- Volume 7, Issue 1, 2025

To date, data on animal enteroviruses (EVs) are scarce, especially in Central Africa. The aim of this study was to characterize EVs among pigs and goats in Cameroon and the Central African Republic (CAR). A total of 226 pig and goat faecal samples collected in two previous studies carried out in Cameroon and CAR were pooled and screened with molecular assays targeting EV-Es, EV-Fs and EV-Gs. EV genomes were amplified by RT-PCR and their sequences were obtained by Illumina sequencing and de novo assembly. Based on the capsid sequences, 27 EV-G sequences were identified and assigned to 11 virus types, while no EV-E or EV-F was observed. Phylogenetic analysis revealed that the EV-Gs detected in Central Africa do not form specific clusters compared to EV-Gs previously reported in other continents. This suggests a worldwide circulation of EV-Gs, which is likely due to the massive international trade of live animals. One human EV, EV-C99, which belongs to the species Enterovirus C, was detected in pigs. This is the third detection of such an event in a similar context, reinforcing the hypothesis that some EV-Cs could be infecting pigs. Our work provides new data on the genetic diversity of EVs circulating among domestic animals in Central Africa.

Introduction. A better understanding of knowledge, attitude and practices of undergraduate medical students towards antimicrobial resistance (AMR) is necessary to identify gaps in the current training curriculum.

Methods. A 20-point Likert scale-based questionnaire divided into three parts, knowledge, attitude and practices, relating to antibiotic use and resistance was devised. Students attending each year of the undergraduate medical programme were approached to participate in the study over a 1-week period. Knowledge, Attitude and Practices scores of each year were compared through logistic ordinal regression and the Kruskal–Wallis (KW) test.

Results. Two hundred and eight students participated in the study. Overall, knowledge of about intended use of antibiotics, fixed drug combinations and awareness about AMR was good (average score of 73.75%). Steady improvement in knowledge scores was observed from the first year (−0.441) to the final year (0.00). The medical students had favourable attitude towards rational antimicrobial use (Likert score ≥4), including the need to spread awareness about AMR amongst students and the public and following doctor’s prescriptions. Self-medication was reported by 28.4% of students and hoarding of leftover doses by 49.1%. Attitude score had a direct correlation with the knowledge score on the KW test (χ 2=29.6, P≤0.5) but had no significant correlation with antimicrobial practices (χ 2=3.9, P≥0.5). The gaps identified in students’ practices included self-medication, skipping of dosing and hoarding of leftover medication.

Conclusion. As improvement in knowledge did not correlate with better personal behaviours regarding antibiotics, the current curriculum needs to include AMR as a focus area to ensure good antibiotic prescribing practices in future practitioners.

Municipal solid waste handling carries occupational risk for waste handlers due to exposure to diverse microorganisms and hazardous substances that cause respiratory and skin infections. A cross-sectional study was carried out, and 150 respondents were recruited using a simple random sampling technique. The sociodemographic characteristics, health-related complaints, health-seeking behaviour and the bacterial and fungal microflora of the respiratory tract and skin of artisanal municipal solid waste handlers and some controls in Aba, Nigeria, were determined using a mixed methods research design, involving the use of interviewer-administered structured questionnaires and conventional culture techniques. We analysed the data using IBM SPSS version 25. The results are presented in tables as frequencies and percentages. The majority of artisanal municipal solid waste handlers in Aba are male (95%). Their mean age is 30 years, and the age group of 21–40 years constitutes the highest proportion (65%) of the workforce. Health-related complaints were higher (95%) among the waste handlers compared to the control subjects (4%). The findings show a high prevalence of respiratory (57%), eye (34%) and skin (87%) complaints among the waste workers, compared to 6%, 0% and 2%, respectively, among the control subjects. Seventy-eight (78%) of the waste handlers indulge in self-medication via over-the-counter (OTC) drugs; 17 (17%) access diagnostic laboratories and only 4 (4%) visit hospitals for treatment, as compared to the control subjects, who recorded 1 (2%) for OTC drugs, 46 (92%) for laboratories and 2 (4 %) for hospitals. Acquisition (15%) and use (3%) of personal protective equipment (PPE) were very low amongst the waste handlers. A total of 704 bacterial isolates and 191 fungal organisms were isolated from the study subjects. Among the waste handlers, the percentage distribution of bacteria was almost the same at both sites: respiratory tract, 241 (49.9%) and skin, 242 (50.1%), compared to the control subjects’ respiratory tract, 105 (47.5%) and skin, 116 (52.5%), which showed a slight difference between the sites. S. epidermidis (24%) and B. cereus (13%) were predominant in the respiratory tract, whereas S. aureus (29%) and S. epidermidis (19%) predominated the skin of the waste handlers. Similarly, S. aureus (34.3%) and B. cereus (20.9%) were predominant in the respiratory tract, while B. cereus (37.9%) and S. epidermidis (18.1%) predominated the skin of the control subjects. Candida spp. was the most predominant fungus in the respiratory tract (81.4%) and skin (42.9%) of the waste handlers, as well as in the respiratory tract (85%) and skin (78%) of the controls. The presence of the isolated bacteria and fungi in increased proportions in the waste handlers may be attributed to occupational exposure through direct contact with waste, inhalation of organic dust laden with biological agents and the poor working conditions of the waste handlers. Health education and improvements in working conditions are necessary to mitigate the occupational challenges of waste handlers.

The mortality rate and economic burden of infections caused by antimicrobial-resistant pathogens are increasingly higher. This frustrating scenario emphasizes the urgent need for developing new antimicrobial drugs. We have previously addressed this problem by studying the antimicrobial activity of two novel iron-halide complexes, Fe(Hampy)2Cl4 (iron tetrachloride) and Fe(Hampy)2Br4 (iron tetrabromide). Both compounds showed bactericidal and antibiofilm activities against bacteria with an antimicrobial resistance phenotype. Herein, we used a proteomic approach to investigate the proteomic profile of bacterial cells previously exposed to both iron-halide complexes. For this study, the Escherichia coli strain, BW25113, was used as a model to facilitate the rapid identification of deregulated proteins. Heat map analysis of the common deregulated proteins highlighted that both complexes caused the downregulation of proteins associated with key metabolic pathways, biofilm formation, cell envelope biogenesis and iron ion binding. In addition, a network study suggested that the most influential proteins of the tetrachloride activity were those involved in the TCA cycle, oxidative phosphorylation, iron ion homeostasis and carbon/secondary metabolism. This protein–protein interaction analysis also hinted that the main drivers of the tetrabromide activity were proteins involved in translation, ribosomal biogenesis and cell motility. The above results strongly suggested how the presence of different halide ligands could be used to generate compounds with potentially different molecular mechanisms. Importantly, the findings of this study can also be used as a reference to compare with the protein profile of bacteria exposed to future variants of the iron-halide complexes.

Riboflavin (vitamin B2) is a water-soluble compound that plays an important role in multiple cellular functions. This study evaluates the probiotic potential of riboflavin-overproducing Bacillus subtilis strains isolated from fermented African locust beans. After strain improvement, B. subtilis ACU-I11MR and ACU-I163MR were selected due to their higher riboflavin production (0.01905±0.0005 mg l−1 to 0.0259±0.0077 mg l−1 and 0.0195±0.0054 mg l−1 to 0.0267±0.0013 mg l−1, respectively). Their safety was confirmed through haemolytic assay, antibiotic susceptibility tests and the absence of gelatinase and biogenic amine activity. Probiotic potential was assessed via in vitro assays including resistance to low pH, bile salts, phenol, temperature and NaCl; auto-aggregation; cell hydrophobicity; biofilm formation; antibacterial activity; and enzyme and exopolysaccharide production. Both strains were non-haemolytic and negative for gelatinase and biogenic amine activity. They showed significant viability at pH 2 (survival 85.05; 87.09%), 1% bile salts (survival 88.82; 87.64%) and 0.5% phenol (survival 48.80; 59.52%), respectively. ACU-I11MR was susceptible to 9 out of 12 antibiotics, while ACU-I163MR was 100% susceptible. The strains demonstrated strong cell surface adhesion and auto-aggregation and inhibited several pathogenic bacteria. They produce amylase, protease and exopolysaccharide and thrive under various temperature and NaCl conditions. B. subtilis ACU-I163MR, showing superior probiotic potential, could be a promising candidate for developing riboflavin-enriched Bacillus-fermented functional foods.

Redox reactions play a critical role in determining the availability of mercury species, HgII and Hg0, to anaerobic microbes responsible for methylating inorganic mercury into toxic monomethylmercury. Some anaerobes also contribute to Hg cycling in methylation hotspots by reducing HgII to its gaseous elemental form, Hg0. However, their contributions remain poorly quantified due to limited mechanistic insights and the absence of genetic targets. In this study, we investigated the mechanisms of anaerobic HgII reduction in the versatile anoxygenic photoheterotroph and fermenter Heliomicrobium modesticaldum Ice1. Given HgII strong electrophilic affinity for thiol groups, we hypothesized that cellular thiols are key interaction sites mediating HgII reduction. Exposure of H. modesticaldum to the thiol-alkylating agent N-ethylmaleimide (NEM), which irreversibly binds thiols, resulted in a concentration-dependent inhibition of Hg0 production during both photoheterotrophy and fermentation. Hg partitioning assays with Escherichia coli cells revealed no significant differences in Hg-cell partitioning in the presence or absence of NEM, suggesting that HgII reduction is dependent on intracellular thiol interactions. These findings highlight the importance of thiol-mediated pathways in Heliobacterial HgII reduction. Although the exact cellular components remain unidentified, we discuss potential thiol-containing coupling sites that warrant further investigation.

Coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic has been prevailing for more than a year, associated with an increased number of opportunistic invasive fungal infections in patients who have been critically ill or immunocompromised. In this retrospective study, details of various clinical specimens received from suspected patients of fungal infections were studied. Fungal cultures were positive in 64% (51 out of 79) of COVID-19-positive patients and 43% (163 out of 381) of COVID-19-negative patients during the second wave of COVID-19 in 2021. Among COVID-19-infected patients, the most commonly isolated fungi were Candida spp. (63%), followed by Aspergillus spp. (15%) and Mucor spp. (6%). The majority of samples that tested positive in COVID-19-infected patients were urine (17% from COVID-19-positive and 83% from COVID-19-negative patients), followed by serum (tested for Aspergillus galactomannan). Candida isolation was observed in 27% (21/79) of urine samples and 15% (12/79) of respiratory samples [bronchoalveolar lavage (BAL), tracheal aspirate, and sputum] from COVID-19-positive patients. Rhizopus arrhizus and Rhizopus homothallicus were isolated from nasal and tissue samples in 6% of COVID-19-positive patients. There was an overall increase in fungal co-isolations during the COVID-19 pandemic (64% in COVID-19-positive and 43% in COVID-19-negative patients), which is a matter of great concern. The correlation of clinical symptomatology and laboratory isolation is important for the diagnosis and effective management of these patients.

Comparing the diversity of gut microbiota between and within social insect colonies can illustrate interactions between bacterial community composition and host behaviour. In many eusocial insect species, different workers exhibit different task behaviours. Evidence of compositional differences between core microbiota in different worker types could suggest a microbial association with the division of labour among workers. Here, we present the core microbiota of Aphaenogaster picea ant workers with different task behaviours. The genus Aphaenogaster is abundant worldwide, yet the associated microbiota of this group is unstudied. Bacterial communities from Aphaenogaster picea gut samples in this study consist of 19 phyla, dominated by Proteobacteria, Cyanobacteria and Firmicutes. Analysis of 16S rRNA gene sequences reveals distinct similarity clustering of Aphaenogaster picea gut bacterial communities in workers that have more interactions with the refuse piles. Though gut bacterial communities of nurse and foraging ants are similar in overall composition and structure, the worker groups differ in relative abundances of dominant taxa. Gut bacterial communities from ants that have more interactions with refuse piles are dominated by amplicon sequence variants associated with Entomoplasmataceae. Interaction with faecal matter via refuse piles seems to have the greatest impact on microbial taxa distribution, and this effect appears to be independent of worker type. This is the first report surveying the gut microbiome community composition of Aphaenogaster ants.

Introduction. Comparative immunogenicity from different mRNA booster vaccines (directed at WT, BA.1 or BA.4/5 antigens) remains unclear.

Methods. We included blood samples from adult paramedics who received three mRNA WT-directed vaccines plus a fourth dose of the following: (1) WT monovalent, (2) Moderna BA.1-WT bivalent or (3) Pfizer BA.4/5 WT bivalent vaccine. The primary outcome was angiotensin-converting enzyme 2 (ACE2) inhibition to BA.4/5 antigen. We used optimal pair matching (using age, sex-at-birth, preceding SARS-CoV-2 infection and fourth vaccine-to-blood collection interval) to create balanced groups to individually compare each vaccine type to each other vaccine (overall, within subgroups defined by SARS-CoV-2 infection and after combining BA.1 and BA.4/5 cases). We compared outcomes with the Wilcoxon matched-pairs signed rank test.

Results. Overall, 158 paramedics (mean age 45 years) were included. ACE2 inhibition was higher for BA.1 compared to WT (P=0.002); however, no difference was detected between BA.4/5 vs. WT or BA.1 vs. BA.4/5. Among cases with preceding SARS-CoV-2, there were no detected between-group differences. Among cases without preceding SARS-CoV-2, the only detected difference was BA.1>WT (P=0.003). BA.1 and BA.4/5 cases combined had higher ACE2 inhibition than WT (P=0.003).

Conclusion. Omicron-directed vaccines appear to improve Omicron-specific immunogenicity; however, this appears limited to SARS-CoV-2-naive individuals.

Kosakonia cowanii is a Gram-negative bacillus belonging to the order Enterobacterales. K. cowanii is a plant pathogen; we report the isolation of this organism from a gardening puncture injury from a plant. Pus examined from the site of infection showed the infecting organism as K. cowanii by MALDI-TOF MS Biotyper Sirius One and 16S rRNA analysis. The organism failed to be identified biochemically by the Vitek 2 XL identification system as Kosakonia spp. The Gram-negative bacilli on the system were biochemically identified as Pantoea spp. Difficulties in species identification biochemically suggest that K. cowanii might potentially represent an underestimated opportunistic human pathogen in skin infections associated with plant injuries. The MALDI-TOF MS Biotyper Sirius One software was found to be a fast and reliable identification of the organism. The isolate was found to be susceptible to first-generation cephalosporins, both cefalexin and cefazolin, by disc diffusion and Vitek 2 XL, even though antibiotic breakpoints currently do not exist using European Committee on Antimicrobial Susceptibility Testing or Clinical and Laboratory Standards Institute (CLSI) guidelines for this organism.

Azotobacter sp. strain CWF10, an aerobic gram-negative, oval-shaped and motile bacterium, was isolated from the lateritic agricultural soil of Madhya Pradesh, India. The draft genome of the isolate is 5.7 Mb in size, consisting of 14 contigs with 65.09% G+C content. Average nucleotide identity (94.66%) and digital DNA–DNA hybridization (62%) calculation with the closest reference strains underpin the bacterium as a potential novel species. The bacterium has a plethora of plant growth-promoting genes that point towards the potential ability to enhance available nitrogen and biosynthesis of folic acid, among others. Siderophores such as vibrioferrin and crochelin A are also present in the genome and are known to regulate iron uptake. Overall, mining the genome of Azotobacter sp. strain CWF10 has revealed the potential of this strain for application in regenerative agriculture and sustaining soil health.

Bacterial urinary tract infections (UTIs) are common, ranging from benign cystitis to complicated pyelonephritis, which can lead to severe complications such as pyonephrosis and sepsis. Pyonephrosis, characterized by the presence of pus in the renal cavities, often requires urgent urological intervention. We report a unique case of pyonephrosis with a psoas abscess caused by Klebsiella pneumoniae and Peribacillus simplex in a 64-year-old diabetic female patient. This is the first case of pyonephrosis caused by P. simplex. The patient presented with acute right lumbar pain, fever and altered consciousness. Imaging revealed severe right hydronephrosis, pyonephrosis and a perirenal phlegmon infiltrating the psoas with abscesses. Surgical drainage and nephrectomy were performed. Microbiological and proteomic analyses identified K. pneumoniae and P. simplex. This case highlights the importance of considering environmental bacteria like P. simplex in severe infections and ensuring rigorous protocols to avoid contamination. Successful management of pyonephrosis relies on prompt surgical drainage and appropriate antibiotic therapy based on culture results.

Introduction. Disseminated gonococcal infections (DGIs) are a rare but often debilitating complication of Neisseria gonorrhoeae infections. Often presenting as arthritis–dermatitis syndrome, true suppurative joint infections are an even more rare form of DGI. Here, we present the first known case of DGI in Newfoundland and Labrador in over 10 years.

Case report. A 50-year-old man who is known to inject drugs with multiple housing and social challenges presented to the emergency department with a 2-day history of an isolated, painful, erythematous knee. After being assessed by orthopaedics and undergoing an operative debridement, intraoperative cultures grew N. gonorrhoeae. He was treated with intravenous ceftriaxone, and his course in hospital was complicated by inadequate pain control and a lack of stable housing.

Conclusion. Although rare, DGIs need to remain on every clinician’s differential for septic arthritis, given the increasing prevalence of gonorrhoeal infections in Canada, particularly in Newfoundland and Labrador. In addition, patients who are at risk of delaying accessing care, such as people who inject drugs and unhoused individuals, are at higher risk of complicated hospital stays.