• Food Science of Animal Resources
• /
• v.41 no.5
• /
• pp.883-893
• /
• 2021

Clostridium difficile present in feces of food animals may contaminate their meats and act as a potential source of C. difficile infection (CDI) to humans. C. difficile resistance to antibiotics, its production of toxins and spores play major roles in the pathogenesis of CDI. This is the first study to evaluate C. difficile prevalence in retail raw animal meats, its antibiotics susceptibilities and toxigenic activities in Al-Jouf, Saudi Arabia. Totally, 240 meat samples were tested. C. difficile was identified by standard microbiological and biochemical methods. Vitek-2 compact system confirmed C. difficile isolates were 15/240 (6.3%). Toxins A/B were not detected by Xpect C. difficile toxin A/B tests. Although all isolates were susceptible to vancomycin and metronidazole, variable degrees of reduced susceptibilities to moxifloxacin, clindamycin or tetracycline antibiotics were detected by Epsilon tests. C. difficile strains with reduced susceptibility to antibiotics should be investigated. Variability between the worldwide reported C. difficile contamination levels could be due to absence of a gold standard procedure for its isolation. Establishment of a unified testing algorithm for C. difficile detection in food products is definitely essential to evaluate the inter-regional variation in its prevalence on national and international levels. Proper use of antimicrobials during animal husbandry is crucial to control the selective drug pressure on C. difficile strains associated with food animals. Investigating the protective or pathogenic potential of non-toxigenic C. difficile strains and the possibility of gene transfer from certain toxigenic/ antibiotics-resistant to non-toxigenic/antibiotics-sensitive strains, respectively, should be worthy of attention.

• Korean Journal of Veterinary Service
• /
• v.47 no.2
• /
• pp.89-94
• /
• 2024

A 5-year-old spayed female mixed-breed dog, previously receiving 7 months of immunosuppressive therapy for pemphigus foliaceus, presented to our referral hospital with a history of dog bites on the right forelimb, chest, and flank 4 days prior to presentation. Physical examination revealed a rectal temperature of 38.6℃; heart rate of 130 beats per minute; panting; systolic blood pressure of 60 mmHg; and swelling, purulent discharge, warmth, pain, and lameness in the right forelimb. The laboratory investigation revealed neutropenia and elevated C-reactive protein levels. Suppurative neutrophilic infiltration with bacterial infection was detected by impression cytology of the pus on the right forelimb. Based on the results of the clinical examinations and laboratory tests, the dog was diagnosed with dog bite-induced sepsis with pemphigus. Meropenem and metronidazole were prescribed. Clinical signs, neutropenia, and C-reactive protein levels markedly improved after 5 days. Subsequently, pemphigus foliaceus relapsed in the dog, and it is currently undergoing re-administration of immunosuppressive medications. To the best of our knowledge, this is the first case report of successful management of dog bite-induced sepsis in a dog undergoing long-term immunosuppressive therapy.

• Pediatric Gastroenterology, Hepatology & Nutrition
• /
• v.8 no.1
• /
• pp.12-20
• /
• 2005

Purpose: Helicobacter pylori infection is known to be associated with acute or chronic abdominal pain and upper gastrointestinal bleeding in children. This study was performed to analyze the gastroduodenoscopic findings and the efficacy of triple therapy with omeprazole, amoxicillin and clarithromycin between one and two weeks of duration in children with H. pylori infection. Methods: We have assessed retrospectively 60 patients presented with acute or chronic abdominal pain or upper gastrointestinal bleeding. H. pylori infection was confirmed by endoscopic biopsy and rapid urease test. Out of 60 patients, 30 patients were treated with a combination of omeprazole, amoxicillin, and clarithromycin for one week, and the other 30 patients were treated for two weeks with the same medication. Efficacy of treatment was assessed 4 weeks after the termination of treatment by using the $^{13}C$ urea breath test. Results: The 60 patients with the complaint of diffuse abdominal pain, epigastric pain, vomiting or hematemesis were included in this study. One-week treatment group (group I) consisted of 30 patients (14 male, 16 female) with mean age of $11.6{\pm}2.67years$. Two-week treatment group (group II) consisted of 30 patients (11 male, 19 female) with mean age of $10.7{\pm}4.17years$. In group I, H pylori were eradicated in 26 out of 30 patients (86.7%). In group II, H. pylori were eradicated in 26 out of 30 children (86.7%). Both groups did $^{13}C$ urea breath test after 4 weeks after termination of the triple therapy. The eradication rates were same in both groups as 86.7%, 26 out of 30 patients in each group. The results of endoscopy were nodular gastritis 26 (43.3%), erosive gastritis 10 (16.7%), hemorrhagic gastritis 7 (11.7%), gastric ulcer 2 (3.3%) and normal finding 15 (25.0%). Conclusion: In this study, the nodular gastritis was most common endoscopic findings with H. pylori positive patients. The eradication rate of H. pylori with omeprazole, amoxicillin and clarithromycin was 86.7% and it would be highly effective as primary treatment with no significant differences in the eradication rate between one-week and two-week treatment groups. However, we should need more long-term follow-up data.

• Parasites, Hosts and Diseases
• /
• v.42 no.4
• /
• pp.201-203
• /
• 2004

A survey was conducted to determine the extent of intestinal parasite infection in Bat Dambang, Cambodia in March 2004. A total of 623 fecal specimens was collected from kindergarten and schoolchildren and examined using the formalin-ether sedimentation technique. The overall infection rate of intestinal parasites was 25.7% (boys, 26.2%; girls, 25.1%), and the infection rates of intestinal helminthes by species were as follows: Echinostoma sp. 4.8%, hookworm 3.4%, Hymenolepis nana 1.3%, and Rhabditis sp. 1.3%. The infection rates of intestinal protozoa were; Entamoeba coli 4.8%, Giardia lamblia 2.9%, Iodamoeba butschlii 1.4%, Entamoeba polecki 1.1 %, and Entamoeba histolytica 0.8%. There were no egg positive cases of Ascaris lumbricoides or Trichuris trichiura. All children infected were treated with albendazole, praziquantel, or metronidazole according to parasite species. The results showed that intestinal parasites are highly endemic in Bat Dambang, Cambodia.

• Advances in pediatric surgery
• /
• v.17 no.2
• /
• pp.188-192
• /
• 2011

Fitz-Hugh-Curtis 증후군은 골반 내 염증성 질환을 가진 환자의 직접적 간 실질 침범이 없는 간피막 염증에 의한 간주위염으로, 1930년대에 Thomas Fitz-Hugh와 Arthur Curtis에 의해 보고되었다. Neisseria gonorrhea나 Chlamydia trachomatis에 의해 발병하며, 항생제로 치료되는 양성 성교전파질환이다. 대부분 가임기의 젊은 여성에서 발견되지만, 15세의 청소년에서 진단된 증례가 있어 보고하는 바이다. 15세 여자 환자가 1개월 전부터 발생한 간헐적인 우상복부와 하복부의 통증을 주소로 내원하였다. 환자는 한 달 전 남자친구와 첫 성교를 한 이후, 5일 전까지 10여 차례정도 성교를 하였다. 사회력 상 고등학교 1학년 생이고, 월경 주기는 28-30일로 규칙적이었다. 내원 당일 시행한 임신 반응 검사는 음성이었다. 시행한 복부전산화단층촬영에서 우측 간엽의 가쪽 부분이 동맥기 조영증강을 보이며 골반내감염을 동반하고 있었다. 부인과 검진 상 질경부 면봉 검사에서 Chlamydia trachomatis 양성소견을 보였으며, 소변배양검사에서 Neisseria gonorrhea가 동정되었다. Fitz-Hugh-Curtis 증후군 진단 하에 4주간 doxycycline과 metronidazole의 경구용 항생제 복용 후 호전되었다.

• Food Science of Animal Resources
• /
• v.40 no.4
• /
• pp.578-587
• /
• 2020

Clostridioides (Clostridium) difficile is a Gram (+), anaerobic, spore forming, rod shaped bacterium that can produce toxin. The objective of this study is to reveal the presence of C. difficile in meat products, to analyze the ribotype diversity by PCR and to evaluate the antibiotic susceptibility of isolated strains. The organism was isolated in 22 out of 319 (6.9%) examined meat product samples and 9 out of 22 (40.9%) isolates were identified as RT027 and all isolates had the ability of toxin production. In terms of antibiotic susceptibility, all isolates were susceptive to amoxicillin-clavulanic acid, tetracycline and vancomycin and 21 (95.4%) isolates to metronidazole. On the other hand, imipenem and cefotaxim resistance was observed in all. In conclusion, the results of this comprehensive study conducted in Turkey deduced the presence of C. difficile in different meat products. Therefore, these products can be evaluated as a potential contamination source of C. difficile from animals to humans especially for elders, youngsters, long terms wide spectrum antibiotic used and immuno-suppressed individuals.

• Parasites, Hosts and Diseases
• /
• v.40 no.3
• /
• pp.153-155
• /
• 2002

A survey was made to find the extent of intestinal parasite infection in Kampongcham, Cambodia in February 2002. A total of 251 fecal specimens were collected from Tonlebat primary school children and examined by formalin-ether sedimentation technique. The overall infection rate of intestinal parasite was 54.2% (males, 57.3%; females, 50.8%). The infection rate of intestinal helminths by the species were as follows: Ascaris lumbricoides 26.3%, Echinostoma sp. 15.6%, hookworm 6.4%, Opisthorchis sp. 4.0%, Rhabditis sp. 2.4%, and Trichuris trichiura 0.4%. The infection rate of intestinal protozoa were as follows: E. coli 7.6%, G. lamblia 3.2%, I. butschlii 3.2%, and E. histolytica 0.8%. More than two different kinds of parasites were found in 16.7% of the stool samples. All the children infected were treated with albendazole, praziquantel and metronidazole according to parasite species. The results showed that intestinal parasites are highly endemic in this area.

• Parasites, Hosts and Diseases
• /
• v.48 no.2
• /
• pp.157-160
• /
• 2010

We report here a human case probably mixed-infected with Clonorchis sinensis and Fasciola sp. who was diagnosed by computed tomography (Cn scan, serological findings, and/or fecal examination. The patient was a 43-year-old Korean female and was admitted to Kyung Hee University Hospital with the complaints of fever and abdominal pain. On admission, marked eosinophilia was noted in her peripheral blood. CT scan showed specific lesions for clonorchiasis and fascioliasis in the liver, along with lesions suggestive of amebic abscess. Micro-ELISA revealed positive results for the 2 helminthic infections. Eggs of C. sinensis and trophozoites of Entamoeba histo/ytica were observed in the stool. Treatment with praziquantel followed by metronidazole and tinidazole reduced abnormalities in the liver and eosinophilia. This is the first case report of a possible co-infection with 2 kinds of liver flukes in the Republic of Korea.

• Journal of Microbiology and Biotechnology
• /
• v.21 no.5
• /
• pp.483-493
• /
• 2011

An acid phosphatase (HppA) activated by $NH_4Cl$ was purified 192- and 34-fold from the periplasmic and membrane fractions of Helicobacter pylori, respectively. SDS-polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis revealed that HppA from the latter appears to be several kilodaltons larger in molecular mass than from the former by about 24 kDa. Under acidic conditions (pH${\leq}$4.5), the enzyme activity was entirely dependent on the presence of certain mono- and/or divalent metal cations (e.g., $K^+$,$ NH_4{^+}$, and/or $Ni^{2+}$). In particular, $Ni^{2+}$ appeared to lower the enzyme's $K_m$ for the substrates, without changing $V_{max}$. The purified enzyme showed differential specificity against nucleotide substrates with pH; for example, the enzyme hydrolyzed adenosine nucleotides more rapidly at pH 5.5 than at pH 6.0, and vice versa for CTP or TTP. Analyses of the enzyme's N-terminal sequence and of an $HppA^-$ H. pylori mutant revealed that the purified enzyme is identical to rHppA, a cloned H. pylori class C acid phosphatase, and shown to be the sole bacterial 5'-nucleotidase uniquely activated by $NH_4Cl$. In contrast to wild type, $HppA^-$ H. pylori cells grew more slowly. Strikingly, they imported $Mg^{2+}$ at a markedly lowered rate, but assimilated urea rapidly, with a subsequent increase in extracellular pH. Moreover, mutant cells were much more sensitive to extracellular potassium ions, as well as to metronidazole, omeprazole, or thiophenol, with considerably lowered MIC values, than wild-type cells. From these data, we suggest that the role of the acid phosphatase HppA in H. pylori may extend beyond 5'-nucleotidase function to include cation-flux as well as pH regulation on the cell envelope.

• Journal of Yeungnam Medical Science
• /
• v.1 no.1
• /
• pp.171-178
• /
• 1984

Many reports have been made concerning underlying and associated conditions causing pseudomembranous colitis and it has been documented that occurrence of pseudomembranous colitis is related with antibiotics administration. Recent study showed that Clostridium difficile produced enterotoxin by colonization in intestinal wall and leading into pseudomembranous colitis. Diagnosis is based on positive culture of Clostridium difficile, positive test of Clostridium difficile toxin and specific histological findings after observation of whitish plaque on colonoscopic or sigmoidoscopic examination. Authors have experienced one case of pseudomembranous colitis developing after long term ampicillin administration in a case with colon cancer associated with diarrhea and diagnosis was confirmed by typical pseudomembrane on biopsy following classical whitish plaque observation on sigmoidoscopic examination. Symptoms have been ameliorated by discontinuation of antibiotics and administration of metronidazole in four days and disappearance of whitish plaque on repeated sigmoidoscopic examination and improvement of clinical symptoms after 9 days of medication.