Description of Anaerococcus kampingiae sp. nov., Anaerococcus groningensis sp. nov., Anaerococcus martiniensis sp. nov., and Anaerococcus cruorum sp. nov., isolated from human clinical specimens.

Objectives: To improve the identification of anaerobic bacteria, the identity of clinical isolates which could not be identified using MALDI-TOF MS was assessed using whole genome sequencing (WGS) and in-house made main spectral profiles (MSPs) were created. Four novel Anaerococcus species, each represented by at least two isolates, were encountered.

Methods: The novelty of the isolates was confirmed by comparing the 16S rRNA gene sequences and the WGS with their closest relatives.

Antimicrobial susceptibility profile of clinically relevant Bacteroides, Phocaeicola, Parabacteroides and Prevotella species, isolated by eight laboratories in the Netherlands.

Objectives: Recently, reports on antimicrobial-resistant Bacteroides and Prevotella isolates have increased in the Netherlands. This urged the need for a surveillance study on the antimicrobial susceptibility profile of Bacteroides, Phocaeicola, Parabacteroides and Prevotella isolates consecutively isolated from human clinical specimens at eight different Dutch laboratories.

Methods: Each laboratory collected 20-25 Bacteroides (including Phocaeicola and Parabacteroides) and 10-15 Prevotella isolates for 3 months.

Characterization of mobile genetic elements in multidrug-resistant Bacteroides fragilis isolates from different hospitals in the Netherlands.

Objectives: Five human clinical multidrug-resistant (MDR) Bacteroides fragilis isolates, including resistance to meropenem and metronidazole, were recovered at different hospitals in the Netherlands between 2014 and 2020 and sent to the anaerobic reference laboratory for full characterization.

Methods: Isolates were recovered from a variety of clinical specimens from patients with unrelated backgrounds. Long- and short-read sequencing was performed, followed by a hybrid assembly to study the presence of mobile genetic elements (MGEs) and antimicrobial resistance genes (ARGs).

Sonication of Vascular Grafts and Endografts to Diagnose Vascular Graft Infection: a Head-To-Head Comparison with Conventional Culture and Its Clinical Impact.

Vascular graft and endograft infection (VGEI) is a severe complication associated with high mortality and is often challenging to diagnose. For the definitive microbiological diagnosis, sonication of vascular grafts may increase the microbiological yield of these biofilm-associated infections. The objective of this study was to determine whether sonication of explanted vascular grafts and endografts results in a higher diagnostic accuracy than conventional culture methods and aids in clinical decision-making.