Ongoing toxin-positive diphtheria outbreaks in a federal asylum centre in Switzerland, analysis July to September 2022.

Two diphtheria outbreaks occurred in a Swiss asylum center from July to October 2022, one is still ongoing. Outbreaks mainly involved minors and included six symptomatic respiratory diphtheria cases requiring antitoxin. Phylogenomic analyses showed evidence of imported and local transmissions of toxigenic strains in respiratory and skin lesion samples.

Effect of Bifidobacterium thermophilum RBL67 and fructo-oligosaccharides on the gut microbiota in Göttingen minipigs.

Modulating the gut microbiota via dietary interventions is a common strategy to enhance the natural defence mechanisms of the host. Several in vitro studies have highlighted the probiotic potential of Bifidobacterium thermophilum RBL67 (RBL67) selected for its anti-Salmonella effects. The present study aimed to investigate the impact of RBL67 alone and combined with fructo-oligosaccharides (FOS) on the gut microbiota of Göttingen minipigs.

Extended-spectrum-β-lactamase-producing Enterobacteriaceae isolated from vegetables imported from the Dominican Republic, India, Thailand, and Vietnam.

To examine to what extent fresh vegetables imported into Switzerland represent carriers of extended-spectrum-β-lactamase (ESBL)-producing Enterobacteriaceae, 169 samples of different types of fresh vegetables imported into Switzerland from the Dominican Republic, India, Thailand, and Vietnam were analyzed. Overall, 25.4% of the vegetable samples yielded one or more ESBL-producing Enterobacteriaceae, 78.

Synergistic effects of Bifidobacterium thermophilum RBL67 and selected prebiotics on inhibition of Salmonella colonization in the swine proximal colon PolyFermS model.

Background: Probiotics and prebiotics are promising strategies to counteract Salmonella prevalence in swine. In the present study, we investigated the effects of prebiotics (fructo- (FOS), galacto- (GOS) and mannan- (MOS) oligosaccharides) and the bacteriocinogenic Bifidobacterium thermophilum RBL67 (RBL67) on Salmonella enterica subsp. enterica serovar Typhimurium N-15 (N-15) colonization using the PolyFermS in vitro continuous fermentation model simulating the swine proximal colon.

In vitro continuous fermentation model (PolyFermS) of the swine proximal colon for simultaneous testing on the same gut microbiota.

In vitro gut modeling provides a useful platform for a fast and reproducible assessment of treatment-related changes. Currently, pig intestinal fermentation models are mainly batch models with important inherent limitations. In this study we developed a novel in vitro continuous fermentation model, mimicking the porcine proximal colon, which we validated during 54 days of fermentation.

Novel Polyfermentor intestinal model (PolyFermS) for controlled ecological studies: validation and effect of pH.

In vitro gut fermentation modeling offers a useful platform for ecological studies of the intestinal microbiota. In this study we describe a novel Polyfermentor Intestinal Model (PolyFermS) designed to compare the effects of different treatments on the same complex gut microbiota. The model operated in conditions of the proximal colon is composed of a first reactor containing fecal microbiota immobilized in gel beads, and used to continuously inoculate a set of parallel second-stage reactors.

Comparison of the Caco-2, HT-29 and the mucus-secreting HT29-MTX intestinal cell models to investigate Salmonella adhesion and invasion.

Human intestinal cell models are widely used to study host-enteric pathogen interactions, with different cell lines exhibiting specific characteristics and functions in the gut epithelium. In particular, the presence of mucus may play an important role in adhesion and invasion of pathogens. The aim of this study was to evaluate the suitability of the mucus-secreting HT29-MTX intestinal epithelial cell model to test adhesion and invasion of Salmonella strains and compare with data obtained with the more commonly used Caco-2 and HT-29 models.