Clinical Microbiology and Infection最新文献

Background: Treatment-emergent resistance is increasingly reported in carbapenem-resistant Enterobacterales during therapy with newly developed antibiotics. However, standardized definitions and studies evaluating the impact of treatment-emergent resistance on patient outcome are lacking.

Objectives: To review current evidence on the epidemiology, risk factors, and clinical impact of resistance emerging during or after exposure to novel antibiotics against carbapenem-resistant Enterobacterales and to explore strategies to mitigate this phenomenon.

Sources: We searched PubMed/MEDLINE for studies published in the last 15 years, including clinical reports, observational studies, and in vitro studies focusing on ceftazidime-avibactam, meropenem-vaborbactam, imipenem-relebactam, cefiderocol, aztreonam-avibactam, eravacycline, and plazomicin.

Content: Literature on resistance development during treatment with novel antibiotics is sparse and mainly represented by case reports or retrospective cohort studies. In most cases, data including antibiotic dosages, duration, or cross-resistance to other antibiotics are not reported. Treatment-emergent resistance is best described for ceftazidime-avibactam, with Klebsiella pneumoniae carbapenemase (KPC) variants carrying Ω-loop mutations (e.g. KPC-31) as the most common reported mechanism worldwide. Resistance during or after meropenem-vaborbactam or imipenem-relebactam therapy is uncommon and only reported in selected cases from Europe where the drugs have been used more broadly. Cefiderocol resistance is mainly reported from Europe and United States in New-Delhi metallo-β-lactamase (NDM)-producing Enterobacterales and commonly linked to iron transporter defects, penicillin-binding protein 3 (PBP3) substitutions, or increased bla_NDM copy number. For aztreonam-avibactam, resistance during or after treatment has been reported in selected strains of NDM-producing Escherichia coli isolates with PBP3 and CMY mutations from Singapore and United States.

Implications: Treatment-emergent resistance is a consequence of antibiotic exposure, but its impact is likely underestimated. Preventive strategies include optimization of pharmacokinetic/pharmacodynamic targets, therapeutic drug monitoring, timely and complete source control, and stewardship-driven rational use of novel agents.

Objectives: Bacillus cereus sensu lato (s.l.) or B. cereus group increasingly causes severe infections in preterm neonates. However, species-level identification and virulence characterization remain limited. This study aimed to identify B. cereus group species responsible for invasive infections in preterm neonates and to correlate genomic virulence profiles with clinical outcomes.

Methods: We conducted a retrospective, multicentre study across 13 French hospitals (2010-2021), including 40 B. cereus group isolates from blood or cerebrospinal fluid of preterm neonates with invasive infections. Clinical data were extracted from patient records. Whole-genome sequencing (WGS) (Illumina and Oxford Nanopore) with hybrid assemblies enabled species identification using digital DNA-DNA hybridization and average nucleotide identity. Virulence genes were screened against a curated database of 65 virulence genes, and associations with clinical outcomes were analysed.

Results: Forty isolates were analysed, 42.5% (17 of 40) of patients developed septic shock, and 37.5% (15 of 40), died, usually after rapid clinical deterioration. WGS identified seven species, predominantly Bacillus paranthracis (47.5%, 19 of 40) and B. cereus sensu stricto (20%, 8 of 40). Virulence gene content varied by species. The presence of hblCDAB (60%, 9 of 15), nprB (46.5%, 7 of 15), asbABCDEF (80%, 12 of 15), and essC-cereus/esxA (66.7%, 10 of 15) genes correlated with mortality (p 0.00015, 0.002, 0.0027, and 0.02, respectively). B. cereus sensu stricto carried more virulence determinants and was associated with higher mortality than B. paranthracis and other species, at day 7 (p 0.05) and at day 28 (p 0.0065). The cesH gene (60%, 15 of 25) is significantly associated with survival (p 0.007), particularly with B. paranthacis, the predominant species in our cohort.

Conclusions: Invasive B. cereus group infections in preterm neonates are associated with high mortality, particularly in cases due to B. cereus sensu stricto. WGS enables precise species identification and virulence profiling, which are essential insights for diagnostic refinement, outbreak control, and risk stratification in neonatal intensive care settings.

Background: Rapid advances in microbiome science have sparked clinical and commercial enthusiasm for interventions, yet translation into practice risks outpacing both mechanistic understanding and the infrastructure required for safe adoption.

Objectives: To outline a coordinated research, clinical, social, and policy agenda for advancing safe, effective, and equitable microbiome-based interventions.

Sources: We convened an interdisciplinary Royal Society-funded expert workshop (Leeds, UK, October 2024) with international leaders in microbiome science, clinical trials, regulation, and social science. Thematic analysis of workshop discussions and written contributions identified priority domains for translation.

Content: Three intersecting priorities emerged: scientific credibility, practical viability, and stakeholder engagement. Scientific credibility demands investment in multiomic and strain-level characterization of host-microbiome interactions on a large scale, benchmarking of clinical and microbiological endpoints, and harmonization of trial conduct and reporting. Clinical adoption requires fit-for-purpose regulation, diversified investment to address funding bottlenecks, and coordinated capacity building. Meaningful stakeholder engagement with clinicians, patients, policymakers, and the public is essential to foster confidence, develop clinically relevant research questions, and ensure equitable implementation of any new technology.

Implications: To realize the clinical impact of microbiome interventions, sustained collaboration across disciplines is essential. This review offers a translational roadmap and actionable priorities to accelerate safe, effective, and equitable microbiome-based interventions-ensuring the field fulfils its clinical potential and delivers real-world impact.