Shigellosis remains one of the leading causes of morbidity and mortality worldwide and is the second leading cause of diarrheal mortality among all age groups. However, the global emergence of antimicrobial-resistant Shigella strains, limiting the choice of effective drugs for shigellosis, has become the major challenge in the treatment of Shigella infections. The aim of this systematic review and meta-analysis was to provide an updated picture of the prevalence of antimicrobial-resistant Shigella species in Asia. A comprehensive and systematic search was performed on three electronic databases (PubMed, ScienceDirect and Scopus), in which 63 eligible studies published between 2010 and 2022 were identified. From our meta-analysis of proportions using a random-effects model, the overall prevalence of Shigella spp. in Asian patients was estimated to be 8.0% (95% CI: 5.5–10.5). The pooled prevalence rates of multidrug-resistant (MDR) and extended-spectrum beta-lactamase (ESBL)-producing Shigella strains were 68.7% (95% CI: 59.9–77.5) and 23.9% (95% CI: 12.9–34.8), respectively. Concerning recommended antimicrobial drugs for Shigella, the prevalence of resistance was highest for ciprofloxacin (29.8%) and azithromycin (29.2%), followed by ceftriaxone (23.8%), in spite of their importance as first- and second-line treatments for shigellosis. In contrast, resistance to carbapenems, such as ertapenem (0.0%), imipenem (0.1%) and meropenem (0.0%), was almost non-existent among the 49 tested antibiotics. The significantly high prevalence estimation suggests that the multidrug-resistant Shigella is a pressing threat to public health worthy of careful and justified interventions. Effective antibiotic treatment strategies, which may lead to better outcomes for the control and treatment of shigellosis in Asia, are essential.

Diarrhea is one of the leading causes of morbidity and mortality in developing countries. Diarrheagenic Escherichia coli (DEC) is an important bacterial agent for diarrhea in infants, children, and international travelers, and accounts for more than 30% of diarrheal cases in children less than 5 years old. However, the choices of antimicrobial agents are now being limited by the ineffectiveness of many first-line drugs, in relation to the emergence of antimicrobial-resistant E. coli strains. The aim of this systematic review and meta-analysis was to provide an updated prevalence of antimicrobial-resistant DEC in Asia. A comprehensive systematic search was conducted on three electronic databases (PubMed, ScienceDirect, and Scopus), where 40 eligible studies published between 2010 and 2022 were identified. Using meta-analysis of proportions and a random-effects model, the pooled prevalence of DEC in Asian diarrheal patients was 22.8% (95% CI: 16.5–29.2). The overall prevalence of multidrug-resistant (MDR) and extended-spectrum beta-lactamase (ESBL)-producing DEC strains was estimated to be 66.3% (95% CI: 58.9–73.7) and 48.6% (95% CI: 35.1–62.1), respectively. Considering antimicrobial drugs for DEC, the resistance prevalence was highest for the penicillin class of antibiotics, where 80.9% of the DEC isolates were resistant to amoxicillin and 73.5% were resistant to ampicillin. In contrast, resistance to carbapenems such as imipenem (0.1%), ertapenem (2.6%), and meropenem (7.9%) was the lowest. The relatively high prevalence estimation signifies that the multidrug-resistant DEC is a public health threat. Effective antibiotic treatment strategies, which may lead to better outcomes for the control of E. coli infections in Asia, are necessary.

Pseudomonas aeruginosa continues to be a significant contributor to high morbidity and mortality rates worldwide, particularly due to its role in severe infections such as hospital-acquired conditions, including ventilator-associated pneumonia and various sepsis syndromes. The global increase in antimicrobial-resistant (AMR) P. aeruginosa strains has made these infections more difficult to treat, by limiting the effective drug options available. This systematic review and meta-analysis aim to provide an updated summary of the prevalence of AMR P. aeruginosa over the past 5 years. A systematic search was performed across three major electronic databases—PubMed, ScienceDirect, and Web of Science—yielding 40 eligible studies published between 2018 and 2023. Using a random-effects model, our meta-analysis estimated that the overall prevalence of P. aeruginosa in Asia and Africa over the past 5 years was 22.9% (95% CI [14.4–31.4]). The prevalence rates for multidrug-resistant (MDR) and extensively drug-resistant (XDR) P. aeruginosa strains were found to be 46.0% (95% CI [37.1–55.0]) and 19.6% (95% CI [4.3–34.9]), respectively. Furthermore, the prevalence rates of extended-spectrum β-lactamase- and metallo-β-lactamase-producing P. aeruginosa were 33.4% (95% CI [23.6–43.2]) and 16.0% (95% CI [9.8–22.3]), respectively. Notably, resistance rates to β-lactams used for treating pseudomonal infections were alarmingly high, with rates between 84.4% and 100.0% for cephalosporins, and over 40% of P. aeruginosa isolates showed resistance to penicillins. Our analysis identified the lowest resistance rates for last-resort antimicrobials, with 0.3% (95% CI [0.0–1.3]) resistance to polymyxin B and 5.8% (95% CI [1.5–10.2]) to colistin/polymyxin E. The low resistance rates to polymyxins suggest that these antibiotics remain effective against MDR P. aeruginosa. However, the findings also highlight the critical public health threat posed by antimicrobial-resistant P. aeruginosa, particularly concerning β-lactam antibiotics. This underscores the need for effective and carefully planned intervention strategies, including the development of new antibiotics to address the growing challenge of resistance. Developing robust antibiotic treatment protocols is essential for better management and control of pseudomonal infections globally. Therefore, continued research and international collaboration is vital to tackle this escalating public health challenge. This study protocol was registered with the International Prospective Register of Systematic Reviews (PROSPERO), under registration number CRD42023412839.

The genus Enterococcus is of increasing significance as a cause of nosocomial infections, and this trend is exacerbated by the development of antibiotic resistance. The aim of the present study was to estimate the potential virulence factors in enterococci and to ascertain their prevalence in Malaysian hospitals. The study comprised 222 enterococcal strains isolated from blood, urine, exudates, sputum, stool and body fluid. These strains were collected from patients staying in three referral hospitals in Malaysia. All isolates were identified to the species level, and their MIC of vancomycin was determined using E test strips. Specific primers were designed for detection of the five potential virulence genes (gelE, PAI, esp, ace, and sprE) by PCR assay. Different patterns and frequency of virulence determinants were found for the E. faecalis and E. faecium isolates. E. faecalis isolates had more virulence determinants than E. faecium isolates. Clinical enterococcal isolates were found to possess more virulence determinants than enterococci isolated from faecal samples. The esp gene is significantly more common (p = 0.049) in vancomycin-resistant strains (85.7%) than in vancomycin-sensitive strains (44.2%). All of the vancomycin-resistant isolates were isolated from faecal samples. None of the classical virulence factors were found in 11% of enterococcal isolates, while all five virulence genes were found in 21% of enterococcal isolates. All the virulence genes considered in this study were important in the pathogenesis of enterococcal infections and further studies including more virulence genes and epidemiological data will be necessary in order to analyze the association and role of virulence genes in the pathogencity of enterococci.

Klebsiella pneumoniaeandHaemophilus influenzaeare two common pathogens associated with respiratory tract infections. The identification of these pathogens using conventional molecular diagnostic tests requires trained personnel, cold-chain transportation, and storage-dependance, which does not render them user-friendly. The aim of this study was to develop a thermostabilized, cold-chain-free, one-step multiplex PCR for simultaneous detection ofK. pneumoniaeandH. influenzae.The multiplex PCR assay was designed to amplify thephpgene ofK. pneumoniae(202 bp) andp6gene ofH. influenzae(582 bp). In addition, the specific primer to amplifyglmgene ofHelicobacter pylori(105 bp) was included as an internal amplification control. Subsequently, the designed primers and all PCR reagents were thermostabilized by lyophilization. The stability of the thermostabilized PCR was evaluated using theQ¹⁰method. The sensitivity and specificity of performances for thermostabilized PCR were evaluated using 127 clinical isolates and were found to be 100% sensitive and specific. The thermostabilized PCR mix was found to be stable for 30 days and theQ10 accelerated stability was found to be 3.02 months. A cold-chain-free, PCR assay for easy, rapid, and simultaneous detection ofK. pneumoniaeandH. influenzaewas successfully developed in this study.

Overcrowding during the annual Hajj pilgrimage has been known to increase the risk of infectious diseases transmission. Despite the high prevalence of respiratory illness among Malaysian Hajj pilgrims, knowledge about the etiologic pathogens is yet very limited. Thus, this study aimed to determine the spectrum of bacterial respiratory pathogens among the Hajj pilgrims returning to Malaysia in year 2016. Expectorated sputum specimens were collected from the Hajj pilgrims with symptomatic respiratory tract infections (RTIs). Subsequently, the bacterial pathogens were identified using the standard bacteriological culture method and Vitek II system. This study indicated that 255 (87.33%) out of 292 cultured sputa were positive with at least one potential pathogenic bacteria. Out of 345 total bacterial isolates, 60% (n=207) were Haemophilus influenzae, which was associated with both single bacterium infection (132/173, 76.3%) and multiple bacterial infections (75/82, 91.5%). The other bacterial isolates included; Klebsiella pneumoniae (n=37, 10.7%), Moraxella catarrhalis (n=27, 7.8%), Haemophilus parainfluenzae (n=25, 7.2%), Streptococcus group G (n=18, 5.2%), Klebsiella spesies (n=16, 4.6%), Streptococcus pneumoniae (n=11, 3.2%) and few other organisms. High frequency of H. influenzae was isolated from Malaysian Hajj pilgrims, especially those with respiratory symptoms. Further study should evaluate the actual pathogenicity of the organism and the interactions between the respiratory microbiota towards developing effective prevention strategies of RTIs among the local pilgrims.