Mr. Farzin Khorvash, Mr. Mohammad Reza Yazdani, Miss Shiva Shabani, Miss Houri Alizadeh, Mr. Ali Asghar Soudi, Mrs. Parisa Shoaei, Mr. Behrooz Ataei, Mr. Majid Yaran,
Volume 2, Issue 2 (4-2014)
Abstract
Introduction: Pseudomonas aeruginosa is a serious challenge for antimicrobial therapy, due to chromosomal mutations or intrinsic resistance to various antimicrobial agents, such as Metallo-β-Lactams (MBL). This study aimed to investigate the prevalence of β-lactamases encoding genes among P. aeruginosa strains isolated from intensive care unit (ICU) patients by phenotypic and multiplex PCR methods. Methods: A total of 48 non-duplicate strains of P. aeruginosa were collected from different clinical specimens of patients hospitalized in ICU wards of a teaching hospital in Isfahan, Iran. Susceptibility test was performed by disk diffusion method. All meropenem resistant strains were subjected to modified Hodge test (MHT) for detection of carbapenemases. Multiplex PCRs were performed to detect β-lactam-resistant P. aeruginosa isolates. Results: In disk diffusion method, P. aeruginosa strains showed the most (97.9%) resistance against imipenem and meropenem and the least (45.8%) against colistin. Thirty-six (75%) out of the 48 isolates were multidrug resistant. PCR amplification of β-lactamase genes showed the presence of blaVIM genes in 7 (14.6%) and blaIMP in 15 (31.3%) strains. Also, blaSME, SPM, GIM, AIM and NDM genes were not observed in any of the strains. We only found a statistically significance difference between the presence of blaIMP gene and multidrug-resistant (MDR) positivity and source of specimen (p=0.009 and 0.002, respectively). Conclusion: Rapid and reliable identification of MBLs appears to be necessary for effective treatment of related infections. Besides, our results may provide useful perception to make a more appropriate choice of antibiotics, which may put a stop to carbapenem-resistant infections.
Alireza Gholami, Siamak Massoudi, Majid Kharazian Moghaddam, Mahmoud Ghazi Marashi, Mahyar Marashi, Rouzbeh Bashar, Ahmad Fayaz, Maryam Fazeli, Firouzeh Farahtaj, Nader Howaizi, Mohammad Reza Shirzadi,
Volume 5, Issue 3 (7-2017)
Abstract
Introduction: In Iran, 95% of animal bites are attributed to domestic dogs and cats, while one-third of rabies victims are from wildlife. The wolf is one of the primary vectors of wildlife in the country. This study was aimed to assess the impact of wildlife on rabies transmission and to evaluate the efficacy of an oral rabies vaccine (ORV) in the gray wolf (Canis lupus pallipes). Methods: We studied the incidence of wolf attacks by analyzing a 10-year period of data (2000 to 2009) available in the Ministry of Health and Medical Education, the Veterinary Organization and Pasteur Institute of Iran. In the next step, five captive gray wolves were fed by Raboral V-RG® vaccine baits (Merial®, part of Boehringer Ingelheim, Germany) and monitored for rabies neutralizing antibodies over 20 months by rapid fluorescent focus inhibition test (RFFIT). Results: Our analysis showed that 55% of animal bites occurred in rural areas and the remaining in urban areas. The most rabid wolves were from Fars province in southern Iran. The vaccine baits were palatable for the hungry wolves. Seroconversion with antibodies titers ≥0.5 IU/ml occurred after 12 weeks and maintained for 78 weeks indicating potential protection against rabies after receiving a single ORV bait. Conclusion: Our results suggested that a single dose of vaccination with V-RG®, though initially designed for foxes and raccoons, can protect the gray wolf against rabies as well.
