Phage K exposure generates phage-neutralizing activity in a rabbit model-humoral receptiveness may impact efficacy of phage therapy.

Phage therapy has not been established in the clinical routine, in part due to uncertainties concerning efficacy and immunogenicity. Here, three rabbits were immunized against staphylococcal phage K to assess viral potency in the presence of immunized serum. Three rabbits received weekly intramuscular injections of ~10 pfu/mL phage K.

In vitro susceptibility of Neisseria gonorrhoeae to netilmicin and etimicin in comparison to gentamicin and other aminoglycosides.

Purpose: Single doses of gentamicin have demonstrated clinical efficacy in the treatment of urogenital gonorrhea, but lower cure rates for oropharyngeal and anorectal gonorrhea. Formulations selectively enriched in specific gentamicin C congeners have been proposed as a less toxic alternative to gentamicin, potentially permitting higher dosing to result in increased plasma exposures at the extragenital sites of infection. The purpose of the present study was to compare the antibacterial activity of individual gentamicin C congeners against Neisseria gonorrhoeae to that of other aminoglycoside antibiotics.

Zoonotic Chlamydiae as rare causes of severe pneumonia.

Zoonotic species of the Chlamydiaceae family should be considered as rare pathogenic agents of severe atypical pneumonia. A fatal case of a severe pneumonia due to Chlamydia psittaci was traced back to pet birds, and pneumonia in a pregnant woman was attributed to abortions in a sheep and goat flock, being the source of Chlamydia abortus. The two SARS‑CoV‑2-negative pneumonia cases presented here were investigated in an inter-disciplinary approach involving physicians and veterinarians.

Assessing Antibiotic Tolerance of Staphylococcus aureus Derived Directly from Patients by the Replica Plating Tolerance Isolation System (REPTIS).

Antibiotic-tolerant Staphylococcus aureus poses a great challenge to clinicians as well as to microbiological laboratories and is one reason for treatment failure. Antibiotic-tolerant strains survive transient antibiotic exposure despite being fully susceptible . Thus, fast and reliable methods to detect tolerance in the routine microbiology laboratory are urgently required.

Rapid Detection of PBP2a in Staphylococci from Shortly Incubated Subcultures of Positive Blood Cultures by an Immunochromatographic Assay.

Staphylococcus aureus, as well as coagulase-negative staphylococci (CoNS), can cause a wide range of human infections both in nosocomial and community settings. Βeta-lactams are the antibiotics of choice for the treatment of bloodstream infections (BSI) caused by these microorganisms. Resistance to virtually all β-lactams (also referred to as methicillin resistance) primarily results from the production of an alternative penicillin-binding protein (PBP2a) encoded by the gene.

Evaluation of standardized automated rapid antimicrobial susceptibility testing of Enterobacterales-containing blood cultures: a proof-of-principle study.

Background: Rapid antimicrobial susceptibility testing (RAST) of bacteria causing bloodstream infections is critical for implementation of appropriate antibiotic regimens.

Objectives: We have established a procedure to prepare standardized bacterial inocula for Enterobacterales-containing clinical blood cultures and assessed antimicrobial susceptibility testing (AST) data generated with the WASPLabTM automated reading system.

Methods: A total of 258 blood cultures containing Enterobacterales were examined.

Tentative breakpoints and areas of technical uncertainty for early reading automated disc diffusion for Enterobacterales.

Background: Disc diffusion is a reliable, accurate and cost-efficient procedure for antimicrobial susceptibility testing (AST) but requires long (18-24 h) incubation times. Reading of disc diffusion after short incubation times (6-8 h) by automated systems is feasible but should be categorized with time-adapted breakpoints to reduce errors.

Objectives: This study systematically compared early readings (6 and 8 h) of disc diffusion using an automated system with that of the standard 18 h EUCAST method.

Species Rarely Cause Orthopedic Infections.

spp. are rarely considered pathogens, but data on spp. as a cause of orthopedic infections are sparse.