ABSTRACT
Susceptibility data for 10 049 Escherichia coli isolates derived from community-acquired urinary tract infections in Greece during the period January 2000 to June 2002 indicated 8.1% resistance to nalidixic acid and 36% resistance to ciprofloxacin. In a sample of 170 E. coli isolates, mutations in gyrA (25 isolates) and parC (15 isolates) were consistent with the levels of resistance to quinolones. Previous exposure to quinolones and underlying chronic disease were independent risk factors for infection by quinolone-resistant E. coli strains.
Subject(s)
Anti-Infective Agents/pharmacology , Ciprofloxacin/pharmacology , Drug Resistance, Bacterial , Escherichia coli Infections/microbiology , Escherichia coli/drug effects , Urinary Tract Infections/microbiology , Community-Acquired Infections/epidemiology , Community-Acquired Infections/microbiology , DNA Gyrase/genetics , DNA Topoisomerase IV/genetics , Escherichia coli/genetics , Escherichia coli Infections/epidemiology , Greece , Humans , Microbial Sensitivity Tests , Nalidixic Acid/pharmacology , Urinary Tract Infections/epidemiologyABSTRACT
The environmental fungal load (FL) of three hospitals was studied in representative regions in Greece (Thessalonika, Northern Greece, Athens, Central Greece and Heraklion, Southern Greece). Air, surfaces and tap water from high-risk departments were sampled monthly during one year. Air FL was [median (range)] 10.6 (1.2-37), 5.5 (3-28.8) and 7.7 (3.1-12.1) cfu/m(3) at Thessalonika, Athens and Heraklion, respectively. Air FL was lower in winter and higher in summer and autumn but seldom above acceptable levels. Aspergillus spp. constituted 70.5% of the filamentous fungi isolated. Aspergillus niger was the most prevalent species in the air of all the hospitals followed by Aspergillus flavus and Aspergillus fumigatus. The least contaminated departments were the intensive care units, whilst most contaminated were the solid organ transplantation in Athens and haematology departments in Thessalonika. No correlation between fungal species, season, hospital or departments was observed. Sixty per cent of all surfaces examined yielded filamentous fungi and/or blastomycetes. While no fungi were recovered from water in Thessalonika and Athens, one-third of the samples in Heraklion (apart from those of ICU) yielded multiple fungal species. The higher air FL in Thessalonika and Athens was recorded in departments located close to renovation works. These findings suggest that the air and surface FL fluctuates over the year, is due to varying fungal species, but does not differ greatly among hospitals. The variation among hospitals, as well as the role of hospital water fungal contamination and appropriate measures to eliminate it, need further study.
