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Shiga toxin-producing Escherichia coli (STEC) bacteria are responsible for a spectrum of disease, ranging from simple to bloody diarrhea, and pose increased risk for severe complications, including hemolytic uremic syndrome [...]

Cholera, a life-threatening diarrheal disease, is caused by Vibrio cholerae O1, or more rarely O139, serogroup bacteria that produce cholera toxin (CTX) and induce rapid massive loss of body fluids [...]

The seventh cholera pandemic, caused by Vibrio cholerae O1 biotype El Tor (7PET), arrived in Africa during 1970 and became endemic in many countries on the continent (1). Cholera was [...]

Shiga toxin-producing Escherichia coli (STEC) infection is an environmental foodborne or waterborne disease that causes bloody diarrhea. Approximately 5%-20% of cases are complicated by hemolytic uremic syndrome (HUS) (1,2). Shiga [...]

Cholera is a life-threatening diarrheal disease caused by the bacterium Vibrio cholerae, which produces cholera toxin. The seventh cholera pandemic, caused by V. cholerae O1 biotype El Tor, began in [...]

The d-Tartrate fermenting, nonparatyphoidal variant of Salmonella enterica serovar Paratyphi B, contemporarily known as variant Java, was first reported in 1935 by De Moor (1). From then until recently, Salmonella [...]

Antimicrobial-resistant (AMR) Enterobacteriaceae are recognized as a global public health threat (1,2). Understanding the emergence of these pathogens and tracking transmission across international borders is vital for informing public health [...]

What do the cities of Paris, Pisa, and Toronto have in common? Yes, all 3 are famous for their towers but what else? You don't know? Let's see if this [...]

Over the past 2 decades, the incidence of Salmonella enterica serotype Enteritidis infections in humans has increased dramatically in all industrialized countries, with contaminated eggs the major source of infection [...]

Salmonella enterica serotype Typhimurium multilocus O sequence type (ST) 313 has been reported as an emerging cause of invasive salmonellosis in sub-Saharan Africa (1). ST313 is almost exclusively from sub-Saharan [...]

Typhoid fever caused by Salmonella enterica serotype Typhi (hereafter referred to as Salmonella Typhi) remains a major health problem in the developing world (1). Treatment with appropriate antimicrobial drugs has [...]

Salmonellosis caused by Salmonella enterica serovar Newport is a major global public health concern, particularly because S. Newport isolates that are resistant to multiple drugs (MDR), including third-generation cephalosporins (MDR-AmpC phenotype), have been commonly isolated from food animals. We analyzed 384 S. Newport isolates from various sources by a multilocus sequence typing (MLST) scheme to study the evolution and population structure of the serovar. These were compared to the population structure of S. enterica serovars Enteritidis, Kentucky, Paratyphi B, and Typhimurium. Our S. Newport collection fell into three lineages, Newport-I, Newport-II, and Newport-III, each of which contained multiple sequence types (STs). Newport-I has only a few STs, unlike Newport-II or Newport-III, and has possibly emerged recently. Newport-I is more prevalent among humans in Europe than in North America, whereas Newport-II is preferentially associated with animals. Two STs of Newport-II encompassed all MDR-AmpC isolates, suggesting recent global spread after the acquisition of the [bla.sub.CMY-2] gene. In contrast, most Newport-III isolates were from humans in North America and were pansusceptible to antibiotics. Newport was intermediate in population structure to the other serovars, which varied from a single monophyletic lineage in S. Enteritidis or S. Typhimurium to four discrete lineages within S. Paratyphi B. Both mutation and homologous recombination are responsible for diversification within each of these lineages, but the relative frequencies differed with the lineage. We conclude that serovars of S. enterica provide a variety of different population structures. doi: 10.1128/JB.00969-10

The multidrug-resistant (MDR) Salmonella enterica serotype Newport strain that produces CMY-2 [beta]-lactamase (Newport MDR-AmpC) was the source of sporadic cases and outbreaks in humans in France during 2000-2005. Because this [...]

Identification of Salmonella enterica serotypes is based on flagellar and somatic antigens. Of the 2,610 serotypes distinguished in the Kauffmann-White-Le Minor Scheme (1,2), only Gallinarum are obligatory nonflagellate and hence, [...]

To the Editor: Nontyphoidal salmonellosis (NTS) is a major food-borne illness worldwide. Extended-spectrum cephalosporins (ESCs) are currently preferred drugs for treatment of children with NTS. However, resistance to ESCs has [...]

Shigella sonnei UCN59, isolated during an outbreak of S. sonnei in January 2007, was resistant to azithromycin (MIC 64 mg/L). The isolate contained a plasmid-borne mph(A) gene encoding a macrolide [...]

In 2022, the burden of cholera—an acute watery diarrheal disease caused by Vibrio cholerae serogroup O1 (or more rarely O139) bacteria, which produce cholera toxin—remains high in many African and Asian countries. In the last few years, microbial genomics has made it possible to define the bacterial populations responsible for cholera more precisely. It has been shown that the current, seventh pandemic is due to a single lineage with a reservoir in the countries of the Bay of Bengal (India and Bangladesh). There have been several transmissions of the causal agent of cholera from this region to Africa, Asia and Latin America, suggesting a human-to-human transmission of the disease. Microbial genetics can help to fight this scourge by providing insight into cholera epidemiology and through its use in disease monitoring, thereby contributing to the achievement of the World Health Organization’s goal of reducing cholera deaths by 90% by 2030.

To the Editor: Ciprofloxacin is the treatment of choice of severe nontyphoidal Salmonella infections in adults. Resistance to ciprofloxacin has been found exceptionally in nontyphoidal Salmonella enterica isolates and only [...]

Background: The burden of typhoid in sub-Saharan African (SSA) countries has been difficult to estimate, in part, due to suboptimal laboratory diagnostics. However, surveillance blood cultures at two sites in Nigeria have identified typhoid associated with Salmonella enterica serovar Typhi (S. Typhi) as an important cause of bacteremia in children. Methods: A total of 128 S. Typhi isolates from these studies in Nigeria were whole-genome sequenced, and the resulting data was used to place these Nigerian isolates into a worldwide context based on their phylogeny and carriage of molecular determinants of antibiotic resistance. Results: Several distinct S. Typhi genotypes were identified in Nigeria that were related to other clusters of S. Typhi isolates from north, west and central regions of Africa. The rapidly expanding S. Typhi clade 4.3.1 (H58) previously associated with multiple antimicrobial resistances in Asia and in east, central and southern Africa, was not detected in this study. However, antimicrobial resistance was common amongst the Nigerian isolates and was associated with several plasmids, including the IncHI1 plasmid commonly associated with S. Typhi. Conclusions: These data indicate that typhoid in Nigeria was established through multiple independent introductions into the country, with evidence of regional spread. MDR typhoid appears to be evolving independently of the haplotype H58 found in other typhoid endemic countries. This study highlights an urgent need for routine surveillance to monitor the epidemiology of typhoid and evolution of antimicrobial resistance within the bacterial population as a means to facilitate public health interventions to reduce the substantial morbidity and mortality of typhoid. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Despite a significant global burden of disease, there is still no vaccine against shigellosis widely available. One aim of the European Union funded STOPENTERICS consortium is to develop vaccine candidates against Shigella. Given the importance of translational vaccine coverage, here we aimed to characterise the Shigella strains being used by the consortium by whole genome sequencing, and report on the stability of strains cultured in different laboratories or through serial passage. Methods: We sequenced, de novo assembled and annotated 20 Shigella strains being used by the consortium. These comprised 16 different isolates belonging to 7 serotypes, and 4 derivative strains. Derivative strains from common isolates were manipulated in different laboratories or had undergone multiple passages in the same laboratory. Strains were mapped against reference genomes to detect SNP variation and phylogenetic analysis was performed. Results: The genomes assembled into similar total lengths (range 4.14–4.83 Mbp) and had similar numbers of predicted coding sequences (average of 4,400). Mapping analysis showed the genetic stability of strains through serial passages and culturing in different laboratories, as well as varying levels of similarity to published reference genomes. Phylogenetic analysis revealed the presence of three main clades among the strains and published references, one containing the Shigella flexneri serotype 6 strains, a second containing the remaining S. flexneri serotypes and a third comprised of Shigella sonnei strains. Conclusions: This work increases the number of the publically available Shigella genomes available and specifically provides information on strains being used for vaccine development by STOPENTERICS. It also provides information on the variability among strains maintained in different laboratories and through serial passage. This work will guide the selection of strains for further vaccine development. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]