Publications by authors named "Sana Ferjani"

Article Synopsis
  • Fluoroquinolone-resistant (FQs-R) E. coli from patients undergoing prostate biopsies are increasingly common, raising concerns about using FQs for infection prevention.
  • A study between 2016 and 2018 found that 61.06% of patients carried FQs-R Enterobacterales, primarily E. coli, with varying resistance profiles linked to specific genetic mutations.
  • The research highlighted that these resistance mechanisms, including mutations in the gyrA and parC genes as well as certain plasmid-mediated resistance genes, significantly elevate the Minimum Inhibitory Concentrations (MICs), posing a risk for post-procedure infections.
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The Acidaminococcus genus is a part of the normal flora in gastrointestinal tract. It is a strictly anaerob Gram-negative coccus that is rarely pathogenic. We report the case of a 58-year-old man, who presented to surgery department A of the Charles Nicolle hospital, complaining of a wide inflammatory lesion in the anterior abdominal wall evolving for two weeks.

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Aims: This study was conducted to evaluate the in vitro activity of clinically relevant aminoglycosides and to determine the prevalence of genes encoding aminoglycoside modifying enzymes (AMEs) and 16S ribosomal RNA (rRNA) methyltransferases among aminoglycoside-resistant E. coli (n = 61) and K. pneumoniae (n = 44) clinical isolates.

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Objectives: This study aimed to construct geographically, temporally, and epidemiologically representative data sets for SARS-CoV-2 in North Africa, focusing on Variants of Concern (VOCs), Variants of Interest (VOIs), and Variants Under Monitoring (VUMs).

Methods: SARS-CoV-2 genomic sequences and metadata from the EpiCoV database via the Global Initiative on Sharing All Influenza Data platform were analyzed. Data analysis included cases, deaths, demographics, patient status, sequencing technologies, and variant analysis.

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Introduction: The Delta variant posed an increased risk to global public health and rapidly replaced the pre-existent variants worldwide. In this study, the genetic diversity and the spatio-temporal dynamics of 662 SARS-CoV2 genomes obtained during the Delta wave across Tunisia were investigated.

Methods: Viral whole genome and partial S-segment sequencing was performed using Illumina and Sanger platforms, respectively and lineage assignemnt was assessed using Pangolin version 1.

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Background: Actually, no data on the prevalence of plasmid colistin resistance in Tunisia are available among clinical bacteria.

Objectives: This study aimed to investigate the current epidemiology of colistin resistance and the spread of the gene in clinical Gram-negative bacteria (GNB) isolated from six Tunisian university hospitals.

Methods: A total of 836 GNB strains were inoculated on COL-R agar plates with selective screening agar for the isolation of GNB resistant to colistin.

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Objective: The main objective of this study was to identify carbapenem resistance mechanisms among clinical, commensal and environmental carbapenem-resistant Acinetobacter baumannii (CRAB) strains isolated in 5 Tunisian intensive care units (ICUs).

Materials And Methods: CRAB isolates were recovered from different sources: clinical specimens, rectal and environmental swabs. Bacterial identification was carried out using conventional methods and susceptibility testing according to EUCAST recommendations.

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Background: Since 2012, few reports on the molecular epidemiology of were reported in Tunisia.

Objectives: This study aimed to evaluate carbapenem-resistance determinants and molecular epidemiology and to compare the carbapenemase-phenotypic detection methods of multidrug-resistant isolates.

Methods: During a period of four years (2014 to 2017), all imipenem-ceftazidime-resistant isolates were retrospectively selected at the microbial laboratory of Charles Nicolle hospital of Tunis.

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Since the beginning of the Coronavirus disease-2019 pandemic, there has been a growing interest in exploring SARS-CoV-2 genetic variation to understand the origin and spread of the pandemic, improve diagnostic methods and develop the appropriate vaccines. The objective of this study was to identify the SARS-CoV-2s lineages circulating in Tunisia and to explore their amino acid signature in order to follow their genome dynamics. Whole genome sequencing and genetic analyses of fifty-eight SARS-CoV-2 samples collected during one-year between March 2020 and March 2021 from the National Influenza Center were performed using three sampling strategies.

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Environmental bacteria belonging to various families were isolated from polluted water collected from ten different sites in Tunisia. Sites were chosen near industrial and urban areas known for their high degree of pollution. The aim of this study was to investigate cross-resistance between heavy metals (HM), i.

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The aim of this study is to test a pooling approach for the RT-PCR test to detect low viral loads of SARS-CoV-2. We found that a single positive specimen can still be detected in pools of up to 10. Each laboratory should conduct its own evaluation and validation of pooling protocols according to its specific context.

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Objectives: The aim of this study was to characterise Escherichia coli strains harbouring plasmid-mediated quinolone resistance (PMQR) genes recovered from various samples (n = 116) from healthy and diarrhoeic animals in Tunisia.

Methods: All nalidixic acid-resistant E. coli isolates were screened for the presence of PMQR genes.

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This study was performed to investigate the distribution of antimicrobial resistance genes and extra-intestinal virulence determinants in a collection of 98 Escherichia coli strains isolated from rectal swabs of healthy children. Forty-six isolated strains were resistant to at least one of the tested antibiotics (usually active against enterobacteria). They were mainly resistant to ampicillin and ticarcillin (42.

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Emergence of the New Delhi metallo-β-lactamase (NDM-1), an Ambler class B metallo-β-lactamase able to hydrolyse all β-lactams except monobactams, constitutes a critical and increasingly important medical issue. The acquisition of bla is of particular concern for Proteus mirabilis, which is intrinsically resistant to tetracycline, tigecycline and colistin, as this will make clinical treatment extremely difficult. To the authors' knowledge, this is the first report of the bla gene in an extensively-drug-resistant P.

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Gastrointestinal colonisation by carbapenem-resistant Acinetobacter baumannii (CRAB) is a critical step before nosocomial infection. This study evaluated CRAB intestinal carriage in patients admitted to a Tunisian ICU and determined the antimicrobial resistance mechanisms involved. From December 2014 to February 2015, all 63 patients admitted to the ICU were screened for rectal CRAB colonisation upon admission and once weekly thereafter.

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In Klebsiella pneumoniae, loss of the two major outer membrane porins (OMPs) OmpK35 and OmpK36 confers resistance to carbapenems in strains producing extended-spectrum β-lactamases (ESBLs) or plasmid-mediated AmpC-type β-lactamases. This study investigated mechanisms responsible for carbapenem resistance in non-carbapenemase-producing K. pneumoniae (NCPK).

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Our study aimed to investigate colistin resistance and the mechanisms involved in a collection of 35 extended-spectrum beta-lactamase (ESBL) and 13 CMY-2-producing E. coli strains which were previously recovered from chicken gut microbiota in Tunisia, as well as to determine the genetic location of mcr genes. Forty-eight ESBL and CMY-2-producing E.

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Objectives: To describe clinical and molecular characteristics of an outbreak due to metallo-β-lactamases (MBLs) producing Klebsiella pneumoniae collected at Charles Nicolle Hospital of Tunis and to analyze the impact of outer membrane porin (OMP) loss on carbapenem resistance levels.

Methods: Between 2010 and 2015, 178 carbapenem-resistant Enterobacteriaceae were isolated. Screening for MBL production was performed using combined disk diffusion method, with imipenem and ethylene diamine tetraacetic acid (EDTA) as inhibitors.

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Introduction: The virulent Escherichia coli strains responsible for extraintestinal infections were mainly belonged to B2 and D phylogroups. However, no past studies have determinate via the presence of virulence genes the frequency of E. coli pathovars recovered from animals housed in farms in Tunisia.

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Healthcare-associated infections due to cefotaxime-resistant (CTX-R) have become a major public health threat, especially in intensive care units (ICUs). Often acquired nosocomially, CTX-R can be introduced initially by patients at admission. This study aimed to determine the prevalence and genetic characteristics of CTX-R -intestinal carriage in ICU patients, to evaluate the rate of acquisition of these organisms during hospitalization, and to explore some of the associated risk factors for both carriage and acquisition.

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The spread of extended spectrum β-lactamases (ESBL) and plasmid mediated AmpC β-lactamases (pAmpC) was evaluated in Escherichia coli strains collected from the intestinal microbiota of healthy children in Tunisia. The carriage rate of CTXE. coli was 6.

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This study was conducted to detect extended spectrum beta-lactamases (ESBLs) and plasmidic AmpC beta-lactamase (pAmpC-BL)-producing Escherichia coli isolates in industrial poultry samples were collected from healthy chickens of the three farms. Samples were inoculated onto desoxycholate-lactose-agar plates supplemented with cefotaxime (2mg/L). E.

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Avian ESBL-producing Escherichia coli isolates have been increasingly reported worldwide. Animal to human dissemination, via food chain or direct contact, of these resistant bacteria has been reported. In Tunisia, little is known about avian ESBL- producing E.

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The objective of the study was to assess the prevalence of plasmid-mediated quinolone resistance (PMQR) genes (qnrA, qnrB, qnrC, qnrD, qnrS, aac(6')-Ib-cr, qepA, and oqxAB) in a collection of 120 extended-spectrum β-lactamases (ESBLs)-producing enterobacteria and to characterize them. Overall, PMQR determinants were detected in 72 (60%) isolates (20 Escherichia coli, 32 Klebsiella pneumoniae, and 20 Enterobacter cloacae). PMQR frequencies were as follows: qnr genes (25.

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