Multidrug-Resistant Pseudomonas aeruginosa Isolates From Captive Reptiles

Pseudomonas aeruginosa represents an opportunistic pathogen for animals and humans that is often associated with high disease morbidity and, at times, mortality. Captive reptiles have been shown to be reservoirs of P. aeruginosa strains that can be sources of exposure to humans that come in contact with these animals. In this study, the prevalence of P. aeruginosa among subclinical captive reptile species and the antimicrobial sensitivity of bacterial isolates were investigated. Sixty-five oral swabs were collected from captive reptiles belonging to 15 different species in which no overt signs of disease were evident. From this group of animals, 46 (70.8%) isolates were identified as P. aeruginosa. All of the P. aeruginosa strains were shown to have a wide range of antibiotic resistance. At present, there is a paucity of data regarding the prevalence of P. aeruginosa in various reptile species; therefore, continued scientific investigations are indicated to determine the significance of P. aeruginosa infection as it relates to captive reptile species.     

The antimicrobial susceptibility of Staphylococcus species isolated from canine dermatitis

In a retrospective study, 1538 strains of -haemolysin-producing Staphylococcus species isolated from dermatitis in dogs at three veterinary clinical microbiology laboratories in Norway during 1986–87 and 1993–94 were investigated for their antimicrobial susceptibility. None of the strains was resistant to cloxacillin, cephalexin or the quinolones enrofloxacin and ciprofloxacin. More than 96% of the strains were susceptible to trimethoprim-sulphonamide, bacitracin and fucidic acid. Between 67% and 89% of the strains were susceptible to erythromycin, lincosamides, tetracycline, neomycin and chloramphenicol. Only 37.9% of the strains were susceptible to penicillin. The frequency of penicillin resistance increased significantly between the first and second periods, from 46.0% to 58.6%. The frequency of resistance to lincomycin, clindamycin and erythromycin also increased significantly between the first and second periods, from 3.0%, 2.1% and 3.3% to 25.5%, 19.5% and 24.8%, respectively. A moderate increase in resistance to tetracycline was also noted, from 20.4% in the first to 27.6% in the second period. On the other hand, the frequency of resistance to trimethoprim-sulphonamide decreased significantly from 4.1% in the first to 0.9% in the second period. Many different resistance patterns were observed in each period. However, the proportion of multiresistant strains increased from 2.1% in the first to 10.2% in the second period. There was a decrease in resistance to the combination of trimethoprim-sulphonamide and penicillin from the first to the second period. Resistance to the combination of lincosamides and pencillin increased. For the combinations penicillin-tetracycline-lincosamides, pencillin-lincosamides-erythromycin, and pencillin-tetracycline-lincosamides-erythromycin, there was a striking increase in resistance between the first and the second periods.Abbreviations CVL Central Veterinary Laboratory - NCVM Norwegian College of Veterinary Medicine - NVL Norwegian Veterinary Laboratory     

Facing the threat of equine parasitic disease

Horses worldwide are exposed to a complex mixture of intestinal parasitic helminths. When burdens are high, these parasites can seriously compromise health and welfare. Some helminth species have an extremely high prevalence and are difficult to control, not least because there is a limited understanding of their most basic biology. Furthermore, levels of resistance to some of the commonly used anthelmintics are widespread and increasing. The cyathostomins are the most common nematode species affecting equids worldwide. Within this group of parasites are more than 50 different species. Until recent research activities, little was known about the contribution that individual species make to clinical disease, parasite epidemiology and anthelmintic resistance. This review describes some of the recent research advances in the understanding of cyathostomins in these areas. As part of the research effort, molecular tools were developed to facilitate identification of the non-parasitic stages of cyathostomins. These tools have proved invaluable in the investigation of the relative contributions that individual species make to the pathology and epidemiology of mixed infections. At the more applied level, research has also progressed in the development of a diagnostic test that will allow numbers of cyathostomin encysted larvae to be estimated. This test utilises cyathostomin-specific serum antibody responses as markers of infection. As anthelmintic resistance will be the major constraint on parasite control in future, researchers are actively investigating mechanisms of drug resistance and how to improve the detection of resistance in the field. Recent developments in these areas are also outlined.     

Food animals as reservoirs and potential sources of multidrug-resistant diarrheagenic E. coli pathotypes: Focus on intensive pig farming in South Africa

BackgroundDiarrheagenic E. coli (DEC) strains are a major cause of diarrheal diseases in both developed and developing countries. Healthy asymptomatic animals may be reservoirs of zoonotic DEC, which may enter the food chain via the weak points in hygiene practices.AimWe investigated the prevalence of DEC along the pig production continuum from farm-to-fork.MethodsA total of 417 samples were collected from specific points along the pig production system, that is, farm, transport, abattoir and food. E. coli was isolated and enumerated using Colilert. Ten isolates from each Quanti-tray were selected randomly and phenotypically identified using eosin methylene blue agar selective media. Real-time polymerase chain reaction (PCR) was used to confirm the species and to classify them into the various diarrheagenic pathotypes. Antimicrobial susceptibility was determined against a panel of 20 antibiotics using the Kirby-Bauer disk diffusion method and EUCAST guideline.ResultsThe final sample size consisted of 1044 isolates, of which 45.40% (474/1044) were DEC and 73% (762/1044) were multidrug-resistant. Enteroinvasive E. coli (EIEC) was the most predominant DEC at all the sampling sites.ConclusionThe presence of DEC in food animal production environments and food of animal origin could serve as reservoirs for transmitting these bacteria to humans, especially in occupationally exposed workers and via food. Adherence to good hygienic practices along the pig production continuum is essential for mitigating the risk of transmission and infection, and ensuring food safety.     

饲用小黑麦在海河平原区的生产性能及适应性评价

在海河平原区对11个饲用小黑麦品种进行了生产性能比较试验以及旱作条件下适应性,试验得出:冀饲-1成熟早,生育期短,抽穗期比对照中新830提前6d,干草产量高,比对照中新830提高26.7%,能与春播作物形成一年两作,适于在海河平原区推广利用;冀饲-2在海河平原地区鲜干草产量均较高,分别比对照中新830增产4 854.3kg/hm2和777.0kg/hm2,属于高产品种,茎叶比低,叶量丰富是海河平原区主要品种推广种植。旱作条件下种植,饲用小黑麦株高比正常管理条件下降低64.6%~83.4%,分蘖数和成穗数分别减少60.0%~74.7%和85.3%~98.1%,鲜干草产量分别降低69.3%和70.2%,利用价值不大,只有在一定的灌溉和施肥条件下种植才能产生较好经济效益。     

小麦白粉病抗病材料的鉴定研究

１９９７－２０００年连续３年,利用陕西小麦白粉病茵模拟病圃混合茵系,对陕西等省新育成的２８０份小麦育种材料进行了苗期与成株期抗病性鉴定,筛选出对小麦白粉病茵高抗－免疫的育种亲本材料１２份,其中高抗材料２份为鉴４４和鉴４７;免疫材料１０份为鉴１９、鉴２０、鉴４０、鉴４６、鉴４９、８８（６０５）－１－５－１－２－２－１、保丰９４－６６、贵农２９和秦８１２０－２３－５－１８。这些材料表现稳定,可供抗白粉     

Marine Cyclic Peptides: Antimicrobial Activity and Synthetic Strategies

Oceans are a rich source of structurally unique bioactive compounds from the perspective of potential therapeutic agents. Marine peptides are a particularly interesting group of secondary metabolites because of their chemistry and wide range of biological activities. Among them, cyclic peptides exhibit a broad spectrum of antimicrobial activities, including against bacteria, protozoa, fungi, and viruses. Moreover, there are several examples of marine cyclic peptides revealing interesting antimicrobial activities against numerous drug-resistant bacteria and fungi, making these compounds a very promising resource in the search for novel antimicrobial agents to revert multidrug-resistance. This review summarizes 174 marine cyclic peptides with antibacterial, antifungal, antiparasitic, or antiviral properties. These natural products were categorized according to their sources—sponges, mollusks, crustaceans, crabs, marine bacteria, and fungi—and chemical structure—cyclic peptides and depsipeptides. The antimicrobial activities, including against drug-resistant microorganisms, unusual structural characteristics, and hits more advanced in (pre)clinical studies, are highlighted. Nocathiacins I–III (91–93), unnarmicins A (114) and C (115), sclerotides A (160) and B (161), and plitidepsin (174) can be highlighted considering not only their high antimicrobial potency in vitro, but also for their promising in vivo results. Marine cyclic peptides are also interesting models for molecular modifications and/or total synthesis to obtain more potent compounds, with improved properties and in higher quantity. Solid-phase Fmoc- and Boc-protection chemistry is the major synthetic strategy to obtain marine cyclic peptides with antimicrobial properties, and key examples are presented guiding microbiologist and medicinal chemists to the discovery of new antimicrobial drug candidates from marine sources.     

快速鉴定瓜类疫病抗性方法的建立及黄瓜种质资源鉴定

【目的】为方便研究瓜类疫病,快速筛选抗疫病的瓜类材料,建立快速安全有效的瓜类疫病抗性鉴定体系。【方法】通过灌根、喷雾、浸根、菌块离体接种等4种接种方法对黄瓜抗病材料和感病材料幼苗进行接种,通过比较发病率、发病时间及操作程序等确定最简便有效的鉴定方法。【结果】4种接种方法均能鉴定黄瓜疫病抗感情况,但是鉴定效果差异显著。浸根法、喷雾法、灌根法接种合适浓度均为10~2个孢子/mL,操作复杂,接种效率低。菌块离体接种方法利用2 mm直径菌块直接接种于离体子叶背面,放置于有润湿滤纸的培养皿中,保湿24 h即可观察表型,通过计算病斑大小快速鉴定瓜类材料的抗性;利用该方法对40份不同抗性的黄瓜材料进行鉴定,发现栽培黄瓜抗疫病材料极少,只有PE40、PE119、PE120、PE185等4份材料具有抗性,90%的材料均为感病或高感。【结论】菌块子叶离体接种法是瓜类疫病鉴定的快捷有效方法,该方法无需诱孢,能够一次性鉴定数百份材料,且能够保存感病材料或中间材料,大大提高鉴定效率,为瓜类疫病抗性育种奠定基础。     

Review: Resistance as a concomitant of modern crop protection

This paper reviews the impact of resistance to fungicides and insecticides/acaricides on the way crop protection is practised. It is now clear that resistance can develop to virtually any crop-protection product, in any pest, fungal pathogen or even weed. As a limiting factor in crop protection, it is a fact of life. A positive side-effect is the precision with which products are used today, with increasing implementation of Integrated Pest Management (IPM) programmes. This is a vital step towards sustainability. This paper describes: past experiences; current status of resistance; how resistance management influences current crop protection practices; regulatory aspects; and the outlook for the future. It concludes that EU regulations on resistance management must be simple and workable. Chemicals will continue to have a central role in optimising yields from the world's crops, as new tools, including biotechnology, become available for crop protection and resistance management. The crop-protection industry's innovations and product stewardship programmes will contribute to sustainable agriculture. This will provide continued benefits to users, the environment and society. ©1997 SCI     

云引稻瘟病抗性基因型的初步分析及其近等基因系构建

利用水稻品种稻瘟病抗性基因型鉴定菌株RB01～RB22,对云引苗期叶片进行离体接种,结果表明云引除对RB17和RB20感病外,对其他菌株均表现抗病,通过分析RB01～RB22对目前生产上广泛应用的24个稻瘟病抗性基因的抗性鉴定结果表明,这些基因的反应型均与云引不同,即可能含有除上述抗病基因之外的新的稻瘟病抗原。此外,通过连续回交、分子标记辅助选择和人工注射接菌相结合的方法,构建了以普感稻瘟病品种丽江新团黑谷(LTH)为遗传背景,含有抗稻瘟病菌株"四川-43"基因的近等基因系,为该抗病基因的遗传学研究和应用构建了良好的载体。