Exploring Long-Read Metagenomics for Full Characterization of Shiga Toxin-Producing in Presence of Commensal .

The characterization of Shiga toxin-producing (STEC) is necessary to assess their pathogenic potential, but isolation of the strain from complex matrices such as milk remains challenging. In previous work, we have shown the potential of long-read metagenomics to characterize -positive STEC from artificially contaminated raw milk without isolating the strain. The presence of multiple strains in the sample was shown to potentially hinder the correct characterization of the STEC strain.

A step forward for Shiga toxin-producing identification and characterization in raw milk using long-read metagenomics.

Shiga toxin-producing (STEC) are a cause of severe human illness and are frequently associated with haemolytic uraemic syndrome (HUS) in children. It remains difficult to identify virulence factors for STEC that absolutely predict the potential to cause human disease. In addition to the Shiga-toxin ( genes), many additional factors have been reported, such as intimin ( gene), which is clearly an aggravating factor for developing HUS.

Genetic diversity and pathogenic potential of Shiga toxin-producing Escherichia coli (STEC) derived from German flour.

Shiga toxin-producing Escherichia coli (STEC) can cause severe human illness, which are frequently linked to the consumption of contaminated beef or dairy products. However, recent outbreaks associated with contaminated flour and undercooked dough in the United States and Canada, highlight the potential of plant based food as transmission routes for STEC. In Germany STEC has been isolated from flour, but no cases of illness have been linked to flour.

Novel DiOC 96-well real-time efflux assay for discovery of NorA efflux pump inhibitors in Staphylococcus aureus.

The NorA efflux pump is one of the most studied efflux systems in Staphylococcus aureus and confers multidrug resistance to a variety of dyes and antimicrobial compounds. Hence, inhibition of the NorA efflux pump might be a viable option for restoring susceptibility to antibiotics like fluoroquinolones. Fluorescent real-time efflux assays are important tools to identify putative efflux pump inhibitors.

Erythritol as a single carbon source improves cultural isolation of Burkholderia pseudomallei from rice paddy soils.

Background: Isolation of the soil bacterium Burkholderia pseudomallei from tropical environments is important to generate a global risk map for man and animals to acquire the infectious disease melioidosis. There is increasing evidence, that the currently recommended soil culture protocol using threonine-basal salt solution with colistin (TBSS-C50) for enrichment of B. pseudomallei and Ashdown agar for subsequent subculture lacks sensitivity.

Molecular Epidemiology of Staphylococcus aureus in the General Population in Northeast Germany: Results of the Study of Health in Pomerania (SHIP-TREND-0).

Population-based studies on Staphylococcus aureus nasal colonization are scarce. We examined the prevalence, resistance, and molecular diversity of S. aureus in the general population in Northeast Germany.