Molecular characteristics of antimicrobial resistance and virulence determinants of Staphylococcus aureus isolates derived from clinical infection and food
JOURNAL OF CLINICAL LABORATORY ANALYSIS
Authors: Luo, Kui; Shao, Fuye; Kamara, Kadijatu N.; Chen, Shuaiyin; Zhang, Rongguang; Duan, Guangcai; Yang, Haiyan
Abstract
BackgroundStaphylococcus aureus (S.aureus) is an important human etiologic agent. An investigation of the characteristics of common genotypes of S.aureus relating to pathogenicity and antibiotic resistance may provide a foundation to prevent infection. MethodsThis study collected 275 S.aureus isolates from Zhengzhou city in China, including 148 isolates from patient samples and 127 isolates from ready-to-eat food samples. Antimicrobial susceptibility testing was performed using the broth dilution method. Molecular characteristics of antimicrobial resistance, virulence, and genotypes were identified by polymerase chain reaction (PCR). ResultsIn total, 34.18% (94/275) of S.aureus isolates were MRSA. Compared with food isolates, clinical isolates had significantly higher antibiotic resistance rates, carrying resistance genes such as acc(6)/aph(2), aph(3)-III, ermA, and ermB and virulence genes such as tetM, sea, seb, pvl, and etb. MRSA-t030-agrI-SCCmecIII and MSSA-t002-agrII were the most common strain types among clinical strains, and MRSA-t002-agrII-SCCmecIII and MSSA-t002-agrII were the most common strain types among food strains. Additionally, some strains in the agr group were also spa type-specific, suggesting that there may be phenotypic consistency. ConclusionClinical isolates contained higher numbers of resistance genes and demonstrated higher antibiotic resistance, while 2 source strains exhibited high toxicity. These results indicate that bacteria with different origins may have undergone different evolutionary processes. As resistance and virulence factors in food bacteria can be transmitted to humans, food handlers should strictly follow hygienic measures during food production to ensure the safety of human consumers.
Seasonal variation of evapotranspiration and its effect on the surface energy budget closure at a tropical forest over north-east India
JOURNAL OF EARTH SYSTEM SCIENCE
Authors: Burman, Pramit Kumar Deb; Sarma, Dipankar; Morrison, Ross; Karipot, Anandakumar; Chakraborty, Supriyo
Abstract
This study uses 1 yr of eddy covariance (EC) flux observations to investigate seasonal variations in evapotranspiration (ET) and surface energy budget (SEB) closure at a tropical semi-deciduous forest located in north-east India. The annual cycle is divided into four seasons, namely, pre-monsoon, monsoon, post-monsoon and winter. The highest energy balance closure (76%) is observed during pre-monsoon, whereas the lowest level of closure (62%) is observed during winter. Intermediate closure of 68% and 72% is observed during the monsoon and post-monsoon seasons, respectively. Maximum latent heat flux during winter (150 W>m-2) is half of the maximum latent heat (300 Wm-2) flux during the monsoon. ET is a controlling factor of SEB closure, with the highest rates of closure corresponding to the periods of the highest ET. The Bowen ratio ranges from 0.93 in winter to 0.27 during the monsoon. This is the first time the role of ET in the seasonal variation of SEB closure has been reported for any ecosystem in north-east India using EC measurements.