Alternative infection control

Multi-host pathogens that infect various animal species and humans are considered of great importance for public and animal health. Leishmania spp. parasites are a characteristic example of such pathogens. Although leishmaniosis in humans is endemic for about 100 countries around the world it is classified as a neglected tropical disease. There are three main forms of leishmaniosis in humans: cutaneous (CL), visceral (VL) and mucocutaneous leishmaniosis (MCL). Each year, about 30,000 new cases of VL and more than 1 million new cases of CL are recorded...

Carbapenem-resistant Acinetobacter baumannii poses a significant threat to public health globally, especially due to its ability to produce multiple carbapenemases, leading to treatment challenges. This study aimed to investigate the antibiotic resistance pattern of carbapenem-resistant A. baumannii isolates collected from different clinical settings in North East India, focusing on their genotypic and phenotypic resistance profiles. A total of 172 multidrug-resistant A. baumannii isolates were collected and subjected to antibiotic susceptibility test using the Kirby-Bauer disk diffusion method...

Background and objectives: As microbes are developing resistance to antibiotics, natural, botanical drugs or traditional herbal medicine are presently being studied with an eye of great curiosity and hope. Hence, complementary and alternative treatments for uncomplicated pelvic inflammatory disease (uPID) are explored for their efficacy. Therefore, this study determined the therapeutic efficacy and safety of Sesamum indicum Linn seeds with Rosa damascena Mill Oil in uPID with standard control. Additionally, we analyzed the data with machine learning...

BACKGROUND: Initiation of ART among people living with HIV (PLWH) having a CD4 count ≤ 350cells/µl, produces poor immunological recovery, putting them at a high risk of opportunistic infections. To mitigate this, PLWH on ART in Uganda frequently use herbal remedies like Artemisia annua and Moringa oleifera, but their clinical benefits and potential antiretroviral (ARV) interactions remain unknown. This study examined the impact of A. annua and M. oleifera on CD4 count, viral load, and potential ARV interactions among PLWH on ART at an HIV clinic in Uganda...

UNLABELLED: The Hippo kinases MST1 and MST2 initiate a highly conserved signaling cascade called the Hippo pathway that limits organ size and tumor formation in animals. Intriguingly, pathogens hijack this host pathway during infection, but the role of MST1/2 in innate immune cells against pathogens is unclear. In this report, we generated Mst1/2 knockout macrophages to investigate the regulatory activities of the Hippo kinases in immunity. Transcriptomic analyses identified differentially expressed genes (DEGs) regulated by MST1/2 that are enriched in biological pathways, such as systemic lupus erythematosus, tuberculosis, and apoptosis...

A large portion of the world's population is affected by acne vulgaris (AV), with many of these individuals being adolescents. The underlying mechanism of AV is hyperkeratinization and Cutibacterium acnes infection of the pilosebaceous follicle secondary to excessive stimulation of sebaceous glands by androgens. Metformin is a biguanide medication primarily used in efforts to lower patients' sugar levels in the management of type 2 diabetes. It has been proven to reduce levels of circulating androgens in patients with insulin resistance, indicating its potential for treating AV...

Complement inhibitors are the mainstay of paroxysmal nocturnal hemoglobinuria (PNH) treatment. The anti-C5 monoclonal antibody eculizumab was the first treatment to improve hemolysis, thrombotic risk, and survival in PNH although at the price of a life-long intravenous fortnightly drug. Additionally, suboptimal response may occur in up to 2/3 of patients with persistent anemia due to incomplete control of intravascular hemolysis, development of upstream C3-mediated extravascular hemolysis (EVH), or concomitant bone marrow failure...

In a global context, bacterial diseases caused by pathogenic bacteria have inflicted sustained damage on both humans and animals. Although antibiotics initially appeared to offer an easy treatment for most bacterial infections, the recent rise of multidrug-resistant bacteria, stemming from antibiotic misuse, has prompted regulatory measures to control antibiotic usage. Consequently, various alternatives to antibiotics are being explored, with a particular focus on bacteriophage (phage) therapy for treating bacterial diseases in animals...

T cells producing interferon gamma (IFNγ) have long been considered a stalwart for immune protection against Mycobacterium tuberculosis ( Mtb ), but their relative importance to pulmonary immunity has been challenged by murine studies which achieved protection by adoptively transferred Mtb -specific IFNγ -/- T cells. Using IFNγ -/- T cell chimeric mice and adoptive transfer of IFNγ -/- T cells into TCRβ -/- δ -/- mice, we demonstrate that control of lung Mtb burden is in fact dependent on T cell-derived IFNγ, and furthermore, mice selectively deficient in T cell-derived IFNγ develop exacerbated disease compared to T cell-deficient controls despite equivalent lung bacterial burdens...

Microorganisms have become more resistant to pesticides, which increases their ability to invade and infect crops resulting in decreased crop productivity. The rhizosphere plays a crucial role in protecting plants from harmful invaders. The purpose of the study was to investigate the antagonistic efficiency of indigenous rhizospheric fungal isolates against phytopathogens of M. uniflorum plants so that they could be further used as potent Biocontrol agents. Thirty rhizospheric fungal isolates were collected from the roots of the Macrotyloma uniflorum plant and initially described morphologically for the present study...

Nosocomial infections are a frequent and serious problem in extremely low birth weight (ELBW) infants. Donor human milk (DHM) is the best alternative for feeding these babies when mother's own milk (MOM) is not available. Recently, a patented prototype of a High-Temperature Short-Time (HTST) pasteurizer adapted to a human milk bank setting showed a lesser impact on immunologic components. We designed a multicentre randomized controlled trial that investigates whether, in ELBW infants with an insufficient MOM supply, the administration of HTST pasteurized DHM reduces the incidence of confirmed catheter-associated sepsis compared to DHM pasteurized with the Holder method...

Herbal extracts have been widely evaluated in poultry production for their beneficial effects and potential substitute for antibiotics, which contribute to AMR and risks to human health through the consumption of infected meat. Salmonellosis is a systemic infection caused by Salmonella , an intracellular bacterium with the ability to cause systemic infections with significant implications for both the health and safety of farmers and consumers. The excessive use of antibiotics has escalated the incidence of antibiotic resistance bacteria in the poultry and livestock industry, highlighting the urgent need for alternatives especially in meat-type poultry...

OBJECTIVE: This study aims to analyze factors contributing to recurrent respiratory tract infections (RRTIs) in pediatric patients and evaluate the efficacy of pidotimod (PI) treatment. METHODS: This study utilized a retrospective cohort design, enrolling a total of 85 children diagnosed with RRTIs between September 2020 and September 2022, alongside 54 healthy children. Logistic regression analysis was employed to identify factors contributing to RRTI occurrence...

The increasing resistance of clinically relevant microbes against current commercially available antimicrobials underpins the urgent need for alternative and novel treatment strategies. Cationic lipidated oligomers (CLOs) are innovative alternatives to antimicrobial peptides and have reported antimicrobial potential. An understanding of their antimicrobial mechanism of action is required to rationally design future treatment strategies for CLOs, either in monotherapy or synergistic combinations. In the present study, metabolomics was used to investigate the potential metabolic pathways involved in the mechanisms of antibacterial activity of one CLO, C12 -o-(BG-D)-10, which we have previously shown to be effective against methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA) ATCC 43300...

Edwardsiella piscicida , a significant intracellular pathogen, is widely distributed in aquatic environments and causes systemic infection in various species. Therefore, it's essential to develop a rapid, uncomplicated and sensitive method for detection of E. piscicida in order to control the transmission of this pathogen effectively. The recombinase-aided amplification (RAA) assay is a newly developed, rapid detection method that has been utilized for various pathogens. In the present study, a real-time RAA (RT-RAA) assay, targeting the conserved positions of the EvpP gene, was successfully established for the detection of E...

INTRODUCTION: This study focuses on evaluating the therapeutic efficacy of cecropin AD, an antimicrobial peptide, against H9N2 avian influenza virus (AIV) in chickens. Given the global impact of H9N2 AIV on poultry health, identifying effective treatments is crucial. METHODS: To assess the impact of cecropin AD, we conducted in vivo experiments involving 108 5-week-old chickens divided into control, infected, and various treatment groups based on cecropin AD dosage levels (high, medium, and low)...

BACKGROUND: SARS-CoV-2 as the cause of novel coronavirus disease (COVID-19) is a member of the family Coronaviridea that has generated an emerging global health concern. Controlling and preventing the spread of the disease requires a simple, portable, and rapid diagnostic method. Today, a standard method for detecting SARS-CoV-2 is quantitative real-time reverse transcription PCR, which is time-consuming and needs an advanced device. The aim of this study was to evaluate a faster and more cost-effective field-based testing method at the point of risk...

AIM OF THE STUDY: The growing resistance of helminth parasites to currently available commercial anthelmintic drugs, combined with apprehensions regarding detrimental chemical residues in livestock products, has sparked an interest in exploring medicinal plants as an alternative strategy for treating helminthiasis. As a result, this study was designed to investigate the anthelmintic activity of crude methanolic extracts (CME) of Saussurea costus root on Ascaridia.galli, a pathogenic nematode of poultry...

The two-spotted spider mite (Tetranychus urticae Koch) is an agriculturally serious polyphagous pest that has acquired strong resistance against acaricides because of its short life cycle and continuous exposure to acaricides. As an alternative, mite-pathogenic fungi with different modes of action could be used to control the mites. The spider mite has symbiotic microorganisms that could be involved in the physiological and ecological adaptations to biotic stresses. In this study, mite-pathogenic fungi were used to control female adults, and the microbiomes changes in the fungus-infected mites were analyzed...

BACKGROUND: The purpose of this retrospective analysis of a prospective quality control project was to determine whether the use of intrawound vancomycin powder (IVP) decreases the rate of periprosthetic joint infection (PJI) within 90 days following primary total hip arthroplasty (THA). METHODS: From October 2021 to September 2022, a prospective quality control project was undertaken in which 10 high-volume total hip arthroplasty surgeons alternated between using and not using IVP each month while keeping other perioperative protocols unchanged...