Papers by Krzysztof Skowron
BMC Microbiology
Zoonoses represent a major challenge for many disciplines, including microbiology, epidemiology, ... more Zoonoses represent a major challenge for many disciplines, including microbiology, epidemiology, veterinary, medicine and ecology. Moreover, they pose severe risks to human health and economy. In this editorial, we invite contributions to a BMC Microbiology collection on ‘Zoonoses and emerging pathogens’, covering research on the pathogenesis, identification, treatment and control of zoonoses.
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Antibiotics
Antibiotic resistance (AR) and multidrug resistance (MDR) have been confirmed for all major foodb... more Antibiotic resistance (AR) and multidrug resistance (MDR) have been confirmed for all major foodborne pathogens: Campylobacter spp., Salmonella spp., Escherichia coli and Listeria monocytogenes. Of great concern to scientists and physicians are also reports of antibiotic-resistant emerging food pathogens—microorganisms that have not previously been linked to food contamination or were considered epidemiologically insignificant. Since the properties of foodborne pathogens are not always sufficiently recognized, the consequences of the infections are often not easily predictable, and the control of their activity is difficult. The bacteria most commonly identified as emerging foodborne pathogens include Aliarcobacter spp., Aeromonas spp., Cronobacter spp., Vibrio spp., Clostridioides difficile, Escherichia coli, Mycobacterium paratuberculosis, Salmonella enterica, Streptocccus suis, Campylobacter jejuni, Helicobacter pylori, Listeria monocytogenes and Yersinia enterocolitica. The resu...
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BMC Microbiology
Background Enteroccocus spp. are human opportunistic pathogens causing a variety of serious and l... more Background Enteroccocus spp. are human opportunistic pathogens causing a variety of serious and life-threating infections in humans, including urinary tract infection, endocarditis, skin infection and bacteraemia. Farm animals and direct contact with them are important sources of Enterococcus faecalis (EFA) and Enterococcus faecium (EFM) infections among farmers, veterinarians and individuals working in breeding farms and abattoirs. The spread of antibiotic-resistant strains is one of the most serious public health concerns, as clinicians will be left without therapeutic options for the management of enterococcal infections. The aim of the study was to evaluate the occurrence and antimicrobial susceptibility of EFA and EFM strains isolated from a pig farm environment and to determine the biofilm formation ability of identified Enterococcus spp. strains. Results A total numer of 160 enterococcal isolates were obtained from 475 samples collected in total (33.7%). Among them, 110 of ge...
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BMC Microbiology
BackgroundListeria monocytogenesare Gram-positive rods, which are the etiological factor oflister... more BackgroundListeria monocytogenesare Gram-positive rods, which are the etiological factor oflisteriosis.L. monocytogenesquickly adapts to changing environmental conditions. Since the main source of rods is food, its elimination from the production line is a priority. The study aimed to evaluate the influence of selected stress factors on the growth and survival ofL. monocytogenesstrains isolated from food products and clinical material.ResultsWe distinguished fifty genetically different strains ofL. monocytogenes(PFGE method). Sixty-two percent of the tested strains represented 1/2a-3a serogroup. Sixty percent of the rods possessed ten examined virulence genes (fbpA,plcA,hlyA,plcB,inlB,actA,iap,inlA,mpl, prfA). Listeria Pathogenicity Island 1 (LIPI-1) was demonstrated among 38 (76.0%) strains. Majority (92.0%) of strains (46) were sensitive to all examined antibiotics. The most effective concentration of bacteriophage (inhibiting the growth of 22 strains; 44.0%) was 5 × 108PFU. In tu...
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Foods
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BMC Veterinary Research, Aug 3, 2022
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Foods
Three Salmonella enterica strains were used in the study (serovars: S. enteritidis, S. typhimurim... more Three Salmonella enterica strains were used in the study (serovars: S. enteritidis, S. typhimurim and S. virchow). This study evaluated the efficacy of radiant catalytic ionization (RCI) and ozonation against Salmonella spp. on eggshell (expressed as log CFU/egg). The egg surface was contaminated three different bacterial suspension (103 CFU/mL, 105 CFU/mL and 108 CFU/mL) with or without poultry manure. Experiments were conducted at 4 °C and 20 °C in three different time period: 30 min, 60 min and 120 min. Treatment with RCI reduced Salmonella numbers from 0.26 log CFU/egg in bacterial suspension 108 CFU/mL, 4 °C and 20 °C, with manure for 30 min to level decrease in bacteria number below the detection limit (BDL) in bacterial suspension 105 CFU/mL, 20 °C, with or without manure for 120 min. The populations of Salmonella spp. on eggs treated by ozonizer ranged from 0.20 log CFU/egg in bacteria suspension 108 CFU/mL, 20 °C, with manure for 30 min to 2.73 log CFU/egg in bacterial susp...
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Vaccines
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International Journal of Molecular Sciences
Stress and anxiety are common phenomena that contribute to many nervous system dysfunctions. More... more Stress and anxiety are common phenomena that contribute to many nervous system dysfunctions. More and more research has been focusing on the importance of the gut–brain axis in the course and treatment of many diseases, including nervous system disorders. This review aims to present current knowledge on the influence of psychobiotics on the gut–brain axis based on selected diseases, i.e., Alzheimer’s disease, Parkinson’s disease, depression, and autism spectrum disorders. Analyses of the available research results have shown that selected probiotic bacteria affect the gut–brain axis in healthy people and people with selected diseases. Furthermore, supplementation with probiotic bacteria can decrease depressive symptoms. There is no doubt that proper supplementation improves the well-being of patients. Therefore, it can be concluded that the intestinal microbiota play a relevant role in disorders of the nervous system. The microbiota–gut–brain axis may represent a new target in the p...
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Antioxidants
Severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) is still spreading worldwide. For th... more Severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) is still spreading worldwide. For this reason, new treatment methods are constantly being researched. Consequently, new and already-known preparations are being investigated to potentially reduce the severe course of coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19). SARS-CoV-2 infection induces the production of pro-inflammatory cytokines and acute serum biomarkers in the host organism. In addition to antiviral drugs, there are other substances being used in the treatment of COVID-19, e.g., those with antioxidant properties, such as vitamin C (VC). Exciting aspects of the use of VC in antiviral therapy are its antioxidant and pro-oxidative abilities. In this review, we summarized both the positive effects of using VC in treating infections caused by SARS-CoV-2 in the light of the available research. We have tried to answer the question as to whether the use of high doses of VC brings the expected benefits in the treatment of COVID-19 a...
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Annals of Clinical Microbiology and Antimicrobials
Background Fluoroquinolones are a group of antibiotics used in urinary tract infections. Unfortun... more Background Fluoroquinolones are a group of antibiotics used in urinary tract infections. Unfortunately, resistance to this group of drugs is currently growing. The combined action of fluoroquinolones and other antibacterial and anti-biofilm substances may extend the use of this therapeutic option by clinicians. The aim of the study was to determine the effect of selected fluoroquinolones and therapeutic concentrations of ascorbic acid and rutoside on biofilm formation by Proteus mirabilis. Materials and methods The study included 15 strains of P. mirabilis isolated from urinary tract infections in patients of the University Hospital No. 1 dr A. Jurasz in Bydgoszcz (Poland). The metabolic activity of the biofilm treated with 0.4 mg/ml ascorbic acid, 0.02 µg/ml rutoside and chemotherapeutic agents (ciprofloxacin, norfloxacin) in the concentration range of 0.125–4.0 MIC (minimum inhibitory concentration) was assessed spectrophotometrically. Results Both ciprofloxacin and norfloxacin in...
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Science of The Total Environment, 2021
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Medical Research Journal, Apr 20, 2018
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Microorganisms, 2019
The unpropitious conditions of the food processing environmenttrigger in Listeria monocytogenes s... more The unpropitious conditions of the food processing environmenttrigger in Listeria monocytogenes stress response mechanisms that may affect the pathogen’s virulence. To date, many studies have revealed that acid, osmotic, heat, cold and oxidative stress modify invasiveness of L. monocytogenes. Nonetheless, there is limited data on the duration of the stress effect on bacterial invasiveness. Since most food is stored at low or room temperatures we studied the impact of these temperatures on the duration of heat stress effect on invasiveness of 8 L. monocytogenes strains. Bacteria were heat-treated for 20 min at 54 °C and then incubated at 5 and 20 °C up to 14 days. A decrease in invasiveness over time was observed for bacteria not exposed to heating. It was found that heat shock significantly reduced the invasion capacity of all strains and the effect lasted between 7 and 14 days at both 5 and 20 °C. In conclusion, 20-min heating reduces invasion capacity of all L. monocytogenes strai...
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Journal of Environmental Science and Health, Part B, 2006
Antibiotimicrobial resistance was investigated in 537 Enterococcus spp. isolates recovered from 2... more Antibiotimicrobial resistance was investigated in 537 Enterococcus spp. isolates recovered from 22 samples of crude inflow, treated effluent and sludge collected in wastewater treatment plants of eight poultry slaughterhouses of Portugal. No significant differences (P > 0.05) were found in the resistance to each antimicrobial agent with regards to the origin of the sample (inflow, sludge and effluent). Many of the isolates displayed resistance to tetracycline (85.7%), erythromycin (45.7%), nitrofurantoin (34.0%) and rifampicin (17.8%). Resistance was also observed, but to a lesser extent, to ciprofloxacin (10.2%), ampicillin (8.0%), chloramphenicol (4.6%), vancomycin (0.9%) and gentamicin (0.4%). Resistance to three or more antimicrobial classes was present in 37.1% of the isolates. Wastewater treatment resulted in viable enterococci decrease between less than 1 log and 4 log; nevertheless, more than 4.4 x 10(5) colony forming units (CFU)/100 mL were present in the outflow of the plants and thus resistant enterococci are not prevented from reaching the general environment.
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Frontiers in Microbiology, 2021
Listeria monocytogenes are Gram-positive, facultatively anaerobic, non-spore-forming bacteria tha... more Listeria monocytogenes are Gram-positive, facultatively anaerobic, non-spore-forming bacteria that easily adapt to changing environmental conditions. The ability to grow at a wide range of temperatures, pH, and salinity determines the presence of the pathogen in water, sewage, soil, decaying vegetation, and animal feed. L. monocytogenes is an etiological factor of listeriosis, especially dangerous for the elderly, pregnant women, and newborns. The major source of L. monocytogenes for humans is food, including fresh and smoked products. Its high prevalence in food is associated with bacterial adaptation to the food processing environment (FPE). Since the number of listeriosis cases has been progressively increasing an efficient eradication of the pathogen from the FPE is crucial. Understanding the mechanisms of bacterial adaptation to environmental stress will significantly contribute to developing novel, effective methods of controlling L. monocytogenes in the food industry.
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Medical Research Journal, 2022
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Postępy Mikrobiologii - Advancements of Microbiology, 2021
The infections caused by orthohantaviruses were already known in the Middle Ages as “English swea... more The infections caused by orthohantaviruses were already known in the Middle Ages as “English sweats.” There are two main diseases caused by these viruses – HPS (hantavirus pulmonary syndrome) and HFRS (hemorrhagic fever with renal syndrome). Rodents are the main reservoir of these microorganisms, and humans usually catch them by inhalation, as a result of contact with secretions and droppings of carriers. HPS is characterized by a sudden onset, and symptoms include primarily cough, fever and difficulty breathing, and in extreme cases – respiratory failure and cardiogenic shock. HFRS begins suddenly and the main manifestation includes fever, renal failure, hemorrhage, hematuria and proteinuria, as well as shock. At present, anti-hantavirus therapy with proven effectiveness does not exist. A key role in the treatment is resting lifestyle, electrolyte control, fluid therapy and prevention of hypotension, and in harder cases – administration of oxygen. Deviations from normal values in l...
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Papers by Krzysztof Skowron