Search bioRxiv⌕ Search

bioRxiv · 10.1101/2024.11.28.625853

An investigation of carbapenemase-encoding genes in Burkholderia cepacia and Aeromonas sobria nosocomial infections among Iraqi patients

Abstract

Burkholderia cepacia and Aeromonas sobria are difficult to eradicate due to their innate resistance to a variety of medications, and cause various diseases. The aim of this study was to investigate the occurrence of carbapenemase genes and patterns of antibiotic resistance in isolates of B. cepacia and A. sobria. A cross-sectional study was conducted in the Ramadi Teaching Hospitals in the Al-Anbar Governorate in 2024. Various study samples, were used to collect the studied bacteria. The antibiotic resistance was detected by the VITEK(R)2 System. The presence of carbapenemase genes was confirmed via PCR technique. In this investigation, seventy-five (75) isolates of A. sobria and B. cepacia were assessed. Of these, A. sobria made up 16.6% (n = 20) while B. cepacia accounted for 45.8% (n = 55). The study isolates showed highest antimicrobial resistance to piperacillin, cefepime, ceftriaxone (100%), ceftazidime (97.3%), and lowest antimicrobial resistance to imipenem (36%). The result showed 55/57 recA gene positive for differentiated B. cepacia complex from other Burkholderia spp. The overall prevalence of carbapenemase genes was 92.8%% (52/56) with blaKPCaccounting for 80.8% (42/52) and blaGES for 19.2% (10/52) of the total. The 42 B. cepacia isolates that tested positive for carbapenem resistance were constituted of 38 blaKPC (n = 38) and two blaGES (n = 2); in contrast, four blaKPC(n = 4) and eight blaGES (n = 8) were present in the A. sobria isolates that tested positive for carbapenems resistance. None of isolates studied tested positive for the blaIMPgene. The recent study concluded that recA gene identification was more sensitive and specific technique for detection B. cepacia complex isolates. There was a notable predominance of blaKPC and blaGEScarbapenemase producers among the isolates under investigation. The blaIMPgene was not found in any of the research isolates.

Explore related subjects

Keep this discovery

Explore connections, maps & timelines

BibTeXRIS

Al-Ouqaili, M. T. S., Hussein, R. A., Kanaan, B. A., Al-Neda, A. T.. 2024-11-29. An investigation of carbapenemase-encoding genes in Burkholderia cepacia and Aeromonas sobria nosocomial infections among Iraqi patients. https://doi.org/10.1101/2024.11.28.625853

Cite the original work for its findings. Save a collection to share your selection of sources.

KEEP EXPLORING

Related preprints

Extreme temperature exposure has negative demographic consequences for Sulfolobus acidocaldarius

Microorganisms inhabiting geothermal springs and volcanic systems experience fluctuating temperatures that can periodically exceed their upper thermal limits, but the demographic consequences of such exposure remain poorly understood. Here, we investigated demographic responses of the thermophilic archaeon Sulfolobus acidocaldarius to an extreme temperature (94.1{degrees}C) under two regimes: sustained exposure varying in duration, and episodic exposure interspersed with recovery at a permissive temperature (75{degrees}C). Under sustained exposure, populations showed no detectable loss of viability after 15 min but declined thereafter, decreasing by approximately five orders of magnitude after 120 min. Under episodic exposure, populations remained viable across nine exposure-recovery cycles but declined in density with successive cycles. Similar responses were observed for three strains, including a DNA mismatch repair knockout ({Delta}nucS), indicating that mismatch repair deficiency did not affect viability or recovery. Together, these results demonstrate that S. acidocaldarius can withstand brief and repeated exposure to near-boiling temperatures, with mortality determined primarily by cumulative exposure duration rather than a fixed thermal threshold.

microbiology↗

Bacteriophage and Antibiotic Resistance Are Positively Associated across a Phylogenetically Diverse Set of Clinical Pseudomonas aeruginosa Isolates

Co-administration of phages and antibiotics has been proposed as a therapeutic approach against antibiotic-resistant bacteria. The relationship, however, between antibiotic resistance and phage resistance in clinical isolates is unclear. Here, we examine associations between phage and antibiotic resistance profiles across a panel of Pseudomonas aeruginosa clinical isolates from the Centers for Disease Control (CDC) and Food and Drug Administration (FDA) Antimicrobial Resistance Isolate (ARI) Bank comprising 55 clinical strains with full genome sequences and antibiotic susceptibility testing (AST) data for 11 clinically relevant antibiotics. As phages in this study, we use three well-characterized, morphologically distinct phages, OMKO1, Luz19, and PAML31-1. We screen for phage resistance using a growth suppression assay, then conduct statistical analysis against antibiotic MIC (Minimum Inhibitory Concentration) data provided by the CDC to define association patterns across this dataset. We find multiple significant susceptibility correlations between pairs of antibiotics and phages, and a positive overall association between average phage resistance and antibiotic resistance across the 55 strains, even controlling for phylogenetic associations (=0.358, p<0.005). We conclude that phage and antibiotic resistance are positively associated across this clinical isolate collection, suggesting that the two resistance phenotypes are not independent in P. aeruginosa. These findings have implications for the development of phage-antibiotic cocktails.

microbiology↗

The Estuary Effect: Variations in Temperature and Salinity Alter msh Promoter Activity in Vibrio cholerae

Vibrio cholerae, the facultative pathogen underlying cholera, naturally inhabits warm aquatic estuaries. Environmental persistence is enhanced by the ability of V. cholerae to colonize host reservoirs and form multicellular biofilms, causing seasonally endemic outbreaks in many tropical regions. Most toxigenic strains utilize the type IVa mannose-sensitive hemagglutinin (MSHA) pilus for host reservoir colonization and biofilm formation. Temperature and salinity can alter V. cholerae biofilm formation, yet their impact on MSHA production specifically remains largely unknown. Here, we utilized transcriptional reporters of predicted msh promoters (msh-P1/msh-P2/msh-P3) and functional assays, to determine temperature and salinity impacts on msh expression and pilus biogenesis. Under standard laboratory conditions (30{degrees}C, 1% NaCl) only msh-P1/P2 are active and inversely-coordinated with one another. Both msh-P1/P2 activity were elevated by high temperature (37{degrees}C) and low salinity (0.25%/0.5% NaCl), and reduced by low temperature (20{degrees}C/25{degrees}C) and high salinity (2%/3% NaCl). Temperature-mediated alterations in promoter activity were not immediately reflected in changes to cell-surface MSHA levels, whereas high salinity led to decreased MSHA production. Combining high temperature (37{degrees}C) and high salinity (2%/3% NaCl), attenuated the salinity-mediated reduction of msh-P1/P2 activity. Biofilm biomass levels were only substantially heightened at 25{degrees}C and 20{degrees}C, likely a result of no temperature-dependent changes in cell-surface MSHA, and additional temperature-controlled biofilm regulation previously described. We also found msh-P1/P2 promoter activity and MSHA production varies widely across toxigenic O1 and O139 serogroups despite complete sequence homology. These results shed new light on how key signals regulate MSHA pilus production to support V. cholerae persistence in aquatic environments.

microbiology↗