Novel intranasal phage-CaEDTA-ceftazidime/avibactam triple combination therapy demonstrates remarkable efficacy in treating Pseudomonas aeruginosa lung infection.

Given the rise of multidrug-resistant (MDR) Pseudomonas aeruginosa infections, alternative treatments are needed. Anti-pseudomonal phage therapy shows promise, but its clinical application is limited due to the development of resistance and a lack of biofilm penetration. Recently, adjuvants like CaEDTA have shown the ability to enhance the effectiveness of combined antimicrobial agents.

Evaluation of mrkD, pgaC and wcaJ as biomarkers for rapid identification of K. pneumoniae biofilm infections from endotracheal aspirates and bronchoalveolar lavage.

Klebsiella pneumoniae has been identified as one of the most important opportunistic pathogens responsible for nosocomial infections. Antibiotic resistance and the ability to form biofilms are the two main factors involved in the persistence of infections. Conventional detection methods involve culture isolation and identification followed by biofilm assay that takes 48-72 h.

Early treatment with fluvoxamine, bromhexine, cyproheptadine, and niclosamide to prevent clinical deterioration in patients with symptomatic COVID-19: a randomized clinical trial.

Background: Repurposed drugs with host-directed antiviral and immunomodulatory properties have shown promise in the treatment of COVID-19, but few trials have studied combinations of these agents. The aim of this trial was to assess the effectiveness of affordable, widely available, repurposed drugs used in combination for treatment of COVID-19, which may be particularly relevant to low-resource countries.

Methods: We conducted an open-label, randomized, outpatient, controlled trial in Thailand from October 1, 2021, to June 21, 2022, to assess whether early treatment within 48-h of symptoms onset with combinations of fluvoxamine, bromhexine, cyproheptadine, and niclosamide, given to adults with confirmed mild SARS-CoV-2 infection, can prevent 28-day clinical deterioration compared to standard care.

Exploring indoor and outdoor dust as a potential tool for detection and monitoring of COVID-19 transmission.

This study investigated the potential of using SARS-CoV-2 viral concentrations in dust as an additional surveillance tool for early detection and monitoring of COVID-19 transmission. Dust samples were collected from 8 public locations in 16 districts of Bangkok, Thailand, from June to August 2021. SARS-CoV-2 RNA concentrations in dust were quantified, and their correlation with community case incidence was assessed.

Ca-EDTA restores the activity of ceftazidime-avibactam or aztreonam against carbapenemase-producing infections.

Developing an effective therapy to overcome carbapenemase-positive (CPKp) is an important therapeutic challenge that must be addressed urgently. Here, we explored a Ca-EDTA combination with aztreonam or ceftazidime-avibactam and against diverse CPKp clinical isolates. The synergy testing of this study demonstrated that novel aztreonam-Ca-EDTA or ceftazidime-avibactam-Ca-EDTA combination was significantly effective in eliminating planktonic and mature biofilms , as well as eradicating CPKp infections .

COVID-19 monitoring with sparse sampling of sewered and non-sewered wastewater in urban and rural communities.

Equitable SARS-CoV-2 surveillance in low-resource communities lacking centralized sewers is critical as wastewater-based epidemiology (WBE) progresses. However, large-scale studies on SARS-CoV-2 detection in wastewater from low-and middle-income countries is limited because of economic and technical reasons. In this study, wastewater samples were collected twice a month from 186 urban and rural subdistricts in nine provinces of Thailand mostly having decentralized and non-sewered sanitation infrastructure and analyzed for SARS-CoV-2 RNA variants using allele-specific RT-qPCR.

Differential dose-response effect of cyclosporine A in regulating apoptosis and autophagy markers in MCF-7 cells.

Cyclosporine A (CsA) is an immunosuppressant primarily used at a higher dosage in transplant medicine and autoimmune diseases with a higher success rate. At lower doses, CsA exhibits immunomodulatory properties. CsA has also been reported to inhibit breast cancer cell growth by downregulating the expression of pyruvate kinase.

Phage-based therapy against biofilm producers in gram-negative ESKAPE pathogens.

Persistent antibiotic use results in the rise of antimicrobial resistance with limited or no choice for multidrug-resistant (MDR) and extensively drug resistant (XDR) bacteria. This necessitates a need for alternative therapy to effectively combat clinical pathogens that are resistant to last resort antibiotics. The study investigates hospital sewage as a potential source of bacteriophages to control resistant bacterial pathogens.

Multiple traces of monkeypox detected in non-sewered wastewater with sparse sampling from a densely populated metropolitan area in Asia.

The monkeypox virus is excreted in the feces of infected individuals. Therefore, there is an interest in using viral load detection in wastewater for sentinel early surveillance at a community level and as a complementary approach to syndromic surveillance. We collected wastewater from 63 sewered and non-sewered locations in Bangkok city center between May and August 2022.

High prevalence of mgrB-mediated colistin resistance among carbapenem-resistant Klebsiella pneumoniae is associated with biofilm formation, and can be overcome by colistin-EDTA combination therapy.

The global prevalence of colistin-resistant Klebsiella pneumoniae (ColRkp) facilitated by chromosomal and plasmid-mediated Ara4N or PEtN-remodeled LPS alterations has steadily increased with increased colistin usage for treating carbapenem-resistant K. pneumoniae (CRkp). Our study demonstrated the rising trend of ColRkp showing extensively and pandrug-resistant characteristics among CRkp, with a prevalence of 28.

Divergent evolution of Corynebacterium diphtheriae in India: An update from National Diphtheria Surveillance network.

Diphtheria is caused by a toxigenic bacterium Corynebacterium diphtheria which is being an emerging pathogen in India. Since diphtheria morbidity and mortality continues to be high in the country, the present study aimed to study the molecular epidemiology of C. diphtheriae strains from India.

Diagnostic methods and identification challenges experienced in a Burkholderia contaminans outbreak occurred in a tertiary care centre.

Background: Recently, a novel species contaminans belonging to the family Burkholderia cepacia complex (Bcc) is rising as a hospital pathogen. Detection of Burkholderia contaminans, a member of Bcc can be done only by MALDI TOF and sequencing techniques. We report the diagnostic challenges faced in an outbreak of bacteremia due to B.

Identification of plasmids by PCR based replicon typing in bacteremic Klebsiella pneumoniae.

Background: Klebsiella pneumoniae is a notorious pathogen with plasmid mediated resistance to all classes of antibiotics. It is important to determine the plasmid profile coding for resistance genes. Plasmid profile varies among geographical regions and tracking the types helps in determining the MDR and XDR K.