Molecular characterization of methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA) isolates in three different Arab world countries (West Bank of Palestine, Jordan, and Iraq) was the aim of the study presented here. This is done on the basis of spa sequencing and staphylococcal cassette chromosome mec (SCCmec) typing. The majority (92%) of the spa-tested isolates belonged to spa type t932 and possessed the (SCCmec) type III. These data suggest that MRSA clone, which harbors the spa type t932 and (SCCmec) type III, had been transferred throughout the three studied countries.
Thirty-five methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA) clinical isolates were collected from 3 hospitals in the northern and southern parts of Palestine between February and May 1998. These isolates were typed by ribosome spacer PCR (RSPCR)and arbitrarily primed PCR (AP-PCR). RS-PCR generated 9 different genotypes. The use of APÐPCR provided a high resolution typing method and allowed us to define 11 different clusters. Three major clusters, however, based on the combination of both typing methods, spread throughout the neonatal and intensive care units of Rafidya Hospital during the entire period.
Antibiotic resistance of Escherichia coli isolated from urinary
tract infections (UTIs) is increasing worldwide. A total of 41 E. coli
isolates were obtained from urine samples from hospitalized patients with a UTI
in three hospitals in the northern districts of the West Bank, Palestine during
March and June 2011. Resistance rates were: erythromycin (95 %),
trimethoprim–sulfamethoxazole (59 %), ciprofloxacin (56 %), gentamicin (27 %),
imipenem (22 %), amoxicillin (93 %), amoxicillin–clavulanic acid (32 %),
ceftazidime (66 %) and cefotaxime (71 %). No meropenem-resistant isolates were
identified in this study. Among the isolates, phylogenetic group B2 was
observed in 13 isolates, D in 12 isolates, A in 11 isolates and B1 in five
isolates. Thirty-five of the isolates were positive for an extended-spectrum
β-lactamase phenotype. Among these isolates, the blaCTX-M
gene was detected in 25, and eight harboured the blaTEM gene.
None of the isolates contained the blaSHV gene.
Transformation experiments indicated that some of the β-lactamase genes (i.e. blaCTX-M
and blaTEM) with co-resistance to erythromycin and gentamicin
were plasmid encoded and transmissible. Apart from this, enterobacterial
repetitive intergenic consensus-PCR (ERIC-PCR) revealed that the 41 isolates
were genetically diverse and comprised a heterogeneous population with 11
ERIC-PCR profiles at a 60 % similarity level.
The GenBank/EMBL/DDBJ accession numbers for three blaCTX-M gene sequences and one blaTEM gene sequence of Escherichia coli are KF696718, KF696719, KF696720 and KF696717, respectively.
Abbreviations:
ERIC
enterobacterial
repetitive intergenic consensus
ESBL
extended-spectrum
β-lactamase
UPGMA
unweighted
pair group method for arithmetic averages
UTI
urinary
tract infection
Thirty-five methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA) clinical isolates were collected from 3 hospitals in the northern and southern parts of Palestine between February and May 1998. These isolates were typed by ribosome spacer PCR (RSPCR) and arbitrarily primed PCR (AP-PCR). RS-PCR generated 9 different genotypes. The use of APÐPCR provided a high resolution typing method and allowed us to define 11 different clusters. Three major clusters, however, based on the combination of both typing methods, spread throughout the neonatal and intensive care units of Rafidya Hospital during the entire period.
Antibiotic resistance of Escherichia coli isolated from urinary tract infections (UTIs) is increasing worldwide. A total of 41 E. coli isolates were obtained from urine samples from hospitalized patients with a UTI in three hospitals in the northern districts of the West Bank, Palestine during March and June 2011. Resistance rates were: erythromycin (95 %), trimethoprim-sulfamethoxazole (59 %), ciprofloxacin (56 %), gentamicin (27 %), imipenem (22 %), amoxicillin (93 %), amoxicillin-clavulanic acid (32 %), ceftazidime (66 %) and cefotaxime (71 %). No meropenem-resistant isolates were identified in this study. Among the isolates, phylogenetic group B2 was observed in 13 isolates, D in 12 isolates, A in 11 isolates and B1 in five isolates. Thirty-five of the isolates were positive for an extended-spectrum β-lactamase phenotype. Among these isolates, the blaCTX-M gene was detected in 25, and eight harboured the blaTEM gene. None of the isolates contained the blaSHV gene. Transformation experiments indicated that some of the β-lactamase genes (i.e. blaCTX-M and blaTEM) with co-resistance to erythromycin and gentamicin were plasmid encoded and transmissible. Apart from this, enterobacterial repetitive intergenic consensus-PCR (ERIC-PCR) revealed that the 41 isolates were genetically diverse and comprised a heterogeneous population with 11 ERIC-PCR profiles at a 60 % similarity level.
The mycoflora of the hair in 178 goats from the West Bank of Jordan was analysed and the frequency of occurrence and the relative importance value for the different keratinophilic fungi found were calculated. One hundred and seven species which belong to 38 genera were isolated. Thirty six of these species were either well recognised agents of mycoses (Trichophyton mentagrophytes, T. verrucosum, and M. nanum), or have been frequently isolated from human and animal lesions (Arthroderma spp., Acremonium kiliense, Alternaria alternata, Aspergillus flavus, Cladosporium carionii, and several other species). These potentially pathogenic fungal species comprised 66.9% of all keratinophilic fungi found on the hair of goats. The role of this animal as a reservoir for dermatophytes and other potentially pathogenic fungi is discussed.
The mycoflora of hair of 111 cows, donkeys, rabbits, cats, and dogs were analysed and the frequency of occurrence and the relative importance value of the different fungal species isolated were calculated. Total numbers of species 56, 45, 48, 23, and 11 were recovered from cows, donkeys, rabbits, cats, and dogs respectively. The majority of the keratinophilic fungi isolated were either well-known mycotic agents or have been recovered from various animal and human lesions. These comprised 87.8%, 66.7%, 61.4%, 59.3%, and 55.2% of the hair mycoflora in cats, dogs, rabbis, cows, and donkeys respectively. Seven species of dermatophytes were isolated: Trichophyton mentagrophytes, T. verrucosum, Microsporum gypseum, M. nanum, T. ajelloi, and M. canis. Cats harboured the largest number of dermatophytes (5 species), followed by cows (4 spp), rabbits (3 spp), and donkeys and dogs (1 sp). The role of these animals in the persistence and transmission of pathogenic fungi is discussed.
A study of tinea capitis was carried out during October 1998, involving 8531 school children aged 6–14 years (4718 males and 3813 females), attending 12 primary schools located in urban, rural, and refugee camp communities in the Nablus district in the Palestinian Authority. A total of 1389 of the school children aged 6–12 years (724 males and 665 females) were also surveyed on three occasions at 2–3 month intervals, over a 9-month period (October 1998–May 1999) using the hair brush technique, for prevalence of asymptomatic tinea capitis carriage. Twenty-three (0.27%) mycologically proven cases of tinea capitis were detected
Thirty-five methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA) clinical isolates were collected from 3 hospitals in the northern and southern parts of Palestine between February and May 1998. These isolates were typed by ribosome spacer PCR (RSPCR)and arbitrarily primed PCR (AP-PCR). RS-PCR generated 9 different genotypes. The use of APÐPCR provided a high resolution typing method and allowed us to define 11 different clusters. Three major clusters, however, based on the combination of both typing methods, spread throughout the neonatal and intensive care units of Rafidya Hospital during the entire period.