Background. Methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA) remains sensitive to vancomycin; when vancomycin-resistant S. aureus (VRSA) emerges, treatment becomes more complex. VRSA emergence is attributed to conjugative transfer of the vancomycin-resistance gene cluster from vancomycin-resistant enterococci (VRE) to MRSA. Because cocolonization with MRSA and VRE precedes VRSA development, this study investigates the epidemiology ...

In each of five sequential trials, laying hens (56-72 wk of age) were challenged with Salmonella and Campylobacter, and 1 wk postinoculation, the challenged hens (n = 3) were commingled with nonchallenged hens (n = 12) in conventional wire cages, on all-wire slats, or on all-shavings floor housing systems. After ...

Devices made from stretchable electronic materials could be incorporated into clothing or attached directly to the body. Such materials have typically been prepared by engineering conventional rigid materials such as silicon, rather than by developing new materials. Here, we report a class of wearable and stretchable devices fabricated from thin ...

Quantitative nanoindentation of nominally 7.5 and 600 μm tall vertically aligned carbon nanotube (VACNT) arrays is observed in situ within an SEM chamber. The 7.5 μm array consists of highly aligned and weakly interacting CNTs and deflects similarly to classically defined cylindrical columns, with deformation geometry and critical buckling force ...

A simple yet effective method for assembly of highly aligned nanowires (NWs) on stretchable substrates is reported. In this method, NWs were first transferred to a strained stretchable substrate. After the strain was released, the NWs aligned in the transverse direction and the area coverage of the NWs on the ...

Staphylokinase is one of virulence factors produced by Staphylococcus aureus strains. Producing it is associated with the presence of prophage in a bacterial cell which carries the sak gene. In this study, we examined the ability to produce staphylokinase by 257 S. aureus strains isolated from the inpatient and the ...

Aims:  The aim of this study was to isolate and characterize new bacteriophages that infect a wide range of plant pathogenic Ralstonia solanacearum strains. Methods and Results:  Fifteen bacteriophages were isolated from pepper, tomato and tobacco plant rhizospheres infected with R. solanacearum. A host specificity analysis of the isolated phages using ...

Seventeen virulent bacteriophages specific to Pseudomonas aeruginosa strains were isolated by screening various environmental samples. These isolated bacteriophages were grouped based on results obtained from restriction fragment analysis of phage genomes, random amplification of polymorphic DNA (RAPD) typing, morphology observations under transmission electron microscope, and host range analysis. All 17 ...

Subject-specific models were developed and finite element analysis was performed to observe the effect of the frontal plane tibiofemoral angle on the normal stress, Tresca shear stress and normal strain at the surface of the knee cartilage. Finite element models were created for three subjects with different tibiofemoral angle and ...

Phage production in response to antibiotics varied among four isolates of a Pseudomonas aeruginosa cystic fibrosis (CF) epidemic strain. Whereas ciprofloxacin induced higher levels of phage production, other CF-relevant antibiotics led to reduced production. We detected free phages directly in CF patient sputum samples by both plaque (40% positive) and ...

Thermus strains are regarded as models to investigate the mechanism of thermostability of thermophiles, and phages from Thermus are particularly interesting because of their way to regulate gene expression. In this research, a Thermus bacteriophage named TSP4 (Thermus Siphoviridae phage) was isolated from Tengchong hot springs in China, and characteristics ...

Staphylococcus aureus is one of the most devastating human pathogen. The organism has a differential ability to spread and cause outbreak of infections. Characterization of these strains is important to control the spread of infection in the hospitals as well as in the community. To identify the currently existing phage ...

Bacteriophages (viruses of bacteria) are currently considered a promising means of treating antibiotic-resistant infections. The main objective of this study was to evaluate the intensity of the whole-blood monocyte and neutrophil respiratory burst induced by purified preparations and lysates of the bacteriophages T4 and A3/R. While A3/R phage preparations did ...

We report the selection and amplification of the broad-host-range Salmonella phage phi PVP-SE1 in an alternative nonpathogenic host. The lytic spectrum and the phage DNA restriction profile were not modified upon replication in Escherichia coli Bl21, suggesting the possibility of producing this phage in a nonpathogenic host, contributing to the ...

Salmonella shedding in many livestock species can increase significantly after transport and lairage. Preprocessing increases in shedding can amplify the amount of Salmonella that enters the processing facility and the likelihood of end-product contamination. We previously produced an anti-Salmonella phage cocktail that reduced colonization in swine when the pigs were ...

The prevalence and nature of Shiga toxin (Stx)-producing Escherichia coli (STEC) and Stx phage were investigated in 720 swine fecal samples randomly collected from a commercial breeding pig farm in China over a 1-year surveillance period. Eight STEC O157 (1.1%), 33 STEC non-O157 (4.6%), and two stx-negative O157 (0.3%) isolates ...

Chronic bacterial prostatitis (CBP) is a long-lasting and crippling disease that strongly impacts the patient's quality of life. The diagnosis of CBP is difficult and the treatment regimens are not always successful. Poor penetration of antibiotics to the prostate tissue, the drug resistance of uropathogens, the adverse events associated with ...

In the present work, we compare the use of antibodies (Ab) and phages as bioreceptors for bacteria biosensing by Electrochemical Impedance Spectroscopy (EIS). With this aim, both biocomponents have been immobilised in parallel onto interdigitated gold microelectrodes. The produced surfaces have been characterised by EIS and Fourier Transform Infra-Red (FTIR) ...

Emergence of multidrug resistant strains has created serious problem for safe eradication of Staphylococcus aureus infections. Therefore, there is an urgent need to develop novel antibacterial agents to control this pathogen. Bacteriophages kill bacteria irrespective of their antibiotic sensitivity and thus they can be used as potent prophylactic/therapeutic agent to ...

The pathogenic role of nasal carriage as a source for cutaneous and soft-tissue Staphylococcus aureus (SA) infections, and Staphylococcal scalded skin syndrome (SSSS) in particular, is unclear. We herein describe a nosocomial outbreak of SSSS in three orthopaedic patients who received intra-articular injections by a single orthopaedic surgeon. Bacteriological samples ...

Natural outbreaks of multidrug-resistant microorganisms can cause widespread devastation, and several can be used or engineered as agents of bioterrorism. From a biosecurity standpoint, the capacity to detect and then efficiently control, within hours, the spread and the potential pathological effects of an emergent outbreak, for which there may be ...

Toxigenic Vibrio cholerae, the causative agent of the epidemic diarrheal disease cholera, interacts with diverse environmental bacteriophages. These interactions promote genetic diversity or cause selective enrichment of phage-resistant bacterial clones. To identify bacterial genes involved in mediating the phage-resistant phenotype, we screened a transposon insertion library of V. cholerae O1 ...

Multidrug-resistant strains of Acinetobacter baumannii (MDRAB) are increasingly being reported worldwide. Bacteriophage therapy is a potential alternative treatment for MDR bacterial infections. Although A. baumannii infection has been experimentally treated with phages, no MDRAB-specific phage has been characterized. In this study, 10 phages with differing host ranges and lysis efficacy ...

We have isolated and characterized two distinct types of exfoliative toxin A (ETA)-converting bacteriophages originating from Staphylococcus aureus strains responsible for massive outbreaks of pemphigus neonatorum in the Czech Republic. Three induced phages designated as ph iB531, phi B557 and phi B122 were found to be capable of transferring the ...

Salmonellosis was diagnosed in garden birds from 198 incidents in Scotland between September 1995 and August 2008. Salmonellosis was essentially a disease of finches in the north of Scotland, but in the south of Scotland it was also a problem in house sparrows. Almost all of the incidents were caused ...

Phages are now acknowledged as the most abundant microorganisms on the planet and are also possibly the most diversified. This diversity is mostly driven by their dynamic adaptation when facing selective pressure such as phage resistance mechanisms, which are widespread in bacterial hosts. When infecting bacterial cells, phages face a ...

In 2006, monophasic, multidrug-resistant Salmonella enterica spp. enterica serovar 4,[5],12:i:- strains appeared as a novel serotype in Germany, associated with large diffuse outbreaks and increased need for hospitalisation. The emerging 4,[5],12:i:- strains isolated from patients in Germany belong mainly to phage type DT193 according to the Anderson phage typing scheme ...

The past is never dead. It's not even past William Faulkner (1951). Bacteria can acquire heritable immunity to viral (phage) enemies by incorporating phage DNA into their own genome. This mechanism of anti-viral defence, known by the acronym CRISPR, simultaneously stores detailed information about current and past enemies and the ...

Four phages infectious to Mesorhizobium strains were identified in soil samples taken from local Robinia pseudoacacia stands. Based on their polyhedral heads and short noncontractile tails, three of the phages, Mlo30, Mam12, and Mam20, were assigned to group C of Bradley's classification, the Podoviridae family, while phage Mlo1, with its ...

Isolation rates in Canada of Salmonella enterica serovar Typhi increased from 0.29 to 0.55 isolations/100,000 population during 2000-2006. Although no ciprofloxacin resistance was detected, nalidixic acid resistance increased from 41% to 80%. Multidrug-resistant S. Typhi represented 18% of the strains tested. Pulsed-field gel electrophoresis (PFGE) analysis of 222 isolates resulted ...

Phage typing has for decades been useful as a phenotypical, definitive method for epidemiological characterisation of Salmonella Typhimurium. The system recommended by the World Health Organization (WHO) Collaborative Centre for phage typing of Salmonella has, however, become rather complex, and the present study illustrates the challenges of sufficient standardisation of ...

Roseobacter is a dominant lineage in the marine environment. This group of bacteria is diverse in terms of both their phylogenetic composition and their physiological potential. Roseobacter denitrificans OCh114 is one of the most studied bacteria of the Roseobacter lineage. Recently, a lytic phage (RDJLPhi1) that infects this bacterium was ...

A clonal population of pathogenic Vibrio parahaemolyticus O3 : K6 serovar has spread in coastal waters, causing outbreaks worldwide since 1996. Bacteriophage infection is one of the main factors affecting bacterial strain concentration in the ocean. We studied the occurrence and properties of phages infecting this V. parahaemolyticus pandemic strain ...

BACKGROUND: The most serious criticisms leveled at bacteriophage therapy are as follows: phages induce neutralizing antibodies, phages are active only when administered shortly after bacterial infection, and phage-resistant bacteria emerge rapidly in the course of therapy. METHODS: Phages lytic for several Salmonella enterica serovars were isolated by means of standard ...

Salmonella Typhimurium is frequently isolated from pigs and may also cause enteric disease in humans. In this study, 33 isolates of S. Typhimurium associated with septicemia in swine (CS) were compared to 33 isolates recovered from healthy animals at slaughter (WCS). The isolates were characterized using phenotyping and genotyping methods. ...

Considered the most abundant organism on Earth, at a population approaching 10(31), bacteriophage, or phage for short, mediate interactions with myriad bacterial hosts that has for decades been exploited in phage typing schemes for signature identification of clinical, food-borne, and water-borne pathogens. With over 5,000 phage being morphologically characterized and ...

In the presence of a bacteriophage (a bacteria-attacking virus) resistance is clearly beneficial to the bacteria. As expected in such conditions, resistant bacteria emerge rapidly. However, in the absence of the phage, resistant bacteria often display reduced fitness, compared to their sensitive counterparts. The present study explored the fitness cost ...

Phage therapy is the application of phages to bodies, substances, or environments to effect the biocontrol of pathogenic or nuisance bacteria. To be effective, phages, minimally, must be capable of attaching to bacteria (adsorption), killing those bacteria (usually associated with phage infection), and otherwise surviving (resisting decay) until they achieve ...

Phage therapy--application of bacteria-specific viruses to reduce densities of pathogenic or nuisance bacteria--is a two-step process involving phage penetration to target bacteria followed by bacteria killing. Any analysis of these steps is inherently ecological as they represent phage-environment interactions, i.e., between phages and bacteria as well as between phages and ...

Host range describes the breadth of organisms a parasite is capable of infecting, with limits on host range stemming from parasite, host, or environmental characteristics. Parasites can adapt to overcome host or environmental limitations, while hosts can adapt to control the negative impact of parasites. We consider these adaptations as ...

Phage therapy is the use of bacteriophages--viruses that use bacteria as their host cells--as biocontrol agents of bacteria. Currently, phage therapy is garnering renewed interest as bacterial resistance to antibiotics becomes widespread. Historically, phage therapy was largely abandoned in the West in the 1940s due to the advent of chemical ...

BACKGROUND: Acinetobacter baumannii is an emerging nosocomial pathogen worldwide with increasing prevalence of multi-drug and pan-drug resistance. A. baumannii exists widely in natural environment, especially in health care settings, and has been shown difficult to be eradicated. Bacteriophages are often considered alternative agent for controlling bacterial infection and contamination. In ...

Eleven Bacillus isolates from the surface and subsurface waters of the Gulf of Mexico were examined for their capacity to sporulate and harbor prophages. Occurrence of sporulation in each isolate was assessed through decoyinine induction, and putative lysogens were identified by prophage induction by mitomycin C treatment. No obvious correlation ...

Enterotoxigenic Escherichia coli (ETEC) is the most common bacterial cause of childhood diarrhoea in Bangladesh. Among the virulence factors of ETEC, toxins and colonization factors (CFs) play a major role in pathogenesis. Unlike Vibrio cholerae, the relationship between ETEC and ETEC-specific phages is poorly understood and the possible role of ...

The Lilleengen scheme for typing Salmonella enterica serovar Typhimurium consists of 12 tailed phages. Ten phages are podoviruses and morphologically identical to Salmonella phage P22. Two phages are siphoviruses and identical to flagella-specific phage chi.

Changes in the microbial community composition of a full-scale membrane bioreactor treating industrial wastewater were studied over a period of 462 days using a series of 16S rRNA gene clone libraries. Frequent changes in the relative abundance of specific taxonomic groups were observed, which could not be explained by changes ...

AIMS: Poultry meat is considered a major source of Campylobacter. This micro-aerobic bacterium is commonly responsible for foodborne illness. This work focuses on the isolation of Campylobacter coli lytic bacteriophages (phages) against target C. coli strains. METHODS AND RESULTS: A method involving the enrichment of free-range chicken samples in a ...

A new virulent phage (phiLdb) of Lactobacillus delbrueckii subsp. bulgaricus was isolated from a Chinese yogurt sample showing slow acidification. It belonged to the Siphoviridae family with an icosahedral capsid of 47.7+/-0.9 nm in diameter and a long tail of 129.8+/-2 nm. The genome of phage phiLdb was estimated to ...

TARGET OF THE STUDY: Strain typing of pathogens is essential to pinpoint the sources and routes of transmission and to forecast future trends. In a general hospital, we studied possible changes in the MRSA population. MRSA isolates received from a Belgian general hospital, during 2002 (n=150) and the second half ...

Diversity Arrays Technology (DArT) was applied to differentiate between S. enterica serovar Enteritidis and Typhimurium strains, respectively. Ten and eleven, mainly phage and plasmid-related markers were identified for serovars Enteritidis and Typhimurium. In combination, these markers can be used for subtyping among and within phage types.