Antibiotic use and adherence to the WHO AWaRe guidelines across 16 hospitals in Zambia: a point prevalence survey.

Background: The inappropriate use of antibiotics in hospitals contributes to the development and spread of antimicrobial resistance (AMR). This study evaluated the prevalence of antibiotic use and adherence to the World Health Organization (WHO) Access, Watch and Reserve (AWaRe) classification of antibiotics across 16 hospitals in Zambia.

Methods: A descriptive, cross-sectional study employing the WHO Point Prevalence Survey (PPS) methodology and WHO AWaRe classification of antibiotics was conducted among inpatients across 16 hospitals in December 2023, Zambia.

Antimicrobial stewardship situation analysis in selected hospitals in Zambia: findings and implications from a national survey.

Background: Antimicrobial stewardship (AMS) programs are critical in combating antimicrobial resistance (AMR). In Zambia, there is little information regarding the capacity of hospitals to establish and implement AMS programs. The objective of this study was to conduct a baseline assessment of WHO core elements for an AMS program implementation in eight hospitals in Zambia.

EsxA, a type VII secretion system-dependent effector, reveals a novel function in the sporulation of Bacillus cereus ATCC14579.

Background: Bacillus cereus is a Gram-positive, spore-forming bacterium that produces a spectrum of effectors integral to bacterial niche adaptation and the development of various infections. Among those is EsxA, whose secretion depends on the EssC component of the type VII secretion system (T7SS). EsxA's roles within the bacterial cell are poorly understood, although postulations indicate that it may be involved in sporulation.

Dynamics of Neisseria gonorrhoeae transmission among female sex workers and clients: A mathematical modeling study.

Background: This study aimed to examine the transmission dynamics of Neisseria gonorrhoeae (NG) in heterosexual sex work networks (HSWNs) and the impact of variation in sexual behavior and interventions on NG epidemiology.

Methods: The study employed an individual-based mathematical model to simulate NG transmission dynamics in sexual networks involving female sex workers (FSWs) and their clients, primarily focusing on the Middle East and North Africa region. A deterministic model was also used to describe NG transmission from clients to their spouses.

Serological Evidence of Bactrian Camel Infection with Tamdy Virus, Xinjiang, China.

Tamdy Virus (TAMV) is a pathogenic nairovirus widely distributed in central Asia and northwestern China. However, the host range of TAMV remains unclear, which limits our understanding the transmission cycle and cross-species patterns of this virus. A total of 160 serum samples were collected from livestock animals of camels, cattle, and sheep in Xinjiang, China between 2018 and 2021.

Glycan-shielded homodimer structure and dynamical features of the canine distemper virus hemagglutinin relevant for viral entry and efficient vaccination.

Canine distemper virus (CDV) belongs to morbillivirus, including measles virus (MeV) and rinderpest virus, which causes serious immunological and neurological disorders in carnivores, including dogs and rhesus monkeys, as recently reported, but their vaccines are highly effective. The attachment glycoprotein hemagglutinin (CDV-H) at the CDV surface utilizes signaling lymphocyte activation molecule (SLAM) and Nectin-4 (also called poliovirus-receptor-like-4; PVRL4) as entry receptors. Although fusion models have been proposed, the molecular mechanism of morbillivirus fusion entry is poorly understood.

Identification and phylogenetic analysis of Nairobi sheep disease virus from Haemaphysalis longicornis ticks in Shandong Province, China.

Nairobi Sheep Disease (NSD) is a typical tick-borne syndrome characterized by severe hemorrhagic gastroenteritis, spontaneous abortion, and a high case fatality rate in small ruminants. The pathogenic agent, Nairobi sheep disease virus (NSDV), has also been associated with human infections, indicating its possible zoonotic potential. Prior to this study, NSDV has been detected from ticks collected in Jilin, Hubei, and Liaoning provinces in China.

Trends, patterns and relationship of antimicrobial use and resistance in bacterial isolates tested between 2015-2020 in a national referral hospital of Zambia.

Increased antimicrobial resistance (AMR) among bacteria underscores the need to strengthen AMR surveillance and promote data-based prescribing. To evaluate trends and associations between antimicrobial usage (AMU) and AMR, we explored a dataset of 34,672 bacterial isolates collected between 2015 and 2020 from clinical samples at the University Teaching Hospital (UTH) in Lusaka, Zambia. The most frequently isolated species were Escherichia coli (4,986/34,672; 14.

Assessment of antimicrobial resistance laboratory-based surveillance capacity of hospitals in Zambia: findings and implications for system strengthening.

Background: A well-established antimicrobial resistance (AMR) laboratory-based surveillance (LBS) is of utmost importance in a country like Zambia which bears a significant proportion of the world's communicable disease burden. This study assessed the capacity of laboratories in selected hospitals to conduct AMR surveillance in Zambia.

Methods: This cross-sectional exploratory study was conducted among eight purposively selected hospitals in Zambia between August 2023 and December 2023.

Multidrug-Resistant from Raw Cow Milk in Namwala District, Zambia: Public Health Implications.

(), a major foodborne disease-causing pathogen found in raw cow milk, has even far more reaching public health ramifications as it encodes for antimicrobial resistance (AMR). This study aimed to identify multidrug-resistant (MDR) from raw cow's milk and evaluate their antimicrobial-resistant profiles. In total, 418 pooled raw cow milk samples were collected from milk collection centers and analysed using standard culture methods to isolate Antimicrobial Susceptibility Testing (AST) was conducted using the Kirby Bauer disk diffusion method and PCR was used to identify cefotaxime (CTX) resistant genes.

Circulation of influenza C virus of C/Sao Paulo/378/82 lineage among pediatric acute respiratory cases, Shandong, China.

Influenza C virus (ICV) was identified in five pediatric acute respiratory cases in Shandong. Co-infection with other respiratory viruses was detected in four of these cases. Two ICV genomes were obtained and clustered in the S1-sublineage of C/Sao Paulo/378/82, indicating that genetically diverse ICV strains have been circulating in mainland China.

UV-Assisted Hyperbranched Poly(β-amino ester) Modification of a Silica Membrane for Two-Step Microfluidic DNA Extraction from Blood.

Integrating nucleic acid extraction in amplification-based point-of-care diagnostics will be a significant feature for next-generation point-of-care virus detection devices. However, extracting DNA efficiently on a microfluidic chip poses many technological and commercialization challenges, including manual steps, multiple instruments, pretreatment processes, and the use of organic solvents (ethanol, IPA) that inhibit detection, which is not viable with routine testing such as viral load monitoring of transplant patients for post-operative care. This paper presents a microfluidic system capable of two-step DNA extraction from blood using a UV-assisted hyperbranched poly(β-amino ester) (HPAE)-modified silica membrane for cytomegalovirus (CMV) detection in a rapid and instrument-free manner without the presence of amplification inhibitors.

Identification, expression, and purification of DNA cytosine 5-methyltransferases with short recognition sequences.

Background: DNA methyltransferases (MTases) are enzymes that induce methylation, one of the representative epigenetic modifications of DNA, and are also useful tools for analyzing epigenomes. However, regarding DNA cytosine 5-methylation, MTases identified so far have drawbacks in that their recognition sequences overlap with those for intrinsic DNA methylation in mammalian cells and/or that the recognition sequence is too long for fine epigenetic mapping. To identify MTases with short recognition sequences that never overlap with the CG dinucleotide, we systematically investigated the 25 candidate enzymes identified using a database search, which showed high similarity to known cytosine 5-MTases recognizing short sequences.

Mumps-specific IgG, IgG subclasses and neutralization titres to the vaccine and outbreak mumps strains differ in vaccinated healthy controls, breakthrough mumps infection cases and naturally infected individuals.

Background: Despite widespread use of the mumps vaccine resulting in significant reduction in the incidence of symptomatic mumps infection, large outbreaks continue to occur in highly vaccinated populations.

Objectives: We examined the mumps-specific IgG, IgG subclasses and neutralization titres to the outbreak Genotype G5 and Jeryl Lynn vaccine (Genotype A) mumps strains.

Study Design: Sera from 207 individuals were classified into five distinct cohorts: healthy controls and mumps cases of 5-17 years and 18-25 years, and naturally infected individuals of 50+ years.

Corrigendum: The TbD1 Locus Mediates a Hypoxia-Induced Copper Response in .

[This corrects the article DOI: 10.3389/fmicb.2022.