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Cureus Apr 2024We present the case of a 62-year-old immunocompromised man with ulcerative colitis, primary sclerosing cholangitis, and cirrhosis treated with azathioprine and...
We present the case of a 62-year-old immunocompromised man with ulcerative colitis, primary sclerosing cholangitis, and cirrhosis treated with azathioprine and ustekinumab who quickly developed invasive infection after incidental identification on routine paracentesis. The infection rapidly progressed from bacterial peritonitis to bacteremia and meningitis within three days. Treatment with ampicillin and trimethoprim/sulfamethoxazole was successful. We highlight the increased risk of invasive listeriosis in immunocompromised individuals, including those on biologic therapies, and the importance of considering as a pathogen from sterile sites even in asymptomatic patients.
PubMed: 38738136
DOI: 10.7759/cureus.58116 -
International Journal of Infectious... May 2024Listeria monocytogenes (LM) is a health treat worldwide given its high mortality and the growing of high-risk susceptible populations.
BACKGROUND
Listeria monocytogenes (LM) is a health treat worldwide given its high mortality and the growing of high-risk susceptible populations.
METHODS
All hospitalizations with a diagnosis of LM in the National Registry of Hospital Discharges were examined in Spain from 2000 to 2021.
RESULTS
A total of 8,152 hospital admissions with LM were identified. The mean age was 59.5 years and 48% were immunosuppressed (IS). The rate of LM hospitalizations increased from 5 per 1 million population in 2000 to 8.9 in 2021 (p<0.001). A foodborne outbreak in Andalusia determined a sharp increase of admissions with LM during 2019. The COVID-19 pandemic and lockdowns were associated with a fall in LM admissions. The overall in-hospital mortality was 16.7%. The number of deaths in patients hospitalized with LM rose from 7.8 per 100,000 deceased in 2000 to 18 in 2021 (p<0.001). After adjustment, age >65 years-old (Odds ratio [OR]=2.16), sepsis (OR=2.60), meningoencephalitis (OR=1.72), endocarditis (OR=2.0), neonatal listeriosis (OR=2.10) and IS (OR=2.09) were associated with mortality.
CONCLUSIONS
The number of patients hospitalized with LM in Spain has risen significantly from 2000 to 2021. The increase in the rate of admissions and deaths was largely driven by the growing proportion of elderly and of immunosuppressed patients.
PubMed: 38734058
DOI: 10.1016/j.ijid.2024.107089 -
Foods (Basel, Switzerland) Apr 2024is the causative agent of listeriosis, a severe foodborne illness characterized by septicemia, meningitis, encephalitis, abortions, and occasional death in infants and...
is the causative agent of listeriosis, a severe foodborne illness characterized by septicemia, meningitis, encephalitis, abortions, and occasional death in infants and immunocompromised individuals. is composed of four genetic lineages (I, II, III, and IV) and fourteen serotypes. The aim of the current study was to identify proteins that can serve as biomarkers for detection of genetic lineage III strains based on simple antibody-based methods. Liquid chromatography (LC) with electrospray ionization tandem mass spectrometry (ESI MS/MS) followed by bioinformatics and computational analysis were performed on three strains (NRRL B-33007, NRRL B-33014, and NRRL B-33077), which were used as reference strains for lineages I, II, and III, respectively. Results from ESI MS/MS revealed 42 unique proteins present in NRRL B-33077 and absent in NRRL B-33007 and NRRL B-33014 strains. BLAST analysis of the 42 proteins against a broader panel of >80 sequenced strains from lineages I and II revealed four proteins [TM2 domain-containing protein (NRRL B-33077_2770), DUF3916 domain-containing protein (NRRL B-33077_1897), DNA adenine methylase (NRRL B-33077_1926), and protein RhsA (NRRL B-33077_1129)] that have no homology with any sequenced strains in lineages I and II. The four genes that encode these proteins were expressed in strain DE3 and purified. Polyclonal antibodies were prepared against purified recombinant proteins. ELISA using the polyclonal antibodies against 12 lineage I, II, and III isolates indicated that TM2 protein and DNA adenine methylase (Dam) detected all lineage III strains with no reaction to lineage I and II strains. In conclusion, two proteins including TM2 protein and Dam are potentially useful biomarkers for detection and differentiation of lineage III strains in clinical, environmental, and food processing facilities. Furthermore, these results validate the approach of using a combination of proteomics and bioinformatics to identify useful protein biomarkers.
PubMed: 38731673
DOI: 10.3390/foods13091302 -
Euro Surveillance : Bulletin Europeen... May 2024is a bacterium widely distributed in the environment. Listeriosis is a severe disease associated with high hospitalisation and mortality rates. In April 2019,...
is a bacterium widely distributed in the environment. Listeriosis is a severe disease associated with high hospitalisation and mortality rates. In April 2019, listeriosis was diagnosed in two hospital patients in Finland. We conducted a descriptive study to identify the source of the infection and defined a case as a person with a laboratory-confirmed serogroup IIa sequence type (ST) 37. Six cases with ST 37 were notified to the Finnish Infectious Diseases Registry between 2015 and 2019. Patient interviews and hospital menus were used to target traceback investigation of the implicated foods. In 2021 and 2022, similar ST 37 was detected from samples of a ready-to-eat plant-based food product including fava beans. Inspections by the manufacturer and the local food control authority indicated that the food products were contaminated with after pasteurisation. Our investigation highlights the importance that companies producing plant-based food are subject to similar controls as those producing food of animal origin. Hospital menus can be a useful source of information that is not dependent on patient recall.
Topics: Humans; Listeria monocytogenes; Listeriosis; Disease Outbreaks; Finland; Food Microbiology; Female; Male; Foodborne Diseases; Middle Aged; Aged; Food Contamination; Adult; Fabaceae
PubMed: 38726694
DOI: 10.2807/1560-7917.ES.2024.29.19.2300488 -
BMC Infectious Diseases May 2024We report a very rare case of Listeria multiple brain abscesses manifested as delirium, which represented diagnostic and therapeutic challenges overcome only by the...
We report a very rare case of Listeria multiple brain abscesses manifested as delirium, which represented diagnostic and therapeutic challenges overcome only by the close cooperation between Infectious Diseases and Neuroradiology, without which a satisfactory outcome would not be achieved.An elderly man presented with confusion and drowsiness with a background of type-II diabetes mellitus. Although computed tomography of the brain only showed frontal lobe oedema, contrast magnetic resonance (MR) imaging showed numerous irregular rim-enhancing lesions containing central diffusion restriction, suggesting multiple pyogenic cerebral abscesses of unclear aetiology. Thereafter, Listeria monocytogenes was isolated from blood cultures, suggesting this as the causative organism. Deemed unsuitable for neurosurgical drainage, the patient received medical management with a protracted course of antibiotics. This case was extremely challenging, due to 1) the impossibility of source control, 2) the small number of effective antibiotics available to treat this condition, and 3) the inevitable antibiotic side-effects, derived from long-term exposure. A successful outcome was only possible thanks to strict close multidisciplinary follow up, requiring frequent MR imaging and a judicious antibiotic choice, including monitoring of their side-effects. Due to the rarity of this condition, there is lack of guidance on its management, hence the importance of multidisciplinary involvement with very close imaging and antibiotic monitoring.
Topics: Humans; Male; Brain Abscess; Listeriosis; Anti-Bacterial Agents; Listeria monocytogenes; Aged; Magnetic Resonance Imaging; Tomography, X-Ray Computed; Brain; Delirium
PubMed: 38720244
DOI: 10.1186/s12879-024-09295-z -
Listeria monocytogenes Contamination Leads to Survival and Growth During Enoki Mushroom Cultivation.Journal of Food Protection May 2024Two recent outbreaks of listeriosis have been linked to the consumption of enoki mushrooms. After the first outbreak, import sampling by the U.S. FDA identified that 43%...
Two recent outbreaks of listeriosis have been linked to the consumption of enoki mushrooms. After the first outbreak, import sampling by the U.S. FDA identified that 43% of the samples evaluated were positive for Listeria monocytogenes (Lm). These observations raised questions about the potential sources of Lm contamination of enoki mushrooms. One potential source of contamination is during enoki mushroom cultivation, as growing conditions are comparatively cool and moist to induce mushroom germination, to which Lm is well adapted. Two varieties of enoki mushrooms were evaluated to determine the potential for Lm to contaminate enoki cultures when introduced at various points during cultivation (inoculation, scraping, pinning, and collaring). The results of two trials showed that Lm established contamination and grew to similar levels in the substrate regardless of when Lm was introduced and, with one exception, did not alter the rate of mushroom generation to below the control. Enumeration of Lm in enoki mushroom cultures at harvest found an average contamination of 10 cfu/g, though the results were variable. Refrigerated storage for six weeks was found to result in an increase in Lm. Additionally, no statistically significant difference in the levels of Lm was observed based on proximity to the substrate, though levels of Lm in the different enoki samples correlated with levels of Lm in the substrate at harvest, but not at scraping. The ability of Lm to grow independently in the media used to culture enoki was assessed, and Lm was found to be unable to grow but could sporadically survive in Masters Mix. No growth of Lm was observed in potato dextrose broth, though growth could occur on the agar. Overall, the data indicate a high potential for the establishment of Lm contamination at any point during enoki cultivation to result in Lm-contaminated mushrooms. These data indicate a need for active control mechanisms to prevent the introduction of Lm to enoki cultures.
PubMed: 38701973
DOI: 10.1016/j.jfp.2024.100290 -
Swiss Medical Weekly May 2024Listeriosis is a notifiable disease in Switzerland. In summer 2022, the Swiss Federal Office of Public Health noticed an increase in reports of listeriosis cases,...
AIMS OF THE STUDY
Listeriosis is a notifiable disease in Switzerland. In summer 2022, the Swiss Federal Office of Public Health noticed an increase in reports of listeriosis cases, indicating a possible ongoing outbreak. Here we present the approaches applied for rapidly confirming the outbreak, detecting the underlying source of infection and the measures put in place to eliminate it and contain the outbreak.
METHODS
For close surveillance and early detection of outbreak situations with their possible sources, listeriosis patients in Switzerland are systematically interviewed about risk behaviours and foods consumed prior to the infection. Listeria monocytogenes isolates derived from patients in medical laboratories are sent to the National Reference Laboratory for Enteropathogenic Bacteria and Listeria, where they routinely undergo whole-genome sequencing. Interview and whole-genome sequencing data are continuously linked for comparison and analysis.
RESULTS
In summer 2022, 20 patient-derived L. monocytogenes serotype 4b sequence type 388 strains were found to belong to an outbreak cluster (≤10 different alleles between neighbouring isolates) based on core genome multilocus sequence typing analysis. Geographically, 18 of 20 outbreak cases occurred in northeastern Switzerland. The median age of patients was 77.4 years (range: 58.1-89.7), with both sexes equally affected. Rolling analysis of the interview data revealed smoked trout from a local producer as a suspected infection source, triggering an on-site investigation of the production facility and sampling of the suspected products by the responsible cantonal food inspection team on 15 July 2022. Seven of ten samples tested positive for L. monocytogenes and the respective cantonal authority ordered a ban on production and distribution as well as a product recall. The Federal Food Safety and Veterinary Office released a nationwide public alert covering the smoked fish products concerned. Whole-genome sequencing analysis confirmed the interrelatedness of the L. monocytogenes smoked trout product isolates and the patient-derived isolates. Following the ban on production and distribution and the product recall, reporting of new outbreak-related cases rapidly dropped to zero.
CONCLUSIONS
This listeriosis outbreak could be contained within a relatively short time thanks to identification of the source of contamination through the established combined approach of timely interviewing of every listeriosis patient or a representative and continuous molecular analysis of the patient- and food-derived L. monocytogenes isolates. These findings highlight the effectiveness of this well-established, joint approach involving the federal and cantonal authorities and the research institutions mandated to contain listeriosis outbreaks in Switzerland.
Topics: Humans; Switzerland; Disease Outbreaks; Listeria monocytogenes; Listeriosis; Whole Genome Sequencing; Male; Aged; Female; Aged, 80 and over; Multilocus Sequence Typing; Middle Aged; Food Microbiology; Foodborne Diseases; Interviews as Topic
PubMed: 38701492
DOI: 10.57187/s.3745 -
Journal of Controlled Release :... May 2024Although various types of mRNA-based vaccines have been explored, the optimal conditions for induction of both humoral and cellular immunity remain rather unknown. In...
Although various types of mRNA-based vaccines have been explored, the optimal conditions for induction of both humoral and cellular immunity remain rather unknown. In this study, mRNA vaccines of nucleoside-modified mRNA in lipoplexes (LPXs) or lipid nanoparticles (LNPs) were evaluated after administration in mice through different routes, assessing mRNA delivery, tolerability and immunogenicity. In addition, we investigated whether mRNA vaccines could benefit from the inclusion of the adjuvant alpha-galactosylceramide (αGC), an invariant Natural Killer T (iNKT) cell ligand. Intramuscular (IM) vaccination with ovalbumin (OVA)-encoding mRNA encapsulated in LNPs adjuvanted with αGC showed the highest antibody- and CD8 T cell responses. Furthermore, we observed that addition of signal peptides and endocytic sorting signals of either LAMP1 or HLA-B7 in the OVA-encoding mRNA sequence further enhanced CD8 T cell activation although reducing the induction of IgG antibody responses. Moreover, mRNA LNPs with the ionizable lipidoid C12-200 exhibited higher pro-inflammatory- and reactogenic activity compared to mRNA LNPs with SM-102, correlating with increased T cell activation and antitumor potential. We also observed that αGC could further enhance the cellular immunity of clinically relevant mRNA LNP vaccines, thereby promoting therapeutic antitumor potential. Finally, a Listeria monocytogenes mRNA LNP vaccine supplemented with αGC showed synergistic protective effects against listeriosis, highlighting a key advantage of co-activating iNKT cells in antibacterial mRNA vaccines. Taken together, our study offers multiple insights for optimizing the design of mRNA vaccines for disease applications, such as cancer and intracellular bacterial infections.
PubMed: 38697317
DOI: 10.1016/j.jconrel.2024.04.052 -
Acta Crystallographica. Section D,... May 2024CdaA is the most widespread diadenylate cyclase in many bacterial species, including several multidrug-resistant human pathogens. The enzymatic product of CdaA, cyclic...
CdaA is the most widespread diadenylate cyclase in many bacterial species, including several multidrug-resistant human pathogens. The enzymatic product of CdaA, cyclic di-AMP, is a secondary messenger that is essential for the viability of many bacteria. Its absence in humans makes CdaA a very promising and attractive target for the development of new antibiotics. Here, the structural results are presented of a crystallographic fragment screen against CdaA from Listeria monocytogenes, a saprophytic Gram-positive bacterium and an opportunistic food-borne pathogen that can cause listeriosis in humans and animals. Two of the eight fragment molecules reported here were localized in the highly conserved ATP-binding site. These fragments could serve as potential starting points for the development of antibiotics against several CdaA-dependent bacterial species.
Topics: Listeria monocytogenes; Crystallography, X-Ray; Binding Sites; Bacterial Proteins; Models, Molecular; Dinucleoside Phosphates; Anti-Bacterial Agents; Humans; Phosphorus-Oxygen Lyases; Protein Conformation
PubMed: 38682668
DOI: 10.1107/S205979832400336X -
Microorganisms Apr 2024is a ubiquitous pathogen found both in the environment and food. It can cause listeriosis in a wide range of animals as well as in humans. Investigations on presence,...
is a ubiquitous pathogen found both in the environment and food. It can cause listeriosis in a wide range of animals as well as in humans. Investigations on presence, spread and virulence are still limited to terrestrial and human environments. Embracing the One Health Approach, investigating the presence and spread of in marine ecosystems and among wildlife, would provide us with useful information for human health. This study investigated the presence of and spp. in two species of sea turtles common in the Mediterranean Sea ( and ). A total of one hundred and sixty-four carcasses of sea turtles ( = 161 and = 3) stranded along the Abruzzo, Molise, Campania, and Calabria coasts, were collected. Brain and fecal samples were taken, enriched, and cultured for the detection of spp. From the specimens collected, strains of (brain = 1, brain and feces = 1, multiorgan = 1 and feces = 1), (feces = 1 and brain = 1), and (brain = 1) were isolated. Typical colonies were isolated for Whole Genome Sequencing (WGS). Virulence genes, disinfectants/metal resistance, and antimicrobial resistance were also investigated. , and were detected in , whilst only and in . Notable among the results is the lack of significant differences in gene distribution between human and sea turtle strains. Furthermore, potentially pathogenic strains of were found in sea turtles.
PubMed: 38674761
DOI: 10.3390/microorganisms12040817