The detection of Coccidioides from ambient air in Phoenix, Arizona: Evidence of uneven distribution and seasonality.

Coccidioidomycosis is a debilitating fungal disease caused by inhalation of arthroconidia. We developed a novel approach for detection of airborne Coccidioides and used it to investigate the distribution of arthroconidia across the Phoenix, Arizona, metropolitan area. Air filters were collected daily from 21 stationary air-sampling units across the area: the first set collected before, during and after a large dust storm on August 25, 2015, and the second over the 45-day period September 25-November 8, 2016. Analysis of DNA extracted from the filters demonstrated that the day of the dust storm was not associated with increase of Coccidioides in air samples, although evidence of the low-level polymerase chain reaction (PCR) inhibition was observed in DNA extracted from samples collected on the day of the dust storm. Testing over 45 days identified uneven geographic distribution suggesting Coccidioides hot spots. In 2016, highest daily concentration of arthroconidia was observed between September 25-October 20, and only sporadic low levels were detected after that. These results provide evidence of seasonality and uneven spatial distribution of Coccidioides in the air. Our results demonstrate that routine air monitoring for arthroconidia is possible and provides an important tool for Coccidioides surveillance, which can address important questions about environmental exposure and human infection.

Major discrepancy between factual antibiotic resistance and consumption in South of France: analysis of 539,037 bacterial strains.

The burden of antibiotic resistance is currently estimated by mathematical modeling, without real count of resistance to key antibiotics. Here we report the real rate of resistance to key antibiotics in bacteria isolated from humans during a 5 years period in a large area in southeast in France. We conducted a retrospective study on antibiotic susceptibility of 539,107 clinical strains isolated from hospital and private laboratories in south of France area from January 2014 to January 2019. The resistance rate to key antibiotics as well as the proportion of bacteria classified as Difficult-to-Treat (DTR) were determined and compared with the Mann-Whitney U test, the χ2 test or the Fisher's exact test. Among 539,037 isolates, we did not observe any significant increase or decrease in resistance to key antibiotics for 5 years, (oxacillin resistance in Staphylococcus aureus, carbapenem resistance in enterobacteria and Pseudomonas aeruginosa and 3rd generation cephalosporin resistance in Escherichia coli and Klebsiella pneumoniae). However, we observed a significant decrease in imipenem resistance for Acinetobacter baumannii from 2014 to 2018 (24.19-12.27%; p = 0.005) and a significant increase of ceftriaxone resistance in Klebsiella pneumoniae (9.9-24.03%; p = 0.001) and Enterobacter cloacae (24.05-42.05%; p = 0.004). Of these 539,037 isolates, 1604 (0.3%) had a DTR phenotype. Over a 5-year period, we did not observe a burden of AR in our region despite a high rate of antibiotic consumption in our country. These results highlight the need for implementation of real-time AR surveillance systems which use factual data.

ADP-induced platelet aggregation and platelet reactivity index VASP are good predictive markers for clinical outcomes in non-ST elevation acute coronary syndrome.

Clopidogrel responsiveness has been proposed to be involved in recurrent ischemic events after stenting for non-ST elevation acute coronary syndromes (NSTE ACS). However, its biological definition is not consensual. We assess the value of ADP-induced platelet aggregation (ADP-Ag) and platelet reactivity index VASP (PRI VASP) in predicting recurrent ischemic events in patients with NSTE ACS undergoing percutaneous coronary intervention (PCI). We studied 195 consecutive NSTE ACS patients undergoing PCI after a 600 mg loading dose of clopidogrel. ADP-Ag and PRI VASP were analysed. The primary end-point was recurrent ischemic events within 30 days of PCI. It occurred in 14 patients (7%). Construction of ROC curves to examine the value of predictive models showed that sensitivity and specificity for primary endpoint were 79% and 76%, respectively, for a maximal intensity of ADP-Ag >or=70%, 93% and 50% for PRIVASP > 53%. The positive and negative predictive values were 21% and 98%, respectively, for ADP-Ag >or=70%, 12% and 99% for PRIVASP > 53%. In patients with NSTE ACS undergoing PCI, ADP-Ag and PRI VASP identify low responders to clopidogrel with an increased risk of recurrent ischemic events with respective cut-off values of 70% and 53%.

Description of Mycobacterium conceptionense sp. nov., a Mycobacterium fortuitum group organism isolated from a posttraumatic osteitis inflammation.

A nonpigmented rapidly growing mycobacterium was isolated from wound liquid outflow, bone tissue biopsy, and excised skin tissue from a 31-year-old woman who suffered an accidental open right tibia fracture and prolonged stay in a river. The three isolates grew in 3 days at 24 to 37 degrees C. 16S rRNA sequence analyses over 1,483 bp showed that they were identical and shared 99.7% (4-bp difference) sequence similarity with that of Mycobacterium porcinum, the most closely related species. Partial rpoB (723 bp) sequence analyses showed that the isolates shared 97.0% sequence similarity with that of M. porcinum. Further polyphasic approaches, including biochemical tests, antimicrobial susceptibility analyses, and hsp65, sodA, and recA gene sequence analysis, as well as % G+C determination and cell wall fatty acid composition analysis supported the evidence that these isolates were representative of a new species. Phylogenetic analyses showed the close relationship with M. porcinum in the Mycobacterium fortuitum group. The isolates were susceptible to most antibiotics and exhibited evidence for penicillinase activity, in contrast to M. porcinum. We propose the name Mycobacterium conceptionense sp. nov. for this new species associated with posttraumatic osteitis. The type strain is D16(T) (equivalent to CIP 108544(T) and CCUG 50187(T)).

Benefit of a 600-mg loading dose of clopidogrel on platelet reactivity and clinical outcomes in patients with non-ST-segment elevation acute coronary syndrome undergoing coronary stenting.

OBJECTIVES: We analyzed the benefit of a 600-mg clopidogrel loading dose on platelet reactivity and clinical outcomes after stenting for non-ST-segment elevation acute coronary syndrome (NSTE ACS). BACKGROUND: High post-treatment platelet reactivity (HPPR = adenosine diphosphate 10 mumol x l(-1) [ADP]-induced platelet aggregation >70%) is a marker for low responders to dual antiplatelet therapy with increased risk of recurrent cardiovascular (CV) events after stenting for NSTE ACS. METHODS: A total of 292 consecutive NSTE ACS patients undergoing coronary stenting were included and randomly received a 300-mg (n = 146) or 600-mg (n = 146) loading dose of clopidogrel at least 12 h before percutaneous coronary intervention. A single post-treatment blood sample was obtained before percutaneous coronary intervention to analyze maximal intensity of ADP-induced platelet aggregation and platelet surface expression of P-selectin. One-month follow-up CV events were recorded. RESULTS: The ADP-induced platelet aggregation and expression of P-selectin were significantly lower in patients receiving 600 mg than in those receiving 300 mg (mean +/- SD: 50 +/- 19% vs. 61+/- 16%, p < 0.0001 and 0.38 +/- 0.24 arbitrary units vs. 0.60 +/- 0.40 arbitrary units; p < 0.0001 respectively). Persistence of HPPR was less common in patients receiving 600 mg than in those receiving 300 mg (15 vs. 25%, p = 0.03). During the 1-month follow-up, 18 CV events (12%) occurred in the 300-mg group versus 7 (5%) in the 600-mg group (p = 0.02); this difference was not affected by adjustment for conventional CV risk factors (p = 0.035). CONCLUSIONS: In NSTE ACS patients undergoing coronary stenting, a 600-mg loading dose of clopidogrel shows its benefit on platelet reactivity and clinical prognosis.

First isolation of Bacteroides thetaiotaomicron from a patient with a cholesteatoma and experiencing meningitis.

A 45-year-old man with a cholesteatoma experienced purulent meningitis. Microbial analysis of cerebrospinal fluid yielded in pure culture a gram-negative bacillus. Phenotypic methods were suggestive of a Bacteroides distasonis or either a Bacteroides thetaiotaomicron or Bacteroides ovatus infection. The isolate was identified by 16S rRNA gene sequence analysis as B. thetaiotaomicron. This is the first case of B. thetaiotaomicron meningitis in pure culture.