• Biomedical Science Letters
• /
• v.5 no.1
• /
• pp.131-133
• /
• 1999

In order to the investigate epidemiological characteristics of methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA), 31 strains of Staphylococcus aureus were isolated from the equipments of two hospitals in Chonbuk. And their antimicrobial resistance patterns against 7 kinds of antimicrobial agents and the identification of MRSA by polymerase chain reaction (PCR) were studied. Seven strains among 10 strains of methicillin resistant Staphylococcus aureus showed 554 bp DNA which was a part of mecA gene in PCR analysis.

• Journal of Microbiology
• /
• v.34 no.4
• /
• pp.370-373
• /
• 1996

Three strains (KW-1, KW-14, KW-15) of Bacillus thuringiensis were isolated from soil in Wonju area and characterized. The three strains produced parasporal inclusion bodies (crystals) and spores in their cells. The KW-1 strain produces spherical crystals. The crystals of strain KW-14 are bipyramidal crystal. The KW-15 strain harbors irregular crystals. Only minor biochemical characteristics of the three isolates were different and distinctive, however general characteristics were similar to the known serotypes of B. thuringiensis. Three strains were resistant to penicilin G, oxacillin and cephalothin. Three strains were highly toxic to Bombyx mori larvae, but not to the Culex pipiens larvae.

• Korean Journal of Veterinary Service
• /
• v.20 no.3
• /
• pp.281-288
• /
• 1997

Streptococcus suis has been identified as a major cause of contagious disease in pigs Ithas been isolated worldwide from pigs suffering from meningitis, bronchopneumonia, polyserositis, polyarthritis and septicemia. Two hundred and fifty-five lung samples of slaughter pigs with gross lung lesions were collected from Jan. to Dec. 1995 in southern Chonnam area. Isolation of S suis were tested by biochemical, serological methods and antimicrobial susceptibility. The results were summerrized as follows ; 1. S suis was Isolated from 30 of 254 pneumonic lungs, 14 Isolates were isolated only, 12 were isolated with p. multocida and 4 were isolated with unidentified Gram positive cocci. 2. In biochemical characteristics studies, all isolates were not grown in 6.5% NaCl medium, and most isolates utilized L-leucine-2-naphtylamide and trehalose, didn't utilize sorbitol, ribose and L-arabinose. 3. In slide agglutination test, 6(20%) Isolates were classified as serotype 2, 4(13.3%) isolates were as serotype l/2, 16, 2 and 2(6.6%) were as serotype 1, 4, 13. 4. S suis isolates showed marked susceptibility to amoxicillin, oxacillin, cephalothin and cepoferazone and high resistance to kanamycin, streptomycin, tetracycline and erythromycin.

• Natural Product Sciences
• /
• v.13 no.2
• /
• pp.164-168
• /
• 2007

To investigate natural antibiotics from plant essential oils and to evaluate their synergism with current antimicrobial drugs in inhibiting antibiotic-resistant strains of Streptococcus pneumoniae. The minimal inhibitory concentrations (MICs) of eleven plant essential oils and their main components were established for two antibiotic-susceptible and two antibiotic-resistant strains of S. pneumoniae, using broth microdilution tests. Potential synergism with oxacillin, norfloxacin, or erythromycin was evaluated using a checkerboard microtitre assay. Among the tested oils, Mentha piperita oil and its main component, menthol, exhibited the strongest inhibitory activities against all of the tested strains. The activity of antibiotics against antibiotic-resistant strains of S. pneumoniae was enhanced significantly by combination with Mentha piperita oils and its main component, menthol. In conclusion, the combination Mentha piperita essential oil or menthol with antibiotics could be used to reduce the effective dose of antibiotic and to modulate the resistance of S. pneumoniae strains.

• Microbiology and Biotechnology Letters
• /
• v.51 no.4
• /
• pp.542-544
• /
• 2023

Methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus pseudintermedius Z0118SP0130 was isolated from eye specimen of a companion dog in South Korea. The complete genome of Z0118SP0130 consisted of a 2,663,277 bp chromosome and there was no plasmid. The strain was identified as the sequence type 45 and contained a mecA gene which comprised of staphylococcal cassette chromosome mec type Vb (5C2&5). Antimicrobial resistance to erythromycin, clindamycin, quinupristin-dalfopristin, trimethoprim-sulfamethoxazole, mupirocin, oxacillin, streptomycin, and gentamicin was observed in the strain.

• Pediatric Infection and Vaccine
• /
• v.12 no.2
• /
• pp.140-148
• /
• 2005

Purpose : To characterize the epidemiology and clinical features of invasive pneumococcal infections in Korean children. Methods : One hundred ninety four cases of invasive pneumococcal infections diagnosed at the Seoul National University Children's Hospital from October 1985 to December 2003 were analysed retrospectively. All isolates were screened for resistance to penicillin by oxacillin disc diffusion test. Serotypes were determined for 125 isolates. Results : The types of infection were bacteremia without focus 84/194(43%), meningitis 36/194(19%), pneumonia with bacteremia 36/194(19%), peritonitis 24/194(12%), other focal infections 3/194(2%). Fifty seven percent(110/194) of the episodes developed in the immunocompromised and 20%(37/194) were nosocomially acquired. The patients younger than 2 years of age was 60% in the immunocompetent patients and 25% in the immunocompromised patients. The overall case fatality rate was 7%. All the isolates by 1988 were susceptible to penicillin screened by oxacillin disk. Penicillin resistance was first detected in 1989(20%), and then increased rapidly; 89% in 1995, 69% in 1996, and 80~100% thereafter. The seven most frequently isolated serotypes were 23F, 19F, 14, 6B, 6A, 9V and 19A, which accounted for 70% of total isolates. Conclusion : S. pneumoniaeis an important cause of morbidity and mortality in children. Invasive infections caused by S. pneumoniae most often occurred in infants and young children, while they are frequent in older immunocompromised children as well. This is the largest case series on invasive pneumococcal infections in Korean children.

• Microbiology and Biotechnology Letters
• /
• v.35 no.2
• /
• pp.158-162
• /
• 2007

Methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA) is one of a major nosocomial pathogen worldwide and the emergence of this strain has become a major clinical problem. This study was performed for 13 hospitals with more than 400 beds in the country by collecting samples including hands and nasal cavities of doctors, nurses, guardians and patients. Also, additional 320 samples of hands and nasal cavities of 160 community resident in different locations and regions were collected. In all of medical environments and community resident, 625 strains of S. aureus were detected. Among 625 strains of S. aureus, 585 strains(93.6%) showed the resistance to at least one kind of antimicrobial and 112 strains (17.9%) showed multi-drug resistance with the resistance to 4 different types of antimicrobial. Total 152 MRSA strains (24.3%) were isolated from medical environment and community resident. In nasal cavity and hand, 49 MRSA (19.4%) and 103 (27.6%) MRSA were isolated, respectively Minimum inhibitory concentration(MIC) test is used to measure for susceptibility of MRSA isolated to oxacillin. At a concentration $16{\mu}g/ml$ of oxacillin, 11 strains were inhibited. 32 strains at $32{\mu}g/ml$, 41 strains at $64{\mu}g/ml$, 3 strains at $128{\mu}g/ml$, 25 stains at $256{\mu}g/ml$ and 40 strains at over $256{\mu}g/ml$ were inhibited. It was considered that medical environment showed higher than livestock and marine environments in MRSA detection rate.

• Journal of Veterinary Clinics
• /
• v.31 no.3
• /
• pp.194-198
• /
• 2014

Methicillin-resistant staphylococci (MRS) are emerging as important pathogens in humans and animals worldwide. The aim of this study was to investigate the prevalence of MRS in the racehorse population and in horse-related personnel in Korea. A total of 195 horses and 18 humans (eight veterinarians, three veterinary hospital staff, and seven horse-handlers) from racehorse farms in Korea were included in the study. The samples were collected from nasal cavities using bacterial transport medium and were cultivated on tryptic soy agar with 5% sheep blood for 3 days at $37^{\circ}C$ to confirm the presence of Staphylococcus spp. Presumptive Staphylococcus spp. isolates were identified by 16S ribosomal RNA gene analysis. The coagulase test and oxacillin susceptibility tests were performed using the tube dilution and disk diffusion methods, respectively. The presence of the mecA gene was determined using a polymerase chain reaction assay. Of the 195 horses, 29 (15.6%) yielded 29 MRS isolates. Twelve (66.7%) of the 18 horse-related personnel yielded 12 MRS isolates. All of the MRS isolates from horses or horse-related personnel were identified as methicillin-resistant coagulase-negative staphylococci (MRCNS). The result of this study suggest that the prevalence of MRS increased with the duration of antibiotic use (p = 0.002). This study also provides evidence for the zoonotic transmission of MRCNS between horses and humans, although further investigations are needed.

• Korean Journal of Clinical Laboratory Science
• /
• v.49 no.3
• /
• pp.256-262
• /
• 2017

Essential oil from herb is known to exert pharmacological effects on the human body. In this study we investigated the antibacterial activity of 4 essential oils (teetree, rosemary, melisa, and lavender), as well as the blended mixture oil of teetree, rosemary, and melisa (TRM) on three bacteria, Staphylococcus aureus, Escherichia coli, and Pseudomonas aeruginosa. Antibacterial analysis was performed using the standard disk diffusion method, and minimum inhibition concentration was determined by the broth microdilution method with different concentrations of essential oils (0.5, 1, 2 and 3 mg/mL). After incubation at $37^{\circ}C$ for 24 h, the antibacterial activity was assessed by measuring the zone of growth inhibition surrounding the disks. Herb oil with the inhibition zones showed varied values ranging from6 to 25 mm. However, the components of herb oil of TRM are as highly active as the teetree oil against pathogens, generating large inhibition zones for both gram negative and positive bacteria (13~22 mm and 8 mm inhibition zones). In the analysis for MIC, TRM showed growth-inhibitory effects at 0.0625% for S. aureus and E. coli, and 1.25% for P. aeruginosa. This result demonstrated that the anti-microbial activity of TRM was greater than a single herb oil, including oxacillin, rosemary, and teetrea. As a single herb oil, both rosemary and teetrea also had an anti-microbial effect by itself, and we can expect that the blended oil mixture may exert a synergistic effect against multidrug resistant bacteria, suggesting its future application in natural preservative agents for health food and cosmetics.

• Journal of Food Hygiene and Safety
• /
• v.29 no.3
• /
• pp.223-227
• /
• 2014

This study was investigated to determine the prevalence of methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA) isolated from raw milk samples and to further study on the molecular characteristics of the MRSA isolates. Using Staphylococcus Medium 110, Staphylococcus spp. were isolated from raw milk samples and further identification was carried by Vitek2 system. Minimum inhibitory concentrations (MICs) of antibiotics were conducted by serial dilution method according to the Clinical Laboratory Standards Institute (CLSI) guideline. For the detection of resistance genes and molecular characterization, PCR reaction was performed by gene specific primers and followed by DNA sequencing. Of the 698 milk samples, 94 Staphylococcus aureus (S. aureus) were identified (94 S. aureus/286 Staphylococcus spp.). Of the 94 S. aureus, seven isolates have mecA, a methicillin resistant gene. mecA positive seven isolates were then characterized by staphylococcal cassette chromosome mec (SCCmec) typing, and Panton-Valentine Leukocidin (pvl) gene using PCR. All of mecA positive isolates were resistant to ampicillin and oxacillin, but sensitive to teicoplanin, vancomycin and ciprofloxacin. One of seven isolates was SCCmec type II and six isolates were type IV and all seven isolates were pvl gene negative.