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    Geographic divergence of methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus ST5-SCCmecI in the aftermath of a major earthquake and tsunami: impact of a plasmid harboring heavy metal resistance genes
    (American Society for Microbiology, 2025-04-09)
    Jose R. W. Martínez
    ;
    Manuel Alcalde-Rico
    ;
    Estefanía Jara-Videla
    ;
    Jinnethe Reyes
    ;
    Lina P. Carvajal
    (MRSA) is a major public health menace. The global spread of MRSA is characterized by successive waves of epidemic clones dominating specific geographical regions. The acquisition of genes encoding resistance to heavy metals (HMRGs) is thought to be a key feature in the geographic divergence of MRSA. However, the cause-effect relationship between the presence of HMRGs and the divergence of MRSA clones remains to be clarified. In this study, we assessed the role that HMRGs may have played in the evolutionary divergence of the MRSA ST5-SCC <jats:italic>mec</jats:italic> I lineage in Latin America. We conducted a genomic characterization of 113 MRSA clinical isolates from six Latin American healthcare centers, including 53 isolates collected from two cities in Chile (Santiago and Concepción). We found a plasmid (pSCL4752) harboring arsenic, cadmium, and mercury resistance genes in 65% ( <jats:italic>n</jats:italic> = 71) of the ST5-SCC <jats:italic>mec</jats:italic> I isolates. We also observed a geographic divergence associated with the presence of pSCL4752 in Chilean isolates, with a higher frequency in isolates from Concepción (88%) compared to Santiago (29%). Interestingly, a molecular clock analysis revealed that this divergence occurred in the aftermath of an 8.8 Mw earthquake and tsunami that struck the Concepción area in 2010. Moreover, our results demonstrate that the carriage of pSCL4752 can be beneficial or detrimental for ST5-SCC <jats:italic>mec</jats:italic> I isolates, depending on the environmental availability of these heavy metals. Our results suggest that the divergence of the ST5-SCC <jats:italic>mec</jats:italic> I MRSA lineage in Latin America could have been fostered by environmental disasters and influenced by the presence/absence of HMRGs harbored in a plasmid. </jats:p> <jats:sec> <jats:title>IMPORTANCE</jats:title> <jats:p> Methicillin-resistant <jats:italic>Staphylococcus aureus</jats:italic> (MRSA) is a major cause of life-threatening infections worldwide and a growing public health concern. The rise of antibiotic-resistant bacteria, such as MRSA, is often linked to genetic adaptations that enhance their survival. Our research sheds light on how environmental changes, such as those triggered by a natural disaster, can influence the evolution and geographic spread of a highly resistant MRSA lineage in Latin America. We identified a plasmid carrying genes for resistance to arsenic, cadmium, and mercury, which was associated with the geographic divergence of the ST5-SCC <jats:italic>mec</jats:italic> I MRSA lineage, with striking differences in its prevalence between regions affected by a major earthquake and tsunami. By linking environmental events to pathogen evolution, our study highlights the role of ecological pressures in the spread of MRSA. These findings emphasize the need to integrate environmental monitoring into public health strategies to better understand the global challenge of antimicrobial resistance.
      4
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    Karydakis Technique for the Treatment of Pilonidal Disease
    (2023)
    Ernesto Melkonian
    ;
    Eduardo Mordojovich
    ;
    Pablo Baeza
    Scopus© Citations 2
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    High Burden of Intestinal Colonization With Antimicrobial-Resistant Bacteria in Chile: An Antibiotic Resistance in Communities and Hospitals (ARCH) Study
    (2023) ;
    Rachel M Smith
    ;
    Ashley Styczynski
    ;
    Felipe Sánchez
    ;
    Lea Maureira
    <jats:title>Abstract</jats:title> <jats:sec> <jats:title>Background</jats:title> <jats:p>Antimicrobial resistance is a global threat, heavily impacting low- and middle-income countries. This study estimated antimicrobial-resistant gram-negative bacteria (GNB) fecal colonization prevalence in hospitalized and community-dwelling adults in Chile before the coronavirus disease 2019 pandemic.</jats:p> </jats:sec> <jats:sec> <jats:title>Methods</jats:title> <jats:p>From December 2018 to May 2019, we enrolled hospitalized adults in 4 public hospitals and community dwellers from central Chile, who provided fecal specimens and epidemiological information. Samples were plated onto MacConkey agar with ciprofloxacin or ceftazidime added. All recovered morphotypes were identified and characterized according to the following phenotypes: fluoroquinolone-resistant (FQR), extended-spectrum cephalosporin-resistant (ESCR), carbapenem-resistant (CR), or multidrug-resistant (MDR; as per Centers for Disease Control and Prevention criteria) GNB. Categories were not mutually exclusive.</jats:p> </jats:sec> <jats:sec> <jats:title>Results</jats:title> <jats:p>A total of 775 hospitalized adults and 357 community dwellers were enrolled. Among hospitalized subjects, the prevalence of colonization with FQR, ESCR, CR, or MDR-GNB was 46.4% (95% confidence interval [CI], 42.9–50.0), 41.2% (95% CI, 37.7–44.6), 14.5% (95% CI, 12.0–16.9), and 26.3% (95% CI, 23.2–29.4). In the community, the prevalence of FQR, ESCR, CR, and MDR-GNB colonization was 39.5% (95% CI, 34.4–44.6), 28.9% (95% CI, 24.2–33.6), 5.6% (95% CI, 3.2–8.0), and 4.8% (95% CI, 2.6–7.0), respectively.</jats:p> </jats:sec> <jats:sec> <jats:title>Conclusions</jats:title> <jats:p>A high burden of antimicrobial-resistant GNB colonization was observed in this sample of hospitalized and community-dwelling adults, suggesting that the community is a relevant source of antibiotic resistance. Efforts are needed to understand the relatedness between resistant strains circulating in the community and hospitals.</jats:p> </jats:sec>
    Scopus© Citations 10  2
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    Scopus© Citations 4  2
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    Isolation of Ciprofloxacin and Ceftazidime-Resistant Enterobacterales From Vegetables and River Water Is Strongly Associated With the Season and the Sample Type
    (2021)
    Constanza Díaz-Gavidia
    ;
    Carla Barría
    ;
    ;
    Patricia García
    ;
    Francisca P. Alvarez
    <jats:p>The dissemination of antibiotic-resistant bacteria (ARB) from water used for crop irrigation to vegetables is poorly studied. During a year, five farmer markets in a city in Central Chile were visited, and 478 vegetable samples (parsleys, corianders, celeries, lettuces, chards, and beets) were collected. Simultaneously, 32 water samples were collected from two rivers which are used to irrigate the vegetables produced in the area. Resistant Enterobacterales were isolated and identified. Colistin resistance gene <jats:italic>mcr-1</jats:italic> and extended spectrum β-lactamases (ESBL) were molecularly detected. The association of environmental factors was evaluated, with the outcomes being the presence of Enterobacterales resistant to four antibiotic families and the presence of multidrug resistance (MDR) phenotypes. Parsley, coriander, and celery showed the highest prevalence of resistant Enterobacterales (41.9% for ciprofloxacin and 18.5% for ceftazidime). A total of 155 isolates were obtained, including <jats:italic>Escherichia coli</jats:italic> (<jats:italic>n</jats:italic>=109), <jats:italic>Citrobacter</jats:italic> sp. (<jats:italic>n</jats:italic>=20), <jats:italic>Enterobacter cloacae</jats:italic> complex (<jats:italic>n</jats:italic>=8), <jats:italic>Klebsiella pneumoniae</jats:italic> (<jats:italic>n</jats:italic>=8), and <jats:italic>Klebsiella aerogenes</jats:italic> (<jats:italic>n</jats:italic>=1). Resistance to ampicillin (63.2%) and ciprofloxacin (74.2%) was most frequently found; 34.5% of the isolates showed resistance to third-generation cephalosporins, and the MDR phenotype represented 51.6% of the isolates. In two <jats:italic>E. coli</jats:italic> isolates (1.29%), the gene <jats:italic>mcr-1</jats:italic> was found and ESBL genes were found in 23/62 isolates (37%), with <jats:italic>bla</jats:italic><jats:sub>CTX-M</jats:sub> being the most frequently found in 20 isolates (32%). Resistant Enterobacterales isolated during the rainy season were less likely to be MDR as compared to the dry season. Understanding environmental associations represent the first step toward an improved understanding of the public health impact of ARB in vegetables and water.</jats:p>
      1Scopus© Citations 28
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    Antimicrobial Resistance Dynamics in Chilean Shigella sonnei Strains Within Two Decades: Role of Shigella Resistance Locus Pathogenicity Island and Class 1 and Class 2 Integrons
    (2022)
    Cecilia S. Toro
    ;
    Juan Carlos Salazar
    ;
    David A. Montero
    ;
    Juan Antonio Ugalde
    ;
    Janepsy Díaz
    Shigellosis is an enteric infectious disease in which antibiotic treatment is effective, shortening the duration of symptoms and reducing the excretion of the pathogen into the environment. <jats:italic>Shigella</jats:italic> spp., the etiologic agent, are considered emerging pathogens with a high public health impact due to the increase and global spread of multidrug-resistant (MDR) strains. Since <jats:italic>Shigella</jats:italic> resistance phenotype varies worldwide, we present an overview of the resistance phenotypes and associated genetic determinants present in 349 Chilean <jats:italic>S. sonnei</jats:italic> strains isolated during the periods 1995–1997, 2002–2004, 2008–2009, and 2010–2013. We detected a great variability in antibiotic susceptibility patterns, finding 300 (86%) MDR strains. Mobile genetic elements (MGE), such as plasmids, integrons, and genomic islands, have been associated with the MDR phenotypes. The <jats:italic>Shigella</jats:italic> resistance locus pathogenicity island (SRL PAI), which encodes for ampicillin, streptomycin, chloramphenicol, and tetracycline resistance genes, was detected by PCR in 100% of the strains isolated in 2008–2009 but was less frequent in isolates from other periods. The presence or absence of SRL PAI was also differentiated by pulsed-field gel electrophoresis. An atypical class 1 integron which harbors the <jats:italic>bla</jats:italic><jats:sub>OXA–1</jats:sub><jats:italic>-aadA1-IS1</jats:italic> organization was detected as part of SRL PAI. The <jats:italic>dfrA14</jats:italic> gene conferring trimethoprim resistance was present in 98.8% of the 2008–2009 isolates, distinguishing them from the SRL-positive strains isolated before that. Thus, it seems an SRL-<jats:italic>dfrA14 S. sonnei</jats:italic> clone spread during the 2008–2009 period and declined thereafter. Besides these, SRL-negative strains harboring class 2 integrons with or without resistance to nalidixic acid were detected from 2011 onward, suggesting the circulation of another clone. Whole-genome sequencing of selected strains confirmed the results obtained by PCR and phenotypic analysis. It is highlighted that 70.8% of the MDR strains harbored one or more of the MGE evaluated, while 15.2% lacked both SRL PAI and integrons. These results underscore the temporal dynamics of antimicrobial resistance in <jats:italic>S. sonnei</jats:italic> strains circulating in Chile, mainly determined by the spread of MGE conferring MDR phenotypes. Since shigellosis is endemic in Chile, constant surveillance of antimicrobial resistance phenotypes and their genetic basis is a priority to contribute to public health policies.
    Scopus© Citations 3  1
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    Antimicrobial Susceptibility Testing for Enterococci
    (2022)
    Ayesha Khan
    ;
    William R. Miller
    ;
    Dierdre Axell-House
    ;
    ;
    Cesar A. Arias
    <jats:p>Enterococci are major, recalcitrant nosocomial pathogens with a wide repertoire of intrinsic and acquired resistance determinants and the potential of developing resistance to all clinically available antimicrobials. As such, multidrug-resistant enterococci are considered a serious public health threat.</jats:p>
      1Scopus© Citations 57  1
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    Role of the multi-drug efflux systems on the baseline susceptibility to ceftazidime/avibactam and ceftolozane/tazobactam in clinical isolates of non-carbapenemase-producing carbapenem-resistant Pseudomonas aeruginosa
    (2022)
    María José Contreras-Gómez
    ;
    José R. W. Martinez
    ;
    ;
    Juan A. Ugalde
    ;
    <jats:p>Carbapenem-resistant <jats:italic>Pseudomonas aeruginosa</jats:italic> (CRPA) is one of the pathogens that urgently needs new drugs and new alternatives for its control. The primary strategy to combat this bacterium is combining treatments of beta-lactam with a beta-lactamase inhibitor. The most used combinations against <jats:italic>P. aeruginosa</jats:italic> are ceftazidime/avibactam (CZA) and ceftolozane/tazobactam (C/T). Although mechanisms leading to CZA and C/T resistance have already been described, among which are the resistance-nodulation-division (RND) efflux pumps, the role that these extrusion systems may play in CZA, and C/T baseline susceptibility of clinical isolates remains unknown. For this purpose, 161 isolates of non-carbapenemase-producing (Non-CP) CRPA were selected, and susceptibility tests to CZA and C/T were performed in the presence and absence of the RND efflux pumps inhibitor, Phenylalanine-arginine β-naphthylamide (PAβN). In the absence of PAβN, C/T showed markedly higher activity against Non-CP-CRPA isolates than observed for CZA. These results were even more evident in isolates classified as extremely-drug resistant (XDR) or with difficult-to-treat resistance (DTR), where CZA decreased its activity up to 55.2% and 20.0%, respectively, whereas C/T did it up to 82.8% (XDR), and 73.3% (DTR). The presence of PAβN showed an increase in both CZA (37.6%) and C/T (44.6%) activity, and 25.5% of Non-CP-CRPA isolates increased their susceptibility to these two combined antibiotics. However, statistical analysis showed that only the C/T susceptibility of Non-CP-CRPA isolates was significantly increased. Although the contribution of RND activity to CZA and C/T baseline susceptibility was generally low (two-fold decrease of minimal inhibitory concentrations [MIC]), a more evident contribution was observed in a non-minor proportion of the Non-CP-CRPA isolates affected by PAβN [CZA: 25.4% (15/59); C/T: 30% (21/70)]. These isolates presented significantly higher MIC values for C/T. Therefore, we conclude that RND efflux pumps are participating in the phenomenon of baseline susceptibility to CZA and, even more, to C/T. However, the genomic diversity of clinical isolates is so great that deeper analyzes are necessary to determine which elements are directly involved in this phenomenon.</jats:p>
    Scopus© Citations 2  1
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    Real-World Performance of Susceptibility Testing for Ceftolozane/Tazobactam against Non-Carbapenemase-Producing Carbapenem-Resistant Pseudomonas aeruginosa
    (2022) ;
    Manuel Alcalde-Rico
    ;
    José R. W. Martínez
    ;
    María Victoria Moreno
    ;
    Pamela Rojas
    <jats:p> Ceftolozane/tazbactam (C/T) is a potent anti-pseudomonal agent that has clinical utility against infections caused by non-carbapenemase, producing-carbapenem-resistant <jats:named-content content-type="genus-species">Pseudomonas aeruginosa</jats:named-content> (non-CP-CR-PA). Accurate, precise, and reliable antimicrobial susceptibility testing (AST) is crucial to guide clinical decisions. </jats:p>
      19Scopus© Citations 2
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    Scopus© Citations 7  1