Publications by authors named "K M G Houkes"

Objectives: To determine the prevalence, trends, and potential nosocomial transmission events of the hidden reservoir of rectal carriage of extended-spectrum beta-lactamase-producing Enterobacterales (ESBL-E).

Methods: From 2013 to 2022, yearly point prevalence surveys were conducted in a large Dutch teaching hospital. On the day of the survey, all admitted patients were screened for ESBL-E rectal carriage using peri-anal swabs and a consistent and sensitive selective culturing method.

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Background: Methicillin resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA) is a major burden for hospitals globally. However, in the Netherlands, the MRSA prevalence is relatively low due to the 'search and destroy' policy. Routine multiple-locus variable-number of tandem repeat analysis (MLVA) of MRSA isolates supports outbreak detection.

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Article Synopsis
  • * This report details two cases of patients developing simultaneous infectious endocarditis and spondylodiscitis caused by different CoNS strains.
  • * The study emphasizes that in patients with back pain and cardiac devices, CoNS should be treated as potential pathogens rather than mere contaminants.
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The knowledge of in vitro and in vivo stability of polymeric nanoparticles is vital for the development of clinical formulations for drug delivery and cell labeling applications. Förster resonance energy transfer (FRET)-based fluorescence labeling approaches are promising tools to study nanoparticle stability under different physiological conditions. Here, we present the FRET-based stability assessment of poly(lactic--glycolic acid) (PLGA) nanoparticles encapsulating BODIPY-FL12 and Nile Red as the donor and acceptor, respectively.

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