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Microorganisms Dec 2022is an emergent gram-negative enteropathogenic bacterium widespread in different environments and hosts. During the colonization of the gastrointestinal tract, bacteria...
is an emergent gram-negative enteropathogenic bacterium widespread in different environments and hosts. During the colonization of the gastrointestinal tract, bacteria face a variety of environmental conditions to successfully establish infection in a new host. One of these challenges is the fluctuation of oxygen concentrations encountered not only throughout the host gastrointestinal tract and defences but also in the food industry. Oxygen fluctuations can lead to modulations in the virulence of the bacterium and possibly increase its pathogenic potential. In this sense, eight human isolates of were studied to evaluate the effects of microaerobic and aerobic atmospheric conditions in stressful host conditions, such as oxidative stress, acid survival, and human serum survival. In addition, the effects on the modulation of virulence traits, such as haemolytic activity, bacterial motility, biofilm formation ability, and adhesion and invasion of the Caco-2 cell line, were also investigated. Overall, aerobic conditions negatively affected the susceptibility to oxygen reactive species and biofilm formation ability but improved the isolates' haemolytic ability and motility while other traits showed an isolate-dependent response. In summary, this work demonstrates for the first time that oxygen levels can modulate the potential pathogenicity of , although the response to stressful conditions was very heterogeneous among different strains.
PubMed: 36557662
DOI: 10.3390/microorganisms10122409 -
Antibiotics (Basel, Switzerland) May 2023Due to the lack of knowledge about in the Chilean poultry industry, the objective of this research was to know the prevalence, resistance, and genotypes of , and in...
Due to the lack of knowledge about in the Chilean poultry industry, the objective of this research was to know the prevalence, resistance, and genotypes of , and in 382 samples of chicken meat purchased in Valdivia, Chile. The samples were analyzed using three isolation protocols. Resistance to four antibiotics was evaluated by phenotypic methods. Genomic analyses were performed on selected resistant strains to detect resistance determinants and their genotypes. A total of 59.2% of the samples were positive. (37.4%) was the most prevalent species, followed by (19.6%), (11.3%), (3.7%) and (1.3%). (14%) was detected by PCR in a subset of samples. was resistant to ciprofloxacin (37.3%) and tetracycline (20%), while and were resistant to ciprofloxacin (55.8% and 2.8%), erythromycin (16.3% and 0.7%) and tetracycline (4.7% and 2.8%), respectively. Molecular determinants were consistent with phenotypic resistance. The genotypes of (CC-21, CC-48, CC-49, CC-257, CC-353, CC-443, CC-446 and CC-658) and (CC-828) coincided with genotypes of Chilean clinical strains. These findings suggest that besides and , chicken meat could play a role in the transmission of other pathogenic and antibiotic-resistant
PubMed: 37237819
DOI: 10.3390/antibiotics12050917 -
Applied and Environmental Microbiology Oct 2020In September 2018, Hurricane Florence caused extreme flooding in eastern North Carolina, USA, a region highly dense in concentrated animal production, especially swine...
Search for spp. Reveals High Prevalence and Pronounced Genetic Diversity of Arcobacter butzleri in Floodwater Samples Associated with Hurricane Florence in North Carolina, USA.
In September 2018, Hurricane Florence caused extreme flooding in eastern North Carolina, USA, a region highly dense in concentrated animal production, especially swine and poultry. In this study, floodwater samples ( = 96) were collected as promptly post-hurricane as possible and for up to approximately 30 days and selectively enriched for using Bolton broth enrichment and isolation on modified charcoal cefoperazone deoxycholate agar (mCCDA) microaerobically at 42°C. Only one sample yielded , which was found to be with the novel sequence type 2866 (ST-2866). However, the methods employed to isolate readily yielded from 73.5% of the floodwater samples. The isolates failed to grow on Mueller-Hinton agar at 25, 30, 37, or 42°C microaerobically or aerobically but could be readily subcultured on mCCDA at 42°C microaerobically. Multilocus sequence typing of 112 isolates indicated that all were The majority (85.7%) of the isolates exhibited novel sequence types (STs), with 66 novel STs identified. Several STs, including certain novel ones, were detected in diverse waterbody types (channel, isolated ephemeral pools, floodplain) and from multiple watersheds, suggesting the potential for regionally dominant strains. The genotypes were clearly partitioned into two major clades, one with high representation of human and ruminant isolates and another with an abundance of swine and poultry isolates. Surveillance of environmental waters and food animal production systems in this animal agriculture-dense region is needed to assess potential regional prevalence and temporal stability of the observed strains as well as their potential association with specific types of food animal production. Climate change and associated extreme weather events can have massive impacts on the prevalence of microbial pathogens in floodwaters. However, limited data are available on foodborne zoonotic pathogens such as or in hurricane-associated floodwaters in rural regions with intensive animal production. With a high density of intensive animal production as well as pronounced vulnerability to hurricanes, eastern North Carolina presents unique opportunities in this regard. Our findings revealed widespread incidence of the emerging zoonotic pathogen in floodwaters from Hurricane Florence. We encountered high and largely unexplored diversity while also noting the potential for regionally abundant and persistent clones. We noted pronounced partitioning of the floodwater genotypes into two source-associated clades. The data will contribute to elucidating the poorly understood ecology of this emerging pathogen and highlight the importance of surveillance of floodwaters associated with hurricanes and other extreme weather events for and other zoonotic pathogens.
Topics: Arcobacter; Campylobacter jejuni; Cyclonic Storms; Floods; Genotype; Multilocus Sequence Typing; North Carolina; Rivers
PubMed: 32769187
DOI: 10.1128/AEM.01118-20 -
Journal of Dairy Science Oct 2015Ricotta cheese is a ready-to-eat product with properties (pH >6.0, aw >0.98-0.99) and moisture content (75-80%) that may pose a risk to public health due to postprocess...
Ricotta cheese is a ready-to-eat product with properties (pH >6.0, aw >0.98-0.99) and moisture content (75-80%) that may pose a risk to public health due to postprocess contamination by several bacterial pathogens, including Arcobacters. The objective of the study was to evaluate the behavior of Arcobacter butzleri and Arcobacter cryaerophilus in ricotta cheese during its shelf life assuming postprocessing contamination. Two types of ricotta cheese, artisanal water buffalo (WB) and industrial cow milk ricotta cheese, were experimentally contaminated with A. butzleri and A. cryaerophilus and the count was monitored at 2 different temperatures (6°C and 12°C) during shelf life of 5 d for WB cheese and 22 d for industrial ricotta cheese. In WB ricotta cheese the A. butzleri count remained stable during the 5 d of storage at 6°C, whereas a moderate but significant decrease was observed in A. cryaerophilus count. The counts of both species increased when WB ricotta cheese was stored at 12°C. In industrial ricotta cheese stored at 6°C, a significant reduction was observed both in A. butzleri and A. cryaerophilus counts during the 22-d storage period; at 12°C storage, a count increase was observed for both Arcobacter species up to d 14 of storage after which the log cfu/g count resulted constant until d 22 of storage. The ability of A. butzleri and A. cryaerophilus to survive at 6°C and to grow at 12°C in ricotta cheese has significant food safety implications.
Topics: Animals; Arcobacter; Buffaloes; Cattle; Cheese; Food Microbiology; Food Safety; Species Specificity; Temperature
PubMed: 26233450
DOI: 10.3168/jds.2015-9560 -
Folia Microbiologica Nov 2016Water plays an important role in the transmission of Arcobacter spp. to animals and humans. The aim of this study was to isolate and characterize Arcobacter spp. from...
Water plays an important role in the transmission of Arcobacter spp. to animals and humans. The aim of this study was to isolate and characterize Arcobacter spp. from 115 different water samples (66 sewage, 25 rivers, 16 spring water, and 8 drinking water) in Izmir, Turkey. In total, 41 samples (35.7 %) were found positive for Arcobacter spp. by the genus-specific PCR. Arcobacter butzleri was detected in 39 out of 115 samples (33.9 %) including 24 sewage, 13 rivers, and 2 spring water. The remaining Arcobacter spp. (n = 2) isolates could not be identified by m-PCR and 16S rRNA gene sequencing. Based on the phenotypic characterization, most of the Arcobacter species (87.8 %) indicated weak catalase activity. In addition, there were differences in phenotypic patterns among isolated species during growth at 37 °C under microaerobic and aerobic conditions, in the presence of 2 % (39/41) and 3.5 % (32/41) NaCl and 0.04 % TTC (39/41) and on MacConkey agar (38/41). The results of this study indicated that environmental water samples are common sources for Arcobacter spp. Therefore, effective control measures should be taken to protect human health.
Topics: Aerobiosis; Arcobacter; Bacterial Typing Techniques; Culture Media; DNA, Bacterial; DNA, Ribosomal; RNA, Ribosomal, 16S; Sequence Analysis, DNA; Sodium Chloride; Temperature; Turkey; Water Microbiology
PubMed: 27106697
DOI: 10.1007/s12223-016-0460-0 -
PloS One 2015The immunopathological impact of human Arcobacter (A.) infections is under current debate. Episodes of gastroenteritis with abdominal pain and acute or prolonged watery...
BACKGROUND
The immunopathological impact of human Arcobacter (A.) infections is under current debate. Episodes of gastroenteritis with abdominal pain and acute or prolonged watery diarrhea were reported for A. butzleri infected patients. Whereas adhesive, invasive and cytotoxic capacities have been described for A. butzleri in vitro, only limited information is available about the immunopathogenic potential and mechanisms of infection in vivo.
METHODOLOGY/PRINCIPAL FINDINGS
Gnotobiotic IL-10-/- mice were generated by broad-spectrum antibiotic treatment and perorally infected with the A. butzleri strains CCUG 30485 and C1 shown to be invasive in cell culture assays. Bacterial colonization capacities, clinical conditions, intestinal, extra-intestinal and systemic immune responses were monitored at day six and 16 postinfection (p.i.). Despite stable intestinal A. butzleri colonization at high loads, gnotobiotic IL-10-/- mice were virtually unaffected and did not display any overt symptoms at either time point. Notably, A. butzleri infection induced apoptosis of colonic epithelial cells which was paralleled by increased abundance of proliferating cells. Furthermore A. butzleri infection caused a significant increase of distinct immune cell populations such as T and B cells, regulatory T cells, macrophages and monocytes in the colon which was accompanied by elevated colonic TNF, IFN-γ, nitric oxide (NO), IL-6, IL-12p70 and MCP-1 concentrations. Strikingly, A. butzleri induced extra-intestinal and systemic immune responses as indicated by higher NO concentrations in kidney and increased TNF, IFN-γ, IL-12p70 and IL-6 levels in serum samples of infected as compared to naive mice. Overall, inflammatory responses could be observed earlier in the course of infection by the CCUG 30485 as compared to the C1 strain.
CONCLUSION/SIGNIFICANCE
Peroral A. butzleri infection induced not only intestinal but also extra-intestinal and systemic immune responses in gnotobiotic IL-10-/- mice in a strain-dependent manner. These findings point towards an immunopathogenic potential of A. butzleri in vertebrate hosts.
Topics: Adaptive Immunity; Administration, Oral; Animals; Apoptosis; Arcobacter; Bacterial Translocation; Cell Proliferation; Colon; Colony Count, Microbial; Cytokines; Feces; Germ-Free Life; Gram-Negative Bacterial Infections; Immunity, Innate; Inflammation; Interleukin-10; Mice, Inbred C57BL; Nitric Oxide
PubMed: 26406497
DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0139402 -
PloS One 2020The aim of the study was to detect and genetically characterize Arcobacter butzleri in pet red-footed tortoises suspected for Campylobacter spp., using molecular...
Molecular detection and genetic characterization of Arcobacter butzleri isolated from red-footed pet tortoises suspected for Campylobacter spp. from Grenada, West Indies.
The aim of the study was to detect and genetically characterize Arcobacter butzleri in pet red-footed tortoises suspected for Campylobacter spp., using molecular techniques. A written consent from tortoise owners was obtained, after explaining the advantages of the research to tortoise owners of Grenada. Fecal samples were collected from 114 tortoises from five parishes of the country and cultured for Campylobacter spp. using selective culture techniques. A. butzleri was isolated from 4.39% of pet tortoises. Total thirteen isolates were obtained; all identified as A. butzleri by a universal and a species-specific Polymerase Chain Reaction (PCR) and direct sequencing. Genetic characterization of these isolates was performed based on Enterobacterial repetitive intergenic consensus PCR (ERIC-PCR) that generated eight different genetic fingerprints with a discriminatory power of 0.91. Campylobacter species were not detected molecularly in any of the culture-positive samples. This is the first report of infection of pet tortoises in Grenada, West Indies with A. butzleri. This study emphasizes on the risk of zoonotic transmission of A. butzleri by exotic pets, which is a serious concern for public health.
Topics: Animals; Arcobacter; Campylobacter; DNA Fingerprinting; DNA, Bacterial; Feces; Repetitive Sequences, Nucleic Acid; Turtles
PubMed: 32176736
DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0230390 -
Clinical Medicine (London, England) Feb 2015Diarrhoea is probably the single most common medical complaint in returning travellers. The most common pathogens are entero-toxigenic Escherichia coli, Shigella,...
Diarrhoea is probably the single most common medical complaint in returning travellers. The most common pathogens are entero-toxigenic Escherichia coli, Shigella, Salmonella and Campylobacter. Viruses, toxigenic Arcobacter and Bacteroides fragilis, as well as parasites such as Cryptosporidium sp, are increasingly recognised but are not tested for in most diagnostic laboratories. Blood in stools is a sign of invasive disease and should trigger exclusion of invasive amoebic disease. The use of empiric antibiotics may shorten illness but is complicated by the diversity of bacterial causes and emerging resistance.
Topics: Diarrhea; Gastrointestinal Diseases; Humans; Travel
PubMed: 25650209
DOI: 10.7861/clinmedicine.15-1-93 -
The Journal of Antimicrobial... Oct 2017To develop a standard reference broth microdilution method for antimicrobial susceptibility testing (AST) of Arcobacter butzleri. The protocol was subsequently applied...
OBJECTIVES
To develop a standard reference broth microdilution method for antimicrobial susceptibility testing (AST) of Arcobacter butzleri. The protocol was subsequently applied to a collection of A. butzleri isolates from different sources.
METHODS
Broth microdilution susceptibility testing was performed on eight A. butzleri isolates in three media: non-supplemented CAMHB, CAMHB + 2% FBS and CAMHB + 5% FBS. The MIC values were read after 24 and 48 h of incubation at 35 ± 2 °C in ambient air. A logistic regression model was used to determine the combination of medium and incubation time yielding the most homogeneous results. Subsequently, the protocol was applied to 65 A. butzleri isolates to determine their MICs of 31 antimicrobial agents.
RESULTS
The statistical analysis revealed that the most homogeneous MIC values were obtained with CAMHB + 5% FBS and reading of MIC values after 24 h of incubation. The standardized method was successful for AST of all 65 A. butzleri isolates. MIC values were distributed unimodally for most antimicrobial agents. However, one field isolate showed elevated MIC values of gentamicin, streptomycin, tetracycline and trimethoprim/sulfamethoxazole.
CONCLUSIONS
This study presents a new protocol for AST of A. butzleri by broth microdilution and shows the distribution of MIC values of 31 antimicrobial agents for a collection of A. butzleri isolates from different origins.
Topics: Anti-Bacterial Agents; Arcobacter; Bacteriological Techniques; Gentamicins; Humans; Logistic Models; Microbial Sensitivity Tests; Tetracycline
PubMed: 29091194
DOI: 10.1093/jac/dkx211 -
Frontiers in Microbiology 2015The bacterial proteins of the Dsb family-important components of the post-translational protein modification system-catalyze the formation of disulfide bridges, a... (Review)
Review
The bacterial proteins of the Dsb family-important components of the post-translational protein modification system-catalyze the formation of disulfide bridges, a process that is crucial for protein structure stabilization and activity. Dsb systems play an essential role in the assembly of many virulence factors. Recent rapid advances in global analysis of bacteria have thrown light on the enormous diversity among bacterial Dsb systems. While the Escherichia coli disulfide bond-forming system is quite well understood, the mechanisms of action of Dsb systems in other bacteria, including members of class Epsilonproteobacteria that contain pathogenic and non-pathogenic bacteria colonizing extremely diverse ecological niches, are poorly characterized. Here we present a review of current knowledge on Epsilonproteobacteria Dsb systems. We have focused on the Dsb systems of Campylobacter spp. and Helicobacter spp. because our knowledge about Dsb proteins of Wolinella and Arcobacter spp. is still scarce and comes mainly from bioinformatic studies. Helicobacter pylori is a common human pathogen that colonizes the gastric epithelium of humans with severe consequences. Campylobacter spp. is a leading cause of zoonotic enteric bacterial infections in most developed and developing nations. We focus on various aspects of the diversity of the Dsb systems and their influence on pathogenicity, particularly because Dsb proteins are considered as potential targets for a new class of anti-virulence drugs to treat human infections by Campylobacter or Helicobacter spp.
PubMed: 26106374
DOI: 10.3389/fmicb.2015.00570