Transmission Of Bacterial Infections Research Articles

Young people awareness about possibility of transmitting microorganisms by kissing

Relevance. Currently, many ideas about the manifestation of emotions between people are changing, but kissing remains one of the most important forms of social interaction. There is a lot of information about the multitude of pathogens transmitted with kisses, however, most people are not aware of it. This topic is not paid enough attention to, both in society as a whole and among the youth audience. The aim of the study . This research aims to identify the degree of awareness among young people about the possibility of transmission of various microorganisms during kissing, as well as to determine the relevance of this problem . Materials and Methods. Analysis of scientific literature on microorganisms transmitted by contact of the mucous membranes of the oral cavity. The empirical method consisted of testing, which involved 140 people aged 16 to 25 years. The survey included six questions to assess the level of knowledge about infectious agents transmitted with kisses, as well as the relevance of this topic among young people. Results and Discussion. The survey reveals that 97 % of respondents know that the transmission of bacterial infection is possible with a kiss, while 57 % have heard about the danger of transmission of only some microorganisms or do not know about them at all. Every sixth participant of the survey (18 %) has personally encountered or knows from acquaintances that they have suffered from infectious diseases caused by kissing. 88 % of respondents believe that this topic is poorly covered in the media. It should be emphasized that 91.4 % of the respondents would like to learn more about this topic. An average of 65 % of respondents are interested in protectеtive factors of the oral cavity and potential pathogens of diseases of the upper respiratory tract’s mucous membranes, 56.4 % of young people would like to learn more the functioning of the oral immune system. Conclusion. The study has shown that the topic of infections’ transmission during kissing is relevant among young people. Since not enough attention is paid to this issue in the society, the amount of available information on this topic is rather little. The majority of respondents would like to learn more about the possible transmission of infectious diseases’ pathogens during kissing.

Multifunctional Touch Sensing and Antibacterial Polymer‐Based Core‐Shell Metallic Nanowire Composites for High Traffic Surfaces

AbstractThe transmission of bacterial infections through contaminated surfaces is nowadays an increasing source of concern, also related to the current pandemic situation. Functional materials that prevent the adhesion of microorganisms and/or induce their eradication thus avoiding fomite transmission are highly needed. In this work, a highly antimicrobial hybrid with sensorial capability is developed to be further applied as interactive high traffic surface coatings. The nanocomposite is composed of polyvinylidene fluoride (PVDF), a highly stable fluorinated polymer, incorporating copper core‐shell nanowires (NWs). The NWs comprised of copper and shelled with silver is highly antimicrobial, inducing a full kill effect against Escherichia coli and Staphylococcus epidermidis strains but biocompatible towards mammalian cells at concentrations below 0.5 mg mL−1. Further NWs incorporation on PVDF matrix retains its antimicrobial activity reducing in 6.5 logs the E. coli and 4.5 logs the S. epidermidis. NW/PVDF composites demonstrate suitable mechanical and electrical characteristics for the development of capacitive sensing surfaces, allowing for the fabrication of an antimicrobial capacitive touch sensing matrix for interactive surfaces.

Bacteria Contamination and Distribution in Patient Care Environment at Mbagathi Hospital Surgical and New-born Units

Background: Hospital environment can serve as an important reservoir and thus a critical element in the transmission of bacterial infections especially in critical care settings such as Surgical and new-born units. Contact with contaminated surfaces may lead to Hospital Acquired Infections (HAIs) among healthcare workers, visitors and patients. Further, HAIs may contribute to the spread of drug-resistant bacterial infections. This study sought to determine bacteriological characteristics and distribution in patient care environmental surfaces (Surgical and new-born units) at Mbagathi hospital Nairobi Kenya.
 Methods: A total of 700 samples were obtained from different surfaces: beds, bedside tables, sink taps handle, door handles, nursery incubators, paediatric weighing scale and new-born resuscitation machine by means of repeated screens over a period of three months. Microbiological isolation and identification were done by following standard laboratory methods established at Aga Khan University Hospital. Antibiotic susceptibility testing was carried out by using Vitek 2 system.
 Result: Five bacterial genera were isolated, S. Aureus was 3% (19/700), E. coli 0.9% (6/700), Acinetobacter species was 1.4% (10/700), Pseudomonas species 0.1% (1/700) and coagulase negative staphylococcus (CoNS)13.0% (88/700). Trimethoprim/Sulfamethoxazole and Benzylpenicillin were the most resistant antimicrobial agents while Oxacillin, Cefoxitin, Levofloxacin, Linezolid was most sensitive.
 Conclusion: All S. aureus were methicillin sensitive (MSSA). Patient beds surfaces were the most contaminated among the selected items while the nursery incubator was the least contaminated.

Characterization of Pathogenic Bacteria Isolated from Sudanese Banknotes and Determination of Their Resistance Profile.

Background Banknotes are one of the most exchangeable items in communities and always subject to contamination by pathogenic bacteria and hence could serve as vehicle for transmission of infectious diseases. This study was conducted to assess the prevalence of contamination by pathogenic bacteria in Sudanese banknotes, determine the susceptibility of the isolated organisms towards commonly used antibiotics, and detect some antibiotic resistance genes. Methods This study was carried out using 135 samples of Sudanese banknotes of five different denominations (2, 5, 10, 20, and 50 Sudanese pounds), which were collected randomly from hospitals, food sellers, and transporters in all three districts of Khartoum, Bahri, and Omdurman. Bacterial prevalence was determined using culture-based techniques, and their sensitivity patterns were determined using the Kirby–Bauer disk diffusion method. Genotypic identification was carried out using PCR and 16S rDNA sequencing. Antibiotic resistance genes of some isolates were detected using PCR technique. Results All Sudanese banknotes were found to be contaminated with pathogenic bacteria. Klebsiella pneumoniae was found to be the most frequent isolate (23%), whereas Bacillus mycoides (15%) was the most abundant Gram-positive isolate. There was a significant relationship between the number of isolates and the banknote denomination with p value <0.05 (the lower denomination showed higher contamination level). Our study has isolated bacteria that are resistant to penicillins and cephalosporins. Multidrug-resistant strains harboring resistant genes (mecA, blaCTX-M, and blaTEM) were also detected. Conclusion All studied Sudanese banknotes were contaminated with pathogenic bacteria, including multidrug-resistant strains, and may play a significant role in the transmission of bacterial infections.

Cold storage of platelets in additive solution: the impact of residual plasma in apheresis platelet concentrates.

Platelet transfusion has become essential therapy in modern medicine. Although the clinical advantage of platelet transfusion has been well established, adverse reactions upon transfusion, especially transmission of bacterial infection, still represent a major challenge. While bacterial contamination is favored by the storage of platelets at room temperature, cold storage may represent a solution for this important clinical issue. In this study, we aimed to clarify whether plasma has protective or detrimental effects on cold-stored platelets. We investigated the impact of different residual plasma contents in apheresis-derived platelet concentrates, stored at 4°C or room temperature, on platelet function and survival. We found that platelets stored at 4°C have higher expression of apoptosis marker compared to platelets stored at room temperature, leading to accelerated clearance from the circulation in a humanized animal model. While cold-induced apoptosis was independent of the residual plasma concentration, cold storage was associated with better adhesive properties and higher response to activators. Interestingly, delta (δ) granule-related functions, such as ADP-mediated aggregation and CD63 release, were better preserved at 4°C, especially in 100% plasma. An extended study to assess cold-stored platelet concentrates produced under standard care Good Manufacturing Practice conditions showed that platelet function, metabolism and integrity were better compared to those stored at room temperature. Taken together, our results show that residual plasma concentration does not have a cardinal impact on the cold storage lesions of apheresis-derived platelet concentrates and indicate that the current generation of additive solutions represent suitable substitutes for plasma to store platelets at 4°C.

The global maternal sepsis study and awareness campaign (GLOSS): study protocol

BackgroundMaternal sepsis is the underlying cause of 11% of all maternal deaths and a significant contributor to many deaths attributed to other underlying conditions. The effective prevention, early identification and adequate management of maternal and neonatal infections and sepsis can contribute to reducing the burden of infection as an underlying and contributing cause of morbidity and mortality. The objectives of the Global Maternal Sepsis Study (GLOSS) include: the development and validation of identification criteria for possible severe maternal infection and maternal sepsis; assessment of the frequency of use of a core set of practices recommended for prevention, early identification and management of maternal sepsis; further understanding of mother-to-child transmission of bacterial infection; assessment of the level of awareness about maternal and neonatal sepsis among health care providers; and establishment of a network of health care facilities to implement quality improvement strategies for better identification and management of maternal and early neonatal sepsis.MethodsThis is a facility-based, prospective, one-week inception cohort study. This study will be implemented in health care facilities located in pre-specified geographical areas of participating countries across the WHO regions of Africa, Americas, Eastern Mediterranean, Europe, South East Asia, and Western Pacific. During a seven-day period, all women admitted to or already hospitalised in participating facilities with suspected or confirmed infection during any stage of pregnancy through the 42nd day after abortion or childbirth will be included in the study. Included women will be followed during their stay in the facilities until hospital discharge, death or transfer to another health facility. The maximum intra-hospital follow-up period will be 42 days.DiscussionGLOSS will provide a set of actionable criteria for identification of women with possible severe maternal infection and maternal sepsis. This study will provide data on the frequency of maternal sepsis and uptake of effective diagnostic and therapeutic interventions in obstetrics in different hospitals and countries. We will also be able to explore links between interventions and maternal and perinatal outcomes and identify priority areas for action.

The Importance of Mobile Phones in the Possible Transmission of Bacterial Infections in the Community

Mobile phones have become indispensable accessories in today's life. However, they might act as fomites as they have travelled with their owner to places such as toilets, hospitals and kitchens which are loaded with microorganisms. A cross-sectional study was carried out to isolate and identify bacteria from mobile phones of volunteers in the community. A total of 192 mobile phones from 102 males and 90 females were swabbed and cultured. The bacteria were identified by gram staining and conventional biochemical tests. A total of 176 mobile phones (91.7 %) showed bacterial contamination. Coagulase negative Staphylococcus was the most prevalent (69.3 %) followed by Micrococci (51.8 %), Klebsiella (1.5 %) and Pseudomonas (1 %). The mean colony forming units was higher among females than males (p < 0.05; 95 % CI 0.021-0.365) and higher on mobile phones which were kept in bags than in pockets (p < 0.05; 95 % CI 0.019-0.369). Furthermore, the use of phone cover was found to reduce microbial growth (OR 4.2; 95 % CI 1.423-12.39; p < 0.05). Significant associations were also found between bacterial growth and female participants, agricultural workers, mobile phones older than 6 months and sharing of mobile phones (p < 0.05). Mobile phones from the community carry potential pathogens. Cleaning of mobile phones should be encouraged and should be preferably stored in pockets or carry cases.

Evaluation of bacterial infections in organ transplantation

Infections are one of the major causes of mortality in the first year after organ transplantation (1). Bacterial infection is the most frequent type of infection. Chang et al. found that 82% of fever episodes in the first two years after liver transplantation were nosocomial infections; bacterial infections were found in 62% of cases (2). Approximately half of bacterial infections occur within two weeks after liver transplantation. The following risk factors related to these infections were identified: 1. Immunosuppression; 2. Recipient characteristics; 3. Procedural characteristics; and 4. Donor characteristics. Organ transplant donors are exposed to several situations that are associated with a risk of infection; therefore, donors have the potential to transmit microorganisms to organ transplantation recipients (1). Transmission through the graft is well described for some infections, such as toxoplasmosis in heart transplantation and mycobacteriosis in liver, kidney and lung transplantation (3,4). Virus transmission is also well documented. Donors are typically screened for the following viruses: human immunodeficiency virus (HIV), hepatitis B and C viruses, EBV, CMV and human T-cell lymphotropic virus (HTLV). The transmission of HTLV in this manner has not been documented but is highly probable (5). Bacteria and fungi can be transferred to the allograft by contamination during the recovery, preservation or handling of the organ or at the time of transplantation. Contamination from a donor infection is most likely the most critical because a large inoculum of microorganisms can be transmitted. Information regarding nosocomial infection (fungal and bacterial) retrieved from donor organs, however, is limited. The donor-to-host transmission of bacterial infection has been documented in some case reports and large series. In Canada, one donor transmitted methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (S. aureus) to two kidney recipients and one cornea recipient (6). Organ contamination by Pseudomonas aeruginosa, S. aureus and Candida species at the time of harvesting has been reported in kidney transplantation. The agents were isolated from donor fluids and graft preservation fluid, and the recipients developed serious infections (7). Several studies have reported a low risk of recipient infection when the donor had bacteremia and both donor and recipient were treated. Four studies analyzed the outcome of solid organ transplantation when there was documented bacteremia in the donor (7-10). Lumbreras et al. identified bacteremias in 5% of liver and heart donors (10). The most common agent was S. aureus. The majority of recipients received treatment for agents isolated in the donor blood cultures; there was no negative impact on the survival of the graft or of the patient. Freeman et al. analyzed the outcome of 212 patients who received organs from 95 donors with bacteremia (11). Surprisingly, none of the recipients developed infections caused by the agents found in the donors. The organs of donors with bacterial meningitis can be transplanted without increasing the risk of infection in recipients. Lopez-Navidad et al. (12) reported on 16 recipients who received organs from donors diagnosed with meningitis. All of the recipients were treated post-operatively for the same microorganism as isolated from the donors, and no patient developed an infection. In another series, 33 liver transplants from donors with meningitis were described; there were no cases of transmission to a recipient. In this study, both donors and recipients had been treated for the isolated agents (13). These data suggest that it is safe to transplant organs from donors with bacterial infection if the donors do not have signs of sepsis, the causative agent of the infection is identified, and the recipients receive the appropriate treatment immediately post-transplantation. However, infections that are not correctly identified may be transmitted. Hypothetically, the risk is higher for microorganisms resistant to the prophylaxis regimen routinely used in transplant care units. Approximately 5% of donors have positive blood cultures at the time of transplantation, but some studies report this figure to be as high as 20% (11,14). The international consensus is that systematic blood culturing should be performed for all transplanted organs. There is no current recommendation in Brazil. Considering the risks for bacterial infection and the potential benefits of knowing the microbiological status of the donor organ, we propose that systematic cultures of donor materials should be performed. Blood cultures should be performed for all organ transplantations and bronchoalveolar fluid culture should be performed in all cases of lung transplantation (Figure 1). Figure 1 Evaluation of Bacterial Infection in Organ Donors. The primary goal of standardization is to provide important infectious and microbiological information (Figure 1), which could be helpful in determining the appropriate prophylactic and therapeutic measures for use in transplant recipients.

Infection control during GI endoscopy

This is one of a series of statements discussing the use of GI endoscopy in common clinical situations. The Standards of Practice Committee of the American Society for Gastrointestinal Endoscopy (ASGE) prepared this text. In preparing this guideline, a search of the medical literature was performed by using PubMed, supplemented by accessing the "related articles" feature of PubMed. Additional references were obtained from the bibliographies of the identified articles and from recommendations of expert consultants. When little or no data exist from well-designed prospective trials, emphasis is given to results from large series and reports from recognized experts. Guidelines for appropriate use of endoscopy are based on a critical review of the available data and expert consensus at the time the guidelines are drafted. Further controlled clinical studies may be needed to clarify aspects of this guideline. This guideline may be revised as necessary to account for changes in technology, new data, or other aspects of clinical practice. The recommendations were based on reviewed studies and were graded on the strength of the supporting evidence (Table 1). This guideline is intended to be an educational device to provide information that may assist endoscopists in providing care to patients. This guideline is not a rule and should not be construed as establishing a legal standard of care or as encouraging, advocating, requiring, or discouraging any particular treatment. Clinical decisions in any particular case involve a complex analysis of the patient's condition and available courses of action. Therefore, clinical considerations may lead an endoscopist to take a course of action that varies from these guidelines.

Achieving asepsis of banana leaves for the management of toxic epidermal necrolysis

Banana leaf is used in many centers in India during the care of patients with toxic epidermal necrolysis (TEN) and other extensive blistering disorders. Sepsis is an important cause of death in TEN patients and use of banana leaf may be a source of such infection. We conducted this study to detect the bacterial flora of the banana leaf and to examine various methods of rendering the leaf aseptic. Five pieces of banana leaf, 2 x 2 cm in size, were cultured separately in blood agar as follows: One piece was heated over a flame and one was soaked in boiling water and one was autoclaved. Methylated spirit was applied over one piece and ignited. One piece was placed on the media, 'as is.' The Petri dishes were incubated examined after 48 h. All the pieces except the autoclaved specimen of the leaf grew coagulase-negative staphylococci (CONS) when aseptic precautions were not maintained and aerobic spore bearers when all aseptic measures were subsequently instituted during the procedure. We recommend measures to prevent possible transmission of bacterial infection by the leaf. Autoclaved and aseptically handled banana leaves may be used to reduce chance of infection in the treatment of TEN.

Infectious and immunologic consequences of blood transfusion

Blood transfusions remain common practice in the critical care and surgical settings. Transfusions carry significant risks, including risks for transmission of infectious agents and immune suppression. Transmission of bacterial infections, although rare, is the most common adverse event with transfusion. The risk for transmission of viral infections has decreased over time, clearly because tests are becoming more sensitive in detecting certain viral infections such as hepatitis B, hepatitis C, and HIV. Several immunomodulatory effects are thought to be related to transfusions, and these can result in cancer recurrence, mortality, and postoperative infections. Numerous studies have been performed to examine the role of leukoreduction in decreasing these transfusion-related complications but results remain contradictory. We review the infectious risks associated with blood transfusion and the most recent data on its immunologic effects, specifically on cancer recurrence, mortality, and postoperative infections in surgical patients. We also review the use of leukoreduction in blood transfusion and its role in preventing transfusion-transmitted infections and immunomodulatory complications.

Multidose medication vial sterility: an in-use study and a review of the literature.

Contaminated multiple-dose medication vials (MDV) have been implicated in transmission of bacterial infections. It has been suggested that MDV be discarded after 24 hours or even after a single use. At our hospital, we cultured 1,223 weekly samples from 863 MDV in-use over a three-month period. Medications included xylocaine, insulin, heparin, immunizations, and miscellaneous agents. None of the samples was culture-positive. The duration of use was 9.5d (median), 18d (mean), and 1-402d (range) with 13% of vials in-use for more than 30 days. The mean duration of use was significantly shorter for medicine wards, emergency room, and outpatient clinics than for surgery and ob-gyn wards (p less than 0.05). Heparin and insulin MDV were in-use for significantly less time than xylocaine and miscellaneous agents (p less than 0.05), and insulin MDV were more regularly dated (p = 0.001). The percentage of undated MDV declined significantly by month during the study (p = 0.003). These results lend support to our current guideline that MDV should be dated upon opening and that, unless visible or suspected contamination occurs, vials are discarded either when empty or at the manufacturer's expiration date.

The Atmospheric Transmission of Bacterial Infection — Medical Notes

The Atmospheric Transmission of Bacterial Infection — Medical Notes