Aquatic and terrestrial cyanobacteria produce methane.

Evidence is accumulating to challenge the paradigm that biogenic methanogenesis, considered a strictly anaerobic process, is exclusive to archaea. We demonstrate that cyanobacteria living in marine, freshwater, and terrestrial environments produce methane at substantial rates under light, dark, oxic, and anoxic conditions, linking methane production with light-driven primary productivity in a globally relevant and ancient group of photoautotrophs. Methane production, attributed to cyanobacteria using stable isotope labeling techniques, was enhanced during oxygenic photosynthesis. We suggest that the formation of methane by cyanobacteria contributes to methane accumulation in oxygen-saturated marine and limnic surface waters. In these environments, frequent cyanobacterial blooms are predicted to further increase because of global warming potentially having a direct positive feedback on climate change. We conclude that this newly identified source contributes to the current natural methane budget and most likely has been producing methane since cyanobacteria first evolved on Earth.

Development and validation of a real time quantitative reverse transcription-polymerase chain reaction (qRT-PCR) assay for investigation of wild poliovirus type 1-South Asian (SOAS) strain reintroduced into Israel, 2013 to 2014.

In February 2013, wild poliovirus type 1 (WPV1) was reintroduced into southern Israel and resulted in continuous silent circulation in the highly immune population. As a part of the public health emergency response, a novel real time quantitative reverse transcription-polymerase chain reaction (qRT-PCR) assay was developed, to allow for the sensitive and specific detection of the circulatingWPV1-South Asian (SOAS) strain. Specific primers and probes derived from the VP-1 region were designed, based on sequenced sewage isolates, and used to simultaneously amplify this WPV1-SOAS sequence together with bacteriophage MS-2 as internal control. High titre WPV1-SOAS stock virus was used for assay optimisation and 50 processed sewage samples collected from southern Israel and tested by reference culture based methods were used for analytical validation of the assay's performance. The limit of detection of the multiplex qRT-PCR (SOAS/MS-2) assay was 0.1 plaque-forming unit (pfu)/reaction (20 pfu/mL) for WPV1-SOAS RNA with 100% sensitivity, specificity, positive and negative predictive values when compared to the culture based method. The turnaround time was rapid, providing results for environmental samples within 24 to 48 hours from completion of sewage processing, instead of five to seven days by culture-based analysis. Direct sewage testing by qRT-PCR assay proved to be a useful tool for rapid detection and environmental surveillance of WPV1-SOAS circulating strain during emergency response. Application of the approach for detection of WPV1-SOAS in stool samples obtained during acute flaccid paralysis (AFP) surveillance or field surveys should be further evaluated.

Molecular epidemiology of silent introduction and sustained transmission of wild poliovirus type 1, Israel, 2013.

Poliovirus vaccine coverage in Israel is over 90%. The last nine birth cohorts have been vaccinated exclusively with inactivated polio vaccine (IPV). However, between February and July 2013 type 1 wild poliovirus (WPV1) was detected persistently in 10 and intermittently in 8 of 47 environmental surveillance sites in southern and central Israel and in 30 stool samples collected during July from healthy individuals in southern Israel. We report results of sequence and phylogenetic analyses of genes encoding capsid proteins to determine the source and transmission mode of the virus. WPV1 capsid protein 1 nucleotide sequences were most closely related to South Asia (SOAS) cluster R3A polioviruses circulating in Pakistan in 2012 and isolated from Egyptian sewage in December 2012. There was no noticeable geographical clustering within WPV1-positive sites. Uniform codon usage among isolates from Pakistan, Egypt and Israel showed no signs of optimisation or deoptimisation. Bayesian phylogenetic time clock analysis of the entire capsid coding region (2,643 nt) with a 1.1% evolutionary rate indicated that Israeli and Egyptian WPV1-SOAS lineages diverged in September 2012, while Israeli isolates split into two sub-branches after January 2013. This suggests one or more introduction events into Israel with subsequent silent circulation despite high population immunity.

Legionella pneumophila contamination of a dental unit water line system in a dental teaching centre.

OBJECTIVE: This study aimed to evaluate the extent of Legionella pneumophila contamination in a dental unit water line (DUWL) at a Dental Teaching Centre in Jordan. METHODS: Ten dental units were sampled from each teaching clinic, namely conservative dentistry, periodontology and prosthodontics. Samples were collected from the air/water syringe, high-speed hand piece and water cup filler. Sampling time was at the beginning of the working day (before the dental unit was used), after 2 min of flushing, and at midday. RESULTS: Legionella pneumophila counts ranged between 0 and 8.35 x 10(3) (CFU ml(-1)). Legionella pneumophila was detected in 86.7% of the dental units at the beginning of the working day, 40% after 2 min flushing and 53.3% at midday. The highest L. pneumophila counts were found at the beginning of the working day which were reduced by flushing the waterlines. The conservative dentistry clinic had the highest contamination level followed by the periodontology and prosthodontics clinics (P < 0.05). The rate of contamination can be ascribed to the dental procedures performed in the clinics, the degree of using the hand pieces, and water softening and heating. CONCLUSIONS: The difficulty of completely eliminating micro-organism contaminating water used for dental treatment and the resulting biofilm suggest that flushing of DUWL can be a first solution in reducing L. pneumophila counts, while the incorporation of a disinfection method is highly recommended. Water heating and softening should be considered in practicing dentistry as factors that may aid in L. pneumophila proliferation inside the DUWL.

The presence of Pseudomonas aeruginosa in the dental unit waterline systems of teaching clinics.

OBJECTIVE: The objective of this study was to evaluate the extent of Pseudomonas aeruginosa contamination of Dental Unit Water (DUW) at a Dental Teaching Center in Jordan. METHODS: Water samples were collected from 30 dental units, 10 from each of three teaching clinics, namely conservative dentistry, periodontology, and prosthodontics. Samples were collected from the outlet of the air/water syringe, high-speed handpiece and water cup filler, at the beginning of the working day (before use), after 2 min flushing, and at midday. RESULTS: P. aeruginosa was detected in 86.7% (26/30) of the dental units at the beginning of the working day, and in 73.3% (22/30) after 2 min of flushing and at midday. Conservative dentistry units had the highest counts, followed by periodontology and prosthodontics (P<0.05). Overall, the highest counts (log10 count CFU ml-1) were at the beginning of the working day (1.38+/-1.05), and the lowest counts after flushing for 2 min (1.10+/-1.03), and higher numbers were seen again at midday (1.15+/-1.04) (P<0.05). CONCLUSIONS: 86.7% of the dental units were contaminated with P. aeruginosa, the conservative dentistry units had the highest amount of contamination. Flushing the DUW for 2 min significantly reduced the counts of P. aeruginosa.