Antimicrobial effect of sulconazole in combination with glucose/trehalose against carbapenem-resistant hypervirulent Klebsiella pneumoniae persisters.

The emergence and rapid dissemination of carbapenem-resistant hypervirulent Klebsiella pneumoniae (CR-hvKP) pose a serious threat to public health. Antibiotic treatment failure of K. pneumoniae infections has been largely attributed to acquisition of antibiotic resistance and bacterial biofilm caused by the presence of antibiotic persisters.

Lincomycin as a growth-promoting antibiotic induces metabolic and immune dysregulation in animals.

Since animal growth promoters (AGPs) are used in large quantities and commonly released to the environment from animal farms, it is necessary to determine whether such agents should be regarded as an environmental toxin that poses a threat to the ecosystem and health risk to wildlife. In this study, a multi-omics approach was employed to explore the effects of a representative AGP, lincomycin, on key metabolic and physiological functions of animals, using a mouse model. The results indicated that exposure to lincomycin resulted in a significant increase in growth rate of mice (50.

Epidemiological and genomic analysis revealed the significant role of flies in dissemination of carbapenem-resistant Enterobacteriaceae (CRE) in China.

While the role of flies as potential vectors for bacterial transmission is well recognized, the epidemiological features and genomic characteristics of associated antimicrobial-resistant strains remain underexplored. This study conducted a nationwide surveillance including 3689 flies and 838 isolates from sixteen human communities (HCs) and eight animal farms (AFs) across 21 provinces in China. Our findings revealed high carriage rates of carbapenem-resistant Enterobacteriaceae (CRE) in flies, with 27.

Conjugative transmission of virulence plasmid in Klebsiella pneumoniae mediated by a novel IncN-like plasmid.

Klebsiella pneumoniae (Kp) is increasingly recognized as a reservoir for a range of antibiotic resistance genes and a pathogen that frequently causes severe infections in both hospital and community settings. In this study, we have identified a novel mechanism of conjugative transfer of a non-conjugative virulence plasmid through the formation of a fusion plasmid between the virulence plasmid and a novel 59,162 bp IncN- plasmid. This plasmid was found to be a multidrug-resistance (MDR) plasmid and carried a T4SS cluster, which greatly facilitated the efficient horizontal transfer of the fusion plasmid between Kp strains.

Repurposing cetylpyridinium chloride and domiphen bromide as phosphoethanolamine transferase inhibitor to combat colistin-resistant Enterobacterales.

The emergence of plasmid-encoded colistin resistance mechanisms, MCR-1, a phosphoethanolamine transferase, rendered colistin ineffective as last resort antibiotic against severe infections caused by clinical Gram-negative bacterial pathogens. Through screening FDA-approved drug library, we identified two structurally similar compounds, namely cetylpyridinium chloride (CET) and domiphen bromide (DOM), which potentiated colistin activity in both colistin-resistant and susceptible Enterobacterales. These compounds were found to insert their long carbon chain to a hydrophobic pocket of bacterial phosphoethanolamine transferases including MCR-1, competitively blocking the binding of lipid A tail for substrate recognition and modification, resulting in the increase of bacterial sensitivity to colistin.

Characterization of Acinetobacter baumannii at a tertiary hospital in Guangzhou: a genomic and clinical study.

Acinetobacter baumannii (AB) infections have become a global public health concern due to the continued increase in the incidence of infection and the rate of resistance to carbapenems. This study aimed to investigate the genomic features of AB strains recovered from a tertiary hospital and assess the clinical implications of the findings. A total of 217 AB strains were collected between 2016 and 2018 at a tertiary hospital in Guangzhou, with 183 (84.

Lowering mortality risk in CR-HvKP infection in intestinal immunohistological and microbiota restoration.

Gut damage during carbapenem-resistant and hypervirulent Klebsiella pneumoniae (CR-HvKP) infection is associated with a death risk. Understanding the mechanisms by which CR-HvKP causes intestinal damage and gut microbiota alteration, and the impact on immunity, is crucial for developing therapeutic strategies. This study investigated if gastrointestinal tract damage and disruption of gut microbiota induced by CR-HvKP infection undermined host immunity and facilitated multi-organ invasion of CR-HvKP; whether the therapeutic value of the rifampicin (RIF) and zidovudine (ZDV) combination was attributed to their ability to repair damages and restore host immunity was determined.

The risk and protective factors on the mental health of healthcare workers during the lockdown period due to covid-19 pandemic.

This study aimed to analyze the impact of the lockdown period due to COVID-19 pandemic on the mental health status of healthcare workers and identify the related risk factors of psychosomatic distress. We conducted an online questionnaire survey to investigate the general demographic characteristics, perceived stress level, adult attachment style (AAS), family cohesion and adaptability, social support, sleep state, emotional state, and physical health of healthcare workers during the lockdown period due to the pandemic in 2022. We compared the mental health status between doctors and nurses, and further analyzed the factors influencing sleep, emotions, physical symptoms, and severe psychosomatic distress separately.

Antimicrobial resistance and population genomics of emerging multidrug-resistant 4,[5],12:i:- in Guangdong, China.

4,[5],12:i:-, a monophasic variant of Typhimurium, has emerged as a global cause of multidrug-resistant salmonellosis and has become endemic in many developing and developed countries, especially in China. Here, we have sequenced 352 clinical isolates in Guangdong, China, during 2009-2019 and performed a large-scale collection of 4,[5],12:i:- with whole genome sequencing (WGS) data across the globe, to better understand the population structure, antimicrobial resistance (AMR) genomic characterization, and transmission routes of 4,[5],12:i:- across Guangdong. 4,[5],12:i:- strains showed broad genetic diversity; Guangdong isolates were found to be widely distributed among the global lineages.

Association between adult attachment and mental health states among health care workers: the mediating role of social support.

Background: To determine the relationships between attachment style, social support, and mental health states, as well as the mediation mechanism within this relationship, we conducted a survey among healthcare workers during the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) epidemic quarantine.

Methods: The survey assessed their mental health states, adult attachment style, social support, and some other relevant information. Mental health states were represented by the overall state of sleep, physical and emotional assessment.

Comprehensive genomic and plasmid characterization of multidrug-resistant bacterial strains by R10.4.1 nanopore sequencing.

The escalating prevalence of multidrug-resistant (MDR) bacteria pose a significant public health threat. Understanding the genomic features and deciphering the antibiotic resistance profiles of these pathogens is crucial for development of effective surveillance and treatment strategies. In this study, we employed the R10.

Clinical use of tigecycline may contribute to the widespread dissemination of carbapenem-resistant hypervirulent strains.

The emergence of carbapenem-resistant hypervirulent (CR-hvKP) poses grave threats to human health. These strains increased dramatically in clinical settings in China in the past few years but not in other parts of the world. Four isogenic strains, including classical , carbapenem-resistant (CRKP), hypervirulent (hvKP) and CR-hvKP, were created and subjected to phenotypic characterization, competition assays, mouse sepsis model and rat colonization tests to investigate the mechanisms underlying the widespread nature of CR-hvKP in China.

Recovery and genetic characterization of clinically-relevant ST2 carbapenem-resistant Acinetobacter baumannii isolates from untreated hospital sewage in Zhejiang Province, China.

The global transmission of carbapenem-resistant Acinetobacter baumannii (CRAB) poses a significant and grave threat to human health. To investigate the potential relationship between hospital sewage and the transmission of CRAB within healthcare facilities, isolates of Acinetobacter spp. obtained from untreated hospital sewage samples were subjected to antimicrobial susceptibility tests, genome sequencing, and bioinformatic and phylogenetic tree analysis, and that data were matched with those of the clinical isolates.

Identification of isothiazolones analogues as potent bactericidal agents against antibiotic resistant CRE and MRSA strains.

Carbapenem-resistant Enterobacterales (CRE) has emerged as a worldwide spread nosocomial superbug exhibiting antimicrobial resistance (AMR) to all current antibiotics, leaving limited options for treating its infection. To discovery novel antibiotics against CRE, we designed and synthesized a series of 14 isothiazol-3(2H)-one analogues subjected to antibacterial activity evaluation against Escherichia coli (E. coli) BL21 (NDM-1) and clinical strain E.

Deciphering mechanisms of gene transmission between human and animals: a genomics study of bacterial isolates from various sources in China, 2015 to 2017.

BackgroundIn China, the gene has been recovered from human bacterial isolates since 2011. After 2014, detections of this gene in animal and food bacterial isolates have increasingly been reported.AimWe aimed to understand how -bearing bacteria could spread between humans, animals, and animal-derived food.

Prevalence and molecular characterization of cefotaxime-resistant strains recovered from retail meat samples in Shenzhen, China, during 2014-2017.

In this work, we collected foodborne strains in Shenzhen, China, during 2014-2017 and investigated the genetic profile of all cefotaxime-resistant isolates in the collection. The strains were subjected to antimicrobial susceptibility tests, whole-genome sequencing, bioinformatics analysis, and conjugation studies. A total of 79 cefotaxime-resistant were identified and found to exhibit multidrug resistance.

Epidemiological and Genetic Characteristics of Clinical Carbapenem-Resistant Strains in Guangdong Province, China.

Carbapenem-resistant Pseudomonas aeruginosa (CRPA) is a bacterial pathogen that may cause serious drug-resistant infections that are potentially fatal. To investigate the genetic characteristics of these organisms, we tested 416 P. aeruginosa strains recovered from 12 types of clinical samples collected in 29 different hospital wards in 10 hospitals in Guangdong Province, China, from 2017 to 2020.

Genetic and drug susceptibility profiles of mcr-1-bearing foodborne Salmonella strains collected in Shenzhen, China during the period 2014-2017.

Colistin resistance mediated by mcr-1-bearing plasmids poses a new challenge to treatment of Salmonella infections. To probe the scale of the problem that colistin resistance mediated by mcr-1 plasmids among Salmonella, the prevalence of mcr-1 in foodborne Salmonella recovered from 2014 to 2017 in Shenzhen, China and genetic profile of mcr-1 positive isolates were investigated. All mcr-1 positives Salmonella strains were collected from food products, characterized by PCR and MALDI-TOF, and subjected to antimicrobial susceptibility testing, whole-genome sequencing, bioinformatics analysis, and conjugation.

Characterisation of clinical carbapenem-resistant K1 Klebsiella quasipneumoniae subsp. similipneumoniae strains harbouring a virulence plasmid.

The continuous emergence of carbapenem-resistant and hypervirulent Klebsiella pneumoniae (CR-hvKP) poses a great challenge to human health owing to the associated extremely high morbidity and mortality. Klebsiella quasipneumoniae is a newly described bacterial species that is often misidentified as K. pneumoniae.

Epidemiological and genetic characteristics of clinical carbapenem-resistant strains collected countrywide from hospital intensive care units (ICUs) in China.

is one of the key Gram-negative pathogens that can cause serious nosocomial infections. In China, a large proportion of clinical strains are multidrug resistant, among which strains resistant to carbapenems are particularly worrisome, as infections caused by such strains may limit the choice of existing antibiotics. We conducted a nationwide and genome-based surveillance on the prevalence and antibiotic susceptibility profile of carbapenem-resistant (CRAB) strains collected from intensive care units (ICUs) in hospitals in different provinces and investigated the routes of transmission and mechanism of resistance by whole-genome sequencing and phylogenetic analysis.

Otilonium bromide boosts antimicrobial activities of colistin against Gram-negative pathogens and their persisters.

Colistin is the last-line antibiotic against Gram-negative pathogens. Here we identify an FDA-approved drug, Otilonium bromide (Ob), which restores the activity of colistin against colistin-resistant Gram-negative bacteria in vitro and in a mouse infection model. Ob also reduces the colistin dosage required for effective treatment of infections caused by colistin-susceptible bacteria, thereby reducing the toxicity of the drug regimen.