Determining the prevalence and genetic diversity of plasmid-mediated sulfonamide resistance in Escherichia coli from commercial broiler samples.

Sulfonamides are commonly used antibacterials in commercial poultry, contributing toward the development of multidrug-resistant (MDR) phenotypes among Escherichia coli and that has emerged as global concern. The current study aimed to assess the sulfonamide resistance among isolated E. coli strains among commercial broilers. The bacterial strains were identified from fecal samples (n = 100) using selective media, followed by initial identification based on biochemical profiles. The susceptibility was determined by measuring the minimum inhibitory concentration (MIC) against sulfamethoxazole. The study also evaluated mobile genetic elements (MGEs), the mediators of antibiotic resistance, by amplification of plasmid DNA using specific primer PCR. Additionally, the isolates were subjected to multilocus sequence typing (MLST) analysis to investigate the genetic diversity among E. coli carrying sulfonamide resistance genes. The results revealed that 58% (58/100) E. coli strains were resistant to sulfonamides, with 36.20% (21/58) of the strains exhibiting an MIC breakpoint ≥512 µg/mL. PCR analysis showed that 42.85% (9/21) of the strains harbored the sul-1 gene, while 38.09% (8/21) carried the sul-2 gene, and 19.04% (4/21) had both genes. No isolate showed the presence of the sul-3 gene. Furthermore, class 1 and class 2 integrons were identified among 80.95% (17/21) and 19.04% (4/21) of the strains, respectively. MLST analysis confirmed that the strains belonged to sequence types (STs) including ST1638, ST155, ST48, ST350, ST23, ST156, and ST746. These findings underscore the diversity among E. coli strains in commercial poultry, which poses a significant risk.

Genetic Diversity of Escherichia coli Coharboring mcr-1 and Extended Spectrum Beta-Lactamases from Poultry.

Background: The emergence of resistance to beta-lactam agents in poultry results in multidrug-resistant (MDR) phenotypes in Escherichia coli isolates from poultry birds. The appearance of mobile colistin resistance (mcr) genes in the poultry sector has further worsened the situation. Therefore, the current study is aimed at investigating the molecular epidemiology of mcr harboring colistin-resistant E. coli among poultry. Methods: The isolation and identification of colistin-resistant E. coli (CR-Ec) were done from the broiler's fecal samples through culturing using selective media supplemented with colistin sulfate (4 µg/ml). The antibiogram studies of the isolates were performed using the disc diffusion method and broth microdilution method as per CLSI guidelines. The screening for the genes conferring resistance to colistin as well as beta-lactam agents was performed by PCR. The genetic diversity of mcr-positive strains was assessed by multilocus sequencing typing (MLST). Results: Out of 500 fecal samples, 7% (35/500) were found positive for the presence of colistin-resistant E. coli (CR-Ec). Among the CR-Ec isolates, 74.28% (26/35) were detected as ESBL producers carrying the blaCTX-M-1 gene in 15/35 (42.85%) isolates and blaCTX-M-15 and blaTEM genes in 21/35 (60%) and 35/35 (100%) isolates, respectively. E. coli isolates were found positive for the presence of mcr-1, although none of the isolates exhibited the mcr-2 or mcr-3 genes. The MLST of CR-Ec has shown the ST1035 as the most prevalent genotype, while 82.85% (29/35) of CR-Ec strains belonged to clonal complex (CC) 131 comprising ST1035, ST131, ST1215, ST1650, and ST2279. Conclusions: The findings suggest a continuous monitoring system in veterinary and clinical settings to avoid unnecessary antibiotics. Further studies are needed at the national level to help control the increasing resistance among Enterobacterales in poultry settings.

Effects of safety pattern, cabin ergonomics, and sleep on work-related stress and burnout of city and transit bus drivers in Lahore, Pakistan.

The health and working environment of bus drivers is compromised in low-middle-income countries like Pakistan which leads to burnout and excessive Road Traffic Crashes. Hence, this study delves into factors affecting their safe operations from health and work environment perspectives and measures their associated stress and Burnout level. In a study of four hundred and ninety-nine (499), 86% city and 14% transit bus drivers are surveyed through a questionnaire. Stress is estimated for city and transit bus drivers, using the Effort/Reward Imbalance Model (ERI) of Siegrist, and burnout is calculated using the Copenhagen Burnout Inventory (CBI). For the determination of important determinants, descriptive and regression analyses are conducted. Findings show that stress has emerged as a negative factor for the physical and psychological health of city and transit bus drivers. Results based on bus drivers' responses suggest that organisational awareness and emphasis on health and safety levels can significantly reduce driver stress and burnout. Practitioner Summary: This study explores burnout and work-related stress of bus drivers in Lahore (Pakistan). City and transit bus drivers were interviewed through a questionnaire, containing three sections, using different subjective ratings based upon their past reliability. Results indicate that stress in bus drivers emerged as a physical and psychological health-damaging factor.

Analytical study to find the impacts of using a mobile phone on driver's inattentions while driving - A case study of Lahore.

The road traffic injuries are one of the leading cause of death in children and young adults according to the World Health Organization (WHO). The risk of a crash increases approximately four times for drivers using mobile phones during driving. This study investigates the importance of different factors affecting the driver's choice to use mobile phones for conversation during driving in Lahore, Pakistan. A questionnaire survey was conducted to check the tendency of mobile phone usage during driving from different locations of the city. Participants were asked to indicate frequency, risk, importance and emotionality of ten different conversations. A Structural Equation Model (SEM), similar to a previous study, conducted in Beijing, was developed for the frequency of calling and texting during driving with perceived risk of calling and texting, perceived importance and emotionality as predictors. The frequency of different conversations shows that perceived importance of the call mainly influences the driver's choice to make a call during driving in Lahore. The result of the model show that perceived risk has a significant negative effect on driver's decision to call or text in Lahore, similarly to Beijing. The results also indicates that drivers prefer calling on mobile phones in comparison to texting during driving in Lahore.

Comparison of the Rhizosphere Soil Microbial Community Structure and Diversity Between Powdery Mildew-Infected and Noninfected Strawberry Plants in a Greenhouse by High-Throughput Sequencing Technology.

The aim of this study was to compare the microbial community structure and diversity in powdery mildew-infected and noninfected strawberry plant rhizosphere soils in the greenhouse based on variations in the 16S rRNA gene V3-V4 and fungal ITS2 regions by Illumina amplicon sequencing. Powdery mildew infection reduced the number of operational taxonomic units (OTUs) and prokaryotic and fungal community richness/diversity indexes in the rhizosphere soils compared with those in healthy plant soils. Furthermore, 3543 prokaryotic and 581 fungal OTUs were obtained at the 97% similarity level. Proteobacteria, Actinobacteria, Bacteroidetes, Acidobacteria, and Chloroflexi were the dominant bacterial phyla; Woesearchaeota_DHVEG-6, Bathyarchaeota, and Thaumarchaeota were the dominant archaea; and Ascomycota, Basidiomycota, unclassified_fungi, and Zygomycota were the dominant fungal phyla. Their proportions differed significantly among samples. Wolbachia, Devosia, Pseudolabrys, Streptomyces, and Rhizomicrobium were the most abundant bacterial genera; their proportions differed significantly among samples. Most Pseudomonas, Streptomyces, and 'norank' group members might be potential antagonistic microorganisms of powdery mildew pathogens, and Wolbachia and Rickettsia might be pathogen-transmitting vectors. Microascus, Clitopilus, and Ciliophora were the dominant fungi, and their community structures and abundances significantly differed among samples. Microascus, Talaromyces, Zopfiella, and Cryptococcus were relatively more abundant in the powdery mildew-infected strawberry plant rhizosphere soils. Fusarium, Trichoderma, Clitopilus, and 'unclassified' group members may be potential antagonistic populations. The results suggested that powdery mildew-infected strawberry fruits and plants cannot be consumed. This report is the first study to illustrate differences in the rhizosphere soil prokaryotic and fungal communities between powdery mildew-infected and noninfected strawberry plants in a greenhouse.

Rhizospheric soil fungal community patterns of Duchesnea indica in response to altitude gradient in Yunnan, southwest China.

The magnitude of the impact of altitude gradient on microbial community and diversity has been studied in recent decades. Whereas bacteria have been the focus of most studies, fungi have been given relatively less attention. As a vital part of the macro- and microscopic ecosystem, rhizosphere fungi play a key role in organic matter decomposition and relative abundance of plant species and have an impact on plant growth and development. Using Duchesnea indica as the host plant, we examined the rhizosphere soil fungal community patterns across the altitude gradient in 15 sites of Yunnan province by sequencing the fungal ITS2 region with the Illumina MiSeq platform. We determined the fungal community composition and structure. We found that, surprisingly, rhizosphere soil fungal diversity of D. indica increased with altitudinal gradient. There was a slight difference in diversity between samples from high- and medium-altitude sites, with medium-altitude sites having the greater diversity. Furthermore, the rhizosphere soil fungal community composition and structure kept changing along the altitudinal gradient. Taxonomic results showed that the extent of phylum diversity was greatest at high-altitude sites, with Ascomycota, Basidiomycota, Zygomycota, and Glomeromycota as the most dominant fungal phyla.