Background: Gram-negative bacilli are primarily responsible for the most common pediatric infections. Frequently, Escherichia fergusonii is identified as E. coli because of its close genetic proximity. Objectives: We aimed at the isolation and identification of multi-resistant strains of E. fergusonii, affecting children under two months of age. Methods: Strains were isolated from infectious processes and were identified phenotypically and molecularly. The microdilution method (MicroScan, autoSCAN-4) and the disk diffusion method (modified Kirby Bauer) were used to analyze antibiotic susceptibility. Results: Strains isolated were multi-resistant. Molecular identification provided the correct taxonomic assignment. Escherichia fergusonii strains were wrongly identified as E. coli with the phenotypic identification method. In addition, Pseudomonas aeruginosa and Klebsiella pneumoniae were identified. The best sensitivity results were obtained with Ceftazidime/avibactam and ceftolozane/tazobactam. Conclusions: We provided the first report of isolation and identification of multi-resistant E. fergusonii strains affecting children under two months of age in a neonatal intensive care unit.

Background: Several prominent bacterial species known to induce diarrhea in human hosts encompass Escherichia coli, Escherichia albertii, Escherichia fergusonii, and various Shigella spp. Given that these organisms contribute to the burden of food-borne illness, it is essential to rapidly and correctly identify them in a clinical laboratory or food microbiology unit to prevent their transmission and spread. These pathogens are often mistakenly identified because of their genetic and phenotypic similarities. Phenotypic tests are not highly discriminatory and are time-consuming. Whole-genome sequencing is expensive and unavailable in most clinical laboratories. Materials and Methods: To simplify their rapid detection, we improved an available multiplex polymerase chain reaction (PCR) assay targeting three species-specific primers, including Eco (the main target for E. coli identification), Ealb (specific for E. albertii), and Efer (specific for E. fergusonii), by adding ipaH and lacY to additionally discriminate between the highly similar Shigella spp. and enteroinvasive E. coli (EIEC) organisms. Primers were tested on 65 defined isolates, including E. coli (n=29), Shigella spp. (n=26), E. fergusonii (n=1), E. albertii (n=1), and other Enterobacterales (n=8). Results: All examined E. coli yielded two amplicons of the expected size (Eco and lacY), except for EIEC, which had three bands (Eco, lacY, and ipaH). All Shigella spp. yielded two amplicons (Eco and ipaH). E. fergusonii had only one band (Efer), and E. albertii also yielded one band (Ealb). Other Enterobacterales that were tested for validation did not demonstrate a product, except for Klebsiella pneumoniae and Klebsiella oxytoca (both lacY). Conclusion: The assay was shown to be a way forward for rapid, specific, and cost-effective primary discrimination of these important or emerging enteropathogens that can be used in clinical and research laboratories.

Introduction: Tannins are a group of polyphenolic compounds that are widely present in plants as an anti-nutritional factor. The rumen of wild ruminants contains novel microbes that detoxify antinutrients and improve feed digestion. The present study evaluated tannase-producing bacteria isolated from the rumen of Fallow deer (Dama dama), livestock potential feed additives.Materials and Methods: Tannase-producer bacteria (TPBs) were isolated from the rumen using a 2% tannic acid- plate and tannase activity (TAA) assayed by the spectrophotometer method. The bacterial DNA was extracted through boiling and amplified using a PCR reaction. The Sanger technique and BLAST software were used to identify the strains. Antibacterial (ABA) and antibiogram tests were performed by the disc diffusion method, and the acid and bile resistance of isolates were examined using broth cultures.Results: The results indicated that TPBs belonged to Klebsiella, Enterobacter, and Escherichia genera. Escherichia fergusonii GHMGHE44 (9.39 Uml-1) and Enterobacter cloacae GHMGHE26 (1.79 Uml-1) were the strongest and weakest tannin degraders (p<0.01). Among the isolates, bile and acid resistance were insignificant (p>0.01) but E. fergusonii GHMGHE28 (9.48 CFU ml-1) had a significant survival rate compared to E. cloacae GHMGHE25 (9.07 CFU ml-1) at pH of 7 (p<0.01). Also, K. pneumoniae subsp. rhinoscleromatis GHMGHE27 (32.66 mm), E. coli GHMGHE47 (40.66 mm), and E. fergusonii GHMGHE48 (24.66 mm) were potently suppressed the pathogen E. Coli, S. aureus and P. aeruginosa, respectively (p<0.01). Against used antibiotics, E. asburiae GHMGHE22 was the most sensitive isolate while others showed diverse reactions (p<0.01).Discussion and Conclusion: The findings showed that TPBs have the potential to study as commercial animal feed additives (AFA).

Since the beginning, mosquito-borne diseases like dengue fever, encephalitis, yellow fever, malaria, and filariasis have been caused by numerous medically significant pathogens and parasites, including viruses, bacteria, and protozoans. This indicates the necessity for the ongoing creation of new and effective mosquito-borne disease control strategies in Saudi Arabia and internationally. This investigation has tried to assess the potential larvicidal capacity of local bacteria isolated from the soil of the Rahat region of Makkah, Saudi Arabia for the bio-control of Aedes aegypti larvae, a main cause of dengue. The bacteria were identified using morphological and molecular characteristics. Bioassays were used to determine the pathogenicity of various strains against A. aegypti larvae. A total of 66 different bacteria were isolated. Overall, four (6.06%) of the 66 bacteria caused mortality in the A. aegypti larvae, and only two (Brevibacillus centrosporus, and Cytobacillus firmus) caused 100% mortality in 24 h. After 48 h, two isolates (Escherichia fergusonii1 and E. fergusonii 2) caused mortality of over 70%. The outcomes of this investigation exhibited that local isolates of bacteria in the soils of the Rahat region of Makkah, Saudi Arabia, have larvicidal ability. These bacteria have shown larvicidal effects on the larvae of A. aegypti. In conclusion, further studies are required to evaluate other mechanisms that contribute to the production of larvicidal toxins in these bacteria.

A total of 114 samples collected from hospital wastewaters and rivers in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia were tested for non-sorbitol fermenting bacteria and coliphages. Sorbitol MacConkey agar is mainly used in the detection of E. coli O157:H7. However, other emerging diarrhoeagenic enteropathogens such as Plesiomonas shigelloides, Edwardsiella tarda, Providencia alcalifaciens, Escherichia albertii, Escherichia vulneris and Escherichia fergusonii were detected in the samples using this medium. Information for most of the emerging enteropathogens is scarce in most countries including Ethiopia. A total of 20 different genera, 38 species of non-sorbitol fermenting bacteria were isolated. Escherichia coli O157 could not be detected from any of the samples. All these backgrounds may mask the detection of Escherichia coli O157. Even if sorbitol MacConkey agar has several background limitations, different emerging diarrhoeagenic non-sorbitol fermenting bacteria were detected in the majority of the rivers and hospitals` wastewaters samples. The correlation between coliphages and non-sorbitol fermenting bacteria were not significant. As several bacteria have been isolated on sorbitol MacConkey agar medium, it is essential that the most selective laboratory techniques will be desired for outbreak investigation of E. coli O157, but other non-sorbitol fermenting enteropathogens should also be detected using sorbitol MacConkey agar in low resources countries.