The Significance of a Multilocus Analysis for Assessing the Biodiversity of the Romanov Sheep Breed in a Comparative Aspect.

The Romanov breed was evaluated using immunological and genetic markers. The seven blood group systems were characterized with a greater accuracy than in previous works on sheep in the Russian Federation, and were compared to eight ruminant species. Unlike other breeds, Romanov sheep shows a higher frequency of HBA than HBB alleles. There are 3-4 genotypes at the transferrin locus whereas in other breeds 6-11 genotypes have been found. At the albumin locus, the majority of the identified genotypes were heterozygotes, unlike in the other breeds studied. In the prealbumin locus, the Romanov breed was the only one where all the genotypes were heterozygous. We speculate that polymorphism at two loci (BMP-15 and BMPR1B) could effect on the high ovulation rates of Romanov sheep. Based on different genetic markers, the prevalence of heterozygotes in the Romanov sheep could determine their higher viability. A cluster analysis showed the close proximity of 12 populations of the Romanov breed, as the breeding stock come from the Yaroslavl region.

Systemic neonatal candidosis: the karyotyping of Candida albicans strains isolated from neonates and health-workers.

Candida albicans has become an important cause of nosocomial infections in neonatal intensive care units (NICUs). The aim of the present study was to compare C. albicans strains isolated from neonates (NN) suffering from systemic candidosis and from nurses in order to determine the relatedness between NN and health workers' strains. Thirty-one C. albicans strains were isolated from 18 NN admitted to the NICU of the neonatology service of Farhat Hached Hospital of Sousse, Tunisia and suffering from systemic candidosis, together with five strains recovered from nurses suffering from C. albicans onychomycosis. Two additional strains were tested, one from an adult patient who developed a systemic candidosis and the second from an adult with inguinal intertrigo. All strains were karyotyped by pulsed-field gel electrophoresis (PFGE) with a CHEF-DR II system. Analysis of PFGE patterns yielded by the 38 strains tested led to the identification of three pulsotypes that were designated I, II and III, and consisted of six chromosomal bands with a size ranging from 700 to >2500 kbp. The most widespread was the pulsotype I, which was shared by 17 NN and the five nurses' strains. The identity between NN and nurses' strains is very suggestive of a nosocomial acquisition from health-workers.

A three-year surveillance of nosocomial infections by methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus haemolyticus in newborns reveals the disinfectant as a possible reservoir.

OBJECTIVE: Study of the clonality of methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus haemolyticus responsible of epidemic infections in a neonatal intensive care unit. PATIENTS AND METHODS: Methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus haemolyticus isolates were collected during the period from March 2004 to November 2006, from newborns, the clean hands of nurses and from disinfectant bottles used in the unit. Molecular typing by pulsed-field gel electrophoresis (PFGE) was achieved for all isolates. RESULTS: Forty-six isolates of S. haemolyticus resistant to methicillin were collected from 42 newborns, the hand of two nurses and from two disinfectant bottles used in the unit. PFGE analysis revealed five types (A, B, C, D and E) among newborns isolates. Types A and B were predominant. Nurses' isolates revealed PFGE types similar to types A and B. Disinfectant isolates were of type B. qacA/B PCR analysis revealed that the majority of type B isolates contain the disinfectant resistance gene qacA/B. No isolate of type A possessed this gene. CONCLUSION: These results suggest that MRSH neonatal infections are caused by a limited number of clones. Clone B was able to survive in disinfectant bottles and to conserve its ability to infect newborns. We therefore conclude that the disinfectant can serve as a reservoir for MRSH and point out the need to control all disinfectants used in a neonatal intensive care unit.

Clonality of Providencia stuartii isolates involved in outbreak that occurred in a burn unit.

In order to investigate an outbreak of multidrug-resistant Providencia stuartii that occurred in a burn unit, we analyzed by pulsed-field gel electrophoresis (PFGE) all isolates of P. stuartii collected during 4 months of 2005 from patients and from a tracheal aspirator. Seventeen clinical isolates of P. stuartii, extended-spectrum beta-lactamase (ESBL) producing, were collected from 17 patients. All these isolates were nosocomially acquired. Three other isolates were collected from the aspirator probe, the aspirator reservoir and from the aspirator tube. Three different antibiotypes were identified without correlation with the genotype. Two PFGE types were obtained (types A and B) with predominance of one (type A) that was observed for 15 isolates. P. stuartii isolates collected from different components of the aspirator (probe, reservoir and tube) yielded PFGE type A. This study suggests the bi-clonality of the outbreak and that transmission of epidemic P. stuartii isolates was through a common source. The aspirator probe, contaminated from aspirator that functioned as a reservoir of bacteria, seems to be the route of transmission of P. stuartii. Furthermore, this study shows the utility of PFGE in typing for the purpose of understanding the epidemiological behaviour of P. stuartii and as a basis for the development of rational control strategies.

[Vaginal colonization of the Streptococcus agalactiae in pregnant woman in Tunisia: risk factors and susceptibility of isolates to antibiotics]. / Portage vaginal de Streptococcus agalactiae chez la femme enceinte en Tunisie : facteurs de risque et sensibilité aux antibiotiques des isolats.

Streptococcus agalactiae or Group B Streptococcus (GBS) is one of the main bacterial causes of serious infections in newborns. We have evaluated prospectively GBS vaginal colonization in pregnant women and we have tried to determine the risk factors of the colonization by GBS and the particularities of the different isolated strains. We have screened 300 pregnant women with vaginal and anal sample in a same swab. Thirty nine (13%) pregnant women are colonized by SGB, 0% in the first trimester, 10.2% in the second trimester and 17% in the third trimester. Different factors are associated significantly with GBS colonization: past history of infection in newborns, genital infection during pregnancy and parity The highest rates of resistance are found in tetracycline (97.4%), erythromycin (51.3%) and lincomycin (46.2%). All the strains were susceptible to amoxicilin and pristinamycin.

[Multiclonality of methicilin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus in a university hospital]. / Multiclonalité des souches de Staphylococcus aureus résistantes à la méthicilline dans un CHU.

OBJECTIVE: The methicillin resistance of Staphylococcus aureus MRSA is a major problem for human infections. The authors present a genotypic study of these bacteria to understand the spreading of these strains in a university hospital. PATIENTS AND METHODS: We collected 19 strains of MRSA (September 2003-March 2004) for which the presence of gene mecA had been confirmed by PCR. They were then genotyped in pulsed-field Gel electrophoresis (CHEF variety). RESULTS: Resistant strains accounted for 12.9% of all collected S. aureus strains. Most samples came from patients hospitalized or consulting in dermatology. Eleven different antibiotypes and four genotypic profiles were determined: type A (with 8 subtypes), type B (with 2 subtypes), type C, and D. CONCLUSION: MRSA strains have a multiclonal distribution in our hospital with a dominant endemic clone in the dermatological unit. Skin infections are the main hospital source for these strains.

Cysteine conjugate of methazolamide is metabolized by beta-lyase.

Bovine kidney and liver homogenates degraded a cysteine conjugate of methazolamide, S-(5-acetylimino-4-methyl-Delta2-1,3,4-thiadiazolin-2-yl)cysteine. We isolated the degradation product following incubation with kidney homogenate by high-performance liquid chromatography on reversed-phase columns. The chemical structure was confirmed by proton and carbon-13 nuclear magnetic resonance spectroscopy (1H NMR and 13C NMR, respectively), and elemental analysis by high-resolution mass spectrometry to be N-(3-methyl-5-mercapto-Delta4-1,3,4-thiadiazol-2-yl)acetamide, a thiol compound. The reaction is thought to be catalyzed by a pyridoxal-dependent enzyme(s) as indicated by an inhibition study using aminooxyacetic acid. Possible involvement of the thiol compound in the development of an adverse effect is discussed.

Genotypic analysis of Salmonella enterica serovar Typhi collected during two successive autumnal typhoid outbreaks in southeast Tunisia.

OBJECTIVE: Investigation of two successive autumnal outbreaks of typhoid fever that occurred in southeast Tunisia. PATIENTS AND METHODS: Salmonella typhi isolates collected from confirmed cases of typhoid fever during the two outbreaks occurred in autumn 2004 and 2005 and from healthy carriers were analyzed by antibiogram and pulsed-field gel electrophoresis (PFGE). RESULTS: A total of 86 isolates of Salmonella enterica serovar Typhi (76 from blood culture or stool of patients involved in both outbreaks and 10 from stool of healthy carriers) were obtained. All isolates of S. typhi were fully sensitive to all antibiotics tested, particularly to co-trimoxazole and ciprofloxacin. All isolates of 2004 (39 from patients and 10 from healthy carriers) appeared to be genetically identical when digested with SpeI, AvrII and XbaI. XbaI digestion of 2005 outbreak isolates gave five different patterns with predominance of the 2004 outbreak pattern. Both outbreaks were concomitant with the season of "legmi", fermented juice traditionally extracted from palm-tree. CONCLUSION: PFGE with XbaI was discriminatory and can be useful for epidemiological routine investigation of typhoid fever. Typing results suggests the monoclonality of 2004 outbreak and the multiclonality of the 2005 outbreak. The epidemic clone of S. typhi is able to persist for long period in a quiet state in the population and to give again a new outbreak, when the conditions become favorable.

Clonality of clinical methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus epidermidis isolates in a neonatal intensive care unit.

OBJECTIVE: Study of the clonality of methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus epidermidis responsible of epidemic infections in a neonatal intensive care unit. PATIENTS AND METHODS: All S. epidermidis isolates (mecA+) were collected during the epidemic period (December 2003-September 2004) from different pathological products of newborns. Isolates were characterized by genotyping in pulsed-field gel electrophoresis and by electrophoretic profiles obtained by PCR-based analysis of inter-IS256 spacer polymorphisms. RESULTS: Twenty methicillin-resistant S. epidermidis isolates were collected from newborns during the epidemic period and represented 41.6% of the total isolates of S. epidermidis, which is the first Staphylococcus species isolated from the unit. These isolates were collected from blood cultures (80%), vascular catheters (5%), pus (10%), and intra-tracheal tube (5%). Six genotypic profiles were individualized: type A, type B, type C, type D, type E, and type F, with clear dominance of type A. Five different PCR patterns were found with poor correlation to genotypes defined by PFGE. CONCLUSION: Neonatal nosocomial outbreak of methicillin-resistant S. epidermidis was caused by multiple clones of this species with predominance of one epidemic and multiresistant clone. This clone may be transmitted between babies and was able to persist in the unit. PCR IS 256 proved to be less discriminative than PFGE for typing MRSE.