• Korean Journal of Veterinary Service
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• v.42 no.2
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• pp.53-60
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• 2019

This study was performed to investigate antimicrobial resistance in bacterial isolates obtained from companion dogs in veterinary hospitals and an animal shelter in Incheon. Drug resistance was examined respectively with the isolates of Escherichia coli, Enterococcus faecalis, and Staphylococcus pseudintermedius. The prevalence of drug resistance was calculated for each bacterial species towards 163 E. coli isolates, 156 E. faecalis isolates, and 86 S. pseudintermedius isolates by using selected antimicrobials. E. coli isolates were highly resistant to ampicillin, ciprofloxacin and tetracycline (47.9%, 28.2% and 28.2%, respectively). E. faecalis isolates were highly resistant to quinupristin-dalfopristin, tetracycline, kanamycin, rifampicin (69.8%, 66.0%, 53.8% and 51.9%, respectively). Higher levels of resistance were detected for ampicillin, penicillin, tetracycline, erythromycin, trimethoprim/sulfamethoxazole, telithromycin in S. pseudintermedius isolates (83.7%~52.6%, respectively). Occurrence of methicillin-resistant S. pseudintermedius (MRSP) was confirmed by oxacillin disc diffusion method, resulted in 23.3% occurrence among the S. pseudintermedius isolates (20/86 strains). The occurrence ratio of multidrug-resistance in the isolates of E. coli, E. faecalis, and S. pseudintermedius was 34.5%, 56.9%, and 67.9%, respectively. In this study, higher levels of antimicrobial drug resistance were observed in bacterial isolates obtained from dogs in Incheon. A regular monitoring and surveillance program should be implemented to prevent the emergence and spread of the drug-resistant bacteria carried in companion dogs.

• Korean Journal of Veterinary Service
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• v.42 no.1
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• pp.17-24
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• 2019

The aim of this study was to investigate the prevalence and characterization of plasmid-mediated quinolone resistance (PMQR) gene in 79 Enterobacteriaceae isolated from dogs and cats. Of 79 isolates, PMQR genes were found in 10 (12.7%) isolates, including aac(6')-lb-cr, qnrB, qnrS and qnrA detected alone or in combination in 8 (10.1%), 4 (5.1%), 2 (2.5%) and 1 (1.3%) isolates, respectively. Interestingly, two qnrS genes were detected in nalidixic acid and ciprofloxacin susceptible isolates. Extended-spectrum ${\beta}$-lactamase (ESBL) was detected in 90% (9 isolates) of PMQR positives isolates. Among ESBL genes, CTX-M, TEM and SHV were detected in 9, 8 and 3 isolates, respectively. Almost all PMQR genes were detected in co-existence with ESBL genes. All PMQR positives isolates were multidrug resistance (i.e. resistant to five or more antibiotics). qepA, OXA and CMY-2 genes were not found. The six transconjugants were obtained by conjugation experiment. The aac(6')-lb-cr, qnrB and qnrS were co-transferred with CTX-M, TEM and/or SHV, whereas qnrA was not observed among transconugants. This is the first report of the presence of aac(6')-lb-cr and qnrA gene among Enterobacteriaceae isolates from dogs in Korea. The prudent use of antimicrobials and continuous monitoring for companion animals are required.

• Journal of Microbiology and Biotechnology
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• v.31 no.5
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• pp.733-739
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• 2021

Acinetobacter strains are widely present in the environment. Some antimicrobial-resistant strains of this genus have been implicated in infections acquired in hospitals. Genetic similarities have been reported between Acinetobacter strains in nosocomial infections and those isolated from foods. However, the antimicrobial resistance of Acinetobacter strains in foods, such as meat, remains unclear. This study initially aimed to isolate Campylobacter strains; instead, strains of the genus Acinetobacter were isolated from meat products, and their antimicrobial resistance was investigated. In total, 58 Acinetobacter strains were isolated from 381 meat samples. Of these, 32 strains (38.6%) were from beef, 22 (26.5%) from pork, and 4 (4.8%) from duck meat. Antimicrobial susceptibility tests revealed that 12 strains were resistant to more than one antimicrobial agent, whereas two strains were multidrug-resistant; both strains were resistant to colistin. Cephalosporin antimicrobials showed high minimal inhibitory concentration against Acinetobacter strains. Resfinder analysis showed that one colistin-resistant strain carried mcr-4.3; this plasmid type was not confirmed, even when analyzed with PlasmidFinder. Analysis of the contig harboring mcr-4.3 using BLAST confirmed that this contig was related to mcr-4.3 of Acinetobacter baumannii. The increase in antimicrobial resistance in food production environments increases the resistance rate of Acinetobacter strains present in meat, inhibits the isolation of Campylobacter strains, and acts as a medium for the transmission of antimicrobial resistance in the environment. Therefore, further investigations are warranted to prevent the spread of antimicrobial resistance in food products.

• Infection and chemotherapy
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• v.50 no.4
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• pp.328-339
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• 2018

Background: Pneumococcal disease is a major cause of morbidity and mortality worldwide, especially in patients with comorbidities and advanced age. This study evaluated trends in epidemiology of adult pneumococcal disease in Crete, Greece, by identifying serotype distribution and antimicrobial resistance of consecutive Streptococcus pneumoniae strains isolated from adults during an 8-year time period (2009-2016) and the indirect effect of the infant pneumococcal higher-valent conjugate vaccines 10-valent pneumococcal conjugate vaccine (PCV10) and 13-valent pneumococcal conjugate vaccine (PCV13). Materials and Methods: Antimicrobial susceptibility was performed by E-test and serotyping by Quellung reaction. Multidrug resistance (MDR) was defined as non-susceptibility to penicillin (PNSP) combined with resistance to ${\geq}2$ non-${\beta}$-lactam antimicrobials. Results: A total of 135 S. pneumoniae strains were isolated from adults during the study period. Twenty-one serotypes were identified with 17F, 15A, 3, 19A, and 11A, being the most common. The coverage rates of PCV10, and PCV13 were 17.8% and 37.8%, respectively. PCV13 serotypes decreased significantly from 68.4% in 2009 to 8.3% in 2016 (P = 0.002). The most important emerging non-PCV13 serotypes were 17F, 15A, and 11A, with 15A being strongly associated with antimicrobial resistance and MDR. Among all study isolates, penicillin-resistant and MDR strains represented 7.4% and 14.1%, respectively. Predominant PNSP serotypes were 19A (21.7%), 11A (17.4%), and 15A (17.4%). Erythromycin, clindamycin, tetracycline, trimethoprim-sulfamethoxazole, and levofloxacin resistant rates were 30.4%, 15.6%, 16.3%, 16.3%, and 1.5%, respectively. Conclusion: Although pneumococcal disease continues to be a health burden in adults in Crete, our study reveals a herd protection effect of the infant pneumococcal higher-valent conjugate vaccination. Surveillance of changes in serotype distribution and antimicrobial resistance among pneumococcal isolates are necessary to guide optimal prevention and treatment strategies.

• Korean Journal of Fisheries and Aquatic Sciences
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• v.55 no.5
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• pp.495-504
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• 2022

This study examined the antimicrobials properties of bacteria using the minimum inhibitory concentration method. The bacteria were isolated from 30 shellfish (oysters and short neck clams) collected from Jawol-myeon, Ongjin-gun, Incheon and Iwon-myeon, Taean-gun, Chungcheongnam-do, on the west coast of Korea. A total of 528 bacteria were isolated from June to October 2020 and were classified into land-originating (LB; 264 strains) and marine-originating (MB; 264 strains) bacterial groups. Of the LB strains, 10 genera were identified, of which nine were Enterobacteriaceae. All MB strains were identified as species of the genus Vibrio spp.. Antimicrobial resistance to one or more agents was observed in 77.3% of the LB strains, and 90-100% of them were resistant to ampicillin Escherichia spp. were not resistant to ampicillin. The overall multidrug resistance rate of the LB strains was 49.2%, with 85 resistance patterns. Antimicrobial resistance to one or more agents was observed in 98.1% of the MB strains, because most of the V. alginolyticus and V. parahaemolyticus strains were resistant to ampicillin. The overall multidrug resistance rate of the MB strains was 1.9% with 19 resistance patterns.

• Fisheries and Aquatic Sciences
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• v.25 no.4
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• pp.189-201
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• 2022

Jellyfish is an emerging aquaculture species, farmed for Oriental cuisines and nutraceutical ingredients. This study aimed to examine antioxidative and antimicrobial potentials of various fractions of the jellyfish, Acromitus hardenbergi. The bell and oral arms of the jellyfish were sequentially extracted with petroleum ether (PE), dichloromethane (DCM), chloroform (CHCl₃), methanol (MeOH), and water (H₂O) to extract its bioactive in an increasing polarity gradient. Test fractions were assayed for antiradical activities using electron spin resonance spectrometry, β-carotene-linoleate model and Folin-Ciocalteu assay; and antimicrobial activity against 2 Gram-negative bacteria, 4 Gram-positive bacteria and 2 fungal species using the disc diffusion assay. All fractions were also subjected to Fourier Transform Infrared (FTIR) analysis to identify types of functional groups present. It was found that the hydrophilic extracts (H₂O fractions) possessed the most effective radical scavenging activity (p < 0.05) while the lipophilic extracts (PE fractions) the most active antimicrobial activity, especially against Gram-positive bacteria (p < 0.05). Total oxidation substrates content was found to be highest in the PE fractions of jellyfish bell and oral arms (p < 0.05). FTIR data showed that the H₂O and MeOH fractions contains similar functional groups including -OH, -C=O, -N-H and -S=O groups, while the PE, DCM, and CHCl₃ fractions, the -CH₃, -COOH groups. This study showed that A. hardenbergi contains antioxidants and antimicrobials, thereby supporting the traditional claim of the jellyfish as an anti-aging and health-promoting functional food. Bioassay-guided fractionation approach serves as a critical milestone for the strategic screening, purification, and elucidation of therapeutically significant actives from jellyfish.

• Korean Journal of Fisheries and Aquatic Sciences
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• v.56 no.2
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• pp.188-195
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• 2023

Antimicrobial resistance patterns of Escherichia coli strains isolated from 30 seawater samples and 30 Korean rockfish Sebastes schlegelii collected from fish farms off the South Coast of Korea in 2018-2019, were investigated. The isolated E. coli (154 strains) showed the highest antimicrobial resistance to tetracycline (44.8%) followed by chloramphenicol (38.3%), streptomycin (37.6%), and trimethoprim/sulfamethoxazole (35.7%). The antimicrobial resistance rate was higher in E. coli strains isolated from Korean rockfish than those from seawater. Multiple antibiotic resistance (MAR) against at least three antimicrobials (MAR index: ≥0.2) was observed in 35.6% and 79.2% of the seawater and Korean rockfish isolates, respectively. In conclusion, continuous monitoring is required to identify changes in antimicrobial resistance and their correlations in the aquatic environment and products.

• Journal of Microbiology and Biotechnology
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• v.32 no.11
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• pp.1462-1470
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• 2022

Natural antimicrobial substances are needed as alternatives to synthetic antimicrobials to protect against foodborne pathogens. In this study, a bacteriocin-producing bacterium, Bacillus subtilis HD15, was isolated from doenjang, a traditional Korean fermented soybean paste. We sequenced the complete genome of B. subtilis HD15. This genome size was 4,173,431 bp with a G + C content of of 43.58%, 4,305 genes, and 4,222 protein-coding genes with predicted functions, including a subtilosin A gene cluster. The bacteriocin was purified by ammonium sulfate precipitation, Diethylaminoethanol-Sepharose chromatography, and Sephacryl gel filtration, with 12.4-fold purification and 26.2% yield, respectively. The purified protein had a molecular weight of 3.6 kDa. The N-terminal amino acid sequence showed the highest similarity to Bacillus subtilis 168 subtilosin A (78%) but only 68% similarity to B. tequilensis subtilosin proteins, indicating that the antimicrobial substance isolated from B. subtilis HD15 is a novel bacteriocin related to subtilosin A. The purified protein from B. subtilis HD15 exhibited high antimicrobial activity against Listeria monocytogenes and Bacillus cereus. It showed stable activity in the range 0-70℃ and pH 2-10 and was completely inhibited by protease, proteinase K, and pronase E treatment, suggesting that it is a proteinaceous substance. These findings support the potential industrial applications of the novel bacteriocin purified from B. subtilis HD15.

• Korean Journal of Veterinary Service
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• v.46 no.1
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• pp.35-45
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• 2023

Pathogenic Escherichia coli is the cause of a wide range of diseases in pigs, including diarrhea, edema disease, and septicemia. Diarrhea caused E. coli may result in significant economic losses, making pathogenic E. coli an important pathogen for the swine industry. This study investigated the prevalence of virulence factor genes, antimicrobial resistance phenotypes, and resistance genes in E. coli isolated from feces of piglets in Korea between 2017 and 2020. As a result, 119 pathogenic E. coli isolates were obtained from 601 fecal samples. The F4 adhesin gene and the STb enterotoxin gene were commonly present in E. coli isolated from diarrhea samples. The dominant virulotypes of isolates from diarrhea samples were STb, Stx2e, and F4:LT:STb. More than 80% of the screened isolates were resistant to ampicillin, sulfisoxazole, chloramphenicol, or tetracycline. To confirm the resistance mechanisms for β-lactam or quinolone, we investigated the genotypic factors of resistance. Each of the ceftiofur-resistant E. coli produced an extended-spectrum β-lactamase encoded by bla_CTX-M-14, bla_CTX-M-27, and bla_CTX-M-55. And all ciprofloxacin-resistant E. coli harbored mutations in quinoloneresistance-determining-regions. In addition, some of the ciprofloxacin-resistant E. coli contained the plasmid-mediated-quinolone-resistance genes such as qepA, qnrB1, or qnrD. This study has confirmed that the F4 fimbria and the STb enterotoxin are the most predominant in pathogenic E. coli isolated from piglets with diarrhea in Korea and there is a great need for responsible and prudent use of antimicrobials to treat colibacillosis.