Tuberculosis remains an endemic public health problem, but the ecology of the TB strains prevalent, and their transmission, can vary by country and by region. We sought to investigate the prevalence of Mycobacterium tuberculosis strains in different regions of Venezuela. A previous study identified the most prevalent strains in Venezuela but did not show geographical distribution nor identify clonal genotypes. To better understand local strain ecology, we used spoligotyping to analyze 1298 M. tuberculosis strains isolated in Venezuela from 1997 to 2006, predominantly from two large urban centers and two geographically distinct indigenous areas, and then studied a subgroup with MIRU-VNTR 24 loci.

Non-tuberculous mycobacteria that cannot be identified at the species level represent a challenge for clinical laboratories, as proper species assignment is key to implementing successful treatments or epidemiological studies. We re-identified forty-eight isolates of Ziehl–Neelsen (ZN)-staining-positive “acid-fast bacilli” (AFB), which were isolated in a clinical laboratory and previously identified as Mycobacterium species but were unidentifiable at the species level with the hsp65 PCR restriction fragment length polymorphism analysis (PRA). As most isolates also could not be identified confidently via 16S, hsp65, or rpoB DNA sequencing and a nBLAST search analysis, we employed a phylogenetic method for their identification using the sequences of the 16S rDNA, which resulted in the identification of most AFB and a Mycobacterium species diversity not found before in our laboratory. Most were rare species with only a few clinical reports. Moreover, although selected with the ZN staining as AFB, not all isolates belonged to the genus Mycobacterium, and we report for the first time in Latin America the isolation of Nocardia puris, Tsukamurella pulmosis, and Gordonia sputi from sputum samples of symptomatic patients. We conclude that ZN staining does not differentiate between the genus Mycobacterium and other genera of AFB. Moreover, there is a need for a simple and more accurate tree-based identification method for mycobacterial species. For this purpose, and in development in our lab, is a web-based identification system using a phylogenetic analysis (including all AFB genera) based on 16S rDNA sequences (and in the future multigene datasets) and the closest relatives.

To compare the simple, swab 'Kudoh method' for culturing Myobacterium tuberculosis from sputum samples, to the standard Petroff digestion-decontamination procedure. The Kudoh method, which requires no centrifugation and takes only 4-5 min per sample, was also evaluated for its performance in a rural setting. Two hospital laboratories in Caracas, Venezuela processed 314 sputum samples, in parallel, with both methods. Separately, sputum specimens were cultured with the Kudoh swab method in a field environment with minimal laboratory facilities. In the hospital laboratories, the sensitivity of the Kudoh swab method was comparable to that of the standard Petroff culture procedure. The swab method also performed satisfactorily in the field, improving the diagnostic sensitivity by 21% over microscopic examination alone. The Kudoh swab method is an acceptable alternative for culturing mycobacteria that is particularly suitable for rural laboratories lacking adequate infrastructure for the Petroff method.

La educación para la salud en Latinoamérica proporciona herramientas para fomentar el bienestar físico y promover mejoras sanitarias, centrándose en la alimentación y la integridad física. Sin embargo, se presta poca atención al conocimiento del sistema inmunológico y su papel en la respuesta del cuerpo humano a los desafíos que afectan la homeostasis, lo cual marca la diferencia entre la salud y la enfermedad. Este estudio propone integrar el conocimiento del sistema inmunológico desde las etapas iniciales de la educación con el objetivo de introducir conceptos de salud desde temprana edad. A través de este enfoque educativo, se busca enseñar a niños y adolescentes cómo el cuerpo desarrolla defensas contra diversos patógenos a lo largo de la historia humana. Además, al combinar el conocimiento del sistema inmunológico y el sistema educativo, se contribuye a dos objetivos de desarrollo sostenible: calidad educativa y salud y bienestar. Este currículo diseñado permitirá a los individuos comprender la influencia de la nutrición, las medidas de higiene y las vacunas en la mejora de la salud personal y comunitaria.

La presente revisión detalla los mecanismos de virulencia de tres virus tropicales emergentes: Zika, dengue y chikungunya, y los asocia o enlaza o vincula con el desarrollo de la respuesta inmune del hospedador ante cada uno de estos, para posteriormente mostrar los avances tecnológicos y las dificultades a las que se enfrentan los estudios de vacunas contra dichos virus. Además, se mencionan los principales países involucrados activamente en las diferentes fases de investigación de vacunas, refiriéndose adicionalmente, a las dificultades que tienen los países más afectados por estas infecciones para participar en el desarrollo de vacunas que puedan implementarse y mejorar la calidad de vida de la población.

Pseudomonas aeruginosa (PA) is a clinically relevant opportunistic pathogen whose persistence and antimicrobial tolerance are largely driven by biofilm formation and quorum-sensing (QS)-regulated virulence. Targeting QS has therefore emerged as an antivirulence strategy that attenuates pathogenicity without exerting strong selective pressure on bacterial growth. This systematic review (2020–2024) analyzes recent advances in the identification of QS inhibitors against PA, emphasizing studies that integrate in silico approaches. Forty-six studies met the inclusion criteria. All employed molecular docking, and 36.9% (n = 17) incorporated molecular dynamics simulations. While valuable for initial detection, these computational predictions have inherent limitations in accurately estimating binding energy and conformational dynamics, requiring empirical validation to confirm actual biological activity. Approximately one-fifth of the studies were exclusively computational, whereas the remainder combined in silico screening with in vitro and, in some cases, in vivo assays. The most frequently investigated QS regulators were LasR, PqsR, and RhlR, alongside additional virulence-associated proteins. The evaluated compounds encompassed phytochemicals, synthetic molecules, nanomaterials and natural product-derived compounds, several of which demonstrated experimental evidence of biofilm attenuation and reduction in QS-regulated virulence factors. Overall, the findings highlight the value of integrating computational and experimental strategies to rationally prioritize antivirulence candidates. However, the intrinsic complexity and redundancy of the QS network suggest that future research should increasingly focus on multitarget approaches and on the exploration of chemically diverse and previously underexplored compound libraries to improve efficacy against PA biofilms.