Group B streptococcus (GBS) is asymptomatically colonized in the vagina and rectum of 10–30% of pregnant women [¹ x 1 Verani, JR, McGee, L, Schräg, SJ, Division of Bacterial Diseases, National Center for Immunization and Respiratory Diseases, and Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC). Prevention of perinatal group B streptococcal disease—revised guidelines from CDC, 2010. MMWR Recomm Rep. 2010; 59: 1–36 PubMed | Google Scholar See all References ]. It is estimated that 50.0% of newborns, if exposed to GBS during delivery, will be colonized, 2.0% of whom will develop an invasive infection [¹ x 1 Verani, JR, McGee, L, Schräg, SJ, Division of Bacterial Diseases, National Center for Immunization and Respiratory Diseases, and Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC). Prevention of perinatal group B streptococcal disease—revised guidelines from CDC, 2010. MMWR Recomm Rep. 2010; 59: 1–36 PubMed | Google Scholar See all References ]. Routine screening for maternal colonization by GBS has been performed for prevention of neonatal infections [¹ x 1 Verani, JR, McGee, L, Schräg, SJ, Division of Bacterial Diseases, National Center for Immunization and Respiratory Diseases, and Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC). Prevention of perinatal group B streptococcal disease—revised guidelines from CDC, 2010. MMWR Recomm Rep. 2010; 59: 1–36 PubMed | Google Scholar See all References ^{, 2} x 2 Rodriguez-Granger, J, Alvargonzalez, JC, Berardi, A et al. Prevention of group B streptococcal neonatal disease revisited. The DEVANI European project. Eur J Clin Microbiol Infect Dis. 2012; 31: 2097–2104 Crossref | PubMed | Scopus (47) | Google Scholar See all References ]. For a better understanding of the genetic variability of GBS in Beijing, China, we undertook to investigate its epidemiological characterization in pregnant women, which has been was rarely reported.

Background: Carbapenem-resistant Klebsiella pneumoniae (CRKP) is a major cause of nosocomial infections worldwide. The transmission route of CRKP isolates within an outbreak is rarely described. This study aimed to reveal the molecular characteristics and transmission route of CRKP isolates within an outbreak of nosocomial infection. Methods: Collecting case information, active screening and targeted environmental monitoring were carried out. The antibiotic susceptibility, drug-resistant genes, molecular subtype and whole genome sequence of CRKP strains were analyzed. Results: Between October and December 2011, 26 CRKP isolates were collected from eight patients in a surgical intensive care unit and subsequent transfer wards of Beijing Tongren hospital, China. All 26 isolates harbored bla_KPC-2, bla_SHV-1, and bla_CTX-M-15 genes, had the same or similar pulsed-field gel electrophoresis patterns, and belonged to the sequence type 11 (ST11) clone. By comprehensive consideration of genomic and epidemiological information, a putative transmission map was constructed, including identifying one case as an independent event distinct from the other seven cases, and revealing two transmissions starting from the same case. Conclusions: This study provided the first report confirming an outbreak caused by K. pneumoniae ST11 clone co-harboring the bla_KPC-2, bla_CTX-M-15, and bla_SHV-1 genes, and suggested that comprehensive consideration of genomic and epidemiological data can yield a fine transmission map of an outbreak and facilitate the control of nosocomial transmission.

Background: To report the microbiological isolates, aetiology, complications, antibiotic susceptibilities, and clinical remission of dacryocystitis and canaliculitis in a prominent tertiary ophthalmic teaching and referral hospital located in northern China and to offer appropriate recommendations for preventing and formulating drug treatment strategies.Methods: This prospective study recruited a total of 477 participants who had been diagnosed with either dacryocystitis or canaliculitis. The cohort comprised 307 patients with chronic dacryocystitis, 111 patients with acute dacryocystitis, and 59 patients with canaliculitis. Purulent discharge from the lacrimal duct was collected using a sterile swab and immediately subjected to microbial culture. Antimicrobial susceptibility testing was conducted following established protocols. All participants were scheduled for follow-up visits within 14 days after receiving antibiotic therapy.Results: The present findings indicated that women exhibited a higher susceptibility to the condition, as evidenced by the occurrence of 367 cases in comparison to 110 cases among men. Among the 477 patients, definitive causes were established in 59 individuals, accounting for 12.4% of the patients. Additionally, ocular complications were reported by 132 patients, representing 27.7% of the total. Monocular involvement was observed in the majority of cases, with 402 out of 477 patients (84.3%) affected, while binocular involvement was present in 75 patients (15.7%). In total, 506 microbiological strains were recovered from 552 eyes, withStaphylococcus epidermidis(16.4%) being the most prevalent microorganism. Other predominant isolates includedCorynebacterium macginleyi(9.1%),Staphylococcus aureus(5.1%),Streptococcus pneumoniae(4.9%), Haemophilus (4.4%),Propionibacterium acnes(3.5%), andEikenella corrodens(3.1%). Among the 12 isolated fungi,Candida parapsilosisaccounted for 66.7%. The susceptibility to antimicrobial agents tested in gram-negative bacilli (79.5%) was observed to be higher than that of anaerobic bacteria (76.7%) and gram-positive cocci (55.4%). With pharmacological therapy, the remission rate of acute dacryocystitis (72.7%) was found to be higher than that of canaliculitis (53.3%) and chronic dacryocystitis (42.3%).Conclusions: This study highlights the microbial spectrum of dacryocystitis and canaliculitis, particularlyC.macginleyi,E.corrodensandC.parapsilosis, which are also more frequently isolated. Vancomycin and imipenem may be more effective treatment options. Most cases have an unknown aetiology, and essential preventive measures involve postoperative cleansing of the lacrimal passage following eye and nasal surgeries, as well as the proactive management of rhinitis.

Bacterial keratitis (BK) is a severe ocular infection that can lead to vision loss, with antimicrobial resistance (AMR) posing a growing challenge. This study retrospectively analyzed 1071 bacterial isolates from corneal infections over a 10-year period (2014–2024) at a tertiary ophthalmic center in Beijing, categorizing them into three distinct phases: pre-COVID-19, during COVID-19, and post-COVID-19. The results indicated significant changes in pathogen distribution, including a marked decrease in Gram-positive cocci (from 69.8% pre-COVID-19 to 49.3% in post-COVID-19, p < 0.001), particularly in Staphylococcus epidermidis. In contrast, Gram-positive bacilli, particularly Corynebacterium spp., increased from 4.2% to 16.1% (p < 0.001). The susceptibility to gatifloxacin, moxifloxacin, and ciprofloxacin significantly declined in both Gram-positive cocci and bacilli during the COVID-19 period (all p < 0.01). Gatifloxacin resistance in Staphylococcus rose from pre-COVID-19 (15.2%) to COVID-19 (32.7%), remaining high post-COVID-19 (29.7%). A similar trend was observed in Streptococcus and Corynebacterium, where resistance rose sharply from 12.0% and 22.2% pre-COVID-19 to 42.9% during COVID-19, and remained elevated at 40.0% and 46.4% post-COVID-19, respectively (p < 0.01). These findings emphasize the rapid rise of fluoroquinolone resistance in several bacterial groups, underscoring the urgent need for continuous surveillance and improved antimicrobial stewardship to enhance treatment outcomes.

Background: Traditionally, conventional microbiological culture methods have been used to detect pathogenic microorganisms in chronic osteomyelitis. However, these methods have been found to have a low detection rate, complicating the precise guidance of infection treatment. This study employed metagenomic next-generation sequencing (mNGS) to detect these microorganisms in chronic osteomyelitis with three main objectives: 1). Gain a deeper understanding of the composition of pathogenic microorganisms in chronic osteomyelitis. 2). Compare the microbial detection rates between mNGS and the standard culture methods used in laboratories to enhance the effectiveness of the traditional culture methods. 3). Explore the potential of mNGS in etiological diagnosis. Methods: Fifty clinically confirmed intraoperative bone tissue samples of chronic osteomyelitis from January 2021 to December 2021 were collected and subjected to mNGS and microbiological testing, respectively. The orthopaedic surgeon combined clinical manifestations and related examinations to determine the causative pathogens. Results: The culture method obtained 29 aerobic and parthenogenic anaerobic bacteria, 3 specific anaerobic bacteria, and 1 yeast-like fungus. Thirty-six aerobic and parthenogenic anaerobic bacteria, 11 specific anaerobic bacteria, and 1 yeast-like fungus were obtained by mNGS, and 2 Mycobacterium tuberculosis(MTB) strains were detected. However, there was no significant difference in the overall positive detection rate between mNGS and the culture method (P = 0.07), and the two were not statistically significant in detecting aerobic and partly anaerobic bacteria (P = 0.625). But, mNGS was significantly superior to culture in detecting anaerobic bacteria and Mycobacterium tuberculosis (P<0.05). Conclusions: The mNGS method has enhanced our understanding of the distribution of pathogenic microorganisms in chronic osteomyelitis. Traditional culture methods help isolate and cultivate aerobic and facultative anaerobic bacteria, and fungi, and are also utilized for antibacterial drug sensitivity tests. However, mNGS has shown superior capabilities in detecting anaerobic bacteria, MTB, and mixed infection bacteria. This finding offers invaluable guidance for improving laboratory microbial culture and detection conditions. Hence, mNGS should be judiciously used for chronic osteomyelitis, and PCR can be implemented for certain difficult-to-culture microorganisms, such as MTB.