Molecular characterization of Vibrio cholerae O1 El Tor strains in Malaysia revealed genetically diverse variant lineages.

Vibrio cholerae O1 El Tor variants have been the major causative agents of cholera worldwide since their emergence in the 2000s. Cholera remains endemic in some regions in Malaysia. Therefore, we aimed to investigate the genetic characteristics of the V.

Mechanistic actions and contributing factors affecting the antibacterial property and cytotoxicity of graphene oxide.

Recent advances in the field of nanotechnology contributed to the increasing use of nanomaterials in the engineering, health and biological sectors. Graphene oxide (GO) has great potentials as it could be fine-tuned to be adapted into various applications, especially in the electrical, electronic, industrial and clinical fields. One of the important applications of GO is its use as an antibacterial material due to its promising activity against a broad range of bacteria.

One-step differential detection of Salmonella enterica serovar Typhi, serovar Paratyphi A and other Salmonella spp. by using a quadruplex real-time PCR assay.

Diseases caused by typhoidal and non-typhoidal Salmonella remain a considerable threat to both developed and developing countries. Based on the clinical symptoms and serological tests, it is sometimes difficult to differentiate the Salmonella enterica serovar Paratyphi A (S. enterica serovar Paratyphi A) from serovar Typhi (S.

Methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus bacteraemia, 2003-2015: Comparative evaluation of changing trends in molecular epidemiology and clinical outcomes of infections.

Methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA) is a prominent pathogen causing invasive infections such as bacteraemia. The continued excessive use of antibiotics to treat MRSA infections has resulted in the evolution of antimicrobial resistant of S. aureus.

Comparative assessment of faecal microbial composition and metabonome of swine, farmers and human control.

The gastrointestinal tract of humans and swine consist of a wide range of bacteria which interact with hosts metabolism. Due to the differences in co-evolution and co-adaptation, a large fraction of the gut microbiome is host-specific. In this study, we evaluated the effect of close human-animal interaction to the faecal metagenome and metabonome of swine, farmer and human control.

Comparative genomic provides insight into the virulence and genetic diversity of Vibrio parahaemolyticus associated with shrimp acute hepatopancreatic necrosis disease.

Acute hepatopancreatic necrosis disease (AHPND) is an important shrimp disease of economic importance which causes mass mortality of cultivated penaeid shrimps in Southeast Asian countries, Mexico and South America. This disease was originally caused by Vibrio parahaemolyticus (VP) which is reported to harbour a transferable plasmid carrying the virulent PirAB-like toxin genes (pirAB). However, little is known about the pathogenicity of VP.

Molecular characterization of extended-spectrum β-lactamase-producing Klebsiella pneumoniae from a Malaysian hospital.

Multidrug-resistant (MDR) and extended-spectrum β-lactamase (ESBL)-producing Klebsiella pneumoniae associated with nosocomial infections have caused serious problems in antibiotic management with limited therapeutic choices. This study aimed to determine the genotypic and phenotypic characteristics of K. pneumoniae strains isolated from a tertiary hospital in Malaysia.

Rapid and sensitive detection of Salmonella with reduced graphene oxide-carbon nanotube based electrochemical aptasensor.

Rapid detection of foodborne pathogens is crucial as ingestion of contaminated food products may endanger human health. Thus, the objective of this study was to develop a biosensor using reduced graphene oxide-carbon nanotubes (rGO-CNT) nanocomposite via the hydrothermal method for accurate and rapid label-free electrochemical detection of pathogenic bacteria such as Salmonella enterica. The rGO-CNT nanocomposite was characterized using Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy, Raman spectroscopy, X-ray diffraction and transmission electron microscopy.

Synergistic antibacterial actions of graphene oxide and antibiotics towards bacteria and the toxicological effects of graphene oxide on human epidermal keratinocytes.

Graphene oxide (GO) has displayed antibacterial activity that has been investigated in the past, however, information on synergistic activity of GO with conventional antibiotics is still lacking. The objectives of the study were to determine the combinatorial actions of GO and antibiotics against Gram-positive and Gram-negative bacteria and the toxicological effects of GO towards human epidermal keratinocytes (HaCaT). Interactions at molecular level between GO and antibiotics were analyzed using Attenuated Total Reflectance-Fourier-transform infrared spectroscopy (ATR-FTIR).

Graphene oxide exhibits differential mechanistic action towards Gram-positive and Gram-negative bacteria.

The antibacterial nature of graphene oxide (GO) has stimulated wide interest in the medical field. Although the antibacterial activity of GO towards bacteria has been well studied, a deeper understanding of the mechanism of action of GO is still lacking. The objective of the study was to elucidate the difference in the interactions of GO towards Gram-positive and Gram-negative bacteria.

Molecular Characterization of Multidrug-Resistant and Extended-Spectrum Beta-Lactamase-Producing Isolated from Swine Farms in Malaysia.

The high prevalence of multidrug resistance (MDR) and extended-spectrum β-lactamase (ESBL)-producing associated with nosocomial infections has caused serious therapeutic challenges. The objectives of this study were to determine the genotypic and phenotypic characteristics of strains isolated from Malaysian swine farms and the transferability of ESBL genes by plasmids. A total of 50 strains were isolated from 389 samples, which were collected from healthy and unhealthy pigs (swine rectum and oral cavities), healthy farmers (human rectum, urine, and nasal cavities), farm's environment, and animal feeds from seven Malaysian swine farms.

A reduced graphene oxide-titanium dioxide nanocomposite based electrochemical aptasensor for rapid and sensitive detection of Salmonella enterica.

Recent foodborne outbreaks in multiple locations necessitate the continuous development of highly sensitive and specific biosensors that offer rapid detection of foodborne biological hazards. This work focuses on the development of a reduced graphene oxide‑titanium dioxide (rGO-TiO) nanocomposite based aptasensor to detect Salmonella enterica serovar Typhimurium. A label-free aptamer was immobilized on a rGO-TiO nanocomposite matrix through electrostatic interactions.

Predominance of ST22-MRSA-IV Clone and Emergence of Clones for Methicillin-Resistant Staphylococcus aureus Clinical Isolates Collected from a Tertiary Teaching Hospital Over a Two-Year Period.

Methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA) is one of the most common nosocomial pathogens, causing mild to severe infections. This study aimed to determine the genotypic and phenotypic characteristics of clinical MRSA isolates collected from a teaching hospital from 2014 - 2015. These isolates were genotyped by multilocus sequence typing, staphylococcal cassette chromosomal mec (SCCmec) typing, virulence genes detection, and pulsed-field gel electrophoresis; they were phenotyped based on their antibiotics susceptibility profiles.

Carbon Nanomaterial-Based Electrochemical Biosensors for Foodborne Bacterial Detection.

The development of easy to use, rapid and sensitive methods for direct detection of foodborne bacterial pathogens has become significantly important due to their impact on human health. In recent years, carbon nanomaterials have been adapted in the fabrication of electrochemical biosensors due to their exceptional combination of intrinsic properties such as high conductivity, stability and biocompatibility that render them as a promising candidate for bio-sensing material. The scope of this review is to provide a brief history of the current methods and different types of electrochemical biosensors used for the detection of bacterial pathogens.

The emergence of colistin-resistant Klebsiella pneumoniae strains from swine in Malaysia.

Objective: Colistin is the last line of therapy for infections caused by multidrug-resistant Gram-negative bacteria. The objective of this study was to determine the phenotypic and genotypic characteristics of colistin-resistant Klebsiella pneumoniae (K. pneumoniae) isolated from swine samples in Malaysia.

Occurrence of virulent multidrug-resistant and in the pigs, farmers and farm environments in Malaysia.

Background: and are ubiquitous opportunistic pathogens found in the guts of humans and farmed animals. This study aimed to determine the occurrence, antimicrobial resistance, virulence, biofilm-forming ability and genotypes of and from swine farms. Correlations between the genotypes, virulotypes, antibiotic resistance, and the environmental factors such as locality of farms and farm hygiene practice were explored.

Carbon nanotube-based aptasensor for sensitive electrochemical detection of whole-cell Salmonella.

In this study, an amino-modified aptasensor using multi-walled carbon nanotubes (MWCNTs)-deposited ITO electrode was prepared and evaluated for the detection of pathogenic Salmonella bacteria. An amino-modified aptamer (ssDNA) which binds selectively to whole-cell Salmonella was immobilised on the COOH-rich MWCNTs to produce the ssDNA/MWCNT/ITO electrode. The morphology of the MWCNT before and after interaction with the aptamers were observed using scanning electron microscopy (SEM).

Distribution, genetic diversity and antimicrobial resistance of clinically important bacteria from the environment of a tertiary hospital in Malaysia.

Objectives: Hospital environments are potential reservoirs of bacteria associated with nosocomial infections. In this study, the distribution of cultivable environmental bacteria of clinical importance from a Malaysian tertiary hospital was determined and their resistotypes and genotypes were investigated.

Methods: Swab and fluid samples (n=358) from healthcare workers' hands, frequently touched surfaces, medical equipment, patients' immediate surroundings, ward sinks and toilets, and solutions or fluids of 12 selected wards were collected.

All-carbon suspended nanowire sensors as a rapid highly-sensitive label-free chemiresistive biosensing platform.

Nanowire sensors offer great potential as highly sensitive electrochemical and electronic biosensors because of their small size, high aspect ratios, and electronic properties. Nevertheless, the available methods to fabricate carbon nanowires in a controlled manner remain limited to expensive techniques. This paper presents a simple fabrication technique for sub-100 nm suspended carbon nanowire sensors by integrating electrospinning and photolithography techniques.