Periodicity in the rise and fall of the numbers of the principal Staphylococcus aureus phage groups

The results of the phage typing of 5, 168 Staph. aureus strains isolated in a surgical hospital between 1959 and 1977 are analyzed for each year of this period. The wave of increase in the number of staphylococci belonging to phage group II which began, as discovered in this study, in 1965 and still showed no tendency towards decrease in 1977, as well as the periodicity of rises and falls in the number of staphylococci belonging to phage groups I and III are discussed and compared with the data contained in the literature. The authors come to the conclusion that Staph. aureus is subject to wave-like rises and falls in the number of strains belonging to the main phage groups of the species, and among them the strains belonging to phage groups I and III seem to be inversely related in respect of rises and falls in number, such changes occurring periodically at an interval of 10-12 years, while in the strains belonging to phage group II changes in number occur at a slower rate. The constant account of the percentage of phage groups I, II and III is recommended to ensure rational antibiotic therapy.     

Intestinal colonization of newborns treated in intensive care units by multiple drug resistant microorganisms

The aim of the study was to examine the digestive tract colonisation of the newborns by multiple drug resistant bacteria during hospitalization. On the day of admission, after 5 days of hospitalization and at the day of discharge swabs from the anus of the 31 newborns hospitalized in OITiPN were taken and cultured on nutrient and selective media for staphylococci, enterococci, gram negative bacilli and fungi. Susceptibility to antibiotics of bacteria was determined, with giving attention to such resistance mechanisms as: methicillin resistant staphylococci (MRS), high level aminoglycoside resistant (HLAR) and vancomycin resistant enterococci (VRE) and the production of extended spectrum beta-lactamases (type ESBL) by gram negative bacilli. On the day of admission in 7 newborns methicillin resistant staphylococci (MRSCN) were grown in 24 no multiple drug resistant bacteria were found. Among those in 23 already after 5 days of hospitalization, colonization by multiple drug resistant strains was determined: coagulase-negative methicillin resistant staphylococci (MRSCN) were found in 16 children, strains of enterococci (HLAR) in 3 newborns and gram negative ESBL (+) bacilli also in 3 cases. On the day of discharge from hospital (after 13-141 days) in 23 out of 24 newborns enteric tract colonization by multiple drug resistant strains was assessed. In the enteric tract of 3 newborns hospitalized up to 2 weeks coagulase-negative methicillin resistant staphylococci (MRSCN) and/or HLAR enterococci were found; gram negative bacilli that produce ESBL appeared in newborns hospitalized for longer than 14 days. They were isolated in 12 out of 21 newborns. Forming of the enteric tract bacterial flora of the long hospitalized newborns depends on the time of hospitalization as well as on the used therapy.     

Frequency of the isolation of staphylococci from domestic animals and strain identification

Staphylococci occur in donkeys more frequently than in other animals, and only from donkeys coagulase-negative staphylococci, characteristic of humans (S. hominis, S. capitis, S. cohnii), were isolated. Least frequently staphylococcal carrier state was registered in cats; in these animals only coagulase-negative strains were found to occur. From 30 donkeys coagulase-positive staphylococci belonging to 47 S. aureus strains were isolated. These strains differed from known ecological variants in their biological properties, thus suggesting the existence of S. aureus ecovar specific for donkeys. These strains did not coagulate human, bovine and ovine plasma, but coagulated rabbit plasma in 100% of cases and donkey plasma only in 53% of cases; at the same time they relatively often produced delta hemolysin, rarely phosphatase and hyaluronidase and never fibrinolysin. These strains were typed by KPC phages, mainly 116 and 117.     

Physiological and molecular techniques for the study of bacterial community development in sausage fermentation

The development of the microbial community involved in the production process of Italian dry sausage was investigated using physiological analysis and molecular techniques for strain typing and taxonomical identification. A cycle of sausage production was followed collecting samples during the 2 months of ripening process. Microbiological analysis allowed the identification of the main bacterial groups responsible for the fermentation process as lactobacilli and coagulase-negative staphylococci. The use of a polymerase chain reaction-based technique of strain typing, RAPD fingerprinting, demonstrated that the environmental parameters interact to select a limited number of strains that dominate the fermentation process. The staphylococcal populations were characterized for their physiological properties and the two dominant strains were identified as Staphylococcus xylosus and Staph. sciuri. The use of 16S rDNA sequencing allowed the definition of the taxonomical position of the two dominant strains of lactic acid bacteria, as belonging to Lactobacillus sake and Lact. plantarum.     

Circulation of methicillin-resistant staphylococci in hospitals with different profiles

Analysis of prevalence of methicillin-resistant staphylococci in hospitals with different specializations was performed. 2584 strains were isolated. Methicillin-resistant (MR) strains were present in different profile hospitals and their total prevalence between isolated strains was 12.3% while significantly varied in different hospitals (from 8% to 37%). Along with MRSA (methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus), MRSE (methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus epidermidis) and MRSS (methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus saprophyticus) were presented in all studied hospitals. The prevalence of MR strains was highest among strains isolated from flame burn wounds (37%), while in samples from newborns in maternity hospital resistant strains represented 12% of isolates, and in general clinical hospital--not more than 9% of isolates. Relationship between rates of isolation of methicillin-resistant staphylococci and specialization of hospital unit was noted. For example, prevalence of MR staphylococci in isolates from newborns in ICU (47.5%) differed from the same one in maternity hospital (11.6%).     

Prospective means of decreasing suppurative-septic diseases in puerperae and newborn infants

The comparative analysis of the occurrence of purulent septic diseases in mothers during the puerperal period and in newborns, observed in a maternity hospital before and after the introduction of the system of keeping newborns together with their mothers, showed a considerable decrease in the morbidity rate among newborn infants (6 times) and in occurrence of mastitis among puerperae (30 times). This is attributed to a decrease in the frequency of the colonization of newborns and mothers in the puerperal period by the hospital strains of staphylococci belonging to epidemic phagotypes. The gradual elimination of staphylococci of phagotype 80, which dominated for several years, from the hospital was observed. To decrease the morbidity rate, the introduction of the system of keeping newborn infants with their mothers in all maternity hospitals of the USSR is proposed.     

Virulence of Streptococcus pneumoniae strains belonging to different serovars

The study of the virulence of 352 S. pneumoniae strains isolated from patients with inflammatory lung diseases revealed that their virulence depended, to a certain extent, on the state of the polysaccharide capsule of streptococci, as among 299 typed cultures 38.1% were virulent, while out of 53 nontypable strains of these bacteria only 8 strains (15.1%) proved to be highly pathogenic for white mice and all S. pneumoniae R-forms proved to be avirulent. All 11 S. pneumoniae strains under study belonging to serovars 1 and 2 and 87% of the cultures belonging to serovar 3, isolated from patients with inflammatory lung diseases in Leningrad, were highly virulent. The characteristic feature of S. pneumoniae cultures of other serotypes was their wide spectrum of pathogenicity. S. pneumoniae cultures isolated from the spinal fluid of patients with pneumococcal meningitis also differed in their pathogenicity levels but strains highly pathogenic for mice prevailed.     

Resistance to antibiotics and heavy metal salts of coagulase-positive staphylococci belonging to different biological types (ecovars)

A total of 189 strains of S. aureus isolated from cows, sheep, swines, poultry, monkeys, rabbits, foxes, and humans and 23 strains of S. intermedius isolated from minks and sables were studied. The staphylococci belonged to different biological types (according to the Hajek-Marsalek's scheme) and ecovars (according to the Meyer-Witte's scheme). The strains were studied with respect to their resistance to 10 antibiotics (benzylpenicillin, streptomycin, tetracycline, levomycetin, erythromycin, oleandomycin, neomycin, kanamycin, monomycin, and novobiocin), mercuric chloride and cadmium sulfate. As a whole the frequency of resistance to the above preparations among the staphylococci of the animal origin was not high. Differences in the frequency and range of the resistance between strains belonging to different biological types (ecovars) were shown. The highest number of the resistant cultures was detected among the strains of the biological type E (ecovar canis) and atypical strains of S. intermedius isolated from the minks. The least number of the resistant cultures was detected among the strains of the biological type C1 (ecovar bovis) isolated from the cows. It was found that almost all strains of S. intermedius were resistant to cadmium sulfate. This may be used as an additional characteristic of the species.     

Effect of plasmids for multiple antibiotic resistance on the change in Salmonella typhimurium phagovar

The data on the influence of acquired plasmid resistance to antibiotics on S. typhimurium phagovar. Plasmid R was transferred from S. typhimurium strain, isolated from the focus of hospital salmonellosis and resistant to the lytic action of phages, to Escherichia coli K12 and then to antibiotic-sensitive S. typhimurium strains of different phagovars, isolated from patients with alimentary toxicoinfections. The influence of plasmid R on the phagovar of recipient strains, most pronounced in strains of phagovar I, was revealed. The transconjugates of this phagovar considerably changed sensitivity to phages and in some cases acquired resistance to the lytic action of typing phages, thus becoming identical in this feature to the donor of the plasmid.     

Novobiocin Resistance and the Classification of Staphylococci and Micrococci

S ummary . Isolates of staphylococci and micrococci, 105 in all, classified according to Baird-Parker's classification (Baird-Parker, 1963,1965) were examined for their sensitivity to novobiocin. All of the staphylococci were sensitive to novobiocin as also were strains of Micrococcus luteus and M. roseus. Almost all strains belonging to Micrococcus subgroups 1–6 were resistant to novobiocin.     

Physico-chemical properties of staphylococci of different species in resistance to human thrombodefensins

Testing 54 strains of staphylococci (Staphylococcus aureus, S. epidermidis, S. haemolyticus, S. warneri, S. hominis, S. capitis) revealed that S. aureus in contrast to coagulase-negative staphylococci (CNS) is more resistant to bactoriocidal action of human thrombodefensins (resistance index: 60.3 vs 25.6%), less hydrophilicolipophilic balance-HLB: -0.42 vs -0.64) and less charged (x-potential: -32.4 vs -35.6 mV). In groups of staphylococci (S. aureus and CNS) correlation links of bacterial resistance to human thrombodefensins with their HLB and x-potential (r=-0.32...-0.36). By In vitro experiments, it was shown that 5 passages of staphylococci in meat-peptonic broth with human thrombodefensins (50 mkg protein/ml) lead to adaptation of bacteria followed by the formation of resistance to cationic peptides from thrombocytes, a decrease of hydrophobicity and x-potencial. The role of physico-chemical properties in providing thrombodefensin-resistance of staphylococci as a developmental factor of infectious-and-inflammatory process and persistence of bacteria was confirmed with Salmonella infection.     

Phage typing of the coagulase-positive staphylococci isolated from various species of animals

More than 200 coagulase-positive strains of animal origin have been studied by means of Staphylococcus aureus typing phages, belonging to two international sets and intended for typing staphylococci isolated from large cattle and humans, and experimental "chicken" phage A 1591. Among S. aureus strains the cultures isolated from swine, cows, chickens, and belonging to biotypes B1, C1, B2, respectively, have been mostly (in 78.5-90.0% of cases) determined by phage typing. The strains belonging to one biotype have proved to be sensitive predominantly to the same phages. In this connection further differentiation of staphylococci within individual biotypes by means of the phages used in these experiments seems to be impracticable. S. intermedius strains have been found to be completely resistant to the above phages, which confirms that S. intermedius is rightly considered to be an independent species of coagulase-positive staphylococci.     

Involvement of plasmids in determining bacteriophage sensitivity in Salmonella typhimurium: genetic and physical analysis of phagovar 204

Strains resistant to the action of sulfa drugs and tetracycline were predominant among the antibiotic-resistant Salmonella typhimurium phagovar 204 isolated in Canada. Plasmid DNA was detected in cellular extracts of all strains examined. A number of these plasmids could be placed in specific incompatibility and size classes. Both resistance coding and cryptic plasmids were involved in determining phagovar 204. In one instance, phagovar 204 was derived from phagovar 36 in a two-step conjugation involving independent sulfadiazine and tetracycline resistance plasmids. In another, phagovar 204 was derived directly from phagovar 49 through the introduction of a single tetracycline-streptomycin R plasmid. The phagovar-determining plasmids ranged in size from 3.4 to 72 megadaltons.     

Effect of the transfer of the R plasmids of resistant Salmonella typhimurium strains of different origins on the phage sensitivity of Salmonella typhimurium

It has been shown that after the transfer of R-plasmids from S. typhimurium strains of different origin to S typhimurium strains sensitive to antibiotics these latter strains, as a rule, cannot be typed according to the scheme of Felix and Kellow These strains retain sensitivity to phages from I. G. Chiarkadze's collection, but the spectrum of their phage sensitivity is narrower. In one case the recipient was noted to change its phagovar to that of the donor. S. typhimurium donor strains, differing in the degree of their influence on the virulence of recipients, do not differ in their capacity for changing their sensitivity to the phages from the international collection of Felix and Kellow and from I. G. Chirakadze's collection.     

Isolation of methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus pseudintermedius from breeding dogs

The overuse of antimicrobials can select resistant bacteria strains; staphylococci have the ability to become resistant to all beta-lactam antimicrobials and are a significant concern in human medicine and a growing issue for veterinary medicine. Because antimicrobials are sometimes incorrectly used in breeding kennels, the objective of the work was to assess the occurrence of methicillin-resistant coagulase-positive staphylococci in breeding dogs. The research was carried out in 13 kennels that were allotted to three categories according to the intensity of antimicrobial use. Vaginal and milk swabs were taken from 87 healthy bitches around parturition and also from multiple organs of 27 of their pups that died within the first 2 weeks. Standard bacteriological examinations were carried out and coagulase-positive staphylococci were identified. All the coagulase-positive staphylococci resulted to be Staphylococcus pseudintermedius. Susceptibility to oxacillin and the presence of the mecA gene were tested. Nine out of 89 strains (six isolated from the bitches' milk and three from dead puppies, all belonging to kennels characterized by an excessive use of antimicrobials) were multidrug-resistant, methicillin-resistant and mecA positive.Our results confirm that excessive use of antimicrobials entails the risk of selecting resistant staphylococci strains. Our data also indicate that the bacterial flora of healthy dogs belonging to specific populations may act as a reservoir of resistance genes.     

Antibiotic resistance of staphylococci isolated from outpatients

The aim of the study was to determine susceptibility of 587 strains of S. aureus and 85 strains of coagulase-negative staphylococci isolated from outpatients in Poznań to co-trimoxazole, amoxycillin/clavulanic acid, erythromycin, gentamycin, doxycycline, ampicillin, oxacillin, cephradine, clindamycin and neomycin. Also methicillin-resistant strains were determined as well as strains ability to produce beta-lactamases. Susceptibility testing and examination of methicillin-resistant strains were performed by the disc diffusion techniques according to recommendation of NCCLS. Methicillin-resistant strains were additionally examined to their sensitivity to vankomycin and teicoplanin. beta-lactamase production was detected using nitrocefin impregnated discs and iodometric method. Amoxacillin/clavulanic acid, gentamycin, co-trimoxazole, cephradin, oxacillin and clindamycin occurred to be very active against both, S. aureus and coagulase-negative staphylococci. 84.7% to 100% of examined strains were sensitive to these drugs. Doxycyclin, erythromycin and ampicillin were less effective. Nine strains (1.5%) of 587 strains of S. aureus as well as 7 strains (8.7%) of coagulase-negative staphylococci were methicillin-resistant. All of methicillin-resistant strains were sensitive to vancomycin and teicoplanin. More than 75% of S. aureus and close to 50% of coagulase-negative staphylococci were able to produce beta-lactamases.     

Microbial biocenosis of the nasal mucosa in healthy persons and in Staphylococcus carriers

The normal microflora of the nasal mucosa in man is differentiated into main, complementary and casual microflora, taking into account its isolation rate and characteristics of microbial contamination. The main microflora of adults, in contrast to children, is represented, in addition to coagulaso-negative (CN) staphylococci, by bacteria of the genus Corynebacterium. In staphylococcal carrier state a decrease in the isolation rate and the amount of bacteria belonging to the main and complementary microflora (CN staphylococci, Micrococcus, Streptococcus, Bacillus) was observed. Moreover, in carriers the weakening of the degree of association between CN staphylococci, Micrococcus, Corynebacterium, Streptococcus in symbiotic pairs was noted. In the absence of S. aureus carrier state the main and complementary microflora was characterized by the combination of the factors of antagonism and persistence, while in carrier state the complex of colonization factors was defective in the main microflora and well pronounced in coagulase-positive staphylococcal strains and enterobacteria.     

Improvement of the preliminary classification of Corynebacterium diphtheriae v. gravis

In this study the previously published preliminary scheme for the subdivision of toxigenic and nontoxigenic Corynebacterium diphtheriae, classified with cultivar gravis, is made more precise. 3 groups remain in this scheme: I, II and III; each of them contains toxigenic C. diphtheriae (subgroup a) and nontoxigenic precursors of C. diphtheriae (subgroup b). For the first time nontoxigenic analogs of C. diphtheriae, phagovar OPQSTg, have been introduced into group I and newly discovered toxigenic C. diphtheriae, phagovar K, with their nontoxigenic precursors converted by phages 5 tox+, 6 tox+ and W tox+ have been introduced into group III. Group IV has been provisionally excluded from the scheme because this group comprises a small number of strains (3 strains). This classification can already be used in research practice for a finer differentiation of strains classified with cultivar gravis and for correct epidemic orientation.     

A comparison of their virulence for mice and the enzymatic activity of Streptococcus pneumoniae strains

In most cases no correlation between the virulence of S. pneumoniae and their enzymatic activity was registered in 101 S. pneumoniae strains isolated in pneumococcal infections of different localization. Pneumococcal strains belonging to different serotypes and characterized by their low virulence for mice (LD50 = 10(6) colony-forming units) had the highest neuraminidase and protease-alzolase activity in comparison with highly virulent cultures of these bacteria. In pneumococcal cultures in the R-form avirulence for mice occurred mainly in combination with low enzymatic activity.     

Susceptibility to antimicrobial agents of bacteria isolated from pregnant, postpartum women, and newborns from zones with high irradiation risk]

Susceptibility of 350 strains of staphylococci, isolated from pregnant women, puerperal and newborns and of 170 strains, isolated from obstetrical hospital environment at the region with high risk of radiation after accident was determined. The tested bacterial strains were the following: 56--Staphylococcus aureus, 152--S. epidermidis, 142--S. saprophyticus, isolated from women and newborns; strains isolated from hospital environment included 120 strains of S. saprophyticus and 50 strains E. coli. The tested antimicrobial factors were the following: 22 antibiotics, 2 bioantibiotics of the breast milk and blood (lysozyme, betalysin) not separated from the substrate and tested on test-cultures of M. luteus and B. subtilis, and 5 desinfectants. Analysis was performed by common disk-diffusion method and by contact method elaborated before. High resistance of staphylococci to many antibiotics, bioantibiotics and disinfectants was demonstrated. The resistance is considered to be due to high radiation background because it is much higher than resistance frequency of the similar strains isolated at the safe areas. The resistance to antimicrobial factors was higher among the opportunistic and saprophyte staphylococci along with appearance of pathogenic factors and activation of persistence properties.