Clostridioides difficile hypervirulent strain ST1 isolated from clinical stool specimens obtained from three Provinces in South Africa.

Objectives: Clostridioides difficile infection is a serious healthcare-associated infection linked to antimicrobial use. The severity of the disease can be associated with hypervirulent ribotypes such as RT027. The study aimed to investigate the molecular epidemiology and genomic characteristics of C.

Molecular epidemiology of carbapenemase-producing Klebsiella pneumoniae in Gauteng South Africa.

Klebsiella pneumoniae multidrug-resistant (MDR) high-risk clones drive the spread of antimicrobial resistance (AMR) associated infections, resulting in limited therapeutic options. This study described the genomic characteristics of K. pneumoniae MDR high-risk clones in Gauteng, South Africa.

Occurrence and characterization of ESKAPE organisms on the hands of veterinary students before patient contact at a veterinary academic hospital, South Africa.

Objective: This study aimed to investigate the presence of ESKAPE organisms on the hands of students working in the intensive care unit (ICU) at a veterinary academic hospital.

Methods: A cross-sectional study was conducted among students working in an ICU at a veterinary academic hospital in South Africa. Students were sampled before the start of the ICU shift using a modified glove-juice method.

Klebsiella pneumoniae with carbapenemases: high prevalence of sequence type 307 with bla in South African community hospitals.

This study investigated the molecular characteristics of urinary carbapenemase-producing Klebsiella pneumoniae isolates (n = 194) in Gauteng, South Africa, using simple, cost-effective PCR methodologies. Extensively drug resistant (XDR) ST307 with bla on IncX3 plasmids was endemic in Gauteng community hospitals leaving limited options for treating in- and outpatient urinary tract infections. High-level ceftazidime/avibactam resistance was detected among isolates harbouring bla including bla.

Prospective Cohort Study of Treatment Outcomes of Vaginal Discharge Syndrome in Women in Windhoek, Namibia.

Background: Syndromic treatment is the standard of care for vaginal discharge syndrome (VDS) in resource-constrained settings. However, the outcomes of VDS treatment have not been well documented. This study aimed to determine the incidence, risk factors, and microbial etiology of treatment failure in women with VDS.

Molecular epidemiology and antimicrobial resistance of vaginal Candida glabrata isolates in Namibia.

Candida glabrata is the most common non-albicans Candida species that causes vulvovaginal candidiasis (VVC). Given the intrinsically low susceptibility of C. glabrata to azole drugs, investigations into C.

Genomic epidemiology and molecular characteristics of bla-positive carbapenem-resistant Pseudomonas aeruginosa belonging to international high-risk clone ST773 in the Gauteng region, South Africa.

Purpose: The emergence of carbapenem-resistant P. aeruginosa (CRPA) harbouring acquired carbapenemase genes (bla, bla and bla) has become a global public health threat. Three CRPA isolates included in the study had an extensively drug-resistant phenotype with susceptibility to colistin only and were positive for the bla gene.

Population structure of Salmonella enterica Typhi in Harare, Zimbabwe (2012-19) before typhoid conjugate vaccine roll-out: a genomic epidemiology study.

Background: The continued emergence of Salmonella enterica serovar Typhi, with ever increasing antimicrobial resistance, necessitates the use of vaccines in endemic countries. A typhoid fever outbreak in Harare, Zimbabwe, in 2018 from a multidrug resistant S Typhi with additional resistance to ciprofloxacin was the catalyst for the introduction of a typhoid conjugate vaccine programme. We aimed to investigate the emergence and evolution of antimicrobial resistance of endemic S Typhi in Zimbabwe and to determine the population structure, gene flux, and sequence polymorphisms of strains isolated before a typhoid conjugate vaccine programme to provide a baseline for future evaluation of the effect of the vaccination programme.

Antimicrobial resistance patterns of and isolated from dogs presented at a veterinary academic hospital in South Africa.

Background: and are opportunistic bacterial pathogens responsible for hospital-acquired infections in veterinary medicine. Infection with these bacteria always requires urgent antimicrobial therapy. However, there is no evidence of studies that have investigated the antimicrobial drug resistance profile of these organisms in a veterinary setting in South Africa.

Hospital-acquired and zoonotic bacteria from a veterinary hospital and their associated antimicrobial-susceptibility profiles: A systematic review.

Background: Hospital-acquired infections (HAIs) are associated with increased mortality, morbidity, and an economic burden due to costs associated with extended hospital stays. Furthermore, most pathogens associated with HAIs in veterinary medicine are zoonotic. This study used published data to identify organisms associated with HAIs and zoonosis in veterinary medicine.

Faecal carriage of ESBL producing and colistin resistant in avian species over a 2-year period (2017-2019) in Zimbabwe.

Introduction: Extended spectrum beta-lactamase (ESBL) producing have become widespread among food producing animals. These strains serve as a reservoir of antibiotic resistance genes (ARGs) and act as a possible source of infection to humans as transmission can occur by direct or indirect contact.

Methods: This study investigated the faecal carriage of ESBL producing and colistin resistant in poultry over a 2-year period (2017-2019) from Zimbabwe.

Diversity of the gut, vaginal and oral microbiome among pregnant women in South Africa with and without pre-eclampsia.

Background: Changes in microbial communities are a known characteristic of various inflammatory diseases and have been linked to adverse pregnancy outcomes, such as preterm birth. However, there is a paucity of information regarding the taxonomic composition and/or diversity of microbial communities in pre-eclampsia. The aim of this study was to determine the diversity of the gut, vaginal and oral microbiome in a cohort of South African pregnant women with and without pre-eclampsia.

Importance of Candida infection and fluconazole resistance in women with vaginal discharge syndrome in Namibia.

Background: Vaginal discharge syndrome (VDS) is a common condition. Clinical management targets sexually transmitted infections (STIs) and bacterial vaginosis (BV); there is limited focus on Candida infection as cause of VDS. Lack of Candida treatment coverage and, if present, antifungal resistance may result in VDS treatment failure.

Molecular epidemiology of extended-spectrum beta-lactamase-producing extra-intestinal pathogenic Escherichia coli strains over a 2-year period (2017-2019) from Zimbabwe.

This study was designed to characterize extended-spectrum beta-lactamase (ESBL)-producing extra-intestinal pathogenic Escherichia coli (E.coli) (ExPEC) associated with urinary tract infections in nine different geographic regions of Zimbabwe over a 2-year period (2017-2019). A total of 48 ESBL-positive isolates from urine specimen were selected for whole-genome sequencing from 1246 Escherichia coli isolates biobanked at the National Microbiology Reference laboratory using phenotypic susceptibility testing results from the National Escherichia coli Surveillance Programme to provide representation of different geographical regions and year of isolation.

Evaluation of the rapid ResaPolymyxin / NP test for rapid colistin resistance detection in lactose non-fermenting Gram-negative bacteria.

Colistin is one of the last-resort antibiotics for treating multidrug-resistant (MDR) or extensively drug-resistant (XDR) lactose non-fermenting Gram-negative bacteria such as and . As the rate of colistin resistance is steadily rising, there is a need for rapid and accurate antimicrobial susceptibility testing methods for colistin. The Rapid ResaPolymyxin / NP test has recently been developed for rapid detection of colistin resistance in and .

Salmonella enterica serovar Typhi H58 clone has been endemic in Zimbabwe from 2012 to 2019.

Background: Typhoid fever, caused by S. enterica ser. Typhi, continues to be a substantial health burden in developing countries.

Antimicrobial Resistance of Neisseria gonorrhoeae Isolates from High-Risk Men in Johannesburg, South Africa.

antimicrobial drug resistance has emerged worldwide; however, the situation in sub-Saharan Africa is not well documented. We investigated the molecular epidemiology and occurrence of antimicrobial resistance in infections in two core transmission groups of men in Johannesburg, South Africa. We recruited men who have sex with men (MSM) presenting with urethral discharge and men with recurrent episodes of urethral discharge.

Bacterial Vaginosis: Current Diagnostic Avenues and Future Opportunities.

A healthy female genital tract harbors a microbiome dominated by lactic acid and hydrogen peroxide producing bacteria, which provide protection against infections by maintaining a low pH. Changes in the bacterial compositions of the vaginal microbiome can lead to bacterial vaginosis (BV), which is often associated with vaginal inflammation. Bacterial vaginosis increases the risk of acquiring sexually transmitted infections (STIs) like human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) and affects women's reproductive health negatively.

Molecular epidemiological analysis of shows low prevalence of azithromycin resistance and a well-established epidemic in South Africa.

Objectives: Macrolide resistance in is emerging globally. There is paucity of data from sub-Saharan Africa where syndromic management is used to treat sexually transmitted infections (STIs). We conducted a molecular epidemiological study to determine the prevalence of azithromycin resistance and epidemic diversity of infections in South Africa.