Isolation and molecular identification of Vibrio spp. by sequencing of 16S rDNA from seafood, meat and meat products in Libya.

The genus Vibrio includes several food-borne pathogens that cause a spectrum of clinical conditions including septicemia, cholera and milder forms of gastroenteritis. Several Vibrio spp. are commonly associated with food-borne transmission including Vibrio cholerae, Vibrio parahemolyticus, and Vibrio vulnificus. Microbiological analysis for enumeration and isolation of Vibrio spp. were carried out for a total of 93 samples of seafood, meat and meat products from different geographic localities in Libya (Tripoli, Regdalin, Janzour and Tobruk). Vibrio spp. were detected by conventional cultural and molecular method using PCR and sequencing of 16S rDNA. Out of the 93 cultured samples only 48 (51.6%) yielded colonies on Thiosulfate Citrate Bile Salt agar (TCBS) with culture characteristics of Vibrio spp. More than half (n=27) of processed seafood samples (n=46) yielded colonies on TCBS, while only 44.6 % of samples of meat and meat products showed colonies on TCBS. Among cultured seafood samples, the highest bacterial count was recorded in clam with a count of 3.8 ×10(4) CFU\g. Chicken burger samples showed the highest bacterial count with 6.5 ×10(4) CFU\g. Molecular analysis of the isolates obtained in this study, showed that 11 samples out of 48 (22.9%) were Vibrio spp. Vibrio parahemolyticus was isolated from camel meat for the first time. This study is an initial step to provide a baseline for future molecular research targeting Vibrio spp. foodborne illnesses. This data will be used to provide information on the magnitude of such pathogens in Libyan seafood, meat and meat products.

Filtering mechanical chest compression artefacts from out-of-hospital cardiac arrest data.

AIM: Filtering techniques to remove manual compression artefacts from the ECG have not been incorporated to defibrillators to diagnose the rhythm during cardiopulmonary resuscitation. Mechanical and manual compression artefacts may be very different. The aim of this study is to characterize the compression artefact caused by the LUCAS 2 device and to evaluate whether filtering the LUCAS 2 artefact results in an accurate rhythm analysis. METHODS: A dataset of 1045 segments were obtained from 230 out-of-hospital cardiac arrest (OHCA) patients after LUCAS 2 activation. Rhythms were 201 shockable, 270 asystole and 574 organized. Segments during asystole were used to characterize the artefact in time and frequency domains. Three filtering methods, a comb filter and two adaptive filters, were used to remove the mechanical compression artefact. The filtered ECG was then diagnosed with a shock decision algorithm from a defibrillator. RESULTS: When compared to the manual compression artefact, the LUCAS 2 artefact presented a similar amplitude (1.2 mV, p-value 0.26), fixed frequency (101.7 min(-1)), more harmonic components, smaller spectral dispersion, and a more regular waveform (p-val <3 × 10(-7)). The sensitivity (SE) and specificity (SP) before filtering the LUCAS 2 artefact were 52.8% (90% low CI, 46.0%) and 81.5% (79.0%), respectively. For the best filter, SE and SP after filtering were 97.9% (95.7%) and 84.1% (82.0%), respectively. Optimal filters require more harmonics and smaller bandwidths than for manual compressions. CONCLUSION: Filtering resulted in a large increase in SE and small increase in SP. Despite differences in artefact characteristics between manual and mechanical compressions, filtering the LUCAS 2 compression artefact results in SE/SP values comparable to those obtained for manual compression artefacts. The SP is still below the 95% recommended by the American Heart Association.

Fully automatic rhythm analysis during chest compression pauses.

AIM: Chest compression artefacts impede a reliable rhythm analysis during cardiopulmonary resuscitation (CPR). These artefacts are not present during ventilations in 30:2 CPR. The aim of this study is to prove that a fully automatic method for rhythm analysis during ventilation pauses in 30:2 CPR is reliable an accurate. METHODS: For this study 1414min of 30:2 CPR from 135 out-of-hospital cardiac arrest cases were analysed. The data contained 1942 pauses in compressions longer than 3.5s. An automatic pause detector identified the pauses using the transthoracic impedance, and a shock advice algorithm (SAA) diagnosed the rhythm during the detected pauses. The SAA analysed 3-s of the ECG during each pause for an accurate shock/no-shock decision. RESULTS: The sensitivity and PPV of the pause detector were 93.5% and 97.3%, respectively. The sensitivity and specificity of the SAA in the detected pauses were 93.8% (90% low CI, 90.0%) and 95.9% (90% low CI, 94.7%), respectively. Using the method, shocks would have been advanced in 97% of occasions. For patients in nonshockable rhythms, rhythm reassessment pauses would be avoided in 95.2% (95% CI, 91.6-98.8) of occasions, thus increasing the overall chest compression fraction (CCF). CONCLUSION: An automatic method could be used to safely analyse the rhythm during ventilation pauses. This would contribute to an early detection of refibrillation, and to increase CCF in patients with nonshockable rhythms.

Isolation of verotoxigenic Escherichia coli O157 from poultry.

Results obtained by examination of cloacal swabs from poultry for the presence of verotoxigenic strains of E. coli O157:H7 are presented. Twenty samples (9.2%) of 216 samples examined were positive for E. coli O157. Out of 20 E. coli O157, 19 strains were positive for the production of both verotoxins (VT1 and VT2). However, none of them was positive for the presence of H7 antigen.