Purpose: Carbapenem-resistant Klebsiella pneumoniae (CRKP) has seriously threatened public health worldwide. This study aimed to investigate the antimicrobial resistance patterns, sequence types (STs), virulence and carbapenemase genes of CRKP isolates from patients in Zunyi, China. Methods: CRKP isolates were collected from the First People’s Hospital of Zunyi between January 2018 and December 2020. Antimicrobial susceptibility was determined using a VITEK^® 2 analyzer and confirmed using either the broth dilution method, Kirby–Bauer method, or E-test assays. Carbapenemase production was examined using a modified carbapenem inactivation method. STs of the studied isolates were determined by multilocus sequence typing, and the presence of carbapenemase and virulence genes was examined using polymerase chain reaction assays. Results: In total, 94 CRKP isolates were collected. All studied isolates produced carbapenemase, and the most common carbapenemase gene was New Delhi metallo-β-lactamase (NDM; 72.3%), followed by Klebsiella pneumoniae carbapenemase (KPC; 24.5%), and Verona integron-encoded metallo-β-lactamase (VIM; 3.2%). Of the studied isolates, 74.3% exhibited multidrug-resistant (MDR) phenotype, and 25.7% were either pandrug-resistant (PDR) or extensively drug-resistant (XDR) phenotypes. The most prevalent sequence type was ST2407 (37.2%), followed by ST76 (21.3%) and ST11 (11.7%). The NDM gene was present in 97.1% of ST2407 isolates and 90.0% of ST76 isolates, whereas the KPC gene was present in 90.9% of ST11 isolates. The majority of the isolates carried wabG, uge, and fimH virulence genes, with prevalence rates of 94.7%, 92.6%, and 94.7%, respectively. Conclusion: This study describes NDM-producing ST2407 and ST76, as well as KPC-producing ST11, as the major clonal types of CRKP isolates in Zunyi, China. All CRKP isolates were resistant to multiple types of antibiotics, and the majority of isolates carried carbapenemase and virulence genes. Clonal spread of NDM-producing CRKP ST2407 and ST76, and KPC-producing CRKP ST11 should be strictly monitored.

Background: Carbapenem-resistant Acinetobacter baumannii (CRAB) has emerged as a predominant strain of healthcare-associated infections worldwide, particularly in intensive care units (ICUs). Therefore, it is imperative to study the molecular epidemiology of CRAB in the ICUs using multiple molecular typing methods to lay the foundation for the development of infection prevention and control strategies. This study aimed to determine the antimicrobial susceptibility profile, the molecular epidemiology and conduct homology analysis on CRAB strains isolated from ICUs.Methods: The sensitivity to various antimicrobials was determined using the minimum inhibitory concentration (MIC) method, Kirby-Bauer disk diffusion (KBDD), and E-test assays. Resistance genes were identified by polymerase chain reaction (PCR). Molecular typing was performed using multilocus sequence typing (MLST) and multiple-locus variable-number tandem repeat analysis (MLVA).Results: Among the 79 isolates collected, they exhibited high resistance to various antimicrobials but showed low resistance to levofloxacin, trimethoprim-sulfamethoxazole, and tetracyclines. Notably, all isolates of A. baumannii were identified as multidrug-resistant A. baumannii (MDR-AB). The bla_OXA-51-like, adeJ, and adeG genes were all detected, while the detection rates of bla_OXA-23-like (97.5%), adeB (93.67%), bla_ADC (93.67%), qacEΔ1-sul1 (84.81%) were higher; most of the Ambler class A and class B genes were not detected. MLST analysis on the 79 isolates identified five sequence types (STs), which belonged to group 3 clonal complexes 369. ST1145^Ox was the most frequently observed ST with a count of 56 out of 79 isolates (70.89%). MLST analysis for non-sensitive tigecycline isolates, which were revealed ST1145^Ox and ST1417^Ox as well. By using the MLVA assay, the 79 isolates could be grouped into a total of 64 distinct MTs with eleven clusters identified in them. Minimum spanning tree analysis defined seven different MLVA complexes (MCs) labeled MC1 to MC6 along with twenty singletons. The locus MLVA-AB_2396 demonstrated the highest Simpson’s diversity index value at 0.829 among all loci tested in this study while also having one of the highest variety of tandem repeat species.Conclusion: The molecular diversity and clonal affinities within the genomes of the CRAB strains were clearly evident, with the identification of ST1144^Ox, ST1658^Ox, and ST1646^Oxqaq representing novel findings.

Candidemia, a common nosocomial bloodstream infection caused by Candida species, is associated with a high mortality rate. This study aimed to analyze the epidemiological characteristics, distribution of Candida species, antifungal susceptibility, and mortality risk factors of adult patients with candidemia in Zunyi, China. These findings are expected to inform treatment and prevention strategies for candidemia in this region. Clinical data, Candida species, antifungal susceptibility profiles, and prognosis of 92 patients with candidemia at the First People’s Hospital of Zunyi (the Third Affiliated Hospital of Zunyi Medical University) from January 2016 to December 2023 were retrospectively analyzed. Univariate and multivariate logistic regression analyses were performed to analyze risk factors for patient death. Analysis of 92 candidemia cases revealed an average incidence of 0.19% and mortality rate of 35.87%. Candida albicans was responsible for 33.70% of the infections, whereas non-C. albicans accounted for 66.30% of the total. Non-C. albicans was dominated by C. parapsilosis (31.52%), Nakaseomyces glabratus (18.48%), and C. tropicalis (13.04%). The susceptibility of all Candida species to amphotericin B exceeded 96%. C. albicans and C. parapsilosis showed greater than 70% susceptibility to fluconazole, itraconazole, and voriconazole, whereas C. tropicalis showed less than 60% susceptibility to these antifungal agents. Among the 33 dead patients, C. albicans was associated with a higher mortality rate than non-C. albicans (P = 0.007). Logistic multiple regression analysis showed that cardiovascular disease (OR = 8.913, 95% CI: 1.463–54.289, P = 0.018), kidney disease (OR = 13.672, 95% CI: 2.025–92.326, P = 0.007), and antifungal drug treatment duration less than 7 days (OR = 10.694, 95% CI: 1.841–62.112, P = 0.008) were independent risk factors for mortality in adult patients with candidemia. The mortality rate among patients with candidemia remains high with C. albicans is the predominant pathogen in Zunyi, China. Cardiovascular disease, kidney disease, and antifungal drug treatment duration less than 7 days were independent risk factors for mortality in adult patients with candidemia. Therefore, greater attention should be paid to adult patients with risk factors for mortality to improve the outcomes of adult candidemia.

The illegal use of β-adrenergic agonists during livestock growth poses a threat to public health; the long-term intake of this medication can cause serious physiological side effects and even death. Therefore, rapid detection methods for β-adrenergic agonist residues on-site are required. Traditional detection methods such as liquid chromatography have limitations in terms of expensive instruments and complex operations. In contrast, paper methods are low cost, ubiquitous, and portable, which has led to them becoming the preferred detection method in recent years. Various paper-based fluidic devices have been developed to detect β-adrenergic agonist residues, including lateral flow immunoassays (LFAs) and microfluidic paper-based analytical devices (μPADs). In this review, the application of LFAs for the detection of β-agonists is summarized comprehensively, focusing on the latest advances in novel labeling and detection strategies. The use of μPADs as an analytical platform has attracted interest over the past decade due to their unique advantages and application for detecting β-adrenergic agonists, which are introduced here. Vertical flow immunoassays are also discussed for their shorter assay time and stronger multiplexing capabilities compared with LFAs. Furthermore, the development direction and prospects for the commercialization of paper-based devices are considered, shedding light on the development of point-of-care testing devices for β-adrenergic agonist residue detection.

Community-acquired pneumonia (CAP) is a major cause of illness and death in children under five worldwide. This study characterized the epidemiology of Respiratory syncytial virus (RSV), adenovirus (AdV), and human metapneumovirus (hMPV) associated CAP in Zunyi children and identified bacterial co-infection risk factors to provide a scientific basis for individualized pediatric CAP management in this region. A retrospective analysis of clinical data from 2,315 children with CAP admitted to Zunyi First People's Hospital (Third Affiliated Hospital of Zunyi Medical University) between January and December 2025 was performed. Univariate and multivariate logistic regression analyses identified risk factors for bacterial co-infection, and receiver operating characteristic (ROC) curve analysis evaluated the predictive value of inflammatory markers. A total of 2,315 children with CAP were enrolled. The RSV positive rate (22.76%) was significantly higher than that for AdV (9.72%) and hMPV (9.84%, P < 0.05). For all three viruses, single virus pneumonia (SVP) and viral and bacterial co-infected pneumonia (VBCP) were the main types. Specifically, the positive rates of Respiratory syncytial virus and bacterial co-infected pneumonia (RSV-VBCP), Adenovirus and bacterial co-infected pneumonia (AdV-VBCP), and Human metapneumovirus and bacterial co-infected pneumonia (hMPV-VBCP) were 42.31%, 27.11%, and 37.28%, respectively. Patterns of infection varied seasonally: RSV infection peaked in autumn and winter, with the highest positivity in children under 1 year. By contrast, AdV infection occurred year-round and was most common in children aged 1-5 years. Meanwhile, hMPV infection was concentrated from January to April, predominantly in children aged 1-3 years. Clinically, children with RSV pneumonia were the youngest and that had obvious wheezing and myocardial damage. Those with AdV pneumonia had the highest rates of high fever, tonsillar enlargement, and sepsis, the shortest hospital stay, and significantly higher Interleukin (IL-) 6 and white blood cell (WBC) levels. Finally, multivariate logistic regression showed that elevated IL-6 was an independent risk factor for RSV-VBCP (OR = 1.031, 95% CI: 1.011-1.052, P = 0.002), AdV-VBCP (OR = 1.035, 95% CI: 1.015-1.056, P = 0.001), and hMPV-VBCP (OR = 1.026, 95% CI: 1.006-1.046, P = 0.009). In the analysis of RSV-VBCP, WBC was an additional independent risk factor (OR = 1.062, 95% CI: 1.005-1.122, P = 0.032). Notably, no other indicators exhibited independent predictive value. Receiver operating characteristic (ROC) curve analysis demonstrated that, when combined, the detection of inflammatory markers provided predictive value for VBCP. RSV, AdV, and hMPV cause different patterns of illness and inflammation in children with pneumonia in Zunyi, China. When these viruses co-occur with bacteria, the disease becomes more severe, and the risks vary by virus. High IL-6 levels are a shared, early warning sign of viral and bacterial co-infection for all three viruses. Not applicable.

To evaluate the diagnostic value of loop-mediated isothermal amplification(LAMP) chip method (hereinafter referred to as "LAMP") in the detection of pathogens in children with lower respiratory tract infections(LRTIs). Sputum samples from 1723 children with LRTIs hospitalized from April 2020 to April 2021 were collected. Pathogen detection was performed using both LAMP and sputum culture method(SCM).Detection rates and consistency between the two methods were analyzed using the Chi-square test and Kappa analysis. The positive detection rates of the LAMP and the SCM were 58.97 %(1016/1723) and 43.64 %(752/1723), respectively(P<0.001). The detection rates of Streptococcus pneumoniae (Spn)(24.26 %/13.52 %), Staphylococcus aureus(Sau)(13.12 %/10.39 %), Acinetobacter baumannii (Aba)(1.33 %/0.48 %), Stenotrophomonas maltophilia (Sma)(0.58 %/0.12 %), and Haemophilus influenzae(Hin)(31.05 %/16.19 %) were significantly higher with the LAMP than with the SCM(P<0.05). Both methods showed that single infections were predominant among children, with positive rates of 65.06 % and 87.23 %, respectively, with Hin(49.92 %/33.69 %) being the most common pathogen.In mixed infections, the positive rates were 34.94 % and 12.77 %, respectively, with mixed infections of Hin and Spn being the most common, accounting for 48.89 % and 32.29 % of cases, respectively. There were significant differences in the detection rates of Spn, Sau, Klebsiella pneumoniae(Kpn), Sma, Hin, and Escherichia coli(Eco) between single and mixed infections(P < 0.05). The detection results of Spn, Sau, Kpn, Hin, and Eco exhibited high consistency between the two methods, while the consistency for Pseudomonas aeruginosa(Pae), Aba, and Sma was lower. The LAMP is simpler, faster, more sensitive and specific than SCM, offering a reliable laboratory diagnostic basis for clinical management of LRTIs in children.