Recent Advances in the Use of Molecular Methods for the Diagnosis of Bacterial Infections

Abstract

Infections caused by bacteria have a major impact on public health-related morbidity and mortality. Despite major advances in the prevention and treatment of bacterial infections, the latter continue to represent a significant economic and social burden worldwide. The WHO compiled a list of six highly virulent multidrug-resistant bacteria named ESKAPE (Enterococcus faecium, Staphylococcus aureus, Klebsiella pneumoniae, Acinetobacter baumannii, Pseudomonas aeruginosa, and Enterobacter species) responsible for life-threatening diseases. Taken together with Clostridioides difficile, Escherichia coli, Campylobacter spp., (C. jejuni and C. coli), Legionella spp., Salmonella spp., and Neisseria gonorrhoeae, all of these microorganisms are the leading causes of nosocomial infections. The rapid and accurate detection of these pathogens is not only important for the early initiation of appropriate antibiotic therapy, but also for resolving outbreaks and minimizing subsequent antimicrobial resistance. The need for ever-improving molecular diagnostic techniques is also of fundamental importance for improving epidemiological surveillance of bacterial infections. In this review, we aim to discuss the recent advances on the use of molecular techniques based on genomic and proteomic approaches for the diagnosis of bacterial infections. The advantages and limitations of each of the techniques considered are also discussed.

Legionella pneumophila Risk from Air–Water Cooling Units Regarding Pipe Material and Type of Water

“…Due to the ubiquity of the bacterium and its global presence, epidemiological surveillance must be employed according to specific case definition criteria [ 39 ]. In addition, a better understanding of the clinical features helps disease control, together with the discovery of the underlying molecular mechanisms of the bacteria, resulting in reductions in morbidity and mortality [ 40 ]. The employment of preventive maintenance based on the sources of origin, together with exhaustive control, will comply with containment strategies for the agent and, under certain conditions, result in elimination of Legionella .…”

IgG N-glycan Signatures as Potential Diagnostic and Prognostic Biomarkers

“…Few bacterial or parasitic infections have been analyzed for their host response of IgG N-glycosylation. This may be due to many bacterial infections being acute inflammatory conditions that are often identified and treated with the appropriate antibiotic rather than chronic infections [ 117 ]. Although bacterial latency and chronicity in humans is less common in bacterial infections than with viruses, they still represent an enormous global disease burden and adversely impact patient quality of life.…”

Synergistic Antimicrobial Activity of Silver Nanoparticles with an Emergent Class of Azoimidazoles

“…There is a high prevalence of multidrug-resistant (MDR) microorganisms, which increases the importance of the search for new effective agents, with special attention to the ones that avoid biofilm formation (which display a 10- to 1000-fold higher resistance). MDR pathogens are the main reason for chronic and healthcare-associated infections (HAIs), causing morbidity and mortality and having a significant economic and social burden [ 2 , 3 ]. Every year, MDR infections have been reported as the cause of around 700,000 deaths worldwide.…”