Prevalence and Molecular Diversity of Legionella pneumophila in Domestic Hot Water Systems of Private Apartments.

Aims: To determine the prevalence of Legionella spp. in domestic hot water systems and evaluate the molecular diversity among these Legionella spp. Isolates. Place and Duration of Study: Sample collection area was the city of Aqaba, Jordan, between May and December 2012. Sample analysis was done in Ben-Hayyan international laboratories, Aqaba city, and the molecular microbiology laboratories, Taibah University, Saudi Arabia. Methodology: Two hundred (200) water samples were collected randomly from hot water tanks of private apartments, and were tested for the occurrence of Legionella spp. using direct membrane filtration method followed by species identification using Gram stain, the API 20NE biochemical system and the Legionella species latex agglutination test. Genotype characterizations of the Legionella isolates was carried out using DNA extraction followed by RAPD-PCR amplification with OP-A3 primer and analysis of the resulting patterns. Results: Of the 200 samples, 17 (8.5%) were positive for the presence of Legionella spp. A total of 15 (88.2%) out the 17 positive samples were confirmed as Legionella pneumophila, 10 of them were of serogroup 1 and 5 isolates were of serogroup 2-14, the remaining two isolate were Legionella species other than L. pneumophila. RAPD-PCR analysis classified all 17 Legionella isolates into three groups. Serogroup 1 isolates were classified into group A, serogroup 2-14 isolates in group B and Legionella spp. isolates in group C. Group A was further sub-clustered into two subgroups, genotype A1 containing isolates collected from hot water tanks of a temperature set at 25-30°C and A2 containing isolates collected from hot water tanks of a temperature set at 55-80°C. Conclusion: This study showed the colonization of the plumbing systems of private houses by Legionella spp. and demonstrated that the temperature of the water tanks maybe one of the most important factors that affect the genotypic behavior of Legionella pneumophila.

Present status of clostridium perfringens infection in broiler chickens

This study was done on 728 intestinal and liver samples collected from 84 commercial broiler chicken farms aged 1-11 weeks-old located at Behera, Kafr El-Sheikh and El-Gharbia governorates. Anaerobic bacteriological examination revealed isolation of 430 Clostridial strains that identified as; 236 [54.9%] C. perfringens and 194 [45.1%] other clostridial species. Out of the 236 isolated C. perfringens; 61 isolates were toxigenic that subtyped into types A [83.6%], B [1.6%], C [1.6%], and D [13.1%]. C. perfringens also recovered from waterers, feeders and litter surrounding the birds with a percentage of 27.3%, 50% and 22.7%; respectively. The mortality rate reached 100% in 5 day-old broiler chicks when intramuscularly inoculated with broth culture of C. perfringens type A,D or B and C toxins of C. perfringens in an arrangement identical to type A,B,C and D. These results suggested that the multiplex-PCR as a rapid, accurate and humanitarian assay could replace the seroneutralization methods with mice and guinea pigs in detection and typing of toxigenic C. perfringens strains

Survival of helicobacter pylori in tap water and apple juice

The survival ability of seven strains of Helicobacter pylori [H. pylori] that were isolate from gastric biopsies from patients complaining of various gastric disorders were studied in three different fluids: Makkah city tap water, Jeddah city tap water [Saudi Arabia] and apple juice. The experiment was carried out aerobically at room temperature and at 4°C. The survival rate was assessed quantitatively. Non of the seven strains were able to survive in Makkah tap water and in apple juice at both temperatures. However, H. pylori strain 103 maintained a population level in Jeddah tap water, similar to that of the initial inoculum [5.48 x10[4]] for two days at room temperature, but declined to undetectable level within 72 hours; and the same population level was attained at 4°C for two days after which it declined to undetectable level within the sixth day. A similar result was observed when strain 250 survived in Jeddah tap water for 24 hours at room temperature and for eight days at 4 °C [3.88x10[3]] after which viable counts completely dropped. Tlese findings emphasize the risk of consuming contaminated water - which may lead to infection - since H. pylori were able to remain viable for a considerable time in water at the present study

Analytical study of the throat and ear microbial flora in the swimming pool primary swimmers

Swimming is considered as one of the sports played in a different media than other sports. Keeping the cleanliness of the used water media is important for preserving the health and safety of swimmers. This includes the cleanliness and clarity of the water, the proper use of disinfectants and thorough cleanliness to guard against spread of diseases and infectious microorganisms. The aim of this study was to compare and evaluate the closed swimming pools in each of the Faculty of Physical Education for girls in Alexandria, El-kashafa club and YMCA club, as well as to determine the percentage of pathogenic microorganisms in the swimming pools' water and its effect on the microbial flora in the throats and ears of the primary swimmers. The sample of this study was chosen by the non-stratified random sample from the primary swimmers aged from 6-15 years: 20 swimmers from each pool. The following was done: [1]. Questionnaire for the trainees, managers and supervisors of the swimming pools about their evaluation of these pools. [2]. Questionnaire for the parents of the primary swimmers about the frequency of pharyngitis and otitis per year, and their relation with swimming. [3]. Water samples from the swimming pools were taken before and after the cleaning of the pools, and also from the water sources, and total bacterial counts were done and also on Sabouraud's tubes and the organisms isolated from each sample were identified. [4]. Throat and ear swabs were taken from every swimmer and plated on nutrient agar, blood agar, MacConkey's agar and Sabouraud's media. This study clarified that primary swimmers who used the Faculty pool were more liable to throat infection after swimming than those who used EI-Kashafa or YMCA pools, and this difference was statistically significant There was a significant relationship between the frequency of throat infection [more than 4 times per year] in case of affection with Hemophilus in EI-Kashafa pool swimmers, while there was a significant relationship between infection with Streptococcus pneumoniae, Streptococcus agalactia and Hemophilus in YMCA pool swimmers. There was a significant relationship between swimming in Faculty pool and affection with beta-hemolytic streptococci which cause pharyngitis, while this was not significant in other pools swimmers

Surveillance de la circulation des enterovirus dans la region du Sahel

A study of enteroviruses prevalence in the used water in the Tunisian sahel area has been conducted during four years. Alongride, a comparative study on healthy children in hospital has been made. The presence of ten observable relatively pathogenic serotype confirms the close connection between man and his environment. The latter has polluting and infections role

Moisture requirements for lactic acid bacteria producing diacetyl

An investigation was done to assert the influence of water activity on 2 mixtures of bacterial cultures, containing Streptococcus cremoris, Str. lactis, Str. diacetilactis, and Leuconostoc mesenteroides subsp. Cremoris, on production of diacetyl compound. Diacetyl production by the 2 cultures gradually increases during incubation at 21C up to 24 h, and then started to drop down. Such a drop in diacetyl content could be stopped when the media were refrigerated at 2C, where considerable increase in this compound level could be maintained. Diacetyl production under a wide range of water activity levels tested was inversely proportional to water activity. The level of the aroma compound was highest at pH values around 5 but not detected at pH higher than 6

Contaminaçäo enteroparasitária nas águas praianas da Baía de Guanabara / Enteroparasitic contamination of beaches of the Guanabara bay

Os Autores, tendo por base trabalhos anteriores, objetivam neste a complementaçäo do estudo da contaminaçäo enteroparasitária da Baía de Guanabara, investigando a presença das citadas formas evolutivas nas suas águas praianas. Empregando-se os Métodos de Sedimentaçäo e de Ritchie, conjugados, foram observados cistos de Giardia intestinalis, Entamoeba histolytica, E. coli, Endolimax nana e Idamoeba butschlii, como também ovos de Ascaris lumbricoides e de Trichuris trichiura, na maioria das seis praias mais freqüentadas. Testes de viabilidade realizados demonstraram que as referidas estruturas, em grande número, se mostravam vivas. As praias, em ordem decrescente de contaminaçäo, podem ser assim discriminadas: Botafogo, Ramos, Flamengo, Galeäo, Urca e Rosa