Collage of microbes, bacteria, disease

Development of a quantitative self-assessment tool for hospital antimicrobial stewardship and infection control programs: a step towards standardizing clinical studies

Mon, 02/09/2026 - 06:00
CONCLUSION: This quantitative scoring scheme represents a promising step towards standardizing assessments of AMS and IPC programs in high-income settings, enabling external comparisons and supporting future clinical studies. Further validation is needed to refine its predictive validity and ensure its utility in diverse healthcare settings.

Metabolomic analysis of macrocyclic lactone susceptible and resistant isolates of Dirofilaria immitis

Sun, 02/08/2026 - 06:00
Resistance to macrocyclic lactone (ML) preventives in the canine heartworm Dirofilaria immitis is an emerging concern worldwide. Although ML-resistant isolates of D. immitis are genetically distinct from wildtype populations, little is known about their drug resistance mechanisms. To address this gap, we used untargeted metabolomics to characterize and compare the excreted/secreted metabolic profile of drug-susceptible Missouri (MO) and -resistant JYD-34 isolates in the presence or not of...

Telomere-to-telomere assembly detects genomic diversity in Canadian strains of Borrelia burgdorferi

Fri, 02/06/2026 - 06:00
Borrelia burgdorferi, the bacteria causing Lyme disease, has a complex genome comprising a linear chromosome and multiple linear and circular plasmids. The atypical hairpin telomeres and the highly paralogous plasmids complicate genome assembly. We develop a genome assembly pipeline using both long and short reads to overcome these challenges. Using long reads, we assemble the hairpin telomeres of the linear replicons, an lp28-1a plasmid subtype, and circular plasmids of nine B. burgdorferi...

Multiomic analysis of clonal development reveals new regulators of leukemic cell growth

Wed, 02/04/2026 - 06:00
Mechanisms driving the increase in cell growth in developing leukemia are not fully understood. We focused on epigenomic regulation of this process by analyzing the changes of chromatin marks and gene expression in leukemic cell clones as they progressed toward increased proliferation in a mouse model of acute myeloid leukemia (AML). This progression was characterized by gradual modulation of chromatin states and gene expression across the genome, with a surprising preferential trend of...

Ultra-rapid nanoplasmonic colorimetry in microfluidics for antimicrobial susceptibility testing directly from specimens

Mon, 02/02/2026 - 06:00
Antimicrobial susceptibility testing (AST) technologies that rapidly identify pathogenic bacteria and their resistance phenotypes are critical in addressing the antimicrobial resistance crisis, enabling timely and precise antibiotic treatment decisions. We present a modular automated platform based on nanoplasmonic colorimetry in microfluidics for parallel bacterial identification and phenotypic profiling of AST (QolorPhAST), achieving an eightfold enhancement in detection rapidity. QolorPhAST...

Enzyme Assays for Phosphoinositide Kinases and Phosphatases and Inhibitor Screens

Mon, 02/02/2026 - 06:00
In vitro enzyme assays provide sensitive and quantitative approaches to studying activity, identifying substrates or performing inhibitor analysis. These approaches can help to study enzymes that regulate different cellular processes in an organism. In addition, enzyme assays can be used to screen protein inhibitors to identify novel drug candidates. In eukaryotes, phosphatidylinositol kinase and phosphatase are enzymes that regulate the level of phosphorylated phosphatidylinositol, which...

Improving the tuberculosis infection care cascade among migrants in Canada: a cost-effectiveness modelling study

Thu, 01/29/2026 - 06:00
BACKGROUND: Tuberculosis elimination requires expanded use of preventive treatment. However, adherence to the tuberculosis infection cascade of care is often an issue, notably in vulnerable groups such as migrants. We aimed to assess a person-centred approach to tuberculosis screening and treatment using facilitators, comparing strategies for tuberculosis prevention among new migrants to Canada.

GeoSentinel Analysis of Travelers' Diarrhea Antimicrobial Resistance Patterns

Tue, 01/27/2026 - 06:00
CONCLUSIONS AND RELEVANCE: In this cross-sectional study of travelers' diarrhea antimicrobial resistance patterns, there was marked variability of nonsusceptibility to 2 major classes of antibiotics commonly used for treating travelers' diarrhea among global regions. Antimicrobial susceptibility from culture should be obtained when possible, including after pathogen detection by culture-independent methods. These findings may help inform strategies for self-treatment and clinician management of...

How the One Health approach can make effective the World Health Organization's recommendations on integrated management of childhood illnesses: Case of community-based home management of malaria in the <em>Ferlo</em> of Matam, Senegal

Thu, 01/22/2026 - 06:00
CONCLUSION: Thus, CBHM-Ferlo strategy improved the care of childhood illness in Matam in 2024, and above all highlights the added value of One Health and transdisciplinary approaches.

Development and evaluation of quadruplex droplet digital PCR assay for rapid detection of molecular markers associated with macrocyclic lactone resistance and susceptibility in Dirofilaria immitis

Tue, 01/20/2026 - 06:00
Due to climate change and human interventions, there has been an increase in D. immitis infections, underscoring the necessity for monitoring the spread and extent of resistance. In our prior research, we introduced a rapid test utilizing four predominant SNP markers at loci 15709 (SNP1), 30575 (SNP2), 21554 (SNP3), and 9400 (SNP7) linked to ML resistance. Our findings highlighted SNP1 and SNP2 as potent predictive markers, offering suitability for the rapid detection and monitoring of drug...

Topically administered macrocyclic lactone products, including eprinomectin, demonstrate comparable neurological safety in cats based on pharmacovigilance data

Fri, 01/09/2026 - 06:00
CONCLUSIONS: An evaluation of pharmacovigilance data from 2 different sources revealed no evidence of greater proportional reporting for neurological AEs specific to the use of eprinomectin-containing products in cats than for other MLs or emodepside.

Scaling up point-of-care hepatitis C testing in Canada: protocol for a multilevel implementation science study of clinical processes, barriers, facilitators and implementation strategies (SCALE-POCT study)

Wed, 12/17/2025 - 06:00
BACKGROUND: As the result of systemic and structural barriers, hepatitis C virus (HCV) continues to disproportionately affect people who inject drugs, those in prison, Indigenous peoples, immigrants from HCV-endemic countries, and gay, bisexual and other men who have sex with men in Canada. Point-of-care antibody and RNA testing improve access to HCV testing and enable single-visit diagnosis and treatment initiation, yet robust, context-specific strategies are needed to scale these technologies...

Global Protein Interaction Network for <em>Trypanosoma cruzi</em>

Wed, 12/17/2025 - 06:00
Trypanosoma cruzi, the causative agent of Chagas disease, poses a significant health challenge due to limited therapeutic options and an incomplete understanding of its biology. Approximately half of the genome encodes hypothetical proteins with unknown functions, underscoring the need for systematic functional annotation. Protein-protein interactions (PPIs) underpin essential cellular processes, yet no large-scale PPI map has been developed for T. cruzi ─a critical gap that impedes both...

Sex-differences in influenza vaccine efficacy and immunogenicity among Canadian Hutterite children

Sat, 12/13/2025 - 06:00
CONCLUSIONS: These findings suggest that sex may not be a major factor in vaccine response in pediatric populations, but may be more likely to be detected in influenza vaccine trials with a non-influenza vaccine control group.

Loiasis: the missing piece in the neglected tropical disease agenda

Wed, 12/03/2025 - 06:00
Loiasis remains one of the least prioritised filarial infections, yet its neglect undermines onchocerciasis elimination and limits progress toward global NTD goals. Recognising Loa loa as a neglected tropical disease would unlock resources, promote safe mass drug administration, and accelerate the World Health Organization's 2030 targets.

Treatment of <em>Plasmodium falciparum</em> malaria in the nonendemic setting: a narrative review of toxicity, failure and emerging resistance

Tue, 12/02/2025 - 06:00
INTRODUCTION: For more than 15 years, artemisinin-based combination therapy (ACT) and atovaquone-proguanil have been recommended as treatment of Plasmodium falciparum malaria in most nonendemic countries. However, new challenges have emerged that complicate the management of travelers with malaria, including the occurrence of artemisinin-related hemolysis and the increasing numbers of treatment failure possibly related to drug resistance.

Antibacterial activities of novel peptide nucleic acids targeting <em>Salmonella</em> penicillin-binding proteins

Mon, 12/01/2025 - 06:00
Salmonella is a significant global enteric pathogen with a high incidence of multidrug resistance (MDR), which limits therapeutic options and necessitates the development of novel treatments. Antisense peptide nucleic acids (PNAs), which target essential bacterial genes, have demonstrated potential as antibacterial agents by effectively inhibiting the growth of various pathogens. Peptidoglycan (PG) has historically been one of the central targets for antibiotics in the ongoing battle against...

Epicutaneous application of house dust mite induces allergic skin inflammation and atopic march to the lung upon airway allergen challenge

Sun, 11/30/2025 - 06:00
Atopic dermatitis (AD) in infants is associated with increased risk of developing other allergic diseases, including asthma. This progression is known as atopic march (AM). We established a murine AM model by first inducing AD-like skin inflammation to house dust mite (HDM) allergen. Mice were subsequently challenged with HDM delivered to the lung. Our data show that epicutaneous sensitization with HDM increased serum IgE, ear thickness, and immune cell infiltration into the skin, accompanied by...

Molecular Characterization of Rift Valley Fever Virus From the 2025 Outbreak in Northern Senegal Reveals Lineage H Persistence and Key Polymerase Mutations

Sun, 11/30/2025 - 06:00
Rift Valley fever virus (RVFV) is a mosquito-borne phlebovirus that causes severe febrile and hemorrhagic illness in humans. In September 2025, an outbreak in northern Senegal led to 119 confirmed infections and 15 deaths as of October 7, 2025. We performed rapid genomic sequencing to characterize the virus responsible for this epidemic. RNA from RT-qPCR-confirmed samples was sequenced using the Twist Comprehensive Viral Research Panel on an Illumina iSeq 100 platform. Consensus genomes were...

Chromosome compartment assembly is essential for subtelomeric gene silencing in trypanosomes

Tue, 11/25/2025 - 06:00
Genome three-dimensional organization is essential for eukaryotic gene expression. The chromosomes of the pathogen Trypanosoma brucei contain hundreds of silent variant surface glycoprotein (VSG) genes in subtelomeric regions. T. brucei transcribes a single VSG gene and periodically changes the VSG expressed, altering its surface coat to escape host antibodies by antigenic variation. We show that T. brucei core and subtelomeric chromosome compartments are separated by distinct boundaries and...

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