scholarly journals Prophylaxis and Treatment against Klebsiella pneumoniae: Current Insights on This Emerging Anti-Microbial Resistant Global Threat

2021 ◽  
Vol 22 (8) ◽  
pp. 4042
Author(s):  
Vanessa Arato ◽  
Maria Michelina Raso ◽  
Gianmarco Gasperini ◽  
Francesco Berlanda Scorza ◽  
Francesca Micoli
Keyword(s):  
Klebsiella Pneumoniae ◽  
Bacterial Infections ◽  
Outer Membrane Proteins ◽  
Opportunistic Pathogen ◽  
Multidrug Resistant ◽  
World Health ◽  
Current Status ◽  
Middle Income ◽  
Health Organization ◽  
Global Threat

Klebsiella pneumoniae (Kp) is an opportunistic pathogen and the leading cause of healthcare-associated infections, mostly affecting subjects with compromised immune systems or suffering from concurrent bacterial infections. However, the dramatic increase in hypervirulent strains and the emergence of new multidrug-resistant clones resulted in Kp occurrence among previously healthy people and in increased morbidity and mortality, including neonatal sepsis and death across low- and middle-income countries. As a consequence, carbapenem-resistant and extended spectrum β-lactamase-producing Kp have been prioritized as a critical anti-microbial resistance threat by the World Health Organization and this has renewed the interest of the scientific community in developing a vaccine as well as treatments alternative to the now ineffective antibiotics. Capsule polysaccharide is the most important virulence factor of Kp and plays major roles in the pathogenesis but its high variability (more than 100 different types have been reported) makes the identification of a universal treatment or prevention strategy very challenging. However, less variable virulence factors such as the O-Antigen, outer membrane proteins as fimbriae and siderophores might also be key players in the fight against Kp infections. Here, we review elements of the current status of the epidemiology and the molecular pathogenesis of Kp and explore specific bacterial antigens as potential targets for both prophylactic and therapeutic solutions.

scholarly journals Chemical and Biological Components of Urban Aerosols in Africa: Current Status and Knowledge Gaps

2019 ◽  
Vol 16 (6) ◽  
pp. 941 ◽  
Author(s):  
Egide Kalisa ◽  
Stephen Archer ◽  
Edward Nagato ◽  
Elias Bizuru ◽  
Kevin Lee ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Management Strategies ◽  
Complex Mixture ◽  
Ambient Air ◽  
World Health ◽  
Current Status ◽  
Middle Income ◽  
Middle Income Countries ◽  
Polycyclic Aromatic ◽  
Nitro Derivatives ◽  
Health Organization

Aerosolized particulate matter (PM) is a complex mixture that has been recognized as the greatest cause of premature human mortality in low- and middle-income countries. Its toxicity arises largely from its chemical and biological components. These include polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs) and their nitro-derivatives (NPAHs) as well as microorganisms. In Africa, fossil fuel combustion and biomass burning in urban settings are the major sources of human exposure to PM, yet data on the role of aerosols in disease association in Africa remains scarce. This review is the first to examine studies conducted in Africa on both PAHs/NPAHs and airborne microorganisms associated with PM. These studies demonstrate that PM exposure in Africa exceeds World Health Organization (WHO) safety limits and carcinogenic PAHs/NPAHs and pathogenic microorganisms are the major components of PM aerosols. The health impacts of PAHs/NPAHs and airborne microbial loadings in PM are reviewed. This will be important for future epidemiological evaluations and may contribute to the development of effective management strategies to improve ambient air quality in the African continent.

scholarly journals Avibactam Restores the Susceptibility of Clinical Isolates of Stenotrophomonas maltophilia to Aztreonam

2017 ◽  
Vol 61 (10) ◽  
Author(s):  
Maria F. Mojica ◽  
Krisztina M. Papp-Wallace ◽  
Magdalena A. Taracila ◽  
Melissa D. Barnes ◽  
Joseph D. Rutter ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Stenotrophomonas Maltophilia ◽  
Opportunistic Pathogen ◽  
Multidrug Resistant ◽  
World Health ◽  
Combination Therapies ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Medical Need ◽  
The World ◽  
Health Organization

ABSTRACT Stenotrophomonas maltophilia is an emerging opportunistic pathogen, classified by the World Health Organization as one of the leading multidrug-resistant organisms in hospital settings. The need to discover novel compounds and/or combination therapies for S. maltophilia is urgent. We demonstrate the in vitro efficacy of aztreonam-avibactam (ATM-AVI) against S. maltophilia and kinetically characterize the inhibition of the L2 β-lactamase by avibactam. ATM-AVI overcomes aztreonam resistance in selected clinical strains of S. maltophilia, addressing an unmet medical need.

scholarly journals Antibiotic Heteroresistance in Klebsiella pneumoniae

2021 ◽  
Vol 23 (1) ◽  
pp. 449
Author(s):  
Karolina Stojowska-Swędrzyńska ◽  
Adrianna Łupkowska ◽  
Dorota Kuczyńska-Wiśnik ◽  
Ewa Laskowska
Keyword(s):  
Klebsiella Pneumoniae ◽  
Genetic Instability ◽  
Multidrug Resistant ◽  
Therapeutic Strategies ◽  
World Health ◽  
Increased Risk ◽  
The World ◽  
Health Organization ◽  
Tract Infections ◽  
Critical Public Health

Klebsiella pneumoniae is one of the most common pathogens responsible for infections, including pneumonia, urinary tract infections, and bacteremias. The increasing prevalence of multidrug-resistant K. pneumoniae was recognized in 2017 by the World Health Organization as a critical public health threat. Heteroresistance, defined as the presence of a subpopulation of cells with a higher MIC than the dominant population, is a frequent phenotype in many pathogens. Numerous reports on heteroresistant K. pneumoniae isolates have been published in the last few years. Heteroresistance is difficult to detect and study due to its phenotypic and genetic instability. Recent findings provide strong evidence that heteroresistance may be associated with an increased risk of recurrent infections and antibiotic treatment failure. This review focuses on antibiotic heteroresistance mechanisms in K. pneumoniae and potential therapeutic strategies against antibiotic heteroresistant isolates.

An analysis of trends in publications on ‘tobacco control’

2017 ◽  
Vol 76 (5) ◽  
pp. 544-556 ◽  
Author(s):  
Zeynep Didem Unutmaz Durmuşoğlu ◽  
Pınar Kocabey Çiftçi
Keyword(s):  
Tobacco Control ◽  
Research Field ◽  
World Health ◽  
Current Status ◽  
Middle Income ◽  
Research Fields ◽  
Before And After ◽  
Organization Framework ◽  
Number Of Publications ◽  
Health Organization

Objectives: Publications on tobacco control were quantitatively analysed to gain insight into the essential characteristics of the research field and trends and patterns in publication activities. The goal was to detect changes in the number of publications before and after the World Health Organization Framework Convention on Tobacco Control (WHO FCTC) was introduced. Study design: A bibliometric analysis was performed to assess the current status and research themes of tobacco control papers listed in the Web of Science database published between 1990 and 2015. Methods: Quantitative analyses were conducted to investigate publication activities, geographic distribution and individuals’ research fields within tobacco control. Results: The number of publications on tobacco control was over 81 times higher in 2015 than in 1990. At least 50% of the papers were published by authors in high-income countries. In addition, in the first 5 years after the WHO FCTC was introduced, publications on tobacco control increased considerably and the first publications from authors from Malaysia and Uruguay appeared. Researchers from the Americas Region of WHO contributed to the field much more frequently than those from the other five WHO regions. Conclusion: Findings from this study suggest that researchers’ interest from most countries increased after the WHO FCTC was introduced. However, research outputs from low- and middle-income countries remained comparatively low. Promoting more interest in tobacco control among researchers in these countries may help control the future prevalence of smoking.

scholarly journals Virulence Potential and Treatment Options of Multidrug-Resistant (MDR) Acinetobacter baumannii

2021 ◽  
Vol 9 (10) ◽  
pp. 2104
Author(s):  
Sunil Kumar ◽  
Razique Anwer ◽  
Arezki Azzi
Keyword(s):  
Acinetobacter Baumannii ◽  
Virulence Factors ◽  
Bacterial Infections ◽  
Antimicrobial Agents ◽  
Treatment Options ◽  
Outer Membrane Proteins ◽  
Multidrug Resistant ◽  
High Rate ◽  
World Health ◽  
Tract Infections

Acinetobacter baumannii is an opportunistic pathogen which is undoubtedly known for a high rate of morbidity and mortality in hospital-acquired infections. A. baumannii causes life-threatening infections, including; ventilator-associated pneumonia (VAP), meningitis, bacteremia, and wound and urinary tract infections (UTI). In 2017, the World Health Organization listed A. baumannii as a priority-1 pathogen. The prevalence of A. baumannii infections and outbreaks emphasizes the direct need for the use of effective therapeutic agents for treating such infections. Available antimicrobials, such as; carbapenems, tigecycline, and colistins have insufficient effectiveness due to the appearance of multidrug-resistant strains, accentuating the need for alternative and novel therapeutic remedies. To understand and overcome this menace, the knowledge of recent discoveries on the virulence factors of A. baumannii is needed. Herein, we summarized the role of various virulence factors, including; outer membrane proteins, efflux pumps, biofilm, penicillin-binding proteins, and siderophores/iron acquisition systems. We reviewed the recent scientific literature on different A. baumannii virulence factors and the effective antimicrobial agents for the treatment and management of bacterial infections.

scholarly journals A Structured Review to Assess the Current Status of Cost-Based Burns Research in Nepal

2020 ◽  
Author(s):  
Julia L Lowin ◽  
Ak Narayan Poudel ◽  
Patricia E Price ◽  
Tom S Potokar
Keyword(s):  
Cost Of Illness ◽  
Burn Injury ◽  
Evidence Base ◽  
Cost Of Care ◽  
World Health ◽  
Current Status ◽  
Middle Income ◽  
Health Organization ◽  
The Cost ◽  
Cost Of Illness Studies

Abstract The management of burns is costly and complex. The problem is compounded in low and middle income countries (LMICs) where the incidence of burn injuries is high but infrastructure and funding for management and prevention is limited. Cost of illness studies allows for quantification of the costs associated with public health problems. Without cost quantification, focus and allocation of funding is challenging. The authors explored the availability of cost-focused burns research data in a target LMIC. The focus of their research was Nepal. A structured literature review including published papers, Ministry of Health (MOH) and World Health Organization (WHO) statistics was conducted to identify cost of illness studies or evidence relating to burn-related resource and costs. Gaps in the evidence base were highlighted. Research methodologies from other LMICs were reviewed. We found 32 papers related to burn injury in Nepal, one key MOH document and one relevant WHO data source. Most research focused on the epidemiology and etiology of burns in Nepal. Of the papers, only 14 reported any type of burn-related resource use and only 1 paper directly reported (limited) cost data. No studies attempted an overall quantification of the cost of burns. MOH statistics provided no additional insight into costs. Our study found an almost complete lack of cost-focused burns research in Nepal. Primary research is needed to quantify the cost of burns in Nepal. Initial focus could usefully be on the cost of care in tertiary hospitals. A full cost of burns for Nepal remains some way off.

scholarly journals COVID-19: An Update on the Epidemiological, Genomic Origin, Phylogenetic study, India centric to Worldwide current status

2020 ◽  
Author(s):  
Murugan Nandagopal ◽  
R. Sagaya Jansi
Keyword(s):  
Human Life ◽  
World Health ◽  
Current Status ◽  
Phylogenetic Study ◽  
Human Species ◽  
Phylogenetic Studies ◽  
Novel Coronavirus ◽  
Health Organization ◽  
Global Threat ◽  
Global Data

AbstractThe pandemic spread of novel coronavirus, (SARS-CoV-2) causing CoronaVirus Infectious Diseases (COVID-19) emerged into a global threat for human life causing serious death rates and economic crunch all over the globe. As on April 17, 2020 at 2:00am CEST, there include a total of 2,034,802 confirmed cases for Corona and 1,35,163 deaths worldwide have been reported which includes 212 countries, areas or territories reported by World Health Organization (WHO), in which USA tops 6,32,781 confirmed cases (28,221 deaths) followed by Italy 1,65,155 (21,647 deaths), Spain 1,77,633 (18,579 deaths) and China 84,149 (4,642 deaths). This study aims to compare the genomic nature of SARS-CoV-2 genome reported from Wuhan, China with two Indian isolate genome reported by ICMR-NIV, India. Further Phylogenetic studies performed with coronavirus infecting non-human species like Bats, Duck, and sparrow were compared with Indian and other country whole genome sequences of SARS-CoV2 using MegaX and traced out the association between the human coronavirus with the other species viral genome. In addition, epidemiological reports on COVID-19 among Worldwide and India centric data were compared between April 7, 2020 to April 17, 2020 global data and the number of active cases were increased dramatically in this 10 days period studied, highlighted in the current study.

Heterocycles in the Treatment of Neglected Tropical Diseases

2020 ◽  
Vol 27 ◽  
Author(s):  
Kush K. Maheshwari ◽  
Debasish Bandyopadhyay
Keyword(s):  
Developing Countries ◽  
Heterocyclic Compounds ◽  
Neglected Tropical Diseases ◽  
World Health ◽  
Current Status ◽  
Poor People ◽  
Tropical Diseases ◽  
Concise Review ◽  
The World ◽  
Health Organization

Background: Neglected tropical diseases (NTDs) affect a huge population of the world and majority of the victims belong to the poor community of the developing countries. Until now, the World Health Organization (WHO) has identified 20 tropical diseases as NTDs that must be addressed with high priority. However, many heterocyclic scaffolds have demonstrated potent therapeutic activity against several NTDs. Objective: There are three major objectives: (1) To discuss the causes, symptoms, and current status of all the 20 NTDs; (2) To explore the available heterocyclic drugs, and their mechanism of actions (if known) that are being used to treat NTDs; (3) To develop general awareness on NTDs among the medicinal/health research community and beyond. Methods: The 20 NTDs have been discussed according to their alphabetic orders along with the possible heterocyclic remedies. Current status of treatment with an emphasis on the heterocyclic drugs (commercially available and investigational) has been outlined. In addition, brief discussion of the impacts of NTDs on socio-economic condition is included. Results: NTDs are often difficult to diagnose and the problem is worsened by the unhealthy hygiene, improper awareness, and inadequate healthcare in the developing countries where these diseases primarily affect poor people. The statistics include duration of suffering, numbers affected, and access to healthcare and medication. The mechanism of actions of various heterocyclic drugs, if reported, have been briefly summarized. Conclusion: Scientists and pharmaceutical corporations should allocate more resources to reveal the in-depth mechanism of actions of many heterocyclic drugs that are currently being used for the treatment of NTDs. Analysis of current heterocyclic compounds and development of new medications can help in the fight to reduce/remove the devastating effects of NTDs. An opinion-based concise review has been presented. Based on available literature, this is the first effect to present all the 20 NTDs and related heterocyclic compounds under the same umbrella.

Defining Preterm Birth and Stillbirth in the Western Pacific: A Systematic Review

2021 ◽  
pp. 101053952110260
Author(s):  
Mairead Connolly ◽  
Laura Phung ◽  
Elise Farrington ◽  
Michelle J. L. Scoullar ◽  
Alyce N. Wilson ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Preterm Birth ◽  
National Level ◽  
Health Indicators ◽  
Western Pacific ◽  
World Health ◽  
Middle Income ◽  
Middle Income Countries ◽  
Definition Of ◽  
Health Organization ◽  
The Impact

Preterm birth and stillbirth are important global perinatal health indicators. Definitions of these indicators can differ between countries, affecting comparability of preterm birth and stillbirth rates across countries. This study aimed to document national-level adherence to World Health Organization (WHO) definitions of preterm birth and stillbirth in the WHO Western Pacific region. A systematic search of government health websites and 4 electronic databases was conducted. Any official report or published study describing the national definition of preterm birth or stillbirth published between 2000 and 2020 was eligible for inclusion. A total of 58 data sources from 21 countries were identified. There was considerable variation in how preterm birth and stillbirth was defined across the region. The most frequently used lower gestational age threshold for viability of preterm birth was 28 weeks gestation (range 20-28 weeks), and stillbirth was most frequently classified from 20 weeks gestation (range 12-28 weeks). High-income countries more frequently used earlier gestational ages for preterm birth and stillbirth compared with low- to middle-income countries. The findings highlight the importance of clear, standardized, internationally comparable definitions for perinatal indicators. Further research is needed to determine the impact on regional preterm birth and stillbirth rates.

scholarly journals Gold Nanoparticles: Can They Be the Next Magic Bullet for Multidrug-Resistant Bacteria?

Nanomaterials ◽  
2021 ◽  
Vol 11 (2) ◽  
pp. 312
Author(s):  
Mohammad Okkeh ◽  
Nora Bloise ◽  
Elisa Restivo ◽  
Lorenzo De Vita ◽  
Piersandro Pallavicini ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Gold Nanoparticles ◽  
Bacterial Resistance ◽  
Multidrug Resistant ◽  
World Health ◽  
Resistant Bacteria ◽  
Magic Bullet ◽  
Global Challenge ◽  
Gold Silver ◽  
Inorganic Nanomaterials ◽  
Health Organization

In 2017 the World Health Organization (WHO) announced a list of the 12 multidrug-resistant (MDR) families of bacteria that pose the greatest threat to human health, and recommended that new measures should be taken to promote the development of new therapies against these superbugs. Few antibiotics have been developed in the last two decades. Part of this slow progression can be attributed to the surge in the resistance acquired by bacteria, which is holding back pharma companies from taking the risk to invest in new antibiotic entities. With limited antibiotic options and an escalating bacterial resistance there is an urgent need to explore alternative ways of meeting this global challenge. The field of medical nanotechnology has emerged as an innovative and a powerful tool for treating some of the most complicated health conditions. Different inorganic nanomaterials including gold, silver, and others have showed potential antibacterial efficacies. Interestingly, gold nanoparticles (AuNPs) have gained specific attention, due to their biocompatibility, ease of surface functionalization, and their optical properties. In this review, we will focus on the latest research, done in the field of antibacterial gold nanoparticles; by discussing the mechanisms of action, antibacterial efficacies, and future implementations of these innovative antibacterial systems.

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