Prevalence and Antimicrobial Resistance of Paeniclostridium sordellii in Hospital Settings

Abstract

(1) Background: The purpose of this study was to determine the prevalence of clostridia strains in a hospital environment in Algeria and to evaluate their antimicrobial susceptibility to antibiotics and biocides. (2) Methods: Five hundred surface samples were collected from surfaces in the intensive care unit and surgical wards in the University Hospital of Tlemcen, Algeria. Bacterial identification was carried out using MALDI-TOF-MS, and then the minimum inhibitory concentrations (MICs) of various antimicrobial agents were determined by the E-test method. P. sordellii toxins were searched by enzymatic and PCR assays. Seven products intended for daily disinfection in the hospitals were tested against Clostridium spp. spore collections. (3) Results: Among 100 isolates, 90 P. sordellii were identified, and all strains were devoid of lethal and hemorrhagic toxin genes. Beta-lactam, linezolid, vancomycin, tigecycline, rifampicin, and chloramphenicol all proved effective against isolated strains. Among all strains tested, the spores of P. sordellii exhibited remarkable resistance to the tested biocides compared to other Clostridium species. The (chlorine-based 0.6%, 30 min), (glutaraldehyde solution 2.5%, 30 min), and (hydrogen peroxide/peracetic acid 3%, 15 min) products achieved the required reduction in spores. (4) Conclusions: Our hospital’s current cleaning and disinfection methods need to be optimized to effectively remove spores from caregivers’ hands, equipment, and surfaces.

Populational genomic insights of Paraclostridium bifermentans as an emerging human pathogen

“…For instance, P.b strains have been utilized in various applications such as metal-contamination bioremediation (Neveling et al, 2022), antibiotic degradation (Fang et al, 2021) and organic compound conversion (Huang et al, 2022). In contrast, P.s strains, those that had genomes sequenced were all isolated from animal or human hosts (Figure 1A) and are commonly involved in infections (Zerrouki et al, 2021;Gonzalez-Astudillo et al, 2022), indicating that they may have adapted to these environments by encoding more host defense functions (Figure 3D). Nevertheless, it is important to note that the host adaptation capacity of P.b should not be underestimated, as the P.b carries a highly plastic pangenome, whereas the number of isolated P.b strains and sequenced genomes from clinical specimens is increasing.…”

“…Clostridia are bacteria belonging to the phylum Firmicutes, which are composed of a broad spectrum of Gram-positive (mostly), low GC content, spore-forming, and anaerobic bacilli (Orrell and Melnyk, 2021). Several genera of clostridia can cause mild to life-threatening diseases in both humans and animals, including tetanus and botulism, uterine infections, histotoxic infections and enteric diseases, by producing an array of protein toxins (Revitt-Mills et al, 2019;Zerrouki et al, 2021). Among the pathogenic clostridia, those grouped within clostridial cluster XI, such as Clostridioides difficile and Paeniclostridium sordellii, are particularly prevalent (Ezaki, 2009;Moore and Lacey, 2019).…”

Paraclostridium benzoelyticum Bacterium-Mediated Zinc Oxide Nanoparticles and Their In Vivo Multiple Biological Applications

“…Clostridia are made of a wide range of Gram-positive, spore-forming, and anaerobic bacilli, whose taxonomic taxonomy of genera has been revised. Toxin-producing organisms may cause moderate to life-threatening illnesses, the most renowned being the genus Clostridium (Clostridium botulinum, Clostridium perfringens, and Paraclostridium benzoelyticum), the genus Paeniclostridium (Paeniclostridium sordellii), and the genus Clostridioides (Clostridioides difficile) [ 19 ].…”

Antimicrobial Susceptibility and Clinical Findings of Anaerobic Bacteria

“…Among the full research articles included, Dr. Hanane Zerrouki et al reported the prevalence and antimicrobial resistance of Paeniclostridium sordellii in hospital settings in Algeria [12]. Surface samples were collected from intensive care units (ICUs) and surgical wards.…”