Antimicrobial Bacterial Resistance, Determination of resistance, epidemiology of resistant bacteria, molecular epidemiology of bacteria
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Scopus Publications
Scopus Publications
Floods and infectious diseases: public health lessons from the 2024 southern Brazil disaster Alessandro Comarú Pasqualotto, Tarsila Vieceli, Cezar Vinícius Würdig Riche, Viviane Maria de Carvalho Hessel Dias, Isabella Ballalai, et al. Clinical Microbiology Reviews, 2026 SUMMARY The unprecedented floods that affected Rio Grande do Sul state, Brazil, in 2024 had significant repercussions on public health, particularly infectious diseases. In the weeks following the floods, 7,818 confirmed cases of leptospirosis, 10 outbreaks of diarrheal diseases, and 1,370 incidents involving venomous animals were reported, among other conditions. These events disrupted healthcare networks, caused critical delays in diagnosis, and impaired vaccination campaigns, emphasizing the need for resilient public health systems. This report describes the 2024 climate disaster in Rio Grande do Sul, Brazil, marked by severe flooding and its repercussions on infectious diseases. We detail the epidemiological impact across zoonoses, waterborne and vector-borne diseases, skin and soft tissue infections, respiratory fungal infections, and antimicrobial resistance. The measures implemented by healthcare systems and scientific societies to mitigate these effects are presented, along with key lessons learned from the event. Considering the increasing frequency of extreme weather events due to climate change, this review aims to provide a comprehensive framework for infectious disease preparedness and response, offering critical insights for global application.
Carbapenem Resistance among Enterobacterales Intrinsically Resistant to Polymyxin B in Southern Brazil Natália Kehl Moreira, Mariana Preussler Mott, Luana Silva Dornelles, Caroline Collioni Constante, Larissa Lutz, et al. Brazilian Archives of Biology and Technology, 2026 Carbapenem-resistant Enterobacterales are a recognized health threat worldwide, due to high morbidity and mortality rates. After the COVID-19 pandemic, some geographic regions faced an increase in NDM-producing as well as NDM and KPC-co-producing Enterobacterales. Some of these species are intrinsically resistant to polymyxins, limiting significantly therapeutic options. This retrospective study analyzed 347 Enterobacterales resistant or intermediate to meropenem recovered between 2019 and 2023 from patients attending in a tertiary care hospital. The presence of carbapenemases and the susceptibility to ceftazidime-avibactam were assessed. Among members of Morganellaceae, 41.7% were resistant to meropenem while 58.2% were intermediate; most isolates (93.2%) produced NDM. On the other hand, among Serratia spp., resistance to meropenem was higher (78.7%) and isolates produced predominantly KPC (90.6%). Resistance to CAZ-AVI was not observed among isolates producing serine-carbapenemases. Our results reinforce the need for new therapeutic options to treat infections caused by gram-negative bacilli producing metallo-beta-lactamases, especially those intrinsically resistant to polymyxins.
Detection of Carbapenem Resistance in Enterobacterales Directly From Positive Blood Cultures Using Matrix-Assisted Laser Desorption Ionization Time-of-Flight Mass Spectrometry Natália Kehl Moreira, Camila Mörschbächer Wilhelm, Fabiana Caroline Zempulski Volpato, Afonso Luís Barth, Juliana Caierão Archives of Pathology and Laboratory Medicine, 2024 Context.— Carbapenem-resistant Enterobacterales are disseminated worldwide and associated with infections with high rates of morbidity and mortality. Matrix-assisted laser desorption/ionization time-of-flight mass spectrometry (MALDI-TOF MS) is a useful tool for identification of pathogens directly from blood cultures in clinical microbiology laboratories. Furthermore, it has been applied for the detection of carbapenemase production, by evaluating carbapenem hydrolysis. Objective.— To determine meropenem hydrolysis to detect carbapenemase production directly from positive blood cultures, using logRQ to establish a quantitative measure of hydrolysis. Design.— We evaluated 100 Enterobacterales from positive blood cultures, with 81 carrying a carbapenemase gene (blaKPC, blaGES, blaNDM-1, blaIMP, blaVIM, and blaOXA-48-like), as determined by real-time multiplex polymerase chain reaction with high-resolution melting (HRM-qPCR). Bacterial proteins extracted from positive blood culture bottles were incubated in a meropenem solution (2–4 hours) followed by centrifugation for MALDI-TOF MS analysis. The intensity of peaks of the hydrolyzed and nonhydrolyzed forms were used to calculate the logRQ value. Results.— Overall, sensitivity was 86.8% and specificity, 89.5%. Of note, sensitivity varied depending on enzyme type. For blaKPC-positive isolates, sensitivity was 97.9%, while it reduced significantly for blaNDM-1 and blaOXA-48-like isolates: 62.5% (10 of 16) and 66.7% (6 of 9), respectively. Indeed, logRQ was higher in blaKPC-positive isolates (0.37–1.97) than in blaNDM-1 (−1.37 to 0.83) and blaOXA-48-like isolates (−1.08 to 1.79). Conclusions.— This is an inexpensive and rapid test to identify carbapenemase activity directly from blood culture bottles, which contributes to early adequate antimicrobial therapy and implementation of infection control measures.
Enterococcus faecalis: Role in nosocomial infection, resistance traits and molecular epidemiology Enterococcus Faecalis Molecular Characteristics Role in Nosocomial Infections and Antibacterial Effects, 2014
