A conserved virulence plasmidic region contributes to the virulence of the multiresistant Escherichia coli meningitis strain S286 belonging to phylogenetic group C.

Recent isolation of the non-K1 Escherichia coli neonatal meningitis strain S286, belonging to phylogroup C, which is closely related to major group B1, and producing an extended-spectrum beta-lactamase, encouraged us to seek the genetic determinants responsible for its virulence. We show that S286 belongs to the sequence O type ST23O78 and harbors 4 large plasmids. The largest one, pS286colV (~120 kb), not related to resistance, contains genes characteristic of a Conserved Virulence Plasmidic (CVP) region initially identified in B2 extra-intestinal avian pathogenic E.

OXA-48 carbapenemase-producing Klebsiella pneumoniae isolated from Libyan patients.

Six multidrug-resistant Klebsiella pneumoniae isolates were recovered from injured Libyan combatants. Production of carbapenemase was screened by using commercial combination tablets from Rosco combined with a temocillin disk. Polymerase chain reaction (PCR) and sequencing were used to detect several carbapenemase genes and to characterize their genetic environment.

Escherichia coli isolates causing bacteremia via gut translocation and urinary tract infection in young infants exhibit different virulence genotypes.

Escherichia coli bacteremia in young infants may arise via either urinary tract infection or gut translocation (GT). E. coli GT isolates have rarely been investigated.

Evolving microbiology of complicated acute otitis media before and after introduction of the pneumococcal conjugate vaccine in France.

We compare the microbiology of otopathogens causing recurrent acute otitis media (AOM) or AOM treatment failure in 600 children during 2000 to 2008 before and after the introduction of 7-valent pneumococcal conjugate vaccine (PCV-7). Streptococcus pneumoniae predominated before PCV-7 introduction and during 2007 to 2008, whereas Haemophilus influenzae predominated during 2005 to 2006. S.

Epidemiology of pediatric community-acquired bloodstream infections in a children hospital in Paris, France, 2001 to 2008.

In 2001 to 2008, we documented 483 cases of pediatric community-acquired bacteremia mostly because of Streptococcus agalactiae (< 4 days), Escherichia coli (4 days to 3 months), pneumococci (3 months to 5 years), and Staphylococcus aureus (> 5 years). Pneumococcal conjugate vaccination affected the serotype distribution of pneumococcal bacteremia but not its frequency. Serotype 19A represented 12% and 22% of pneumococci in the prevaccine and vaccine periods, respectively.

The plasmid of Escherichia coli strain S88 (O45:K1:H7) that causes neonatal meningitis is closely related to avian pathogenic E. coli plasmids and is associated with high-level bacteremia in a neonatal rat meningitis model.

A new Escherichia coli virulent clonal group, O45:K1, belonging to the highly virulent subgroup B2(1) was recently identified in France, where it accounts for one-third of E. coli neonatal meningitis cases. Here we describe the sequence, epidemiology and function of the large plasmid harbored by strain S88, which is representative of the O45:K1 clonal group.

Population snapshot of Streptococcus pneumoniae serotype 19A isolates before and after introduction of seven-valent pneumococcal Vaccination for French children.

Serotype 19A Streptococcus pneumoniae strains are now more frequent in French children than before the introduction of a seven-valent conjugate vaccine (PCV7). By applying multilocus sequence typing to 144 serotype 19A isolates collected before and after beginning PCV7 vaccination, we detected clonal expansion of the preexisting penicillin-intermediate sequence type 276.

Combined multilocus sequence typing and O serogrouping distinguishes Escherichia coli subtypes associated with infant urosepsis and/or meningitis.

The genetic relatedness of 223 invasive Escherichia coli strains that cause either meningitis or urosepsis without meningitis in young infants was determined by multilocus sequence typing (MLST), ribotyping, and phylogenetic polymerase chain reaction grouping. We also determined the serotypes and virulence genotypes (on the basis of 11 virulence genes). The strains belonged to 29 sequence type complexes (STc), 20 ribotypes, 26 O serogroups, and 39 virulence genotypes.

Detection and identification by PCR of a highly virulent phylogenetic subgroup among extraintestinal pathogenic Escherichia coli B2 strains.

Closely related Escherichia coli B2 strains O1:K1, O2:K1, O18:K1, and O45:K1 constitute a major subgroup causing extraintestinal infections. A DNA pathoarray analysis was used to develop a PCR specific for this subgroup that was included in the multiplex phylogenetic-grouping PCR method. Our PCR may serve to identify this virulent subgroup among different ecological niches.

Comparative prevalence of virulence factors in Escherichia coli causing urinary tract infection in male infants with and without bacteremia.

Escherichia coli isolates causing urinary tract infection in 83 male infants younger than 90 days with and without bacteremia were compared for phylogenetic groups and the presence of 10 virulence factors. Our result suggest that the absence of both hemolysin and antigen K1 may be used as a negative predictive factor for bacteremia.