First Report of the Emerging Pathogen Kodamaea ohmeri in Honduras.

Kodamaea ohmeri is an environmental yeast considered a rare emerging pathogen. In clinical settings, the correct identification of this yeast is relevant because some isolates are associated with resistance to antifungals. There is a lack of available data regarding the geographical distribution, virulence, and drug resistance profile of K. ohmeri. To contribute to the knowledge of this yeast, this study aimed to describe in depth three isolates of K. ohmeri associated with fungemia in Honduras. The identification of the isolates was carried out by sequencing the ribosomal ITS region. In addition, the susceptibility profile to antifungals was determined, and some properties associated with virulence were evaluated (exoenzyme production, biofilm formation, cell adhesion, and invasion). The isolates showed strong protease, phospholipase, and hemolysin activity, in addition to being biofilm producers. Adherence and invasion capacity were evident in the HeLa and Raw 264.7 cell lines, respectively. This study expands the understanding of the underlying biological traits associated with virulence in K. ohmeri, and it is the first report of the detection and identification of K. ohmeri in Honduras as a cause of human infection.

Candida species isolated from clinical samples in a tertiary hospital in Honduras: Where is Candida auris?

Background and Purpose: Infections by emerging and multiresistant Candida species are becoming more frequent throughout the world. This study aimed to describe Candida species in different wards of a tertiary hospital in Honduras. Materials and Methods: The prevalence of species within the C. albicans complex was estimated using a molecular approach, and C. auris was investigated using a yeast pool-based DNA extraction method. In total, 328 yeast isolates were identified using phenotypic approaches. For the identification of species within the C. albicans complex, a molecular approach based on the size polymorphisms of the hpw1 gene was used. In addition, a technique was optimized based on DNA extraction in pools for the rapid identification of C. auris. Results: A total of 11 species of Candida were identified in the hospital wards. C. albicans showed the highest number of isolates (52.4%). Within the C. albicans complex, C. albicans sensu stricto was the most common, followed by C. dubliniensis. However, C. auris was not found. Conclusion: Reports on the distribution of Candida species in Honduras are limited; accordingly, the data from this study are of importance for a better understanding of their epidemiology. Moreover, a simple method was offered for the detection of C. auris that could help in its detection in low-resource settings.

Identification of Cryptic Species of Four Candida Complexes in a Culture Collection.

Candida spp. are one of the most common causes of fungal infections worldwide. The taxonomy of Candida is controversial and has undergone recent changes due to novel genetically related species. Therefore, some complexes of cryptic species have been proposed. In clinical settings, the correct identification of Candida species is relevant since some species are associated with high resistance to antifungal drugs and increased virulence. This study aimed to identify the species of four Candida complexes (C. albicans, C. glabrata, C. parapsilosis, and C. haemulonii) by molecular methods. This is the first report of six cryptic Candida species in Honduras: C. dubliniensis, C. africana, C. duobushaemulonii, C. orthopsilosis, and C. metapsilosis, and it is also the first report of the allele hwp1-2 of C. albicans sensu stricto. It was not possible to demonstrate the existence of C. auris among the isolates of the C. haemulonii complex. We also propose a simple method based on PCR-RFLP for the discrimination of the multi-resistant pathogen C. auris within the C. haemulonii complex.

Identification of Candida Species from Clinical Samples in a Honduran Tertiary Hospital.

Candida species are one of the most important causes of human infections, especially in hospitals and among immunocompromised patients. The correct and rapid etiological identification of yeast infections is important to provide adequate therapy, reduce mortality, and control outbreaks. In this study, Candida species were identified in patients with suspected fungal infection, and phenotypic and genotypic identification methods were compared. A total of 167 axenic fungal cultures and 46 clinical samples were analyzed by HardyCHROM®, MicroScan®(Omron Microscan Systems Inc, Renton, WA, USA), and PCR-RFLP (Restriction Fragment Length Polymorphisms). The species of the C. albicans complex were the most frequent, followed by C. tropicalis and C. glabrata. Less common but clinically relevant species of Candida were also isolated. The comparison between the three methods was concordant, especially for the most common Candida species. Fungal DNA amplification was successful in all clinical samples.

Resistencia antimicrobiana en bacterias aisladas, en el Instituto Hondureño de Seguridad Social / Antimicrobial resistance in isolated bacteria in the Instituto Hondureño de Seguridad Social

Introducción. La resistencia de las bacterias a los antimicrobianos es un problema creciente a nivel mundial, produciendo un incremento en los costos hospitalarios y en la morbimortalidad. El objetivo de este trabajo es presentar la sensibilidad a los antibióticos de las bacterias aisladas en el Hospital de Especialidades del Instituto Hondureño de Seguridad Social. Materiales y Métodos. Se realizó un estudio descriptivo de la sensibilidad de las bacterias aisladas en pacientes hospitalizados en el Hospital de Especialidades del Instituto Hondureño de Seguridad Social de Tegucigalpa, Honduras del 2006 al 2009. Resultados. Se registraron 4,812 aislamientos procedentes de diversas muestras: 986(20.4%) urocultivos,824(17%) hemocultivos , 627(13%) de secreciones varias y de diversas fuentes. Las bacterias Gram negativas fueron las aisladas con mayor frecuencia, siendo las mas comunes Klebsiella pneumoniae, Echerichia coli y Burkholderia cepacia. La Echerichia coli presentó alta resistencia a quinolonas, de 37% a 42%; Pseudomona aeruginosa presentó alta resistencia a cefalosporina de tercera generación y quinolonas, aumentando de 30% en el 2006 a más del 40% en el 2009. Acinetobacter baumanii tiene una alta resistencia a todos los antibióticos incluso a los carbapenémicos. Stafilococcus aureus resistente a meticilina incrementó de 20% en 2007 hasta 36% en el 2009. El primer caso de neumococo resistente a penicilina se documento en el 2009. Discusió. Los resultados demuestran la necesidad de crear políticas a nivel institucional para contener y controlar el aumento de la resistencia antimicrobiana...(AU)

Resistencia antimicrobiana en bacterias aisladas, en el Instituto Hondureño de Seguridad Social / Antimicrobial resistance in isolated bacteria in the Instituto Hondureño de Seguridad Social

Introducción. La resistencia de las bacterias a los antimicrobianos es un problema creciente a nivel mundial, produciendo un incremento en los costos hospitalarios y en la morbimortalidad. El objetivo de este trabajo es presentar la sensibilidad a los antibióticos de las bacterias aisladas en el Hospital de Especialidades del Instituto Hondureño de Seguridad Social. Materiales y Métodos. Se realizó un estudio descriptivo de la sensibilidad de las bacterias aisladas en pacientes hospitalizados en el Hospital de Especialidades del Instituto Hondureño de Seguridad Social de Tegucigalpa, Honduras del 2006 al 2009. Resultados. Se registraron 4,812 aislamientos procedentes de diversas muestras: 986(20.4%) urocultivos,824(17%) hemocultivos , 627(13%) de secreciones varias y de diversas fuentes. Las bacterias Gram negativas fueron las aisladas con mayor frecuencia, siendo las mas comunes Klebsiella pneumoniae, Echerichia coli y Burkholderia cepacia. La Echerichia coli presentó alta resistencia a quinolonas, de 37% a 42%; Pseudomona aeruginosa presentó alta resistencia a cefalosporina de tercera generación y quinolonas, aumentando de 30% en el 2006 a más del 40% en el 2009. Acinetobacter baumanii tiene una alta resistencia a todos los antibióticos incluso a los carbapenémicos. Stafilococcus aureus resistente a meticilina incrementó de 20% en 2007 hasta 36% en el 2009. El primer caso de neumococo resistente a penicilina se documento en el 2009. Discusió. Los resultados demuestran la necesidad de crear políticas a nivel institucional para contener y controlar el aumento de la resistencia antimicrobiana...