ABSTRACT
Background: Much controversies have been associated with the pathogenicity of Mycoplasma hominis but little has been done to unravel the mystery behind the different views. This study aimed at investigating the genetic variants abounding within M. hominis and the distribution of the virulent genes among the variants. Methodology: Twenty (20) M. hominis isolates from high vaginal swabs of women (11 from pregnant women and 9 from women presenting with infertility) attending the Obstetrics and Gynaecology clinics of Nnamdi Azikiwe University Teaching Hospital (NAUTH), Nnewi, Nigeria, were sequenced using 16S rRNA universal gene target for the purpose of phylogenetic analysis and epidemiological typing. The isolates were also screened for the presence of M. hominis variable adherence antigen (vaa) and p120 virulent genes using primer constructs from the respective genes in a conventional PCR protocol. Results: Of the 20 M. hominis vaginal isolates, 4 phylogenetic strains were detected; strain MHS43 constituted 10/20 (50.0%) [2/9 (22.2%) from infertile women and 8/11 (72.7%) from pregnant women]; strain MHBS constituted 3/20 (15%) [3/9 (33.3%) from infertile women and 0/11 (0%) from pregnant women]; strain MHSWP2 constituted 4/20 (20.0%) [3/9 (33.3%) from infertile women and 1/11 (9.1%) from pregnant women]; while strain MHKC87 constituted 3/20 (15%) [1/9 (11.1%) from infertile women and 2/11 (18.2%) from pregnant women].Each of vaa and p120 genes was detected in 14 of 20 isolates, while 6 isolates did not carry the genes. A 2-way ANOVA test showed that none of the genes was significantly associated with a particular strain (p=0.8641). Conclusions: The different views regarding the pathogenicity of M. hominis may be linked to the heterogeneity within the species and lack of homogeneity in the virulent genes as witnessed both in the intra species and intra strain levels.
Subject(s)
Humans , Mycoplasma hominis , Virulence Factors , Sprains and Strains , Virulence , Population Characteristics , Pregnant WomenABSTRACT
Background: Pig production in Uganda is highly constrained by rampant piglet mortalities with diarrhea being a key feature. The present study was conducted to determine possible involvement of Escherichia coli (E. coli) as agents of diarrhea in piglets and elucidate the factors for their spread and virulence, towards development of mitigation strategies in the smallholder pig value chains in Uganda. Methodology: This was a cross-sectional study carried out from January to August 2020 on pre- and post-weaned piglets from households in Kayunga and Mityana districts of Central Uganda, selected by snowballing method to redundancy. Data about herd management and risk factors for colibacillosis were collected from selected farmers in the two districts. A total of 179 faecal samples were collected from randomly selected neonatal and pre-weaning piglets for bacteriological isolation of Escherichia coli. Virulence (enterotoxin and fimbrial) genes from the isolates were detected by multiplex polymerase chain reaction (PCR) assay. Results: From the 179 faecal samples, a total of 158 (88.3%) E. coli isolates were obtained. Virulence gene markers were detected in 18.4% (29/158) of the isolates. Among the investigated genes encoding for enterotoxin production, STb was the most prevalent (16/158, 10.13%), followed by STa (12/158, 7.59%), while gene for LT was not detected. The gene coding for F4 adhesin was the only one detected while F18 adhesin was not detected from the isolates. On multiple logistic regression analysis, only tertiary educational level (OR=0.141; 95% CI=0.30-0.666; p=0.013) and infrequent use of antibiotics (OR=0.231, 95% CI=0.062-0.859; p=0.029) among the farmers, were the two factors significantly protective of the piglets from diarrhoea. Conclusion: This study reports a high prevalence of enterotoxin gene markers among E. coli isolates in piglets and revealed the potential role of these bacteria in the aetiology of piglet diarrhoea and mortalities in Uganda. Additionally, this study identified risk factors that can be useful in formulating treatment and control strategies of infection caused by these bacteria. Further studies are needed to identify more adhesins these E. coli isolates employ for intestinal colonization, a step that will help inform vaccine development.
Subject(s)
Humans , Drug Resistance, Microbial , Virulence Factors , Diarrhea , Escherichia coli , UgandaABSTRACT
This study determined E. coli resistance to commonly used antibiotics together with their virulence properties in Ile-Ife; Nigeria. A total of 137 E. coli isolates from cases of urinary tract infection were tested for their sensitivity to commonly used antibiotics and possession of virulence factors using standard methods. Their ability to transfer resistance was also determined. The isolates demonstrated a high and widespread resistance (51.1 to 94.3) to all the antibiotics used except Nitrofurantoin (7.3). A total of 50 (36.5 ) of the isolates were resistant to 10 of the eleven antibiotics employed. Sixty three per cent (63) of the 107 trimethoprim resistant E. coli transferred their resistances while amoxicillin; gentamycin; augmentin; tetracycline and erythromycin were co-transferred with trimethoprim. Fifty one (37.2) of these multi-resistant isolates possessed one or more virulent factors. The study concluded that urinary tract infection due to E. coli in Ile-Ife may be difficult to treat empirically except with nitrofurantoin; due to high resistance to commonly used antibiotics. It is imperative that culture and susceptibility tests be carried out on infecting pathogen prior to treatment; in order to avoid treatment failure and reduce selective pressure that could result in the spread of uropathogenic E. coli in the environment
Subject(s)
Anti-Bacterial Agents , Drug Resistance, Microbial/drug effects , Escherichia coli , Urinary Tract Infections , Virulence Factors/therapeutic useABSTRACT
L'objectif de cette etude etait de determiner la prevalence de Escherichia coli enteropathogenes (ECEP) dans le lait non pasteurise. Un total de 207 echantillons ont ete analyses pour l'identification de E. coli. Les souches ont ete caracterisees par reaction de polymerisation en chaine (PCR) pour la detection des genes eaeA et bfp et un test a ete effectue sur lignee cellulaire Hep-2 pour la determination des phenotypes d'adhesion caracteristiques. La prevalence des E. coli presentant des genes de virulence dans le lait non Pasteurise est de 3;4(7 souches). La frequence des ECEP typiques (eaeA; bfp) est de 1;2. Les ECEP atypiques (eaeA+; bfp-) ont ete reveles dans 1;6des souches. Une adhesion localisee aux cellules Hep-2 a ete observee chez 3 (43) des souches possedant des facteurs de virulence. Le lait non pasteurise represente un facteur de risque de developpement d'infection a ECEP chez les enfants consommateurs