Peritoneal dialysis-associated peritonitis of zoonotic origin, when minor gets major.

A 62-year-old patient with peritoneal dialysis (PD)-associated peritonitis is described. Identical strains of Pasteurella multocida and Streptococcus minor were cultured from the dialysate, and from the saliva of her recently adopted stray cat. Pasteurella is not often encountered as pathogen in PD-associated peritonitis, Streptococcus minor has never been cultured in human infection before. We emphasise the importance of hygiene in peritoneal dialysis and the need for testing pets when zoonotic pathogens are cultured.

High prevalence of ESBL-producing Enterobacteriaceae carriage in Dutch community patients with gastrointestinal complaints.

The aim of this study was to determine the rate of carriage of ESBL-producing Enterobacteriaceae (ESBL-E) in the community in the Netherlands and to gain understanding of the epidemiology of these resistant strains. Faecal samples from 720 consecutive patients presenting to their general practitioner, obtained in May 2010, and between December 2010 and January 2011, were analysed for presence of ESBL-E. Species identification and antibiotic susceptibility testing were performed according to the Dutch national guidelines. PCR, sequencing and microarray were used to characterize the genes encoding for ESBL. Strain typing was performed with amplified fragment length polymorphism (AFLP) and multilocus sequence typing (MLST). Seventy-three of 720 (10.1%) samples yielded ESBL-producing organisms, predominantly E. coli. No carbapenemases were detected. The most frequent ESBL was CTX-M-15 (34/73, 47%). Co-resistance to gentamicin, ciprofloxacin and cotrimoxazole was found in (9/73) 12% of the ESBL-E strains. AFLP did not show any clusters, and MLST revealed that CTX-M-15-producing E. coli belonged to various clonal complexes. Clonal complex ST10 was predominant. This study showed a high prevalence of ESBL-producing Enterobacteriaceae in Dutch primary care patients with presumed gastrointestinal discomfort. Hence, also in the Netherlands, a country with a low rate of consumption of antibiotics in humans, resistance due to the expansion of CTX-M ESBLs, in particular CTX-M-15, is emerging. The majority of ESBL-producing strains do not appear to be related to the international clonal complex ST131.

Gastroenteritis caused by Campylobacter concisus.

We describe a case of gastroenteritis caused by Campylobacter concisus. The pathogenic potential of C. concisus has yet to be elucidated. Recent studies indicate an association with enteric disease in immunocompromised patients and inflammatory bowel disease in children. Molecular identification methods may be necessary for identifying certain Campylobacter species because of phenotypic similarity.

Comparison of restriction enzyme analysis and amplified fragment length polymorphism typing of Porphyromonas gingivalis isolated from spouses.

INTRODUCTION: In the past, theories on the transmission of Porphyromonas gingivalis between individuals have been based on, among other techniques, restriction enzyme analysis (REA) of bacterial DNA. Currently, amplified fragment length polymorphism (AFLP) may be a more sophisticated alternative. The possibility of automatic pattern analysis and digital storage of the typing data enables the comparison of patterns from a large number of strains in a broad time frame. The aim of this study was to compare REA profiles with AFLP patterns of P. gingivalis strains isolated from periodontitis patients and their spouses. METHODS: Forty-two P. gingivalis strains were isolated from different sites in the mouth from six adult patients with periodontitis and their spouses. DNA of the bacterial isolates was subjected to REA and AFLP analysis. RESULTS: One single type of P. gingivalis was found in each individual with both methods, regardless of the site of isolation. Indistinguishable types were found in four of the six couples with both techniques. Different types were found in two couples with both the REA and the AFLP method. CONCLUSIONS: The AFLP typing technique confirms earlier observations on the transmission of P. gingivalis between spouses. This new technique can replace REA typing.

Java project on periodontal diseases: a study on transmission of Porphyromonas gingivalis in a remote Indonesian population.

AIM: To study transmission of Porphyromonas gingivalis in a population living in a remote area in Southern Java, Indonesia. MATERIAL AND METHODS: Subgingival plaque samples from 167 subjects with varying degrees of periodontal breakdown were obtained and cultured for the presence of P. gingivalis. After extraction and purification of bacterial DNA, amplified fragment length polymorphism technique was applied to genotype the bacterial isolates. Computer-assisted analysis of the bacterial DNA profiles was used to study distribution of P. gingivalis genotypes within family units. RESULTS: One hundred and five of the 167 (63%) subjects were culture positive for P. gingivalis. In total, 371 P. gingivalis isolates were obtained from the 105 subjects. Of the 105 subjects, 30 were siblings representing 13 families. In six of the 13 families (46%), identical P. gingivalis genotypes were found among siblings. In the study group of 105 subjects, 13 married couples were identified of which both spouses were culture positive for P. gingivalis. None of the 13 couples shared an identical P. gingivalis genotype. Twenty P. gingivalis-positive subjects had spouses that were culture negative for P. gingivalis. CONCLUSIONS: In this study population, vertical transmission of P. gingivalis has occurred within family units, most likely from parents to children. Transmission of P. gingivalis between spouses could not be established.