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OBJECTIVE: To analyze the role of nosocomial infection informatics surveillance system in the prevention and control of multidrug-resistant organisms(MDROs) infections. METHODS: The First Affiliated Hospital of Guangdong Pharmaceutical University was selected as the study subjects, which had adopted the nosocomial infection informatics surveillance system since Jan.2020. The period of Jan.to Dec.2020 were regarded as the study period, and Jan.to Dec.2019 were regarded as the control period. The situation of nosocomial infection and MDROs infections in the two periods were retrospectively analyzed. RESULTS: The incidence of nosocomial infections and underreporting of nosocomial infection cases in this hospital during the study period were 2.52%(1 325/52 624) and 1.74%(23/1 325), respectively, and the incidences of ventilator associated pneumonia(VAP), catheter related bloodstream infection(CRBSI), catheter related urinary tract infection(CAUTI)were 4.10(31/7 568), 2.11(14/6 634), and 2.50(25/9 993) respectively, which were lower than those during the control period(P< 0.05). The positive rate of pathogenic examination in the hospital during the study period was 77.95%(1 269/1 628), which was higher than that during the control period(P<0.05), the overall detection rate of MDROs was 15.77%(206/1 306), the detection rates of MDROs in Escherichia coli, Acinetobacter baumannii, Klebsiella pneumoniae, Staphylococcus epidermidis, Pseudomonas aeruginosa and Staphylococcus aureus were lower than those during the control period(P<0.05). CONCLUSION: The development and application of the informatics technology-based surveillance system of nosocomial infection could effectively reduce the incidence of nosocomial infections and device related infections, decrease the under-reporting of infection cases, and also reduce the detection rate of MDROs as well as the proportion of MDROs detected in common pathogenic species.
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Objective: To explore the pathogen composition and distribution characteristics of pathogens in respiratory samples from patients with fever of unknown origin. Methods: A total of 96 respiratory samples of patients with unknown cause fever with respiratory symptoms were collected from four hospitals above grade II in Shijiazhuang area (Hebei Provincial Hospital of Traditional Chinese Medicine, Luancheng District People's Hospital, Luquan District People's Hospital, Shenze County Hospital) from January to April 2020, and multiplex-fluorescent polymerase chain reaction(PCR)was used to detect influenza A virus, influenza B virus, enterovirus, parainfluenza virus I/II/III/IV, respiratory adenovirus, human metapneumovirus, respiratory syncytial virus, human rhinovirus, human bocavirus, COVID-19, Mycoplasma pneumoniae, Chlamydia pneumoniae, Legionella pneumophila, Pseudomonas aeruginosa, Streptococcus pneumoniae, Klebsiella pneumoniae, Group A streptococcus, Haemophilus influenzae, Staphylococcus aureus nucleic acid detection, the results were analyzed for chi-square. Results: A total of 8 pathogens were detected in the upper respiratory tract samples of 96 fever patients, including 1 kind of virus, 6 kinds of bacterias, and Mycoplasma pneumoniae. There were 12 viruses including influenza virus and parainfluenza virus, Legionella pneumophila and Chlamydia pneumoniae were not detected. The pathogen detection rates in descending order were Streptococcus pneumoniae (58/96, 60.42%), Haemophilus influenzae(38/96, 39.58%), Klebsiella pneumoniae (14/96, 14.58%), Staphylococcus aureus (10/96, 10.42%), Mycoplasma pneumoniae (8/96, 8.33%), Pseudomonas aeruginosa (6/96, 6.25%), Group A streptococcus (4/96, 4.17%) and human rhinovirus (2/96, 2.08%). The proportions of single-pathogen infection and multi-pathogen mixed infection in fever clinic patients were similar, 41.67% (40/96) and 45.83% (44/96), respectively, and 12.50% (12/96)of the cases had no pathogens detected. The infection rate of Mycoplasma pneumoniae in female patients with fever (21.43%) was higher than that in male patients with fever (2.94%) (P < 0.05). There was no statistical difference between the distribution of of other pathogens and gender and age(P > 0.05). Conclusions: The upper respiratory tract pathogens were mainly bacterial infections, and occasional human rhinovirus and Mycoplasma pneumonia infections. In clinical diagnosis and treatment, comprehensive consideration should be given to the pathogen detection.
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These proceedings comprise 85 articles spanning diverse fields such as bacteriology, molecular biology, biotechnology, dermatology, infectious and parasitic diseases, epidemiology, physiotherapy, immunology, mycology, parasitology, pathology, collective health, and virology. The articles delve into a wide range of research topics, from repurposing drugs for Mycobacterium abscessus complex infections to utilising artificial intelligence for SARS-CoV-2 diagnosis. In bacteriology, investigations explore the correlation between smoking and Helicobacter pylori infection in gastric adenocarcinoma patients, as well as the resistance profiles of Staphylococcus aureus and Pseudomonas aeruginosa in tracheostomised children. Molecular biology studies focus on gene polymorphisms related to diseases like paracoccidioidomycosis. Biotechnology research emphasises bioactive molecules in species like Croton urucurana and the development of computational models for cytotoxicity prediction. Dermatology articles address stability characterisation in vegetable oil-based nanoemulsions. The section on infectious and parasitic diseases encompasses studies on COVID-19 vaccine response in pregnant women and the impact of infection prevention measures in rehabilitation hospitals. Epidemiology investigations analyse trends in premature mortality, tuberculosis in diabetic patients, and public adherence to non-pharmacological COVID-19 measures. Physiotherapy research covers topics such as telerehabilitation through a developed game and the prevalence of congenital anomalies. Immunology studies explore immune responses in HIV and Leishmaniasis, whilst mycology investigates the biotechnological potential of fungi from the cerrado biome. Parasitology research evaluates treatment efficacy against vectors parasites such as Aedes aegypti and Toxoplasma gondii. Pathology articles discuss intentional intoxication in cattle and the influence of curcumin on acute kidney injury therapy. Collective health studies focus on intervention plan development in healthcare settings and pesticide use in horticulture. Lastly, virology research investigates parvovirus occurrence in hospitalised children during the COVID-19 pandemic, hidden hepatitis B virus infection in inmates, and the prevalence of HPV and HTLV-1/2 infections in specific populations.
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The recent research focused on the green synthesis of silicon dioxide nanoparticles, SiO2@Cellulose of Zizyphus Spina-Christi nanocomposites, and L-Arginine@SiO2@Cellulose of Zizyphus Spina-Christi nanocomposites using cellulose of Zizyphus Spina-Christi as a new green polymeric surfactant. The structures of nanoparticles and nanocomposites were characterized by different spectroscopy and microscopy techniques. Nanoparticles and nanocomposites were utilized to determine the concentration of chromium, cadmium, and lead in COVID-19 patients using double-vortex-ultrasonic assisted surfactant enhanced dispersive liquid-liquid microextraction. Mean recoveries of chromium, cadmium, and lead were obtained in the range of 86-98% with relative standard deviations below 4%. The advantages of the proposed method are green and novel polymer surfactant with low detection limit. Finally, antibacterial activities were investigated. The maximum inhibition zone of L-Arginine@SiO2@Cellulose of Zizyphus Spina-Christi nanocomposites was obtained for StaphylococcusAureus (21.9..0.4 mm). L-Arginine@SiO2@Cellulose of Zizyphus Spina-Christi nanocomposites have low cytotoxicity against MCF-7 cancer cells. These results indicated the potential ability of L-Arginine@SiO2@Cellulose of Zizyphus Spina-Christi nanocomposites in the determination of metal concentrations in biological samples along with good antibacterial properties and cytotoxic properties.
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Objective: The aim of this study was to establish a one-step multiplex real-time RT-PCR method to simultaneously detect and quantify five swine diarrhea related viruses, PEDV, GARV, PDCoV, SADS-CoV and PTV, so as to provide an efficient and sensitive tool for rapid diagnosis and epidemiological investigation of porcine diarrhea. Method: The ORF3 gene sequences of several genotypes of PEDV were analyzed, and then the primers and probes were designed for detection of PEDV field strains by referring to the ORF3 genes, which contained deletion mutations in attenuated strains. The 5'-end conserved region of NSP5 genes of GARV G3, G4, G5 and G9 strains were analyzed for design of probes and primers. The specific primers and probes targeting to the conserved regions of PDCoV M, PTV 5'UTR and SADS-CoV N genes were designed for detection of the pathogens. The ROC curves were completed by referring to parameters that were set in RStudio. The specificity value, sensitivity value, and areas under the curves (AUC) and Youden value were calculated according to ROC curves to determine the cut-off CT value. The amplified fragments were cloned into pEASY-T1 vector. The standards prepared through in vitro transcription were named as cRNA-PEDV, cRNA-GARV, cRNA-PDCoV, cRNA-PTV and cRNA-SADS-CoV. The sensitivity, specificity and repeatability of one-step multiplex real-time RT-PCR were evaluated. Coincidence rate between this and another similar method were compared in the detection of clinical samples. Result: Both the annealing temperature and optimal concentrations of primers and probes were obtained for detection of the five pathogens. According to the ROC curve, the CT cut off values for detection of PEDV, GARV, PDCoV, PTV, and SADS-CoV were set as 35.78, 34.25, 34.98, 34.60, and 35.70, respectively. The detection sensitivity of this method for the five pathogens could reach 1..102 copies/L. The standard curves had a good linear relationship and the amplification efficiency was between 96.3% and 104%. The established method could not detect the PEDV vaccine strains and other swine infecting viruses and bacteria including TGEV, CSFV, PRV, PRRSV, S.choleraesuis, P.multocida, E.coli, S.suis and S.aureus. The repeatability test showed the range of intra-assay and inter-assay coefficients of variability: 0.22% to 3.08% and 0.89% to 4.0%, respectively. The detection coincidence rates of the established detection method and another similar method for the five pathogens in 242 clinical samples were 97.9%, 98.8%, 100%, 98.3% and 100% for PEDV, GARV, PDCoV, PTV and SADS-CoV, respectively. The Kappa values were all higher than 0.9. The method had advantage over a commercial diagnostic kit for detection of PEDV wild strains in accuracy. Detection results with clinical samples showed that positive rates of PEDV, GARV, PDCoV and PTV was 10.7% (26/242), 13.6% (33/242), 18.2% (44/242) and 14.5% (35/242), respectively, demonstrating the prevalence state of the four pathogens in Sichuan province in the years. SADS-CoV was not detectable in any areas, but the phenomenon of coinfection with different diarrhea causing viruses was common. Therefore, it was necessary to strengthen the surveillance of several porcine diarrhea viruses in Sichuan province for preventive control. Conclusion: In this study, a one-step multiplex real-time RT-PCR was established for simultaneous detection of PEDV wild strains, PDCoV, SADS-COV and GARV, PTV multiple genotypes, which provided an efficient and sensitive tool for the differential diagnosis and epidemiological investigation of swine diarrhea disease.
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Middle East respiratory syndrome coronavirus (MERS-CoV) is an emerging zoonotic pathogen which causes high mortality rate in humans. Dromedary camels may play a central role in virus transmission to humans. Dipeptidyl peptidase-4 (DPP4), a transmembrane protein located on the cell surface of many epithelial and endothelial tissues was identified as the receptor for MERS-CoV. The current study investigated the possibility that bacterial stimulation of camel blood could affect the expression level of DPP4 on camel leukocyte subpopulation, which in turn may contribute to the higher susceptibility of camels with bacterial infection to MERS-CoV infection. DPP4 expression was evaluated by membrane immunofluorescence and flow cytometry. Stimulation of camel blood with the bacterial species S. aureus or E. coil resulted in the upregulation of DPPV on both monocytes and granulocytes, while S. agalactiae did not significantly modulate DPPV expression on either of the immune cells (p > 0.05). None of the bacterial species could induce a change in DPPV expression on lymphocytes from stimulated blood. Collectively, the present study showed an enhancing effect of bacterial stimulation on DPPV expression on camel monocytes and granulocytes.
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Objective: To understand the pathogenic spectrum and epidemiological characteristics of severe acute respiratory infection (SARI) in adult inpatients in Yangpu District, Shanghai, China, in order to explore strategies for the prevention and treatment of respiratory infectious diseases. Methods: Individual cases were from adult inpatients with SARI in Yangpu District, Shanghai, China from January 2019 to July 2021. Their respiratory samples were collected for etiological pathogen testing. Results: A total of 681 SARI cases were enrolled for sampling and lab testing. Among them, 79.00% were aged 60 years and older, and 75.48% had confirmed chronic disease history. A total of 163 infection inpatients (23.94%) were positive for at least one pathogen. The pathogens identified most frequently were influenza A virus (6.75%), followed by rhinovirus/enterovirus (3.23%), parainfluenza virus (PIV) (2.79%), Mycoplasma pneumoniae (2.35%), coronavirus (CoV) (2.06%). The positive rates of adenovirus (AdV), human metapneumovirus (hMPV), respiratory syncytial virus and bocavirus were all less than 2%. Bacterial strains were identified in eleven SARI cases, including Staphylococcus aureus and Pseudomonas aeruginosa (4 strains), Klebsiella pneumoniae (3 strains). Legionella pneumophila was detected in 9 cases (1.32%) and Bordetella pertussis in 5 cases (0.73%). Two pathogens were co-detected from 11 cases, accounting for 1.62% of 163 positive cases. The most common co-detected pathogens were influenza A virus and other pathogens, accounting for 54.55% of the mixed infection. The positive rates of pathogens were not significantly different between less than 60 years old and over 60 years old groups except for Bordetella pertussis, adenovirus and Mycoplasma pneumonia(P < 0.05). Influenza virus had epidemic peak in winter and spring, but not in summer from 2019 to 2021. Conclusion: Various respiratory pathogens are detected from adult SARI cases. It is mainly influenza virus, with co-detected pathogens and rare pathogens. This study provides helpful information for targeted prevention and control measures including vaccination.
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Antimicrobial Resistance and Healthcare Associated Infection (ARHAI) Scotland provided a commentary on quarterly epidemiological data in Scotland for April to June (Q2) 2021 on the following: Clostridioides difficile infection, Escherichia coli bacteraemia, Staphylococcus aureus bacteraemia and surgical site Infection. Data are provided for the 14 NHS boards and one NHS Special Health board. Results showed that there were 277 CDI cases, of which 73.3% (203) were healthcare infections. In theprevious quarter there were 262 cases. There were 1103 ECB cases, of which 48.2% (532) were healthcare infections. In the previous quarter there were 961 cases. There were 408 SAB cases, of which 63.7% (260) were healthcare infections. In the previous quarter there were 388 SAB cases. Epidemiological data for SSI were not included for this quarter due to the pausing of surveillance to support the COVID-19 response. The data used for this report is part of the mandatory surveillance in Scotland. ARHAI Scotland supports NHS boards to analyse their data. Local monitoring in hospital and community settings isrequired to reduce these infections.
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Background: The pattern of bacterial infection in coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) patients differ worldwide. Objectives: This study aimed to determine the patterns of bacterial infections and the antibiotic resistance profile by VITEK 2 (bioMerieux, France) in the culture of blood samples from hospitalized patients with COVID-19.
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OBJECTIVE: To investigate and analyze the genotyping, virulence genes and drug-resistant genes of methicillin resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA) strains isolated from skin and soft tissue infections in this area. METHODS: The skin secretions of 204 patients with skin and soft tissue infections in the Fifth Central Hospital of Tianjin between Jan. 2019 and Dec. 2020 were collected, and MRSA strains identified as non-repetitive strains were isolated. The Staphylococcal cassette chromosome mec (SCCmec) and Staphylococcal protein A gene (spa) genotyping and Panton-valentine leukocidin (PVL) gene carrying status were analyzed among the MRSA strains, and their relationship with drug resistance was analyzed. RESULTS: Totally 82 strains of S. aureus were isolated from the skin secretions of 204 patients with skin and soft tissue infections, including 44 strains of MRSA (53.66%). The most common SCCmec genotype was genotype III (accounting for 84.09%) and the most common spa genotype was genotype t030 (accounting for 84.09%). PVL genes encoding virulence factors were amplified in 5 strains (11.36%). The drug resistance rates of 44 MRSA strains to vancomycin and compound sulfamethoxazole were 0.00%, and all the strains were drug-resistant to penicillin. Different SCCmec and spa genotypes were highly resistant to erythromycin, cefazolin, clindamycin and levofloxacin, but the differences in drug resistance rates of different SCCmec genotypes to clindamycin and levofloxacin were significant (P < 0.05). The resistance rates of strains with PVL positive genes to chloramphenicol, gentamicin and tetracycline were significantly higher than those with PVL negative genes (P < 0.05). CONCLUSION: Strains carrying SCCmec III and spa t030 genotypes may be the dominant strains of MRSA in skin and soft tissue infections in this area. Spa genotypes and PVL gene have certain impact on drug resistance of MRSA, and the isolated MRSA strains are all sensitive to vancomycin and compound sulfamethoxazole, which can provide a reference for anti-MRSA treatment in this area.
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The COVID-19 pandemic has changed consumer demands for food products due to the importance of eating functional foods capable of increasing the body's immune system, such as those containing natural bioactive compounds. Immune system enhancement through food intake is one of the top priorities for consumers globally. Hard candy products are ordinary foods consumed by people of all ages and social classes with numerous negative consumer perceptions due to their ability to cause dental caries. Therefore, it is imperative to develop hard candy as a functional food with antioxidant and antibacterial properties derived from natural ingredients. This research aims to innovate and design hard candy products that are acceptable to consumers with the addition of gambir catechins to its formulas. This research is considered novel for it provides innovation and design of hard candy products that are acceptable to consumers with the addition of gambir catechins. The result showed that all hard candy product formulas have Staphylococcus aureus with antimicrobial and antioxidant activities;hence, increased catechin concentration significantly affects these activities. Products in formulas 17, 8, 18, 4, and 7 with 4-5 ratings after organoleptic testing are standard products manufactured in accordance with SNI 3547.1:2018.
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The new coronavirus reaches the cells of the lower respiratory tract, starting an inflammatory process. Considering this infection, the immune system must eliminate the pathological agents and mantein cellular homeostasis, tissue repair and generation of immunity memory. When there is a failure in this pathway, this system encounters a series of difficulties for the resumption of balance, in addition to secondary infections, leading to additional clinical complications. Thus, this study sought to address the immune response to Sars-CoV-2, and the main post-Covid secondary infections (bacterial and fungal) and antimicrobial resistance in this context. This is a literature review based on the analysis of journals from the following academic platforms: Google Scholar, Center for Biotechnology Information (PubMed), Science Direct, Scientific Electronic Library Online (SciELO) and Scopus. The research was delimited in a range from 2003 to 2021, using the keywords COVID-19 as a search tool;Immune response;Bacterial infections;Fungal infections;Resistance. The results obtained in the studies demonstrate the impact of secondary infections on mortality, thus, among the main infections, bacterial infections (84%) stand out, including mainly the agents: Staphylococcus aureus, Streptococcus pneumoniae, Clostridioides difficile and Mycoplasma pneumoniae. As for secondary fungal infections, Aspergillus sp. and Candida affected mainly critically ill patients. Based on the data, an evident problem was the difficulty in identifying the agent causing the secondary infection, resulting in a scenario of intense use of broad-spectrum antibiotics, contributing to the selection of resistant pathogens and, controversially, the worsening of the prognosis of the disease patient.
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During COVID-19 outbreak, alcohol-based hand sanitizer (ABHS) has been widely used for hand cleaning and removing pathogens including human pathogens and zoonosis pathogens. High concentration of alcohol induces dehydrated skin in the users. Therefore, the objective of this study was to investigate moisturizing property and antimicrobial activity of alcohol-based hand sanitizer formulations using coconut oil as a moisturizing agent against pathogens including Escherichia coli and Staphylococcus aureus. The properties including antimicrobial activity, stability of the ABHS, and satisfaction levels of the coconut oil with two existing formulations by WHO and the Ministry of Public Health of Thailand (MOPH) were determined. The formulation containing the coconut oil demonstrated antibacterial activity against both E. coli and S. aureus with the minimal inhibitory concentration (MIC) of 8.75% V/V as same as MOPH. However, the WHO-modified formulation has the highest antimicrobial activity with the MIC value of 2.19% V/V. The stability result of 3 ABHSs showed that the preserved had the same efficacy compared to that of the fresh formulations. Hand washing with coconut formulation produced an average score of 7.19+or-1.71 on color, 7.06+or-1.56 on appearance, 5.82+or-2.10 on odor, 6.77+or-1.68 on moisture, 6.88+or-1.42 on overall acceptance out of 9. However, the sensory analysis of these three formulations results showed no significant difference in all parameters. The data suggest that moisturizing agents tested in our study do not affect the efficacy of ethanol. The coconut oil formulation is another good option for people searching for an effective hand sanitizer for germs protection and moisturizing.
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On 5 July 2022, quarterly epidemiological data on Clostridioides difficile infection (CDI), Escherichia coli bacteraemia (ECB), Staphylococcus aureus bacteraemia (SAB), and surgical site infection (SSI) in Scotland, covering January to March (Q1) 2022, was published under the mandatory programmes for surveillance of CDI, ECB, SAB, and SSI in Scotland. Please note, data for SSI are not included due to the pausing of surveillance to support the COVID-19 response. This report provides data for the first quarter of 2022 in 14 NHS boards and one NHS special health board. In addition, an appendix can also be accessed which details all cases and denominator data for each NHS board, and for Scotland overall.
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Today, pets are the source of numerous infectious diseases that can be transmitted to humans, as a result of their increasingly frequent contact. The most important viruses with zoonotic potential include rabies and influenza viruses as well as rotaviruses and noroviruses. However, the importance of individual viruses varies depending on the climate and infectious disease control systems in certain countries. Dogs, cats, and other increasingly popular types of pets can transmit bacterial zoonotic agents to humans in various ways. In addition to known pathogens such as the bacteria causing leptospirosis, salmonellosis, campylobacteriosis, or brucellosis, the bacteria Pasteurella multocida and Bartonella henselae transmitted by bites or scratches are also significant in human pathology. There has been a significant increase in the prevalence of methicillin-resistant strains of Staphylococcus aureus in isolates originating from pets and the transmission of these strains between humans and animals requires special attention. Furthermore, fungi causing diseases such as sporotrichosis or dermatophytosis are linked to long-term and persistent infections in humans. The epidemiological situation caused by SARS-CoV-2, and the assumption of an interspecies jump of this virus from animals to humans, including its documented presence in domestic cats, dogs, tigers, and martens, have raised the question of the possibility of virus transmission from pets to humans. However, the current pandemic is caused exclusively by SARS-CoV-2 transmission in the human population, and these animals are not a source of infection for humans. A significant number of zoonoses originating from pets is a threat to public health, thus requiring the "One Health" approach through close cooperation between human and veterinary medicine to develop and implement effective health measures for both humans and animals. As part of responsible ownership, pet owners must be informed by veterinarians about measures to prevent infectious diseases and certain risks that are related to keeping certain species of animals.
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This special issue contains 10 papers on the following topics: evaluating association between ABO blood groups and COVID 19;impact of COVID-19 on Libyan laboratory specialists;microscopic agglutination test for diagnosis of leptospirosis by using filter paper-dried serum samples;prevalence of haemoparasites among blood donors in Calabar, Nigeria;assessment of peripheral blood lymphocytosis in adults and determination of thresholds for differential diagnosis between clonal and reactive lymphocytosis;investigation of antibiotic resistance pattern in isolates from urine and blood samples of patients admitted to the Intensive Care Unit of Velayat Hospital in Qazvin, Iran;evaluation of rejection rates and reasons among specimens taken from different hospital units;quality tools to ensure patient safety and reduce the turnaround time of medical laboratories in tertiary care teaching hospitals;prevalence and antibiotic resistance pattern of Gram-positive isolates from burn patients in Velayat Burn Center in Rasht, North of Iran;and infective endocarditis caused by Staphylococcus aureus in a 6-year-old girl with no history of heart and dental problems.
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There is an increasing universal awareness of environmental problems arising as a result of COVID- 19 pandemic and pollution especially in Nigeria. Among the source of this problem is effluent discharge from industries, particularly hospitals in arable farmlands and environs. Two outstanding hospital were purposively selected;Madonna Catholic Hospital and Abia Specialist Hospital in Umuahia, Abia State. Their wastewater samples were collected from three different wards;maternity, general private, and general out-patients department (GOPD) wards. Results obtained show significant variation in physiochemical properties in some wards and heavy metals across all wards. Seven bacteria species;Staphylococcus aureus, Escherichia coli, Klesbsiella pneumonia, Pseudomonas aeruginosa, Proteus vulgaris, Bacteriod sp and Streptococcus pyogenes and one fungi specie- Candida albican were recorded from the samples. The bacterial load in Madonna ranged from 209.04 to 232.95cfu/ml in January, February, and March each and was statistically the same in the three wards (p>0.05). Fungi load ranged from 1.58 to 2.35cfu/ml in January, February, and March each and also significantly different at (p>0.05). The frequency of microbial characteristics isolated in the two hospital wastewater ranged from 33 to 100% with 100% of Staphylococcus aureus and Escherichia coli in all the wards, while other species varied significantly between 67 and 33% each. The results of the isolated bacteria from hospital wastewater showed resistivity to the tested antibiotics, and as therapeutic agents. Therefore, results call for need for urgent attention to be given to the discharge of wastewater from hospitals to ensure that food production around the environment is not contaminated.
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This proceedings contains 10 papers on risk management policy of the ministry of health, labour and welfare for ensuring safe wild game meat, prospective of application of food safety risk assessment for game meat, coronavirus disease (COVID-19) for animal owners, shelter medicine and COVID-19, the characteristics of bats as natural reservoirs of the novel coronavirus, chalkbrood in honey bees and its control measures, the economic impact of classical swine fever in Japan, benzalkonium chloride resistance in Listeria monocytogenes isolated in Japan, COVID-19 outbreak and epidemiological research in Japan and the amendment of the act on domestic animal infectious diseases control.
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Quaternary ammonium compounds (QACs) are a class of cationic surfactants routinely used for the disinfection of industries, institutions and households, and have seen a sharp increase in use during the COVID-19 pandemic. However, current commercial QACs consist of only stable chemical bonds such as C-N, C-C, and C-H, which makes their natural degradation rather difficult. Recent studies suggest that emerging negative environmental impacts, such as systemic antibiotics resistance and toxicity to living organisms, are directly associated with prolonged exposure to QACs. Here we report a new class of QAC which contains relatively volatile chemical functional groups such as ester and thioether bonds. Degradation kinetics in aqueous solutions suggests that the stability of these QACs depends not only on their intrinsic hydrophobicity but also on external environmental factors such as pH, temperature and ion presence. The microbicidal effects of QACs containing carbon chains with various lengths were also tested, one of which, named "Ephemora", is highly active against a broad spectrum of microbes including fungi, bacteria and viruses, for instance, methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA). The easy synthesis and purification of Ephemora starting from inexpensive commercially available reagents, together with its excellent antimicrobial activity and ability to degrade in natural waters over time, make its large-scale commercial production possible.
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Objective: To understand the pathogen spectrum in the lower respiratory tracts of 100 suspected cases infected with SARS-CoV-2 in Chaoyang district of Beijing from January to March, 2020.