Enhancing the antibacterial efficacy of aluminum foil by nanostructuring its surface using hot water treatment.

Bacterial biofilm has become one of the most frequent health problems as it contributes to persistent chronic infections. Therefore, it is vital to find alternatives to currently used bactericidal agents to prevent bacterial contamination on surfaces effectively and prevent the biofilms formation. Several metallic materials are well known for their antimicrobial activity; this includes copper, copper alloys, silver, gold, titanium, and zinc. On the other hand, some metals, such as aluminum, do not have noteworthy antimicrobial properties. In this study, we demonstrate that the antibacterial activity of household aluminum foil can be enhanced by nanostructuring the foil's surface by a simple hot water treatment (HWT) process. Cultures ofEscherichia coliandStaphylococcus aureuswere grown on nutrient agar while exposed to the samples of treated and untreated Al foils and left for 24 h. Our results indicate that treated Al foil can more effectively inhibit the bacteria growth compared to the regular untreated Al foil. This enhancement in antibacterial property might be due to a combination of chemical and morphological changes that the cell undergoes once it encounters nanofeatures of HWT-Al foil surface.

Whole-Genome Sequence Analysis of Antibiotic Resistance, Virulence, and Plasmid Dynamics in Multidrug-Resistant E. coli Isolates from Imported Shrimp.

We analyzed antimicrobial resistance and virulence traits in multidrug-resistant (MDR) E. coli isolates obtained from imported shrimp using whole-genome sequences (WGSs). Antibiotic resistance profiles were determined phenotypically. WGSs identified key characteristics, including their multilocus sequence type (MLST), serotype, virulence factors, antibiotic resistance genes, and mobile elements. Most of the isolates exhibited resistance to gentamicin, streptomycin, ampicillin, chloramphenicol, nalidixic acid, ciprofloxacin, tetracycline, and trimethoprim/sulfamethoxazole. Multilocus sequence type (MLST), serotype, average nucleotide identity (ANI), and pangenome analysis showed high genomic similarity among isolates, except for EC15 and ECV01. The EC119 plasmid contained a variety of efflux pump genes, including those encoding the acid resistance transcriptional activators (gadE, gadW, and gadX), resistance-nodulation-division-type efflux pumps (mdtE and mdtF), and a metabolite, H1 symporter (MHS) family major facilitator superfamily transporter (MNZ41_23075). Virulence genes displayed diversity, particularly EC15, whose plasmids carried genes for adherence (faeA and faeC-I), invasion (ipaH and virB), and capsule (caf1A and caf1M). This comprehensive analysis illuminates antimicrobial resistance, virulence, and plasmid dynamics in E. coli from imported shrimp and has profound implications for public health, emphasizing the need for continued surveillance and research into the evolution of these important bacterial pathogens.

Prevalence and Molecular Characterization of Shiga Toxin-Producing Escherichia coli from Food and Clinical Samples.

Shiga toxin-producing Escherichia coli (STEC) is one of the most prominent food-borne pathogens in humans. The current study aims to detect and to analyze the virulence factors, antibiotic resistance, and plasmid profiles for forty-six STEC strains, isolated from clinical and food strains. Pulsed-field gel electrophoresis (PFGE) was used to determine the genetic relatedness between different serotypes and sources of samples. The clinical samples were found to be resistant to Nb (100%), Tet (100%), Amp (20%), SXT (15%), and Kan (15%) antibiotics. In contrast, the food strains were found to be resistant to Nb (100%), Tet (33%), Amp (16.6%), and SXT (16.6%) antibiotics. The PFGE typing of the forty-six isolates was grouped into more than ten clusters, each with a similarity between 30% and 70%. Most of the isolates were found positive for more than five virulence genes (eae, hlyA, stx1, stx2, stx2f, stx2c, stx2e, stx2, nelB, pagC, sen, toxB, irp, efa, and efa1). All the isolates carried different sizes of the plasmids. The isolates were analyzed for plasmid replicon type by PCR, and 72.5% of the clinical isolates were found to contain X replicon-type plasmid, 50% of the clinical isolates contained FIB replicon-type plasmid, and 17.5% of the clinical isolates contained Y replicon-type plasmid. Three clinical isolates contained both I1 and Hi1 replicon-type plasmid. Only two food isolates contained B/O and W replicon-type plasmid. These results indicate that STEC strains have diverse clonal populations among food and clinical strains that are resistant to several antimicrobials. In conclusion, our findings indicate that food isolates of STEC strains harbor virulence, antimicrobial resistance, plasmid replicon typing determinants like those of other STEC strains from clinical strains. These results suggest that these strains are unique and may contribute to the virulence of the isolates. Therefore, surveillance and characterization of STEC strains can provide useful information about the prevalence of STEC in food and clinical sources. Furthermore, it will help to identify STEC serotypes that are highly pathogenic to humans and may emerge as a threat to public health.

Draft genome sequences of nine non-O157 Shiga toxin-producing Escherichia coli in ready-to-eat food from supermarkets in Argentina.

Non-O157 Shiga toxin-producing Escherichia coli (STEC) are recognized as an important group of bacterial enteropathogens. Here, we report the draft genome sequence of nine strains of non-O157 STEC isolated from ready-to-eat foods in Argentina. The whole-genome sequence data provide a better understanding of these isolates and will aid epidemiological investigation during outbreaks.

Draft Genome Sequences of 14 Fluoroquinolone-Resistant Escherichia coli Isolates from Imported Shrimp.

We report the draft genome sequences of 14 fluoroquinolone-resistant Escherichia coli strains that were isolated from imported shrimp. All isolates contained multiple point mutations in the quinolone resistance-determining regions (QRDRs) and non-QRDRs of gyrA, parC, and parE genes. The data improve the understanding of fluoroquinolone resistance and indicate resistance mechanisms.

Draft Genome Sequences of Tetracycline-Resistant Shiga Toxin-Producing Escherichia coli Isolates from Food.

Shiga toxin-producing Escherichia coli (STEC) is a foodborne pathogen transmitted from animal to humans through contaminated food. Here, we report the draft genome sequences of six STEC isolates (six serotypes) from food (cheese, coriander, and pea protein pellets) in different countries; these isolates were resistant to tetracycline, with MIC values ranging from <1.5 to 256 µg/mL.

Draft Genome Sequences of Sixteen Fluoroquinolone-Resistant Extraintestinal Escherichia coli Isolates from Human Patients.

We report here the draft genome sequences of 16 fluoroquinolone-resistant extraintestinal Escherichia coli isolates from human patients. These isolates had high MICs (32 to 256 µg/mL) for ciprofloxacin and contained point mutations in the quinolone resistance-determining region (QRDR) of both gyrA and parC that confer resistance to fluoroquinolone. The whole-genome sequence data provide a better understanding of the fluoroquinolone resistance mechanisms in these isolates and would be beneficial in source tracking these pathogens during pandemic outbreaks.