Rapid Identification by MALDITOF of Neisseria elongata Subspecies nitroreducens in an Endocarditis Case

Abstract Background: Neisseria elongata subspecies nitroreducens is considered to be an important pathogen responsible for infective endocarditis, even if it is infrequently reported. We report the first case of endocarditis in Italy due to N. elongata subsp. nitroreducens. Case presentation: The infection occurs in a 40-year-old male affected by Marfan syndrome with a prosthetic aortic valve. The patient had had a fever for a week which had been resistant to antibiotic therapy. Conclusion: we propose a correct and rapid identification of Neisseria elongata subspecies nitroreducens by mass spectrometry directly from the positive blood culture. The rapidly identification obtained by MALDI-TO…

Socio-Demographic Characteristics and Sexual Behavioral Factors of Patients with Sexually Transmitted Infections Attending a Hospital in Southern Italy

Sexually transmitted infections (STIs) are a serious global health problem. In Italy, data describing the vulnerability to STIs of specific sexual minorities and the influence of sociodemographic and behavioral determinants are limited, as most infections are not subject to mandatory notification. This retrospective study describes the sociodemographic profile and main sexual behaviors of patients attending a hospital in Palermo (Sicily, Italy) from January 2018 to March 2019 as predictors of STI risk. Patients were divided in subgroups: men-who-have-sex-with-men (MSM), men-who-have-sex-with-women (MSW), bisexual men and females. Data were obtained through an anonymous questionnaire. Patien…

Outbreak of infection with Klebsiella pneumoniae sequence type 258 producing Klebsiella pneumoniae Carbapenemase 3 in an intensive care unit in Italy

Gram-negative pathogens producing carbapenemases represent an alarming clinical threat with serious effects on patient outcomes ([3][1], [7][2]). In 2001, Yigit et al. ([11][3]) reported a novel β-lactamase termed “ K lebsiella pneumoniae carbapenemase” (KPC-1) in North Carolina. KPC-producing

Genotyping and Antifungal Susceptibility of Dipodascus capitatus Isolated in a Neonatal Intensive Care Unit of a Sicilian Hospital

In August 2015, Dipodascus capitatus was isolated from two patients admitted to the neonatal intensive care unit. Nosocomial acquisition of the fungus was suspected and epidemiological studies were undertaken. The patients were simultaneously hospitalized, and the comparison of the two isolates by two independent molecular typing methods have confirmed clonal dissemination of a single strain of D. capitatus. Antimicrobial susceptibility testing was useful for identifying the appropriated antifungal therapy in micafungin. To our knowledge these are the first described cases of neonatal D. capitatus infection and also the first report of successful treatment by micafungin.

Ciprofloxacin releasing gellan gum/polydopamine based hydrogels with near infrared activated photothermal properties.

Abstract In this work, with the aim to obtain a wound dressing hydrogel, an amine derivative of gellan gum was crosslinked in the presence of 4arm-polyethylenglycole-vinylsulfone. Through this easy and reproducible chemical procedure, a hydrogel with advanced elastic properties and hydrolytic resistance under physiological conditions was obtained. The incorporation of different quantities of polydopamine in the gelling solutions allows to obtain different hydrogels with marked photothermal properties when irradiated with a laser in the near infrared at 810 nm. The organic nanoparticles, reacting with the amino groups of the polysaccharide derivative, contribute to increase the storage modul…

Daptomycin non-susceptible, vancomycin intermediate methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus ST398 from a chronic leg ulcer, Italy

To the Editor,Human infections caused by methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA) sequence type 398 (ST398) have been emerging in recent y in Europe [1–3]. Most studies have shown a stron...

Candida parapsilosis Infection:A Multilocus Microsatellite Genotyping-Based Survey Demonstrating an Outbreak in Hospitalized Patients

Microsatellite analysis identifies specific genotypes and the genetic relationship between strains. Our objective was to analyze the genotypes of C. parapsilosis strains isolated on different wards of aTertiary- Referral University Center. We evaluated 70 C. parapsilosis strains in total, isolated from samples of patients admitted to five different wards over two years (January 2015-December 2016). Eight microsatellite markers were selected, and two multiplex PCR assays were set up for microsatellite analysis. The 70 strains, examined at eight microsatellite loci, showed 46 different multilocus genotypes profiles. A total of 74 alleles were detected, with an average of 9.25 alleles per locu…

Resistance to clarithromycin and genotypes in Helicobacter pylori strains isolated in Sicily

The resistance of Helicobacter pylori strains to clarithromycin is increasing in several developed countries and their association with a genetic pattern circulation has been variously explained as related to different geographical areas. In this study we have reported: the prevalence of the resistance of H. pylori, isolated in Sicily, to clarithromycin; the principal point of mutation associated with this resistance; and the more frequent association between resistance to clarithromycin and cagA, the EPIYA motif, and the vacA and oipA genes. Resistance to clarithromycin was detected in 25 % of cases, the main genetic mutation involved being A2143G. The cagA gene was present in 48 % of case…

Characterization of Acinetobacter baumannii from intensive care units and home care patients in Palermo, Italy.

AbstractIn this study 45 isolates of Acinetobacter baumannii identified from patients in intensive care units of three different hospitals and from pressure ulcers in home care patients in Palermo, Italy, during a 3-month period in 2010, were characterized. All isolates were resistant to at least three classes of antibiotics, but susceptible to colistin and tygecycline. Forty isolates were non-susceptible to carbapenems. Eighteen and two isolates, respectively, carried the blaOXA-23-like and the blaOXA-58-like genes. One strain carried the VIM-4 gene. Six major rep-PCR subtype clusters were defined, including isolates from different hospitals or home care patients. The sequence type/pulsed …

Ventilator-associated Pneumonia and MRSA ST398, Italy

To the Editor: Methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA) sequence type (ST)398 has become increasingly common in livestock, particularly pigs, in some countries in Europe, such as Spain and Germany (1). In Italy, prevalences as high as 14% and 21.6% in pig-breeding facilities and meat-processing sites, respectively, have been recently reported (1). Possible association of MRSA in animals with infection in humans has been investigated. One study showed a strong relationship between contact with pigs or calves and carriage by persons having direct contact with animals and families of persons who handle animals (2). Moreover, an MRSA prevalence >11.9% has been described by de Boer et …

Prevalence of virulence-associated genotypes of Helicobacter pylori and correlation with severity of gastric pathology in patients from western Sicily, Italy

In a bacterium like Helicobacter pylori, which is characterized by a recombinant population structure, the associated presence of genes encoding virulence factors might be considered an expression of a selective advantage conferred to strains with certain genotypes and, therefore, a potentially useful tool for predicting the clinical outcome of infections. However, differences in the geographical and ethnic prevalence of the H. pylori virulence-associated genotypes can affect their clinical predictive value and need to be considered in advance. In this study we carried out such an evaluation in a group of patients living in Sicily, the largest and most populous island in the Mediterranean S…

Multiclonal emergence of carbapenem-resistant Klebsiella pneumoniae in Tuscany, Italy

Cluster of Legionnaires’ Disease in an Italian Prison

Background: Legionella pneumophila (Lp) is the most common etiologic agent causing Legionnaires&rsquo

Role of environmental and genetic factor interaction in age-related disease development: the gastric cancer paradigm.

The association of Helicobacter pylori (Hp) infection with gastric cancer is well known and might be considered a paradigmatic example of the role that interaction among environmental factors and individual background might play in inducing age-associated disease. To evaluate the role of interaction of Hp infection with genetic background, gastric cancer and chronic gastritis patients as well as random selected controls were typed for five inflammation-related polymorphisms of IL-1 and IL-10 cytokine genes. No association among IL-10 or IL-1 variants with an increased risk of gastric cancer was found, whereas an Hp-independent association of IL-1beta -511T positive genotypes to an increased…

Burden and viral aetiology of influenza-like illness and acute respiratory infection in intensive care units

The purpose of this investigation was to study the viral aetiology of influenza-like illness (ILI) and acute respiratory tract infection (ARTI) among patients requiring intensive care unit admission. A cross-sectional retrospective study was carried out in Sicily over a 4-year period. A total of 233 respiratory samples of patients with ILI/ARTI admitted to intensive care units were molecularly analyzed for the detection of a comprehensive panel of aetiologic agents of viral respiratory infections. About 45% of patients was positive for at least one pathogen. Single aetiology occurred in 75.2% of infected patients, while polymicrobial infection was found in 24.8% of positive subjects. Influe…

Cephalosporin resistantEscherichia colifrom cancer patients in Cairo, Egypt

Cephalosporin-resistant Escherichia coli has been increasingly reported worldwide. In this study, 32 cephalosporin resistant E. coli isolates identified from cancer patients in Cairo, Egypt in 2009–2010 were analyzed. Twenty-three were of phylogenetic group D, seven A and one each B1 and B2. By rep-PCR 15 phylogroup D isolates were grouped in four clusters, one with sequence type (ST) 405 and three ST68. Seventeen isolates showed single patterns. blaCTX-M-15 and aac(6')-Ib-cr were the most common resistance determinants. blaOXA-48 and blaVIM were also detected. Multidrug resistant E. coli seriously affects healthcare, especially in immunocompromised hosts, such as cancer patients.

Arginine-Rich Peptidomimetic Ampicillin/Gentamicin Conjugate To Tackle Nosocomial Biofilms: A Promising Strategy To Repurpose First-Line Antibiotics

: Combined therapy with penicillins and aminoglycosides has been proved beneficial to address many persistent bacterial infections with possible synergistic effects. However, the different pharmacokinetic profiles of these two antibiotic classes may not guarantee a concerted spatio-temporal delivery at the site of action, decreasing the efficacy of this combination and promoting resistance. Herein, we propose a multifunctional antibiotic-polymer conjugate, designed to colocalize ampicillin and gentamicin to tackle persistent biofilm infections. The two antibacterial molecules were grafted along with the amino acid l-arginine to a biocompatible polymer backbone with peptidomimetic hydrophili…

A self-sterilizing fluorescent Nanocomposite as versatile material with broad-spectrum Antibiofilm features

Abstract Hematogenous spread of infections from colonized central intravenous catheters or central lines is a long-recognized problem with infection rates of 2 and 6.8 per 1000 days, respectively. Besides, removal of severe microbial colonization of implanted biomaterials is still a challenge and usually requires invasive operations. Hence, on demand self-sterilizing materials are required to avoid explant of colonized biomaterials and improve patient compliance. Moreover, photoluminescence is needed to make trackable biomaterials, which can be easily monitored upon implanting them in the body. Here, we propose the incorporation of near infrared (NIR) sensitive red-emitting carbon nanodot (…

Epidemiology and clonality of carbapenem-resistant Acinetobacter baumannii from an intensive care unit in Palermo, Italy

Abstract Background Multidrug-resistant Acinetobacter baumannii, initially considered as having a poor clinical relevance, is frequently isolated from infection cases in intensive care units. We describe the epidemiology of carbapenem resistant A. baumannii (CRAB) in a general ICU in Palermo, Italy, from October 2010 to March 2011. Findings 58 of 61 isolates exhibited MICs for meropenem or imipenem ≥16 mg/L. Forty-nine carried blaOXA-23 and two blaOXA-58 genes. Five subtype clusters were detected by rep-PCR. Clusters D and E included 10 isolates that tested negative for the carbapenem resistance genes. MLST attributed all isolates, but two, with sequence type (ST)2, whereas the two remainin…

Colonization of pressure ulcers by multidrug-resistant microorganisms in patients receiving home care

Colonization and/or infection with multidrug-resistant microorganisms (MDRO) of pressure ulcers in patients receiving care at home have seldom been investigated. The objective of this study was to assess the prevalence of MDRO colonization in pressure ulcers of patients receiving home care in Palermo, Italy. Vancomycin-resistant Enterococcus (VRE), methicillinresistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA), and multidrug-resistant Gram-negative bacilli (MDRGN) were isolated, identifi ed, and characterized from pressure ulcers and selected home environment surfaces. Thirty-two patients were enrolled, of whom 12 were under antimicrobial therapy. Five patients had been admitted to hospital in the prece…