Can risk factors and risk scores help predict colonization and infection in multidrug-resistant gram-negative bacteria?

Antimicrobial resistance (AMR) is positioning as one of the most relevant threats to global public health and threatens the effective treatment of an ever-growing number of bacterial infections in various healthcare settings, particularly in acute care and surgical units, as well as in the community. Among multidrug-resistant (MDR) gram-negative bacteria (MDRGNB), , and require special attention, since they account for most of the mortality associated with bacterial infections and are often MDR. It is clear that there is an important global variation in antibiotic resistance profiles among MDRGNB species.

First report of KPC variants conferring ceftazidime-avibactam resistance in Colombia: introducing KPC-197.

Unlabelled: Resistance to ceftazidime-avibactam (CZA) due to carbapenemase (KPC) variants is increasing worldwide. We characterized two CZA-resistant clinical strains by antimicrobial susceptibility test, conjugation assays, and WGS. Isolates belonged to ST258 and ST45, and produced a KPC-31 and a novel variant KPC-197, respectively.

[Update of antimicrobial resistance in level III and IV health institutions in Colombia between January 2018 and December 2021].

Introduction: Antimicrobial resistance surveillance is a fundamental tool for the development, improvement, and adjustment of antimicrobial stewardship programs, therapeutic guidelines, and universal precautions to limit the cross-transmission of resistant bacteria between patients. Since the beginning of 2020, the SARS-CoV-2 pandemic profoundly challenged the health system and, according to some reports, increased the rates of antimicrobial resistance.

Objective: To describe the behavior of antimicrobial resistance of the most frequent bacterial pathogens in twenty Colombian hospitals from January 2018 to December 2021.

Antimicrobial Stewardship Programs in Latin America and the Caribbean: A Story of Perseverance, Challenges, and Goals.

Antimicrobial resistance is one of the major global health threats. Antimicrobial stewardship (AMS) has been set as a priority within international action plans to combat this issue. The region of Latin America and the Caribbean are recognized for their high antimicrobial resistance rates; nevertheless, a low number of studies describing implemented interventions for this topic have been published.

Antimicrobial stewardship programs in seven Latin American countries: facing the challenges.

Background: Studies have shown that more than 50% of the antibiotics used in hospitals are unnecessary or inappropriate and, that antimicrobial resistance may cost up to 20 billion USD in excess medical costs each year. On the other hand, Antimicrobial Stewardship Programs (ASP) significantly reduce inappropriate antimicrobial use, emergence of antimicrobial resistance, healthcare associated infections, and costs in hospital settings.

Objective: To evaluate the development of ASP and antibiotic savings in 7 Latin American hospitals using standardized quantitative indicators in all the participating health care institutions.

Identification of Genes and Characterization of Resistance Mechanisms to Colistin in Isolates from Colombian Hospitals.

We report the presence of the gene among 880 clinical isolates collected in 13 hospitals from 12 Colombian cities between 2016 and 2019. Seven (0.8%) isolates were colistin resistant (MIC ≥ 4 µg/mL).

Molecular Mechanisms of Resistance to Ceftazidime/Avibactam in Clinical Isolates of and Pseudomonas aeruginosa in Latin American Hospitals.

Ceftazidime-avibactam (CZA) is the combination of a third-generation cephalosporin and a new non-β-lactam β-lactamase inhibitor capable of inactivating class A, C, and some D β-lactamases. From a collection of 2,727 clinical isolates of ( 2,235) and P. aeruginosa ( 492) that were collected between 2016 and 2017 from five Latin American countries, we investigated the molecular resistance mechanisms to CZA of 127 (18/2,235 [0.

Molecular mechanisms leading to ceftolozane/tazobactam resistance in clinical isolates of from five Latin American countries.

Objectives: Identify molecular mechanisms responsible for the non-susceptibility to ceftolozane/tazobactam (TOL) in a group of 158 clinical isolates of from five Latin American countries collected before the introduction of TOL into the clinical practice.

Methods: Clinical isolates of ( = 504) were collected between January 2016 and October 2017 from 20 hospitals located in Argentina, Brazil, Chile, Colombia, and Mexico. Minimum inhibitory concentrations (MICs) to TOL were determined by standard broth microdilution and interpreted according to CLSI breakpoints.

Comparative In Vitro Activity of Ceftolozane/Tazobactam against Clinical Isolates of and from Five Latin American Countries.

Background: Ceftolozane/tazobactam (C/T) is a combination of an antipseudomonal oxyiminoaminothiazolyl cephalosporin with potent in vitro activity against and tazobactam, a known β-lactamase inhibitor. The aim of this study was to evaluate the activity of C/T against clinical isolates of and collected from five Latin American countries between 2016 and 2017, before its clinical use in Latin America, and to compare it with the activity of other available broad-spectrum antimicrobial agents.

Methods: a total of 2760 clinical isolates (508 and 2252 ) were consecutively collected from 20 hospitals and susceptibility to C/T and comparator agents was tested and interpreted following the current guidelines.

Molecular Analysis of Polymyxin Resistance among Carbapenemase-Producing in Colombia.

Polymyxin resistance in has been attributed to mutations in , , , and and to the presence of plasmid-mediated genes. Herein, we describe the molecular characteristics of 24 polymyxin- and carbapenem-resistant isolates recovered from six Colombian cities between 2009 and 2019. Minimum inhibitory concentrations (MICs) to polymyxin were confirmed by broth microdilution, and whole-genome sequencing was performed to determine sequence type, resistome, and mutations in the genes related to polymyxin resistance, as well the presence of .

Genomic Analysis of CTX-M-Group-1-Producing Extraintestinal Pathogenic (ExPEc) from Patients with Urinary Tract Infections (UTI) from Colombia.

Background: The dissemination of the uropathogenic O25b-ST131 clone constitutes a threat to public health. We aimed to determine the circulation of strains belonging to O25b:H4-B2-ST131 and the 30-Rx epidemic subclone causing hospital and community-acquired urinary tract infections (UTI) in Colombia.

Methods: Twenty-six nonduplicate, CTX-M group-1-producing isolates causing UTI in the hospital and community were selected for this study.

Update on the epidemiology of carbapenemases in Latin America and the Caribbean.

Introduction: Carbapenemases are β-lactamases able to hydrolyze a wide range of β-lactam antibiotics, including carbapenems. Carbapenemase production in and spp., with and without the co-expression of other β-lactamases is a serious public health threat.

Cell Heterogeneity in Staphylococcal Communities.

The human pathogen Staphylococcus aureus is a gram-positive bacterium that causes difficult-to-treat infections. One of the reasons why S. aureus is such as successful pathogen is due to the cell-to-cell physiological variability that exists within microbial communities.

Recovery and functional validation of hidden soil enzymes in metagenomic libraries.

The vast microbial diversity on the planet represents an invaluable source for identifying novel activities with potential industrial and therapeutic application. In this regard, metagenomics has emerged as a group of strategies that have significantly facilitated the analysis of DNA from multiple environments and has expanded the limits of known microbial diversity. However, the functional characterization of enzymes, metabolites, and products encoded by diverse microbial genomes is limited by the inefficient heterologous expression of foreign genes.

Single-cell analysis of Bacillus subtilis biofilms using fluorescence microscopy and flow cytometry.

Biofilm formation is a general attribute to almost all bacteria( 1-6). When bacteria form biofilms, cells are encased in extracellular matrix that is mostly constituted by proteins and exopolysaccharides, among other factors (7-10). The microbial community encased within the biofilm often shows the differentiation of distinct subpopulation of specialized cells (11-17).

Streptomycin-induced expression in Bacillus subtilis of YtnP, a lactonase-homologous protein that inhibits development and streptomycin production in Streptomyces griseus.

Bacillus subtilis induces expression of the gene ytnP in the presence of the antimicrobial streptomycin, produced by the Gram-positive bacterium Streptomyces griseus. ytnP encodes a lactonase-homologous protein that is able to inhibit the signaling pathway required for the streptomycin production and development of aerial mycelium in S. griseus.