Improved Hygiene Practices Research Articles

It's made a really hard situation even more difficult: The impact of COVID-19 on families of children with chronic illness.

For over two years, the global COVID-19 pandemic has forced major transformations on health, social, and educational systems, with concomitant impacts on mental health. This study aimed to understand the unique and additional challenges faced by children with chronic illness and their families during the COVID-19 era. Parents of children receiving treatment for a chronic illness within the neurology, cancer, renal and respiratory clinics of Sydney Children's Hospital were invited to participate. We used qualitative methodology, including a semi-structured interview guide, verbatim transcription, and thematic analysis supported by QSR NVivo. Thirteen parents of children receiving tertiary-level care, for nine chronic illnesses, participated. Parents reported intense fears relating to their ill child's additional vulnerabilities, which included their risk of developing severe COVID-19 disease and the potential impact of COVID-19-related disruptions to accessing clinical care, medications, allied health support and daily care protocols should their parent contract COVID-19. Parents perceived telehealth as a highly convenient and preferred method for ongoing management of less complex healthcare needs. Parents reported that the accrual of additional stressors and responsibilities during the pandemic, experienced in combination with restricted social interaction and reduced access to usual support networks was detrimental to their own mental health. Hospital-based visitation restrictions reduced emotional support, coping, and resilience for both parents and children and in some cases led to marital discord, sibling distress, and financial loss. Supportive factors included increased time spent together at home during the pandemic and improved hygiene practices at school, which dramatically reduced the incidence of non-COVID-19-related communicable illnesses in chronically ill children. For families caring for a chronically ill child, COVID-19 made a difficult situation harder. The pandemic has highlighted the need for targeted psychosocial intervention for vulnerable families, to mitigate current mental health burden and prevent chronic psychological distress.

The Meaning of "Hygiene" and Its Linked Practices in a Low-Income Urban Community in Bangladesh.

Improving hygiene practices is considered to be the single most cost-effective means of reducing the global health burden of infectious diseases. Hygiene promotion and disease prevention interventions often portray and promote “hygiene” from a biomedical perspective, which may not be optimally effective for achieving their goal of changing people’s behaviors. This study aimed to educe the meaning of hygiene for the residents of a low-income community in Bangladesh and how that meaning shapes their personal hygiene practices. We conducted this study in the Tongi township in Dhaka, Bangladesh, from September 2014 to June 2016. The research team purposively selected 24 households. The team conducted day-long observations using the participant observation approach and in-depth interviews with specific members of the 24 households. The concept of “hygiene” had two separate meanings to the study participants: cleanliness and holiness. The participants reported that cleanliness was required to remove odors, grease, hot spices and dirt. The motivation for cleanliness was to feel fresh, avoid heavy feelings, feel light and feel comfortable. To maintain the holiness of the body, bathing and ablution needed to be performed following particular religious rules/rituals. The motivation of holiness was derived from their accountability to God. The participants also reported that the cleansing processes and methods for the body and the home for cleanliness reasons were also different from those for holiness reasons. The notion of “hygiene” was multidimensional for the residents of the low-income urban community in Bangladesh. Our study participants did not explicitly conceptualize a notion of hygiene that was based on the germ theory of diseases but rather a notion that was based on individual physical comfort and cultural belief systems. Future studies on the prevention of hygiene-related diseases should combine and link the biomedical aspect to religious and cultural rituals to promote improved hygiene practices.

BIOFILMS AND ANTIBIOTIC RESISTANCE

<p>The physician and health practitioner’s attention and alertness to biofilm existence and the consequences of biofilm in the biotic and abiotic environment are important to improve hygiene practice, rational antibiotic prescription, controlling the spread and emergence of emergency antibiotic resistance in healthcare facilities and community. The majority of chronic persistence and recurrent infection because of antibiotic resistance is biofilm infection, so needed precision and power alternative approach of management and therapy.</p>

Identifying the Sources of Intestinal Colonization With Extended-Spectrum β-Lactamase-Producing Escherichia coli in Healthy Infants in the Community.

The prevalence of fecal colonization with extended-spectrum β-lactamase-producing Escherichia coli (ESBL-Ec) among children in low- and middle-income countries is alarmingly high. This study aimed to identify the sources of ESBL-Ec colonization in children < 1 year old through comparative analysis of E. coli isolates from child stool, child’s mother stool, and point-of-use drinking water from 46 rural households in Bangladesh. The pairwise similarity in antibiotic susceptibility of E. coli from all three sources was evaluated, followed by phylogenetic clustering using enterobacterial repetitive intergenic consensus polymerase chain reaction and whole-genome sequence analysis of the isolates. Matching antibiotic susceptibility and enterobacterial repetitive intergenic consensus polymerase chain reaction patterns were found among ESBL-Ec isolates from child–mother dyads of 24 and 11 households, respectively, from child–water dyads of 5 and 4 households, respectively, and from child–mother–water triads of 3 and 4 households, respectively. Whole-genome sequence analysis of 30 isolates from 10 households revealed that ESBL-Ec from children in five households (50%) was clonally related to ESBL-Ec either from their mothers (2 households), drinking water sources (2 households), or both mother and drinking-water sources (1 household) based on serotype, phylogroup, sequence type, antibiotic resistance genes, mobile genetic elements, core single-nucleotide polymorphisms, and whole-genome multilocus sequence typing. Overall, this study provides empirical evidence that ESBL-Ec colonization in children is linked to the colonization status of mothers and exposure to the household environments contaminated with ESBL-Ec. Interventions such as improved hygiene practices and a safe drinking water supply may help reduce the transmission of ESBL-Ec at the household level.

The Role Of Social Media In Improving Hygiene Practices Among General Public During COVID-19

Social media has been a vibrant source of education for the masses during Covid-19. These virtual platforms, including Facebook, Twitter, YouTube, TikTok and WhatsApp, educated the general public of Pakistan with abundance of information regarding hygienic and healthy lifestyle. With the help of social media, people sorted to exercise at home, healthy dieting, proper medication and sanitizing from germs during the lockdown in pandemic situation which they were not consistently practiced previously. This research intends to explore general public’s dependency on social media for hygiene, and its impact on their lives during their lockdown. This quantitative research consists of survey method with a convenient sample of 200 residents of Lahore consisting of 4 different age brackets. The data predicts that people with high age took social media messages of exercise, diet, medication and sanitization more seriously and applied precautions aptly while respondents with low age bracket were less worried about diet but more concern about body exercises and sanitizing. Respondents from almost all the age brackets indicated towards their learning about medical understanding of a disease and its treatment. The study found out that people with less interaction with social media relied more on it with strong impact. It also indicates that social media has made people more conscious about healthy exercises, nutritious diet and authentic medication for disease free life. People got training to fight a global pandemic by utilizing social media adequately.

Hygiene-related knowledge, attitude and practice: An imperative study among primary caregivers of the under three aboriginal children in Malaysia.

Parental and caregivers' hygiene-related knowledge, attitude and practice are compelling factors in the prevention of stunting and malnutrition among the aboriginal children in Malaysia, which are highly modifiable. This study was conducted to explore the knowledge, attitude and practice related to hygiene among primary caregivers of the under three aboriginal (known as Orang Asli) children community in Malaysia. A total of 166 primary caregivers of the under three children of the aboriginal community in Kuala Langat district, Selangor were recruited. Data related to caregivers', child's and environmental factors were collected using a validated and reliable questionnaire, with knowledge, attitude and practice being the dependent variables. IBM Statistical Package for Social Science (SPSS) version 25.0 was used to analyse the data. Pearson's correlation was conducted to identify the relationship between continuous data. Multiple linear regression analysis was performed to determine the relationship between knowledge, attitude and practice related to hygiene, as well as the predictors. The mean scores for knowledge, attitude and practice related to hygiene were 6.91 (2.12), 23.67 (3.16), 29.97 (3.55) and 43.05 (4.41), respectively. Significant moderate positive correlations were found between attitude and hygiene practice (r = 0.445, P < 0.001). Self-efficacy was significantly correlated with attitude (r = 0.442, P < 0.001) and practice (r = 0.557, P < 0.001), with every unit increase in self-efficacy will predict 0.281 and 0.536 increase in attitude (B = 0.281, 95% CI: 0.126-0.435) and practice (B = 0.536, 95% CI: 0.348-0.725) scores respectively. Moderate mean scores for hygiene related knowledge, attitude and practice were observed in this study, with self-efficacy being a significant predictor for both hygiene-related attitude and practice but not knowledge. The self-efficacy of the caregivers should be sustained through continuous health education and counselling, to ensure improved hygiene practice. Future related research should consider the mediating role of self-efficacy on attitude and practice.

Bacteriological Examination of Used Towels from Female and Male Hostel of Federal University of Lafia

Bath towels have the ability to retain microbes, moist and warm environment offers microbes a favorable place to grow and survive. These microbes can be transmitted through direct contact with our hands and other inanimate objects within the environment. This study aimed at examining bacterial contamination of used towels. Used towels from male and female hostels at Federal University of Lafia, were assessed to determine their bacterial concentration. A total of sixteen (16) used towels were sampled, eight towels each from female and male hostels were sampled between April and May 2021. Identification and characterization of bacterial isolates was carried out using standard cultural, morphological and biochemical methods. Pseudomonas spp, Staphylococcus aureus, Klebsiella spp, Escherichia coli, Streptococcus, Micrococcus spp, Serratia sp and Coagulase Negative Staphylococcus were identified as contaminants in the towel samples analyzed. The female towels assessed in this study had the highest number of colonies with 4.39 x 109, while the male towels had the least number of colonies 3.88 x 109. Male and female towels sampled were all contaminated, but with no significant difference in the contamination rates (p&gt;0.05). Staphylococcus aureus and coagulase-negative Staphylococcus were the most prevalent organisms isolated from male (62.5%; 5/8) and female (100%; 8/8) towels respectively. The high prevalence of diverse bacterial species is worrisome considering the epidemiology and clinical importance of the isolates, compounded by antimicrobial resistance and high mortality rate. Hence, there is need to enforce and improve hygiene practice among students. Frequent washing of towels and use of medicated soaps and disinfectants in bathing and washing water is hereby canvassed.

Food safety knowledge, hygiene practices, and eating attitudes of academics and university students during the coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic in Turkey.

The purpose of this study is to assess the effect of the coronavirus (COVID‐19) pandemic on food safety knowledge, hygiene practices, and eating attitudes of academics and university students in Turkey. A cross‐sectional survey invitation was emailed to the participants from various academic ranks and departments at chosen universities from different region of country. Academics were requested to forward the invitation email to enrolled students to their classes. Responds were accepted in the period of 45 days in April and May 2020 during this pandemic. The relationships between socio‐demographic factors (gender, marital status, parental status, faculty/student status, academic rank, and age) and food safety knowledge, hygiene practices, and eating attitudes of respondents were determined. Academics (n = 240) and university students (n = 479) responded to food safety knowledge statements with similar percentages during the coronavirus pandemic. Improved hygiene practices were observed for both groups to avoid disease during the coronavirus pandemic. Both groups had eating attitudes toward consumption at home due to the coronavirus pandemic. Gender was the most prominent factor associated with 9 out of 10 hygiene practices before and during the coronavirus pandemic (p < .05). No, single, and multiple socio‐demographic factors were in association with food safety knowledge or eating attitudes of respondents. This study indicates that reactions of both academics and university students are similar during the coronavirus pandemic for food safety‐associated knowledge, practices, and attitudes.

Preliminary quantitative risk assessment of the effect of Salmonella on human health in retail fresh pork

A quantitative microbiological risk assessment was conducted for Salmonella spp. in fresh pork from retail stores to consumers in China in order to provide evidence for adopting effective risk management measures. The national food safety and risk monitoring data was used to estimate the initial contamination level of Salmonella in the retail fresh pork. The growth model and the cross-contamination model of Salmonella were referenced from the ComBase data base and scientific literature, respectively. Then the human health risk was predicted by the consumption of Salmonella-contaminated fresh pork and the Beta-Poisson dose-response model. The number of Salmonellosis per year among 1 million residents due to fresh pork was estimated to be 4748.The sensitivity analysis showed that the risk of Salmonellosis was mainly and positively correlated with the preparation rate of ready to eat food, the consumption quantity of pork, the initial contamination level of Salmonella in fresh pork, and the proportion of improper cleaning of knives and chopping boards. When the contamination level of Salmonella in fresh pork is controlled below 1 CFU/g, the average probability of illness will be reduced by 59.39%; the average probability of illness will be reduced by 58.97% by increasing the ratio of complete cleaning of chopping boards or the separation ratio of chopping boards for raw and ready-to-eat food to 90%. The risk could be effectively reduced by controlling the concentration of Salmonella contamination in retail pork or improving hygiene practices.

Effectiveness of digital interventions to improve household and community infection prevention and control behaviours and to reduce incidence of respiratory and/or gastro-intestinal infections: a rapid systematic review

BackgroundDigital interventions have potential to efficiently support improved hygiene practices to reduce transmission of COVID-19.ObjectiveTo evaluate the evidence for digital interventions to improve hygiene practices within the community.MethodsWe reviewed articles published between 01 January 2000 and 26 May 2019 that presented a controlled trial of a digital intervention to improve hygiene behaviours in the community. We searched MEDLINE, Embase, PsycINFO, Cochrane Controlled Register of Trials (CENTRAL), China National Knowledge Infrastructure and grey literature. Trials in hospitals were excluded, as were trials aiming at prevention of sexually transmitted infections; only target diseases with transmission mechanisms similar to COVID-19 (e.g. respiratory and gastrointestinal infections) were included. Trials had to evaluate a uniquely digital component of an intervention. Study designs were limited to randomised controlled trials, controlled before-and-after trials, and interrupted time series analyses. Outcomes could be either incidence of infections or change in hygiene behaviours. The Risk of Bias 2 tool was used to assess study quality.ResultsWe found seven studies that met the inclusion criteria. Six studies reported successfully improving self-reported hygiene behaviour or health outcomes, but only one of these six trials, Germ Defence, confirmed improvements using objective measures (reduced consultations and antibiotic prescriptions). Settings included kindergartens, workplaces, and service station restrooms. Modes of delivery were diverse: WeChat, website, text messages, audio messages to mobiles, electronic billboards, and electronic personal care records. Four interventions targeted parents of young children with educational materials. Two targeted the general population; these also used behaviour change techniques or theory to inform the intervention. Only one trial had low risk of bias, Germ Defence; the most common concerns were lack of information about the randomisation, possible bias in reporting of behavioural outcomes, and lack of an analysis plan and possible selective reporting of results.ConclusionThere was only one trial that was judged to be at low risk of bias, Germ Defence, which reduced incidence and severity of illness, as confirmed by objective measures. Further evaluation is required to determine the effectiveness of the other interventions reviewed.Trial registrationPROSPERO CRD42020189919.

Pattern of hygiene practices among health care workers during the COVID-19 pandemic: a tertiary health care experience from Central Kerala

Background: The recent COVID-19 pandemic has highlighted the relevance of following hygiene practices across all sectors of healthcare workers. Disparities in the correct practices among clinical and para clinical cadres of HCWs predispose to increased risk of infection. A survey was conducted to assess the hand and respiratory hygiene practices across the hospital.Methods: A cross sectional survey was conducted through a self-administered questionnaire across an online platform with questions on hand hygiene, mask and surface contamination related practices. Staff were grouped as clinical and para clinical for comparison of these practices.Results: Among the 501 respondents, 83.4% were females with a mean age of 30.78±8.48 years. Nursing staff were the majority (57.88%) followed by nonclinical and para clinical staff (20.77%). Of the study population, 96.6% performed hand wash and 97.2% refrained from giving handshakes in the previous hour. Over 60% maintained proper face mask practices. Undoing the lower tie of the mask first, was answered by 76.67% while 7.2% felt the sequence was irrelevant. Touching common surfaces were avoided by 46.3% of them, while 95% immersed their hospital attire in soap and water for 15 minutes. It was seen that a greater proportion of clinical staff had better practices when compared to para clinical and the difference statistically significant. There was no significant variation of practices with age.Conclusions: Focussed monitoring and motivation can help in improving hygiene practices among all cadres of HCWs.

Microbial contamination of Naira notes circulating in Bauchi metropolis: prevalence, microbial load and detection of extended spectrum beta-lactamase producing Gram-negative bacteria

Background: Globally, contamination of banknotes with various microbial species is increasingly being reported. This usually results from improper handling during exchange of goods and services. In the present study, we aimed to determine the microbial load, prevalence and the presence of Extended Spectrum Beta Lactamase (ESBL) among bacteria isolated from the Nigerian Naira notes circulating in Bauchi metropolis.Methodology: A total of 400 Naira notes of various denominations were randomly collected aseptically, cultured and total viable counts determined. The isolated microbial species were identified using standard microbiological techniques. Antibiotic susceptibility of the isolates and detection of ESBL were determined by Kirby-Bauer’s disc diffusion method and Double Disc Synergy Test (DDST), respectively.Results: All the 400 samples collected were contaminated with various microbial species. The highest mean colony count was detected in 20 Naira notes (28.5%), while the least was observed in 1000 Naira note (3.3%). Fourteen different microbial species were isolated from the contaminated currency notes, predominantly Escherichia coli (25.0%), and Staphylococcus aureus (12.0%). Some fungal species mainly Aspergillus flavus and Aspergillus niger were also isolated. Majority of the bacteria isolates resistant to the third generation cephalosporins (72.1%) were ESBL positive.Conclusion: The study shows that Naira notes circulating in Bauchi metropolis were heavily contaminated with various microbial species, and a high proportion of the isolated Gram-negative bacteria were ESBL producers. Efforts should thus be made to improve hygiene practices in the study area. Importantly, businesses should be encouraged to adopt the use of electronic transactions.&#x0D; Keywords: Currency notes, Naira, Microbial contamination, ESBL

Water, Sanitation and Hygiene Challenges Faced in India in COVID-19 Prevention: A literature Review

Coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) is a respiratory infection. This is caused by severe acute respiratorysyndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2). COVID-19 was first found in Wuhan, China on December 2019.1On 11 March 2020, the World Health Organization (WHO) declared COVID-19 a pandemic.2Currently,India ranks second in COVID-19 cases. There is no proven specific treatment for the infection.3 InfectionPrevention and Control (IPC) through Water, Sanitation and Hygiene (WASH) and frequent Hand Washingwith Soap (HWWS) is the key in stopping the spread of COVID-19.4 This paper, using secondary datasources discusses on challenges faced in the country in adopting WASH practises to prevent COVID-19.Besides social distancing and other hygiene protocols, HWWS is a simple and primary preventive measureto combat COVID-19 but face challenges due to water unavailability or low access to water. Poor sanitationand hygiene plays a role due to lack of water and awareness. Ensuring clean access to water, good sanitationand improved hygiene practices in the communities and health care facilities will prevent COVID-19transmission. Policies on water management, water conservation will address the issue of water challenge,which not only will help in addressing COVID-19 transmission but in the days to come. An intensivesocial behavioural change programme to be conducted at various levels to eradicate myths associated withCOVID-19.

Microbiological quality and safety of Brazilian artisanal cheeses.

The establishment of norms that regulates the production and trade of Brazilian Artisanal Cheeses (BAC) has been stimulating many small farmers for this activity. The predominance of lactic acid bacteria (LAB) is a typical characteristic of BAC, which confers desirable attributes to artisanal cheeses. However, these products can be contaminated by other microbial groups, including those that indicate hygienic failures during production and may cause spoilage, or even microorganisms that pose risks to consumers' health. A systematic review of the literature published from January 1996 to November 2020 was carried out to identify scientific data about production characteristics and microbiological aspects of BAC, with a major focus on quality and safety status of these traditional products. Studies that fulfilled the inclusion criteria indicated that artisanal chesses produced in Brazil still do not satisfactorily meet the microbiological criteria established by the national laws, mainly due to the high counts of coagulase-positive Staphylococcus and coliforms. Despite low prevalence, pathogens such as Salmonella and Listeria monocytogenes were isolated in some BAC. This review contributed to better understanding microbiological aspects of BAC, the data compiled by the authors highlight the need to improve hygiene practices along the production chain of these traditional cheeses.

Analysing the socioeconomic impact of improved hygiene practices in urban and rural settings

Analysing the socioeconomic impact of improved hygiene practices in urban and rural settings

New Contact Sensorization Smart System for IoT e-Health Applications Based on IBC IEEE 802.15.6 Communications.

This paper proposes and demonstrates the capabilities of a new sensorization system that monitors skin contact between two persons. Based on the intrabody communication standard (802.15.6), the new system allows for interbody communication, through the transmission of messages between different persons through the skin when they are touching. The system not only detects if there has been contact between two persons but, as a novelty, is also able to identify the elements that have been in contact. This sensor will be applied to analyze and monitor good follow-up of hand hygiene practice in health care, following the “World Health Organization Guidelines on Hand Hygiene in Health Care”. This guide proposes specific recommendations to improve hygiene practices and reduce the transmission of pathogenic microorganisms between patients and health-care workers (HCW). The transmission of nosocomial infections due to improper hand hygiene could be reduced with the aid of a monitoring system that would prevent HCWs from violating the protocol. The cutting-edge sensor proposed in this paper is a crucial innovation for the development of this automated hand hygiene monitoring system (AHHMS).

Bacterial contaminants and their antibiotic susceptibility patterns in ready-to-eat foods vended in Ogun state, Nigeria.

Contamination of ready-to-eat (RTE) foods by pathogenic bacteria may predispose consumers to foodborne diseases. This study investigated the presence of bacterial contaminants and their antibiotic susceptibility patterns in three locally processed RTE foods (eko, fufu and zobo) vended in urban markets in Ogun state, Nigeria. Bacteria isolated from a total of 120 RTE food samples were identified by 16S rRNA gene phylogeny while susceptibility patterns to eight classes of antibiotics were determined by the disc diffusion method. Species belonging to the genera Acinetobacter and Enterobacter were recovered from all RTE food types investigated, Klebsiella and Staphylococcus were recovered from eko and fufu samples, while those of Shigella were recovered from eko samples. Enterobacter hormaechei was the most prevalent species in all three RTE food types. Precisely 99% of 149 isolates were multidrug-resistant, suggesting a high risk for RTE food handlers and consumers. Co-resistance to ampicillin and cephalothin was the most frequently observed resistance phenotype. Results demonstrate that improved hygiene practices by food processors and vendors are urgently required during RTE processing and retail. Also, adequate food safety guidelines, regulation and enforcement by relevant government agencies are needed to improve the safety of RTE foods and ensure the protection of consumer health.

Physico-chemical and bacteriological evaluation of hand-dug wells in major markets in south-western Nigeria

Background: Quality of drinking water has always been a major health concern. Lack of access to safely managed water is responsible for high burden of waterborne diseases which disproportionately impact children and equity of women in Nigeria. This study, therefore, assessed the physico-chemical and bacteriological qualities of hand-dug wells in some major markets in Ibadan Southwestern, Nigeria. Methods: Twenty-two (22) water samples from hand-dug wells, measured sequentially along seven major marketswere tested for their physico-chemical and bacteriological characteristics. Following standard sampling procedures, in-situ measurements were taken for total dissolved solute (TDS), pH, electrical conductivity (EC), salinity and temperature. The most probable number – multiple tube technique was used for coliform enumeration in addition to total viable bacteria count (TVBC). Results: Mean pH (7.37±0.47), TDS (597.51±109.06mg/L), EC (748.79±110.67µS/cm), salinity (0.05±0.01mg/L), and temperature (28.75±0.58ºC) for all the marketswere withinWHO permissible limits except pH. High pH may be due to high organic matter content of the water samples. Bacteria genera comprising Esherichiacoli (37.5%), Staphylococcus aureus (25%), Proteus vulgaris (14.6%), Baccilusspp. (12.5%), Pseudomonas aeruginosa (8.3%) and Klebsiella spp. (2.1%).The mean TVBC of 500 to 192,000cfu/ml were higher than the stipulated WHO standard of &lt;1cfu/100ml.The presence of Esherichiacoli in hand-dug well water samples revealed human or animal faecal contamination.Conclusions: Water from these sources, intended for human consumption or washing of food items, maycompromise food safety and pose severe health risks to consumers. The provision of deep tube wells for safe drinking water, periodically testing of the water quality, and education of the users on improved hygiene practices will help in the provision of safe water to the public consumers.Keywords: Water quality, Hand-dug well, Bacteriological analysis, Coliforms,

Antibiotic resistance and biofilm formation ability of Salmonella serotypes isolated from beef, mutton, and meat contact surfaces at retail.

In this study, Salmonella isolates recovered from meat (beef and mutton) and meat contact surfaces at retail were investigated to determine their serotype, antibiotic resistance, and biofilm formation ability. Salmonella was found in 29 (24.17%) samples out of 120 samples including 14/50 (28%) of beef, 10/40 (25%) of mutton, and 5/30 (16.67%) of meat contact surfaces. Seven isolates were identified as S. Enteritidis, three as S. Typhimurium, and two as S. Typhi, while the rest of the isolates were considered as other Salmonella spp. All of the isolates were resistant to at least one antimicrobial agent and 48.27% of them were identified as multidrug-resistant (MDR) Salmonella. All (100%) of meat contact surfaces isolates, 42.8% of beef isolates, and 30% of mutton isolates were found to be MDR Salmonella. Resistance to nalidixic acid (100%), tetracycline (79.3%), and sulphamethoxazole/trimethoprim (44.8%) were observed. The gyrA gene was detected in 19 of 29 isolates, but tetA was found in one isolate. All of the serotypes were able to form biofilm (75.86 % moderate and 24.14 % strong) and S. Enteritidis was the strongest biofilm producer. The findings indicated that the majority of Salmonella isolates in this study were MDR and biofilm producer. Then, safety measures such as cleaning and disinfection must be taken to control Salmonella and promote public health. PRACTICAL APPLICATION: The present study provides useful information on the prevalence of Salmonella serotypes in meat and meat contact surfaces and their antibiotic resistance patterns as well as biofilm formation capacities. Improving hygiene practices in livestock, slaughterhouses, and at retails may reduce the risk of meat contamination to Salmonella. Meanwhile, high levels of antibiotic resistance in Salmonella isolates emphasized on the improper use of antibiotics.

Training intervention to improve hygiene practices in Islamic boarding school in Yogyakarta, Indonesia: A mixed-method study.

The primary objective of this study was to determine the effect of a training intervention in overall improvement in students' (santris) knowledge, behavior, and outcome. A mixed-methods exploratory sequential design was applied. First, qualitative data were collected from three focus group discussions with 20 supervisors and one in-depth interview with school principal to explore current hygiene practices. The information was then used to develop training intervention using either video, poster, and leaflet. To measure the effect, a stepped wedge cluster design with pre- and post-test analyses was conducted. A total of 452 junior high school santris in one Islamic boarding school were non-randomly allocated to either three intervention groups. Outcome measures were knowledge, personal behavior, and room hygiene. Codes and categories were produced in the qualitative analysis, while paired t-tests and Wilcoxon rank tests test were used in the quantitative analysis. The qualitative study identified poor practices on personal and room hygiene among the santris and proposed a training intervention. Overall, there was a significant increase in knowledge and personal behavior after the intervention (7.22 ± 1.34 pre-intervention to 7.70 ± 0.74 post-intervention and 9.75 ± 2.98 pre-intervention to 12.16 ± 2.12 post-intervention, respectively, p < 0.001). Room hygiene was significantly improved among boys and those who received leaflets. Having developed a specific training materials, school-based hygiene training intervention improved knowledge and personal behavior. Its effect on room hygiene particularly for female santris needs further strengthening of the intervention in this Islamic boarding school setting.