Candida albicans is the most common fungus in the human intestinal microbiota but not in mice. To make a murine sepsis model more closely resemble human sepsis and to explore the role of intestinal C. albicans, in the absence of candidemia, in bacterial sepsis, live- or heat-killed C. albicans was orally administered to mice at 3h prior to cecal ligation and puncture (CLP). A higher mortality rate of CLP was demonstrated with Candida-administration (live- or heat-killed) prior to CLP. Fecal Candida presented only in experiments with live-Candida administration. Despite the absence of candidemia, serum (1→3)-β-D-glucan (BG) was higher in CLP with Candida-administration than CLP-controls (normal saline administration) at 6h and/or 18h post-CLP. Interestingly, fluconazole attenuated the fecal Candida burden and improved survival in mice with live-Candida administration, but not CLP-control. Microbiota analysis revealed increased Bacteroides spp. and reduced Lactobacillus spp. in feces after Candida administration. Additionally, synergy in the elicitation of cytokine production from bone marrow-derived macrophages, in vitro, was demonstrated by co-exposure to heat-killed E. coli and BG. In conclusion, intestinal abundance of fungi and/or fungal-molecules was associated with increased bacterial sepsis-severity, perhaps through enhanced cytokine elicitation induced by synergistic responses to molecules from gut-derived bacteria and fungi. Conversely, reducing intestinal fungal burdens decreased serum BG and attenuated sepsis in our model.

The role of intestinal Candida albicans in bacterial sepsis, in the absence of candidemia, was investigated in murine models. Live C albicans or normal saline solution (NSS) was administered orally once, followed by 5 days of daily oral antibiotic-mixtures (ATB). Cecal ligation and puncture (CLP) was then performed to induce sepsis.Fecal Candida was detected by culture only in models with Candida administration. Oral Candida administration with/without ATB enhanced gut-pathogenic bacteria as determined by microbiome analysis. Despite negative candidemia, serum (1→3)-β-D-glucan (BG) was higher in CLP with Candida preconditioning models than in CLP-controls (NSS-preconditioning) at 6 and/or 18 h post-CLP. Blood bacterial burdens were not increased with Candida administration.Additionally, CLP with high-dose Candida (10 colony forming units) induced higher levels of fecal Candida, serum BG, serum IL-6, and mortality than the lowest dose (100 colony forming units). Interestingly, fluconazole attenuated fecal Candida and improved survival in mice with live-Candida administration, but not in the CLP-controls. Heat-killed Candida preparations or their supernatants reduced bone marrow-derived macrophage killing activity in vitro but enhanced cytokine production.In conclusion, intestinal abundance of fungi and/or fungal-molecules was associated with increased bacterial sepsis severity, perhaps through cytokine storm induction and/or decreased macrophage killing activity. These observations suggest that further investigation of the potential role of intestinal fungal burdens in sepsis is warranted.

Reefs at Ko Samae San (S), Khao Ma Cho (K), and Ko Tao Mo (T), in the Gulf of Thailand (GoT) represent a biodiversity hotspot, and bacteria play significant roles in maintaining the health of these coral reefs and their biogeochemical cycles. Therefore, this study analyzed bacterial communities (microbiota) from healthy corals and nearby seawater and sediment, using B-RISA and 16S rRNA gene sequencing. Sampling was done in one dry and one wet season to provide an initial assessment of variation with environmental conditions. The most prevalent coral species were Porites lutea, Platygyra sinensis, Acropora humilis, and Acropora millepora. The B-RISA and the sequencing results were correlated, which increased confidence the results. The microbiota varied among corals, seawater, and sediment and between the wet and dry seasons. Percentages of bacteria with known functions varied among sample types and seasons, and their relative abundances supported previously reported essential functions, such as prevention of disease (e.g., Pseudoalteromonas, Psychrobacter, and Cobetia were more abundant on corals in the dry season). Pearson's correlations and multiple factor regressions identified dissolved oxygen (DO), temperature, salinity, and density as significant influences on the microbiota. The equations estimated the relative abundance of a community comprising 147 bacterial genera, as well as the relative abundance of Pseudomonas, Clostridium, Verrucomicrobium, and Epulopiscium (R 2 ≥ 0.721). These results represent the first descriptions of microbiota from corals, and surrounding seawater and sediments in the upper GoT.

Reef sites of Ko Samae San (S), Khao Ma Cho (K) and Ko Tao Mo (T) in the upper Gulf of Thailand have abundant corals and represent a hotspot of marine biodiversity. Coral reefs serve as major networks of food and energy, where bacteria, microbial eukaryotes (fungi) and small eukaryotes play significant roles as primary producers that convert inorganic compounds to organic compounds, degraders of toxic substances, and recyclers. These functions sustain food and energy supplies. Advances in metagenomics and next-generation sequencing can provide knowledge of diversity without limitations imposed by media and other conditions associated with laboratory cultures. Scientists have researched bacterial diversity of coral sites; however, a database for fungi and small eukaryotes from Thailand's sites with abundant corals is lacking. The present study combined fungal ribosomal intergenic spacer analysis (F-RISA) and 18S rRNA gene sequencing to unveil the first culture-independent microbial and small eukaryotes from these sites at two times and across four species of coral (Porites lutea, Platygyra sinensis, Acropora humilis, and Acropora millepora), seawater and sediment. Results showed that the small eukaryotic communities on corals were distinct from communities in the surrounding seawater and sediment. The communities were relatively similar at the three sites and during the two periods of time. Pearson's correlations indicated the community diversity were associated with water quality (e.g., dissolved oxygen concentrations and density of water).

Background: Tubercolosis (EPTB) is an infectious disease that affects tissue outside the lungs. EPTB patients cannot be source of infection, therefore the findings in the community indicate that there are still active pul- monary TB patients acting as a source of infection. Understanding distributions of EPTB can be used as indicator to individu- ate the unmonitored source of TB transmission in the community. Objectives: The aim of this study is to analyze EPTB using spatial modeling based on patients’ location. Methods: This study is an observational research with spatial analysis approach using SatScanv.9.4.4 and ArcGis v.10.4. Involving 46 samples of EPTB patients in Anatomy Pathology Laboratory of RSUD Abdul Wahab Sjahranie in 2017 and 7 pul- monary TB patients who were contacts of EPTB patients. The distribution of EPTB patients is mostly located in areas with high population density. Results: The results showed that the dis- tribution pattern of EPTB patients was mostly in areas with high population densi- ties. Space-time permutation model shows there are 3 clusters of EPTB with a 2.91, 0.97, 1.13 km radius centered on -0.504177 S/117.092132 E, -0.476895 S /117.141700 E, -0.517031 S/117.092132 E. Conclusion: The distribution of patients with EPTB and pulmonary TB indicates there is an interaction between EPTB and pulmonary TB in the cluster area. Bernoulli model shows that there is 1 cluster of EPTB and pulmonary TB with relative risk 5.29, radius of 3.19 km, and centered on - 0.458159 S / 117.149945 E.

No abstract

Predominant corals of Samae San island, Thailand, including Acropora humilis, Acropora millepora, Porites lutea and Platygyra sinensis, were cultured and identified for bacterial species by 16S rRNA gene sequencing. Of all corals, dominant cultured bacteria were Firmicutes (46.75%), Proteobacteria (34.60%), Actinobacteria (17.18%) and Bacteriodetes (1.47%). Firmicutes such as Staphylococcus, Bacillus and Sediminibacillus was relatively most abundant (∼50%), except in P. sinensis that Proteobacteria was more abundant. Over culture temperature range of 20-50°C, different bacterial species were grown (ANOVA, p < 0.05). Coral P. lutea and A. humilis associated bacteria were able to be cultured at the highest temperature (45°C), followed by coral A. millepora (40°C) and P. sinensis (35°C) bacteria. The high-temperature cultured bacteria were mostly Bacillus such as Bacillus amyloliquefaceins. Multiple sequence alignment and phylogeny relationship of the bacterial species from these four corals showed that, for Firmicutes and Proteobacteria, the bacterial species isolated from coral P. lutea, A. humilis and A. millepora rather shared clades. Overall, the coral Acropora demonstrated more diversity of bacterial species than coral Porites. The culturing attempt at high temperature allowed additional bacterial species findings.

Diphtheria is an infectious disease caused by the bacterium Corynebacterium diphtheria, which primarily infects the throat and upper airways, and produces a toxin affecting other organs. In severe cases, it causes myocarditis or peripheral neuropathy. In Indonesia, diphtheria has once been an epidemic but then it has decreased in cases. Although the government succeeded in eliminating diphtheria cases in 1990 through immunization programs, the disease reappeared in 2009. At the end of 2017 until the beginning of 2018, outbreaks of diphtheria had been reported in several regions in Indonesia. One of which is in East Kalimantan, Samarinda. This study was conducted one year after the 2018 outbreak to find out whether diphtheria is still present in the community and to know the recent distribution of diphtheria patients. The study was conducted by examining the patient's oral mucosal swab. Data were obtained from the Medical Record and Clinical Pathology Laboratory of AWS Hospital and Dinas Kesehatan, Samarinda. A total of 43 samples were carried out by PCR (Polymerase Chain Reaction) laboratory test, using dtx primer and spatial analysis of patients detected with diphtheria using SatScan TM Software. The examination of 43 samples showed 2 samples positive for Corynebacterium diphtheriae. Both of the samples were female, lived in Air Hitam and Gunung Kelua, Samarinda Ulu District. The results of the spatial analysis showed that the location of patients of diphtheria bacteria detected did not indicate clustering.