Virological Profile of Asthma Exacerbation in Children: A Hospital-Based Retrospective Study.

Introduction Viruses are the most common triggering factors for asthma exacerbation during the autumn and winter seasons. Viruses, such as influenza A and rhinovirus, play a major role in the occurrence of severe exacerbation of asthma. This association between viral infection and asthma exacerbation in children is a result of the antiviral response of the immune system and various anti-inflammatory phenomena. In this work, we aimed to identify the virological profile of asthma exacerbation in children and analyze the correlation between viral infection type and the severity of exacerbation. Materials and methods This retrospective study was conducted from January 2016 to January 2024. The study included children hospitalized for asthma exacerbation associated with signs of viral-like respiratory infection with positive virological testing by multiplex real-time polymerase chain reaction or rapid test in the case of influenza A or respiratory syncytial virus (RSV). Data analysis was performed with Microsoft Excel and SPSS software using a previously established data collection sheet Results Thirty cases were collected for the study period. The mean age of the patients was 4 years and 8 months, with a male-to-female ratio of 3.3. Eighteen patients were known to have asthma, of which nine had uncontrolled asthma, and exacerbation was inaugural in 12 patients. Viral shedding was found in 14 patients. A viral agent was found in all patients, with coinfection of two or more viruses in three patients. The viruses found were influenza A (18 cases), coupled rhinovirus/enterovirus (eight cases), RSV (eight cases), human metapneumovirus (three patients), and parainfluenza type IV in only one inaugural patient. Asthma exacerbation was severe in 20 patients, moderate in eight patients, and two patients had severe acute asthma requiring intensive care management. We noted a higher frequency of severe exacerbation among those with an influenza A viral infection. All patients with RSV infection exhibited moderate exacerbation. No other significant correlation between asthma severity and other types of viruses was found. Conclusions Our results demonstrate the major role played by viruses in triggering asthma exacerbation, primarily influenza virus, followed by enterovirus, rhinovirus, RSV, and metapneumovirus. Larger-scale studies should be carried out to establish a more complete virological profile and further investigate the viral factor in the management of asthma in children.

Serotype distribution and antimicrobial susceptibility of invasive Streptococcus pneumoniae isolates among adult and elderly population before and after introduction of pneumococcal conjugate vaccine in Casablanca, Morocco.

BACKGROUND: Streptococcus pneumoniae (S. pneumoniae), remains a major cause of mortality and morbidity worldwide. The objective of this study was to determine the trends of invasive pneumococcal diseases (IPD) in adult and elderly population in Casablanca (Morocco) before and after introduction of pneumococcal conjugate vaccine (PCV) by determining the distribution of pneumococcal serotypes and antibiotic resistance profile of isolated strains. METHOD: The proposed study is a retrospective laboratory-based surveillance of IPD in hospitalized adult (15-59 years old) and elderly (≥ 60 years old) patients in Ibn Rochd University Hospital Centre from 2007 to 2019 (13 years). All the 250 non-duplicate clinical invasive isolates from adult and elderly patients, confirmed as S. pneumoniae according to the laboratory standard identification procedures, are included in this study. RESULTS: A significant decrease of the overall incidence in IPD was observed only in adults from 0.71 to 0.54/100000 populations (P = 0.02) and to 0.47/100000 populations (P = 0.0137) in the early and mature post-vaccine period respectively compared to the pre-vaccine period. Our results also showed a significant reduction in the overall prevalence of vaccine serotypes from 28.17 to 6.90% (P = 0.0021) for the PCV-10 serotypes, and from 46.48 to 25.86% (P = 0.0164) for the PCV-13 serotypes only in the mature post-vaccine period (2015-2019). In parallel, the rate of non-vaccine serotypes did not significantly change in the early post-vaccine period (2011-2014) while it increased considerably from 54 to 74.14% (P = 0.0189) during the mature post-vaccine period. The rate of penicillin non-susceptible pneumococcal isolates decreased significantly from 23.94 to 8.77% (P = 0.02) in adult patients, and the rate of cotrimoxazole non-susceptible pneumococcal isolates significantly decreased from 29.58 to 8.77% in the early post-vaccine period (P = 0.003) and to 7.24% in the mature post-vaccine period (P = 0.0007). CONCLUSION: Although childhood vaccination has considerably reduced the incidence of IPD in adult population through the herd effect, IPD remain a real public health problem due to the alarming increase in non-vaccine serotypes (NVS) and the lack of herd effect among elderly population. The rate of antibiotic resistance was relatively low. Nevertheless, resistance constitutes a serious problem to the therapeutic arsenal due to the known capacity for genetic dissemination in the pneumococcus.

[Epidemiological profile of pertussis in infants in Casablanca from 2012 to 2019]. / Profil épidémiologique de la coqueluche du nourrisson à Casablanca de 2012 à 2019.

Pertussis is a real public health problem due to high neonatal morbidity rates and resurgence despite high vaccination coverage. The purpose of this study is to analyze the epidemiological profile of pertussis in infants hospitalized from 2012 to 2019. We conducted a retrospective, descriptive study over a 7-year and 8-month period from January 2012 to July 2019. It involved 500 infants admitted with clinical suspicion of pertussis. The average age of infants was 72 days, ranging from 28 days to 18 months; 75% of infants were less than 3 months old. The peak incidence was registered in 2012 and 2016, with a summer predominance (32%); 460 infants (92%) were not or incompletely vaccinated, 42.2% of whom were too young to be vaccinated. A probable contaminant in the entourage was found in 43,6% of cases. Whooping cough and cyanosis were the main reason for hospitalization (77.6%). Chest radiography objectified bronchial disease (25,4%) and alveolar foci (22.7%). Blood count performed in 410 infants showed hyperlymphocytosis in 67.5% of cases. Polymerase chain reaction (PCR) on nasopharyngeal sample collected from 206 infants was positive for Bordetella pertussis in 64% of cases; 118 PCR performed in mothers were positive in 47.7% of cases. All infants received Clarithromycin. Pertussis is a major cause of morbidity in infants in Casablanca. The prevention strategy is based on vaccination of family members of infants. However, vaccination of pregnant women appears to be more effective.

A Streptococcus pneumoniae lineage usually associated with pneumococcal conjugate vaccine (PCV) serotypes is the most common cause of serotype 35B invasive disease in South Africa, following routine use of PCV.

Pneumococcal serotype 35B is an important non-conjugate vaccine (non-PCV) serotype. Its continued emergence, post-PCV7 in the USA, was associated with expansion of a pre-existing 35B clone (clonal complex [CC] 558) along with post-PCV13 emergence of a non-35B clone previously associated with PCV serotypes (CC156). This study describes lineages circulating among 35B isolates in South Africa before and after PCV introduction. We also compared 35B isolates belonging to a predominant 35B lineage in South Africa (GPSC5), with isolates belonging to the same lineage in other parts of the world. Serotype 35B isolates that caused invasive pneumococcal disease in South Africa in 2005-2014 were characterized by whole-genome sequencing (WGS). Multi-locus sequence types and global pneumococcal sequence clusters (GPSCs) were derived from WGS data of 63 35B isolates obtained in 2005-2014. A total of 262 isolates that belong to GPSC5 (115 isolates from South Africa and 147 from other countries) that were sequenced as part of the global pneumococcal sequencing (GPS) project were included for comparison. Serotype 35B isolates from South Africa were differentiated into seven GPSCs and GPSC5 was most common (49 %, 31/63). While 35B was the most common serotype among GPSC5/CC172 isolates in South Africa during the PCV13 period (66 %, 29/44), 23F was the most common serotype during both the pre-PCV (80 %, 37/46) and PCV7 period (32 %, 8/25). Serotype 35B represented 15 % (40/262) of GPSC5 isolates within the global GPS database and 75 % (31/40) were from South Africa. The predominance of the GPSC5 lineage within non-vaccine serotype 35B, is possibly unique to South Africa and warrants further molecular surveillance of pneumococci.

Whole genomic comparative analysis of Streptococcus pneumoniae serotype 1 isolates causing invasive and non-invasive infections among children under 5 years in Casablanca, Morocco.

BACKGROUND: Streptococcus pneumoniae serotype 1 remains a leading cause of invasive pneumococcal diseases, even in countries with PCV-10/PCV-13 vaccine implementation. The main objective of this study, which is part of the Pneumococcal African Genome project (PAGe), was to determine the phylogenetic relationships of serotype 1 isolates recovered from children patients in Casablanca (Morocco), compared to these from other African countries; and to investigate the contribution of accessory genes and recombination events to the genetic diversity of this serotype. RESULTS: The genome average size of the six-pneumococcus serotype 1 from Casablanca was 2,227,119 bp, and the average content of coding sequences was 2113, ranging from 2041 to 2161. Pangenome analysis of the 80 genomes used in this study revealed 1685 core genes and 1805 accessory genes. The phylogenetic tree based on core genes and the hierarchical bayesian clustering analysis revealed five sublineages with a phylogeographic structure by country. The Moroccan strains cluster in two different lineages, the five invasive strains clusters altogether in a divergent clade distantly related to the non-invasive strain, that cluster with all the serotype 1 genomes from Africa. CONCLUSIONS: The whole genome sequencing provides increased resolution analysis of the highly virulent serotype 1 in Casablanca, Morocco. Our results are concordant with previous works, showing that the phylogeography of S. pneumoniae serotype 1 is structured by country, and despite the small size (six isolates) of the Moroccan sample, our analysis shows the genetic cohesion of the Moroccan invasive isolates.

Early neonatal respiratory distress revealing meningitis caused by Streptococcus pneumoniae serotype 17F: a case report.

Background: Streptococcus pneumoniae (S. pneumoniae) is the first leading cause of invasive diseases such as meningitis, bacteremia and pneumoniae in children. In this case we report an early neonatal respiratory distress revealing meningitis caused by S. pneumoniae Serotype 17F through vertical transmission, in the newborn of 3 hours of live. Case description: A male late preterm newborn was born by vaginal delivery at a gestational age of 34 weeks. At 3 hours of life, he was admitted for early moderate neonatal respiratory distress in the Neonatal Medicine and Resuscitation Service. Cerebrospinal fluid culture yielded S. pneumoniae belonging to serotype 17F while the blood culture was negative. The same pneumococcal serotype was recovered from the high vaginal swab of the mother. Both isolates were found susceptible to all tested antibiotics except tetracycline and chloramphenicol to which the strain was resistant. Antibiotherapy management of the child included ceftriaxone at 150mg/kg/day for 21 days, in combination with gentamycin at 5 mg/kg/day for 5 days. ciprofloxacin was added at 40mg/kg/day in two doses for a period of three weeks as the baby presented a hydrocephalus. Conclusion: This finding shows that clinical manifestations of neonatal pneumococcal meningitis may be atypical and/or misleading.

Epidemiological profile of Neisseria meningitidis in Casablanca, Morocco: 2010-2019.

Surveillance of invasive meningococcal diseases (IMD) must be carried out regularly and continuously in order to detect the emergence of strains of reduced susceptibility to antibiotics for therapeutic and prophylactic use and the appearance of new invasive clones. Molecular-typing approaches allow reliable traceability and powerful epidemiological analysis. This is an epidemiological study of Neisseria meningitidis causing meningitis in Casablanca, Morocco. The grouping was confirmed by PCR mainly on the isolates from cerebrospinal fluid (CSF). A total of 245 confirmed isolates of N .meningitidis were obtained between 2010 and 2019 of which 93 % are of group B. Overall, 24 % of all the isolates have a reduced susceptibility to penicillin G, but no resistance to penicillin G has been reported. All the isolated strains are susceptible to third-generation cephalosporins (3GCs). Genotyping by multilocus sequence typing (MLST) of a selection of 18 strains showed that the majority of isolates belong to the invasive clonal complex CC 32(9/18) followed by the CC 41/44(3/18).

Surgical wound infection caused by a multi drug resistant Streptococcus pneumoniae Serotype 19A after a total coloproctectomy with ileostomy.

Streptococcus pneumoniae (S. pneumoniae) colonizes asymptomatically the human nasopharynx. This pathogen is responsible for sinusitis, otitis media, pneumonia, bacteremia and meningitis. We report the case of a 35-year-old female patient who developed a surgical wound infection by a multi drug resistant S. pneumoniae serotype 19A after a total coloprotectomy. This first found in Morocco shows the implication of multidrug resistant S. pneumoniae in surgical wound infections.

Pertussis in infants, in their mothers and other contacts in Casablanca, Morocco.

BACKGROUND: In recent decades, there has been a marked increase in the number of reported cases of pertussis around the world, and pertussis continues to be a frequently occurring disease despite an effective childhood vaccination. This study aims to determine the role of household contacts of children diagnosed with pertussis in Casablanca Morocco. METHODS: From November 2015 to October 2017, children suspected of whooping cough that consulted Ibn Rochd University hospital at Casablanca with their household contacts were enrolled in the study. Nasopharyngeal (NP) samples of the suspected children were analyzed by culture and RT-PCR. For the household contacts, NP and blood samples were collected and analyzed by RT-PCR and specific detection of pertussis toxin antibodies by ELISA, respectively. RESULTS: During the study period, the survey was carried out on 128 infants hospitalized for pertussis suspicion and their families (N = 140). B. pertussis DNA was specifically detected in 73 (57%) samples, coexistence of B. pertussis and B. parapertussis DNA in 3 (2.3%) samples, coexistence of B. pertussis and B. holmesii DNA in 10 (7.81%) and only one (0.78%) sample was IS 481 RT-PCR positive without the possibility of determining the Bordetella species with the diagnostic tools used. Confirmations of Pertussis infection in household contacts by culture, RT- PCR and serology were 10, 46 and 39%, respectively. B. pertussis DNA was confirmed in the infants as well in their mothers in 38% of the cases. Co detection of B. pertussis and B. parapertussis DNA in 2% and co-detection of B. pertussis and B. holmesii DNA in 4%. B. holmesii DNA alone was detected in 5 NP samples of index cases and their mothers. CONCLUSIONS: The results of this study confirm that B. pertussis is still circulating in children and adults, and were likely a source of pertussis contamination in infants still not vaccinated. The use of RT-PCR specific for B. pertussis in the diagnosis of adults is less sensitive and should be associated with serologic tests to improve diagnosis of pertussis and contributes to preventing transmission of the disease in infants.

A mosaic tetracycline resistance gene tet(S/M) detected in an MDR pneumococcal CC230 lineage that underwent capsular switching in South Africa.

OBJECTIVES: We reported tet(S/M) in Streptococcus pneumoniae and investigated its temporal spread in relation to nationwide clinical interventions. METHODS: We whole-genome sequenced 12 254 pneumococcal isolates from 29 countries on an Illumina HiSeq sequencer. Serotype, multilocus ST and antibiotic resistance were inferred from genomes. An SNP tree was built using Gubbins. Temporal spread was reconstructed using a birth-death model. RESULTS: We identified tet(S/M) in 131 pneumococcal isolates and none carried other known tet genes. Tetracycline susceptibility testing results were available for 121 tet(S/M)-positive isolates and all were resistant. A majority (74%) of tet(S/M)-positive isolates were from South Africa and caused invasive diseases among young children (59% HIV positive, where HIV status was available). All but two tet(S/M)-positive isolates belonged to clonal complex (CC) 230. A global phylogeny of CC230 (n=389) revealed that tet(S/M)-positive isolates formed a sublineage predicted to exhibit resistance to penicillin, co-trimoxazole, erythromycin and tetracycline. The birth-death model detected an unrecognized outbreak of this sublineage in South Africa between 2000 and 2004 with expected secondary infections (effective reproductive number, R) of ∼2.5. R declined to ∼1.0 in 2005 and <1.0 in 2012. The declining epidemic could be related to improved access to ART in 2004 and introduction of pneumococcal conjugate vaccine (PCV) in 2009. Capsular switching from vaccine serotype 14 to non-vaccine serotype 23A was observed within the sublineage. CONCLUSIONS: The prevalence of tet(S/M) in pneumococci was low and its dissemination was due to an unrecognized outbreak of CC230 in South Africa. Capsular switching in this MDR sublineage highlighted its potential to continue to cause disease in the post-PCV13 era.

[Prevalence of coagulase-negative staphylococci in blood cultures at the Ibn-Rochd University Hospital in Casablanca]. / Prévalence des staphylocoques à coagulase négative dans les hémocultures au Centre Hospitalier Universitaire Ibn Rochd de Casablanca.

INTRODUCTION: Blood cultures are the best diagnostic tool for the detection of bacteremia. However, false positive results may lead to confusion about antibiotic regimens, putting the lives of patients at risk. The main purpose of this study was to assess the prevalence of coagulase negative Staphylococci (CoNS) as well as of Corynebacterium spp and Bacillus spp in the bags of blood culture analyzed in the microbiology laboratory at the Ibn-Rochd University Hospital in Casablanca. This prevalence was evaluated according to various Hospital Departments over the year 2016. METHODS: We conducted a descriptive, retrospective study by analysing the computerized database of the Laboratory of bacteriology and virology at the Ibn-Rochd University Hospital in Casablanca over a 12-month period from 1st January to 31st December 2016. Our study focused on bacteria forming part of the commensal flora (coagulase negative Staphylococcus, Corynebacteria spp and Bacillus spp). The blood culture bags were incubated in the automated blood culture system (Bactec FX). The identification of the germs from a positive culture was performed according to the standard techniques of bacteriology and susceptibility testing was performed according to EUCAST 2015. We conducted an analysis of the computerized database of KALISIL system (Netika) version (2.2.10.) of the Microbiology Laboratory at the Ibn-Rochd University Hospital in Casablanca. RESULTS: Out of 7959 requests for blood cultures obtained from 5801 patients addressed to the laboratory of bacteriology, 2491 were positive, of which 848, reflecting a rate of 34% of positive bags or 10.6% of the whole of bags received over the year 2016, were positive for coagulase negative Staphylococcus, 56 bags of blood cultures, reflecting a rate of 2.2%, were positive for Corrynébacteruim SP, followed by 60 bags of blood cultures, reflecting a rate of 2.4%, which were positive for Bacillus sp. The frequency of isolation of coagulase negative Staphylococcus compared to other bacteria according to Clinical Departments showed a higher frequency in the Paediatric Department (47.2%) followed by the Medicine Department (44.1%). CONCLUSION: This study shows that coagulase negative Staphylococci are the organisms most frequently isolated from blood cultures. They are a non-negligible cause of nosocomial infections, but they are also the most common blood culture contaminants.

Chlamydia pneumoniae sero-prevalence in Moroccan patients with cardiovascular diseases.

BACKGROUND: Chlamydia pneumoniae is a pathogen associated with human respiratory tract infection, its viable presence in atherosclerotic plaques is also assumed to play significant function in cardiac diseases. Our study's main objective is to evaluate Chlamydia pneumoniae sero-prevalence in Moroccan patients with cardiovascular diseases using and comparing two serological methods. METHODS: Two hundred eighteen patients were enrolled; serums were tested by microimmunofluorescence to explore the sero-prevalence. Simultaneously 74 serums were analyzed by both immunoblot and micro-immunofluorescence to evaluate recombinant proteins diagnosis value. RESULTS: MIF results revealed 81% male and 84.5% female positive cases. The comparative study among 74 patients showed 78% men and 89% women positive cases by immunoblot, whereas MIF showed respectively 80% and 72%, a significant concordance between these methods was revealed. However, this comparison showed also two types of discrepancies, which may be related to difficulties in antigens detection by micro-immunofluorescence resulting from their structure complexity, or the antibodies reactivity with species' common antigens. CONCLUSIONS: The study revealed a high sero-prevalence of Chlamydia pneumoniae in the studied population, a big interest of recombinant protein was also revealed in the diagnosis accuracy. We suggest therefore using immunoblot for diagnosis confirmation because it provides additional useful information.

Prévalence des staphylocoques à coagulase négative dans les hémocultures au Centre Hospitalier Universitaire Ibn Rochd de Casablanca

Introduction: la réalisation des hémocultures est le meilleur moyen de diagnostic des bactériémies, cependant les résultats faussement positifs peuvent entraîner une confusion concernant les schémas thérapeutiques antibiotiques, mettant ainsi en danger la sécurité des patients. L'objectif principal de ce travail est d'évaluer la prévalence des Staphylocoques à coagulase négative (SCN) ainsi que Corynebacterium spp et Bacillus spp dans les ballons d'hémoculture analysés au Laboratoire de Microbiologie du Centre Hospitalier Universitaire (CHU) Ibn Rochd de Casablanca. Cette prévalence a été aussi évaluée en fonction de différents services hospitaliers sur l'année 2016.Méthodes: il s'agit d'une étude rétrospective descriptive basée sur une analyse de la base de données informatisée du laboratoire de bactériologie-virologie du CHU Ibn Rochd de Casablanca sur une période de 12 mois allant du 1er janvier au 31 décembre 2016, Ont été inclus dans notre étude les bactéries faisant partie de la flore commensale (staphylocoque à coagulase négative,corynébactéries spp et Bacillus spp) Les ballons d'hémoculture ont été incubés sur automate Bactec FX . L'identification des germes à partir d'une culture positive a été réalisée selon les techniques standards de bactériologie et l'antibiogramme selon EUCAST 2015. L'étude est basée sur une analyse de la base de données informatisée du système KALISIL (Netika) version (2.2.10.) du laboratoire de microbiologie du CHU Ibn Rochd-Casablanca Maroc.Résultats: sur 7959 demandes d'hémocultures adressées au laboratoire de bactériologie provenant de 5801 patients, 2491 étaient positifs dont 848, soit 34% des ballons positifs ou 10,6% de l'ensemble des ballons reçus durant l'année 2016, ont été représentées par staphylocoque à coagulase négative, 56 soit (2,2%) ballons des hémocultures par corrynébacteruim SP, suivi par 60 soit (2,4%) ballons par bacillus sp. La fréquence d'isolement du SCN par rapport aux autres bactéries en fonction des services cliniques a montré une fréquence plus élevée dans les services de pédiatrie avec 47,2% suivie des services de médecine avec 44,1%. Conclusion: cette étude montre que, Les staphylocoques à coagulase négative sont les organismes les plus fréquemment isolés des hémocultures, ils constituent une cause non négligeable d'infections nosocomiales mais, ils sont également les contaminants les plus courants des hémocultures

Analysis of amino acid motif of penicillin-binding proteins 1a, 2b, and 2x in invasive Streptococcus pneumoniae nonsusceptible to penicillin isolated from pediatric patients in Casablanca, Morocco.

OBJECTIVES: This study aimed to investigate the nature of the amino acid motifs found in PBPs of Streptococcus pneumoniae isolates in invasive diseases from pediatric patients at Casablanca, Morocco. Five penicillin-susceptible (PSSP), ten penicillin-intermediate (PISP), and fifteen penicillin-resistant S. pneumoniae (PRSP) were studied by PCR-RFLP and DNA sequencing of the pbp1a, - 2b, and - 2x genes. RESULTS: There were no changes in the conserved motifs of PBP1a, PBP2b and PBP2x for PSSP strains. Substitution close to PBP1a conserved motifs were found in all PRSP isolates and six/five PISP. Analysis of PBP2b showed that all but one of the 10 PISP strains and all PRSP had substitutions. Substitution close to PBP2x motifs showed that all but three of the 10 PISP strains and all PRSP had substitutions in tow conserved motifs. A total of 6, 11 and 10 genotypes were found after analysis of pbp1a, pbp2b, and pbp2x, respectively. The penicillin-nonsusceptible S. pneumoniae isolated in Casablanca share most amino acid substitutions of those reported worldwide, but they occurred among pneumococci with low level resistance to b-lactams.

An Unusual Case of Gullo's Syndrome Concomitant with Serious Endometriosis Disease in a Postmenopausal Woman.

Gullo's syndrome is a singular physiological phenomenon defined by an abnormal increase in serum pancreatic enzyme levels that may occur in healthy subjects in the absence of pancreatic disorders. During routine health examination in a 54-year-old postmenopausal woman with severe endometriosis, elevated values of serum amylase and lipase were fortuitously observed (198 and 1461 U/L, resp.). Over five years of regular pancreas surveillance, all clinical, biological, and imaging investigations were normal. However, the pancreatic enzyme levels have shown considerable fluctuations including some episodic transient normalization. The description of this benign pancreatic hyperenzymemia case incidentally associated with endometriosis disease is a very rare clinical situation. More in-depth documentation of this phenomenon may help clinicians to avoid unnecessary diagnostic management approaches and reassure the concerned patients that this affection would not be so worrying.

Molecular Characterization of Invasive Isolates of Neisseria meningitidis in Casablanca, Morocco.

Meningococcal epidemiology may change unpredictably, and typing of Neisseria meningitidis isolates is crucial for the surveillance of invasive meningococcal disease (IMD). Few data are available regarding the meningococcal epidemiology in countries of North Africa. We aimed to explore invasive meningococcal isolates from the Casablanca region in Morocco. We used whole-genome sequencing (WGS) to characterize 105 isolates from this region during the period of 2011 to 2016. Our data showed that the majority (n = 100) of the isolates belonged to serogroup B. Genotyping indicated that most of the isolates (n = 62) belonged to sequence type 33 of clonal complex 32. The isolates also showed the same PorA and FetA markers and clustered together on the basis of WGS phylogenetic analysis; they seemed to correspond to an expansion of local isolates in the Casablanca region, as reported for similar isolates in several other countries. These data suggest that serogroup B isolates may predominate in Morocco, which may have an important impact in the design of vaccination strategies.

Antimicrobial resistance and genetic diversity of Salmonella Infantis isolated from foods and human samples in Morocco.

OBJECTIVES: Genotyping of Salmonella strains is an important molecular tool to discriminate isolates and to improve epidemiological studies when an outbreak occurs. Among the DNA-based genotyping methods, pulsed-field gel electrophoresis (PFGE) is currently used to subtype Salmonella isolates. In this study, the feasibility of genotyping Salmonella enterica serotype Infantis strains using XbaI restriction enzyme was evaluated. Separation of restricted fragments was performed by PFGE. METHODS: To test the possibility of applying this methodology to epidemiological investigation, a collection of 26 Salmonella Infantis strains were tested for their susceptibility to 14 antimicrobial agents and were analysed by XbaI macrorestriction followed by PFGE. Detection of class 1 integrons as well as intI1 and blaTEM genes in resistant strains was also studied. RESULTS: Antimicrobial susceptibility testing showed that 84.6% (22/26) of Salmonella Infantis isolates were susceptible to all of the antimicrobials tested, whereas 7.7% (2/26) had low-level resistance to ß-lactams and harboured the blaTEM gene. A class 1 integron (0.8kb) and the intI1 gene (898bp) were detected in one Salmonella Infantis strain. However, five different PFGE profiles were defined by XbaI macrorestriction. CONCLUSIONS: The PFGE method demonstrated adequate typing ability and represents a powerful tool to discriminate the serotype Salmonella Infantis.

Global Distribution of Invasive Serotype 35D Streptococcus pneumoniae Isolates following Introduction of 13-Valent Pneumococcal Conjugate Vaccine.

A newly recognized pneumococcal serotype, 35D, which differs from the 35B polysaccharide in structure and serology by not binding to factor serum 35a, was recently reported. The genetic basis for this distinctive serology is due to the presence of an inactivating mutation in wciG, which encodes an O-acetyltransferase responsible for O-acetylation of a galactofuranose. Here, we assessed the genomic data of a worldwide pneumococcal collection to identify serotype 35D isolates and understand their geographical distribution, genetic background, and invasiveness potential. Of 21,980 pneumococcal isolates, 444 were originally typed as serotype 35B by PneumoCaT. Analysis of the wciG gene revealed 23 isolates from carriage (n = 4) and disease (n = 19) with partial or complete loss-of-function mutations, including mutations resulting in premature stop codons (n = 22) and an in-frame mutation (n = 1). These were selected for further analysis. The putative 35D isolates were geographically widespread, and 65.2% (15/23) of them was recovered after the introduction of pneumococcal conjugate vaccine 13 (PCV13). Compared with serotype 35B isolates, putative serotype 35D isolates have higher invasive disease potentials based on odds ratios (OR) (11.58; 95% confidence interval[CI], 1.42 to 94.19 versus 0.61; 95% CI, 0.40 to 0.92) and a higher prevalence of macrolide resistance mediated by mefA (26.1% versus 7.6%; P = 0.009). Using the Quellung reaction, 50% (10/20) of viable isolates were identified as serotype 35D, 25% (5/20) as serotype 35B, and 25% (5/20) as a mixture of 35B/35D. The discrepancy between phenotype and genotype requires further investigation. These findings illustrated a global distribution of an invasive serotype, 35D, among young children post-PCV13 introduction and underlined the invasive potential conferred by the loss of O-acetylation in the pneumococcal capsule.

Prostate-specific Antigen Levels in Moroccan Diabetic Males: A Cross-sectional Study.

BACKGROUND: Recent studies have shown an inverse relationship between diabetes and prostate- specific antigen (PSA) levels. OBJECTIVE: This study aimed to evaluate the PSA levels in the serum of diabetic and non-diabetic Moroccan males. METHODS: In a cross-sectional study, four hundred and seventy diabetic and 869 non-diabetic males were screened from January 2015 to April 2016 at Pasteur institute of Morocco. Hemoglobin A1c and Fasting Blood Glucose were measured using high performance liquid chromatography and dry chemistry, respectively. We used a chemiluminescent microparticle immunoassay technology to evaluate the levels of Serum PSA and testosterone. RESULTS: Overall, the PSA levels revealed no significant difference between diabetic and non-diabetic males (1.31 ± 0.04ng/mL vs.1.36 ± 0.03ng/mL, p = 0.380, respectively). The PSA levels increased with age both in non-diabetics and diabetics. Moreover, in diabetic subjects, the PSA levels were less age dependent (p =0.002) than in non-diabetic (p < 0.0001). The stratified analysis showed that the PSA was significantly lower in diabetic than in non-diabetic subjects aged between 50-59 years (p= 0.0004). Furthermore, no significant testosterone concentrations were observed in the subjects with or without diabetes (p= 0.904). CONCLUSION: Our results show that the PSA levels are age-dependant in diabetic and non-diabetic males but the PSA levels are affected by diabetes status only in the group aged between 50-59 years.

Investigation of Chlamydia pneumoniae infection in Moroccan patients suffering from cardiovascular diseases.

Chlamydia pneumoniae is an intracellular bacterium responsible for respiratory diseases and is highly involved in cardiovascular disease development, mainly atherosclerosis. The main objective of our study was to evaluate C. pneumoniae prevalence in Moroccan patients suffering from cardiovascular diseases. A total of 115 patients with cardiovascular diseases were enrolled, and their clinical and behavioral information was recorded. Blood was sampled from all patients as well as the atheroma plaques from 36 patients undergoing surgery. Nested PCR was performed for C. pneumoniae DNA detection in both peripheral blood mononuclear cells (PBMCs) and atheroma plaques. Statistical analysis was performed using EpiInfo software. Data analysis showed cardiovascular disease dominance in men, with a sex ratio M/F of 3.4, a majority of tobacco users (52.2%), and many diabetics (44.3%). A significant difference between genders was shown for tobacco use (p<0.05). Positive cases for PBMCs and atheroma plaques were 61% and 86%, respectively, and a significant difference between PBMCs and atheroma plaque infection was identified (p=0.02). Data analysis also showed that 12% of patients presented only C. pneumoniae infection as a risk factor. Therefore, the high prevalence of C. pneumoniae suggests its involvement in atherosclerosis, and further investigation is recommended for confirmation.