Invasive Group B Streptococcus Infections Caused by Hypervirulent Clone of S. agalactiae Sequence Type 283, Hong Kong, China, 2021.

During September-October 2021, group B Streptococcus bloodstream infections surged among patients hospitalized in Hong Kong. Of 95 cases, 57 were caused by the hypervirulent strain sequence type 283, which at the time was also found in freshwater fish and wet market environments and thus poses a transmission threat.

Rapid SARS-CoV-2 Variants Enzymatic Detection (SAVED) by CRISPR-Cas12a.

The continuous and rapid surge of severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) variants with high transmissibility and evading neutralization is alarming, necessitating expeditious detection of the variants concerned. Here, we report the development of rapid RS-CoV-2 ariants nzymatic etection (SAVED) based on CRISPR-Cas12a targeting of previously crucial variants, including Alpha, Beta, Gamma, Delta, Lambda, Mu, Kappa, and currently circulating variant of concern (VOC) Omicron and its subvariants BA.1, BA.

Colonization of Group B in Pregnant Women and Their Neonates from a Sri Lankan Hospital.

We investigated the molecular epidemiology of (Group B , GBS) from carriage in a cohort of pregnant mothers and their respective newborns in a Teaching Hospital in Sri Lanka. GBS vaginal carriage was assessed on pregnant mothers at pre-delivery ( = 250), post-delivery ( = 130), and from peri-rectal swabs of neonates ( = 159) in a prospective study. All colonizing, non-duplicate GBS isolates ( = 60) were analyzed for antimicrobial susceptibilities, capsular serotyping, and whole-genome sequencing (WGS).

Prevalence and Characteristics of from Freshwater Fish and Pork in Hong Kong Wet Markets.

We report the antimicrobial resistance of 191 fish and 61 pork Group B (GBS) procured from Hong Kong wet markets. Two-hundred-and-fifty-two GBS strains were isolated from 992 freshwater fish and 361 pig offal during 2016-2019. The strains were isolated from homogenised samples and plated on selective media, followed by identification through MALDI-TOF-MS.

Comparative Study of Two-Dimensional (2D) vs. Three-Dimensional (3D) Organotypic Kertatinocyte-Fibroblast Skin Models for (MRSA) Infection.

The invasion of skin tissue by is mediated by mechanisms that involve sequential breaching of the different stratified layers of the epidermis. Induction of cell death in keratinocytes is a measure of virulence and plays a crucial role in the infection progression. We established a 3D-organotypic keratinocyte-fibroblast co-culture model to evaluate whether a 3D-skin model is more effective in elucidating the differences in the induction of cell death by Methicillin-resistant (MRSA) than in comparison to 2D-HaCaT monolayers.

Chimeric crRNA improves CRISPR-Cas12a specificity in the N501Y mutation detection of Alpha, Beta, Gamma, and Mu variants of SARS-CoV-2.

Many CRISPR/Cas platforms have been established for the detection of SARS-CoV-2. But the detection platform of the variants of SARS-CoV-2 is scarce because its specificity is very challenging to achieve for those with only one or a few nucleotide(s) differences. Here, we report for the first time that chimeric crRNA could be critical in enhancing the specificity of CRISPR-Cas12a detecting of N501Y, which is shared by Alpha, Beta, Gamma, and Mu variants of SARS-CoV-2 without compromising its sensitivity.

Longitudinal Genomic Characterization of Carbapenemase-producing Enterobacteriaceae (CPE) Reveals Changing Pattern of CPE Isolated in Hong Kong Hospitals.

An active, territory-wide, CPE surveillance program implemented from 2011 showed increasing levels of carbapenemase-producing Enterobacteriaceae (CPE) isolates from patients in Hong Kong hospitals. The molecular epidemiology of 567 CPE from patients of three of seven public hospital clusters in Hong Kong are described. During a 7-year period, the incidence of CPE isolation increased from 0.

Genomic Epidemiology of Multidrug-Resistant Nontyphoidal Salmonella in Young Children Hospitalized for Gastroenteritis.

Nontyphoidal Salmonella (NTS) gastroenteritis in children remains a significant burden on health care and constitutes a majority of all admissions for Salmonella infections in public hospitals in Hong Kong. In this prospective study, 41% of 241 children hospitalized with gastroenteritis from three public hospitals during 2019 were culture confirmed to have NTS infection. These Salmonella isolates were whole-genome sequenced and predicted for their serovars/serotypes using the Salmonella Typing Resource (SISTR) and SeqSero1, and the antimicrobial resistance (AMR) genes were determined.

Correction: Li et al. Multidrug-Resistant Strains Found in Human and Fish with High Penicillin and Cefotaxime Non-Susceptibilities. 2020, , 1055.

The authors would like to make the following correction to the published paper [...

Multidrug-Resistant Strains Found in Human and Fish with High Penicillin and Cefotaxime Non-Susceptibilities.

Penicillin non-susceptible (PEN-NS GBS) has been increasingly reported, with multidrug-resistant (MDR) GBS documented in Japan. Here we identified two PEN-NS GBS strains during our surveillance studies: one from a patient's wound and the other from a tilapia. The patient's GBS (H21) and fish GBS (F49) were serotyped and tested for antibiotic susceptibility.

A simple, rapid typing method for Streptococcus agalactiae based on ribosomal subunit proteins by MALDI-TOF MS.

Streptococcus agalactiae (Group B Streptococcus, GBS), is a frequent human colonizer and a leading cause of neonatal meningitis as well as an emerging pathogen in non-pregnant adults. GBS possesses a broad animal host spectrum, and recent studies proved atypical GBS genotypes can cause human invasive diseases through animal sources as food-borne zoonotic infections. We applied a MALDI-TOF MS typing method, based on molecular weight variations of predefined 28 ribosomal subunit proteins (rsp) to classify GBS strains of varying serotypes into major phylogenetic lineages.

Prevalence and Characteristics of Extended-Spectrum-β-Lactamase-Producing and Carbapenemase-Producing from Freshwater Fish and Pork in Wet Markets of Hong Kong.

This study identified and characterized extended-spectrum-β-lactamase-producing (ESBL-E) and carbapenemase-producing (CPE) from farmed freshwater fish and pig offal procured from the wet markets across Hong Kong. During March 2018 to January 2019, 730 food animal samples, namely, 213 snakehead fish, 198 black carp, and 339 pig organs, were examined. ESBL-E and CPE were isolated from the homogenized samples plated on selective media and identified by matrix-assisted laser desorption ionization-time of flight mass spectrometry (MALDI-TOF-MS).

A Small RNA Transforms the Multidrug Resistance of Pseudomonas aeruginosa to Drug Susceptibility.

Bacteria with multiple drug resistance (MDR) have become a global issue worldwide, and hundreds of thousands of people's lives are threatened every year. The emergence of novel MDR strains and insufficient development of new antimicrobial agents are the major reasons that limit the choice of antibiotics for the treatment of bacterial infection. Thus, preserving the clinical value of current antibiotics could be one of the effective approaches to resolve this problem.

Characterizing Mobilized Virulence Factors and Multidrug Resistance Genes in Carbapenemase-Producing in a Sri Lankan Hospital.

Limited data is available on the epidemiology and characteristics of carbapenem-resistant (CRE) and their associated plasmids or virulence determinants from Sri Lanka. Through whole genome sequencing of CREs from the intensive care units of a Sri Lankan teaching hospital, we identified a carbapenemase gene, in 10 carbapenemase-producing isolates (two strains of ST437 and eight strains of ST147) from 379 respiratory specimens. was carried in three variants of ColE-type plasmids.

Comparative transcriptomics of multidrug-resistant Acinetobacter baumannii in response to antibiotic treatments.

Multidrug-resistant Acinetobacter baumannii, a major hospital-acquired pathogen, is a serious health threat and poses a great challenge to healthcare providers. Although there have been many genomic studies on the evolution and antibiotic resistance of this species, there have been very limited transcriptome studies on its responses to antibiotics. We conducted a comparative transcriptomic study on 12 strains with different growth rates and antibiotic resistance profiles, including 3 fast-growing pan-drug-resistant strains, under separate treatment with 3 antibiotics, namely amikacin, imipenem, and meropenem.

Low cost automated whole smear microscopy screening system for detection of acid fast bacilli.

Background: In countries with high tuberculosis (TB) burden, there is urgent need for rapid, large-scale screening to detect smear-positive patients. We developed a computer-aided whole smear screening system that focuses in real-time, captures images and provides diagnostic grading, for both bright-field and fluorescence microscopy for detection of acid-fast-bacilli (AFB) from respiratory specimens.

Objectives: To evaluate the performance of dual-mode screening system in AFB diagnostic algorithms on concentrated smears with auramine O (AO) staining, as well as direct smears with AO and Ziehl-Neelsen (ZN) staining, using mycobacterial culture results as gold standard.

Rapid Identification of Bacterial Antibiotic Resistance by qPCR in Infants with Gram-Negative Septicaemia: A Proof-of-Concept Study.

Background: Neonatal sepsis remains an important cause of neonatal morbidity and mortality. Tools to rapidly predict antibiotic resistance in neonatal sepsis would be extremely valuable.

Objectives: To develop quantitative polymerase chain reaction (qPCR) primer/probe sets that can rapidly detect antibiotic resistance genes common to a neonatal unit, and to investigate the feasibility of direct detection of antibiotic resistance genes in whole blood of infants with Gram-negative septicaemia without first isolating the organism.

High morbidity and mortality of Clostridium difficile infection and its associations with ribotype 002 in Hong Kong.

Objectives: We aim to study the disease burden, risk factors and severity of Clostridium difficile infection (CDI) in Hong Kong.

Methods: We conducted a prospective, case-control study in three acute-care hospitals in Hong Kong. Adult inpatients who developed CDI diarrhoea confirmed by PCR (n = 139) were compared with the non-CDI controls (n = 114).