Publications by authors named "Jorge Olivares Pacheco"

Introduction: Ceftazidime/avibactam (CZA) is indicated against multidrug-resistant , particularly those that are carbapenem resistant. CZA resistance in producing PER, a class A extended-spectrum β-lactamase, has been well documented . However, data regarding clinical isolates are scarce.

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  • In December 2020, 60 COVID-19 cases were reported in Chilean Antarctic stations, leading to isolation measures and highlighting the detection of SARS-CoV-2 RNA in wastewater at scientific stations.
  • The study finds viral RNA in wastewater from two Antarctic plants, raising concerns about the risk of infecting wildlife and the need for ongoing research and monitoring of potential virus transmission to animals.
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  • Multidrug-resistant (MDR) Infantis is a globally spread pathogen linked to poultry consumption, with rising human infections in Chile, prompting a study on its genomic epidemiology and resistance profiles.
  • Researchers sequenced and analyzed 396 genomes of Infantis from various sources in Chile, adding to existing data for a total of 440 genomes from 2009 to 2022.
  • The study revealed clusters of related isolates, particularly the HC20_343 cluster, known for carrying multiple antimicrobial resistance genes and a strong link across environmental, animal, food, and human sources, indicating a need for better surveillance and control measures.
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The management of bacterial pathogens remains a key challenge of aquaculture. The marine gammaproteobacterium Piscirickettsia salmonis is the etiological agent of piscirickettsiosis and causes multi-systemic infections in different salmon species, resulting in considerable mortality and substantial commercial losses. Here, we elucidate its global diversity, evolution, and selection during human interventions.

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Methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA) is a priority pathogen listed by the World Health Organization. The global spread of MRSA is characterized by successive waves of epidemic clones that predominate in specific geographical regions. The acquisition of genes encoding resistance to heavy-metals is thought to be a key feature in the divergence and geographical spread of MRSA.

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The presence of mobile genetic elements in isolated from a chicken farm constitutes a potential risk for the appearance of emerging bacteria present in the food industry. These elements contribute to increased pathogenicity and antimicrobial resistance through genes that are related to the formation of biofilms and resistance genes contained in plasmids, integrons, and transposons. One hundred and thirty-three isolates from different stages of the production line, such as feed manufacturing, hatchery, broiler farm, poultry farm, and slaughterhouse, were identified, serotyped and sequenced.

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Carbapenem-resistant (CRPA) is one of the pathogens that urgently needs new drugs and new alternatives for its control. The primary strategy to combat this bacterium is combining treatments of beta-lactam with a beta-lactamase inhibitor. The most used combinations against are ceftazidime/avibactam (CZA) and ceftolozane/tazobactam (C/T).

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  • - The study focused on the genomic traits of an extensively drug-resistant Pseudomonas aeruginosa isolate (P-469) found in Chile, assessing its antibiotic resistance profile through various testing methods.
  • - Whole-genome sequencing revealed that P-469 belongs to the high-risk clone ST654 (serotype O4), exhibiting an extensive resistome paired with two CRISPR-Cas systems and multiple prophages.
  • - The findings underpin the importance of genomic surveillance for tracking the spread of high-risk pathogens like Pseudomonas aeruginosa, particularly those co-producing novel carbapenemase genes, to mitigate their public health threat.
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Ceftazidime/Avibactam (CAZ/AVI) is frequently used to treat KPC-producing (KPC-PA) and . CAZ/AVI resistance is driven by several mechanisms. In this mainly occurs through alteration of AmpC, porins, and/or efflux pump overexpression, whereas in it frequently occurs through D179Y substitution in the active site of KPC enzyme.

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Freshwater bodies receive waste, feces, and fecal microorganisms from agricultural, urban, and natural activities. In this study, the probable sources of fecal contamination were determined. Also, antibiotic resistant bacteria (ARB) were detected in the two main rivers of central Chile.

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Worldwide, aquaculture is considered as a hotspot environment for antimicrobial resistance (AMR) due to the intense use of antibiotics in its productive systems. Chile is the second largest producer of farmed salmon worldwide, and tons of antibiotics are used to control bacterial diseases, such as Salmon Rickettsial Syndrome (SRS) and Bacterial Kidney Disease (BKD). However, studies determining the risk of consuming salmon fillets that have been treated with antibiotics during the salmon production are limited.

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  • The study aimed to genetically characterize class 1 integrons in multidrug-resistant bacteria found in aquaculture salmon that were treated with high antibiotic levels.
  • Researchers analyzed 82 bacterial isolates, confirming that while all had the intI1 gene, only a small percentage carried key resistance genes and gene cassettes.
  • The findings highlight the concern of antibiotic resistance in aquaculture, indicating that control over antibiotic usage is crucial to prevent further resistance spread.
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  • Ceftolozane/tazbactam (C/T) effectively targets non-carbapenem-resistant Pseudomonas aeruginosa infections, but the testing methods for determining its efficacy are not thoroughly evaluated.
  • We reviewed the performance of gradient strips and disk diffusion methods for antimicrobial susceptibility testing (AST) using CLSI and EUCAST guidelines on 97 clinical isolates from Chile.
  • While both gradient strips and disk diffusion showed high categorical agreement using CLSI breakpoints, their effectiveness dropped significantly for isolates resistant to all beta-lactam antibiotics, highlighting limitations in AST methods that may impact clinical decision-making.
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The dissemination of antibiotic-resistant bacteria (ARB) from water used for crop irrigation to vegetables is poorly studied. During a year, five farmer markets in a city in Central Chile were visited, and 478 vegetable samples (parsleys, corianders, celeries, lettuces, chards, and beets) were collected. Simultaneously, 32 water samples were collected from two rivers which are used to irrigate the vegetables produced in the area.

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Multidrug (MDR) efflux pumps are ancient and conserved molecular machineries with relevant roles in different aspects of the bacterial physiology, besides antibiotic resistance. In the case of the environmental opportunistic pathogen Pseudomonas aeruginosa, it has been shown that overexpression of different efflux pumps is linked to the impairment of the quorum sensing (QS) response. Nevertheless, the causes of such impairment are different for each analysed efflux pump.

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The strain KG01 was isolated from a soil sample from King George Island, Antarctica. Cells of KG01 are rod-shaped and motile by means of multiple polar flagella. The absence of arginine dihydrolase activity could be a key feature to readily distinguish KG01 from its closest phylogenetic relative species.

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  • * Research shows that mutations in bacterial genes affect susceptibility differently across various aminoglycoside antibiotics, challenging the idea that results can be generalized within antibiotic families.
  • * Analysis of specific mutants indicates that certain gene inactivations not only increase susceptibility to multiple antibiotics but also significantly impair bacterial virulence, suggesting potential targets for developing treatments that combat both resistance and virulence.
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  • Multidrug efflux pumps are key players in antibiotic resistance found in bacterial genomes and may have additional functions beyond simply removing antibiotics.
  • The study highlights that the MexCD-OprJ efflux pump significantly affects quorum sensing (QS) in the bacterium Pseudomonas aeruginosa, an important pathogen in respiratory infections, by extruding specific signaling molecules.
  • It was established that overexpression of MexCD-OprJ leads to decreased levels of QS signaling molecules, impairing the expression of virulence factors, which are crucial for the bacterium's ability to cause infections.
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The high use of antibiotics for the treatment of bacterial diseases is one of the main problems in the mass production of animal protein. Salmon farming in Chile is a clear example of the above statement, where more than 5,500 tonnes of antibiotics have been used over the last 10 years. This has caused a great impact both at the production level and on the environment; however, there are still few works in relation to it.

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Antarctica harbors a great diversity of microorganisms, including bacteria, archaea, microalgae and yeasts. The Pseudomonas genus is one of the most diverse and successful bacterial groups described to date, but only eight species isolated from Antarctica have been characterized. Here, we present three potentially novel species isolated on King George Island.

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It is generally assumed that the acquisition of antibiotic resistance is associated with a fitness cost. We have shown that overexpression of the MexEF-OprN efflux pump does not decrease the fitness of a resistant strain compared to its wild-type counterpart. This lack of fitness cost was associated with a metabolic rewiring that includes increased expression of the anaerobic nitrate respiratory chain when cells are growing under fully aerobic conditions.

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