Online: ISSN 2784 – 0360 | ISSN – L 2784 – 0360 | Print: ISSN 2784 – 0379 ISSN-L 2784 – 0360

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Crivei Ioana Cristina

Prevalence and Characterisation of Extended-Spectrum Beta-Lactamases and Plasmid-Mediated Quinolones Resistance in Enterobacteriaceae Isolated from Companion Animals

Jan 15, 2024 |

Andreea Paula Cozma, Iulia Elena Măciucă, Cristina Mihaela Rîmbu, Ioana Crivei, Șerban Moroșan, Lucia Carmen Trincă, Dorina Timofte

ABSTRACT. Antimicrobial resistance is a major public health concern worldwide. This study aims to determine the prevalence of Enterobacterales producing beta-lactamase (TEM, SHV, OXA) or extended-spectrum beta-lactamases (ESBL), as well as plasmid-mediated resistance to quinolones (PMQR) (qnrA, qnrB, qnrS) in companion animals from the northeast region of Romania. A total of 124 faecal samples were collected aseptically from healthy dogs attending the veterinary practice for vaccination and cultivated on Brilliance ESBL medium (Oxoid, UK). The ESBL production testing was performed using the combination disc test. The identification of Enterobacterales strains was achieved using molecular identification and based on biochemical tests. Antimicrobial susceptibility testing was performed using the disk diffusion method. Identification of genes encoding for beta-lactamase enzymes and genes encoding plasmid-mediated resistance to quinolones was performed by PCR according to the protocols previously described. After ESBL screening, 31 (31/124; 25%) extended-spectrum cephalosporin (ESC)-resistant Enterobacterales were obtained, and 67.74% (21/31) of them were confirmed as ESBL-producers. Regarding the Enterobacterales species, 27 (27/31; 87.1%) were Escherichia coli and 4 (4/31; 12.9%) strains were Klebsiella pneumoniae. Among the ESBL-producing isolates, the blaCTX-M-1 gene group was predominant (58.82%), followed by the blaCTX-M-9 group (41.18%). The blaTEM, blaSHV and blaOXA gene groups were identified in 54.83%, 29.03% and 3.22% of the analysed strains, respectively. The prevalence of PMQR genes was 22.58% and consisted only of qnrS (19.35%) and qnrA (3.22%) genes. The prevalence of ESBL strains related to the total number of analysed samples was 16.93% (21/124). The findings show a significant prevalence of ESBLs and PMQR genes in Enterobacterales strains isolated from the faeces of healthy dogs, implying that pets may pose a risk of transmitting ESBL strains to other animals or owners.

Keywords: antimicrobial resistance; companion animals; ESBL genes.

Abstract published in Conference Programme dedicated to LIFE SCIENCES TODAY FOR TOMORROW

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Prevalence of West Nile Virus Antibodies in Indoor Dogs From an Urban Area in Iași, Romania: Indicators of Viral Presence and Urban Transmission Potential

Sep 4, 2023 |

Luanda Elena Oșlobanu, Luciana Alexandra Crivei, Ioana Alexandra Rățoi, Ioana Cristina Crivei, Gheorghe Savuța

ABSTRACT. West Nile Virus (WNV), a zoonotic mosquito-borne virus (mobovirus) originally isolated from the blood of a febrile Ugandan woman in 1937, caused substantial human disease in Europe starting in the 1990s and emerged in 1999 in The United States of America (USA) for the first time. It has become an important concern for public health due to its reemergence and frequent human outbreaks. The enzootic transmission cycle of arboviruses involves primary wild animals; however, spillover transmission is reported frequently in domestic animals. Dogs are dead-end hosts in WNV transmission epidemiology. However, detecting WNV antibodies in the dog population can indicate the virus’s presence and spread in different areas. The virus is known to be endemic in parts of Romania, including Iași County. The study aimed at assessing the prevalence of anti-WNV antibodies in indoor dogs from an urban area in Iași, where all the conditions for virus transmission are met (wetland, density of wildlife hosts including birds, abundance of vectors, domestic mammal hosts and synanthropic birds). Using a commercial enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (INGEZIM West Nile COMPAC, Ingenasa, Madrid, Spain), serum samples collected from indoor dogs between 2020–2022 were screened for WNV antibodies. The results showed an overall seroprevalence of 12.2%. Detection of specific antibodies in dogs suggests a possible establishment of an urban cycle for WNV or other antigenically related flaviviruses.

Keywords: dogs; seroprevalence; West Nile.

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Effect of Grape Skin Powder Addition on Chemical, Nutritional and Technological Properties of Cheese

Jun 22, 2023 |

Roxana Nicoleta Rațu, Marius Giorgi Usturoi, Răzvan Mihail Radu-Rusu, Ionuț Dumitru Veleșcu, Florin Daniel Lipșa, Vlad Nicolae Arsenoaia, Alina Narcisa Postolache, Ioana Cristina Crivei, Petru Marian Cârlescu

ABSTRACT. Large amounts of chemicals with useful properties can be found in by-products of the processing of grapes. Consumer interest in functional foods has increased recently, with dairy products dominating this market. Constituents from grape-based by-products that are naturally occurring in grapes have the potential to enhance the functional qualities of dairy products and lessen environmental damage. As a result, the goal of this research is to provide crucial information on the use of grape skin powder as a helpful ingredient in the manufacture of cheese. In this study, grape skin powder (GSP) was added to cheese to increase its bioactive compounds content and antioxidant activity. Total phenolic content (TPC) was significantly greater in the enriched cheese (5.483±0.443 mg C3G/100 g DW). Adding 2% grape skin powder to the cheese formulation gave an increase of 0.295 mg CE/g DW of TFC and 2.046 mg GAE/g DW of TPC. The GSP-supplemented cheese also showed greater antioxidant activity than the control. This study demonstrates that grape by-products can effectively transfer beneficial compounds to cheese.

Keywords: food; functional; grapes by-products; quality.

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© by the authors; licensee Journal of Applied Life Sciences and Environment, Iasi, Romania. This article is an open access article distributed under the terms and conditions of the Creative Commons Attribution License (http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0)