Ecology meets reproductive medicine in HIV prevention: the case for geography-informed approaches for bacterial vaginosis in Africa.

Purpose Of Review: Women in Africa bear the burden of the HIV epidemic, which has been associated with the high prevalence of bacterial vaginosis (BV) in the region. However, little progress has been made in finding an effective cure for BV. Drawing on advances in microbiome-directed therapies for gastrointestinal disorders, similar live-biotherapeutic based approaches for BV treatment are being evaluated.

Clostridioides difficile infection in Africa: A narrative review.

Clostridioides (Clostridium) difficile infection (CDI) places a burden on healthcare facilities worldwide. Most research studies have been concentrated in high-income countries in North America, Europe, Asia and Australia, where C. difficile is the leading cause of diarrhoea associated with antimicrobial use.

In Silico Characterisation of Putative Prophages in Used in Probiotics for Vaginal Health.

While live biotherapeutics offer a promising approach to optimizing vaginal microbiota, the presence of functional prophages within introduced strains could impact their safety and efficacy. We evaluated the presence of prophages in 895 publicly available genomes using Phaster, Phigaro, Phispy, Prophet and Virsorter. Prophages were identified according to stringent (detected by ≥4 methods) or lenient criteria (detected by ≥2 methods), both with >80% reciprocal sequence overlap.

Assessment of independent comorbidities and comorbidity measures in predicting healthcare facility-onset Clostridioides difficile infection in Kenya.

Introduction: Clostridioides difficile is primarily associated with hospital-acquired diarrhoea. The disease burden is aggravated in patients with comorbidities due to increased likelihood of polypharmacy, extended hospital stays and compromised immunity. The study aimed to investigate comorbidity predictors of healthcare facility-onset C.

High Prevalence of Multidrug-Resistant Following Extensive Use of Antimicrobials in Hospitalized Patients in Kenya.

Introduction: is a neglected pathogen in many African countries as it is generally not regarded as one of the major contributors toward the diarrheal disease burden in the continent. However, several studies have suggested that infection (CDI) may be underreported in many African settings. The aim of this study was to determine the prevalence of CDI in hospitalized patients, evaluate antimicrobial exposure, and detect toxin and antimicrobial resistance profiles of the isolated strains.

Exploring potential of vaginal Lactobacillus isolates from South African women for enhancing treatment for bacterial vaginosis.

Antibiotics continue to be the standard-of-care for bacterial vaginosis (BV), although recurrence rates are high. Vaginal probiotics may improve durability of BV treatment, although few probiotics for vaginal health contain Lactobacillus spp. that commonly colonize the lower female genital tract.

Antimicrobial resistance in ribotype 017.

: Antimicrobial resistance (AMR) played an important role in the initial outbreaks of infection (CDI) in the 1970s. ribotype (RT) 017 has emerged as the major strain of in Asia, where antimicrobial use is poorly regulated. This strain has also caused CDI outbreaks around the world for almost 30 years.

ribotype 017 - characterization, evolution and epidemiology of the dominant strain in Asia.

ribotype (RT) 017 is an important toxigenic RT which, due to a deletion in the repetitive region of the gene, only produces functional toxin B. Strains belonging to this RT were initially dismissed as nonpathogenic and circulated largely undetected for almost two decades until they rose to prominence following a series of outbreaks in the early 2000s. Despite lacking a functional toxin A, RT 017 strains have been shown subsequently to be capable of causing disease as severe as that caused by strains producing both toxins A and B.

Evolutionary and Genomic Insights into Sequence Type 11: a Diverse Zoonotic and Antimicrobial-Resistant Lineage of Global One Health Importance.

() sequence type 11 (ST11) is well established in production animal populations worldwide and contributes considerably to the global burden of infection (CDI) in humans. Increasing evidence of shared ancestry and genetic overlap of PCR ribotype 078 (RT078), the most common ST11 sublineage, between human and animal populations suggests that CDI may be a zoonosis. We performed whole-genome sequencing (WGS) on a collection of 207 ST11 and closely related ST258 isolates of human and veterinary/environmental origin, comprising 16 RTs collected from Australia, Asia, Europe, and North America.

in patients attending tuberculosis hospitals in Cape Town, South Africa, 2014-2015.

Background: Diarrhoea due to infection (CDI) poses a significant burden on healthcare systems around the world. However, there are few reports on the current status of the disease in sub-Saharan Africa.

Objectives: This study examined the occurrence of CDI in a South African population of tuberculosis patients, as well as the molecular epidemiology and antibiotic susceptibility profiles of strains responsible for disease.

A comparison of diagnostic methods for identification of local strains in a South African centre.

Accurate diagnosis of infection is essential for disease management. A clinical and molecular analysis of isolated from symptomatic patients at Groote Schuur Hospital, South Africa, was conducted to establish the most suitable clinical test for the diagnosis and characterization of locally prevalent strains. was detected in stool samples using enzyme-based immunoassays (EIA) and nucleic acid amplification methods, and their performance was compared with that of isolation using direct selective culture combined with specific PCR to detect the gene, toxin A and B genes and binary toxin genes.

Prevalence of gastrointestinal pathogenic bacteria in patients with diarrhoea attending Groote Schuur Hospital, Cape Town, South Africa.

Background: Diarrhoea due to gastrointestinal infections is a significant problem facing the South African (SA) healthcare system. Infections can be acquired both from the community and from the hospital environment itself, the latter acting as a reservoir for potential pathogenic bacteria.

Objectives: To examine the prevalence of a panel of potential diarrhoea-causing bacteria in patients attending a tertiary healthcare facility in Cape Town, SA.