Genomic analysis of serogroup 20 isolates in Alberta, Canada from 1993-2019.

In the province of Alberta, Canada, invasive disease caused by serogroup 20 (serotypes 20A/20B) has been increasing in incidence. Here, we characterize provincial invasive serogroup 20 isolates collected from 1993 to 2019 alongside invasive and non-invasive serogroup 20 isolates from the Global Pneumococcal Sequencing (GPS) Project collected from 1998 to 2015. Trends in clinical metadata and geographic location were evaluated, and serogroup 20 isolate genomes were subjected to molecular sequence typing, virulence and antimicrobial resistance factor mining, phylogenetic analysis and pangenome calculation.

Clonal diversity of Streptococcus pneumoniae serotype 19A collected from children < 5 years old in Québec, Canada, 2016-2021.

Streptococcus pneumoniae serotype 19A is a highly diverse, often antimicrobial-resistant Gram-positive bacterium which can cause invasive pneumococcal disease (IPD). In 2021, public health authorities in the Canadian province of Québec observed an increase of serotype 19A IPD in children <5 years. The purpose of this study was to determine the clonal composition of serotype 19A isolates collected from this age group in Québec, from 2016 to 2021.

Analysis of MDR in the predominant Streptococcus pneumoniae serotypes in Canada: the SAVE study, 2011-2020.

Objectives: To investigate the levels of MDR in the predominant serotypes of invasive Streptococcus pneumoniae isolated in Canada over a 10 year period.

Methods: All isolates were serotyped and had antimicrobial susceptibility testing performed, in accordance with CLSI guidelines (M07-11 Ed., 2018).

Antimicrobial susceptibility testing of invasive isolates of Streptococcus pneumoniae from Canadian patients: the SAVE study, 2011-2020.

Objectives: To assess the antimicrobial susceptibility of 14 138 invasive Streptococcus pneumoniae isolates collected in Canada from 2011 to 2020.

Methods: Antimicrobial susceptibility testing was performed using the CLSI M07 broth microdilution reference method. MICs were interpreted using 2022 CLSI M100 breakpoints.

Genomic characterization of emerging invasive Streptococcus agalactiae serotype VIII in Alberta, Canada.

Invasive Group B Streptococcus (GBS) can infect pregnant women, neonates, and older adults. Invasive GBS serotype VIII is infrequent in Alberta; however, cases have increased in recent years. Here, genomic analysis was used to characterize fourteen adult invasive serotype VIII isolates from 2009 to 2021.

Identification of bacterial and fungal pathogens directly from clinical blood cultures using whole genome sequencing.

Bloodstream infections are a major cause of morbidity and mortality worldwide. Early administration of appropriate antimicrobial therapy can improve patient survival and prevent antimicrobial resistance (AMR). Whole genome sequencing (WGS) can provide information for pathogen identification, AMR prediction and sequence typing earlier than current phenotypic diagnostic methods.

Invasive pneumococcal disease surveillance in Canada, 2020.

Background: Invasive pneumococcal disease (IPD), which is caused by , has been a nationally notifiable disease in Canada since 2000. The use of conjugate vaccines has markedly decreased the incidence of IPD in Canada; however, the distribution of serotypes has shifted in favour of non-vaccine types. This report summarizes the demographics, serotypes and antimicrobial resistance of IPD infections in Canada in 2020.

Oral Sex following Abortion: Case Report of a Sexually Transmitted Infection of Group A Streptococcus Causing Peritonitis.

Group A (GAS) is a rare cause of peritonitis with only a few reports of disease associated with surgical abortion, vaginal delivery, or intrauterine devices, most of which are speculated to be in association with the female genital tract. Only a single case of GAS infection transmission through contemporary oral sex has been previously reported. We report a strange case of GAS peritonitis occurring after abortion and oral sex.

PCV-15 and PPSV-23 coverage of invasive and respiratory tract Streptococcus pneumoniae, including MDR and XDR isolates: CANWARD 2007-20.

Objectives: To compare the proportion of invasive and respiratory tract isolates of Streptococcus pneumoniae, including MDR and XDR strains, that demonstrated PCV-15 and PPSV-23 serotypes in Canada from 2007 to 2020.

Methods: The CANWARD study collected 2984 S. pneumoniae isolates from 2007 to 2020 (1054 invasive, 1930 respiratory).

Clinical Presentations and Outcomes of Children in Canada With Recurrent Invasive Pneumococcal Disease From the IMPACT Surveillance Network.

Background: Invasive pneumococcal disease due to Streptococcus pneumoniae can cause mortality and severe morbidity due to sepsis, meningitis and pneumonia, particularly in young children and the elderly. Recurrent invasive pneumococcal disease is rare yet serious sequelae of invasive pneumococcal disease that is associated with the immunocompromised and leads to a high mortality rate.

Method: This retrospective study reviewed recurrent invasive pneumococcal disease cases from the Canadian Immunization Monitoring Program, ACTive (IMPACT) between 1991 and 2019, an active network for surveillance of vaccine-preventable diseases and adverse events following immunization for children ages 0-16 years.

Increasing Azithromycin Resistance in Neisseria gonorrhoeae Due to NG-MAST 12302 Clonal Spread in Canada, 2015 to 2018.

Azithromycin-resistant (AZIR) gonorrhea has been steadily increasing in Canada over the past decade, which is cause for alarm, as azithromycin (AZI) has been part of the combination therapy recommended by the Canadian Guidelines on Sexually Transmitted Infections (CGSTI) since 2012. Neisseria gonorrhoeae with AZI MICs ≥1 mg/L collected between 2015 and 2018 as part of the Gonococcal Antimicrobial Surveillance Program-Canada underwent antimicrobial susceptibility testing, molecular typing, and whole-genome sequencing. Regional, demographic, and clinical isolation site comparisons were made to aid in our understanding of AZI susceptibility trending.

Linear Regression Equations To Predict β-Lactam, Macrolide, Lincosamide, and Fluoroquinolone MICs from Molecular Antimicrobial Resistance Determinants in .

Antimicrobial resistance in Streptococcus pneumoniae represents a threat to public health, and monitoring the dissemination of resistant strains is essential to guiding health policy. Multiple-variable linear regression modeling was used to determine the contributions of molecular antimicrobial resistance determinants to antimicrobial MICs for penicillin, ceftriaxone, erythromycin, clarithromycin, clindamycin, levofloxacin, and trimethoprim-sulfamethoxazole. Training data sets consisting of Canadian S.

Invasive pneumococcal disease caused by serotypes 22F and 33F in Canada: the SAVE study 2011-2018.

A 15-valent conjugate vaccine that provides protection against Streptococcus pneumoniae serotypes 22F and 33F is in development. Here we report on the prevalence, antimicrobial susceptibility, and clonal structure of these serotypes in Canada. From 2011 to 2018, the SAVE study collected 11,044 invasive S.

Whole-Genome Analysis of Streptococcus pneumoniae Serotype 4 Causing Outbreak of Invasive Pneumococcal Disease, Alberta, Canada.

After the introduction of pneumococcal conjugate vaccines for children, invasive pneumococcal disease caused by Streptococcus pneumoniae serotype 4 declined in all ages in Alberta, Canada, but it has reemerged and spread in adults in Calgary, primarily among persons who are experiencing homelessness or who use illicit drugs. We conducted clinical and molecular analyses to examine the cases and isolates. Whole-genome sequencing analysis indicated relatively high genetic variability of serotype 4 isolates.

Changes in the incidence of invasive disease due to Streptococcus pneumoniae, Haemophilus influenzae, and Neisseria meningitidis during the COVID-19 pandemic in 26 countries and territories in the Invasive Respiratory Infection Surveillance Initiative: a prospective analysis of surveillance data.

Background: Streptococcus pneumoniae, Haemophilus influenzae, and Neisseria meningitidis, which are typically transmitted via respiratory droplets, are leading causes of invasive diseases, including bacteraemic pneumonia and meningitis, and of secondary infections subsequent to post-viral respiratory disease. The aim of this study was to investigate the incidence of invasive disease due to these pathogens during the early months of the COVID-19 pandemic.

Methods: In this prospective analysis of surveillance data, laboratories in 26 countries and territories across six continents submitted data on cases of invasive disease due to S pneumoniae, H influenzae, and N meningitidis from Jan 1, 2018, to May, 31, 2020, as part of the Invasive Respiratory Infection Surveillance (IRIS) Initiative.

Shanghai Isolates Exhibit Resistance to Extended-Spectrum Cephalosporins and Clonal Distribution.

The emergence of strains with resistance (R) to extended-spectrum cephalosporins (ESCs) represents a public health threat of untreatable gonococcal infections. This study was designed to determine the prevalence and molecular mechanisms of ESC of Shanghai isolates. A total of 366 isolates were collected in 2017 in Shanghai.

Three sequential outbreaks of Group A over a two-year period at the Canadian Forces Leadership and Recruit School, St. Jean Garrison, Québec.

Background: Since December 2016, the basic military training (BMT) facility for the Canadian Armed Forces (CAF) has experienced repeated outbreaks of Group A (GAS). In 2018, a voluntary mass antibiotic prophylaxis (MAP) program was implemented to interrupt GAS transmission among recruits. The objective of this study was to describe the epidemiology of three GAS outbreaks and a period of increased pharyngitis infections at the CAF BMT facility in Québec over a two-year span, and to detail the prevention and control measures implemented to mitigate the risk to recruit health.