Detection of virulence factors in alpha-haemolytic Escherichia coli strains isolated from various clinical materials.

In total, 201 alpha-haemolytic Escherichia coli isolates from various clinical materials (urine samples and vaginal and rectal swabs) were examined by PCR for the presence of genes for the virulence factors alpha-haemolysin (hly), cytotoxic necrotising factor type 1 (cnf1), P-fimbriae (pap), S/F1C-fimbriae (sfa/foc), aerobactin (aer) and afimbrial adhesin (afaI). Among vaginal isolates, 96% were positive for cnf1, compared with 80% of urine strains (p 0.02) and 63% of rectal strains (p 0.0001). Similarly, sfa/foc-specific DNA sequences were found in 97% of vaginal isolates compared with 75% of rectal strains (p 0.004). The afa1 and aer genes were associated more with rectal alpha-haemolytic E. coli strains than with extra-intestinal isolates. The results suggested that CNF1 and/or S/F1C-fimbriae contribute to colonisation and persistence of alpha-haemolytic E. coli strains in the vaginal environment.

Non-albicans Candida species isolated from plastic devices.

In this work we point out an occurrence of non-albicans Candida species isolated from catheters, cannulas and drains. We detected eight non-albicans Candida species in 49 examined samples: C. parapsilosis (n = 26), C. tropicalis (n = 12), C. krusei (n = 4), C. claussenii, C. mesenterica (n = 2 for each), C. guilliermondii, C. kefyr and C. lusitaniae (n = 1 for each). Material examined from children hospitalized in intensive care units was the most frequent. Eight samples were from the oncology department, seven from the surgery department, six from the anaesthesiology department, four from the dialysis unit, two from the hematology department, one from the internal medicine department and one from the stomatology department. We examined cannula scraping 26 times (53%), catheter scraping 14 times (28.6%) and drain scraping nine times (18.4%).

[Sorbitol-negative E. coli 016 in a 10-year-old child diagnosed with hemolytic-uremic syndrome and in his asymptomatic father]. / Sorbitol-negatívne E. coli 016 u desat'rocného diet'at'a s diagnózou hemolyticko-uremický syndróm a u jeho asymptomatického otca.

In Escherichia coli strains isolated from faeces and smears from the rectum in haemolytic-uraemic syndrome of a child and healthy relatives the authors assessed the biochemical activity, antigenic characteristic, sensitivity to twelve antimicrobial substances and factors of virulence. Sorbitol negative strains were isolated from the ill child and his father. The strains belonged into serogroup 016. The remaining strains were sorbitol positive. They belonged into serogroups 02, 012 and 019. Nineteen sorbitol negative strains of E. coli from the sick child caused mannose sensitive agglutination of chicken and guinea pig erythrocytes, they produced colicin V and aerobactin. Except for one strain they were serum resistant. Fourteen strains induced the oedema on the foot of mice and eleven produced a lethal effect in mice. Except for three ampicillin resistant strains the remaining were sensitive to the examined antibacterial substances. Two sorbitol negative strains of E. coli isolated from the asymptomatic father produced aerobactin and one strain was serum resistant.

[Characteristics of E. coli strains isolated in infantile diarrhea]. / Vlastnosti kmenov E. coli izolovaných pri hnackách dojciat.

In a group of 50 strains of E. coli isolated from infants hospitalized on account of diarrhoea the authors investigated, based on the phenotypic manifestation and in a selected number of strains also genotypic factors of virulence: fimbrial adhesins, aerobactin, haemolysins, colicins, toxic and lethal action in mice, seroresistence and resistance against tetracycline, streptomycin, chloramphenicol, kanamycin, ampicillin and sulfamethoxidine. All strains had one to eight factors of virulence. The presence of plasmid DNA was confirmed in 14 of 16 tested strains. From this the authors conclude that the investigated virulence factors were in the majority coded plasmids.