scholarly journals Penile implant infection resulting in Staphylococcus aureus bacteraemia and infective endocarditis

2021 ◽  
Vol 3 (12) ◽  
Author(s):  
Joseph P. Creel ◽  
David Triplett ◽  
Mannu Nayyar ◽  
Nathan A. Summers

Introduction. Penile implant infections are a possible surgical complication that has historically been most commonly associated with Gram-positive bacteria. Staphylococcus aureus is a Gram-positive bacteria and is the most common cause of endocarditis. Case Presentation. A male patient in his 50s with a past medical history of hypertension, diabetes, end-stage renal disease (ESRD) on peritoneal dialysis (PD) and erectile dysfunction with a penile implant placed 6 years prior to the admission date presented with complaints of scrotal pain. The pump for his implant had eroded through his scrotum and was draining pus. Blood cultures returned positive for Gram-positive cocci in clusters in 4/4 bottles, which was eventually identified as methicillin-sensitive Staphylococcus aureus (MSSA). A transthoracic echocardiogram (TTE) was performed due to concern for infective endocarditis (IE) but did not show any valvular abnormalities. Due to high clinical suspicion, a transesophageal echocardiogram (TEE) was performed and revealed a vegetation on the native mitral valve. His penile implant was removed by urology and intraoperative cultures grew MSSA. Surgical valve replacement was not recommended, and the patient was sent home with IV antibiotics for 6 weeks. Discussion. Post-operative site infections are a quite uncommon point of entry for infective endocarditis, with penile implant infections being an even rarer cause. While a TTE is often used initially to attempt to diagnose infective endocarditis, it has lower sensitivity than a TEE. If clinical suspicion for infective endocarditis remains high after negative imaging with TTE, then TEE should be performed for better visualization of the heart valves.

2021 ◽  
Vol 70 (9) ◽  
Author(s):  
Vidula Iyer ◽  
Janhavi Raut ◽  
Anindya Dasgupta

The pH of skin is critical for skin health and resilience and plays a key role in controlling the skin microbiome. It has been well reported that under dysbiotic conditions such as atopic dermatitis (AD), eczema, etc. there are significant aberrations of skin pH, along with a higher level of Staphylococcus aureus compared to the commensal Staphylococcus epidermidis on skin. To understand the effect of pH on the relative growth of S. epidermidis and S. aureus , we carried out simple in vitro growth kinetic studies of the individual microbes under varying pH conditions. We demonstrated that the growth kinetics of S. epidermidis is relatively insensitive to pH within the range of 5–7, while S. aureus shows a stronger pH dependence in that range. Gompertz’s model was used to fit the pH dependence of the growth kinetics of the two bacteria and showed that the equilibrium bacterial count of S. aureus was the more sensitive parameter. The switch in growth rate happens at a pH of 6.5–7. Our studies are in line with the general hypothesis that keeping the skin pH within an acidic range is advantageous in terms of keeping the skin microbiome in balance and maintaining healthy skin.


Author(s):  
Catrina Olivera ◽  
Vuong Van Hung Le ◽  
Catherine Davenport ◽  
Jasna Rakonjac

Introduction. There is an urgent need for effective therapies against bacterial infections, especially those caused by antibiotic-resistant Gram-negative pathogens. Hypothesis. Synergistic combinations of existing antimicrobials show promise due to their enhanced efficacies and reduced dosages which can mitigate adverse effects, and therefore can be used as potential antibacterial therapy. Aim. In this study, we sought to characterize the in vitro interaction of 5-nitrofurans, vancomycin and sodium deoxycholate (NVD) against pathogenic bacteria. Methodology. The synergy of the NVD combination was investigated in terms of growth inhibition and bacterial killing using checkerboard and time-kill assays, respectively. Results. Using a three-dimensional checkerboard assay, we showed that 5-nitrofurans, sodium deoxycholate and vancomycin interact synergistically in the growth inhibition of 15 out of 20 Gram-negative strains tested, including clinically significant pathogens such as carbapenemase-producing Escherichia coli , Klebsiella pneumoniae and Acinetobacter baumannii , and interact indifferently against the Gram-positive strains tested. The time-kill assay further confirmed that the triple combination was bactericidal in a synergistic manner. Conclusion. This study demonstrates the synergistic effect of 5-nitrofurans, sodium deoxycholate and vancomycin against Gram-negative pathogens and highlights the potential of the combination as a treatment for Gram-negative and Gram-positive infections.


2021 ◽  
Vol 7 (5) ◽  
Author(s):  
Kay Fountain ◽  
Tiffany Blackett ◽  
Helen Butler ◽  
Catherine Carchedi ◽  
Anna-Katarina Schilling ◽  
...  

Fatal exudative dermatitis (FED) is a significant cause of death of red squirrels (Sciurus vulgaris) on the island of Jersey in the Channel Islands where it is associated with a virulent clone of Staphylococcus aureus, ST49. S. aureus ST49 has been found in other hosts such as small mammals, pigs and humans, but the dynamics of carriage and disease of this clone, or any other lineage in red squirrels, is currently unknown. We used whole-genome sequencing to characterize 228 isolates from healthy red squirrels on Jersey, the Isle of Arran (Scotland) and Brownsea Island (England), from red squirrels showing signs of FED on Jersey and the Isle of Wight (England) and a small number of isolates from other hosts. S. aureus was frequently carried by red squirrels on the Isle of Arran with strains typically associated with small ruminants predominating. For the Brownsea carriage, S. aureus was less frequent and involved strains associated with birds, small ruminants and humans, while for the Jersey carriage S. aureus was rare but ST49 predominated in diseased squirrels. By combining our data with publicly available sequences, we show that the S. aureus carriage in red squirrels largely reflects frequent but facile acquisitions of strains carried by other hosts sharing their habitat (‘spillover’), possibly including, in the case of ST188, humans. Genome-wide association analysis of the ruminant lineage ST133 revealed variants in a small number of mostly bacterial-cell-membrane-associated genes that were statistically associated with squirrel isolates from the Isle of Arran, raising the possibility of specific adaptation to red squirrels in this lineage. In contrast there is little evidence that ST49 is a common carriage isolate of red squirrels and infection from reservoir hosts such as bank voles or rats, is likely to be driving the emergence of FED in red squirrels.


2018 ◽  
Vol 62 (8) ◽  
Author(s):  
Sara Ceballos ◽  
Choon Kim ◽  
Derong Ding ◽  
Shahriar Mobashery ◽  
Mayland Chang ◽  
...  

ABSTRACT The activities of four oxadiazoles were investigated with 210 methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA) strains. MIC50 and MIC90 values of 1 to 2 and 4 μg/ml, respectively, were observed. We also evaluated the activity of oxadiazole ND-421 against other staphylococci and enterococci and in the presence of oxacillin for selected MRSA strains. The MIC for ND-421 is lowered severalfold in combination with oxacillin, as they synergize. The MIC90 of ND-421 against vancomycin-resistant enterococci is ≤1 μg/ml.


2021 ◽  
Vol 70 (6) ◽  
Author(s):  
Elyse C. Curry ◽  
Ryan G. Hart ◽  
Danni Y. Habtu ◽  
Neal R. Chamberlain

Introduction. This study describes the identification and partial characterization of persistence-inducing factors (PIFs) from staphylococci. Hypothesis/Gap Statement. Increases in persisters during mid-log phase growth indicate that quorum-sensing factors might be produced by staphylococci. Aim. To identify and partially characterize PIFs from Staphylococcus epidermidis RP62A and Staphylococcus aureus SH1000. Methodology. Others have demonstrated a significant increase in persister numbers during mid-log phase. Inducers of this mid-log increase have yet to be identified in staphylococci. Optical density at 600 nm (OD600) was used instead of time to determine when persister numbers increased during logarithmic growth. Concentrated culture filtrates (CCFs) from S. epidermidis and S. aureus were obtained at various OD600s and following incubation at 16 h. The CCFs were used to develop a PIF assay. The PIF assay was used to partially characterize PIF from S. epidermidis and S. aureus for sizing of PIF activity, temperature and protease sensitivity and inter-species communications. Results. The optimal OD600s for S. epidermidis and S. aureus PIF assays were 2.0 and 0.5, respectively. The highest PIF activity for both species was from CCF following incubation overnight (16 h). S. epidermidis ’ PIF activity was decreased by storage at 4 oC but not at 20 oC (16 h), 37 oC (1 h) or 100 oC (15 min). S. aureus ’ PIF activity was decreased following storage at 4 oC (2 weeks) and after boiling at 100 oC for 5 min but not after incubation at 37 oC (1 h). PIF activity from both species went through a 3000 molecular weight cutoff ultrafilter. Proteinase K treatment of S. aureus PIF decreased activity but did not decrease the PIF activity of S. epidermidis . PIF from S. epidermidis did not increase persisters when used to treat S. aureus cells and nor did PIF from S. aureus increase persisters when used to treat S. epidermidis cells. Conclusions. Attempts to discover PIFs for staphylococci were unsuccessful due to the time-based means used to identify mid-log. Both staphylococcal species produce extracellular, low-molecular-weight inducers of persistence when assayed using an OD600 -based PIF assay.


Author(s):  
Ka Lip Chew ◽  
Sophie Octavia ◽  
Deborah Lai ◽  
Raymond T. P. Lin ◽  
Jeanette W. P. Teo

Staphylococcus argenteus and Staphylococcus schweitzeri are the newest members of the Staphylococcus aureus complex. The number of clinical reports attributed to these new S. aureus complex members is limited. In a retrospective clinical laboratory study conducted over a 4-month period investigating the prevalence of S. argenteus and S. schweitzeri , a total of 43 isolates were selected. Phylogeny based on core-gene multilocus sequence typing (MLST) analysis confirmed that 37 were S. argenteus but a genetically distinct clade of six isolates was identified. Digital DNA–DNA hybridization (dDDH) and average nucleotide identity (ANI) analyses further supported the classification of these six isolates as a separate species. When compared to S. aureus complex reference genomes, the ANI values were ≤94 % and the dDDH values were <53 %. Based on the seven-gene S. aureus MLST scheme, the six isolates belong to five novel allelic profiles (ST6105, ST6106, ST6107, ST6108 and ST109). Their clinical infection features were similar to S. aureus . Skin and soft tissue infections presented in four out of the six cases. Routine clinical diagnostic identification using matrix-assisted laser desorption/ionization time-of-flight mass spectrometry and biochemical profiling does not differentiate these new members from the rest of the complex. Genotypic analysis suggests that the six isolates belong to a novel species, Staphylococcus singaporensis sp. nov. with isolate SS21T (=DSM 111408T=NCTC14419T) designated as the type strain.


2019 ◽  
Vol 1 (8) ◽  
Author(s):  
Yohei Washio ◽  
Shun-ichiro Sakamoto ◽  
Ryoichi Saito ◽  
Takahito Nei ◽  
Masayo Morishima ◽  
...  

We report a case with infective endocarditis (IE) due to Cardiobacterium valvarum . The patient was a 57-year-old male, who was referred to our hospital based on suspected IE detected by transthoracic echocardiography at a neighbourhood clinic. Three sets of blood cultures obtained on admission yielded positive results, and revealed rather slender and linear Gram-negative bacilli with a rosette formation that dyed minimally, with a pale white appearance. Although no isolates were identified by conventional methods, C. valvarum was ultimately identified by 16 S ribosomal RNA genotyping. HACEK group strains are difficult to identify by conventional methods. Therefore, if Gram-negative bacilli are isolated from IE patients, 16 S ribosomal RNA genotyping will be necessary. Furthermore, IE due to C. valvarum is very rare. We thus discuss our case in comparison with previous reports.


2012 ◽  
Vol 56 (7) ◽  
pp. 3492-3497 ◽  
Author(s):  
Christoph J. Slavetinsky ◽  
Andreas Peschel ◽  
Christoph M. Ernst

ABSTRACTThe lysinylation of negatively charged phosphatidylglycerol by MprF proteins reduces the affinity of cationic antimicrobial peptides (CAMPs) for bacterial cytoplasmic membranes and reduces the susceptibility of several Gram-positive bacterial pathogens to CAMPs. MprF ofStaphylococcus aureusencompasses a lysyl-phosphatidylglycerol (Lys-PG) synthase and a Lys-PG flippase domain. In contrast,Clostridium perfringensencodes two MprF homologs which specifically synthesize alanyl-phosphatidylglycerol (Ala-PG) or Lys-PG, while only the Lys-PG synthase is fused to a putative flippase domain. It remains unknown whether cationic Lys-PG and zwitterionic Ala-PG differ in their capacities to be translocated by MprF flippases and if both can reduce CAMP susceptibility in Gram-positive bacteria. By expressing the MprF proteins ofC. perfringensin anS. aureus mprFdeletion mutant, we found that both lipids can be efficiently produced inS. aureus. Simultaneous expression of the Lys-PG and Ala-PG synthases led to the production of both lipids and slightly increased the overall amounts of aminoacyl phospholipids. Ala-PG production by the correspondingC. perfringensenzyme did not affect susceptibility to CAMPs such as nisin and gallidermin or to the CAMP-like antibiotic daptomycin. However, coexpression of the Ala-PG synthase with flippase domains of Lys-PG synthesizing MprF proteins led to a wild-type level of daptomycin susceptibility, indicating that Ala-PG can also protect bacterial membranes against daptomycin and suggesting that Lys-PG flippases can also translocate the related lipid Ala-PG. Thus, bacterial aminoacyl phospholipid flippases exhibit more relaxed substrate specificity and Ala-PG and Lys-PG are more similar in their capacities to modulate membrane functions than anticipated.


2012 ◽  
Vol 56 (5) ◽  
pp. 2485-2492 ◽  
Author(s):  
Sophie Lefèvre ◽  
Maher Saleh ◽  
Luc Marcellin ◽  
Audrey Subilia ◽  
Tristan Bourcier ◽  
...  

ABSTRACTStaphylococcus aureusis a frequent cause of acute endophthalmitis, and infection with this virulent bacterium is often associated with a poor visual outcome. In this study, we investigated the bactericidal efficacy and the safety of intravitreal daptomycin (DAP), a lipopeptide antibiotic with broad-spectrum activity against Gram-positive bacteria, compared with those of intravitreal vancomycin (VAN) in a methicillin-resistantS. aureusendophthalmitis rabbit model. The pharmacokinetics and pharmacodynamics of daptomycin in the infected eyes were also studied. Rabbits were randomly divided into three treatment groups (n= 8) and one untreated group (n= 4), to compare the effect of single intravitreal injections of 0.2 mg and 1 mg of daptomycin (DAP 0.2 and DAP 1 groups, respectively) with that of 1 mg of intravitreal vancomycin (VAN 1 group). Vitreal aspirates were regularly collected and grading of ocular inflammation was regularly performed until euthanasia on day 7. In the DAP 0.2 group, 62.5% of the eyes were sterilized and the mean bacterial count presented a reduction of 1 log unit. In the DAP 1 and VAN 1 groups, the infection was eradicated (100% and 87.5% of eyes sterilized, respectively), with a 4-log-unit reduction of the mean bacterial count. The bactericidal efficacy in the DAP 1 group was not inferior to that in the VAN 1 group and was superior to that of the other regimens in limiting the ocular inflammation and preserving the architecture of the ocular structures (P< 0.05). The elimination half-life (t1/2β) of daptomycin was independent of the administered dose (38.8 ± 16.5 h and 40.9 ± 6.7 h, respectively, for the DAP 0.2 and DAP 1 groups) and was significantly longer than thet1/2βof vancomycin (20.5 ± 2.0 h for the VAN 1 group) (P< 0.05). This antibiotic could therefore be considered for the treatment of intraocular infections caused by Gram-positive bacteria.


Microbiology ◽  
2020 ◽  
Vol 166 (8) ◽  
pp. 695-706 ◽  
Author(s):  
Kevin H. Martin ◽  
Grace I. Borlee ◽  
William H. Wheat ◽  
Mary Jackson ◽  
Bradley R. Borlee

Biofilm-associated infections are difficult to eradicate because of their ability to tolerate antibiotics and evade host immune responses. Amoebae and/or their secreted products may provide alternative strategies to inhibit and disperse biofilms on biotic and abiotic surfaces. We evaluated the potential of five predatory amoebae – Acanthamoeba castellanii, Acanthamoeba lenticulata, Acanthamoeba polyphaga, Vermamoeba vermiformis and Dictyostelium discoideum – and their cell-free secretions to disrupt biofilms formed by methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA) and Mycobacterium bovis . The biofilm biomass produced by MRSA and M. bovis was significantly reduced when co-incubated with A. castellanii, A. lenticulata and A. polyphaga, and their corresponding cell-free supernatants (CFS). Acanthamoeba spp. generally produced CFS that mediated biofilm dispersal rather than directly killing the bacteria; however, A. polyphaga CFS demonstrated active killing of MRSA planktonic cells when the bacteria were present at low concentrations. The active component(s) of the A. polyphaga CFS is resistant to freezing, but can be inactivated to differing degrees by mechanical disruption and exposure to heat. D. discoideum and its CFS also reduced preformed M. bovis biofilms, whereas V. vermiformis only decreased M. bovis biofilm biomass when amoebae were added. These results highlight the potential of using select amoebae species or their CFS to disrupt preformed bacterial biofilms.


Sign in / Sign up

Export Citation Format

Share Document