Iranian Journal of Medical Microbiology

✅ At the time of the coevolution of humans and microorganisms, the human digestive tract was colonized by thousands of species of bacteria. Mostly, intestine-borne microbes amount to the overall number of cells in the body tissue. The latest metagenomics study of the human intestinal microbiota confirmed the existence of some 3.3 million genes relative to only 23,000 genes found in tissue cells in the human body. There is increasing evidence for multiple beneficial functions of the gut microbiota in human health and illness. The best-described plant prebiotics is fructans and inulin.

✅ Lamivudine/Entecavir resistant variants are circulating in a minority of treatment naïve patients, which may indicate transmission of mutated stains to these patients or may be due to prolonged replication of the virus. This finding might be considered an alarm for increasing circulating mutant variants.

✅ The anticancer and cytotoxic effect of B. coagulans probiotic bacterial supernatant on SKBR3 cancer cells shows that with further research, this probiotic bacterium can be used as a new strategy for the possible treatment of breast cancer.

✅ The loa22 gene is a specific gene for pathogenic leptospira serovars that is not found in saprophytic serovars, so it is suggested that this gene be used to detect leptospira pathogenic serovars.

✅ In general, the antimicrobial activity of Iranian children's toothpaste was higher than non-that of Iranian samples. In addition, the MIC of 2080 and Frice toothpaste in the four bacteria examined was lower than in other used toothpaste. To prevent early tooth decay in children use of these two kinds of toothpaste is recommended.

✅ The results of this study indicate the virulence potential and drug resistance in fecal E. coli isolates in ornamental birds in Rasht. The spread of these strains in the environment can endanger the health of owners and the whole society.

✅ The expression of cytokine genes and their release into the peripheral blood was increased in both severe and mild patients with COVID-19. However, they were more intense in patients with severe symptoms than those with mild symptoms and can cause inflammatory and even destructive reactions. Vitamin D deficiency plays no role in causing severe COVID-19 in patients without risk factors. Severe COVID-19 is characterized by elevated serum levels of LDH and NLR≥3.45.

✅ This preliminary study could reflect a limited perspective on the field of the miRNAs in HBV and HIV infection. The study suggested further investigation to understand better the role of the miRNA in HIV and HBV infections.

✅ Research shows that a recombinant vaccine can be an effective candidate against cutaneous leishmaniasis.

✅ The disinfectants applied at Ayatollah Mousavi hospital generally had higher antibacterial activities. Due to the importance of nosocomial pathogens at healthcare centers, selecting the most potent, fast-acting, and efficient disinfectants to prevent hospital-acquired infections is essential.

✅ The collected samples were then examined for the presence of B. quintana in patients. Of the 60 samples collected, none were positive.

✅ 347 of the 3521 urine samples had significant bacteriuria, with a prevalence of 9.9 %. Escherichia coli occurred more frequently (54.4 %), while Pseudomonas aeruginosa had the lowest frequency of occurrence (1.4 %) in the samples. Nitrofurantoin and Amikacin were the most effective antibiotics against gram-negative and positive, respectively. This study revealed that bacterial resistance in UTIs continues to be a great problem and needs drug resistance surveillance periodically.

✅ Pus samples comprised of the majority for the isolation of enterococcal strains (40%). 54% isolated strains were HLGR, 32% were HLSR and 14% isolates were positive for both HLGR and HLSR. 61.7% of Enterococcus faecium isolates demonstrated resistance for high-level gentamicin (HLGR) and 43.75% Enterococcus faecalis isolates were resistant to high-level streptomycin (HLSR). When VRE was compared to VSE, the rate of HLSR was detected to be 4.64% in VRE, while it was 32.55% in VSE; the rate of HLGR was noted to be 11.62% in VRE and it was 41.87% in VSE. The association of HLGR with HLSR (HLAR) was 2.32% in VRE and 13.95% in VSE strains. Enterococci strains are showing an increase in their antimicrobial resistance patterns. The increment of such strains in health care settings has to be reserved and controlled to avert complicated infections.

✅ The results showed that 26 of the samples were infected with Brucella bacteria, of which 19 samples (73%) were B. abortus. Most of the brucellosis infection in cows belonged to cows less than 4 years (31.4%) and 4 to 6 years (31.4%) categories, 11 samples in both groups, so that in cows older than 6 years this rate was 13% (4 samples). The east of the province with 12 samples and the northwest of the province with one sample showed the highest and lowest levels of Brucella infection, respectively. The findings demonstrated that there is a significant difference between the frequency of Brucella contamination in milk in the eastern regions of Lorestan province with other regions (p<0.05). It should be noted that the possibility of transmitting brucellosis to humans through consumption of contaminated raw milk and dairy products in Lorestan province is high.

✅ For the first, Omicron variants (B. 1.1. 529) of SARS-CoV-2 emerged in Botswana and South Africa which probably compromise vaccine effectiveness and the protective capability of antibodies released via infection of former variants. Public concerns raised due to abundant mutations in the spike protein and elsewhere on Omicron variant resulting in escape from vaccine elicited immunity.

✅ Severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus-2 (SARS‑CoV‑2) is a strain of coronavirus that causes COVID-19 that was first identified in Wuhan of, China, on 2019 (Coronaviridae Study Group of the International Committee on Taxonomy of Viruses, 2020). Omicron variant is one of the SARS-CoV-2 variants that was first informed to WHO (World Health Organization) via South Africa (Network for Genomics Surveillance) on 24 November 2021 (Quarleri et al., 2020). The omicron was first detected in Botswana, and then the variant has spread to become omicron's predominant variant in circulation worldwide (Gowrisankar et al., 2022). Behind the original BA.1 variant (the first dominant omicron variant), several subvariants of omicron, such as BA.2, BA.3, BA.4, and BA.5 (Yao et al., 2022). Omicron subvariants BA.4 and BA.5 were classified as V-22APR-03 and V-22APR-04 by the VTG. BA.4 was designated based on potentially biologically significant mutations in spike. The BA.4 mutations are NSP4: L438 (WT, wild type); S: 69/70 deletion, L452R, F486V, Q493 (WT); ORF 7b: L11F; N: P151S and the S gene 69/70 deletion. The BA.5 has similar mutations/deletions with BA.4 except M: D3N; ORF 6: D61 (WT); ORF 7b: L11 (WT); N: P151 (WT); synonymous SNPs: A27038G, and C27889T (UK health security agency, 2022). Some people believe that the currently used vaccines are ineffective against new subvariants (Ba.4 and BA.5), which is why they do not get vaccinated. This study aimed to investigate the Ba.4 and BA.5 mutations by Bioinformatic analysis.