Interbacterial transfer of R factor in humans

Area of Science:

• Microbiology
• Genetics
• Infectious Diseases

Background:

• Antibiotic resistance is a growing global health concern.
• Bacterial conjugation, mediated by plasmids like R factors, facilitates the spread of resistance genes.
• Understanding in vivo gene transfer is crucial for combating antimicrobial resistance.

Purpose of the Study:

• To document instances of in vivo R factor transfer in human patients.
• To identify the bacterial species involved and the antibiotic resistance genes transferred.
• To provide evidence for plasmid-mediated gene transfer in clinical settings.

Main Methods:

• Case study observation in two patients.
• Bacterial isolation and identification from patient samples.
• Antimicrobial susceptibility testing.
• Identification of transferable resistance factors (R factors).

Main Results:

• Observed interbacterial transfer of R factor in two distinct patient cases.
• In the first patient, Escherichia coli transferred resistance to ampicillin, tetracycline, streptomycin, and chloramphenicol to Shigella sonnei.
• In the second patient, a resistant E. coli strain transferred ampicillin, tetracycline, and streptomycin resistance to Proteus mirabilis.

Conclusions:

• In vivo R factor transfer can occur between different bacterial species in the human gut and urinary tract.
• This transfer mechanism contributes to the dissemination of multidrug resistance in clinical environments.
• The findings highlight the importance of monitoring and understanding horizontal gene transfer in the context of infectious diseases.