Potential Risk of Transmission of Escherichia coli and Salmonella spp. Infections by the Musca domestica Fly and the Periplaneta americana Cockroach in the City of Cotonou (South Benin)

Background: The occurrence of bacterial infections sometimes involves synanthropic flies and cockroaches, as mechanical vectors of pathogenic microorganisms. The aim of this study was to identify the different species of flies and cockroaches that cohabit with humans in the city of Cotonou and determine the contribution of Musca domestica and Periplaneta americana in the transmission of bacteria responsible for infections in humans. Methods: Capture sessions during the day for flies and at night for cockroaches were carried out in 4 arrondissements of the city of Cotonou. The insects collected were transported to the Center of Research Entomological of Cotonou for identification, then sent to the Section Hygiene of Water and Food for microbiological analysis, enumeration and testing for human pathogenic bacteria. Results: A total of 351 flies and 26 cockroaches were collected at the sites, including two synanthropic species belonging to two families each. Musca domestica and Periplaneta americana were the most abundant species found after identification in the city of Cotonou. Thermo-tolerant coliforms and Escherichia coli were found on all specimens at varying concentrations. Salmonella spp. bacteria were identified in the fly population from the Dantokpa dump. Conclusion: Flies and cockroaches can transmit microorganisms to humans. The presence of Salmonella spp. among the specimens revealed that infections frequently caused by contaminated food or water are also transmitted to humans by flies. The presence of these germs on flies and cockroaches represents a potential risk of mechanical transmission to humans. It is, therefore, essential to continue investigations in order to assess the species of bacteria propagated, improve control strategies against these troublesome insects and adopt better hygiene conditions for better living.

Molecular characterization of antimicrobial multi-drug resistance in non-typhoidal Salmonellae from chicken and clam in Mangalore, India

Salmonella enterica has been documented as one of the leading causes of salmonellosis throughout the world and is most commonly associated with the consumption of contaminated food products. Thus, this research was aimed at studying the antimicrobial susceptibility pattern and detection of quinolone resistance in Salmonella spp isolated from food of animal origin. Thirty-six Salmonella isolates comprising 8 from poultry and 28 from seafood（clams） were identified, serotyped and characterized for their antimicrobial susceptibility against 10 different antibiotics. Plasmid DNA was isolated from all the isolates by alkaline lysis, quinolone resistant non-typhoidal S. Weltevreden were examined for mutation in the DNA gyrase coding gene. Among the 36 Salmonella isolates, 20 were S. weltevreden（8 from poultry and 12 from seafood） and 16 were S. Typhimurium（from seafood）. All the isolates showed multiple resistance to nalidixic acid, tetracycline, co-trimoxazole and nitrofurantoin, but, interestingly, the isolates were 100% susceptible to ampicillin, chloramphenicol and gentamicin. Resistant isolates from the study carried the genes responsible for resistance to respective antibiotics. The strain S130 isolated in the study showed single point mutation,Asp87Gly, at position 87 in quinolone resistance determining region. It revealed mutation in quinolone resistance determining region as a cause for quinolone resistance in non-typhoidal Salmonellae. The occurrence of genes accountable for plasmid mediated resistance to quinolones（viz., qnrA, qnrB and qnrS） in plasmid of non-typhoidal Salmonellae isolates provides evidence for plasmid mediated quinolone resistance.

Association of Phenotypic and Genotypic Fluoroquinolone Susceptibility among Non-Typhoidal Salmonella Isolates from Jeddah, KSA

Non-typhoid Salmonella (NTS) infects 250 to 3200 per 100,000 individuals from all over the world. NTS infection is relatively high in Jeddah (ranges between 44-132/100,000 population) as compared to other cities of Saudi Arabia. NTS isolates have also shown increasing resistance to conventional antibiotics. Therefore, fluoroquinolone (FQ) is considered drug of choice for the treatment of invasive NTS infections. A rapid detection of FQ resistance may greatly assist in appropriate therapy and containment of resistant NTS strains. Thus, molecular detection of mutations in FQ resistance genes (gyrA and parC) may play a promising role. Since limited data were available about FQ resistance among NTS isolates, therefore, this study primarily explored the occurrence of phenotypic and genotypic FQ resistance among NTS isolates from Jeddah, Saudi Arabia. Study also explored any correlation between phenotypic and genotypic FQ resistance. Fifty NTS isolates were collected from a public sector hospital of Jeddah from January to December, 2014. FQ susceptibility was determined for 48 NTS isolates using Kirby-bauer disk diffusion method and results were interpreted according to Clinical and Laboratory Standards Institute (CLSI) methodology. Genotypic resistance to FQ was determined by exploring mutations in gyrA and parC genes using PCR- based gene-sequencing method. Results were statistically analyzed using Social Package of Statistical Science (SPSS) version 22. Phenotypic antibiogram revealed that 38% (18/48) NTS isolates were FQ resistant, that 23% (11/48) were intermediately susceptible and that 39% (19/48) were susceptible. Genotypic resistance revealed mutations in only four codons of gyrA and parC genes among 39% (7/18) of FQ resistant isolates. 43% (3/7) of FQ resistant isolates showed mutations at two codons 83 (S83F, S83Y) and 87, (D87G, D87Y, D87W) of gyrA gene. Two resistant isolates showed triple mutations i.e. at codons 83 and 87 of gyrA and codon 80 (S80I and S80W) of parC gene, while one resistant isolate revealed mutation at codon 87 of gyrA and 57 (S57T) of parC gene. Moreover, 55% (6/11) intermediately susceptible isolates for FQ also revealed mutation at codon 83 of gyrA gene whereas;one intermediately susceptible isolate (1/6) also revealed additional mutation at codon 57 of parC gene. None of the FQ susceptible NTS isolates showed any mutations in gyrA or parC genes. Occurrence of mutations at only four codons in gyrA and parC genes among FQ resistant isolates may assist in development of rapid molecular method for FQ resistance detection. Presence of mutations among more than fifty percent of intermediately susceptible FQ isolates is alarming and may serve as a predictor for pre-resistant isolates for FQ. Moreover, absence of mutation in about sixty percent of phenotypically FQ resistant NTS isolates shows existence of an alternate resistance mechanism requiring further investigations.

Detection of non-typhoid Salmonella infection by citrus and citrus extracts in Lao PDR

Objective:To know the current state of non-typhoid Salmonella infection in Laos.To examine the usefulness of new screening methods for Salmonella using citrus.Methods:Non-typhoid Salmonella infection of person in Lao PDR was studied in this research(2004-2009).The site was Vientiane capital city in 2004.Research from rural villages locating suburb of Vientiane during 2005-2008 was carried out.Rural villages in Attapu province where ethnic minorities were living was searched for this study in 2009.During this research,to detect Salmonella strain, a new method using citrus and citrus extract named MY phenomenon that observing black ring (MIDO ring) on DHL agar was tried.The slice lemon and lime were used for this trial in 2004. After 2005,disk of ascorbic acid and citric acid were used for the device instead of citrus fruits itself.Results:During this research,65 of 272 human samples(23.9%) were infected with non- typhoid Salmonella.Conclusions:During this study,the method using citrus and citrus extracts was accepted for the detection of Salmonella.This study shows that with citrus and citrus extract, detection of Salmonella is possible using only DHL media.Results suggest that infectious rate of non-typhoid Salmonella was high.

Comparative analysis of intestinal microbial community diversity between healthy and orally infected ducklings with Salmonella enteritidis by ERIC-PCR

AIM: To analyze the difference of intestinal microbial community diversity between healthy and (S. enteritidis) orally infected ducklings.METHODS: Enterobacterial Repetitive Intergenic Consensus (ERIC)-PCR was applied to analyze the intestinal microbial community diversity and dynamic change including duodenum, jejunum, ileum, cecum and rectum from healthy ducklings and 7-day-old ducklings after oral infection with S. enteritidis at different time points.RESULTS: The intestinal microbial community of the control healthy ducklings was steady and the ERIC-PCR band numbers of the control healthy ducklings were the least with rectum and were the most with caecum. ERIC-PCR bands of orally inoculated ducklings did not obviously change until 24 h after inoculation (p.i.). The numbers of the ERIC-PCR bands gradually decreased from 24 h to 72 h p.i., and then, with the development of disease, the band numbers gradually increased until 6 d p.i. The prominent bacteria changed because of S. enteritidis infection and the DNAstar of staple of ERIC-PCR showed that aerobe and facultative aerobe (Escherichia coli, Shigella, Salmonella) became preponderant bacilli in the intestine of orally infected ducklings with SE.CONCLUSION: This study has provided significant data to clarify the intestinal microbial community diversity and dynamic change of healthy and S. enteritidis orally infected ducklings, and valuable insight into the pathogenesis of S. enteritidis infection in both human and animals.

Salmonella typhi infection in a tertiary institution in Nasarawa State,Nigeria

Objective:To evaluate the prevalence of Sabmonella typhi(S.typhi) among subjects attending College of Education Health Clinic,Akwanga,Nasarawa state from the year.2005 to 2007 and to recommend some preventive measures to the populace.Methods:Blood samples were tested for infection using the widal test.Results:Out of the 793 patients examined,579(73.0%) were positive with 174(30.05%),254(43.86%) and 151(26.07%) for the years 2005,2006 and 2007 respectively. The age range with the highest prevalence of infection for the period was 21-30 with 207(35.75%) followed by 31-40 year group with 133(22.97%).Chi-square analysis showed no significant difference in infection between males and females(P】0.05).Conclusions:The results of this study provide a useful guide in the formulation of S.typhi control measures in tertiary institutions in the State and also help to check the spread of the pathogen in the general population.

One-stage revision in two cases of Salmonella prosthetic hip infection

We describe two cases of prosthetic joint infection(PJI) of the hip due to Salmonella. The first patient presented with an early infection 5 d after being discharged following a total hip replacement and the second patient presented at the emergency ward with a late infection, thirteen years following a total hip replacement. Both cases occurred within one month of each other at our institution and both were successfully treated with a one-stage revision. PJI caused by Salmonella species is very rare: so far only 20 Salmonella PJIs of the hip have been described. Therefore, full consensus on the best treatment approach has not yet been reached. An aggressive two-stage approach is advised because of the virulence of Salmonella, although a limited number of successful one-stage approaches have been describedas well. According to the latest guidelines, one-stage revision has comparable success rates and less morbidity compared to two-stage treatment, when selecting the right patients. In our opinion, PJI caused by Salmonella should be treated just as PJI caused by other bacteria, with consideration of the selection criteria as mentioned in several treatment guidelines. As illustrated by these two cases, one-stage revision can be successful in both early and late Salmonella PJI of the hip.

Salmonella infection after anterior cruciate ligament reconstruction:A case report

BACKGROUND Infections after anterior cruciate ligament reconstruction(ACLR)are rare.No cases of Salmonella infection have been described to our knowledge.CASE SUMMARY We describe a rare case of Salmonella infection in a 23-year-old patient following an ACLR.The patient presented with subacute septic arthritis,26 d after a hamstring autograft ACLR.The pathogen,Salmonella enterica typhimurium was isolated by bacteriological sampling of the first arthroscopic lavage.Two arthroscopic lavages were required,with intravenous antibiotic therapy for two weeks with cefotaxime and ciprofloxacin,followed by oral antibiotics with amoxicillin and ciprofloxacin for a total duration of three months.This approach treated the infection but two years after the septic arthritis,faced with ongoing knee instability due to graft damage,a revision ACLR with a bone-tendon-bone graft was performed.At the last follow-up,full range of knee motion had been achieved and sports activities resumed.CONCLUSION Infection after ACLR is rare and requires an early diagnosis and management in order to treat the infection and prevent arthritis-related joint cartilage destruction and damage to the graft.

2021~2023年广西南宁地区儿童感染性腹泻沙门菌血清型及耐药性分析

目的探讨2021~2023年广西南宁地区儿童感染性腹泻沙门菌血清型及耐药性。方法选取2021~2023年广西南宁地区3618例沙门菌感染性腹泻患儿标本,对其进行细菌培养与耐药性分析,评估沙门菌感染性腹泻患儿血清型分布、季节分布、年龄分布以及耐药性情况。结果3618株沙门菌中,鼠伤寒沙门菌血清型占比最多(46.63%),其次为无血清型(26.42%),其余依次为其他B群沙门菌(13.24%)、D群(7.63%)、C1群(6.08%)。3618株沙门菌中,8月感染检出率最高(14.37%),其余依次为10月(14.23%)、7月(13.96%)、9月(12.22%)、6月(12.02%)、11月(8.07%)、5月(7.63%)、4月(5.42%)、12月(4.39%)、3月(3.07%)、1月(2.87%)、2月(1.74%);第三季度感染检出率最高(40.55%),其余依次为第四季度(26.70%)、第二季度(25.07%)、第一季度(7.68%)。3618例沙门菌感染性腹泻患儿中,2999例年龄为7个月~3岁,占比最高(82.89%),其余依次为0~6个月(12.00%)、4~6岁(2.82%)、7~14(2.29%)。沙门菌药敏试验结果显示,沙门菌敏感率前三位药物为美罗培南(99.81%)、亚胺培南(99.78%)、哌拉西林/他唑巴坦(98.12%),敏感率后三位药物依次为氨苄西林(29.02%)、左氧氟沙星(39.86%)、氨苄西林/舒巴坦(40.66%);耐药率前三位药物依次为氨苄西林(70.87%)、复方新诺明(48.42%)、氯霉素(45.36%),耐药率后三位药物分别为美罗培南(0.14%)、亚胺培南(0.17%)、哌拉西林/他唑巴坦(0.97%)。结论2021~2023年广西南宁地区沙门菌感染性腹泻患儿多为鼠伤寒沙门菌血清型,多发生于7个月~3岁儿童,第三季度高发,第一季度少发。本研究检测出的3618株沙门菌对美罗培南、亚胺培南、哌拉西林/他唑巴坦具有较高的敏感性与较低的耐药性,临床可根据药敏试验结果合理用药,减少抗生素滥用的发生。

鼠伤寒沙门氏菌的感染及治疗研究进展

鼠伤寒沙门氏菌是一种食源性致病菌,严重威胁畜禽养殖业和人类公共卫生安全。其依靠自身致病性岛和Ⅲ型分泌系统,能够在宿主体内存活、繁殖和扩散,从而引发全身感染。传统治疗鼠伤寒沙门氏菌感染的方法是使用抗生素,但多药耐药菌株的出现给其治疗带来了巨大的挑战,因此迫切需要开发新的治疗方法。近年来,小分子疗法、噬菌体疗法、减毒疫苗疗法等逐渐兴起,有望成为治疗感染的有效方法。该文旨在对鼠伤寒沙门氏菌的感染及其治疗措施进行综述。

儿童非伤寒沙门菌胃肠炎抗感染治疗研究进展

目的为儿童非伤寒沙门菌(NTS)胃肠炎抗感染治疗提供参考。方法采用计算机检索PubMed,Web of Science,The Cochrane Library和中国知网数据库中自建库起至2023年12月的儿童NTS胃肠炎抗感染治疗相关文献,从NTS的微生物学特点、流行病学、耐药性及抗感染治疗方案进行总结。结果儿童是NTS感染的高危人群;在非免疫缺陷情况下,儿童NTS胃肠炎感染程度通常较轻,具有自限性,无须治疗;重度感染、新生儿和低于3月龄、先天性或医源性免疫缺陷患儿需抗感染治疗。目前,第3代头孢菌素、喹诺酮类和大环内酯类抗菌药物为主要治疗药物,具体用法用量应遵循相关指南,疗程以7~10 d为宜。结论应严格把握儿童NTS胃肠炎抗感染治疗指征,制订合理的抗感染治疗方案,以规范抗菌药物的合理使用,遏制细菌耐药。

以腹泻为首发表现的C群沙门菌侵袭性肝脓肿1例及文献复习

目的探讨C群沙门菌侵袭性肝脓肿的临床特点与诊断、治疗要点。方法回顾性分析1例以腹泻为首发表现的C群沙门菌侵袭性肝脓肿患者的临床资料,并对相关文献进行复习。结果本例患者,男,52岁,急性起病无明确诱因出现腹泻,伴发热。便培养、引流液培养、血培养均为C群沙门菌。确诊为侵袭性肝脓肿。经皮肝穿引流后联合美罗培南抗感染治疗后体温恢复正常,炎症指标较前明显下降。结论侵袭性C群沙门菌肝脓肿临床较为少见,因以腹泻为首发表现容易误诊、延误治疗时机,规范治疗后可获得良好效果。

Comparative Study of the Widal Test against Stool Culture in the Diagnosis of Suspected Cases of Typhoid Fever in Some Low Income Communities in the Adamawa Region of Cameroon

Introduction: Infectious diseases constitute a major concern of public health in developing countries. Facilities and well trained staff have been shown to be one of the major obstacles in the rapid and quality diagnosis of these diseases. As such, we carried out an analysis to compare the Widal test and stool culture to identify febrile patients with Salmonella infection. Method: A cross sectional study was conducted to diagnose salmonella infection with out-patients who demonstrated signs of salmonella infection. Serum was harvested from blood collected from 368 (Vina = 234, Mayo Banyo 65, and Djerem = 69) patients accompanied by stool, Widal test was conducted on the spot and stool was taken to a reference laboratory for culture using standard microbiological methods, sociological set up was calculated in percentages, prevalence was calculated using excel while statistical difference was calculated using SPSS. Sensitivity, specificity, positive predictive value (PPV), and negative predictive value (NPV) were calculated to compare the Widal test against stool culture. Results: A total of 368 (50.8% females and 49.2% males) participants took part in the survey. Salmonella prevalence (66.24%) in stool culture in the Vina division was significantly different (p 0.05). The sensitivity,specificity, PPV, and NPV of slide agglutination test against stool culture varied from different areas (Vina: 51.6%, 73.62%, 79.21% and 43.61%;Mayo Banyo: 60.53%, 77.78%, 79.31% and 58.33%;Djerem: 53.18%, 83.73% 73.91% and 67.39%) respectively. Slide agglutination test has a fair agreement with the stool culture (kappa, Vina = 0.202;Mayo Banyo = 0.37 and Djerem = 0.38). Conclusion: Generally, in the three areas of study, the Widal test had a fair correlation with the stool culture;This means the Widal test should not be used alone but in combination with stool culture in the detection of salmonella infections.

1株引起食物中毒事件的肠炎沙门菌定量蛋白质组学分析

目的 基于蛋白质组学,深入揭示1株引起食物中毒事件的肠炎沙门菌21A的分子特征,从而更好地防控食源性疾病的发生。方法 利用定量蛋白质组学技术对肠炎沙门菌株21A进行分析,使用Tims TOF Pro仪器在数据非依赖采集模式下采集质谱数据,利用MSstats软件完成肽段与蛋白的定量以及差异蛋白统计,并对差异表达蛋白的生物学功能进行GO、KOG功能富集、KEGG通路富集分析与CAZY注释、互作分析。结果 菌株21A中共鉴定出3183种蛋白质,其中差异蛋白300种。GO分析表明,差异蛋白主要与催化、结合、细胞内过程和代谢有关;KOG和KEGG分析显示,差异蛋白主要富集在6种代谢通路中;CAZY分析发现,37.96%的蛋白质为糖苷水解酶。结论 本研究揭示了肠炎沙门菌株21A的蛋白质组学特征,该菌株在入侵和感染过程中采用多种生存策略,包括增强毒力因子表达,增加脂质降解和诱导铁获取等。对代谢相关蛋白质的深入分析,有助于深入了解该菌的传播与感染机制,更好地防控食源性疾病的发生。

Prevalence and antimicrobial resistance of non-typhoid Solmonella in military personnel,1988-2013

Objective:To describe the spanning 25 years data for the occurrence, magnitude, and trends regarding antimicrobial resistance of non-typhoidalSalmonella (NTS) isolated from non-immune travelers to Thailand participating in joint military operations.Methods:A total of 355 NTS isolates, obtained from 2052 fecal samples from US soldiers deployed for military maneuvers in Thailand during 1988-2013, were examined for NTS serogroup/serotypes and tested for antimicrobial susceptibility by disk diffusion to these 10 antibiotics:ampicillin, azithromycin (AZM), ciprofloxacin, colistin, gentamicin, kanamycin, nalidixic acid, streptomycin (STR), tetracycline (TET), and trimethoprim/sulfamethoxazole. Identified AZM-resistant NTS isolates were further evaluated for their minimal inhibitory concentration by the E-test method.Results:NTS infections accounted for 17.3％ (355/2052), including 11 serogroups and 50 different serotypes. The most prevalent serogroup wasSalmonella group C2-C3 (35.8％, 127/355) followed by groups B (21.1％, 75/355) and C1 (18.6％, 66/355). Identified serotypes includedSalmonellahadar (n=60),Salmonellarissen (n=45), andSalmonella blockley (n=34). Among the predominate serogroups, antimicrobial resistance was consistently high against TET (76.9％, 273/355) followed by STR (40.8％, 145/355). OneSalmonella senftenberg isolate demonstrated decreased ciprofloxacin susceptibility. Most isolates (94.6％) were resistant to one or more antimicrobials, and the most common multidrug resistance was TET-STR-nalidixic acid (11.5％, 41/355).Conclusions:The prevalence of NTS serotypes and the growing magnitude of antibiotic resistant bacteria isolated from deployed US military in Thailand are documented from 1988-2013. This study demonstrates the antibiotic resistance profiles, highlighting the effectiveness of AZM that is a first-line treatment for travelers to Southeast Asia. AZM-resistant NTS isolates are periodically observed over a 25-year period. Hence, the ongoing surveillance and prevalence efforts are required to monitor NTS resistant strains causing further treatment failure.

Prevalence and antimicrobial resistance of non-typhoid Solmonella in military personnel,1988-2013

Objective:To describe the spanning 25 years data for the occurrence,magnitude,and trends regarding antimicrobial resistance of non-typhoidal Salmonella(NTS)isolated from non-immune travelers to Thailand participating in joint military operations.Methods:A total of 355 NTS isolates,obtained from 2052 fecal samples from US soldiers deployed for military maneuvers in Thailand during 1988-2013,were examined for NTS serogroup/serotypes and tested for antimicrobial susceptibility by disk diffusion to these 10 antibiotics:ampicillin,azithromycin(AZM),ciprofloxacin,colistin,gentamicin,kanamycin,nalidixic acid,streptomycin(STR),tetracycline(TET),and trimethoprim/sulfamethoxazole.Identified AZM-resistant NTS isolates were further evaluated for their minimal inhibitory concentration by the E-test method.Results:NTS infections accounted for 17.3%(355/2052),including11 serogroups and 50 different serotypes.The most prevalent serogroup was Salmonella group C2-C3(35.8%,127/355)followed by groups B(21.1%,75/355)and C1(18.6%,66/355).Identified serotypes included Salmonella hadar(n=60),Salmonella rissen(n=45),and Salmonella blockley(n=34).Among the predominate serogroups,antimicrobial resistance was consistently high against TET(76.9%,273/355)followed by STR(40.8%,145/355).One Salmonella senftenberg isolate demonstrated decreased ciprofloxacin susceptibility.Most isolates(94.6%)were resistant to one or more antimicrobials,and the most common multidrug resistance was TET-STR-nalidixic acid(11.5%,41/355).Conclusions:The prevalence of NTS serotypes and the growing magnitude of antibiotic resistant bacteria isolated from deployed US military in Thailand are documented from 1988-2013.This study demonstrates the antibiotic resistance profiles,highlighting the effectiveness of AZM that is a first-line treatment for travelers to Southeast Asia.AZM-resistant NTS isolates are periodically observed over a 25-year period.Hence,the ongoing surveillance and prevalence efforts are required to monitor NTS resistant strains causing further treatment failure.

Infected aortic and iliac aneurysms:Clinical manifestations in the emergency departments of two hospitals in southern Taiwan,China

BACKGROUND: Accurate diagnosis of infected aortic and iliac aneurysms is often delayed, hampering timely treatment and potentially resulting in a fatal consequence. The aim of this study was to discover useful clinical features that can help physicians to identify these patients.METHODS: We reviewed the discharge notes from two hospitals and identifi ed all patients who had a diagnosis of infected aneurysms of the thoracoabdominal aorta and iliac arteries between July 2009 and December 2013. Eighteen patients, aged from 41 to 93, were reviewed. Only 6 patients were diagnosed accurately in their fi rst visit to our ED.RESULTS: Most patients had at least one underlying illness, and it took 1 to 30(9.9±6.5) days for physicians to diagnose their infected aneurysm. Localized pain and fever were the two most commonly presented symptoms. The majority(92%) of isolated microorganisms were gram-negative bacilli, including Salmonella spp, Klebsiella pneumoniae, and Escherichia coli. Two of the 3 patients who underwent non-operative therapy died, and all of the patients who underwent a combination of medical and operative therapies survived.CONCLUSION: We suggest that physicians liberally use computed tomography scans on patients with unknown causes of pain and inflammatory processes. A combination of surgical and medical treatments is indicated for all patients with infected aortic and iliac aneurysms.

Salmonella-Salmonellosis-Rare presentations of a common pathogen

Salmonella are most commonly associated with gastroenteritis and enteric fever in humans. Occasionally,dissemination of bacilli throughout the body results in establishment of localized foci of persistent infection especially in patients with debilitating diseases and immunosuppressive states.Infection at various aberrant sites due to Salmonella has been reported relatively seldom.It has perfected the art of intracellular survival in niches from where they can cause myriad of effects.Six cases with Salmonella infection at unusual sites without any preexisting or underlying disease diagnosed over a period of two years are presented here.Salmonella etiology was not suspected in these patients and the diagnosis was made microbiologically only after culture isolation.

Role of Salmonella enterica exposure in Chilean Crohn's disease patients

AIM:To study the association between exposure toSalmonella enterica(SE)and Crohn’s disease(CD)and its clinical implications in Chilean patients.METHODS:Ninety-four unrelated Chilean CD patients from CAREI(Active Cohort Registry of Inflammatory Bowel Disease)presenting to a single inflammatory bowel disease(IBD)unit of a University Hospital were prospectively included in this study.A complete clinical evaluation,including smoking history,was performed at the initial visit,and all the important data of clinical evolution of CD were obtained.Blood samples from these CD patients and 88 healthy sex-and agematched control subjects were analyzed for exposure to SE and for their NOD2/CARD15 gene status using the presence of anti-Salmonella lipopolysaccharide antibodies[immunoglobulin-G type(IgG)]and polymerase chain reaction(PCR),respectively.We also evaluated exposure to SE in 90 sex-and age-matched patients without CD,but with known smoking status(30 smokers,30 non-smokers,and 30 former smokers).RESULTS:CD patients comprised 54 females and 40males,aged 35.5±15.2 years at diagnosis with a mean follow-up of 9.0±6.8 years.CD was inflammatory in 59 patients(62.7%),stricturing in 24(25.5%)and penetrating in 15(15.5%).Thirty cases(31.9%)had lesions in the ileum,29(30.8%)had ileocolonic lesions,32(34.0%)had colonic lesions and 23(24.4%)had perianal disease.Sixteen CD patients(17%)were exposed to SE compared to 15(17%)of 88 healthy control subjects(P=0.8).Thirty-one CD patients(32.9%)were smokers,and 7(7.4%)were former smokers at diagnosis.In the group exposed to SE,10 of 16 patients(62.5%)were active smokers compared to 21 of 78 patients(26.9%)in the unexposed group(P=0.01).On the other hand,10 of 31 smoking patients(32%)were exposed to SE compared to 5 of 56 nonsmoking patients(9%),and one of the seven former smokers(14%)(P=0.01).In the group of 90 patients without CD,but whose smoking status was known,there was no differ-ence in exposure to SE[3 of 30 smokers(10%),5 of30 non-smokers(16%),and 5 of 30 former smokers(16%);P=0.6].There were no differences in disease severity between CD patients with and those without anti-SE IgG antibodies,estimated as the appearance of stricturing[2(12.5%)vs 22(28.2%);P=0.2]or penetrating lesions[2(12.5%)vs 13(16.6%);P=1.0];or the need for immunosuppressants[11(68.7%)vs 55(70.5%);P=1.0],anti-tumor necrosis factor therapy[1(6.2%)vs 7(8.9%);P=1.0],hospitalization[13(81.2%)vs 58(74.3%);P=0.7],or surgery[3(18.7%)vs 12(15.3%);P=0.3),respectively].No other factors were associated with SE,including NOD2/CARD15 gene status.Seventeen CD patients(18%)had at least one mutation of the NOD2/CARD15 gene.CONCLUSION:Our study found no association between exposure to SE and CD.We observed a positive correlation between SE exposure and cigarette smoking in Chilean patients with CD,but not with disease severity.

Age Does Not Affect the Induction of Mortality by the Foodborne Pathogen <i>Salmonella enterica</i>in <i>Caenorhabditis elegans</i>

Salmonella is a common cause of foodborne illness within the United States with the severity of the infection being a factor of both the age and overall health of the infected individual. The nematode worm Caenorhabditis elegans has proven to be a useful model to study infection dynamics of pathogenic bacteria, including Salmonella enterica, and its short lifespan makes it a powerful model system to assess the effect of organismal age on infection severity. In this study, we infected C. elegans with each of 6 serovars of S. enterica at 1, 3 or 5 days of worm age and monitored their survival. Worms infected with E. coli OP50 were used as a control. Infection with S. enterica resulted in a significant reduction in mean longevity relative to OP50 (p < 0.05);however, there was no significant effect of age on mean survival time regardless of the strain of bacteria used.