emerging pathogen

BACKGROUND: Candidemia is the most common healthcare associated invasive fungal infection. Over the last few decades, candidemia caused by Candida species other than Candida albicans, particularly the Candida parapsilosis complex, has emerged worldwide. The aims of this study were: to analyze the genotypic and phenotypic characteristics of C. parapsilosis strains isolated from blood cultures and the environment in a hospital in southern Italy, to study the possible source of infection and to correlate the isolated strains...

BACKGROUND: The international flight network creates multiple routes by which pathogens can quickly spread across the globe. In the early stages of infectious disease outbreaks, analyses using flight passenger data to identify countries at risk of importing the pathogen are common and can help inform disease control efforts. A challenge faced in this modelling is that the latest aviation statistics (referred to as contemporary data) are typically not immediately available. Therefore, flight patterns from a previous year are often used (referred to as historical data)...

Fungal pathogens commonly originate from benign or non-pathogenic strains living in the natural environment. The recently emerged human pathogen, Candida auris, is one example of a fungus believed to have originated in the environment and recently transitioned into a clinical setting. To date, however, there is limited evidence about the origins of this species in the natural environment and when it began associating with humans. One approach to overcome this gap is to reconstruct phylogenetic relationships between (1) strains isolated from clinical and non-clinical environments and (2) between species known to cause disease in humans and benign environmental saprobes...

The protozoan parasites Plasmodium falciparum, Leishmania spp. and Trypanosoma cruzi continue to exert a significant toll on the disease landscape of the human population in sub-Saharan Africa and Latin America. Control measures have helped reduce the burden of their respective diseases-malaria, leishmaniasis and Chagas disease-in endemic regions. However, the need for new drugs, innovative vaccination strategies and molecular markers of disease severity and outcomes has emerged because of developing antimicrobial drug resistance, comparatively inadequate or absent vaccines, and a lack of trustworthy markers of morbid outcomes...

Human infections with the H7N9 influenza virus have been eliminated in China through vaccination of poultry; however, the H7N9 virus has not yet been eradicated from poultry. Carefully analysis of H7N9 viruses in poultry that have sub-optimal immunity may provide a unique opportunity to witness the evolution of highly pathogenic avian influenza virus in the context of vaccination. Between January 2020 and June 2023, we isolated 16 H7N9 viruses from samples we collected during surveillance and samples that were sent to us for disease diagnosis...

Mycotoxins, harmful compounds produced by fungal pathogens, pose a severe threat to food safety and consumer health. Some commonly produced mycotoxins such as aflatoxins, ochratoxin A, fumonisins, trichothecenes, zearalenone, and patulin have serious health implications in humans and animals. Mycotoxin contamination is particularly concerning in regions heavily reliant on staple foods like grains, cereals, and nuts. Preventing mycotoxin contamination is crucial for a sustainable food supply. Chromatographic methods like thin layer chromatography (TLC), gas chromatography (GC), high-performance liquid chromatography (HPLC), and liquid chromatography coupled with a mass spectrometer (LC/MS), are commonly used to detect mycotoxins; however, there is a need for on-site, rapid, and cost-effective detection methods...

Pathogens such as Plasmodium, Babesia, and Theileria invade and multiply within host red blood cells, leading to the pathological consequences of malaria, babesiosis and theileriosis. Establishing continuous in vitro culture systems and suitable animal models is crucial for studying these pathogens. This review spotlights the B. duncani "in culture-in mouse (ICIM)" model as a promising resource for advancing research on the biology, pathogenicity, and virulence of intraerythrocytic parasites. The model offers practical benefits, encompassing well-defined culture conditions, ease of manipulation and a well-annotated genome...

Fusarium wilt, caused by the fungus Fusarium buharicum, is an emerging disease of okra in Japan. The disease was first reported in Japan in 2015, causing significant damage to okra seedlings. Due to the potential threat in okra cultivation, the development of an accurate detection method for F. buharicum is needed for the surveillance and management of the disease. In this study, we designed a primer set and developed conventional and nested PCR assays for the specific detection of F. buharicum in infected okra plants and contaminated soil, respectively...

The emergence and spread of multidrug-resistant pathogens like Pseudomonas aeruginosa are major concerns for public health worldwide. This study aimed to assess the prevalence of P. aeruginosa in clinical, environmental, and poultry sources in Bangladesh, along with their antibiotic susceptibility and the profiling of β-lactamase and virulence genes using standard molecular and microbiology techniques. We collected 110 samples from five different locations, viz., BAU residential area (BAURA; n = 15), BAU Healthcare Center (BAUHCC; n = 20), BAU Veterinary Teaching Hospital (BAUVTH; n = 22), Poultry Market (PM; n = 30) and Mymensingh Medical College Hospital (MCCH; n = 23)...

Dysregulated lipid homeostasis is emerging as a potential cause of neurodegenerative disorders. However, evidence of errors in lipid homeostasis as a pathogenic mechanism of neurodegeneration remains limited. Here, we show that cerebellar neurodegeneration caused by Sorting Nexin 14 (SNX14) deficiency is associated with lipid homeostasis defects. Recent studies indicate that SNX14 is an inter-organelle lipid transfer protein that regulates lipid transport, lipid droplet (LD) biogenesis, and fatty acid desaturation, suggesting that human SNX14 deficiency belongs to an expanding class of cerebellar neurodegenerative disorders caused by altered cellular lipid homeostasis...

Pythium-like species cause damping-off symptoms of various hosts, including umbelliferous crops. In April 2023, parsley plantlets ( Petroselinum crispum ), showing stunted growth, yellowing, decayed roots and damping-off, were obtained from a nursery in central Slovenia, where parsley was grown in polystyrene trays in a greenhouse. Nearly 30% of plants were symptomatic. Sampled roots of ten plants contained ornamented oogonia (avg. 33.3 ± 1.4 µm in diam) with conical projections (5.2 ± 0.5 µm long) (Figure S1 A, B) in microscopically analyzed squash mounts...

The interplay between the skin microbiome and its host is a complex facet of dermatological health and has become a critical focus in the development of microbiome cosmetics. The skin microbiome, comprising various microorganisms, is essential from birth, develops over the lifespan, and performs vital roles in protecting our body against pathogens, training the immune system, and facilitating the breakdown of organic matter. Dysbiosis, an imbalance of these microorganisms, has been implicated in a number of skin conditions such as acne, atopic dermatitis, and skin cancer...

Trichosporon spp. is an emerging opportunistic pathogen and a common cause of both superficial and invasive infections. Although Trichosporon asahii is the most frequently isolated species, Trichosporon cutaneum is also widely observed, as it is the predominant agent in cases of white Piedra and onychomycosis. Trichosporon spp. is a known to produce biofilms, which serve as one of its virulence mechanisms, however, there is limited data available on biofilms formed by T. cutaneum. Thus, the aim of this study was to assess the adhesion and biofilm formation of two clinical isolates of T...

UNLABELLED: Fungal phytopathogens cause significant reductions in agricultural yields annually, and overusing chemical fungicides for their control leads to environmental pollution and the emergence of resistant pathogens. Exploring natural isolates with strong antagonistic effects against pathogens can improve our understanding of their ecology and develop new treatments for the future. We isolated and characterized a novel bacterial strain associated with the species Burkholderia cenocepacia , termed APO9, which strongly inhibits Zymoseptoria tritici , a commercially important pathogenic fungus causing Septoria tritici blotch in wheat...

Agricultural crops are targeted by various pathogens (fungi, bacteria, and viruses) and pests (herbivorous arthropods). Antimicrobial and insecticidal peptides are increasingly recognized as eco-friendly tools for crop protection due to their low propensity for resistance development and the fact that they are fully biodegradable. However, historical challenges have hindered their development, including poor stability, limited availability, reproducibility issues, high production costs, and unwanted toxicity...

BACKGROUND: Severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) was a highly transmissible and pathogenic coronavirus and it emerged in late 2019. SARS-CoV-2 had caused a pandemic of acute respiratory disease and its name was coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19). It threatened human health and public safety. This study would analyze and evaluate two different kinds of SARS-CoV-2 nucleic acid detection reagents which could provide value for accurate detection. METHODS: 80 patients were randomly selected in the First Affiliated Hospital of Anhui Medical University in December 2022 and 80 oropharyngeal swabs were collected...

Mycobacteria are causative agents of tuberculosis (TB), which is a global health concern. Drug-resistant TB strains are rapidly emerging, thereby necessitating the urgent development of new drugs. Two-component signal transduction systems (TCSs) are signaling pathways involved in the regulation of various bacterial behaviors and responses to environmental stimuli. Applying specific inhibitors of TCSs can disrupt bacterial signaling, growth, and virulence, and can help combat drug-resistant TB. We conducted a comprehensive pharmacophore-based inhibitor screening and biochemical and biophysical examinations to identify, characterize, and validate potential inhibitors targeting the response regulators PhoP and MtrA of mycobacteria...

A 59-year-old man suffered from fever and chest pain for three days following an accidental bite to a lip ulcer. His lower lip showed swelling and tenderness, and chest computed tomography showed multiple bilateral nodules. He was diagnosed with septic pulmonary embolism and a lip abscess, and blood, sputum, and lip abscess cultures confirmed the presence of methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA). Despite the initiation of vancomycin, he rapidly developed respiratory failure and septic shock, necessitating intubation and noradrenaline support...

Biofilms are an intricate community of microbes that colonize solid surfaces, communicating via a quorum-sensing mechanism. These microbial aggregates secrete exopolysaccharides facilitating adhesion and conferring resistance to drugs and antimicrobial agents. The escalating global concern over biofilm-related infections on medical devices underscores the severe threat to human health. Carbon dots (CDs) have emerged as a promising substrate to combat microbes and disrupt biofilm matrices. Their numerous advantages such as facile surface functionalization and specific antimicrobial properties, position them as innovative anti-biofilm agents...

Bacterial enteritis has a substantial role in contributing to a large portion of the global disease burden and serves as a major cause of newborn mortality. Despite advancements gained from current animal and cell models in improving our understanding of pathogens, their widespread application is hindered by apparent drawbacks. Therefore, more precise models are imperatively required to develop more accurate studies on host-pathogen interactions and drug discovery. Since the emergence of intestinal organoids, massive studies utilizing organoids have been conducted to study the pathogenesis of bacterial enteritis, revealing new mechanisms and validating established ones...