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Acta Veterinaria Scandinavica Apr 2024Benzalkonium chloride (BAC) is a quaternary ammonium compound (QAC), that can be found in a wide variety of household products-from disinfectants to medicaments and home... (Review)
Review
BACKGROUND
Benzalkonium chloride (BAC) is a quaternary ammonium compound (QAC), that can be found in a wide variety of household products-from disinfectants to medicaments and home fragrances-but also professional products. In pets, cats have long been reported as more sensitive than dogs to QACs; in fact, signs of irritation such as oral ulcerations, stomatitis and pharyngitis can be observed after contact with concentrations of 2% or lower. In a review of 245 cases of BAC exposure in cats, reported by the Veterinary Poisons Information Service (United Kingdom) only 1.2% of the cases died or were euthanized. Nevertheless, BAC toxidromes in cats can result in transitory CNS and respiratory distress, as well as severe mucosal and cutaneous lesions. Currently, only a few reports are available concerning BAC poisoning in this species.
CASE PRESENTATION
A 4 month-old kitten presented with severe glossitis, lameness in the hindlimbs and episodes of vomiting and diarrhoea. The cause was unknown until the owners reported use of a BAC-containing mould remover (5%) 4 days later. The patient developed severe oral burns requiring a pharyngeal tube for feeding and severe cutaneous chemical burns. The kitten was managed with supportive therapy and required hospitalization for 10 days. The symptoms disappeared completely 3 weeks after exposure.
CONCLUSIONS
BAC is a very common compound contained in several household and professional products but, to the best of our knowledge, no previous case had been reported in Italy. We hope that this report will help raise awareness on the hazards of BAC products for cats in both domestic and work contexts.
Topics: Cats; Animals; Female; Dogs; Benzalkonium Compounds; Quaternary Ammonium Compounds; Disinfectants; Italy
PubMed: 38622748
DOI: 10.1186/s13028-024-00737-x -
The Science of the Total Environment Jun 2024Streptococcus pyogenes, Group A Streptococcus (GAS), is a human pathogen that causes a spectrum of diseases from mild to severe, including GAS pharyngitis, a common...
Group A Streptococcus pyogenes in wastewater: Applicability of wastewater-based epidemiology for monitoring the prevalence of GAS pharyngitis during the late COVID-19 pandemic phase.
Streptococcus pyogenes, Group A Streptococcus (GAS), is a human pathogen that causes a spectrum of diseases from mild to severe, including GAS pharyngitis, a common acute respiratory disease in developed countries. Although wastewater-based epidemiology (WBE) has been extensively used to monitor viral pathogens such as severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2, its applicability to S. pyogenes remains unexplored. This study was conducted to investigate the feasibility of detecting and quantifying S. pyogenes in wastewater by quantitative polymerase chain reaction (qPCR) and evaluate the applicability of WBE for monitoring the prevalence of GAS pharyngitis. A total of 52 grab influent samples were collected from a wastewater treatment plant in Japan once a week between March 2023 and February 2024. The samples were centrifuged, followed by nucleic acid extraction and qPCR for the S. pyogenes-specific genes speB and spy1258. Of the 52 samples, 90 % and 81 % were positive for speB and spy1258 genes, respectively, indicating the feasibility of S. pyogenes for wastewater surveillance. However, the percentage of quantifiable samples for speB gene was significantly higher in winter than in spring and summer. Similarly, the concentrations of both genes in wastewater samples were significantly higher in winter (speB, 4.1 ± 0.27 log copies/L; spy1258, 4.1 ± 0.28 log copies/L; One-way ANOVA, p < 0.01) than in spring and summer. Higher concentrations and detection ratios of S. pyogenes genes were observed during increased GAS pharyngitis cases in the catchment. Significant moderate correlations were observed between target gene concentrations and reported GAS pharyngitis cases. This study enhances the understanding role of WBE in monitoring and managing infectious diseases within communities.
Topics: Streptococcus pyogenes; Wastewater; COVID-19; Pharyngitis; Humans; Japan; Streptococcal Infections; SARS-CoV-2; Wastewater-Based Epidemiological Monitoring; Prevalence
PubMed: 38621526
DOI: 10.1016/j.scitotenv.2024.172447 -
European Journal of Clinical... Jun 2024Fusobacterium necrophorum is a common cause of pharyngotonsillitis. However, no guidelines exist on when to diagnose or treat it. We aimed to investigate associations... (Observational Study)
Observational Study
OBJECTIVES
Fusobacterium necrophorum is a common cause of pharyngotonsillitis. However, no guidelines exist on when to diagnose or treat it. We aimed to investigate associations between clinical criteria and F. necrophorum-positivity in pharyngotonsillitis and assess the predictive potential of a simple scoring system.
METHODS
Pharyngotonsillitis patients who were tested for F. necrophorum (PCR) and presented to hospitals in the Skåne Region, Sweden, between 2013-2020 were eligible. Data were retrieved from electronic chart reviews and registries. By logistic regression we investigated associations between F. necrophorum-positivity and pre-specified criteria: age 13-30 years, symptom duration ≤ 3 days, absence of viral symptoms (e.g. cough, coryza), fever, tonsillar swelling/exudate, lymphadenopathy and CRP ≥ 50 mg/L. In secondary analyses, associated variables were weighted by strength of association into a score and its predictive accuracy of F. necrophorum was assessed.
RESULTS
Among 561 cases included, 184 (33%) had F. necrophorum, which was associated with the following criteria: age 13-30, symptom duration ≤ 3 days, absence of viral symptoms, tonsillar swelling/exudate and CRP ≥ 50 mg/L. Age 13-30 had the strongest association (OR5.7 95%CI 3.7-8.8). After weighting, these five variables had a sensitivity and specificity of 68% and 71% respectively to predict F. necrophorum-positivity at the proposed cut-off.
CONCLUSION
Our results suggest that F. necrophorum cases presenting to hospitals might be better distinguished from other pharyngotonsillitis cases by a simple scoring system presented, with age 13-30 being the strongest predictor for F. necrophorum. Prospective studies, involving primary care settings, are needed to evaluate generalisability of findings beyond cases presenting to hospitals.
Topics: Humans; Fusobacterium necrophorum; Sweden; Fusobacterium Infections; Male; Adolescent; Female; Adult; Tonsillitis; Young Adult; Pharyngitis; Middle Aged; Hospitals; Aged
PubMed: 38609699
DOI: 10.1007/s10096-024-04827-6 -
MBio May 2024Among genes present in all group A streptococci (GAS), those encoding M-fibril and T-pilus proteins display the highest levels of sequence diversity, giving rise to the...
Among genes present in all group A streptococci (GAS), those encoding M-fibril and T-pilus proteins display the highest levels of sequence diversity, giving rise to the two primary serological typing schemes historically used to define strain. A new genotyping scheme for the pilin adhesin and backbone genes is developed and, when combined with typing, provides an account of the global GAS strain population. Cluster analysis based on nucleotide sequence similarity assigns most T-serotypes to discrete pilin backbone sequence clusters, yet the established T-types correspond to only half the clusters. The major pilin adhesin and backbone sequence clusters yield 98 unique combinations, defined as "pilin types." Numerous horizontal transfer events that involve pilin or genes generate extensive antigenic and functional diversity on the bacterial cell surface and lead to the emergence of new strains. Inferred pilin genotypes applied to a meta-analysis of global population-based collections of pharyngitis and impetigo isolates reveal highly significant associations between pilin genotypes and GAS infection at distinct ecological niches, consistent with a role for pilin gene products in adaptive evolution. Integration of and pilin typing into open-access online tools (pubmlst.org) ensures broad utility for end-users wanting to determine the architecture of M-fibril and T-pilus genes from genome assemblies.IMPORTANCEPrecision in defining the variant forms of infectious agents is critical to understanding their population biology and the epidemiology of associated diseases. Group A (GAS) is a global pathogen that causes a wide range of diseases and displays a highly diverse cell surface due to the antigenic heterogeneity of M-fibril and T-pilus proteins which also act as virulence factors of varied functions. genotyping is well-established and highly utilized, but there is no counterpart for pilin genes. A global GAS collection provides the basis for a comprehensive pilin typing scheme, and online tools for determining and pilin genotypes are developed. Application of these tools reveals the expansion of structural-functional diversity among GAS via horizontal gene transfer, as evidenced by unique combinations of surface protein genes. Pilin and genotype correlations with superficial throat vs skin infection provide new insights on the molecular determinants underlying key ecological and epidemiological trends.
Topics: Streptococcus pyogenes; Genetic Variation; Humans; Genotype; Recombination, Genetic; Bacterial Outer Membrane Proteins; Fimbriae Proteins; Gene Transfer, Horizontal; Antigens, Bacterial; Streptococcal Infections; Impetigo; Pharyngitis; Fimbriae, Bacterial; Carrier Proteins
PubMed: 38587426
DOI: 10.1128/mbio.00693-24 -
IJID Regions Jun 2024The article presents a rare case of human invasion by the trematode in the European part of Russia. The diagnosis was established based on a parasitological study of...
The article presents a rare case of human invasion by the trematode in the European part of Russia. The diagnosis was established based on a parasitological study of flukes removed from the tonsils and pharynx of a 42-year-old woman, a resident of the Tambov region of Russia.
PubMed: 38577555
DOI: 10.1016/j.ijregi.2024.03.001 -
Frontiers in Immunology 2024is a Gram-positive pathogen that causes a significant global burden of skin pyoderma and pharyngitis. In some cases, infection can lead to severe invasive streptococcal...
INTRODUCTION
is a Gram-positive pathogen that causes a significant global burden of skin pyoderma and pharyngitis. In some cases, infection can lead to severe invasive streptococcal diseases. Previous studies have shown that IL-17 deficiency in mice (IL-17) can reduce clearance from the mucosal surfaces. However, the effect of IL-17 on the development of severe invasive streptococcal disease has not yet been assessed.
METHODS
Here, we modeled single or repeated non-lethal intranasal (IN) M1 strain infections in immunocompetent and IL-17 mice to assess bacterial colonization following a final IN or skin challenge.
RESULTS
Immunocompetent mice that received a single infection showed long-lasting immunity to subsequent IN infection, and no bacteria were detected in the lymph nodes or spleens. However, in the absence of IL-17, a single IN infection resulted in dissemination of to the lymphoid organs, which was accentuated by repeated IN infections. In contrast to what was observed in the respiratory mucosa, skin immunity did not correlate with the systemic levels of IL-17. Instead, it was found to be associated with the activation of germinal center responses and accumulation of neutrophils in the spleen.
DISCUSSION
Our results demonstrated that IL-17 plays a critical role in preventing invasive disease following infection of the respiratory tract.
Topics: Animals; Mice; Interleukin-17; Monitoring, Immunologic; Respiratory Mucosa; Streptococcal Infections; Streptococcus pyogenes
PubMed: 38576622
DOI: 10.3389/fimmu.2024.1351777 -
European Review For Medical and... Mar 2024The present study aimed to compare the effect of topical laryngeal lidocaine with intravenous lidocaine before endotracheal intubation on the incidence and severity of... (Randomized Controlled Trial)
Randomized Controlled Trial
OBJECTIVE
The present study aimed to compare the effect of topical laryngeal lidocaine with intravenous lidocaine before endotracheal intubation on the incidence and severity of postoperative sore throat, hoarseness, and cough.
PATIENTS AND METHODS
This prospective randomized controlled study enrolled 144 patients undergoing laparoscopic cholecystectomy with endotracheal intubation. The patients were randomized to three groups and received 2% lidocaine by topical laryngeal spray (group T), intravenous 2% lidocaine (group I), and the equivalent volume of intravenous saline (group C) before intubation. The incidence and severity of sore throat, hoarseness, and cough reaction at 0.5, 1, 6, and 24 h after extubation were collected.
RESULTS
The incidence of sore throat was significantly lower in group T than in groups I and C (6.4% vs. 37.2% and 86.7%, p < 0.001), respectively at 0.5 h after extubation, and it was significantly lower in group I than that in group C (37.2% vs. 86.7%, p < 0.001). Both the incidence of hoarseness and cough were significantly lower in group T than in group I and in group C (14.9% vs. 97.7% and 97.8%, p < 0.001, and 19.1% vs. 72.0% and 93.3%, p < 0.001), respectively. The severity of sore throat, hoarseness and cough in group T was significantly lower than that in group I and that in group C (p < 0.05), and it was significantly lower in group I than in group C (p < 0.05).
CONCLUSIONS
Both topical laryngeal lidocaine and intravenous lidocaine before intubation have positive effects on preventing sore throat. Topical laryngeal route was superior to intravenous route. Chictr.org.cn ID: ChiCTR2100042442.
Topics: Humans; Airway Extubation; Anesthetics, Local; Cough; Hoarseness; Intubation, Intratracheal; Lidocaine; Pharyngitis; Postoperative Complications; Prospective Studies
PubMed: 38567609
DOI: 10.26355/eurrev_202403_35756 -
Medicine Mar 2024Acute pharyngitis (AP) refers to the acute inflammation of the pharynx, characterized by swelling and pain in the throat. Shuangyang houbitong granules (SHG), a...
BACKGROUND
Acute pharyngitis (AP) refers to the acute inflammation of the pharynx, characterized by swelling and pain in the throat. Shuangyang houbitong granules (SHG), a traditional Chinese medicine compound, have been found to be effective in providing relief from symptoms associated with AP.
METHODS
The chemical components of SHG were screened using Traditional Chinese Medicine Systems Pharmacology database, HERB database, and China National Knowledge Infrastructure. The targets of the granules were predicted using SwissTargetPrediction database. A network was constructed based on the targets of AP obtained from Genecards database, and protein-protein interaction analysis was performed on the intersection targets using STRING database. Key targets were screened for Gene Ontology and Kyoto Encyclopedia of Genes and Genomes enrichment analysis, and the binding activity of components and targets was predicted using AutoDockTools-1.5.7.
RESULTS
A total of 65 components of SHG that met the screening criteria were retrieved, resulting in 867 corresponding targets. Additionally, 1086 AP target genes were retrieved, and 272 gene targets were obtained from the intersection as potential targets for SHG in the treatment of AP. Molecular docking results showed that the core components genkwanin, acacetin, apigenin, quercetin can stably bind to the core targets glyceraldehyde 3-phosphate dehydrogenase, interleukin 6, tumor necrosis factor, serine/threonine protein kinase, tumor protein 53, and epidermal growth factor receptor.
CONCLUSION
The research results preliminarily predict and verify the mechanism of action of SHG in the treatment of AP, providing insights for further in-depth research.
Topics: Humans; Molecular Docking Simulation; Network Pharmacology; Pharyngitis; Pharynx; Neck; Drugs, Chinese Herbal; Medicine, Chinese Traditional
PubMed: 38552049
DOI: 10.1097/MD.0000000000037674 -
Frontiers in Pharmacology 2024In clinical practice, antibiotics and/or inhaled or oral hormone preparations are the first line of treatment for chronic pharyngitis. However, this therapeutic regimen...
In clinical practice, antibiotics and/or inhaled or oral hormone preparations are the first line of treatment for chronic pharyngitis. However, this therapeutic regimen is not satisfactory enough. At present, medicinal plants as dietary supplements or functional foods are widely recognized for the treatment and prevention of different diseases. This study aimed to evaluate the efficacy of the botanical lozenge made from several medicinal plant extracts in the treatment of chronic pharyngitis and its effects on patients' illness perception and adherence to treatment. Patients with chronic pharyngitis were randomly assigned to the experimental group (n = 52) or the control group (n = 51). Patients were given botanical lozenges prepared from the extracts of medicinal plants such as (Swingle) C. Jeffrey ex A.M.Lu and Zhi Y. Zhang [Cucurbitaceae; Siraitiae fructus], Thunb [Caprifoliaceae; Lonicerae japonicae flos], (Jacq.) A. DC [Campanulaceae; Platycodon radix], and Fisch. ex DC [Fabaceae; Glycyrrhizae radix et rhizoma] or placebos made of starch for 15 days. The improvement of pharyngeal symptoms and signs, illness perception, and adherence to treatment were evaluated at the end of the intervention. The total score of pharyngeal symptoms of patients in the experimental group (3.33 ± 2.33) was significantly lower than that in the control group (5.20 ± 2.93) ( < 0.01). In comparison to the control group (3.43 ± 1.43), the total pharyngeal signs score of patients in the experimental group (2.69 ± 1.59) was considerably lower ( 0.01). The improvement rates of pharyngeal itching, dry throat, pharyngeal foreign body sensation, aggravation due to excessive speaking, and congestion of pharyngeal mucosa in the experimental group were 73.81%, 67.50%, 67.57%, 65.22% and 44%, respectively, which were significantly higher than those in the control group ( 0.05). In addition, patients taking botanical lozenges had better illness perception and adherence to treatment than those taking placebos ( < 0.05). Patients with low adherence to treatment showed less personal control, concerns, and understanding of chronic pharyngitis ( < 0.05). Botanical lozenges not only aided patients in recovering from chronic pharyngitis but also improved their positive perceptions of the disease, which helped them adhere to their treatment regimen. : [https://www.chictr.org.cn/], identifier [ChiCTR2200062139].
PubMed: 38549665
DOI: 10.3389/fphar.2024.1162883 -
Vaccines Mar 2024Group A (GAS), or , is a gram-positive bacterium that extensively colonises within the human host. GAS is responsible for causing a range of human infections, such as... (Review)
Review
Group A (GAS), or , is a gram-positive bacterium that extensively colonises within the human host. GAS is responsible for causing a range of human infections, such as pharyngitis, impetigo, scarlet fever, septicemia, and necrotising fasciitis. GAS pathogens have the potential to elicit fatal autoimmune sequelae diseases (including rheumatic fever and rheumatic heart diseases) due to recurrent GAS infections, leading to high morbidity and mortality of young children and the elderly worldwide. Antibiotic drugs are the primary method of controlling and treating the early stages of GAS infection; however, the recent identification of clinical GAS isolates with reduced sensitivity to penicillin-adjunctive antibiotics and increasing macrolide resistance is an increasing threat. Vaccination is credited as the most successful medical intervention against infectious diseases since it was discovered by Edward Jenner in 1796. Immunisation with an inactive/live-attenuated whole pathogen or selective pathogen-derived antigens induces a potent adaptive immunity and protection against infectious diseases. Although no GAS vaccines have been approved for the market following more than 100 years of GAS vaccine development, the understanding of GAS pathogenesis and transmission has significantly increased, providing detailed insight into the primary pathogenic proteins, and enhancing GAS vaccine design. This review highlights recent advances in GAS vaccine development, providing detailed data from preclinical and clinical studies across the globe for potential GAS vaccine candidates. Furthermore, the challenges and future perspectives on the development of GAS vaccines are also described.
PubMed: 38543906
DOI: 10.3390/vaccines12030272