolated from patients with the community-acquired MRSA infections show different clinical characteristics and antimicrobial susceptibility in comparison with those of the hospital-acquired cases of infection, and this necessitates an alteration in the chemotherapy of infections suspected to be caused by community-acquired MRSA.

Enhancing Accumulation and Penetration Efficiency of Next-Generation Antibiotics to Mitigate Antibiotic Resistance in Pseudomonas aeruginosa PAO1

This study explores the efficacy of advanced antibiotic compounds against P. aeruginosa, focusing on Antibiotic B, an enhanced derivative of Ceftriaxone. The study measured the intracellular uptake of Antibiotic B and introduced a novel adjuvant, Influximax, which augmented its antibacterial activity. Results showed a diminished potential for resistance emergence with Antibiotic B, particularly when used in combination with Influximax. The study suggests that optimizing antibiotic delivery into bacterial cells and leveraging syner-gistic adjuvant combinations can enhance drug resistance combat. .

UV-Based Advanced Oxidation Processes for Antibiotic Resistance Control: Efficiency, Influencing Factors, and Energy Consumption

Antibiotic resistant bacteria(ARB)with antibiotic resistance genes(ARGs)can reduce or eliminate the effectiveness of antibiotics and thus threaten human health.The United Nations Environment Programme considers antibiotic resistance the first of six emerging issues of concern.Advanced oxidation processes(AOPs)that combine ultraviolet(UV)irradiation and chemical oxidation(primarily chlorine,hydrogen peroxide,and persulfate)have attracted increasing interest as advanced water and wastewater treatment technologies.These integrated technologies have been reported to significantly elevate the efficiencies of ARB inactivation and ARG degradation compared with direct UV irradiation or chemical oxidation alone due to the generation of multiple reactive species.In this study,the performance and underlying mechanisms of UV/chlorine,UV/hydrogen peroxide,and UV/persulfate processes for controlling ARB and ARGs were reviewed based on recent studies.Factors affecting the process-specific efficiency in controlling ARB and ARGs were discussed,including biotic factors,oxidant dose,UV fluence,pH,and water matrix properties.In addition,the cost-effectiveness of the UV-based AOPs was evaluated using the concept of electrical energy per order.The UV/chlorine process exhibited a higher efficiency with lower energy consumption than other UV-based AOPs in the wastewater matrix,indicating its potential for ARB inactivation and ARG degradation in wastewater treatment.Further studies are required to address the trade-off between toxic byproduct formation and the energy efficiency of the UV/chlorine process in real wastewater to facilitate its optimization and application in the control of ARB and ARGs.

Success of susceptibility-guided eradication of Helicobacter pylori in a region with high secondary clarithromycin and levofloxacin resistance rates

BACKGROUND Resistance to clarithromycin(CLA)and levofloxacin(LFX)of Helicobacter pylori(H.pylori)is increasing in severity,and successful eradication is essential.Presently,the eradication success rate has greatly declined,leaving a large number of patients with previous treatment histories.AIM To investigate secondary resistance rates,explore risk factors for antibiotic resistance,and assess the efficacy of susceptibility-guided therapy.METHODS We recruited 154 subjects positive for Urea Breath Test who attended The First Affiliated Hospital of China Medical University between July 2022 and April 2023.Participants underwent a string test after an overnight fast.The gastric juice was obtained and transferred to vials containing storage solution.Subsequently,DNA extraction and the specific DNA amplification were performed using quantitative polymerase chain reaction(qPCR).Demographic information was also analyzed as part of the study.Based on these results,the participants were administered susceptibility-guided treatment.Efficacy was compared with that of the empiric treatment group.RESULTS A total of 132 individuals tested positive for the H.pylori ureA gene by qPCR technique.CLA resistance rate reached a high level of 82.6%(n=109),LFX resistance rate was 69.7%(n=92)and dual resistance was 62.1%(n=82).Gastric symptoms[odds ratio(OR)=2.782;95%confidence interval(95%CI):1.076-7.194;P=0.035]and rural residence(OR=5.152;95%CI:1.407-18.861;P=0.013)were independent risk factors for secondary resistance to CLA and LFX,respectively.A total of 102 and 100 individuals received susceptibility-guided therapies and empiric treatment,respectively.The antibiotic susceptibility-guided treatment and empiric treatment groups achieved successful eradication rates of 75.5%(77/102)and 59.0%(59/411)by the intention-to-treat(ITT)analysis and 90.6%(77/85)and 70.2%(59/84)by the per-protocol(PP)analysis,respectively.The eradication rates of these two treatment strategies were significantly different in both ITT(P=0.001)and PP(P=0.012)analyses.CONCLUSION H.pylori presented high secondary resistance rates to CLA and LFX.For patients with previous treatment failures,treatments should be guided by antibiotic susceptibility tests or regional antibiotic resistance profile.

Mobile genetic elements facilitate the transmission of antibiotic resistance genes in multidrug-resistant Enterobacteriaceae from duck farms

Multidrug-resistant(MDR)Enterobacteriaceae critically threaten duck farming and public health.The phenotypes,genotypes,and associated mobile genetic elements(MGEs)of MDR Enterobacteriaceae isolated from 6 duck farms in Zhejiang Province,China,were investigated.A total of 215 isolates were identified as Escherichia coli(64.65%),Klebsiella pneumoniae(12.09%),Proteus mirabilis(10.23%),Salmonella(8.84%),and Enterobacter cloacae(4.19%).Meanwhile,all isolates were resistant to at least two antibiotics.Most isolates carried tet(A)(85.12%),blaTEM(78.60%)and sul1(67.44%)resistance genes.Gene co-occurrence analysis showed that the resistance genes were associated with IS26 and integrons.A conjugative IncFII plasmid pSDM004 containing all the above MGEs was detected in Proteus mirabilis isolate SDM004.This isolate was resistant to 18 antibiotics and carried the blaNDM-5 gene.MGEs,especially plasmids,are the primary antibiotic resistance gene transmission route in duck farms.These findings provide a theoretical basis for the rational use of antibiotics in farms which are substantial for evaluating public health and food safety.

Five-year analysis of isolated pathogens and antibiotic resistance of ocular infections from two large tertiary comprehensive hospitals in east China

AIM:To analyze the spectrum of isolated pathogens and antibiotic resistance for ocular infections within 5y at two tertiary hospitals in east China.METHODS:Ocular specimen data were collected from January 2019 to October 2023.The pathogen spectrum and positive culture rate for different infection location,such as keratitis,endophthalmitis,and periocular infections,along with antibiotic resistance were analyzed.RESULTS:We included 2727 specimens,including 827(30.33%)positive cultures.A total of 871 strains were isolated,530(60.85%)bacterial and 341(39.15%)fungal strains were isolated.Gram-positive cocci(GPC)were the most common ocular pathogens.The most common bacterial isolates were Staphylococcus epidermidis(25.03%),Staphylococcus aureus(7.46%),Streptococcus pneumoniae(4.59%),Corynebacterium macginleyi(3.44%),and Pseudomonas aeruginosa(3.33%).The most common fungal genera were Fusarium spp.(12.74%),Aspergillus spp.(6.54%),and Scedosporium spp.(5.74%).Staphylococcus epidermidis strains showed more than 50%resistance to fluoroquinolones.Streptococcus pneumoniae and Corynebacterium macginleyi showed more than 90%resistance to erythromycin.The percentage of bacteria showing multidrug resistance(MDR)significantly decreased(χ^(2)=17.44,P=0.002).CONCLUSION:GPC are the most common ocular pathogens.Corynebacterium macginleyi,as the fourth common bacterium,may currently be the local microbiological feature of east China.Fusarium spp.is the most common fungus.More than 50%of the GPC are resistant to fluoroquinolones,penicillins,and macrolides.However,the proportion of MDR strains has been reduced over time.

Nonlinear impacts of temperature on antibiotic resistance in Escherichia coli

The increase in bacterial antibiotic resistance poses a significant threat to the effectiveness of antibiotics,and there is growing evidence suggesting that global warming may speed up this process.However,the direct influence of temperature on the development of antibiotic resistance and the underlying mechanisms is not yet fully understood.Here we show that antibiotic resistance exhibits a nonlinear response to elevated temperatures under the combined stress of temperatures and antibiotics.We find that the effectiveness of gatifloxacin against Escherichia coli significantly diminishes at 42°C,while resistance increases 256-fold at 27°C.Additionally,the increased transcription levels of genes such as marA,ygfA,and ibpB with rising temperatures,along with gene mutations at different sites,explain the observed variability in resistance patterns.These findings highlight the complexity of antibiotic resistance evolution and the urgent need for comprehensive studies to understand and mitigate the effects of global warming on antibiotic resistance.

Fate and Behavior of Tetracycline Resistance Genes in Activated Carbon Adsorption

The accessibility of tetracycline resistance gene (tetG) into the pores of activated carbon (AC), as well as the impact of the pore size distribution (PSD) of AC on the uptake capacity of tetG, were investigated using eight types of AC (four coal-based and four wood-based). AC showed the capability to admit tetG and the average reduction of tetG for coal-based and wood-based ACs at the AC dose of 1 g·L-1 was 3.12 log and 3.65 log, respectively. The uptake kinetic analysis showed that the uptake of the gene followed the pseudo-second-order kinetics reaction, and the uptake rate constant for the coal-based and wood-based ACs was in the range of 5.97 × 10-12 - 4.64 × 10-9 and 7.02 × 10-11 - 1.59 × 10-8 copies·mg-1·min-1, respectively. The uptake capacity analysis by fitting the obtained experiment data with the Freundlich isotherm model indicated that the uptake constant (KF) values were 1.71 × 103 - 8.00 × 109 (copies·g-1)1-1/n for coal-based ACs and 7.00 × 108 - 3.00 × 1010 (copies·g-1)1-1/n for wood-based ones. In addition, the correlation analysis between KF values and pore volume as well as pore surface at different pore size regions of ACs showed that relatively higher positive correlation was found for pores of 50 - 100 Å, suggesting ACs with more pores in this size region can uptake more tetG. The findings of this study are valuable as reference for optimizing the adsorption process regarding antibiotic resistance-related concerns in drinking water treatment.

Impact of Genetic Diversity of Uropathogenic Escherichia coli and Klebsiella pneumoniae Strains on the Dissemination of Extended Spectrum Beta-Lactam Resistance Genes in Côte d’Ivoire

The increase and spread of bacterial resistance to extended-spectrum beta-lactam antibiotics are reported in many infections and are a real public health problem worldwide. Drug pressure is a factor that favors the emergence of a population of better adapted bacteria. However, there is no literature highlighting the genetic diversity and evolutionary structure of E. coli and K. pneumoniae in an environment with high selection pressure in Côte d’Ivoire. The objective of this study was to evaluate the genetic diversity of E. coli and K. pneumoniae strains circulating at the HKB Hospital in Abobo and at the Daloa Regional Hospital and its impact on the dissemination of extended spectrum beta-lactam resistance genes. A total of 39 strains isolated from the urinary tract of infected patients, including 30 strains of E. coli and 9 strains of K. pneumoniae were studied. A total of 39 strains isolated from the urinary tract of infected patients, including 30 strains of E. coli and 9 strains of K. pneumoniae were studied. From genomic DNA extracts, ESBL resistance genes were amplified by PCR and sequenced, in addition to genetic typing by ERIC-PCR. The data obtained were submitted to genetic and bioinformatics analyses. The results have shown a genetic diversity important in E. coli and K. pneumoniae with diversity indexs (SID) ranging from 0.5 to 0.77. The genetic structure of the bacterial species studied has shown a clonal distribution of strains with clones expressing TEM-9 and CTX-M-15 variants. Also, this clonal structure was correlated with the spread of resistance genes in E. coli and K. pneumoniae. The spread of resistant clones is a factor that might limit the fight against antibiotic resistance.

Nature’s Pharmacy under Siege: Investigating Antibiotic Resistance Pattern in Endophytic Bacteria of Medicinal Plants

Antibiotic resistance poses a significant global health threat, necessitating a thorough understanding of its prevalence in various ecological contexts. Medicinal plants, renowned for their therapeutic properties, host endophytic bacteria that produce bioactive compounds. Understanding antibiotic resistance dynamics in these bacteria is vital for human health and antibiotic efficacy preservation. In this study, we investigated antibiotic resistance profiles in endophytic bacteria from five medicinal plants: Thankuni, Neem, Aparajita, Joba, and Snake plant. We isolated and characterized 113 endophytic bacteria, with varying resistance patterns observed against multiple antibiotics. Notably, 53 strains were multidrug-resistant (MDR), with 14 exhibiting extensive drug resistance (XDR). Thankuni-associated bacteria displayed 44% MDR and 11% XDR, while Neem-associated bacteria showed higher resistance (60% MDR, 13% XDR). Aparajita-associated bacteria had lower resistance (22% MDR, 6% XDR), whereas Joba-associated bacteria exhibited substantial resistance (54% MDR, 14% XDR). Snake plant-associated bacteria showed 7% MDR and 4% XDR. Genus-specific distribution revealed Bacillus (47%), Staphylococcus (21%), and Klebsiella (11%) as major contributors to MDR. Our findings highlight diverse drug resistance patterns among plant-associated bacteria and underscore the complexity of antibiotic resistance dynamics in diverse plant environments. Identification of XDR strains emphasizes the severity of the antibiotic resistance problem, warranting further investigation into contributing factors.

Dissemination of Resistance Integrons and Genes Coding for Blse and Cabapenemases in the Urban Drainage Network in Cote d’Ivoire

Antibiotic resistance has become a major threat to human health worldwide. Environment, particularly the water environment, has long been overlooked as a player in the antibiotic resistance cycle, although its role remains unclear. These can provide an ideal setting for the acquisition and dissemination of antibiotic resistance, as they are frequently affected by anthropogenic activities. The objective of this study was to establish a diffusion map of resistance integrons used as genetic markers of resistance associated with antibiotic resistance conferring genes (ARGs). Total DNA extracts from non-cultivable bacterial communities were used for the analyses. These communities were obtained from wastewater samples from 14 sites upstream and downstream of drainage channels or effluents in the cities of Abidjan, Bouaké, and Yamoussoukro. The results obtained correspond to the number of positives among the treated samples (n = 39). Among the genetic markers of dissemination, class 1 integrons were the most evident in 94.8% of samples in Abidjan (93.3%), Bouaké (100%) and Yamoussoukro (91.6%). Class 2 integrons and class 3 integrons were found respectively in 41% and 51% of all samples. Genes coding for β-lactamases and blaTEM was identified in almost all samples at a rate of 97.4%. A co-presence of the three genes blaTEM, blaSHV and blaCTX-M is also remarkable in the sites of the city of Yamoussoukro. Among the genes coding for carbapenemases, only blaKPC 17.94%, blaNDM 30.76% and blaOXA48 38.46% were detected in the samples.

Exploring the impact of rotavirus vaccination on antibiotic prescription and resistance:A comprehensive systematic review

BACKGROUND Rotavirus is a highly contagious virus responsible for a significant burden of acute gastroenteritis,particularly among infants and young children worldwide,however,vaccination against this viral agent is available.Several studies have hypothesized that rotavirus vaccination has been linked to lower rates of antibiotic resistance.AIM To assess the relationship between rotavirus vaccination and antibiotic resistance.METHODS The present systematic review was tailored based on the Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic reviews and Meta-Analyses guidelines.Several electronic databases(PubMed/MEDLINE,Scopus and Web of Science)were searched independently by two investigators in order to retrieve relevant publications published until April 2023 that investigated the aforementioned research question.RESULTS The comprehensive database search identified a total of 91 records.After the duplicates were removed(n=75),we screened the titles and abstracts of 16 potentially eligible publications.After the irrelevant records were excluded(n=5),we screened the full texts of 11 manuscripts.Finally,5 studies were entered into the qualitative and quantitative analysis.CONCLUSION In conclusion,all the studies support the idea that vaccinations can reduce the need for antibiotic prescriptions which could potentially contribute to mitigating antibiotic resistance.However,to fully comprehend the mechanisms of antibiotic resistance,enhance treatment guidelines,and consider diverse demographic situations,further research is necessary to use evidence-based strategies to fight antibiotic misuse and resistance.

Antibiotic Resistance Profile of Serotypes of Streptococcus pneumoniae Strains in Bangui, from 2017 to 2022: Case of Serotype 1

Goals: The aim of this study was to determine the antibiotic resistance profile of serotypes of Streptococcus pneumoniae strains circulating in Bangui. Methodology: A prospective and analytical analysis was carried out at the National Laboratory of Clinical Biology and Public Health from 2017 to 2022. The strains came from our study on the contribution to the study of antibiotic sensitivity of Streptococcus pneumoniae strains. The multiplex PCR test was used for its cost-effectiveness in terms of amplifiers which can be purified in order to be sequenced. It also makes it possible to detect several germs as well as their serotypes. For a PCR reaction, several elements are involved in the reaction medium or Master Mix. These are the desoxyribonucleotides (dNTPs), the magnesium ions (MgCl2) and the primers. A set of 14 primers divided into 3 classes were used. Class 1 primers served as an internal control by targeting the cpsA gene. It is a highly conserved gene found in capsular loci characterized to date. The primers of the second class were used to target specific serotypes by specific reactions (out of six possibilities). The group reaction was carried out using the primers of the third class in order to carry out an initial screening of the samples and to classify the pneumococcal isolates. Related serotypes were grouped based on the amplification of common genes. Using the technique of electrophoresis on agarose gel and an ultraviolet radiation device, the migration bands are then visualized and analyzed. The data collected had been entered into Excel 2010 and analyzed with Epi info 7. The exact Fischer chi2 test at the 5% threshold, the relative risk and its 95% confidence interval were used to compare the proportions and determine the associations. Results: 187 antibiotic-resistant strains of Streptococcus pneumoniae were collected. The average frequency of serotypes 1, 9A, 4 and untypeable identified were 43.59%, 18.18%, 18.27% and 39.57% respectively. The frequency of serotype 1 was predominant for the age group over five years old with 56.88%. The male sex was predominant with 55.08% for serotype 1. Resistance to penicillin and gentamicin for serotype 1 during this study, for the age group under 5 years old, was 77%. For serotypes 19A and 4, tetracycline resistance was predominant with 20% for the age group under 5 years. The resistance to penicillin and gentamicin of non-typeable serotypes was 33% for the age group under 5 years old. For the age group over 5 years old, resistance to erythromycin predominated at 37%. The distribution of serotypes by sex depending on antibiotic resistance was variable. There was a statistically significant association between identified serotypes and antibiotic resistance (p Conclusion: The study determined serotypes 1, serotypes 19A, serotypes 4 and non-typeable serotypes. These results would be due to the quality of vaccination or poor protection of vaccines.

Resistance of Helicobacter pylori to antibiotics from 2000 to 2009 in Shanghai

AIM: To investigate the resistance of Helicobacter pylori (H. pylori ) to 6 commonly used antibiotics from 2000 to 2009 in Shanghai. METHODS: A total of 293 H. pylori strains were collected from 2000 to 2009 in Shanghai and tested for their susceptibility to metronidazole, clarithromycin, amoxicillin, furazolidone, levofloxacin and tetracycline using agar dilution. RESULTS: The resistant rates of H. pylori to clarithromycin (8.6%, 9.0% and 20.7%) and levofloxacin (10.3%, 24.0% and 32.5%) increased from 2000 to 2009 in Shanghai. The resistant rate of H. pylori to metronidazole remained stable (40%-50%). Only one strain of H. pylori isolated in 2005 was resistant to tetracycline. All strains were sensitive to amoxicillin and furazolidone.The resistant rate of H. pylori to antibiotics was not related with the sex, age and clinical outcome of patients. CONCLUSION: Resistance of H. pylori to antibiotics plays an important role in making treatment strategies against H. pylori -associated diseases.

Phage therapy: An alternative to antibiotics in the age of multi-drug resistance

The practice of phage therapy, which uses bacterial viruses(phages) to treat bacterial infections, has been around for almost a century. The universal decline in the effectiveness of antibiotics has generated renewed interest in revisiting this practice. Conventionally, phage therapy relies on the use of naturally-occurring phages to infect and lyse bacteria at the site of infection. Biotechnological advances have further expanded the repertoire of potential phage therapeutics to include novel strategies using bioengineered phages and purified phage lytic proteins. Current research on the use of phages and their lytic proteins against multidrug-resistant bacterial infections, suggests phage therapy has the potential to be used as either an alternative or a supplement to antibiotic treatments. Antibacterial therapies, whether phage-or antibiotic-based, each have relative advantages and disadvantages; accordingly, many considerations must be taken into account when designing novel therapeutic approaches for preventing and treating bacterial infection. Although much about phages and human health is still being discovered, the time to take phage therapy serious again seems to be rapidly approaching.

Effect of biofilm formation by clinical isolates of Helicobacter pylori on the efflux-mediated resistance to commonly used antibiotics

To evaluate the role of biofilm formation on the resistance of Helicobacter pylori (H. pylori) to commonly prescribed antibiotics, the expression rates of resistance genes in biofilm-forming and planktonic cells were compared.METHODSA collection of 33 H. pylori isolates from children and adult patients with chronic infection were taken for the present study. The isolates were screened for biofilm formation ability, as well as for polymerase chain reaction (PCR) reaction with HP1165 and hp1165 efflux pump genes. Susceptibilities of the selected strains to antibiotic and differences between susceptibilities of planktonic and biofilm-forming cell populations were determined. Quantitative real-time PCR (qPCR) analysis was performed using 16S rRNA gene as a H. pylori-specific primer, and two efflux pumps-specific primers, hp1165 and hefA.RESULTSThe strains were resistant to amoxicillin, metronidazole, and erythromycin, except for one strain, but they were all susceptible to tetracycline. Minimum bactericidal concentrations of antibiotics in the biofilm-forming cells were significantly higher than those of planktonic cells. qPCR demonstrated that the expression of efflux pump genes was significantly higher in the biofilm-forming cells as compared to the planktonic ones.CONCLUSIONThe present work demonstrated an association between H. pylori biofilm formation and decreased susceptibility to all the antibiotics tested. This decreased susceptibility to antibiotics was associated with enhanced functional activity of two efflux pumps: hp1165 and hefA.

Selection of appropriate analytical tools to determine the potency and bioactivity of antibiotics and antibiotic resistance

Antibiotics are the chemotherapeutic agents that kill or inhibit the pathogenic microorganisms.Resistance of microorganism to antibiotics is a growing problem around the world due to indiscriminate and irrational use of antibiotics.In order to overcome the resistance problem and to safely use antibiotics,the correct measurement of potency and bioactivity of antibiotics is essential.Microbiological assay and high performance liquid chromatography（HPLC） method are used to quantify the potency of antibiotics.HPLC method is commonly used for the quantification of potency of antibiotics,but unable to determine the bioactivity;whereas microbiological assay estimates both potency and bioactivity of antibiotics.Additionally,bioassay is used to estimate the effective dose against antibiotic resistant microbes.Simultaneously,microbiological assay addresses the several parameters such as minimal inhibitory concentration（MIC）,minimum bactericidal concentration（MBC）,mutation prevention concentration（MPC） and critical concentration（Ccr） which are used to describe the potency in a more informative way.Microbiological assay is a simple,sensitive,precise and cost effective method which gives reproducible results similar to HPLC.However,the HPLC cannot be a complete substitute for microbiological assay and both methods have their own significance to obtain more realistic and precise results.

Gonorrhoea among Sex Workers in China: Prevalence, Risk Factors, and Resistance to Antibiotics

Objective To study gonorrhoea among sex workers in China as to prevalence, risk factors, and resistance to antibiotics Subjects & Methods From March 1998 to October 1999, 966 sex workers from Guangzhou were recruited into a sexually transmitted diseases (STD) care and prevention programme through various outreach activities. Data collection was standardized. Cervical samples were tested for the presence of Neisseria (N.) gonorrhoea by culture. The agar dilution method was performed to determine susceptibilities of 85 isolates to penicillin, ciprofloxacin, spectinomycin and ceftriaxone. The production of B-lactamase was determined by paper acidometric testing. Results The prevalence of gonorrhoea was 9%. Independent predictors for the disease were inconsistent condom use, lack of regular salary, absence of a previous STD check-up in the preceding 12 months, and a concurrent trichomoniasis or chlamydial infection. Dysuria, vaginal malodour, and the presence of (muco) purulent discharge at genital examination were also independently associated with gonorrhoea. Of the 85 N. gonorrhoea isolates, 3.5% was penicillinase producing (PPNG) and 7% plasmid-mediated tetracycline resistant (TRNG). Of the non-PPNG strains 74% was insensitive to penicillin, while 52% and 47% were resistant or less susceptible to ciprofloxacin, respectively. One strain exhibited decreased susceptibility to ceftriaxone. All strains were susceptible to spectinomycin. Conclusion A high level of resistance to penicillin and ciprofloxacin was seen, but strains were sensitive to ceftriaxone and spectinomycin. Several personal or medical characteristics were independently associated with the presence of gonorrhoea. Women diagnosed with gonorrhoea should receive concurrent treatment for chlamydial infection.