Let’s begin 2023 with a WISE Microbiology Time!

Automated MALDI-TOF target preparation, surface hygiene monitoring in a physiotherapy department, and an analysis of HPV prevalence 10 years after the beginning of the Malaysian vaccination campaign: read these studies exploring three peculiar sides of our WISE approach!

• The first study evaluated the performance of Colibrí™ against the manual preparation of MALDI targets. In the first phase of the study, Cherkaoui and colleagues analyzed more than 400 non-duplicate strains covering the most important species identified in the clinical routine. In the second step, they analyzed the performance of Colibrí™ after its implementation in routine. In both cases, Colibri™ provided a more reliable quality of the spot, improved traceability, and smooth integration of formic acid in the process when needed. In conclusion, Colibrí™ coupled with MALDI-TOF Mass Spectrometry revealed good performances and higher intra-strain repeatability compared to the manual preparation of the MALDI targets.
• The objective of the second study was to assess possible microbial contamination of surfaces and devices in a physiotherapy department and to evaluate possible acquired resistance to disinfectants caused by the continuous use of these disinfecting agents. The researchers performed microbiological environmental sampling in four various institutions, followed by CFU calculation, MALDI-TOF identification, and determination of the minimal inhibitory concentrations (MIC) of three alcohol-based and three quaternary ammonium compounds (QAC) disinfectant wipes for each isolated bacterial strain. The results identified distinctive strains with four-fold increases in MIC values compared to average values, suggesting that the widespread use of disinfectants can induce a reduction in the susceptibility of bacteria against disinfectants and affect the increase in the proportion of antibiotic-resistant bacteria.
• In 2010 Malaysia implemented a national school-based HPV vaccination program followed by a clinic-based catch-up program two years later. In this third study, the Malaysian team of researchers assessed the prevalence of HPV genotypes among 1134 women (divided into two groups, younger and older women) a decade into the national vaccination program, comparing HPV prevalence to that reported in an unvaccinated population in 2013– 2015. Participants provided a self-acquired vaginal sample for HPV genotyping, and Comprehensive sociodemographic and vaccination history were collected. The HPV vaccination coverage among younger women increased eightfold, while the prevalence of vaccine-targeted HPV16/18 decreased by 91%. In this group, no difference in the prevalence of non-vaccine targeted HPV genotypes has been observed. On the contrary, HPV prevalence among older women for both vaccine-targeted and non-vaccine-targeted genotypes did not differ from the 2013–2015 data. The observed decline in the prevalence of vaccine-targeted HPV genotype among younger women a decade after the national HPV vaccination program is an early indication of its effectiveness in reducing the burden of cervical cancer.

Read the complete studies below:

Copan Wasp’s approach to digitalization

Making sense of digital data

WASPLab® automation ecosystem includes several modules designed to perform specific activities with extreme reliability and minimum effort.

Our software, AI systems, and interpretation algorithms help clinicians to make the most of digital data.

The next step of our digital revolution is to provide clinicians with advanced tools to monitor and optimize processes, aggregate data, connect lab instrumentation, and help with performance benchmarking and epidemiological studies in a continuous intelligent data stream connecting preanalytical and analytical platforms.
 
 

Connection without compromise

Introducing MicroHub®

Allowing you to handle patient data, tests, results, and the entire staff workload in real-time, MicroHub® is the new revolutionary way of managing your lab.
We conceived MicroHub® as the perfect tool to integrate mass-operation features and keep the lab’s productivity under control:

• Integrate all your lab workflows into a single control HUB
• Gather LIS info and lab results to enhance data accessibility and clarity
• Cut down on time spent retrieving data from multiple platforms
• Monitor, organize, and balance your lab activities, resources, and workload
• Expedite technical and clinical validation

This modern Lab-intelligence Platform is now available: contact us for any information and discover more at the links below!

In this December’s Microbiology Time, here’s a little present for you: the top three studies of the month! Enjoy the reading, and best wishes for a very merry Christmas!

• The first study evaluates the efficiency of different swab types to collect evidence (saliva) from denim, cotton, and polyester for body fluid identification, DNA isolation, and DNA characterization. The study’s results are clear: overall, cotton swabs perform worse than 4N6FLOQSwabs. This is another piece of evidence confirming the previous research on the influence of swab types in DNA isolation and characterization, a crucial step to retrieving the appropriate evidence in forensic investigation.
• It is well-reported that reproductive tract dysbiosis reduces fertility and pregnancy outcomes. The endometrial microbiome is of particular interest, given its potential impact on embryo implantation. In this second study, Robin Vanstokstraeten and colleagues demonstrate the applicability of culturomics, a high-throughput culturing approach, to investigate the endometrial bacterial population in biopsies from 10 subfertile women. The researchers – taking advantage of WASPLab®-assisted processing to standardize the methodology – analyzed the samples with mass spectrometry and identified 83 bacterial and 2 fungal species. Of note, 53 (62.4%) of the identified species were described in the endometrial microbiota for the first time, highlighting the added value of culturomics.
• In the last paper, an epidemiological outbreak investigation was performed in a children’s hospital, after MRSA infections among children attending primary and secondary school nearly doubled in 2018 compared to previous years. Phenotypic and genotypic characterization of the isolates was performed, and a cross-sectional study was conducted to determine the outbreak’s source. 49 individuals were detected with 57 corresponding isolates, and a core cluster sharing common genetic features and a similar antimicrobial susceptibility pattern was identified. Although the epidemiologic evaluation identified a distinct school as a common risk factor, the source of the clustered infections within that school could not be further specified.

Read the complete studies below: