Application of the appropriate molecular biology-based method significantly increases the sensitivity of group B streptococcus detection results.

BACKGROUND: Streptococcus agalactiae (group B streptococcus: GBS) is a leading cause of early- and late-onset diseases in neonates. Reliable results of GBS carriage investigation among pregnant women may decrease the incidence of neonatal infection and mortality. AIM: To compare the results of conventional culture investigation with those of the US Food and Drug Administration-approved nucleic acid amplification test (BD Max GBS (Becton Dickinson)), and to establish our own protocols of standard polymerase chain reaction (PCR). METHODS: A total of 250 vaginal-rectal swabs from three different hospitals in Bydgoszcz, Poland, were used to evaluate GBS carriage. Standard laboratory technique (overnight culture in broth enrichment media) results were compared with those of BD Max GBS assay (Becton Dickinson) and two standard PCR protocols, established to detect the cfb and 16S rRNA S. agalactiae genes, from the overnight cultures of the samples in the liquid enrichment media. FINDINGS: The overall GBS carriage was estimated as 16.4-23.2%, depending on the applied detection method. The highest percentage of positive results, from each lab-oratory was obtained with the application of BD Max GBS assay. The differences in the number of positive results obtained with this particular method were statistically significant. Overall, 27 discrepancies were noted for the results obtained with the application of the methods compared. CONCLUSIONS: The methods applied for GBS detection differ in sensitivity. A culture technique, though very specific, appears to be less sensitive at detecting S. agalactiae compared with the commercially available BD Max GBS assay or in-house PCR protocols established for this purpose.

A case of defibrillator-associated infective endocarditis due to Campylobacter fetus.

Campylobacter spp. are Gram-negative, spiral motile bacteria. Infections caused by Campylobacter fetus are frequently of invasive character, but they are very rare. The described case of infection of a cardioverter defibrillator implantation site was effectively cured with antibiotics, but it required removal of the cardioverter defibrillator.

Problems in the diagnosis of profound trichophytosis barbae.

Zoophilic species of human dermatophytoses, such as Trichophyton mentagrophytes are significantly rare. We present a case of a 42-year-old male who for 2 months had been unsuccessfully treated and then referred to hospital with suspected actinomycosis. Lesions on the skin on his neck, submandibular area, cheeks and groins were consistent with extremely painful, merging inflammatory tumours and infiltrations with the presence of numerous pustules in hair follicles that poured purulent contents forming into yellow crusts after compression. The treatment with terbinafine was successful. The final identification of the Trichopyton mentagrophytes var. granulosum strain was performed based on a microscopic assessment of the culture, and the result of species identification was confirmed by polymerase chain reaction-restriction fragment length polymorphism (PCR-RFLP) analysis.

[Beta-lactam-resistance patterns of some gram-negative rods]. / Wzory opornosci na antybiotyki beta-laktamowe niektórych paleczek gram-ujemnych.

Antibiotic susceptibility to ampicillin of 290 E. coli, 56 Klebsiella sp. And 167 P.mirabilis strains was evaluated by the disk diffusion method. Data were interpreted according to the NCCLS criteria. 37.9% of E. coli, 85.7% of Klebsiella sp. And 65.9% of P. mirabilis strains were resistant to ampicillin. In all resistant to ampicillin strains were performed resistance patterns to following antibiotics: piperacillin, amoxicillin/clavulanic acid, cefoxitin, cefuroxime, ceftazidime, cefotaxime and imipenem. The strains resistant to ampicillin were divided into four groups depending on resistance patterns.

[The occurrence of the Enterobacter genus rods in the clinical materials and materials taken from hospital environment]. / Wystepowanie paleczek z rodzaju Enterobacter w materialach klinicznych i pobranych ze srodowiska szpitalnego.

Due to continuously existing essential meaning of strains of Enterobacter spp. in human infections we investigated the occurrence of Enterobacter spp. in different clinical materials and in materials taken from hospital environment. Amongst 26,025 materials taken from patients there were 249 (1.0%) Enterobacter strains and respectively amongst 954 environmental materials--there were 11 (1.2%) Enterobacter spp. In isolated Enterobacter strains the percentage occurrence was: hospital materials: E. cloacae--65.6%, E. agglomerans--12.1%, E. aerogenes--6.25%, E. sakazakii--5.4%, E. gergoviae--1.3%, E. amnigenus--0.9%, E. intermedius--0.9% and Enterobacter spp.--7.6%; outpatient materials: E. cloacae--72.0%, E. sakazakii--12.0%, E. agglomerans--8.0%, E. aerogenes--4.0% and E. amnigenus--4.0%; hospital community: E. cloacae--63.6%, E. agglomerans--18.2% and E. sakazakii--18.2%.

[Susceptibility to antibiotics of Staphylococcus aureus strains]. / Wrazliwosc na antybiotyki szczepów Staphylococcus aureus.

Staphylococcus aureus is a very important pathogen in humans about 20% of all bacterial infections are caused by S. aureus. Because the staphylococcal sensitivity patterns have changed, the aim of this study was to investigate the current susceptibility of the S. aureus strains to 9 antibiotics: penicillin (P), amoxacillin/clavulanic acid (AMC), erythromycin (E), cortimoxazole (SXT), tetracycline (T), chloramphenicol (C), mupirocin (MUP), gentamicin (Ge) and vancomycin (Va). Susceptibility testing was performed by disc diffusion technique, by the procedure outlined by the National Committe for Clinical Laboratory Standards (NCCLS). Susceptibility to methicillin was determined using 5 micrograms methicillin disks. beta-lactamase production in the penicillin-resistant strains was detected with nitrocefin impregnated disk (Cefinase, BBL Microbiology system). The microbiological characteristics of the samples: 338 of the isolates were derived, from noses and the throats 382--from surgical wound secretions. The analysis of the results showed that most S. aureus strains (82.8%) are penicillin resistant and beta-lactamase producing 13.5% of all strains were methicillin-resistant. 16.5%--were erythromycin resistant; 3.2%--were cotrimoxazole resistant; 51.4%--were mupirocin resistant; 20.6%--were gentamicin resistant. All of the strains were vancomycin sensitive.

[Resistance to antibiotics of Streptococcus pneumoniae strains]. / Opornosc na antybiotyki szczepów Streptococcus pneumoniae.

Streptococcus pneumoniae strains are exhibiting increasing rates of antibiotics resistance. A rapid increase of resistance was seen not only to penicillin but also other antimicrobial agents and therefore this paper describes the study of resistance and multiresistance of pneumococci to 7 antibiotics: penicillin (P), erythromycin (E), clindamycin (CC), tetracycline (T), co-trimoxazole (SXT), cefotaxime (CTX) and vancomycin (Va), using the disk-diffusion technique according to NCCLS procedure. We tested a total of 218 S. pneumoniae strains isolated from various materials: from sputum (54), noses (117), throats (28) and different swabs specimens (19). The overall percentage of resistant isolates to penicillin was 3.7%, to erythromycin--4.1%, to clindamycin--10.6%, to tetracycline--17.4%, to co-trimoxazole--15.6%, to cefotaxime--2.3%. In the sputum was most the monoresistant strains (66.7%). The multiresistance was highest in the penicillin resistant pneumococci. With the exception of vancomycin, the number of resistant strains to non-beta-lactam antibiotics (erythromycin, clindamycin, tetracycline, co-trimoxazole) was higher in penicillin-resistant strains compared with penicillin susceptible isolates. All isolates were susceptible to vancomycin.