Avicenna Journal of Clinical Microbiology and Infection
Volume:3 Issue: 3, Aug 2016

Brucella species are classified based on their pathogenic and genetic properties and hosts. Considering the significance of identifying different biotypes of Brucella from the epidemiological point of view and lack of such information in the city of Kashan, Iran..
This study was designed to determine the biotypes and strains of Brucella isolated from patients with brucellosis..
This was a descriptive study of 206 samples obtained from patients with suspected brucellosis in 2013 in Kashan. BACTEC 9050 culture media was employed to test the samples. Suspected colonies of Brucella were identified through morphology, staining, and biochemical tests. The biotypes were identified by the Razi Research Institute. Lysis tests with the Tbilisi (Tb) phage were performed, the need for CO2, SH2 production, sensitivity to basic fuchsin and thionin stains, and the reaction of all the samples to specific antiserum A and M (monospecific) were tested..
Fifty (24.3%) of the 206 samples were culture positive. SH3 production was not detected in any of the isolates, and none of the isolated strains required CO2. The results of the sensitivity test to basic fuchsin and thionin staining and specific agglutination and phage lysis (phage typing) tests indicated that all the isolated strains were biotype 1 B. melitansis..
The cause of human brucellosis in Kashan and its suburbs was biotype 1 B. melitensis. The identification of various biotypes of Brucella is important. Similar studies should be performed to detect the presence of new biotypes originating from neighboring countries..

Acinetobacter baumannii is one of the Gram-negative bacteria in nosocomial infections that is resistant to treatment and control. The isolation of these bacteria is increasing significantly throughout the world. With increasing populations and a reduction in the use of synthetic drugs, many of these medicinal herbs are replacing other treatments..
The present study aims to investigate the inhibitory effects of Satureja khuzestaniea essence on the expression of the antibiotic resistance genes bla-OXA-23 and Housekeeping DNA gyrase-A in multidrug-resistant strains of Acinetobacter baumannii, using the RT-PCR technique..
Satureja khuzestaniea essential oil was collected from the Barij essence research farm in May 2010. Five multidrug-resistant strains of Acinetobacter baumannii that contain the bla-OXA-23 and housekeeping DNA gyrase-A genes were selected. The disk diffusion method was used to evaluate the antimicrobial effect of essential oil, and major components were used. The minimum inhibitory concentration (MIC) values of the Satureja khuzestaniea essential oil were determined via a broth macro dilution assay, as recommended by the CLSI. Finally, an analysis of the bla-OXA-23 and Housekeeping DNA gyrase-A was performed using the RT-PCR technique..
The major components of Satureja khuzestaniea essence are carvacrol (90.88%), ρ-cymene (3.11%), γ terpinene (1.24%), and linalool (0.91%). The RT-PCR technique demonstrates that Satureja khuzestaniea with an MIC of 0.2 μL/mL has the effect of reducing the expression of the antibiotic resistance gene bla-OXA-2. The essence has no inhibitory effect, however, on the Housekeeping DNA gyrase-A gene..
This study indicates that Satureja khuzestaniea essence has inhibitory effects on the gene expression of antibiotic resistance in bla-OXA-23 that has a high MIC. Given that this essence has a good inhibitory effect on gene expression in MDR Acinetobacter baumannii and bla-OXA-23, the results indicate that it could be used as a natural way to prevent the growth of Acinetobacter baumannii..

Toxoplasmosis is one of the most widespread parasitic infections worldwide. The infection is mostly benign, although severe disease can be expected in immunocompromised/suppressed individuals and infants who are infected during pregnancy..
The aim of the present study was to determine the anti-Toxoplasma IgG and IgM seroprevalence in subjects who were referred to the Central Laboratory in Tabriz, Iran, for the diagnosis of toxoplasmosis..
This retrospective cross-sectional study was carried out among 6393 individuals who were referred to the central laboratory, Tabriz University of Medical Sciences, Tabriz, Iran, from March 2013 to January 2014. The subjects were referred from different areas of East Azerbaijan province. The quantitative determination of anti-Toxoplasma IgG and IgM was performed using an antibody capture chemiluminescence immunoassay. The other available variables, including sex and age, were also recorded and analyzed..
In total, 1910 (29.87%) out of 6393 subjects were found to be infected with Toxoplasma gondii. In terms of the seropositivity, 1871 (32.42%) out of 5770 and 128 (2.14%) out of 5965 subjects were anti-Toxoplasma IgG and IgM seropositive, respectively. In addition, 103 (1.69%) out of 5828 subjects were equivocal with regard to anti-Toxoplasma IgM, while 57 (0.97%) out of 6068 individuals were equivocal with regard to anti-Toxoplasma IgG. The mean concentration of anti-Toxoplasma IgM was observed to be higher in male subjects than in females (P = 0.016)..
Based on the findings of the present study, the frequency of Toxoplasma infection is high in the studied population, although it is fairly close to the findings of reports from the other areas of Iran..

Biofilm inhibition in Staphylococcus epidermidis by an allicin solution in close but not direct contact with bacterial cultures was studied. A similar inhibition effect was observed when bacteria were replaced by papain, an enzyme with a sulfhydryl active center.
To explain these effects, a parallel assay was made with papain, a sulfhydryl enzyme, and allicin was placed in a separate well. After 1 hour of exposition time, a substrate was added to the papain solution and proteolytic activity was measured at regular time intervals to study possible enzymatic inhibition by allicin vapors.
Growth and biofilm formation were measured according to established methods. These values were then averaged for the wells equidistant to a 3 mM allicin solution, and were related to the distance from the allicin well. Similar assays were performed with a solution of papain. After exposition to allicin vapors, a substrate was added and enzymatic activity was measured.
An inhibition effect was observed both in the bacterial cultures and the enzymatic solutions, and the extent of inhibition depended on the distance from the central well that contained the allicin solution.
Allicin vapor, or some decomposition product of allicin, causes inhibition of bacterial growth and biofilm formation. Parallel enzymatic studies confirmed this inhibitory effect and suggest that sulfhydryl enzymes are involved in biofilm formation in the strain studied.

Blood infections are an extensive range of disorders that can vary from limited bacteremia to fatal septicemia. Bacteremia refers to the transient presence of a bacterium in the bloodstream. A delay in the diagnosis and treatment of sepsis can cause mortality, with a 20% - 50% prevalence rate..
Due to the changing patterns of antibiotic resistance, as well as differences in patterns over time in different settings, we decided to identify infectious agents and their antibiotic resistance patterns in blood cultures..
This study was conducted at Shahid Beheshti hospital, Hamadan, Iran, during a one-year period (March 21, 2014, to March 22, 2015). From patients with suspected bloodstream infections, 5-10 mL of blood was collected three times and inoculated into culture bottles. After identifying the types of microorganisms, susceptibility testing was performed according to CLSI standards, and the results were analyzed with statistical software..
In the present study, 2,130 blood cultures were obtained from 710 patients (384 females and 326 males). Of these cultures, 232 (18.9%) were positive; 107 (46%) and 125 (54%) were from females and males, respectively. Most of the positive cultures were related to the internal medicine and hematology wards, which had 132 cases (56.9%), and the ICU, with 37 cases (16%). The most frequent isolates were Pseudomonas aeruginosa, Escherichia coli, Acinetobacter baumannii, and coagulase-negative Staphylococcus aureus, with prevalence rates of 18.2%, 24.1%, 10.3%, and 10.3%, respectively. The most effective antibiotic against Gram-positive isolates was vancomycin..
This study revealed that the most effective antibiotics against two Gram-negative and Gram-positive groups were amikacin and norfloxacin, so it is recommended that these antibiotics be used empirically, at least in the setting where this study was conducted, before performing the culturing and antibiogram process..

Since earlier identification of methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA)-colonized patients could be helpful for reducing the overall frequency of S. aureus infections, the investigation of persons colonized with MRSA is considered to be a key component of MRSA infection prevention programs, particularly among ICU patients.
The aim of the present study was to evaluate the prevalence of nasal and extra-nasal carriers of MRSA and risk factors associated with MRSA colonization among adult patients admitted to the ICU.
In a cross-sectional study, 164 adult patients who were admitted to the ICU of a teaching hospital were screened for nasal and extra-nasal carriage of MRSA. In addition, the ICU-hospitalized patients were evaluated for MRSA acquisition during their ICU stay.
Out of the 164 patients admitted to the ICU, 12 (7.3%) patients were methicillin-susceptible Staphylococcus aureus (MSSA) carriers, and 12 (7.3%) patients carried MRSA. Four (16.6%) patients were colonized at single or multiple extra-nasal sites based on negative nares screening. Of the 15 remaining patients hospitalized at the ICU, one (6.7%) patient acquired MRSA. The patients colonized with MRSA had more advanced ages (P = 0.008), longer hospital stays before being transferred to the ICU (P > 0.001), more underlying diseases with chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) (P = 0.028), and had undergone surgery (P = 0.003). Patients transferred from the surgical wards to the ICU were found to have significantly higher carriage rates of MRSA (P = 0.041)..
The prevalence of MRSA colonization upon ICU admission at our hospital was relatively high, and routine MRSA screening is suggested, especially for patients who have certain risk factors. In addition, extra-nasal MRSA screenings upon ICU admission will help in the early detection of MRSA.

Rhodotorula species are widespread in nature and can be isolated from a variety of sources, including air, soil, seawater, plants, and the household environment. They are also widely distributed in hospitals, and their presence could be considered a risk factor for hospitalized patients. These commensal yeasts have emerged as a cause of life-threatening fungemia in patients with depressed immune systems.
We report a case of duodenal perforation with peritonitis in a 36-year-old female who was scheduled immediately for exploratory laparotomy followed by closure of perforation and omentopexy. The peritoneal fluid was sent to the microbiology laboratory for routine investigations. On the 4th postoperative day, the patient had a fever that did not subside with antipyretics; hence, blood cultures were sent the next day. The peritoneal fluid and blood culture reports both yielded Rhodotorula mucilaginosa after 3 days of incubation. The patient was started on IV amphotericin B therapy, which resulted in a favorable outcome.
In humans, Rhodotorula species have been recovered as commensal organisms from the nails, the skin, and the respiratory, gastrointestinal (GI), and urinary tracts. Due to their presence in the GI flora, broad-spectrum antibiotics could contribute to their overgrowth in the GI tract. Localized infections, such as peritonitis, due to Rhodotorula species following infected peritoneal dialysis catheters have been reported in the literature. However, in our case, it seems possible that the fungus might have entered the bloodstream through disruption of the GI mucosa, and to prove this, further study is mandatory. It should also be noted that both amphotericin B and flucytosine have good activity against Rhodotorula in vitro, whereas fluconazole is inactive.