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Genome Biology and Evolution Oct 2017Clostridium species (particularly Clostridium difficile, Clostridium botulinum, Clostridium tetani and Clostridium perfringens) are associated with a range of human and...
Clostridium species (particularly Clostridium difficile, Clostridium botulinum, Clostridium tetani and Clostridium perfringens) are associated with a range of human and animal diseases. Several other species including Clostridium tertium, Clostridium cadaveris, and Clostridium paraputrificum have also been linked with sporadic human infections, however there is very limited, or in some cases, no genomic information publicly available. Thus, we isolated one C. tertium strain, one C. cadaveris strain and three C. paraputrificum strains from preterm infants residing within neonatal intensive care units and performed Whole Genome Sequencing (WGS) using Illumina HiSeq. In this report, we announce the open availability of the draft genomes: C. tertium LH009, C. cadaveris LH052, C. paraputrificum LH025, C. paraputrificum LH058, and C. paraputrificum LH141. These genomes were checked for contamination in silico to ensure purity, and we confirmed species identity and phylogeny using both 16S rRNA gene sequences (from PCR and in silico) and WGS-based approaches. Average Nucleotide Identity (ANI) was used to differentiate genomes from their closest relatives to further confirm speciation boundaries. We also analysed the genomes for virulence-related factors and antimicrobial resistance genes, and detected presence of tetracycline and methicillin resistance, and potentially harmful enzymes, including multiple phospholipases and toxins. The availability of genomic data in open databases, in tandem with our initial insights into the genomic content and virulence traits of these pathogenic Clostridium species, should enable the scientific community to further investigate the disease-causing mechanisms of these bacteria with a view to enhancing clinical diagnosis and treatment.
Topics: Clostridium; Clostridium tertium; Feces; Genome, Bacterial; Humans; Infant, Newborn; Infant, Premature; Intensive Care Units, Neonatal; Phylogeny
PubMed: 29044436
DOI: 10.1093/gbe/evx210 -
International Journal of Infectious... Oct 2016Clostridium tertium is considered an uncommon pathogen in humans, but is a cause of bacteremia in patients with underlying hematological malignancies and neutropenia. A... (Review)
Review
OBJECTIVE
Clostridium tertium is considered an uncommon pathogen in humans, but is a cause of bacteremia in patients with underlying hematological malignancies and neutropenia. A case series highlighting 10 years of experience with C. tertium as a cause of bacteremia in this population is presented; the cases were seen at a National Cancer Institute designated cancer center.
METHODS
Institutional review board approval was obtained prior to the start of the study. All cases of C. tertium bacteremia seen at H. Lee Moffitt Cancer Center and Research Institute from 2005 to 2015 were reviewed. The study population was identified by positive blood cultures obtained from the microbiology laboratory over the same time period.
RESULTS
Seven patients were found to have had C. tertium bacteremia. These patients had a temperature of >38.3°C at the time of diagnosis and severe neutropenia. All patients had a history of hematological malignancy, five having acute myeloid leukemia and two having myelodysplastic syndrome. All of the patients' blood cultures cleared within ≤3 days of antibiotic therapy.
CONCLUSIONS
The unusual susceptibility pattern of C. tertium, with resistance to beta-lactams and clindamycin, likely explains its presence in immunosuppressed patients. Vancomycin remains the drug of choice. The pathogen continues to have a low virulence and a low mortality when treated appropriately.
Topics: Adult; Aged; Aged, 80 and over; Anti-Bacterial Agents; Bacteremia; Clostridium Infections; Clostridium tertium; Female; Hematologic Neoplasms; Humans; Immunocompromised Host; Male; Middle Aged; Neutropenia
PubMed: 27575937
DOI: 10.1016/j.ijid.2016.08.013 -
Virulence Dec 2019Some well-known Clostridiales species such as and are agents of high impact diseases worldwide. Nevertheless, other foreseen Clostridiales species have recently... (Comparative Study)
Comparative Study
Some well-known Clostridiales species such as and are agents of high impact diseases worldwide. Nevertheless, other foreseen Clostridiales species have recently emerged such as and . Three fecal isolates were identified as (Gcol.A2 and Gcol.A43) and (Gcol.A11) during public health screening for infections in Colombia. genomes were highly diverse and contained large numbers of accessory genes. Genetic diversity and accessory gene percentage were lower among the genomes than in the genomes. and toxins encoding homologous sequences and other potential virulence factors were also identified. interferase, a toxic component of the type II toxin-antitoxin system, was found among the genomes. was the only toxin encoding gene detected in Gcol.A43, the Colombian isolate with an experimentally-determined high cytotoxic effect. Gcol.A2 and Gcol.A43 had higher sporulation efficiencies than Gcol.A11 (84.5%, 83.8% and 57.0%, respectively), as supported by the greater number of proteins associated with sporulation pathways in the genomes compared with the genomes (33.3 and 28.4 on average, respectively). This work allowed complete genome description of two clostridiales species revealing high levels of intra-taxa diversity, accessory genomes containing virulence-factors encoding genes (especially in ), with proteins involved in sporulation processes more highly represented in . These finding suggest the need to advance in the study of those species with potential importance at public health level.
Topics: Bacterial Proteins; Clostridioides difficile; Clostridium Infections; Clostridium tertium; Colombia; Genetic Variation; Genome, Bacterial; Genomics; Humans; Virulence Factors
PubMed: 31304854
DOI: 10.1080/21505594.2019.1637699 -
Current Research in Microbial Sciences 2022Dental pulp, encapsulating a blood drop, could be used to diagnose pathogen bacteraemia in archaeological materials using DNA-based techniques. We questioned the...
BACKGROUND
Dental pulp, encapsulating a blood drop, could be used to diagnose pathogen bacteraemia in archaeological materials using DNA-based techniques. We questioned the viability of such ancient pathogens preserved in ancient dental pulp.
METHODS
After meticulous decontamination of 32 teeth collected from 31 World War I soldiers exhumed in Spincourt, France, dental pulps were extracted and cultured under strict anaerobiosis. Colonies were identified by mass spectrometry and whole genome sequencing. Fluorescent in situ hybridisation (FISH) was used for the direct microscopic detection of pathogens of interest in the dental pulp. All the experimental procedures included negative controls, notably sediments in contact with individual SQ517 to ensure that results did not arise from contamination.
FINDINGS
Clostridium tertium was detected by FISH in two dental pulp specimens taken from a 1914 soldier. After a two-day incubation period, both dental pulp samples grew colonies identified by mass spectrometry and genome sequencing as C. tertium; whereas negative controls remained free of C. tertium in all the observations, and no C. tertium was founded in sediments. Skeletal remains of this soldier exhibited two notches in the left tibia evocative of a cold steel wound, and a probably fatal unhealed bullet impact in the hip bone.
INTERPRETATION
Data indicated the presence of C. tertium in the dental pulp at the time of the death of one World War I soldier, in 1914. This observation diagnosed C. tertium bacteraemia, with war wounds as the probable portal of entry for C. tertium. Our C. tertium strains ante-dated by three years, the princeps description of this deadly opportunistic pathogen.
PubMed: 34984406
DOI: 10.1016/j.crmicr.2021.100089 -
Journal of Investigative Medicine High... 2017Spontaneous bacterial peritonitis (SBP) is a recognized cause of morbidity and mortality in cirrhotic patients. Enterobacteriaceae have been isolated from the majority...
Spontaneous bacterial peritonitis (SBP) is a recognized cause of morbidity and mortality in cirrhotic patients. Enterobacteriaceae have been isolated from the majority of peritonitis cases and the gram negative aerobe is the most commonly isolated organism. Anaerobic organisms are rarely isolated because of the high oxygen tension in ascetic fluid. We report a patient with a history of alcoholic cirrhosis who developed SBP and concurrent bacteremia with the anaerobe . The patient was successfully treated with intravenous antibiotics and was discharged home on oral ciprofloxacin. This case report is unique in that it is the fourth documented SBP case, utilized MALDI-TOF mass spectrometry for organism identification, and susceptibility testing for select antibiotics was performed.
PubMed: 28944228
DOI: 10.1177/2324709617731457 -
Frontiers in Microbiology 2024Mucins are large glycoproteins whose degradation requires the expression of several glycosil hydrolases to catalyze the cleavage of the oligosaccharide chains and...
Mucins are large glycoproteins whose degradation requires the expression of several glycosil hydrolases to catalyze the cleavage of the oligosaccharide chains and release monosaccharides that can be assimilated. In this study, we present a characterization on the strains WC0700, WC0709, and WC0705. These three strains were previously isolated from enrichment cultures on mucin of fecal samples from healthy subjects and can use mucin as sole carbon and nitrogen source. Genome analysis and functional analysis of these strains elucidated their physiological and biochemical features. WC0700 harbored the highest number of glycosyl hydrolases specific for mucin degradation, while WC0705 had the least. These predicted differences were confirmed growing the strains on 5 mucin-decorating monosaccharides (L-fucose, N-Acetylneuraminic acid, galactose, N-acetylgalactosamine, and N-acetylglucosamine) as only source of carbon. Fermenting mucin, they all produced formic, acetic, propionic, butyric, isovaleric, and lactic acids, and ethanol; acetic acid was the main primary metabolite. Further catabolic capabilities were investigated, as well as antibiotic susceptibility, biofilm formation, tolerance to oxygen and temperature. The potential pathogenicity of the strains was evaluated through research of virulence factors. The merge between comparative and functional genomics and biochemical/physiological characterization provided a comprehensive view of these mucin degraders, reassuring on the safety of these species and leaving ample scope for deeper investigations on the relationship with the host and for assessing if some relevant health-promoting effect could be ascribed to these SCFA producing species.
PubMed: 38511005
DOI: 10.3389/fmicb.2024.1359726 -
IDCases 2019A 43-year-old previously healthy man presented with altered mental status, diaphoresis, and fevers following a ruptured appendicitis and appendectomy. The patient had...
A 43-year-old previously healthy man presented with altered mental status, diaphoresis, and fevers following a ruptured appendicitis and appendectomy. The patient had growth of and in blood cultures and imaging of the abdomen revealed a large hepatic abscess. is an uncommon cause of bacteremia in non-neutropenic patients. There is currently no universally accepted treatment for bacteremia. We report successful treatment with ertapenem.
PubMed: 30976516
DOI: 10.1016/j.idcr.2019.e00510 -
BMC Pediatrics Dec 2021Osteomyelitis in immunocompromised children can present differently from immunocompetent children and can cause devastating sequelae if treated inadequately. We aim to... (Review)
Review
BACKGROUND
Osteomyelitis in immunocompromised children can present differently from immunocompetent children and can cause devastating sequelae if treated inadequately. We aim to review the aetiology, clinical profile, treatment and outcomes of immunocompromised children with osteomyelitis.
METHODS
Retrospective review of all immunocompromised children aged < 16 years and neonates admitted with osteomyelitis in our hospital between January 2000 and January 2017, and referred to the Paediatric Infectious Disease Service.
RESULTS
Fourteen patients were identified. There were 10 boys (71%), and the median age at admission was 70.5 months (inter-quartile range: 12.3-135.0 months). Causal organisms included, two were Staphylococcus aureus, two were Mycobacterium bovis (BCG), and one each was Mycobacterium tuberculosis, Pseudomonas aeruginosa, Stenotrophomonas maltophilia, Burkholderia pseudomallei and Rhizopus sp. One patient had both Clostridium tertium and Clostridium difficile isolated. Treatment involved appropriate antimicrobials for a duration ranging from 6 weeks to 1 year, and surgery in 11 patients (79%). Wherever possible, the patients received treatment for their underlying immunodeficiency. For outcomes, only three patients (21%) recovered completely. Five patients (36%) had poor bone growth, one patient had recurrent discharge from the bone and one patient had palliative care for underlying osteosarcoma.
CONCLUSIONS
Although uncommon, osteomyelitis in immunocompromised children and neonates can be caused by unusual pathogens, and can occur with devastating effects. Treatment involves prolonged administration of antibiotics and surgery. Immune recovery also seems to be an important factor in bone healing.
Topics: Anti-Bacterial Agents; Child; Humans; Infant, Newborn; Male; Mycobacterium bovis; Mycobacterium tuberculosis; Osteomyelitis; Retrospective Studies
PubMed: 34895166
DOI: 10.1186/s12887-021-03031-1 -
Journal of Medical Cases May 2022() is an aero-tolerant, gram-positive, endospore-forming, and non-exotoxin-producing bacillus that has colonized the gastrointestinal tract of animals and humans. It is...
() is an aero-tolerant, gram-positive, endospore-forming, and non-exotoxin-producing bacillus that has colonized the gastrointestinal tract of animals and humans. It is considered a rare pathogen of humans, possibly because of its low virulence. Most infections in the reviewed literatures were predominately reported among neutropenic hosts with hematological malignancies. A 66-year-old female patient with a past medical history of type II diabetes mellitus and chronic obstructive pulmonary disease was admitted with coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) that initially required non-invasive ventilation. The patient developed septic shock due to bacteremia. Computed tomography of the abdomen depicted free intraperitoneal gas and sigmoid colon perforation. Exploratory laparotomy revealed perforated sigmoid diverticulitis, and Hartmann's procedure was performed. The patient received a prolonged course of susceptibility-guided antibiotics to clear bacteremia. The authors described a rare case of bacteremia as a marker of underlying perforated colonic diverticulitis in a non-neutropenic patient with COVID-19 that necessitated operative procedure intervention for primary source control and an extended course of targeted antibiotic therapy to treat the infection. Our case reaffirmed the available literature that suggested the presence of bacteremia in non-neutropenic patients raises suspicion of an associated gastrointestinal tract pathology that should warrant a diagnostic workup to identify the infection source culprit.
PubMed: 35655631
DOI: 10.14740/jmc3916 -
IDCases 2022The species is a gram positive, anaerobic, rod-shaped microbe that is known to produce many toxins. Most infections by the species involve , , and . However, other...
BACKGROUND
The species is a gram positive, anaerobic, rod-shaped microbe that is known to produce many toxins. Most infections by the species involve , , and . However, other types of species are also clinically relevant, such as and .
CASE SUMMARY
We discuss a case of a 79-year-old patient with a past medical history of prostate cancer and alcohol abuse who presented to the hospital after being found down. They were admitted to the ICU for septic shock, and initial blood cultures grew , , and A CT of the abdomen and pelvis with IV contrast showed pneumoperitoneum and a loculated pericolic fluid collection concerning for colon perforation. Initially the patient had a benign abdominal exam, but later developed significant distention and tenderness that required an emergent exploratory laparotomy and total abdominal colectomy. The patient was found to have three separate colon perforations, and no malignancy on histopathology.
DISCUSSION
is a highly virulent pathogen, and there are several cases reporting -associated endocarditis, aortitis, and endophthalmitis It is also associated with colon and hematologic malignancies and neutropenia. Common risk factors for include immunocompromised status, neutropenia, hematologic malignancy, exposure to beta-lactam antibiotics, cirrhosis, and intestinal mucosal damage. It seems to have low virulence and low mortality when treated correctly. It is important that any patient found to have bacteremia be evaluated for a gastrointestinal source and treated promptly and appropriately.
PubMed: 35663607
DOI: 10.1016/j.idcr.2022.e01516