Occurrence of Campylobacter jejuni in Shiraz, Southwest Iran

High rates of macrolide and fluoroquinolone resistance in human campylobacteriosis in the Middle East and North Africa

Campylobacter is one of the main causative agents of bacterial gastrointestinal infections. Recently, a rise in the incidence of campylobacteriosis has been reported worldwide. Despite the clinical importance of this zoonotic disease, its microbiological diagnosis is not systematically performed in clinical laboratories in developing countries such as the Middle East and North Africa region. Multidrug-resistant Campylobacter isolates, particularly against erythromycin and ciprofloxacin, have been highly reported. The findings of this study highlight the critical need to urge clinical laboratories in the Middle East and North Africa region to include screening for Campylobacter in the routine stool culture of diarrheal patients. Although there is a paucity of data regarding the epidemiology of human campylobacteriosis, alarming rates of infection prevalence and antimicrobial resistance were found in Egypt, Iran, Qatar and Lebanon.

Quinolone and Macrolide-Resistant Campylobacter jejuni in Pediatric Gastroenteritis Patients from Central Iran

Aims: To determine the prevalence and the antibiotic resistance patterns of Campylobacter jejuni isolated from pediatric diarrhea patients in central Iran. Materials and Methods: Stool specimens (n = 230) were investigated using a modified Gram stain, two specific culture media, and C. jejuni-specific PCR. Antibiotic resistance profiles and relevant resistance genes were determined. Genetic relationships among a selection of the isolates were studied by Fla typing. Results: Out of the 230 diarrhea samples, 48 (20.8%) cases of C. jejuni were identified using modified Gram stain, 45 (19.5%) using the culture media, and 76 (33%) cases were identified using PCR. The highest antibiotic resistance rates were observed in 37 (82.2%) strains against tetracycline, in 32 (71.1%) against ciprofloxacin, and in 31 (68.8%) against erythromycin. Twenty (44.4%) isolates were resistant to ciprofloxacin and erythromycin simultaneously. Genotypic investigations found 36 (97.3%) strains carrying the tet (o) gene, 31 (96.8%) harboring the cmeB gene, 22 (68.7%) strains with the gyrA6 gene, 20 (64.5%) strains containing a 23S rRNA mutation, and 21 (65.6%) strains with the qnrS gene. Fla typing of a random subset of 14 strains revealed 11 different types showing the genomic diversity of the isolates. Strains sharing the same Fla type could be easily distinguished by their resistance gene profile. Conclusions: This is the first study to demonstrate that genetically diverse quinolone-macrolide-resistant C. jejuni is an important cause of gastroenteritis in children from central Iran. Pediatricians should consider these resistance features once the antibiotic prescription is necessary for prevention of possible complications, especially in those under 5 years of age. Of note, most cases of Campylobacter diarrhea are self-limiting and antibiotics should only be prescribed in those cases where severe complications evolve.

Presenting a rapid method for detection of Bacillus cereus, Listeria monocytogenes and Campylobacter jejuni in food samples

Objective(s):

Listeria monocytogens, Bacillus cereus and Campylobacter jejuni are three toxin producing bacteria over the world, especially in Iran, and it is essential to find a certain, rapid procedure to identify these microorganisms. In this research, these bacteria were simultaneously detected by multiplex PCR technique in foods.

Materials and Methods:

The primary approval of bacterial strains was performed by biochemical tests. PCR primers were designed based on the nucleotide sequences of the NHEB/NHEC gene of B. cereus, the hly gene of L. monocytogenes and the C gene of C. jejuni. The specificity of Multiplex PCR method was determined using seven food poisoning bacteria including Salmonella typhi, Shigella dysentery, Yersinia pestis, Staphylococcus aureus, Clostridium perfringens, Clostridium botulinum and Vibrio cholerae. To confirm the reaction, DNA extraction was performed from 30 food samples (milk), and gene amplification was performed by PCR. The length of amplified fragments was 300 bp, 210 bp and 160 bp for NHEB/NHEC, hly and C genes, respectively.

Results:

The detection limits of the PCR method were 5, 4 and 3 pg for L. monocytogenes, B. cereus and C. jejuni, respectively. Specifisity test showed that this reaction is spesific to these 3 bacteria.

Conclusion:

In this study, we introduced a new multiplex PCR method for simultsnus detection of L. monocytogens, B. cereus and C. jejuni. These results can be used for detection of other toxin producing bacteria in food.

Prevalence of Escherichia coli O157:H7 in Children with Bloody Diarrhea Referring to Abuzar Teaching Hospital, Ahvaz, Iran

INTRODUCTION

Escherichia coli O157: H7 are recognized as important aetiological agents of diarrhea in children, particularly in developed countries.

AIM

The aim of the study was to determine the rates of detection of E. coli O157: H7strains among children in Ahvaz, Iran.

MATERIALS AND METHODS

From June 2010 to December 2010, 137 diarrheal stool samples of children were collected. E.coli was identified by standard microbiological techniques. O157 or O157:H7 subtypes discerned by serological tests.

RESULTS

Of the 137 E. coli isolates, enteropathogens were found in 53 (38.7%) of the patients as follow: Shigella spp. (75.5%), EPEC (enteropathogenic E. coli) (16.9%), Campylobacter spp. (3.8%) and Salmonella spp. (3.8%). None of the isolated E. coli was O157:H7 serotype.

CONCLUSION

This shows that non-O157:H7 E. coli are the major cause of paediatric infections in this region of Iran.

Epidemiologic Investigation of Dysentery in North of Iran: Use of Geographic Information System (GIS)

Introduction:

Dysentery is an intestinal inflammation which is created by the microorganisms attacking intestine mucus. Knowing the prevalence of this disease in different societies paves the way for programming and providing treatment and preventive measures. The main purpose of this study is to investigate the epidemiologic pattern and geographical distribution of dysentery based on GIS.

Method:

This was a cross-sectional and analytical study. The dysentery cases were gathered from the section of contagious diseases in health chancellery of Mazandaran University of medical sciences through a checklist during the years 2008 to 2013. In order to analyze the data, we made use of chi-square test. Then, the GIS software was used to recognize the geographical distribution of the disease.

Findings:

There was reported about 653 cases affected by dysentery and the disease proportion was equal for both men and women. Most of the persons with dysentery was city dwellers. The highest rate of incidents was reported to be in Fereidunkenar in 2011, and the disease was mostly found among farmers, students, and college students.

Conclusion:

Since dysentery is a disease transmitted from water and food, and in this study, it was found out that the disease sources included using polluted water, vegetables, and lack of appropriate personal hygiene. Therefore, it is essential to take into consideration the health issues. Moreover, the suitable conditions of the geographical area which has the highest rate of incident have paved the way for dysentery occurrence. In addition, using geographic information system (GIS) as a visual instrument can help the stakeholders and officials to elaborate on the death trend and recognize the areas for optimal use of the available resources.

Infectious diseases in Iran: a bird's eye view

Thanks to improved health standards in Iran over the past three decades, we have witnessed a shift in the causes of death in Iran from infectious causes to non-communicable diseases-mainly cardiovascular disorders, cancers, and road traffic injuries. The incidence and prevalence of many infectious diseases, such as many parasitic infections, have fallen significantly; there have been no reported cases of dracunculiasis in Iran since the mid-1970s. Great strides have also been made towards the elimination of schistosomiasis in Iran. However, we still have some problems with cutaneous leishmaniasis, hepatitis C, human immunodeficiency virus, tuberculosis, infections among immunocompromised hosts, hospital-acquired infections, and antibiotic-resistant bacterial strains. We need to emphasize improvements in sanitation, good clinical practice, and education about the rational administration of antibiotics.