No abstract

PurposePet animals have been considered a potential carrier of clinically important multi-drug-resistant Escherichia coli. However, little is known about the role of pets as reservoirs of extended-spectrum β-lactamase (ESBL) producing E. coli in Pakistan. This study was designed to determine the prevalence and genetic relatedness of ESBL-producing multidrug-resistant E. coli in pets, their owners, and veterinary professionals.MethodsA total of 105 fecal samples were collected from dogs, cats, their owners, and veterinary professionals from veterinary clinics. Isolates of ESBL-producing E. coli were subjected to antimicrobial susceptibility testing. The presence of blaCTX-M genes and CTX-M groups I and II in multidrug-resistant E. coli was detected using PCR. Clonal diversity was checked using BOX-PCR.ResultsOf the 105 fecal samples screened, 73 (69.5%) were found to contain ESBL-producing E. coli. The percentage of ESBL-producing E. coli isolates in dogs and dog owners was found to be 81.8% (18/22) and 59% (13/22), respectively. In cats, this percentage was 73.9% (17/23) and in cat owners, 56.5% (13/23). Furthermore, 80% (12/15) of E. coli isolates in veterinary professionals were ESBL producers. Of these 73 ESBL-producing E. coli isolates, 23 isolates exhibited a multidrug-resistant phenotype. The most prevalent multidrug-resistant pattern (17.4%) identified was resistant to ampicillin, cefotaxime, ciprofloxacin, and nitrofurantoin. In the multidrug-resistant E. coli, blaCTX-M was identified as the most common ESBL-producing genotype (19/23), with blaCTX-M-1 dominating in all 19 isolates. Furthermore, BOX-PCR analysis exhibited genetically diverse clonal groups among isolates of the CTX-M-1 group.ConclusionOur results provide important baseline information on the potential burden of multidrug-resistant E. coli among companion animals in Pakistan. Further studies are needed to understand the drivers of antimicrobial resistance at human–animal–environmental intersections.

Aging cannot be defeated in anyway in the world even having new and advanced technology. But molecular mechanism is a successful method to control aging. Many complex and multifunctional factors are the main cause of aging. It is evident that the studies regarding cellular, genetic, and pathological and biochemical changes are exploring more and more pathways linking various diverse mechanism explaining aging. Implications of basic mechanisms of aging for improving both longevity and quality of life in human needs a clear understanding and takes a long time. However, reactive oxygen species (ROS) indicate a growing body even in the presence of fundamental mechanisms. According to oxidative stress theory, advanced and permanent addition of oxidative damage on critical aspects of aging process instigated by ROS influences. Telomeres theory is another, new aging theory that holds many promising possibilities for the field of anti-aging medicine. The theory was originated from the surge of technological breakthroughs in genetics and genetic engineering. Telomeres have also been found related to obesity. Obesity also leads to accelerated cellular processes. A "causative agent in aging" is considered inflammation that underlies a mechanism showing that for survival acute inflammatory response is necessary but long term exposure to different antigens than predicted by evolution cause low-grade inflammatory status which intern contributes to age-associated illness and death. The condition known as "inflammaging".

Assembled protein particles, as emerging biomaterials, have broad applications ranging from vaccines and drug delivery to biocatalysis and particle tracking, but to date these require trial‐and‐error rational design experimentation and/or intensive computational methods to generate. Here, the authors describe an easy‐to‐implement engineering strategy to generate customized protein particles as multifunctional biomaterials. They utilize protein–peptide modules to generate functional nanoparticles whose assembly and size is controlled by the addition of mild stimuli. The protein assembling method is versatile, as exemplified through particle formation with 7 distinct protein modules, using a variety of assembly conditions tailored by the chemistries of 3 peptide partners. They have generated customized protein particles using enzymes, binding and reporter proteins, and their functions and utilities are demonstrated using biocatalysis, sensing, and labelling applications, respectively. Furthermore, co‐assembly with two functional proteins within one particle has been successfully achieved and demonstrated. Physical insights into the kinetics and molecular mechanisms of particle formation are revealed by small angle X‐ray scattering and mass photometry, providing fundamental knowledge to guide design and manufacture these interesting biomaterials in future. Their protein assembling strategy is a reliable method for fabricating a protein particle to deliver new functionalities on‐demand.

Methicillin resistant -Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA) is an organism responsible for causing deadly infections in man, poultry and several other animal species. Ever since the discovery of MRSA in decade of 1960's, it has been isolated and reported in live poultry birds and their meat products worldwide. Strikingly, MRSA recovered from poultry share a common ancestry with MRSA isolates of human and animal origin. Furthermore, MRSA colonizes the skin and mucous membranes of both man and poultry. This colonizing ability of MRSA is not only a cause of nonresponsive infections in poultry but it can also be transferred to the humans handling birds at farms and slaughter houses. Moreover, the consumers of poultry meat can also acquire its infection. The cases of cross infections of MRSA between poultry and human has been reported. However, the most important difficulty to control MRSA and its interspecies transmission is the irrational use of antimicrobial drugs and inadequate biosecurity measures. Therefore, rational usage of antimicrobials and good biosecurity measures need to be adopted for prevention and control of zoonotic MRSA infections. This paper reviews the existing status of MRSA in poultry as a possible threat of zoonosis.