Bacterial Infections and Mycoses Commons^™

Plasmodium Impairs Antibacterial Innate Immunity To Systemic Infections In Part Through Hemozoin-Bound Bioactive Molecules., Christopher Lynn Harding

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Despite efforts to decrease the global health burden of malaria, infections with Plasmodium species continue to cause over 200 million episodes of malaria each year which resulted in 405,000 deaths in 2018 [1]. One complication of malaria is increased susceptibility to invasive bacterial infections. Plasmodium infections impair host immunity to non-Typhoid Salmonella (NTS) through activities of heme oxygenase I (HO-I) )-induced release of immature granulocytes and myeloid cell-derived IL-10. Yet, it is not known if these mechanisms are specific to NTS. We show here, that Plasmodium yoelii 17XNL (Py) infected mice had impaired clearance of systemic Listeria monocytogenes (Lm) during …

Clostridioides Difficile Infection Rates And Diabetes Mellitus In The Acute Care Hospital Setting: A Pilot Retrospective Study, Abigail Howe

Honors College

Clostridioides difficile infections (CDI) are bacterial infections severely affecting an individual’s health and financially affecting health care settings. These infections are a persistent health care issue despite implementation of preventative measures. Research on the risk of acquiring CDI for individuals with comorbidities is scarce. Diabetes mellitus (DM) may negatively impact an individual’s immune system and consequently increase the risk of CDI. The purpose of this pilot study was to determine if the incidence of DM differed between patients who had CDI and patients who did not have CDI. After receiving an Internal Review Board (IRB) exempt status, electronic medical records …

The Inhibitory Effects Of An Antimicrobial Gel On The Staphylococcus Species, Mara Trinkle

Undergraduate Honors Theses

The prevalence of antibiotic resistant bacteria has made the choices for topical treatments for patients who experience burns wounds extremely limited. The Staphylococcus genus is naturally occurring in and on the human body but can become harmful once it enters the bloodstream. A novel antimicrobial gel has been shown by our laboratory to inhibit both the planktonic growth and biofilm formation of Staphylococcus aureus in previous studies. The antimicrobial gel is made of seven natural compounds including antioxidants (vitamin C and E). We wanted to examine the effects of the antimicrobial gel on numerous other Staphylococcal species because it is …

Environmental Surveillance As A Tool For Identifying High-Risk Settings For Typhoid Transmission, Jason R. Andrews, Alexander T. Yu, Senjuti Saha, Jivan Shakya, Kristen Aiemjoy, Lily Horng, Farah Qamar, Denise Garret, Stephen Baker, Samir Saha, Stephen P. Luby

Department of Paediatrics and Child Health

Enteric fever remains a major cause of morbidity in developing countries with poor sanitation conditions that enable fecal contamination of water distribution systems. Historical evidence has shown that contamination of water systems used for household consumption or agriculture are key transmission routes for Salmonella Typhi and Salmonella Paratyphi A. The World Health Organization now recommends that typhoid conjugate vaccines (TCV) be used in settings with high typhoid incidence; consequently, governments face a challenge regarding how to prioritize typhoid against other emerging diseases. A key issue is the lack of typhoid burden data in many low- and middle-income countries where TCV …

The Surveillance For Enteric Fever In Asia Project (Seap), Severe Typhoid Fever Surveillance In Africa (Seta), Surveillance Of Enteric Fever In India (Sefi), And Strategic Typhoid Alliance Across Africa And Asia (Strataa) Population-Based Enteric Fever Studies: A Review Of Methodological Similarities And Differences, Megan E. Carey, William R. Macwrigh, Justin Im, James E. Meiring, Malick M. Gibani, Se Eun Park, Ashley Longley, Hyon Jin Jeon, Caitlin Hemlock, Mohammad Tahir Yousafzai

Department of Paediatrics and Child Health

Building on previous multicountry surveillance studies of typhoid and others salmonelloses such as the Diseases of the Most Impoverished program and the Typhoid Surveillance in Africa Project, several ongoing blood culture surveillance studies are generating important data about incidence, severity, transmission, and clinical features of invasive Salmonella infections in sub-Saharan Africa and South Asia. These studies are also characterizing drug resistance patterns in their respective study sites. Each study answers a different set of research questions and employs slightly different methodologies, and the geographies under surveillance differ in size, population density, physician practices, access to healthcare facilities, and access to …

Developing A Virus-Like Particle (Vlp)-Based Vaccine For Neisseria Gonorrhoeae, Ashvini Vaidya

Biomedical Sciences ETDs

Neisseria gonorrhoeae (Ng) is a sexually transmitted bacterium that infects human reproductive mucosal surfaces. Due to the risk of complications in untreated cases and evolving antibiotic resistance, a prophylactic vaccine is critical for preventing infection. There are four Ng outer-membrane proteins that contribute to Ng survival and resistance: PorB, BamA, TbpA, and MtrE. Each protein contains surface-exposed loops that are targets of bactericidal antibodies. Vaccines were developed by displaying Ng epitopes on the surface of bacteriophage virus-like particles (VLP). VLPs are immunogenic, multivalent, self-assembling complexes composed of viral structural proteins. Antigenic peptide sequences can be displayed on the surface …

A Race Against Time: Reduced Azithromycin Susceptibility In Salmonella Enterica Serovar Typhi In Pakistan, Junaid Iqbal, Irum Fatima Dehraj, Megan E. Carey, Zoe A. Dyson, Denise Garrett, Jessica C. Seidman, Furqan Kabir, Senjuti Saha, Stephen Baker, Farah Naz Qamar

Department of Paediatrics and Child Health

Antimicrobial resistance is an ongoing issue in the treatment of typhoid fever. Resistance to first-line antimicrobials and extensively drug resistant (XDR) Salmonella Typhi isolates in Pakistan have left azithromycin as the only remaining effective oral treatment. Here, we report the emergence of organisms with a single point mutation in acrB gene, implicated in azithromycin resistance, in a S. Typhi isolate from Pakistan. The isolation of this organism is worrisome and highlights the significance of the introduction of typhoid conjugate vaccine in South Asia.
Importance: The emergence of XDR Salmonella Typhi in Pakistan has left azithromycin as the only viable oral …

The Utility Of Early Warning Score In Adults Presenting With Sepsis In The Emergency Department Of A Low Resource Setting, Emaduddin Siddiqui, Abdul A. Jokhio, Ahmed Raheem, Shahan Waheed, Syed Hashmatullah

Department of Emergency Medicine

Background: Sepsis is a condition with high mortality and morbidity. Delay in early recognition and prompt management results in higher mortality. There are many clinical scores to identify early sepsis; however, Early Warning Score (EWS) has clinical/physiological parameters that are easy to apply in the ED for timely diagnosis and management. In the present study, we collected information regarding the utilization of EWS in timely identifying the sick patients at triage of a tertiary care center.
Methods: This study was a descriptive cross-sectional investigation conducted in the ED of Aga Khan University Hospital in Karachi, the largest metropolitan city in …

Trichosporon Species And Fusarium Species As A Cause Of Empyema Thoracis In A Diabetic Patient, Nousheen Iqbal, Muhammad Ammar, Muhammad Irfan, Kauser Jabeen

Section of Pulmonary & Critical Care

Of late, fungal infections are increasingly being recognized in diabetic patients. Here we present a case of polymicrobial fungal empyema due to Trichosporon species and Fusarium species developed after community-acquired pneumonia in a diabetic patient. Trichosporon species are basidiomycetous yeast and Fusarium species are soil saprophytes with a worldwide distribution. Fungal empyema cases are rare and are mostly caused by Aspergillus and Candida species. Polymicrobial fungal empyema with Trichosporon species and Fusarium species has not been reported previously. Our patient was successfully treated with antifungal therapy. This case highlights that fungal empyema should be considered in diabetic patients especially if …

A Case Of Disseminated Nocardia Beijingensis In An Immunocompetent Patient, Manifesting As Subcutaneous And Cns Nocardiosis., Scott Cathcart, Patricia Stogsdill, Rebecca Bell

Journal of Maine Medical Center

Introduction

Nocardiosis is an uncommon infection, typically encountered in immunocompromised patients. With only 5 cases reported thus far in the United States, we present a case of disseminated Nocardia beijingensis in an immunocompetent patient, involving the lung, subcutaneous tissue, and CNS.

Clinical Findings

A 60-year-old immunocompetent male with no significant medical history presents to our institution after a complicated medical course, beginning with vague respiratory complaints. Initial work-up revealed a large right upper lung mass of unclear etiology. A month later he had a syncopal episode followed by the development of focal neurologic deficits.

Main Diagnoses, Therapeutics Interventions, and Outcomes …

A Rare Case Of Leprosy In West Florida, Adrian Lugo, Taylor Studsrud, Nemer Dabage, James Demaio

West Florida Division Virtual Research Day 2020

• Leprosy is caused by acid-fast bacilli of the M. leprae complex, which includes M. leprae and M. lepromatosis.
• Transmission in the U.S. is rare, but has been documented in hunters who handle wild ninebanded armadillo.
• The origins of M. leprae infection among armadillos, the geographic range of the infected animals, and the potential risks infected armadillos present to people have been topics of concern.
• The infection originated amongst armadillos decades before they were ever used in leprosy research, and numerous surveys have confirmed that armadillos in the southern United States are a large natural reservoir for M. leprae; its prevalence …

Synergistic Effects Of Non Contact Induction Heating & Antibiotics On Staphylococcus Aureus Biofilm, Rajeshwar Singh Sidhu

Electronic Thesis and Dissertation Repository

Staphylococcus aureus is a major cause of prosthetic joint infection (PJI) in which it forms adherent biofilms, thick aggregates of extracellular polymeric substances (EPS) produced by the bacteria. Biofilm associated infections are difficult to treat as they have increased resistance to various antimicrobial agents, which means infected implants often require multiple procedures and prolonged antibiotic therapy. However, a new and emerging method of treatment of PJI is non-contact induction heating (NCIH) of metal implants. We sought to investigate the feasibility and effectiveness of NCIH along with synergistic effects of antibiotics (Vancomycin) in reducing bacterial load within surface associated biofilms in …

Contributions Of Gyra And Parc Mutations And Qnrs2 Acquisition To Ciprofloxacin Resistance In Aeromonas Veronii Hm21, Daniel J. Silverstein

Honors Scholar Theses

In recent years, ciprofloxacin resistant (CpR) Aeromonas veronii and A. hydrophila strains have been isolated from the wounds of patients receiving leech therapy. Genome comparisons of these CpR isolates revealed the presence of chromosomal mutations in gyrA and parC as well as the gain of qnrS2 on either a large, 34 kb, conjugatable, low-copy plasmid, pAv42, or on a small, 6.8 kb, high-copy plasmid, pAh1471. The minimum inhibitory concentration, MIC, for Cp of these clinical isolates ranged from 1 to ≥32 µg/mL and some harbored a qnrS2 containing plasmid. We wanted to assess the contributions of these factors in an …

Investigating The Impact Of The Nursing Practice Environment (Npe) On Central Line-Associated Bloodstream Infections (Clabsi) Among Older Adults In The Intensive Care Unit (Icu), Kristen A. Cribbs

Dissertations and Theses

Background: Health care–associated infections, resulting from treatment received for medical or surgical conditions in a health care setting, represent a critical public health and patient safety issue, exacting substantial medical, social, and economic costs. The costliest among the leading causes of preventable health care-associated infections is central-line associated bloodstream infections (CLABSI), to which older adults (age 65 years and older) are particularly susceptible, especially during intensive care unit (ICU) stays. A rich body of research has empirically linked the quality of the nursing practice environment (NPE) in hospitals to both positive and negative patient outcomes; yet, surprisingly few studies have …

A Case Of Pott's Disease: Typical Presentation Of An Uncommon Disease In The United States, Neha Patel, Ravi Patel, Marek Krysztofiak, K V. Sundaresh

West Florida Division Virtual Research Day 2020

Pott’s disease (PD), also known as tuberculosis spondylitis, is a rare disease of the spine which is typically caused by extraspinal infection. The basic lesion in Pott's disease is a combination of osteomyelitis and arthritis, usually affecting more than one vertebra. The anterior aspect of the vertebral body adjacent to the subchondral plate is commonly involved. Spinal TB can include any of the following: progressive bone destruction leading to vertebral collapse and kyphosis, cold abscess formation (due to extension of infection into adjacent ligaments and soft tissues), spinal canal narrowing by abscesses, granulation tissue or direct dural invasionresulting in spinal …

Pasteurella Multocida Bacteremia Secondary To Multiple Cat Scratches, Charles Boadu, Andrea Hernandez, Bassem Zeidan, John T. Young, Johnathan Frunzi

West Florida Division Virtual Research Day 2020

Pasteurella multocida(P. multocida)is part of the normal gastrointestinal and upper respiratory flora of domestic and wild animals such as dogs, cats, rabbits, opossums, boars, tigers, lions and horses ^{(1, 2)}. Transmission of P. multocidais usually through scratches and bites leading to infections of the soft tissue and skin ^(3,4). P. multocida bacteremia is rare, but occurs in individuals with major risk factors including chronic pulmonary disease, diabetes mellitus, end state renal disease (ESRD), and an immunocompromised state ^(3,4). Non traumatic infections of P. multocida in immunocompromised individuals,are more likely to require care in the intensive care unit …

Network Modeling The Impact Of Community-Based Male-Screening On The Chlamydia Trachomatis Prevalence In Women, Zhuolin Qu

Biology and Medicine Through Mathematics Conference

No abstract provided.

Molecular Mechanisms Of Antimicrobial Resistance In Multi-Drug Resistant Enterococci, Ayesha Khan

Dissertations & Theses (Open Access)

Antibiotic resistance is a major global public health threat. Enterococci are recalcitrant, nosocomial pathogens that can be intrinsically resistant to valuable antibiotics, like beta-lactams, or evolve resistance to all existing antimicrobials. The LiaFSR system regulates resistance to cell membrane (CM) stressors like daptomycin (DAP), a front-line drug for multi-drug resistant infections. DAP resistance (DAP-R) in E. faecalis is mediated by CM phospholipid alterations. Emergence of DAP-R often leads to b-lactam resensitization, a phenomenon called the seesaw effect. The molecular mechanism of DAP-R and the seesaw effect are unknown. Here we show that LiaX is a surface exposed protein whose C-terminal …

The Effect Of Staphylococcus Aureus Exposure On White-Tailed Deer Trabecular Bone Stiffness And Yield, Emily Brooke Long

Graduate Theses

Osteomyelitis is an infection of the bone or bone marrow caused by the infiltration of bacteria, resulting in destructive inflammation, bone necrosis and abnormal bone remolding. With a growing number of osteomyelitis diagnoses, many of which are linked to Staphylococcus aureus (S. aureus), it is imperative to understand the pathology of S. aureus in relation to bone to provide better diagnostics and patient care. While the cellular mechanisms of S. aureus and osteomyelitis have been studied, little information exists on the biomechanical effects of such infections. We postulated that exposure to S. aureus for 72 hours would significantly decrease both …

Filifactor Alocis: Resilience And Manipulation Against Neutrophil Effector Functions In A Dysbiotic Oral Environment., Max N. Rogers

College of Arts & Sciences Senior Honors Theses

Periodontitis is a multifactorial chronic inflammatory infectious disease that affects around 50% of the adult population in the USA. Neutrophils, which are the primary immune cells recruited to restore health at sites of infection, are profuse in the gingival space during oral infections. In a community-wide effort, pathogenic oral bacteria hijack neutrophil effector functions to evade killing, resulting in an uncontrollable inflammatory loop that leads into inflammation-mediated tissue injury. One of these harmful emerging oral pathogens, Filifactor alocis, has been shown to evade neutrophil killing and contribute to disease progression. The purpose of this study is to gain a …