RAPID IDENTIFICATION OF ETIOLOGICAL AGENTS OF RESPIRATORY TRACT INFECTIONS DURING THE COVID-19 PANDEMIC USING THE MULTIPLEX-PCR METHOD.

Objective. Most respiratory infections have similar symptoms, so it is clinically difficult to determine their etiology. This study aimed to show the importance of molecular diagnostics in identifying the etiological agent of respiratory infections, especially during the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic. Methods. A total of 849 samples from patients hospitalized at the University Clinical Center Kragujevac (from January 1 to August 1, 2022) were examined using automated multiplex-polymerase chain reaction (PCR) tests. The BioFire-FilmArray-Respiratory Panel 2.1 test was used for 742 nasopharyngeal swabs [identification of 19 viruses (including SARS-CoV-2) and four bacteria], while the BioFire-FilmArray-Pneumonia Panel was used [identification of 18 bacteria and nine viruses] (BioMerieux, Marcy l'Etoile, France) for 107 tracheal aspirates. The tests were performed according to the manufacturer's instructions, and the results were available within an hour. Results. In 582 (78.4%) samples, the BioFire-FilmArray-Respiratory Panel 2.1 plus test identified at least one pathogen. The rhinovirus (20.6%), SARS-CoV-2 (17.7%), influenza A (17.5%), respiratory syncytial virus (12.4%), and parainfluenza 3 (10.1%) were the most common. Other viruses were found less frequently, and Bordetella parapertussis was detected in one sample. In 85 (79.4%) samples, the BioFire-FilmArray-Pneumonia Panel test identified at least one bacterium or virus. The most prevalent bacteria were Staphylococcus aureus (42.4%), Haemophilus influenzae (41.2%), Streptococcus pneumoniae (36.5%), Moraxella catarrhalis (22.3%), and Legionella pneumophila (2.4%). Among viruses, rhinovirus (36.5%), adenovirus (23.5%), influenza A (11.8%), and the genus Coronavirus (4.7%), were detected. Conclusion. Multiplex-PCR tests improved the implementation of therapeutic and epidemiological measures, preventing the spread of the COVID-19 infection and Legionnaires' disease.Copyright © 2022, Serbian Medical Society. All rights reserved.

Prevalence of multidrug-resistant Gram-negative bacteria from blood cultures and rapid detection of beta-lactamase-encoding genes by multiplex PCR assay

Introduction This study aimed to determine the prevalence of multidrug-resistant Gram-negative bacteria (GNB) from blood cultures in a tertiary-care hospital and the multiplex PCR assay's ability to detect resistance genes. Methods A total of 388 GNB isolates obtained from hospitalized patients between November 2019 and November 2021 were included in the study. Antimicrobial susceptibility testing was done by VITEK 2 system and broth microdilution method. Beta-lactamase-encoding genes were detected by multiplex PCR assays, BioFire-Blood Culture Identification 2 (BCID2) panel (bioMerieux, France). Extended-spectrum beta-lactamases (ESBLs) were detected phenotypically with VITEK AST-GN71 card (bioMerieux, France). The isolates of GNB were classified into multidrug-resistant, extensively-drug-resistant, and pandrug-resistant categories, and their prevalence and distribution in different wards, including coronavirus diseases 2019 (COVID-19) intensive care units (ICU), were calculated. Results Results revealed that all isolates of Acinetobacter baumannii and Pseudomonas aeruginosa were multidrug-resistant as well as 91.6% of Enterobacter cloacae, 80.6% of Proteus mirabilis, and 76.1% of Klebsiella pneumoniae, respectively. In fermentative bacteria, blaOXA-48-like (58.1%), blaNDM (16.1%), blaKPC (9.7%) and blaVIM (6.5%) genes were detected. More than half of Enterobacter cloacae (58.3%) and Klebsiella pneumoniae (53.7%) produced ESBLs. Among non-fermenters, the blaNDM gene was carried by 55% of Pseudomonas aeruginosa and 19.5% of Acinetobacter baumannii. In the COVID-19 ICU, Acinetobacter baumannii was the most common isolate (86.1%). Conclusions This study revealed high proportions of multidrug-resistant blood isolates and various underlying resistance genes in Gram-negative strains. The BCID2 panel seems to be helpful for the detection of the most prevalent resistance genes of fermentative bacteria.Copyright © GERMS 2022.

Progress in understanding the health promoting effect of egg yolk immunoglobulin

As an important immuneoactive component in eggs, yolk immunoglobulin (IgY) shows great competitiveness in research and production due to its good stability, high safety, low cost, easy availability, strong immune activity, and no drug resistance. This article highlights the significant advantages of IgY as a good antibiotic substitute in the prevention and treatment of viral and bacterial diseases. Also, IgY has great potential in the regulation of nutrient metabolism balance, intestinal microflora and immune homeostasis by affecting key rate-limiting enzymes, and relevant receptors and inflammatory factors specifically. Proper diet and targeted delivery of foodborne IgY may be a new perspective on inflammation regulation, disease control, nutritional balance or homeostasis, and oral microencapsulated IgY is expected to be a new approach against increasing public health emergencies (such as COVID-19 pandemic).

Frequency of antibiotic prescribing in adults hospitalized for SARS-CoV-2 in a high complexity institution in Santiago de Cali, Colombia.

Objective: To determine the frequency of antibiotic use and to know which clinical and socio-demographic variables were related to the probability of suffering infections associated with COVID-19. Method(s): Adults hospitalized for COVID-19 who received one or more antibiotics during hospitalization were evaluated. We performed a descriptive analysis of variables in the general population' bivariate analysis in two groups (documented vs. suspected infection) and multivariate logistic regression of factors associated with mortality. Result(s): It was determined that 60.4% of adults hospitalized for COVID-19 received antibiotics. Coinfection was documented in 6.2% and superinfection in 23.3%. Gram-negative germs were reported in 75.8% of cultures, fungi in 17.8% and gram-positive in 14.2%. Variables such as age, comorbidities, ICU, anemia, steroids, mechanical ventilation, hemofiltration were statistically significantly related to documented infection. High-flow cannula was associated as a protective factor. Overall mortality was 43.9%, 57.8% in the first group and 38.1% in the second (p=0.002). Conclusion(s): There is a considerable frequency of antibiotic use in subjects hospitalized for COVID-19, particularly related to relevant findings of bacterial superinfection, in those with comorbidities, such as diabetes mellitus, immunosuppression, anemia and fragility, in whom the behavior of the disease is more severe and lethal.Copyright © 2023 Asociacion Colombiana de Infectologia. All rights reserved.

Face masks as sources of cross-contamination during food preparation

Amid the COVID-19 pandemic, mask-wearing has become a common practice in the foodservice industry to prevent the spread of respiratory diseases. Like kitchen utensils, a mask may serve as a vehicle for cross-contamination of pathogens during food handling. The objective of this study was to quantify cross-contamination between tasks of handling contaminated chicken and chopping lettuce. Chicken breasts were inoculated with a high or a low level of nonpathogenic Escherichia coli surrogates (ca. 6 or 4 log CFU/ml) and sliced for 1, 5, or 10 min. During slicing, duplicate, single-use medical masks were touched each minute. One mask was immediately sampled, but the second mask was used to contaminate lettuce by touching the mask each minute while chopping the lettuce for 5 min. E. coli were enumerated from the second mask and lettuce. Masks touched while slicing both high- and low-inoculated chicken showed significant contamination (0.8-4.9 log CFU/cm2) after each slicing scenario of 1, 5, or 10 min (P > 0.05). Lettuce was significantly contaminated regardless of inoculation level (1.0-3.2 log CFU/g). Slicing time was a significant factor in some cases (P < 0.05), whereas inoculation level was not (P > 0.05). Data indicate masks can be a source of cross-contamination if not replaced appropriately.

Societal drivers of antimicrobial resistance

Antimicrobial resistance is caused by and exacerbates social and health inequalities. Human and animal antimicrobial use is contributing as much as societal failures to dispose of and manage our waste and respect our environment. A multisector, multidisciplinary approach is required to resolve these issues.Copyright © ERS 2023.

Impact of improving infection control and antibiotic stewardship practices on nosocomial infections and antimicrobial resistance in an oncology centre from India

Background: Improving basic infection control (IC) practices, diagnostics and anti-microbial stewardship (AMS) are key tools to handle antimicrobial resistance (AMR). Material(s) and Method(s): This is a retrospective study done over 6 years (2016-2021) in an oncology centre in North India with many on-going interventions to improve IC practices, diagnostics and AMS. This study looked into AMR patterns from clinical isolates, rates of hospital acquired infections (HAI) and clinical outcomes. Result(s): Over all, 98,915 samples were sent for culture from 158,191 admitted patients. Most commonly isolated organism was E. coli (n = 6951;30.1%) followed by Klebsiella pneumoniae (n = 5801;25.1%) and Pseudomonas aeroginosa (n = 3041;13.1%). VRE (Vancomycin resistant Enterococcus) rates fell down from 43.5% in Jan-June 2016 to 12.2% in July-Dec 2021, same was seen in CR (carbapenem resistant) Pseudomonas (23.0%-20.6%, CR Acinetobacter (66.6%-17.02%) and CR E. coli (21.6%-19.4%) over the same study period. Rate of isolation of Candida spp. from non-sterile sites also showed reduction (1.68 per 100 patients to 0.65 per 100 patients). Incidence of health care associated infections also fell from 2.3 to 1.19 per 1000 line days for CLABSI, 2.28 to 1.88 per 1000 catheter days for CAUTI. There was no change in overall mortality rates across the study period. Conclusion(s): This study emphasizes the point that improving compliance to standard IC recommendations and improving diagnostics can help in reducing the burden of antimicrobial resistance.Copyright © 2023 Indian Association of Medical Microbiologists

Mild SARS-CoV-2 infection results in long-lasting microbiota instability.

Viruses targeting mammalian cells can indirectly alter the gut microbiota, potentially compounding their phenotypic effects. Multiple studies have observed a disrupted gut microbiota in severe cases of severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) infection that require hospitalization. Yet, despite demographic shifts in disease severity resulting in a large and continuing burden of non-hospitalized infections, we still know very little about the impact of mild SARS-CoV-2 infection on the gut microbiota in the outpatient setting. To address this knowledge gap, we longitudinally sampled 14 SARS-CoV-2-positive subjects who remained outpatient and 4 household controls. SARS-CoV-2 cases exhibited a significantly less stable gut microbiota relative to controls. These results were confirmed and extended in the K18-humanized angiotensin-converting enzyme 2 mouse model, which is susceptible to SARS-CoV-2 infection. All of the tested SARS-CoV-2 variants significantly disrupted the mouse gut microbiota, including USA-WA1/2020 (the original variant detected in the USA), Delta, and Omicron. Surprisingly, despite the fact that the Omicron variant caused the least severe symptoms in mice, it destabilized the gut microbiota and led to a significant depletion in Akkermansia muciniphila. Furthermore, exposure of wild-type C57BL/6J mice to SARS-CoV-2 disrupted the gut microbiota in the absence of severe lung pathology.IMPORTANCETaken together, our results demonstrate that even mild cases of SARS-CoV-2 can disrupt gut microbial ecology. Our findings in non-hospitalized individuals are consistent with studies of hospitalized patients, in that reproducible shifts in gut microbial taxonomic abundance in response to SARS-CoV-2 have been difficult to identify. Instead, we report a long-lasting instability in the gut microbiota. Surprisingly, our mouse experiments revealed an impact of the Omicron variant, despite producing the least severe symptoms in genetically susceptible mice, suggesting that despite the continued evolution of SARS-CoV-2, it has retained its ability to perturb the intestinal mucosa. These results will hopefully renew efforts to study the mechanisms through which Omicron and future SARS-CoV-2 variants alter gastrointestinal physiology, while also considering the potentially broad consequences of SARS-CoV-2-induced microbiota instability for host health and disease.

Research progress on distribution and exposure risk of microbial aerosols in animal houses.

Environmental aerosols in animal houses are closely related to the productive performance and health level of animals living in the houses. Preferable housing environments can improve animal welfare and production efficiency, so it is necessary to monitor and study these environments. In recent years, there have been many large-scale outbreaks of respiratory diseases related to biological aerosols, especially the novel coronavirus that has been sweeping the world. This has attracted much attention to the mode of aerosol transmission. With the rapid development of large-scale and intensive breeding, microbial aerosols have gradually become the main factor of environmental pollution in animal houses. They not only lead to a large-scale outbreak of infectious diseases, but they also have a certain impact on the health of animals and employees in the houses and increase the difficulty of prevention and control of animal-borne diseases. This paper reviews the distribution, harm, and control measures of microbial aerosols in animal house environments in order to improve people's understanding of them.

Diversity, composition, and networking of saliva microbiota distinguish the severity of COVID-19 episodes as revealed by an analysis of 16S rRNA variable V1-V3 region sequences.

Studies on the role of the oral microbiome in SARS-CoV-2 infection and severity of the disease are limited. We aimed to characterize the bacterial communities present in the saliva of patients with varied COVID-19 severity to learn if there are differences in the characteristics of the microbiome among the clinical groups. We included 31 asymptomatic subjects with no previous COVID-19 infection or vaccination; 176 patients with mild respiratory symptoms, positive or negative for SARS-CoV-2 infection; 57 patients that required hospitalization because of severe COVID-19 with oxygen saturation below 92%, and 18 fatal cases of COVID-19. Saliva samples collected before any treatment were tested for SARS-CoV-2 by PCR. Oral microbiota in saliva was studied by amplification and sequencing of the V1-V3 variable regions of 16S gene using an Illumina MiSeq platform. We found significant changes in diversity, composition, and networking in saliva microbiota of patients with COVID-19, as well as patterns associated with severity of disease. The presence or abundance of several commensal species and opportunistic pathogens were associated with each clinical stage. Patterns of networking were also found associated with severity of disease: a highly regulated bacterial community (normonetting) was found in healthy people whereas poorly regulated populations (disnetting) were characteristic of severe cases. Characterization of microbiota in saliva may offer important clues in the pathogenesis of COVID-19 and may also identify potential markers for prognosis in the severity of the disease. IMPORTANCE SARS-CoV-2 infection is the most severe pandemic of humankind in the last hundred years. The outcome of the infection ranges from asymptomatic or mild to severe and even fatal cases, but reasons for this remain unknown. Microbes normally colonizing the respiratory tract form communities that may mitigate the transmission, symptoms, and severity of viral infections, but very little is known on the role of these microbial communities in the severity of COVID-19. We aimed to characterize the bacterial communities in saliva of patients with different severity of COVID-19 disease, from mild to fatal cases. Our results revealed clear differences in the composition and in the nature of interactions (networking) of the bacterial species present in the different clinical groups and show community-patterns associated with disease severity. Characterization of the microbial communities in saliva may offer important clues to learn ways COVID-19 patients may suffer from different disease severities.

From concept to delivery: a yeast-expressed recombinant protein-based COVID-19 vaccine technology suitable for global access.

INTRODUCTION: The development of a yeast-expressed recombinant protein-based vaccine technology co-developed with LMIC vaccine producers and suitable as a COVID-19 vaccine for global access is described. The proof-of-concept for developing a SARS-CoV-2 spike protein receptor-binding domain (RBD) antigen as a yeast-derived recombinant protein vaccine technology is described. AREAS COVERED: Genetic Engineering: The strategy is presented for the design and genetic modification used during cloning and expression in the yeast system. Process and Assay Development: A summary is presented of how a scalable, reproducible, and robust production process for the recombinant protein COVID-19 vaccine antigen was developed. Formulation and Pre-clinical Strategy: We report on the pre-clinical and formulation strategy used for the proof-of-concept evaluation of the SARS-CoV-2 RBD vaccine antigen. Technology Transfer and Partnerships: The process used for the technology transfer and co-development with LMIC vaccine producers is described. Clinical Development and Delivery: The approach used by LMIC developers to establish the industrial process, clinical development, and deployment is described. EXPERT OPINION: Highlighted is an alternative model for developing new vaccines for emerging infectious diseases of pandemic importance starting with an academic institution directly transferring their technology to LMIC vaccine producers without the involvement of multinational pharma companies.

Combined Infection Control Interventions Protect Essential Food Workers from Occupational Exposures to SARS-CoV-2 in the Agricultural Environment.

Essential food workers experience elevated risks of severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) infection due to prolonged occupational exposures in food production and processing areas, shared transportation (car or bus), and employer-provided shared housing. Our goal was to quantify the daily cumulative risk of SARS-CoV-2 infection for healthy susceptible produce workers and to evaluate the relative reduction in risk attributable to food industry interventions and vaccination. We simulated daily SARS-CoV-2 exposures of indoor and outdoor produce workers through six linked quantitative microbial risk assessment (QMRA) model scenarios. For each scenario, the infectious viral dose emitted by a symptomatic worker was calculated across aerosol, droplet, and fomite-mediated transmission pathways. Standard industry interventions (2-m physical distancing, handwashing, surface disinfection, universal masking, ventilation) were simulated to assess relative risk reductions from baseline risk (no interventions, 1-m distance). Implementation of industry interventions reduced an indoor worker's relative infection risk by 98.0% (0.020; 95% uncertainty interval [UI], 0.005 to 0.104) from baseline risk (1.00; 95% UI, 0.995 to 1.00) and an outdoor worker's relative infection risk by 94.5% (0.027; 95% UI, 0.013 to 0.055) from baseline risk (0.487; 95% UI, 0.257 to 0.825). Integrating these interventions with two-dose mRNA vaccinations (86 to 99% efficacy), representing a worker's protective immunity to infection, reduced the relative infection risk from baseline for indoor workers by 99.9% (0.001; 95% UI, 0.0002 to 0.005) and outdoor workers by 99.6% (0.002; 95% UI, 0.0003 to 0.005). Consistent implementation of combined industry interventions, paired with vaccination, effectively mitigates the elevated risks from occupationally acquired SARS-CoV-2 infection faced by produce workers. IMPORTANCE This is the first study to estimate the daily risk of severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) infection across a variety of indoor and outdoor environmental settings relevant to food workers (e.g., shared transportation [car or bus], enclosed produce processing facility and accompanying breakroom, outdoor produce harvesting field, shared housing facility) through a linked quantitative microbial risk assessment framework. Our model has demonstrated that the elevated daily SARS-CoV-2 infection risk experienced by indoor and outdoor produce workers can be reduced below 1% when vaccinations (optimal vaccine efficacy, 86 to 99%) are implemented with recommended infection control strategies (e.g., handwashing, surface disinfection, universal masking, physical distancing, and increased ventilation). Our novel findings provide scenario-specific infection risk estimates that can be utilized by food industry managers to target high-risk scenarios with effective infection mitigation strategies, which was informed through more realistic and context-driven modeling estimates of the infection risk faced by essential food workers daily. Bundled interventions, particularly if they include vaccination, yield significant reductions (>99%) in daily SARS-CoV-2 infection risk for essential food workers in enclosed and open-air environments.

Personal Data for Public Benefit: The Regulatory Determinants of Social Licence for Technologically Enhanced Antimicrobial Resistance Surveillance.

Technologically enhanced surveillance systems have been proposed for the task of monitoring and responding to antimicrobial resistance (AMR) in both human, animal and environmental contexts. The use of these systems is in their infancy, although the advent of COVID-19 has progressed similar technologies in response to that pandemic. We conducted qualitative research to identify the Australian public's key concerns about the ethical, legal and social implications of an artificial intelligence (AI) and machine learning-enhanced One Health AMR surveillance system. Our study provides preliminary evidence of public support for AI/machine learning-enhanced One Health monitoring systems for AMR, provided that three main conditions are met: personal health care data must be deidentified; data use and access must be tightly regulated under strong governance; and the system must generate high-quality, reliable analyses to guide trusted health care decision-makers.

Recent advancements in coordination compounds and their potential clinical application in the management of diseases: An up-to-date review

Coordination compounds-based drugs are crucial in targeting various diseases due to their distinct structural order. They also show a significant role in biological systems, including human beings. For example, hemoglobin, a carrier of oxygen transportation in the blood, is a metal complex of Fe (II) ions and is vital for human life. In addition, they have been utilized for treating various diseases associated with human beings due to their excellent anti-bacterial, anti-cancer, and anti-viral potential. The coordination compounds of different metal ions such as platinum (Pt), palladium (Pd), ruthenium (Ru), nickel (Ni), chromium (Cr), silver (Ag), and gold (Au) have been used as anti-cancer drugs. Moreover, the metal complex of chromium, gold, and copper ions exhibited excellent anti-bacterial activity. Additionally, many coordination compounds revealed promising applications against malaria and neurodegenerative conditions like Alzheimer's. Recently, coordination compounds have been utilized as anti-viral drugs to treat coronavirus. In the present review, we have spotlighted the advanced and most significant coordination compounds that exhibit an essential role in medicine.

The Suitability of Using the Ferret as a Model Organism in Biomedical Research

This paper reviews the literature data considering the use of the ferret as a model organism in biomedical research. The albino ferret is the most used variant from the ferret species as an animal model in biomedi-cal research. Its use as a pet is also known. Similarities have been identified between ferrets and humans in terms of the physiology and morphology of the respi-ratory system, but also on the pathogenesis or evolu-tion of some diseases on other organs and systems. Ferrets are intensively used in the study of respiratory diseases of viral nature, such as influenza and SARS-CoV, in hypersecretory respiratory disorders, such as cystic fibrosis, in the neuroendocrinology and neuro-anatomy, and even in gastric ulcer research. Through genetic engineering, transgenic ferrets have been ob-tained, such individuals reproducing the studied pa-thology much more faithfully.

Listeriosis and the COVID-19 pandemic

Listeriosis is a saprozoonotic infection that occurs when eating foods contaminated with Listeria. Invasive forms of listeriosis can have extremely severe consequences. Respiratory viral diseases predispose to the occurrence of combined viral-bacterial infections. With a mixed infection of listeriosis and COVID-19, a severe course of the disease is observed, which has a serious prognosis. The aim of the study was to analyze the frequency of various variants of invasive listeriosis and their outcomes in the period before the COVID-19 pandemic and against the background of its development, as well as to determine the genetic diversity of L. monocytogenes isolates. Material and methods. We analyzed 55 cases of invasive listeriosis in patients observed in 2018-2021 in various medical organizations in Moscow. The diagnosis was established on the basis of epidemiological, clinical and laboratory data, listeriosis was confirmed by bacteriological and molecular genetic methods, COVID-19 was confirmed by the detection of SARS-CoV-2 RNA in an oropharyngeal swab using real-time RT-PCR, as well as computed tomography of the lungs. Results. During the current COVID-19 pandemic (2020-2021), the incidence of listeriosis in pregnant women and invasive listeriosis occurring in the form of sepsis and/or lesions of the central nervous system did not differ significantly from similar indicators registered in 2018-2019. Listeria sepsis and/or meningitis/meningoencephalitis in association with severe SARS-CoV-2 novel coronavirus infection are at high risk of death. During the years of the COVID-19 pandemic, the diversity and range of L. monocytogenes genotypes in invasive listeriosis changed, new genotypes appeared that were not previously characteristic of the Russian Federation. Conclusion. The likelihood of developing listeriosis sepsis and/or meningitis/meningoencephalitis against the background of a severe course of COVID-19, and a high risk of an adverse outcome, require increased awareness of medical workers in the field of diagnosis and treatment of invasive listeriosis in order to conduct the earliest and most adequate antibiotic therapy.Copyright © 2022 Geotar Media Publishing Group. All Rights Reserved.

Pretreatments for Microbial Analysis and Evaluation of Hygiene of Wet Towels and Wet Wipes

The demand for hygiene products has increased worldwide since the outbreak of global COVID-19. As the hygiene products market is expanding, it is necessary to manage microbial contamination in wet towels and wet wipes. This study evaluated pretreatment methods for microbial recovery from wet towels and wipes and microbial contamination levels in wet towels and wipes with the pretreatment method. Escherichia coli (NCCP14038 and NCCP14039), Staphylococcus aureus (ATCC25923 and ATCC29213), and Pseudomonas aeruginosa (NCCP10250 and NCCP11229) were inoculated on five fabric materials of wet towels and wet wipes. The recovery rates of the bacteria from wet towels and wet wipes using three pretreatment methods (pummeling, hand shaking, and portion cutting method) were investigated. Using the selected pretreatment method, the contamination levels of E. coli, S. aureus, and P. aeruginosa were evaluated for 238 wet towels and 244 wet wipes, which were collected in April to August, 2019. The presence of toxA and antibiotic resistance of P. aeruginosa isolated from wet towels were evaluated. The overall recovery rates of the pummeling method and hand shaking method were higher than the portion cutting method. Considering the convenience, the pummeling method was used to investigate the microbial contamination in the wet towels and wet wipes. P. aeruginosa was detected in two wet towels at an average of 9.9x102 CFU/towel. E. coli and S. aureus were not detected in both wet towels and wipes. P. aeruginosa isolates showed no resistances to piperacillin, piperacillin-tazobactam, aztreonam, and gentamicin, but had toxA. The results indicate that the pummeling method is the most appropriate pretreatment method for the recovery of microorganisms, and microbial analysis showed that this method could be useful in monitoring microbial contamination in wet towels and wet wipes.

Efficiency of UVC radiation as an air disinfectant in a real environment

Microbial contamination of indoor air in public spaces plays an important role in the SARSCoV-2 pandemic. So far, most studies on the reduction of airborne microbial load by UVC irradiation have been conducted as simulations or in laboratory environments. The aim of our study is to demonstrate the efficiency of Upper-Room Ultraviolet Germicidal Irradiation (UVGI) in a real environment like a supermarket. Restrictions on the use of harmful SARSCoV-2 particles for testing in public areas could be circumvented by using airborne germs as indicators. The results of this study show significant germ (bacterial and fungal) reductions by use of UVGI during business hours in a supermarket. Referring to known susceptibility values of airborne germs from previous work, we were able to estimate the effectiveness of the UVGI-system used against corona viruses. It met the requirements for complete disinfection. © 2022 17th International Conference on Indoor Air Quality and Climate, INDOOR AIR 2022. All rights reserved.

Excellent performance by avoiding microbial contamination (EPBAMC): A new portal and model for safety of respirator masks approved by bacterial contamination field research

Introduction: Over the past decades, billions of people on Earth have used respirator masks to prevent animal-to-human and human-to-human virus transmission. Recent research has shown the low risk of surface transmission of COVID-19, which turned into a pandemic since January 2020. Social distancing and the use of masks indoors are the most important factors in breaking its transmission chain. Material and Methods: However, the use of contaminated respirator masks can cause dangerous microbial and viral diseases. By adding the factor "avoiding microbial contamination”, the proposed model, called "Excellent Performance by Avoiding Microbial Contamination (EPBAMC)”, improves the WHO's three-factor optimal-performance model of the respirator masks. In this study, to evaluate the need to add the factor of "avoiding contamination”, samples of brand-new respirator masks were collected from several countries and their microbial contamination was carefully studied. The research method was such that the research steps were performed with highest accuracy rate and no double infection was created. Results: By culturing in sterilized medium, the bacterial load of the respirator masks was studied and the results were analyzed. By performing different cultures, a variety of pathogenic microorganisms were identified on half of the respirator mask samples. Some brand-new respirator mask samples contained more than one pathogen. A very important issue was that bacteria were found in brand-new respirators distributed by pharmacies that cause nosocomial infections and are resistant to antibiotics. Conclusion: The results of this study made it necessary to review the standards of the production and distribution process and the procedures for controlling and inspecting respirator masks. © 2022, Published by Frontiers in Health Informatics.

Insights on the methodology for indoor microbial aerosol studies

Covid-19 has highlighted the need for reliable methods for airborne microbe control. Different microbes are suitable for different purposes, and the microbes are sensitive to collection methods used. We identified three safe-to-use microbes suitable for airborne microbial studies: MS2-bacteriophage virus, Staphylococcus simulans and Bacillus atrophaeus bacterial spores. We found that the sensitive microbes (MS2 and S. simulans) survive better, when collected directly in a liquid media. © 2022 17th International Conference on Indoor Air Quality and Climate, INDOOR AIR 2022. All rights reserved.