Objectives: To investigate the prevalence of plasmid-mediated quinolone resistance (PMQR) determinants in ciprofloxacin-Resistance Escherichia coli and Klebsiella pneumoniae isolated from patients in Najaf. Methods: A total of 134 non-duplicate isolates of ciprofloxacin-resistant E. coli (n=60) and K. pneumoniae (n=74) from clinical isolates cultures were obtained. The qnrA, qnrB, qnrS, qnrC, qnrD, aac(6')-Ib-cr, and qepA genes were detected using polymerase chain reaction (PCR). Results: The study was revealed out of 134 non-repetitive quinolones resistant E. coli and K. pneumoniae isolates, 46(76.6%) E. coli and 47 (66.7%) K. pneumoniae isolates had at least one PMQR quinolones resistant gene. 22 (16.4%) qnrB-positive isolates were identified, including 5 (8.33%) E. coli, and 17(23%) K. pneumoniae, 8(5.97%) qnrS were identified, including 7(11.7%) E. coli, and 1(1.4%) K. pneumoniae, 3(2.2%) qnr A were identified, including 1(1.6%) E. coli, and 22(2.7%) K. pneumoniae, 3 qepA -positive isolates were identified, including 3(4.1%) K. pneumoniae. The aac (6')-Ib-cr variant gene was detected in 85(63.4%) including 46(79.7%) E. Coli and 39 (52.7%) of the clinical isolates K. Pneumoniae. Conclusion: This study detected several of plasmid-mediated quinolone resistance genes among ciprofloxacin-nonsusceptible E. coli and K. pneumoniae isolated, many of them detected for the first time in Najaf, Iraq, like qnrA, qnrB, qnrS genes with predominance of qnrB gene, in addition to qepA gene in K. pneumoniae.

Carbapenemase producing Acinetobacter baumannii is frequently associated with nosocomial infections. Increasing resistance to carbapenems, may significantly reduce the choice of effective antibiotics. This study was conducted to determine the occurrence of carbapenemase producing A. baumannii isolates obtained from Najaf hospitals. Isolates were identified according to API 20NE system and more confirmed using 16Sr RNA gene. Carbapenem susceptibility was assayed by microbroth dilution and other antibiotics using disks diffusion test. Phenotypic detection of carbapenemase was performed using the imipenem-EDTA disk and modified Hodg tests. Then isolates were subjected to monoplex PCR targeting blaOXA-23, blaIMP and blaVIM genes. Twelve (1.5.%) A. baumannii isolates were recovered from clinical infections. Five (41.6%) of isolates were found to be imipenem and meropenem resistant (MIC ranged 128-256 μg mLG 1 ), of which, 4 (66.6%) gave positive result with the imipenem-EDTA disk and modified Hodg test. PCR experiments showed only two (33.3%) isolates were harbored blaOXA-23 gene. The present findings suggest that emergence of OXA-23 carbapenemase-producing A. baumannii clinical isolates in Najaf hospitals.

Background and objectives: A wide arrays of skin lesions occurred in the setting of COVID-19 infection. We aimed to estimate the incidence and types of skin lesions among hospitalized patients with COVID-19 infection. Methods:We conducted an observational cohort study on 369 hospitalized patients with COVID-19 infection at Basra Teaching Hospital for 3 months. We studied the incidence and types of skin lesions.Results: Among 369 hospitalized patients, skin lesions were developed in 5%. Of those who developed skin lesions, 33% were asymptomatic. Skin lesions were more frequent in young females (83.3%). The most frequent type of skin lesion was maculopapular 44.3% which occurred exclusively in the medical ward and half of them in asymptomatic patients. For pustular lesions, all were female, diabetic, in the ICU, in symptomatic patients with the highest levels of serum C-reactive proteins. Pseudo-chilblain lesions were reported only in younger female and half of patients were asymptomatic. Urticarial lesions were reported in the younger patients, two-thirds were symptomatic and in the ICU. Purpuric lesions were reported in the older patient who developed acute kidney injury. Extremities were the most common distribution of skin lesions in 38.8%. The mean latency period for development of skin lesions was 8.6 ± 9.1, the shortest for urticarial lesions and the longest for purpuric lesions.Conclusions: Different types of skin lesions were reported in patients with COVID-19 and may be the sole manifestations of the disease.

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AimThis study was designed to investigate the occurrence of serotypes of Listeria monocytogenes, an important food-borne pathogen, in gallbladder samples from cattle and sheep.Materials and MethodsThree hundred samples were collected and screened for the presence of L. monocytogenes. The identification of the isolates was confirmed by API-Listeria system and by the presence of hemolysin (hyl) gene. The isolates were subjected to polymerase chain reaction-based serotype identification with d1 (division 1), d2 (division 2), glt, mama (mismatch amplification mutation assay), and flaA (flagellin protein) genes.ResultsA total of 8 (2.7%) L. monocytogenes were recovered from 6 (4.0%) samples of sheep and 2 (1.3%) samples of cattle. All isolates showed positive results with Hly primers. Four isolates carried d1 gene, did not possess glt gene and harbored mama gene. The serotypes of these isolates were identified as 4a or 4c. The other 4 isolates carried d2 gene, 3 of them were positive with the FlaA primers, and hence, determined to be a 1/2a or 3a serotype, and 1 isolate was determined to be 1/2c or 3c serotype.ConclusionThis study concluded that the presence of 1/2a serotype in gallbladder samples indicates public health risk through cross-contamination of meat at slaughterhouses.