ABSTRACT
This study aimed to determine molecular patterns of Acinetobacter baumannii using a PCR-based technique with REP-1, REP-2 and M13 primers to distinguish the patients' strains and the environmental strains (condensate, endotracheal tube connector, bed rail and nurses hands). There were 67 cases of ventilator-associated pneumonia (VAP) among 600 patients using mechanical ventilators in 10 wards from March to July 2006. The incidence of VAP was 11.2% or 8.9/1,000 ventilator days with a 54.5% fatality rate. Among 19 of 22 A. baumannii VAP patients, 68.4% (13/19) had their environmental samples contaminated with A. baumannii and the most common contaminated sites were bed rails and endotracheal tube connectors (36.8% each). Multidrug resistant (MDR) A. baumannii were involved in 77.3% of A. baumannii VAP. Molecular typing of 96 A. baumannii isolates was able to differentiate A. baumannii isolates into 7 types. Type 2 was the most common and found in 77.3% (17/22) of A. baumannii VAP patients admitted in 6 of 7 wards. Identical fingerprints were found in clinical isolates and their bed rails, endotracheal tube connectors and condensates of 5 patients. The results demonstrate that multiple clones of MDR A. baumannii were widely spread in the hospital. Bed rails and contaminated endotracheal tube connectors could be potential sources of A. baumannii spread.
Subject(s)
Acinetobacter Infections/microbiology , Acinetobacter baumannii/genetics , Adult , Beds/microbiology , Child , Cross Infection/microbiology , Drug Resistance, Multiple, Bacterial , Equipment Contamination , Female , Humans , Intubation, Intratracheal/adverse effects , Male , Microbial Sensitivity Tests , Pneumonia, Ventilator-Associated/microbiology , Polymerase Chain Reaction , Prospective StudiesABSTRACT
A cross-sectional analytic study of 190 hill-tribe youth in a community in the north of Thailand was conducted to investigate the sero-prevalence of HAV and factors related to positive anti-HAV antibody. The studied youth, whose ages ranged from 15 to 24 years, were interviewed about socio-economic status and personal hygiene. Blood specimens were collected to detect anti-HAV by ELISA commercial kit. Household environmental sanitation conditions were observed and drinking water samples were screened for bacterial contamination using SI2 medium. Following the anti-HAV assay, the studied youth were divided into two groups: anti-HAV positive, and anti-HAV negative. The studied variables of the two groups were analyzed by chi2 test to find factors related to anti-HAV positivity. The results revealed that 87% of the studied youth were positive for anti-HAV. There was no statistically significant difference between age group/gender and anti-HAV positivity, p = 0.46 and 0.16, respectively. Approximately 35.79 to 45.79% washed their hands with soap before preparing food, before eating and after using the latrine. About 88% did not improve the potability of their drinking water. The results of screening for bacterial contamination in drinking water samples found that 73.53% were contaminated with coliform bacteria. Factors related to positive anti-HAV antibody included monthly income, number of household members, use of latrine, hand-washing with soap after using latrine, household refuse management and control of insects and rodents; p = 0.04, 0.007, 0.013, 0.008, <0.001 and <0.001, respectively. The findings suggested that appropriate household environmental management should be improved in this community to reduce HAV transmission.
Subject(s)
Adolescent , Adult , Cross-Sectional Studies , Female , Hepatitis A/epidemiology , Humans , Hygiene , Male , Residence Characteristics , Rural Population , Sanitation , Seroepidemiologic Studies , Socioeconomic Factors , Thailand/epidemiologyABSTRACT
A modified adsorption-elution method for the concentration of seeded rotavirus from water samples was used to determine various factors which affected the virus recovery. An enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay was used to detect the rotavirus antigen after concentration. Of the various eluents compared, 0.05M glycine, pH 11.5 gave the highest rotavirus antigen recovery using negatively charged membrane filtration whereas 2.9 percent tryptose phosphate broth containing 6 percent glycine; pH 9.0 was found to give the greatest elution efficiency when a positively charged membrane was used. Reconcentration of water samples by a speedVac concentrator showed significantly higher rotavirus recovery than polyethylene glycol precipitation through both negatively and positively charged filters (p-value <0.001). In addition, speedVac concentration using negatively charged filtration resulted in greater rotavirus recovery than that using positively charged filtration (p-value = 0.004). Thirty eight environmental water samples were collected from river, domestic sewage, canals receiving raw sewage drains, and tap water collected in containers for domestic use, all from congested areas of Bangkok. In addition, several samples of commercial drinking water were analyzed. All samples were concentrated and examined for rotavirus antigen. Coliforms and fecal coliforms (0->1,800 MPN/100 ml) were observed but rotavirus was not detected in any sample. This study suggests that the speedVac reconcentration method gives the most efficient rotavirus recovery from water samples