Browsing by Author "Hong, Pei-Ying"

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    Genomic characterization of NDM-1 and 5, and OXA-1 81 carbapenemases in uropathogenic Escherichia coli isolates from Riyadh, Saudi Arabia
    Abd El Ghany, Moataz; Sharaf, Hazem; Al-agamy, Mohamed H.; Shibi, Atef; Hill-Cawthorne, Grant A.; Hong, Pei-Ying (PLOS, 2018-08-15)
    Urinary tract infections (UTIs) associated with Escherichia coli are a growing threat with an increase in the prevalence of multidrug resistant (MDR) strains, particularly beta-lactamase producers, occurring globally. We investigated the presence of carbapenem-resistant uropathogenic E. coli clones in community-acquired UTIs in Riyadh, Kingdom of Saudi Arabia (KSA) to identify the virulence and resistance structures of the resistant clones and relate the isolates to those circulating globally. A combination of comparative genomics and phenotypic approaches were used to characterize ten MDR-uropathogenic Escherichia coli isolates recovered from UTI patients in Riyadh between November 2014 and January 2015. We report the presence of NDM-1 and 5, and OXA-181 in carbapenem-resistant UPEC strains from Riyadh, KSA. Single nucleotide polymorphism analyses demonstrated that these ten isolates fell into four phylogenetically distinct clades within the UPEC phylogeny. Comparative genomic analyses indicate that these diverse clones could be distinguished according to their multilocus sequencing type (MLST), serology, and virulence and antimicrobial gene architectures. These clones include the b/aNDm-i carrying isolates of the globally predominant MDR ST131 and ST69 types, previously identified as one of the most common UPEC strains in KSA. This is in addition to clones of ST23Cplx (ST410) and ST448Cplx (ST448) that have likely evolved from common intestinal strains, carrying copies of beta-lactamase genes including bla(NDM-5), bla(CTX-m-15), bla(TEM-1), bla(CMY-42), bla(OXA-1) and bla(OXA-181). These data have identified an emerging public health concern and highlight the need to use comprehensive approaches to detect the structure of MDR E. coli populations associated with community-acquired UTIs in KSA.
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    Reusing Treated Wastewater: Consideration of the Safety Aspects Associated with Antibiotic-Resistant Bacteria and Antibiotic Resistance Genes
    Hong, Pei-Ying; Julian, Timothy R.; Pype, Marie-Laure; Jiang, Sunny C.; Nelson, Kara L.; Graham, David; Pruden, Amy; Manaia, Célia M. (MDPI, 2018-02-27)
    As more countries engage in water reuse, either intended or de facto, there is an urgent need to more comprehensively evaluate resulting environmental and public health concerns. While antibiotic-resistant bacteria (ARB) and antibiotic resistance genes (ARGs) are increasingly coming under the spotlight, as emerging contaminants, existing water reuse regulations and guidelines do not adequately address these concerns. This perspectives paper seeks to frame the various challenges that need to be resolved to identify meaningful and realistic target types and levels of antibiotic resistance benchmarks for water reuse. First, there is the need for standardized and agreed-upon methodologies to identify and quantify ARB and ARGs. Second, even if methodologies are available, identifying which ARB and ARGs to monitor that would best relate to the occurrence of disease burden remains unknown. Third, a framework tailored to assessing the risks associated with ARB and ARGs during reuse is urgently needed. Fourth, similar to protecting drinking water sources, strategies to prevent dissemination of ARB and ARGs via wastewater treatment and reuse are required to ensure that appropriate barriers are emplaced. Finally, current wastewater treatment technologies could benefit from modification or retrofit to more effectively remove ARB and ARGs while also producing a high quality product for water and resource recovery. This perspectives paper highlights the need to consider ARB and ARGs when evaluating the overall safety aspects of water reuse and ways by which this may be accomplished.