Moraxella nonliquefaciens-Associated Ecthyma Gangrenosum in a Pediatric Patient With Cancer.

ABSTRACT: In this brief report, we describe a 16-year-old patient with pre-B-cell acute lymphoblastic leukemia on chemotherapy who presented to the emergency department with a fever and "bruise-like" area on his left forearm. Empiric antibiotic therapy was initiated, and initial tissue biopsy demonstrated findings consistent with ecthyma gangrenosum. On day 4 of admission, initial blood cultures grew Moraxella nonliquefaciens, and targeted antibiotic therapy was initiated and continued for a total of 21 days. The patient was discharged after 6 days of in-patient therapy and made a full recovery. M. nonliquefaciens has been reported to be associated with multiple types of infection, but no cases of M. nonliquefaciens-associated ecthyma gangrenosum were identified in the literature review for this report. Given this unique case and the empiric risks and broad differential associated with cutaneous manifestations in immunocompromised patients, obtaining a skin biopsy for histological examination is imperative for diagnostic workup.

Composition of nasal bacterial community and its seasonal variation in health care workers stationed in a clinical research laboratory.

The microorganisms at the workplace contribute towards a large portion of the biodiversity a person encounters in his or her life. Health care professionals are often at risk due to their frontline nature of work. Competition and cooperation between nasal bacterial communities of individuals working in a health care setting have been shown to mediate pathogenic microbes. Therefore, we investigated the nasal bacterial community of 47 healthy individuals working in a clinical research laboratory in Kuwait. The taxonomic profiling and core microbiome analysis identified three pre-dominant genera as Corynebacterium (15.0%), Staphylococcus (10.3%) and, Moraxella (10.0%). All the bacterial genera exhibited seasonal variations in summer, winter, autumn and spring. SparCC correlation network analysis revealed positive and negative correlations among the classified genera. A rich set of 16 genera (q < 0.05) were significantly differentially abundant (LEfSe) across the four seasons. The highest species counts, richness and evenness (P < 0.005) were recorded in autumn. Community structure profiling indicated that the entire bacterial population followed a seasonal distribution (R2-0.371; P < 0.001). Other demographic factors such as age, gender and, ethnicity contributed minimally towards community clustering in a closed indoor laboratory setting. Intra-personal diversity also witnessed rich species variety (maximum 6.8 folds). Seasonal changes in the indoor working place in conjunction with the outdoor atmosphere seems to be important for the variations in the nasal bacterial communities of professionals working in a health care setting.

Isolation of Moraxella spp. from horses with conjunctivitis in Southern Brazil.

Infectious keratoconjunctivitis (IKC) is the most frequent ocular disease in livestock worldwide and is primarily caused by Moraxella bovis, M. ovis, and/or M. bovoculi. The economic impact of IKC is mainly due to ocular damage, which leads to weight loss, management difficulties, pain and discomfort, and cost of treatments. In horses, limited information is available on the association of Moraxella spp. with keratoconjunctivitis. The present report describes two cases of equine keratoconjunctivitis caused by members of the genus Moraxella. Both animals presented with lacrimation, conjunctivitis, photophobia, mucoid or purulent secretions, blepharitis, and conjunctival hyperemia. The diagnosis of IKC was based on the epidemiological and clinical findings; the etiological agent was identified through bacteriological (culture and biochemistry assays) and molecular testing (PCR and nucleotide sequencing). Our study reports the isolation of Moraxella bovoculi (SBP 88/19) and a putative new species/mutant of Moraxella (SBP 39/19) recovered from ocular secretions in horses. Thus, we suggest the inclusion of Moraxella spp. infection in the differential diagnosis of conjunctivitis in horses in Southern Brazil.

Moraxella osloensis infection among adults and children: A pediatric case and literature review.

Moraxella osloensis has been reported in the literature as a human pathogen, particularly among immunocompromised adults. In contrast to the adult population, most pediatric cases are among patients with no underlying immunological defect; however, no patient underwent further investigation and no data about the long-term follow-up are available. We report the case of a 2-month-old previously healthy girl infected with Moraxella osloensis. Here, we review case reports and case series of children and adults with Moraxella osloensis infection and compare them with our experience. On the basis of our findings, we recommend further investigations (immunological or other underlying diseases) when a child is found to be infected with these bacteria.

Study of Normal Flora in the Pharynx of Healthy Children.

To improve our current understanding of normal flora in children, we investigated bacterial isolates from the pharynx and nasopharynx of 173 and 233 healthy children, respectively. The bacterial isolation rates were compared among three age groups: infants (<1 year), toddlers (1-5 years), and school-aged children (6-15 years). Gram-positive cocci were the predominant bacteria in the pharynx (Streptococcus mitis/oralis, 87.3%; Streptococcus salivarius, 54.3%; Rothia mucilaginosa, 41.6%; Staphylococcus aureus, 39.3%). Among infants, S. salivarius and Neisseria subflava, which are related to the development of teeth, were significantly lower than in the other age groups (P <0.0001, S. salivarius; P <0.01, N. subflava). With the exception of Corynebacterium pseudodiphtheriticum (44.2%, gram-positive rods), gram-negative rods largely predominated the nasopharynx (Moraxella catarrhalis, 32.1%; Moraxella nonliquefaciens, 28.3%). Among toddlers, M. catarrhalis and Streptococcus pneumoniae, which are the most common pathogens in acute otitis media, were significantly higher than in the infant group (P <0.05). Among the bacterial species implicated in pediatric respiratory infections, Streptococcus pyogenes was isolated in 3.5% of the pharyngeal samples. S. pneumoniae and Haemophilus influenzae were isolated in 22.3% and 17.2% of the nasopharyngeal samples, respectively. In conclusion, the normal flora of the respiratory tract differs not only by the sampling site but also by the age group.

Characterization of the human skin resistome and identification of two microbiota cutotypes.

BACKGROUND: The human skin microbiota is considered to be essential for skin homeostasis and barrier function. Comprehensive analyses of its function would substantially benefit from a catalog of reference genes derived from metagenomic sequencing. The existing catalog for the human skin microbiome is based on samples from limited individuals from a single cohort on reference genomes, which limits the coverage of global skin microbiome diversity. RESULTS: In the present study, we have used shotgun metagenomics to newly sequence 822 skin samples from Han Chinese, which were subsequently combined with 538 previously sequenced North American samples to construct an integrated Human Skin Microbial Gene Catalog (iHSMGC). The iHSMGC comprised 10,930,638 genes with the detection of 4,879,024 new genes. Characterization of the human skin resistome based on iHSMGC confirmed that skin commensals, such as Staphylococcus spp, are an important reservoir of antibiotic resistance genes (ARGs). Further analyses of skin microbial ARGs detected microbe-specific and skin site-specific ARG signatures. Of note, the abundance of ARGs was significantly higher in Chinese than Americans, while multidrug-resistant bacteria ("superbugs") existed on the skin of both Americans and Chinese. A detailed analysis of microbial signatures identified Moraxella osloensis as a species specific for Chinese skin. Importantly, Moraxella osloensis proved to be a signature species for one of two robust patterns of microbial networks present on Chinese skin, with Cutibacterium acnes indicating the second one. Each of such "cutotypes" was associated with distinct patterns of data-driven marker genes, functional modules, and host skin properties. The two cutotypes markedly differed in functional modules related to their metabolic characteristics, indicating that host-dependent trophic chains might underlie their development. CONCLUSIONS: The development of the iHSMGC will facilitate further studies on the human skin microbiome. In the present study, it was used to further characterize the human skin resistome. It also allowed to discover the existence of two cutotypes on the human skin. The latter finding will contribute to a better understanding of the interpersonal complexity of the skin microbiome. Video abstract.

Relatedness of type IV pilin PilA amongst geographically diverse Moraxella bovoculi isolated from cattle with infectious bovine keratoconjunctivitis.

Introduction. Moraxella bovoculi is frequently isolated from the eyes of cattle with infectious bovine keratoconjunctivitis (IBK; pinkeye). As with M. bovis, which has been causally linked to IBK, M. bovoculi expresses an RTX (repeats in the structural toxin) cytotoxin that is related to M. bovis cytotoxin. Pilin, another pathogenic factor in M. bovis, is required for corneal attachment. Seven antigenically distinct pilin serogroups have been described in M. bovis.Hypothesis/Gap Statement. Multiple different serogroups exist amongst type IV pilin encoded by M. bovis, however, it is not known whether M. bovoculi exhibits a similar degree of diversity in type IV pilin that it encodes.Aim. This study was done to characterize a structural pilin (PilA) encoded by M. bovoculi isolated from cases of IBK to determine if diversity exists amongst PilA sequences.Methodology. Ninety-four isolates of M. bovoculi collected between 2002 and 2017 from 23 counties throughout California and from five counties in four other Western states were evaluated.Results. DNA sequencing and determination of deduced amino acid sequences revealed ten (designated groups A through J) unique PilA sequences that were ~96.1-99.3 % identical. Pilin groups A and C matched previously reported putative PilA sequences from M. bovoculi isolated from IBK-affected cattle in the USA (Virginia, Nebraska, and Kansas) and Asia (Kazakhstan). The ten pilin sequences identified were only ~74-76 % identical to deduced amino acid sequences of putative pilin proteins identified from the previously reported whole-genome sequences of M. bovoculi derived from deep nasopharyngeal swabs of IBK-asymptomatic cattle.Conclusions. Compared to the diversity reported between structural pilin proteins amongst different serogroups of M. bovis, M. bovoculi PilA from geographically diverse isolates derived from IBK-affected cattle are more conserved.

Bacterial composition of nasal discharge in children based on highly accurate 16S rRNA gene sequencing analysis.

Nasopharyngeal colonization by bacteria is a prerequisite for progression to respiratory disease and an important source of horizontal spread within communities. We aimed to perform quantitative analysis of the bacterial cells and reveal the microbiota of the nasal discharge in children at the species level based on highly accurate 16S rRNA gene sequencing. This study enrolled 40 pediatric patients with rhinorrhea. The bacterial cells in the nasal discharge were counted by epifluorescence microscopic analysis. The microbiota was analyzed by using the 16S rRNA gene clone library sequencing method. We demonstrated that a high abundance (median 2.2 × 107 cells/mL) of bacteria was contained in the nasal discharge of children. Of the 40 samples, 37 (92.5%) were dominated by OTUs corresponding to Haemophilus aegyptius/influenzae, Moraxella catarrhalis/nonliquefaciens, or Streptococcus pneumoniae. These samples showed higher cell abundance and lower alpha diversity than the remaining three samples in which the other bacteria coexisted. In addition, 12 sequences with low homology to type strains were considered as previously unknown bacterial lineages. In conclusion, the nasal discharge of most young children contains a large amount of respiratory pathogens and several unknown bacteria, which could not only cause endogenous infection but also be a source of transmission to others.

Endoftalmitis de inicio tardío asociada a ampolla de filtración por Moraxella nonliquefaciens / Delayed-onset bleb-related endophthalmitis caused by Moraxella nonliquefaciens

Las endoftalmitis asociadas a la ampolla de filtración tras cirugía filtrante de glaucoma son poco frecuentes, de inicio tardío y la mayoría están asociadas a una blebitis. Los agentes causales suelen ser estreptococos o bacterias gramnegativas. Existen pocos casos descritos en la literatura de endoftalmitis causada por Moraxella nonliquefaciens y la mayoría están asociados a una blebitis tras cirugía filtrante de glaucoma. Presentamos el caso de una paciente de 90 años con endoftalmitis en ojo derecho por Moraxella nonliquefaciens asociada a blebitis 10 años después de la cirugía de glaucoma. Tras el tratamiento, se observó la desaparición de la blebitis 2 semanas después y resolución de la vitritis 29 días después, con recuperación de la visión a valores previos (20/200). La endoftalmitis por Moraxella nonliquefaciens es rara y está asociada a blebitis de inicio tardío tras una cirugía filtrante de glaucoma. A pesar de la virulencia del cuadro, el pronóstico visual suele ser favorable

Bleb-related endophthalmitis is rare and appears months or years after surgery. The causative agents are usually streptococci or gram-negative bacteria. There are few cases in the literature of endophthalmitis caused by Moraxella nonliquefaciens, and most are delayed-onset associated with blebitis after glaucoma filtration surgery. The case is presented of a 90-year-old patient with endophthalmitis in the right eye due to Moraxella nonliquefaciens associated with blebitis 10 years after glaucoma surgery. After treatment, disappearance of blebitis is observed 2 weeks later and resolution of vitritis 29 days later, with recovery of vision to previous values (20/200). Endophthalmitis due to Moraxella nonliquefaciens is rare, and is associated with late onset blebitis after glaucoma filtration surgery. Despite the virulence of the clinical symptoms, the visual prognosis is usually favourable

Longitudinal Changes in Early Nasal Microbiota and the Risk of Childhood Asthma.

OBJECTIVES: Although the airway microbiota is a highly dynamic ecology, the role of longitudinal changes in airway microbiota during early childhood in asthma development is unclear. We aimed to investigate the association of longitudinal changes in early nasal microbiota with the risk of developing asthma. METHODS: In this prospective, population-based birth cohort study, we followed children from birth to age 7 years. The nasal microbiota was tested by using 16S ribosomal RNA gene sequencing at ages 2, 13, and 24 months. We applied an unsupervised machine learning approach to identify longitudinal nasal microbiota profiles during age 2 to 13 months (the primary exposure) and during age 2 to 24 months (the secondary exposure) and examined the association of these profiles with the risk of physician-diagnosed asthma at age 7 years. RESULTS: Of the analytic cohort of 704 children, 57 (8%) later developed asthma. We identified 4 distinct longitudinal nasal microbiota profiles during age 2 to 13 months. In the multivariable analysis, compared with the persistent Moraxella dominance profile during age 2 to 13 months, the persistent Moraxella sparsity profile was associated with a significantly higher risk of asthma (adjusted odds ratio, 2.74; 95% confidence interval, 1.20-6.27). Similar associations were observed between the longitudinal changes in nasal microbiota during age 2 to 24 months and risk of asthma. CONCLUSIONS: Children with an altered longitudinal pattern in the nasal microbiota during early childhood had a high risk of developing asthma. Our data guide the development of primary prevention strategies (eg, early identification of children at high risk and modification of microbiota) for childhood asthma. These observations present a new avenue for risk modification for asthma (eg, microbiota modification).

Moraxella keratitis: epidemiology and outcomes.

We aimed to assess the prevalence, risk factors, and visual outcome of Moraxella keratitis. We retrospectively reviewed the medical charts of patients diagnosed with Moraxella spp. keratitis at the Quinze-Vingts National Ophthalmology Hospital, Paris, France, between January 2016 and December 2018. Definitive microbiological identification was performed on archival strains using matrix-assisted laser desorption ionization time of flight coupled to mass spectrometry. One hundred one culture-proven cases of Moraxella keratitis were identified. The most common isolates were Moraxella lacunata (50%) and Moraxella nonliquefasciens (38%). Systemic predisposing factors, principally diabetes mellitus (13%) were identified in 28% of patients, and 87% of patients had ocular surface conditions, including blepharitis (25%), prior ocular surgery (21%), glaucoma (17%), exposure keratopathy (16%), and trauma (16%). Severely affected inpatients were treated empirically with fortified antibiotics including vancomycin, piperacillin, and gentamicin. The presence of hypopyon and being over the age of 60 years were associated with a poorer final visual acuity (p < 0.05). Adjuvant treatment, mostly amniotic membrane transplantation, was required for 31 eyes. The prognostic factors significantly associated with the need for adjuvant treatment were a larger infiltrate and hypoesthesia. The clinical features including ulcer healing, treatment duration, and infiltrate size were not different between Moraxella species. Keratitis caused by Moraxella spp. are rare in France but may threaten sight. The early identification of patients with a poor ocular surface, particularly those with neurotrophic keratopathy and anesthetic cornea, is crucial to prevent delayed healing of ulcers and the need for adjuvant treatment.

Nasal microbiota dominated by Moraxella spp. is associated with respiratory health in the elderly population: a case control study.

BACKGROUND: The elderly (≥65 years) are one of the populations most at risk for respiratory tract infections (RTIs). The aim of this study was to determine whether nasal and/or oropharyngeal microbiota profiles are associated with age and RTIs. METHODS: Nasal and oropharyngeal swabs of 152 controls and 152 patients with an RTI were included. The latter group consisted of 72 patients with an upper respiratory tract infection (URTI) and 80 with a lower respiratory tract infection (LRTI). Both nasal and oropharyngeal swabs were subjected to microbiota profiling using amplicon sequencing of the 16S rRNA gene. Moraxella species were determined using quantitative real-time PCR and culture. RESULTS: Based on the microbiota profiles of the controls and the patients with an RTI, eight nasal and nine oropharyngeal microbiota clusters were defined. Nasal microbiota dominated by either Moraxella catarrhalis or Moraxella nonliquefaciens was significantly more prevalent in elderly compared to mid-aged adults in the control group (p = 0.002). Dominance by M. catarrhalis/nonliquefaciens was significantly less prevalent in elderly with an LRTI (p = 0.001) compared to controls with similar age. CONCLUSIONS: Nasal microbiota dominated by M. catarrhalis/nonliquefaciens is associated with respiratory health in the elderly population.

Queratitis bacteriana por Moraxella nonliquefaciens / Bacterial keratitis due to Moraxella nonliquefaciens

La queratitis bacteriana por Moraxella spp. puede producir importantes complicaciones, siendo la producida por la Moraxella nonliquefaciens(M. nonliquefaciens) la de peor pronóstico. Solo existen tres publicaciones de queratitis por M. nonliquefaciens. Presentamos el caso clínico de un hombre de 79 años, con queratopatía bullosa, recientemente afectado con queratitis infecciosa grave. En la exploración se observa infiltrado estromal denso, profundo y central con hifema. Tras la identificación en cultivo de M. nonliquefaciens y dada la progresión se modifica el tratamiento empírico, según antibiograma, a ciprofloxacino y ceftazidima tópicos, asociando ciprofloxacino y amoxicilina clavulánico orales. Tras 27 días se aprecia resolución total de la lesión con leucoma residual central. La queratitis infecciosa por M. nonliquefaciens es rara y se debe sospechar en pacientes mayores con factores locales predisponentes como daño corneal o cirugía ocular previa. Es importante un tratamiento precoz guiado por antibiograma y un seguimiento cercano para evitar complicaciones y mal cumplimiento

Moraxella keratitis can lead to important complications. Moraxella nonliquefaciens(M. nonliquefaciens) has the worst prognosis. Only three cases of corneal infections due to M. nonliquefaciens have been published. The case is presented of a 79-year-old man with bullous keratopathy, recently affected with severe infectious keratitis. Dense, deep, and central stromal infiltrates and hyphaema were detected. After the identification of M. nonliquefaciens in the culture, and given the progression of the condition, the initial empirical treatment was modified to topical ciprofloxacin and ceftazidime in accordance with the antibiogram, combining oral ciprofloxacin and amoxicillin-clavulanate. After 27 days, there was total resolution of the lesion, with central residual leucoma. Keratitis caused by M. nonliquefaciens is rare and must be suspected in elderly patients with local predisposing factors, such as corneal damage or previous eye surgery. Early antibiogram-guided treatment and close monitoring are important to avoid complications and poor compliance

The microbiomes of adenoid and middle ear in children with otitis media with effusion and hypertrophy from a tertiary hospital in China.

INTRODUCTION: Otitis media with effusion (OME) is one of the most common pediatric diseases worldwide. Several studies have analyzed the diversity of the microbiomes found in the middle ear effusions (MEEs) of populations from developed countries. However, no microbiological studies of MEEs from Chinese children with OME have been reported. This study investigated the middle ear and adenoid microbiological profiles of children with OME, and compared the microbial flora of the adenoid between children with and without otitis media. METHODS: MEEs and adenoid swabs were acquired from 15 children undergoing ventilation tube insertion and adenoidectomy. Adenoid swabs from 15 patients with no ear disease were used as controls. Samples were analyzed by 16S rRNA sequencing. Operational taxonomic units (OTUs) abundance information were normalized. Alpha diversity analyses were used to assess the richness and diversity of the microbial community for each sample. Beta diversity analyses were used to determine the inter-group variability between microbiome structure. RESULTS: Based on the mean relative abundance, the MEEs were dominated by Haemophilus (14.75%), Staphylococcus (9.37%) and Halomonas (7.85%), and the bacterial compositions of the adenoids in the OME groups were dominated by Haemophilus (21.87%), Streptococcus (19.65%), and Neisseria (5.8%). The bacterial compositions in the adenoids of the controls were dominated by Haemophilus (15.96%), Streptococcus (13.33%), and Moraxella (12.28%). Alpha diversity analyses showed that there were no significant differences in microbiome richness or diversity between the middle ear effusions (TM) and adenoids (TA) of OME subjects. Adenoid samples from OME patients (TA) and control patients (CA) were also similar. Beta diversity analyses showed that the microbiomes of the adenoids in OME patients were also similar to that of controls. However, the microbiome structure of middle ear effusions was dissimilar to those of the adenoids in OME patients according to beta diversity analyses. CONCLUSIONS: Our results confirmed the microbial diversity of MEEs among Chinese children. However, the dissimilar microbiome composition between samples taken from the surface of the adenoids and from the middle ear effusions challenges the conventional theory that the adenoid serves as a microbial reservoir in children with otitis media with effusion.

Bacterial keratitis due to Moraxella nonliquefaciens. / Queratitis bacteriana por Moraxella nonliquefaciens.

Moraxella keratitis can lead to important complications. Moraxella nonliquefaciens(M. nonliquefaciens) has the worst prognosis. Only three cases of corneal infections due to M. nonliquefaciens have been published. The case is presented of a 79-year-old man with bullous keratopathy, recently affected with severe infectious keratitis. Dense, deep, and central stromal infiltrates and hyphaema were detected. After the identification of M. nonliquefaciens in the culture, and given the progression of the condition, the initial empirical treatment was modified to topical ciprofloxacin and ceftazidime in accordance with the antibiogram, combining oral ciprofloxacin and amoxicillin-clavulanate. After 27 days, there was total resolution of the lesion, with central residual leucoma. Keratitis caused by M. nonliquefaciens is rare and must be suspected in elderly patients with local predisposing factors, such as corneal damage or previous eye surgery. Early antibiogram-guided treatment and close monitoring are important to avoid complications and poor compliance.

Heterogeneity of Moraxella isolates found in the nasal cavities of piglets.

BACKGROUND: Previous studies have shown that the genus Moraxella is commonly present in the nasal microbiota of swine. RESULTS: In this study, 51 isolates of Moraxella were obtained from nasal swabs from 3 to 4 week old piglets, which represented 26 different fingerprintings by enterobacterial repetitive intergenic consensus (ERIC)-PCR. Whole 16S rRNA gene sequencing allowed the identification at species level of the Moraxella spp. isolates. The majority of the field strains were identified as Moraxella pluranimalium, but Moraxella porci was also detected. In addition, a cluster of 7 strains did not group with any described Moraxella species, probably representing a new species. Subsequent phenotypic characterization indicated that strains of Moraxella pluranimalium were mainly sensitive to serum complement, while the cluster representing the putative new species was highly resistant. Biofilm formation capacity was very variable among the Moraxella spp. isolates, while adherence to epithelial cell lines was similar among selected strains. Additionally, variability was also observed in the association of selected strains to porcine alveolar macrophages. Antimicrobial tests evidenced the existence of multidrug-resistance in the strains. CONCLUSIONS: In summary, phenotypic characterization revealed heterogeneity among Moraxella strains from the nasal cavity of piglets. Strains with pathogenic potential were detected as well as those that may be commensal members of the nasal microbiota. However, the role of Moraxella in porcine diseases and health should be further evaluated.

Infectious keratitis: isolated microbes and their antibiotic susceptibility pattern during 2004-2014 in Region Örebro County, Sweden.

PURPOSE: To describe predisposing risk factors, causative microorganisms and their antibiotic susceptibility patterns in infectious keratitis during an 11-year period in Region Örebro County, Sweden. METHODS: This is a descriptive study conducted as a retrospective audit of clinical records. Patients who received treatment for infectious keratitis at any of the three ophthalmological departments within Region Örebro County, Sweden, between 2004 and 2014 were included if they fulfilled the predefined criteria for infectious keratitis. Data regarding culture results, antibiotic susceptibility pattern and risk factors for infectious keratitis were obtained from medical records and microbiological reports. RESULTS: In total, 398 episodes of infectious keratitis in 392 patients were included, and 285 were culture positive. The most common predisposing risk factor was contact lens wear (45%). Coagulase-negative staphylococci (39.6%) was the most commonly isolated type of organism. Staphylococcus aureus (15.1%) followed by Moraxella spp. (7.4%) and Pseudomonas aeruginosa (6.7%) were among the most common isolated bacteria not considered to be commensal. Reduced susceptibility to fluoroquinolones was observed in five of 43 S. aureus isolates and in four of nine Streptococcus pneumoniae isolates. CONCLUSION: The most common predisposing risk factor for keratitis was contact lens wear. Among the most common microbes, not considered to be exclusively commensals, isolated from the cornea in microbial keratitis were S. aureus, Moraxella spp. and P. aeruginosa. The antibiotic susceptibility patterns showed low proportion of resistance. Empiric treatment of suspected infectious keratitis with topical fluoroquinolones and chloramphenicol might be considered in a setting like ours pending culture results.

Sinusitis infantil: Comportamiento clínico, radiológico y bacteriológico en niños en una provincia de Ecuador / Childhood sinusitis: clinical, radiological and bacteriological behavior in children in a province of Ecuador

INTRODUCCIÓN: Las infecciones respiratorias en pediatría son la primera causa de morbi-mortalidad en niños en todo el mundo, y en este contexto la sinusitis actualmente es la cuarta causa de consulta privada y pública. Su etiología puede ser viral y bacteriana. El diagnóstico se basa en criterios clínicos, de imagen y factores de riesgo a los que se expone la población infantil. OBJETIVOS: Caracterizar el comportamiento clínico de la sinusitis en niños y adolescentes para proponer criterios clínicos, para el diagnóstico y sugerir un tratamiento empírico basado en la sensibilidad de los patógenos estudiados. Determinar la prevalencia de valores elevados de IgE y su relación con la ceniza volcánica como factor de riesgo. METODOLOGÍA: Estudio descriptivo, transversal, que incluyó pacientes entre 1 a 17 años de edad, clasificados en tres grupos etareos, que asistieron a la consulta externa del Hospital General Ambato - Ecuador con diagnóstico de sinusitis aguda, durante el período de enero de 2015 a diciembre de 2016. RESULTADOS: La prevalencia de sinusitis fue mayor en el grupo de edad entre 4 a 10 años (60,8%), quienes además mostraron una elevación de IgE (69,4%), presumiendo un despertar de expresión atópica secundaria a exposición a ceniza volcánica. Se identificaron criterios mayores y menores por grupos etareos, encontrando a los puntos de Valleix, Clearance faríngeo y obstrucción nasal como signos y síntomas presentes en todos los grupos. Los gérmenes aislados en cultivos fueron Staphylococcus aureus, Moraxella catarrhalis, Haemophilus influenzae tipo III, gérmenes que mostraron sensibilidad a antibióticos convencionales. CONCLUSIÓN: El Clearance faríngeo, obstrucción nasal y la positividad en los puntos de Valleix fueron los síntomas y signos más frecuentes para sinusitis en todos los grupos de edad. El patógeno aislado con mayor prevalencia fue el S. aureus y el H. influenzae biotipo III. La exposición a ceniza volcánica debe ser considerada como factor de riesgo

INTRODUCTION: Respiratory infections in pediatrics are the first cause of morbidity and mortality worldwide; in this context, sinusitis has increased in the pediatric population, currently constituting the fourth cause of private and public consultation, caused by viral and bacterial infections. The diagnosis is based on clinical criteria, imaging and risk factors to which the child population is exposed. OBJECTIVES: Characterize the clinical behavior of sinusitis in children and adolescents to propose clinical criteria for diagnosis and suggest an empirical treatment based on the sensitivity of the pathogens studied. To determine the prevalence of high IgE values and its relationship with volcanic ash as a risk factor. METHODOLOGY: A descriptive, cross-sectional study was included patients between 1 and 17 years of age, classified in three staging groups, who attended the external consultation of the Ambato General Hospital - Ecuador with a diagnosis of acute sinusitis, during the period of January 2015 - December 2016. RESULTS: The prevalence of sinusitis was higher in the age group between 4 and 10 years (60.8%), who also showed an elevation of IgE (69.4%), presuming an awakening of atopic expression secondary to exposure to volcanic ash. Major and minor criteria were identified by age groups, finding Valleix points, Pharyngeal clearance and nasal obstruction as signs and symptoms present in all age groups. The pathogens isolated in cultures were Staphylococcus aureus, Moraxella catarrhalis, Haemophilus influenzae type III, germs that showed sensitivity to conventional antibiotics. CONCLUSION: Pharyngeal clearance, nasal obstruction and positivity in Valleix points were the most frequent symptoms and signs for sinusitis in all age groups. The most prevalent isolated pathogen was Staphylococcus aereus and Haemophilus influenzae biotype III. Exposure to volcanic ash should be considered as a risk factor

The upper-airway microbiota and loss of asthma control among asthmatic children.

The airway microbiome has an important role in asthma pathophysiology. However, little is known on the relationships between the airway microbiome of asthmatic children, loss of asthma control, and severe exacerbations. Here we report that the microbiota's dynamic patterns and compositions are related to asthma exacerbations. We collected nasal blow samples (n = 319) longitudinally during a clinical trial at 2 time-points within one year: randomization when asthma is under control, and at time of early loss of asthma control (yellow zone (YZ)). We report that participants whose microbiota was dominated by the commensal Corynebacterium + Dolosigranulum cluster at RD experience the lowest rates of YZs (p = 0.005) and have longer time to develop at least 2 episodes of YZ (p = 0.03). The airway microbiota have changed from randomization to YZ. A switch from the Corynebacterium + Dolosigranulum cluster at randomization to the Moraxella- cluster at YZ poses the highest risk of severe asthma exacerbation (p = 0.04). Corynebacterium's relative abundance at YZ is inversely associated with severe exacerbation (p = 0.002).

Rapid identification of respiratory bacterial pathogens from bronchoalveolar lavage fluid in cattle by MALDI-TOF MS.

Respiratory tract infections are a major health problem and indication for antimicrobial use in cattle and in humans. Currently, most antimicrobial treatments are initiated without microbiological results, holding the risk of inappropriate first intention treatment. The main reason for this empirical treatment is the long turnaround time between sampling and availability of identification and susceptibility results. Therefore the objective of the present study was to develop a rapid identification procedure for pathogenic respiratory bacteria in bronchoalveolar lavage fluid (BALf) samples from cattle by MALDI-TOF MS, omitting the cultivation step on agar plates to reduce the turnaround time between sampling and identification of pathogens. The effects of two different liquid growth media and various concentrations of bacitracin were determined to allow optimal growth of Pasteurellaceae and minimise contamination. The best procedure was validated on 100 clinical BALf samples from cattle with conventional bacterial culture as reference test. A correct identification was obtained in 73% of the samples, with 59.1% sensitivity (Se) (47.2-71.0%) and 100% specificity (Sp) (100-100%) after only 6 hours of incubation. For pure and dominant culture samples, the procedure was able to correctly identify 79.2% of the pathogens, with a sensitivity (Se) of 60.5% (45.0-76.1%) and specificity (Sp) of 100% (100-100%). In mixed culture samples, containing ≥2 clinically relevant pathogens, one pathogen could be correctly identified in 57% of the samples with 57.1% Se (38.8-75.5%) and 100% Sp (100-100%). In conclusion, MALDI-TOF MS is a promising tool for rapid pathogen identification in BALf. This new technique drastically reduces turnaround time and may be a valuable decision support tool to rationalize antimicrobial use.