A5054724311- Mycobacterium research and diagnosis
- Tuberculosis Research and Epidemiology
- Antibiotic Resistance in Bacteria
- Salmonella and Campylobacter epidemiology
- Bacteriophages and microbial interactions
- Vibrio bacteria research studies
- Pneumonia and Respiratory Infections
- Dental Health and Care Utilization
- Syphilis Diagnosis and Treatment
- Reproductive tract infections research
- Occupational Health and Safety Research
- Ergonomics and Human Factors
- Infectious Diseases and Mycology
- Oral microbiology and periodontitis research
- Bacterial Identification and Susceptibility Testing
- SARS-CoV-2 and COVID-19 Research
- Dental Trauma and Treatments
- Bacterial Infections and Vaccines
- Cleft Lip and Palate Research
- Genomics and Phylogenetic Studies
- Immunodeficiency and Autoimmune Disorders
- SARS-CoV-2 detection and testing
- Infectious Diseases and Tuberculosis
- Orthopedic Surgery and Rehabilitation
- Bacterial Genetics and Biotechnology
University of Manitoba
2018-2025
Manitoba Health
2020-2025
Government of Manitoba
2022
International Centre for Infectious Diseases
2022
Public Health Agency of Canada
2021
Institut thématique Santé Publique
2021
New York University
2018-2020
Lankenau Medical Center
2019
University of Regina
2015-2019
York University
2018-2019
Reverse-transcription polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR) has become the primary method to diagnose viral diseases, including severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2). RT-PCR detects RNA, not infectious virus; thus, its ability determine duration of infectivity patients is limited. Infectivity a critical determinant in informing public health guidelines/interventions. Our goal was relationship between E gene SARS-CoV-2 cycle threshold (Ct) values from samples, symptom...
Whole genome sequencing (WGS) of Salmonella supports both molecular typing and detection antimicrobial resistance (AMR). Here, we evaluated the correlation between phenotypic susceptibility testing (AST) in silico prediction AMR from WGS enterica (n = 1321) isolated human infections Canada. Phenotypic results broth microdilution were used as gold standard. To facilitate high-throughput assemblies, created a tool called Staramr, which incorporates ResFinder PointFinder databases custom...
This paper reviews the shortcomings of present approaches to reduce oral diseases and inequalities, details importance social determinants, links that research needs policies on implementation strategies health inequalities. Inequalities in are not narrowing. Attention is therefore being directed at determinants major conditions extent which those common vary within, between, among groups, because if inequalities across then so must underlying causes. Tackling requires tailored each group...
Virulence of Mycobacterium tuberculosis and related pathogenic mycobacteria requires the secretion early secretory antigenic 6 kDa (ESAT-6) culture filtrate protein 10 (CFP-10), two small proteins that lack traditional signal sequences are exported through an alternative pathway encoded primarily by RD1 genetic locus. Mutations affecting synthesis or ESAT-6 CFP-10 attenuate virulence M. in murine models infection. However, specific functions these their system currently unclear. In this...
ABSTRACT Mupirocin is a topical antibiotic used for the treatment of skin infections and eradication methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus carriage. It inhibits bacterial protein synthesis by interfering with isoleucyl-tRNA synthetase activity. High-level mupirocin resistance (MIC ≥512 μg/ml) mediated expression mupA ( ileS2 ), which encodes an alternate synthetase. In this study, we describe high-level novel locus, mupB . The gene (3,102 bp) shares 65.5% sequence identity but only...
ABSTRACT The lipid-rich cell wall is a defining feature of Mycobacterium species. Individual components affect diverse mycobacterial phenotypes including colony morphology, biofilm formation, antibiotic resistance, and virulence. In this study, we describe transposon insertion mutant smegmatis mc 2 155 that exhibits altered morphology defects in formation. mutation was localized to the lsr2 gene. First identified as an immunodominant T-cell antigen leprae , orthologs have been all sequenced...
Mycobacterium avium comprises organisms that share the same species designation despite considerable genomic and phenotypic variability. To determine degree nature of variability between subspecies strains M. avium, we used multilocus sequencing analysis, studying 56 genetically diverse included all described subspecies. In total, 8,064 bp sequence from 10 gene loci were studied, with 205 (2.5%) representing variable positions. The majority (149/205) these variations found among subsp....
Abstract Bacille Calmette-Guérin (BCG) is an attenuated strain of Mycobacterium bovis currently used as a vaccine against tuberculosis. Global distribution and propagation BCG has contributed to the in vitro evolution thought partially account for different outcomes trials. Previous efforts by several molecular techniques effectively identified large sequence polymorphisms among daughter strains, but lacked resolution identify smaller changes. In this study, we have NimbleGen tiling array...
ABSTRACT Pseudomonas aeruginosa 96 (PA96) was isolated during a multicenter surveillance study in Guangzhou, China, 2000. Whole-genome sequencing of this outbreak strain facilitated analysis its IncP-2 carbapenem-resistant plasmid, pOZ176. The plasmid had length 500,839 bp and an average percent G+C content 57%. Of the 618 predicted open reading frames, 65% encode hypothetical proteins. pOZ176 backbone is not closely related to any plasmids thus far sequenced, but some similarity pQBR103...
Pyrazinamide (PZA) is an important component of first-line therapy for the treatment tuberculosis. Here, we evaluate targeted gene sequencing as a supplement to phenotypic PZA susceptibility testing Mycobacterium Routine pncA, but not rpsA, effective verification results.
Bedaquiline (BDQ), a diarylquinoline antibiotic that targets ATP synthase, is effective for the treatment of Mycobacterium tuberculosis infections no longer respond to conventional drugs. While investigating off-label use BDQ as salvage therapy, seven 13 patients with intracellulare lung disease had an initial microbiological response and then relapsed. Whole-genome comparison pretreatment relapse isolates M. uncovered mutations in previously uncharacterized locus, mmpT5 Preliminary analysis...
Attention to environmental sources of Mycobacterium avium complex (MAC) infection is a vital component disease prevention and control. We investigated MAC colonization household plumbing in suburban Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, USA. used variable-number tandem-repeat genotyping whole-genome sequencing with core genome single-nucleotide variant analysis compare M. from biofilms isolates patient respiratory specimens. was recovered 30 (81.1%) 37 households, including 19 (90.5%) 21 households....
<h3>BACKGROUND:</h3> The role of children in the transmission and community spread severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) is unclear. We aimed to quantify infectivity SARS-CoV-2 nasopharyngeal samples from compared with adults. <h3>METHODS:</h3> obtained swabs adult pediatric cases disease 2019 (COVID-19) their contacts who tested positive for Manitoba between March December 2020. viral growth cell culture, cycle threshold values reverse transcription polymerase chain...
Summary Mycobacterium bovis Bacille Calmette–Guérin (BCG) strains are genetically and phenotypically heterogeneous. Expression of the antigenic proteins MPB70 MPB83 is known to vary considerably across BCG strains; however, reason for this phenotypic difference has remained unknown. By immunoblot, we separated into high‐ low‐producing strains. quantitative reverse transcription polymerase chain reaction (RT‐PCR), determined that antigen‐encoding genes, mpb70 mpb83 , follows same strain...
Summary Lipooligosaccharides (LOSs) are antigenic glycolipids that present in some species of Mycobacterium including the Canetti strain M. tuberculosis . The core LOS structures from several mycobacterial organisms have been established, but biosynthetic pathways LOSs remain unknown. In this study, we describe two transposon insertion mutants marinum exhibit altered colony morphology. Cell wall analysis reveals MRS1271 mutant is defective synthesis LOS‐II, whereas MRS1178 accumulates an...
Patterns of gene flow can have marked effects on the evolution populations. To better understand migration dynamics Mycobacterium tuberculosis , we studied genetic data from European M. lineages currently circulating in Aboriginal and French Canadian communities. A single lineage, characterized by DS6 Quebec genomic deletion, is at highest frequency among populations Ontario, Saskatchewan, Alberta; this bacterial lineage also dominant (TB) cases Canadians resident Quebec. Substantial contact...
Macrolides are a mainstay of therapy for infections due to nontuberculous mycobacteria (NTM). Among rapidly growing (RGM), inducible macrolide resistance is associated with four chromosomal 23S rRNA methylase (
ABSTRACT Antimicrobial resistance (AMR) is a global threat. The identification and characterization of novel genes integral to AMR surveillance. erm (55) gene was originally identified through whole genome sequencing macrolide-resistant strains Mycobacterium chelonae . annotated as ribosomal methyltransferase, but its role determinant macrolide not formally demonstrated. Three alleles have now been documented. plasmid-borne P , the transposon-associated T chromosomal encoded C exhibit ≈82%...
Ciprofloxacin is important for treatment of severe or invasive Salmonella infections in humans. As laboratories transition from phenotypic to genomics-based methods determining ciprofloxacin non-susceptibility, it define the correlation between genetic determinants resistance and outcomes. Here, we examined mechanisms tested hypothesis that isolates containing only one mechanism had intermediate while two more full according breakpoints Clinical Laboratory Standards Institute. Among 13,750...
Amphotericin B remains an important treatment for multidrug resistant Candida auris. Antifungal susceptibility testing of amphotericin in C. auris can vary depending on the methodology used. Here, we compared Etest method and Clinical Laboratory Standards Institute broth microdilution reference against 60 clinical isolates from four major clades. The minimum inhibitory concentrations differed significantly by (p-value, <0.0001) discrepancies were observed interpretation resistance...
Pathogenic mycobacteria survive within macrophages by precluding the fusion of phagosomes with late endosomes or lysosomes. Because molecular determinants normal phagolysosome formation are poorly understood, sites targeted remain unidentified. We found that Hrs, an adaptor molecule involved in protein sorting, associates prior to their Recruitment Hrs required interaction its FYVE domain phagosomal phosphatidylinositol 3-phosphate, but two other attachment were additionally involved....