One-hundred sixty-eight group B streptococcal (GBS) isolates from a Brazilian hospital were phenotypically and genotypically characterized. Isolates were recovered from human sources from April 2006 to May 2008 and classified as either invasive, noninvasive, or colonizing isolates. Classical methods for serotyping and antibiotic resistance profiling were employed. Clonal groups were also defined by pulsed-field gel electrophoresis (PFGE). Results showed that susceptibility to beta-lactam antimicrobials was predominant among the isolates. Only 4.7% were resistant to erythromycin and clindamycin. The erm(B) gene was widely detected in our GBS isolates, according to our phenotypic results (constitutive macrolide-lincosamide-streptogramin B [cMLS B ] resistance phenotype), and the erm(A) gene was also detected in some isolates. MLS B resistance was restricted to strains isolated from patients with noninvasive infections and carriers. Serotype Ia was predominant (38.1%), serotype IV isolates were found at a high frequency (13.1%), and few isolates of serotype III were identified (3%). Pulsed-field gel electrophoresis results revealed a variety of types, reflecting the substantial genetic diversity among GBS strains, although a great number of isolates could be clustered into two major groups with a high degree of genetic relatedness. Three main PFGE clonal groups were found, and isolates sharing the same PFGE type were grouped into different serotypes. Furthermore, in a few cases, isolates from the same patients and possessing the same PFGE type were of different serotypes. These findings could be related to the occurrence of capsular switching by horizontal transfer of capsular genes.In the last 40 years, Streptococcus agalactiae (group B streptococcus [GBS]) has been described as an important pathogen in neonates and pregnant women. Vaginal colonization with GBS during pregnancy is significantly associated with infections in newborns and requires investigation (40,46,48). Despite the reduction in the incidence of early-onset neonatal disease by using antimicrobial intrapartum prophylaxis, mortality and permanent disability rates caused by GBS continue to be significant. However, GBS has also emerged as an important pathogen in other patient groups, such as children, young adults with underlying medical conditions, and elderly individuals (40). Penicillin is the drug of choice for prevention and treatment of GBS infections, which remain universally susceptible. Erythromycin and clindamycin are recommended when risks of anaphylaxis or therapeutic failure are present. However, resistance to erythromycin and clindamycin has increased in many countries in North America (2,6,16,40), Europe (21,22,42,45), and Asia (24) but not in Brazil (18,50) and other Latin American countries (23,35,36). Such a resistance profile is mainly due to two mechanisms: a methylasemediated target site modification and an active efflux pump (53). In GBS, coresistance to macrolide, lincosamide, and streptogramin B (MLS B ) is due to methylases e...

The antibacterial activity of plant extracts obtained from Bixa orellana L., Chamomilla recutita L., Ilex paraguariensis A. St.-Hil., Malva sylvestris L., Plantago major L. and Rheum rhaponticum L. has been evaluated against two reference strains and eleven clinical isolates of Helicobacter pylori. All the plant species chosen are used in popular Brazilian cuisine and folk medicine in the treatment of gastrointestinal disorders. Initial screening was made by the disk diffusion test and then minimum inhibitory concentration was determined by the agar dilution method. The results presented in this work demonstrated that among the plant preparations analyzed, B. orellana L., C. recutita L., I. paraguariensis A. St.-Hil. and M. sylvestris L. were capable of inhibiting the in vitro growth of H. pylori.

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Este estudo teve como objetivo avaliar “in vitro” a eficácia dos extratos fluídos de quatro plantas: Malva sylvestris, Calêndula officinalis, Plantago major e Curcuma zedoarea; No controle da placa bacteriana e comparadas com a solução de Digluconato de Clorhexidina a 20%. Os extratos fluidos de Calêndula officinalis e Curcuma zedoarea apresentaram em média os melhores resultados. Abstract This paper aimed at assessing how successful fluid extracts from: Malva sylvestris, Calêndula officinalis, Plantago major e Curcuma zedoarea could be in tube, so as to control bacterial plaque and also compared to Clorhexidina Digluconato solution at 20%. Fluid extracted from Calêndula officinalis and Curcuma zedoarea were the ones chich presented better results, roughly spesking.

Isolation and identification of etiological agents found in body fluids can be of critical importance for the recovery of patients suffering from potentially-severe infections, which are often followed by serious sequels. Eighty-two samples of different body fluids were analyzed using two different methods: (1) the conventional culture method (agar plating) and (2) the enrichment culture technique, using the Bact/Alert blood culture bottle. The number of positive cultures increased on average from 9.7% to 23.1% with the enrichment culture technique. Pseudomonas aeruginosa, Escherichia coli and Staphylococcus aureus were the most frequently isolated bacteria. The enrichment method could provide a more accurate means the identifying etiological agents.