Epidemiology and Characterization of Bacteria Isolated from Hospital

A special issue of Antibiotics (ISSN 2079-6382). This special issue belongs to the section "Mechanism and Evolution of Antibiotic Resistance".

Deadline for manuscript submissions: 31 July 2024 | Viewed by 6151

Special Issue Editors

Department of Bacteriology-Virology-Parasitology, University of Medicine and Pharmacy of Craiova, 200349 Craiova, Romania
Interests: antibiotic resistance; bacterial and viral infections; testing of antimicrobial activity of various compounds
Department of Bacteriology-Virology-Parasitology, University of Medicine and Pharmacy of Craiova, 200349 Craiova, Romania
Interests: antibiotic resistance; bacterial and viral infections; testing of antimicrobial activity of various compounds

Special Issue Information

Dear Colleagues,

World Health Organization had signaled an alarming increase in the number of multi-drug-resistant (MDR) bacteria, even pan-drug-resistant (PDR) in some cases, isolated in hospital settings, especially in patients with chronic conditions, many of these strains are involved in healthcare-associated infections.

Healthcare settings, especially intensive care units, are significant reservoirs for the emergence and dissemination of antibiotic-resistant bacteria. This situation arises from the heavy use of antibiotics in combination with high-density patient populations that interact frequently.

The understanding of bacterial strains isolated from hospital settings and their clinical and epidemiological significance, of the tracing methods including molecular characterization and of the resistance patterns can lead to new strategies of infection control and the development of long-term treatment strategies.

Generally, this Special Issue aims to provide a comprehensive overview of the current state of knowledge on the epidemiology and characterization of bacteria isolated from hospital settings, as well as highlight areas for future research and intervention.

This Special Issue seeks manuscripts related to the identification, characterization (both phenotypical and genotypical), and epidemiology of bacterial strains isolated from hospital settings. Submissions on the molecular characterization of bacterial strains and the impact of bacterial infections on patient outcomes.

Dr. Maria Balasoiu
Dr. Ovidiu Zlatian
Guest Editors

Manuscript Submission Information

Manuscripts should be submitted online at www.mdpi.com by registering and logging in to this website. Once you are registered, click here to go to the submission form. Manuscripts can be submitted until the deadline. All submissions that pass pre-check are peer-reviewed. Accepted papers will be published continuously in the journal (as soon as accepted) and will be listed together on the special issue website. Research articles, review articles as well as short communications are invited. For planned papers, a title and short abstract (about 100 words) can be sent to the Editorial Office for announcement on this website.

Submitted manuscripts should not have been published previously, nor be under consideration for publication elsewhere (except conference proceedings papers). All manuscripts are thoroughly refereed through a single-blind peer-review process. A guide for authors and other relevant information for submission of manuscripts is available on the Instructions for Authors page. Antibiotics is an international peer-reviewed open access monthly journal published by MDPI.

Please visit the Instructions for Authors page before submitting a manuscript. The Article Processing Charge (APC) for publication in this open access journal is 2900 CHF (Swiss Francs). Submitted papers should be well formatted and use good English. Authors may use MDPI's English editing service prior to publication or during author revisions.

Keywords

  • multi-drug-resistant bacteria
  • pan-drug-resistant bacteria
  • healthcare-associated infections
  • intensive care units
  • epidemiology
  • molecular characterization
  • patient outcomes
  • tracing methods

Published Papers (2 papers)

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Research

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11 pages, 1374 KiB  
Article
Characterization of Listeria monocytogenes Strains Isolated in Palermo (Sicily and Italy) during the Years 2018–2020 from Severe Cases of Listeriosis
by Maria Rita Tricoli, Chiara Massaro, Ignazio Arrigo, Orazia Diquattro, Francesca Di Bernardo, Elena Galia, Mario Palermo, Teresa Fasciana and Anna Giammanco
Antibiotics 2024, 13(1), 57; https://doi.org/10.3390/antibiotics13010057 - 06 Jan 2024
Viewed by 1048
Abstract
Listeria monocytogenes (LM), the etiological agent of listeriosis, can cause foodborne zoonosis. In this study, we characterized 23 strains that caused human severe listeriosis in Palermo (Sicily, Italy) during the period of 2018–2020. In addition, we assessed the phenotypic susceptibility of clinical isolates [...] Read more.
Listeria monocytogenes (LM), the etiological agent of listeriosis, can cause foodborne zoonosis. In this study, we characterized 23 strains that caused human severe listeriosis in Palermo (Sicily, Italy) during the period of 2018–2020. In addition, we assessed the phenotypic susceptibility of clinical isolates to antibiotics in accordance with EUCAST guidelines. The serogroup was determined through the use of PCR, while MLST and MVLST were identified through the sequencing of housekeeping genes. Finally, susceptibility to antibiotics was assessed by means of the Phoenix automatic system. Patients hospitalized with listeriosis were predominantly males (56% vs. 44% of females). The cases not associated with pregnancy included patients >65 years of age (60%), two of whom were affected by cancer, while cases associated with pregnancy included two pregnant women and three preterm infants. The data collected showed that the main pathologies shown by patients were meningitis (60.9%) and bacteremia (39.1%). The LM strains were isolated from the blood (52%), cerebrospinal fluid (26%), cerebrospinal fluid + blood (13%), blood + a nasal swab (4%), and ascitic fluid (4%). The predominant serogroup was IVb (96%), whereas only one strain belonged to serogroup IIa (4%). Among the strains with serotypes 4b, 4d, and 4e, ST2/VT21 (92%) and ST6/VT19 (4%) were determined, while only isolates with serotypes 1/2a and3a show ST155/VT45 (CC155). This study reveals the widespread circulation of a clinical strain (ST2/VT21) associated with suspected food contamination, demonstrating the importance of carrying out molecular epidemiological surveillance. Our clinical isolates were susceptible to the beta-lactams assayed, in agreement with the literature data. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Epidemiology and Characterization of Bacteria Isolated from Hospital)
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Review

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13 pages, 331 KiB  
Review
Staphylococcus capitis: Review of Its Role in Infections and Outbreaks
by Victoria Heath, Elaine Cloutman-Green, Samuel Watkin, Magdalena Karlikowska, Derren Ready, James Hatcher, Nicola Pearce-Smith, Colin Brown and Alicia Demirjian
Antibiotics 2023, 12(4), 669; https://doi.org/10.3390/antibiotics12040669 - 29 Mar 2023
Cited by 7 | Viewed by 4776
Abstract
In June 2021, a national incident team was formed due to an increased detection of Staphylococcus capitis in samples from hospitalised infants. Staphylococcus capitis has been known to cause outbreaks in neonatal units across the globe, but the extent of the UK spread [...] Read more.
In June 2021, a national incident team was formed due to an increased detection of Staphylococcus capitis in samples from hospitalised infants. Staphylococcus capitis has been known to cause outbreaks in neonatal units across the globe, but the extent of the UK spread was unclear. A literature review was undertaken to support case identification, clinical management and environmental infection control. A literature search was undertaken on multiple databases from inception to 24 May 2021, using keywords such as “Staphylococcus capitis”, “NRCS-A”, “S. capitis”, “neonate”, “newborn” and “neonatal intensive care unit” (NICU). After screening, 223 articles of relevance were included. Results show incidences of S. capitis outbreaks have frequently been associated with the outbreak clone (NRCS-A) and environmental sources. The NRCS-A harbours a multidrug resistance profile that includes resistance to beta-lactam antibiotics and aminoglycosides, with several papers noting resistance or heteroresistance to vancomycin. The NRCS-A clone also harbours a novel SCCmec-SCCcad/ars/cop composite island and increased vancomycin resistance. The S. capitis NRCS-A clone has been detected for decades, but the reasons for the potentially increased frequency are unclear, as are the most effective interventions to manage outbreaks associated with this clone. This supports the need for improvements in environmental control and decontamination strategies to prevent transmission. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Epidemiology and Characterization of Bacteria Isolated from Hospital)
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