ABSTRACT
Incidence of invasive pneumococcal disease (IPD) has been low during the peak of the COVID-19 pandemic. In this study, we found that the IPD numbers again increased in Switzerland during the first six months of 2021 and that this coincides with the loosening of COVID-19 measures. Vaccine pneumococcal serotypes have continued to decrease and non-vaccine type serotype 23B has emerged (8% of the isolates in 2021). Worryingly, serotype 23B is associated with reduced susceptibility to penicillin.
Subject(s)
COVID-19/prevention & control , Pneumococcal Infections/epidemiology , SARS-CoV-2 , Streptococcus pneumoniae/classification , Drug Resistance, Bacterial , Humans , Pneumococcal Infections/microbiology , Pneumococcal Vaccines/immunology , Serotyping , Streptococcus pneumoniae/drug effects , Switzerland/epidemiologyABSTRACT
Advanced biomaterials provide an interesting and versatile platform to implement new and more effective strategies to fight bacterial infections. Chitosan is one of these biopolymers and possesses relevant features for biomedical applications. Here we synthesized nanoparticles of chitosan derivatized with diethylaminoethyl groups (ChiDENPs) to emulate the choline residues in the pneumococcal cell wall and act as ligands for choline-binding proteins (CBPs). Firstly, we assessed the ability of diethylaminoethyl (DEAE) to sequester the CBPs present in the bacterial surface, thus promoting chain formation. Secondly, the CBP-binding ability of ChiDENPs was purposed to encapsulate a bio-active molecule, the antimicrobial enzyme Cpl-711 (ChiDENPs-711), with improved stability over non-derivatized chitosan. The enzyme-loaded system released more than 90% of the active enzybiotic in ≈ 2 h, above the usual in vivo half-life of this kind of enzymes. Therefore, ChiDENPs provide a promising platform for the controlled release of CBP-enzybiotics in biological contexts.
Subject(s)
Anti-Bacterial Agents/pharmacology , Biomimetic Materials/chemistry , Chitosan/analogs & derivatives , Drug Carriers/chemistry , Endopeptidases/pharmacology , Nanoparticles/chemistry , A549 Cells , Anti-Bacterial Agents/chemistry , Bacterial Proteins/metabolism , Biomimetic Materials/metabolism , Chitosan/chemistry , Chitosan/metabolism , Drug Carriers/metabolism , Drug Liberation , Endopeptidases/chemistry , Humans , Nanoparticles/metabolism , Streptococcus pneumoniae/drug effectsABSTRACT
From a microbiological point of view, both empirical and targeted antimicrobial treatment in respiratory infection is based on the sensitivity profile of isolated microorganisms and the possible resistance mechanisms that they may present. The latter may vary in different geographic areas according to prescription profiles and vaccination programs. Beta-lactam antibiotics, fluoroquinolones, and macrolides are the most commonly used antimicrobials during the exacerbations of chronic obstructive pulmonary disease and community-acquired pneumonia. In their prescription, different aspects such as intrinsic activity, bactericidal effect or their ability to prevent the development of resistance must be taken into account. The latter is related to the PK/PD parameters, the mutant prevention concentration and the so-called selection window. More recently, the potential ecological impact has grown in importance, not only on the intestinal microbiota, but also on the respiratory one. Maintaining the state of eubiosis requires the use of antimicrobials with a low profile of action on anaerobic bacteria. With their use, the resilience of the bacterial populations belonging to the microbiota, the state of resistance of colonization and the collateral damage related to the emergence of resistance to the antimicrobials in pathogens causing the infections and in the bacterial populations integrating the microbiota.
Subject(s)
Anti-Bacterial Agents/pharmacology , COVID-19/epidemiology , Drug Resistance, Bacterial , Pulmonary Disease, Chronic Obstructive/drug therapy , Respiratory Tract Infections/drug therapy , Administration, Oral , Anti-Bacterial Agents/administration & dosage , Chlamydophila pneumoniae/drug effects , Community-Acquired Infections/drug therapy , Community-Acquired Infections/microbiology , Disease Progression , Gastrointestinal Microbiome/drug effects , Haemophilus influenzae/drug effects , Humans , Microbial Sensitivity Tests , Moraxella catarrhalis/drug effects , Mycoplasma pneumoniae/drug effects , Pseudomonas aeruginosa/drug effects , Pulmonary Disease, Chronic Obstructive/microbiology , Respiratory Tract Infections/microbiology , Staphylococcus aureus/drug effects , Streptococcus pneumoniae/drug effectsABSTRACT
The pandemic coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19), caused by Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome Coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2), has affected millions of people worldwide. To date, there are no proven effective therapies for this virus. Efforts made to develop antiviral strategies for the treatment of COVID-19 are underway. Respiratory viral infections, such as influenza, predispose patients to co-infections and these lead to increased disease severity and mortality. Numerous types of antibiotics such as azithromycin have been employed for the prevention and treatment of bacterial co-infection and secondary bacterial infections in patients with a viral respiratory infection (e.g., SARS-CoV-2). Although antibiotics do not directly affect SARS-CoV-2, viral respiratory infections often result in bacterial pneumonia. It is possible that some patients die from bacterial co-infection rather than virus itself. To date, a considerable number of bacterial strains have been resistant to various antibiotics such as azithromycin, and the overuse could render those or other antibiotics even less effective. Therefore, bacterial co-infection and secondary bacterial infection are considered critical risk factors for the severity and mortality rates of COVID-19. Also, the antibiotic-resistant as a result of overusing must be considered. In this review, we will summarize the bacterial co-infection and secondary bacterial infection in some featured respiratory viral infections, especially COVID-19.