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Background Antimicrobial resistance of Salmonella enterica is a major global concern. Recent findings suggest that colistin as a last resort treatment for multidrug-resistant gram-negative bacteria is seriously threatened by the report of plasmid-mediated colistin resistance gene mcr-1 in China. Methods A total of 827 S. Typhimurium isolates were recovered from 4 cities of China, including Henan, Shanghai, Zhejiang, and Hubei provinces. Subsequently, mcr-1 presence was identified by PCR screening. Antimicrobial susceptibility testing was performed by broth microdilution using a 96-well microtiter plate. Plasmid conjugation transfer experiments were conducted using Escherichia coli J53 as the recipient. Results Only one mcr-1 positive strain from the stool sample of an infant with acute diarrhea was isolated. Apart from colistin, the mcr-1-positive isolate showed co-resistance to the third-generation cephalosporins, ampicillin, nalidixic acid, tetracycline, chloramphenicol, sulfisoxazole, gentamicin, and cefotaxime revealing a multidrug-resistant phenotype. This strain harbored mcr-1 on a 227 kb IncHI2 plasmid, termed pJZ26, which could be transferred to E. coli J53. In addition to mcr-1, pJZ26 coharbored other resistance genes, including aph(4)-Ia, aac(3)-IVa, fosA, floR, sul2, and blaCTX-M-14. Compared with p2474-MCR1 and pHYEC7-IncHI2, pJZ26 contains an additional 4.6 kb fragment harboring the resistance gene tet(A) and its regulator tetR located on TnAs1 transposable element, which could mediate resistance to tetracycline. Conclusions These findings highlight that the fact the mcr-1–harboring plasmid pJZ26 has a high potential to disseminate the mcr-1 gene and further challenge the clinical treatment.

Background Influenza is an important cause of respiratory illness in children, but data are limited on hospitalized children with laboratory‐confirmed influenza in China. Methods We conducted active surveillance for severe acute respiratory infection (SARI; fever and at least one sign or symptom of acute respiratory illness) among hospitalized pediatric patients in Jingzhou, Hubei Province, from April 2010 to April 2012. Data were collected from enrolled SARI patients on demographics, underlying health conditions, clinical course of illness, and outcomes. Nasal swabs were collected and tested for influenza viruses by reverse transcription polymerase chain reaction. We described the clinical and epidemiological characteristics of children with influenza and analyzed the association between potential risk factors and SARI patients with influenza. Results During the study period, 15 354 children aged

Background Published data on influenza in severe acute respiratory infection (SARI) patients are limited. We conducted SARI surveillance in central China and estimated hospitalization rates of SARI attributable to influenza by viral type/subtype. Methods Surveillance was conducted at four hospitals in Jingzhou, China from 2010 to 2012. We enrolled hospitalized patients who had temperature ≥37·3°C and at least one of: cough, sore throat, tachypnea, difficulty breathing, abnormal breath sounds on auscultation, sputum production, hemoptysis, chest pain, or chest radiograph consistent with pneumonia. A nasopharyngeal swab was collected from each case-patient within 24 hours of admission for influenza testing by real-time reverse transcription PCR. Results Of 17 172 SARI patients enrolled, 90% were aged

Background Streptococcus pneumoniae (Sp) is a leading cause of bacterial pneumonia, meningitis, and sepsis and a major source of morbidity and mortality worldwide. Invasive pneumococcal disease (IPD) is defined as isolation of Sp from a normally sterile site, including blood or cerebrospinal fluid. The aim of this study is to describe outcomes as well as clinical and epidemiological characteristics of hospitalized IPD case patients in central China. Methods We conducted surveillance for IPD among children and adults from April 5, 2010 to September 30, 2012, in four major hospitals in Jingzhou City, Hubei Province. We collected demographic, clinical, and outcome data for all enrolled hospitalized patients with severe acute respiratory infection (SARI) or meningitis, and collected blood, urine, and cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) for laboratory testing for Sp infections. Collected data were entered into Epidata software and imported into SPSS for analysis. Results We enrolled 22,375 patients, including 22,202 (99%) with SARI and 173 (1%) with meningitis. One hundred and eighteen (118, 3%) with either SARI or meningitis were Sp positive, 32 (0.8%) from blood/CSF culture, and 87 (5%) from urine antigen testing. Of those 118 patients, 57% were aged ≥65 years and nearly 100% received antibiotics during hospitalization. None were previously vaccinated with 7-valent pneumococcal conjugate vaccine (PCV 7), 23-valent pneumococcal polysaccharide vaccine, or seasonal influenza vaccine. The main serotypes identified were 14, 12, 3, 1, 19F, 4, 5, 9V, 15 and 18C, corresponding to serotype coverage rates of 42%, 63%, and 77% for PCV7, PCV10, and PCV13, respectively. Conclusions Further work is needed to expand access to pneumococcal vaccination in China, both among children and potentially among the elderly, and inappropriate use of antibiotics is a widespread and serious problem in China.

To estimate the hospitalization rate of severe acute respiratory infection (SARI) cases attributable to influenza in Jingzhou city, Hubei province from 2010 to 2012.SARI surveillance was conducted at four hospitals in Jingzhou city, Hubei province from 2010 to 2012. Inpatients meeting the SARI case definition and with informed consent were enrolled to collect their demographic information, clinical features, treatment, and disease outcomes, with their respiratory tract specimens collected for PCR test of influenza virus.From April, 2010 to September, 2012, 19 679 SARI cases enrolled were residents of Jingzhou, and nasopharyngeal swab was collected from 18 412 (93.6%) cases of them to test influenza virus and 13.3% were positive for influenza. During the three consecutive 2010-2012 flu seasons, laboratory-confirmed influenza was associated with 102 per 100 000, 132 per 100 000 and 244 per 100 000, respectively. As for the hospitalization rate attributable to specific type/subtype of influenza virus, 48 per 100 000, 30 per 100 000 and 24 per 100 000 were attributable to A (H3N2), A (H1N1) pdm2009, and influenza B, respectively in 2010-2011 season; 42 per 100 000 [A (H3N2)] and 90 per 100 000 (influenza B) in 2011-2012 season; 90 per 100 000 [A (H3N2)] and one per 100 000 [influenza B] from April, 2010 to September, 2012. SARI hospitalization caused by influenza A or B occurred both mainly among children younger than five years old, with the peak in children aged 0.5 year old.Influenza could cause a substantial number of hospitalizations and different viral type/subtype result in different hospitalizations over influenza seasons in Jingzhou city, Hubei province. Children less than five years old should be prioritized for influenza vaccination in China.

Background After the 2009 influenza A (H1N1) pandemic, we conducted hospital-based severe acute respiratory infection (SARI) surveillance in one central Chinese city to assess disease burden attributable to influenza among adults and adolescents. Methods We defined an adult SARI case as a hospitalized patient aged ≥ 15 years with temperature ≥38.0°C and at least one of the following: cough, sore throat, tachypnea, difficulty breathing, abnormal breath sounds on auscultation, sputum production, hemoptysis, chest pain, or chest radiograph consistent with pneumonia. For each enrolled SARI case-patient, we completed a standardized case report form, and collected a nasopharyngeal swab within 24 hours of admission. Specimens were tested for influenza viruses by real-time reverse transcription polymerase chain reaction (rRT-PCR). We analyzed data from adult SARI cases in four hospitals in Jingzhou, China from April 2010 to April 2012. Results Of 1,790 adult SARI patients enrolled, 40% were aged ≥ 65 years old. The median duration of hospitalization was 9 days. Nearly all were prescribed antibiotics during their hospitalization, less than 1% were prescribed oseltamivir, and 28% were prescribed corticosteroids. Only 0.1% reported receiving influenza vaccination in the past year. Of 1,704 samples tested, 16% were positive for influenza. Influenza activity in all age groups showed winter-spring and summer peaks. Influenza-positive patients had a longer duration from illness onset to hospitalization and a shorter duration from hospital admission to discharge or death compared to influenza negative SARI patients. Conclusions There is substantial burden of influenza-associated SARI hospitalizations in Jingzhou, China, especially among older adults. More effective promotion of annual seasonal influenza vaccination and timely oseltamivir treatment among high risk groups may improve influenza prevention and control in China.