Publications by authors named "M Espasa"
Genetic redundancy in bacteria plays a crucial role in enhancing adaptability and accelerating evolution in response to selective pressures, particularly those associated with rapid environmental changes. Aminopenicillins like ampicillin are important therapeutic options for Enterococcus infections in both humans and animals, with resistance mostly associated with pbp5 gene mutations or overexpression. While the occurrence of redundant pbp5 genes has been occasionally reported, the advantages for the host bacteria have not been explored in detail.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFBackground: The management of nosocomial pneumonia represents a major challenge in the ICU. European guidelines from 2017 proposed an algorithm for the prescription of empirical antimicrobial treatment based on medical history, local ecology, and severity (ie, presence or absence of septic shock). We assessed this algorithm's usefulness by comparing outcomes with and without guideline adherence in a population at high risk of multiresistance and mortality.
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- The study focuses on a type of bacterium commonly found on the skin of dogs that can lead to infections in pets and zoonotic infections in humans, especially in those with close animal contact.
- Four cases of infections were documented, identified using advanced techniques like MALDI-TOF mass spectrometry and Nanopore sequencing, revealing that three of the bacterial isolates were multidrug resistant, including resistance to methicillin.
- The research highlights the significance of understanding these bacterial infections due to their increasing resistance and the potential for serious complications in humans, particularly those using catheters.
Early detection of disseminating vancomycin-resistant (VREfm) in ICU wards is crucial for outbreak identification and the implementation of prompt infection control measures. Genotypic methods like pulsed-field gel electrophoresis (PFGE) and whole-genome sequencing (WGS) are costly and time-consuming, hindering rapid response due to batch dependency. Fourier-transform infrared spectroscopy (FT-IR) offers the potential for real-time outbreak detection and reliable strain typing.
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- * There was a notable increase in bacteremia cases during the COVID-19 pandemic, with a 140% rise, while fatality and persistence of bacteremia were also significant concerns.
- * Genomic analyses showed higher prevalence of antibiotic resistance genes (like methicillin and macrolide) in pandemic isolates, indicating the bacteria's adaptation to the unique pressures caused by COVID-19 treatment practices.