study of the effects of different disinfectants used in riyadh hospitals and their efficacy against methicillin resistant staphylococcus aureus [MRSA]

Methicillin resistant Staphylococcus aureus [MRSA] and the means of controlling it, continue to be of major interest to the healthcare community. The bactericidal activity of some disinfectants which are in common use in seven major tertiary care hospitals in Riyadh was tested against two control strains of S. aureus, namely MRSA ATCC 33591 and Methicillin sensitive Staphylococcus aureus [MSSA] ATCC 29213. The disinfectants tested in this study were a group used for hand antisepsis [Purell, EZ-clean, Cida stat and Manorapid Synergy] and another group used for environmental disinfection [Combi spray, Tristel fusion, Alphadine, Isopropanol, Presept and Diesin]. Presept, diesin and tristel fusion had a remarkable effect on the tested strains, both methicillin sensitive and methicillin resistant. There was hardly any noticeable difference between the effects on either [P> 0.05]. On the other hand, Purell and EZ-clean and Manorapid Synergy hand rubs had a relatively weak action after 15 and 30 minutes while their effect was better after 1 and 2 hours. There were no observable differences between their effects on MRSA or MSSA, P>0.05. Cida stat had a remarkably pronounced effect against both MRSA and MSSA. Contrary to some previous reports, this study has also proven that chlorhexidine and quaternary ammonium compounds show comparable efficacy against both MRSA and MSSA

Are plasma derivatives sources for parvovirus B19 transmission?

Parvovirus B19 is known to cause a spectrum of diseases ranging from mild illness to life threatening disease. The icosahedral nonenveloped B19 virion is resistant to ordinary physicochemical factors, including solvent-detergent treatment. Because of its minute size, 20-25 nm, the pathogen is also relatively resistant to filtration. It can thus be transmitted through blood products to vulnerable recipients in which it causes severe disease. This study aimed at tracking the presence of parvovirus B19 in plasma products available in the local market in Saudi Arabia using nested PCR. Results showed the absence of detectable levels of parvovirus B19 DNA from the tested products. While this is reassuring, it should not entice the authorities to refrain from continuously monitoring blood products for the presence of this virus and thus avoid the possibility of transmission to at-risk individuals

Clinical comparison of bact/alert and isolator aerobic blood culture systems in a hospital setting

The BacT/Alcrt [BTA] [Bio Merieux, Durham, NC] and Isolator [ISO] [Wampole Laboratories, Cranbury, NJ] blood culture systems were evaluated for their ability to detect aerobic and facultatively anaerobic microorganisms in blood of adult patients. 8-10 ml of blood was inoculated into each of the aerobic BTA bottle and the ISO tube for every patient enrolled in the study. Out of 2,114 samples, 179 isolates were recovered from 89 patients. BTA detected 73.18% of the isolates, while ISO detected 78.77% of the isolates, with 51.96% detected by both. There was no statistically significant difference in the total recovery of isolates between the two systems, but BTA significantly detected more Gram negative rods, while ISO significantly detected more Gram positive cocci and yeasts. RTA detected Staphylococcus aureus, Streptococci and Gram positive rods significantly sooner than ISO, while the latter detected yeasts significantly sooner than BTA

Hantaan virus infection among human and rat populations in Alexandria

Hantaan virus has recently been identified as the cause of the rodent borne viral zoonosis collectively termed Hantavirus disease [HVD]. Although the disease is mainly endemic in two main areas, clinical forms as well as positive antibody testing from healthy persons throughout the world have been reported denoting a worldwide presence. Rattus species are almost universally implicated as hantavirus reservoirs. Screening for hantavirus antibodies was done on 637 samples of human sera and 861 rodent sera trapped from 26 locations throughout the city of Alexandria, Egypt. ELISA assays were performed and 12.2% of humans were found seropositive with no effect of age, duration of work at sea or residence on seropositivity 12.8% of rodents were seropositive with Rattus norvegicus showing the highest prevalence and with no influence of sex, age or habitat. A significant association was found between the east district and seropositivity to Hantaan in rodents