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Frontiers in Cellular and Infection... 2024is an emerging zoonotic pathogen that can cause invasive disease commonly associated with meningitis in pigs and humans. To cause meningitis, must cross the...
is an emerging zoonotic pathogen that can cause invasive disease commonly associated with meningitis in pigs and humans. To cause meningitis, must cross the blood-brain barrier (BBB) comprising blood vessels that vascularize the central nervous system (CNS). The BBB is highly selective due to interactions with other cell types in the brain and the composition of the extracellular matrix (ECM). Purified streptococcal surface enolase, an essential enzyme participating in glycolysis, can bind human plasminogen (Plg) and plasmin (Pln). Plg has been proposed to increase bacterial traversal across the BBB via conversion to Pln, a protease which cleaves host proteins in the ECM and monocyte chemoattractant protein 1 (MCP1) to disrupt tight junctions. The essentiality of enolase has made it challenging to unequivocally demonstrate its role in binding Plg/Pln on the bacterial surface and confirm its predicted role in facilitating translocation of the BBB. Here, we report on the CRISPR/Cas9 engineering of enolase mutants , , , and possessing amino acid substitutions at predicted binding sites for Plg. As expected, amino acid substitutions in the predicted Plg binding sites reduced Plg and Pln binding to but did not affect bacterial growth compared to the wild-type strain. The binding of Plg to wild-type enhanced translocation across the human cerebral microvascular endothelial cell line hCMEC/D3 but not for the mutant strains tested. To our knowledge, this is the first study where predicted Plg-binding sites of enolase have been mutated to show altered Plg and Pln binding to the surface of and attenuation of translocation across an endothelial cell monolayer .
Topics: Animals; Humans; Swine; Plasminogen; Blood-Brain Barrier; Streptococcus suis; Bacterial Translocation; Fibrinolysin; Binding Sites; Phosphopyruvate Hydratase; Meningitis
PubMed: 38456079
DOI: 10.3389/fcimb.2024.1356628 -
Frontiers in Microbiology 2024serotype 2 (SS2) is a Gram-positive bacterium. It is a common and significant pathogen in pigs and a common cause of zoonotic meningitis in humans. It can lead to...
serotype 2 (SS2) is a Gram-positive bacterium. It is a common and significant pathogen in pigs and a common cause of zoonotic meningitis in humans. It can lead to sepsis, endocarditis, arthritis, and pneumonia. If not diagnosed and treated promptly, it has a high mortality rate. The pan-genome of SS2 is open, and with an increasing number of genes, the core genome and accessory genome may exhibit more pronounced differences. Due to the diversity of SS2, the genes related to its virulence and resistance are still unclear. In this study, a strain of SS2 was isolated from a pig farm in Sichuan Province, China, and subjected to whole-genome sequencing and characterization. Subsequently, we conducted a Pan-Genome-Wide Association Study (Pan-GWAS) on 230 strains of SS2. Our analysis indicates that the core genome is composed of 1,458 genes related to the basic life processes of the bacterium. The accessory genome, consisting of 4,337 genes, is highly variable and a major contributor to the genetic diversity of SS2. Furthermore, we identified important virulence and resistance genes in SS2 through pan-GWAS. The virulence genes of SS2 are mainly associated with bacterial adhesion. In addition, resistance genes in the core genome may confer natural resistance of SS2 to fluoroquinolone and glycopeptide antibiotics. This study lays the foundation for further research on the virulence and resistance of SS2, providing potential new drug and vaccine targets against SS2.
PubMed: 38450165
DOI: 10.3389/fmicb.2024.1362316 -
IScience Mar 2024is a zoonotic pathogen that can cause meningitis and septicaemia. The consumption of undercooked pig products is an important risk factor for zoonotic infections,...
is a zoonotic pathogen that can cause meningitis and septicaemia. The consumption of undercooked pig products is an important risk factor for zoonotic infections, suggesting an oral route of infection. In a human enteroid model, we show that the zoonotic CC1 genotype has a 40% higher translocation frequency than the non-zoonotic CC16 genotype. Translocation occurred without increasing the permeability or disrupting the adherens junctions and tight junctions of the epithelial monolayer. The translocation of zoonotic was correlated with the presence of Gb3-positive cells, a human glycolipid receptor found on Paneth cells and targeted by multiple enteric pathogens. The virulence factors Streptococcal adhesin Protein and suilysin, known to interact with Gb3, were not essential for translocation in our epithelial model. Thus, the ability to translocate across an enteroid monolayer correlates with core genome composition and the presence of Gb3-positive cells in the intestinal epithelium.
PubMed: 38439959
DOI: 10.1016/j.isci.2024.109178 -
Emerging Infectious Diseases Mar 2024Streptococcus suis, a zoonotic bacterial pathogen circulated through swine, can cause severe infections in humans. Because human S. suis infections are not notifiable in... (Review)
Review
Streptococcus suis, a zoonotic bacterial pathogen circulated through swine, can cause severe infections in humans. Because human S. suis infections are not notifiable in most countries, incidence is underestimated. We aimed to increase insight into the molecular epidemiology of human S. suis infections in Europe. To procure data, we surveyed 7 reference laboratories and performed a systematic review of the scientific literature. We identified 236 cases of human S. suis infection from those sources and an additional 87 by scanning gray literature. We performed whole-genome sequencing to type 46 zoonotic S. suis isolates and combined them with 28 publicly available genomes in a core-genome phylogeny. Clonal complex (CC) 1 isolates accounted for 87% of typed human infections; CC20, CC25, CC87, and CC94 also caused infections. Emergence of diverse zoonotic clades and notable severity of illness in humans support classifying S. suis infection as a notifiable condition.
Topics: Humans; Animals; Swine; Molecular Epidemiology; Streptococcus suis; Europe; Phylogeny; Whole Genome Sequencing
PubMed: 38407169
DOI: 10.3201/eid3003.230348 -
Emerging Infectious Diseases Mar 2024In Jeju Island, South Korea, a patient who consumed raw pig products had subdural empyema, which led to meningitis, sepsis, and status epilepticus. We identified...
In Jeju Island, South Korea, a patient who consumed raw pig products had subdural empyema, which led to meningitis, sepsis, and status epilepticus. We identified Streptococcus suis from blood and the subdural empyema. This case illustrates the importance of considering dietary habits in similar clinical assessments to prevent misdiagnosis.
Topics: Humans; Animals; Swine; Empyema, Subdural; Streptococcus suis; Republic of Korea; Feeding Behavior; Sepsis; Streptococcal Infections
PubMed: 38407167
DOI: 10.3201/eid3003.231018 -
Veterinary World Jan 2024is a zoonotic pathogen that is highly associated with contact between live pigs and raw pig material. In view of the recent reports of human infections in Malaysia,...
BACKGROUND AND AIM
is a zoonotic pathogen that is highly associated with contact between live pigs and raw pig material. In view of the recent reports of human infections in Malaysia, epidemiological data on the status of in the human population, especially among people working closely with pigs and/or raw pork, should be provided. The aim of this study was to detect among individuals working in the swine industry in several major pig production areas in Peninsular Malaysia.
MATERIALS AND METHODS
Demographic information, exposure determinants, and oral swabs were collected from swine personnel, including farmers, butchers, and veterinarians. Oral swabs were subjected to bacterial isolation and conventional polymerase chain reaction (PCR) assays for detection.
RESULTS
The study included 40 participants working in the swine industry, with a predominant representation of males (62.5%) and Malaysian Chinese individuals (60.0%) who consumed pork (92.5%). Notably, none of the participants reported consuming raw or partially cooked pork. In spite of their occupational exposure risk, none of the oral swabs showed positive results for infection.
CONCLUSION
To the best of our knowledge, this is the first report and detection study of using oral swabs obtained from swine personnel in Peninsular Malaysia.
PubMed: 38406356
DOI: 10.14202/vetworld.2024.1-7 -
Vaccines Jan 2024() is a zoonotic pathogen with multiple serotypes, and thus, multivalent vaccines generating cross-protection against infections are urgently needed to improve animal...
() is a zoonotic pathogen with multiple serotypes, and thus, multivalent vaccines generating cross-protection against infections are urgently needed to improve animal welfare and reduce antibiotic abuse. In this study, we established a systematic and comprehensive epitope prediction pipeline based on immunoinformatics. Ten candidate epitopes were ultimately selected for building the multi-epitope vaccine (MVSS) against infections. The ten epitopes of MVSS were all derived from highly conserved, immunogenic, and virulence-associated surface proteins in . In silico analyses revealed that MVSS was structurally stable and affixed with immune receptors, indicating that it would likely trigger strong immunological reactions in the host. Furthermore, mice models demonstrated that MVSS elicited high titer antibodies and diminished damages in serotype 2 and Chz infection, significantly reduced sequelae, induced cytokine transcription, and decreased organ bacterial burdens after triple vaccination. Meanwhile, anti-rMVSS serum inhibited five important serotypes in vitro, exerted beneficial protective effects against infections and significantly reduced histopathological damage in mice. Given the above, it is possible to develop MVSS as a universal subunit vaccine against multiple serotypes of infections.
PubMed: 38400121
DOI: 10.3390/vaccines12020137 -
Comparative Genome Analysis of Two Serotype 8 Strains Identifies Two New Virulence-Associated Genes.Animals : An Open Access Journal From... Feb 2024is an important zoonotic pathogen that can cause meningitis and septicemia in swine and humans. Among numerous pathogenic serotypes, serotype 8 has distinctive...
is an important zoonotic pathogen that can cause meningitis and septicemia in swine and humans. Among numerous pathogenic serotypes, serotype 8 has distinctive characteristics such as a high detection rate and causing multi-host infection. There is no complete genome of serotype 8 strains so far. In this study, the complete genome of two serotype 8 strains, virulent strain 2018WUSS151 and non-virulent strain WUSS030, were sequenced. Comparative genomic analysis showed that the homology of the two genomes reaches 99.68%, and the main difference is the distinctive prophages. There are 83 genes unique to virulent strain 2018WUSS151, including three putative virulence-associated genes (PVGs). Two PVGs, and are passenger genes in ISSsu2 family transposons that are able to form circular DNA intermediates during transposition, indicating the possibility of horizontal transmission among strains. The deletion mutant of PVGs or attenuated the virulence of serotype 2 virulent SC070731 in a mouse infection model, confirming their role in virulence. These findings contribute to clarifying the genomic characterization of serotype 8 and pathogenesis.
PubMed: 38396540
DOI: 10.3390/ani14040572 -
Medicine Feb 2024The epidemiology of acute bacterial meningitis varies among settings, areas, and times. This study aimed to determine the clinical characteristics, the causative...
The epidemiology of acute bacterial meningitis varies among settings, areas, and times. This study aimed to determine the clinical characteristics, the causative organisms and their antibiotic susceptibility, and the outcomes of patients with acute bacterial meningitis in Thai adults. This retrospective study included hospitalized patients aged ≥18 years diagnosed with acute bacterial meningitis at Siriraj Hospital during January 2002-December 2016. Of 390 patients, the median age was 48 years, 51% were male, and 80% had at least 1 underlying illness. Over half (54%) of patients had community-acquired bacterial meningitis (CBM), and 46% had nosocomial bacterial meningitis (NBM). The triad of acute bacterial meningitis (fever, headache, and neck stiffness) was found in 46% of CBM and 15% of NBM (P < .001). The causative organisms were identified in about half (53%) of patients. Most study patients (73%) received antibiotic treatment before the CSF collection. Causative organisms were identified more frequently in CBM (P < .001). Gram-positive cocci were more prevalent in CBM (P < .001), whereas Gram-negative bacilli were more common in NBM (P < .001). Streptococcus agalactiae (29%), Streptococcus pneumoniae (12%), and Streptococcus suis (11%) were most common in CBM, and all of them were sensitive to third-generation cephalosporins. Acinetobacter baumannii (19%), Klebsiella pneumoniae (16%), and Staphylococcus aureus (11%) were the most common organisms in NBM, and antibiotic-resistant isolates were frequently found among these organisms. Ceftriaxone monotherapy and meropenem plus vancomycin were the most common empiric antibiotic in CBM and NBM, respectively. Mortality was 19% among CBM and 23% among NBM (P = .338). HIV infection, alcoholism, pneumonia, shock, and disseminated intravascular coagulation were independent predictors of mortality. Mortality remains high among adults with acute bacterial meningitis in Thailand. A clinical practice guideline for acute bacterial meningitis should be developed that is based on local epidemiology and microbiology data.
Topics: Adult; Humans; Male; Adolescent; Middle Aged; Female; Thailand; Retrospective Studies; HIV Infections; Meningitis, Bacterial; Bacteria; Anti-Bacterial Agents; Tertiary Care Centers
PubMed: 38394527
DOI: 10.1097/MD.0000000000037301 -
Veterinary Sciences Feb 2024One of the main challenges for the sustainability and productivity of the Spanish swine industry is health instability, resulting in significant economic losses....
One of the main challenges for the sustainability and productivity of the Spanish swine industry is health instability, resulting in significant economic losses. Information on the main swine diseases which affect the Spanish pig industry could help in optimizing the efforts within control programs. This study determined the frequency of occurrence of the main diseases in Spain and the main control tool used, based on perceptions from veterinarians and consultants in a specific survey. Results showed that () , and coccidia are the most frequent pathogens in the gestation and lactation phase, whereas the most important were Porcine Reproductive and Respiratory Syndrome virus (PRRSV). In the nursery phase, the most frequent were , and PRRSV, the latter being the most important for the participants. Finally, in the fattening phase, PRRSV and were the most frequent and important pathogen, respectively. Statistical differences among responses were detected with respect to the location and the gestation and lactation phases by farm size. Regarding the tools used for controlling the diseases, vaccination was the main strategy in all production phases, except in the fattening period, in which antibiotherapy was the most common response from the participants. Finally, the improvement of management practices was the most proposed tool, suggesting its importance within control programs.
PubMed: 38393102
DOI: 10.3390/vetsci11020084