scholarly journals Cultivation-based quantification and identification of bacteria at two hygienic key sides of domestic washing machines

2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
Susanne Jacksch ◽  
Huzefa Zohra ◽  
Mirko Weide ◽  
Sylvia Schnell ◽  
Markus Egert

AbstractDetergent drawer and door seal represent important sites for microbial life in domestic washing machines. Interestingly, quantitative data on microbial contamination of these sites is scarce. Here, 10 domestic washing machines were swap-sampled for subsequent bacterial cultivation at four different sampling sites, each: detergent drawer, detergent drawer chamber as well as top and bottom part of the rubber door seal. The average bacterial load over all washing machines and sites was 2.1 ± 1.0 × 104 CFU cm−2 (average ± standard error of the mean (SEM)). The top part of the door seal showed the lowest contamination (11.1 ± 9.2 × 101 CFU cm−2), probably due to less humidity.Out of 212 isolates, 178 (84%) were identified on genus level and 118 (56%) on species level using MALDI biotyping, resulting in 29 genera and 40 identified species across all machines. The predominant bacterial genera were Staphylococcus and Micrococcus, which were found at all sites. 21 out of 40 species were classified as opportunistic pathogens, emphasizing the need for regular cleaning of the investigated sites.

2021 ◽  
Vol 9 (5) ◽  
pp. 905
Author(s):  
Susanne Jacksch ◽  
Huzefa Zohra ◽  
Mirko Weide ◽  
Sylvia Schnell ◽  
Markus Egert

Detergent drawer and door seal represent important sites for microbial life in domestic washing machines. Interestingly, quantitative data on the microbial contamination of these sites is scarce. Here, 10 domestic washing machines were swab-sampled for subsequent bacterial cultivation at four different sampling sites: detergent drawer and detergent drawer chamber, as well as the top and bottom part of the rubber door seal. The average bacterial load over all washing machines and sites was 2.1 ± 1.0 × 104 CFU cm−2 (average number of colony forming units ± standard error of the mean (SEM)). The top part of the door seal showed the lowest contamination (11.1 ± 9.2 × 101 CFU cm−2), probably due to less humidity. Out of 212 isolates, 178 (84%) were identified on the genus level, and 118 (56%) on the species level using matrix-assisted laser desorption/ionization (MALDI) Biotyping, resulting in 29 genera and 40 identified species across all machines. The predominant bacterial genera were Staphylococcus and Micrococcus, which were found at all sites. 22 out of 40 species were classified as opportunistic pathogens, emphasizing the need for regular cleaning of the investigated sites.


2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
Andreas van Arkel ◽  
Ina Willemsen ◽  
Jan Kluytmans

Abstract Background:The objective of this study was to determine the correlation between adenosine triphosphate (ATP) measurements and microbial contamination using a standardized method. Methods: ATP measurements and aerobic colony counts (ACC’s) were conducted on 10 pre-defined fomites in a hospital and nursing home setting. Per fomite two ATP measurements and two agar plate measurements were conducted, each measurement was conducted on a 25 cm2 surface. Both measurements were compared and analyzed for correlation. Results: In total 200 paired measurements were conducted, 200 ATP measurements and 200 ACC’s. The mean of all ATP measurements tested on the same surface was calculated, as was for all 200 ACC’s. There was a strong correlation between the mean of two ATP measurements on two different sites on the same fomite (R=0.800, p<0.001) as well as between two ACC measurements on the same fomite (R=0.667, p<0.001). A much weaker correlation was found between RLU values and ACC’s (R=0.244, p<0.001). Conclusions: Reproducibility of ATP measurements and ACC’s on the same fomite was good. However, the correlation between RLU values and ACC’s on hospital surfaces was much lower. This may be explained by the wide variety of biological material that is measured with ATP, of which the bacterial load is only one of many components. ATP measurement can be used to give a quantifiable outcome for the rating of cleanliness in health care facilities, however the results cannot be translated into the level of microbial contamination.


Author(s):  
Andreas van Arkel ◽  
Ina Willemsen ◽  
Jan Kluytmans

Abstract Background The objective of this study was to determine the correlation between adenosine triphosphate (ATP) measurements and microbial contamination using a standardized method. Secondarily, analyzing reproducibility of ATP measurements and aerobic colony counts (ACC’s) on the same surface. Methods ATP measurements and ACC’s were conducted on 10 pre-defined fomites in a hospital and nursing home setting. Per fomite two ATP measurements and two agar plate measurements were conducted, each measurement was conducted on a 25 cm2 surface. Both measurements were compared and analyzed for correlation. Results In total 200 paired measurements were conducted, 200 ATP measurements and 200 ACC’s. The mean of all ATP measurements tested on the same surface was calculated, as was for all 200 ACC’s. There was a strong correlation between the mean of two ATP measurements on two different sites on the same fomite (R = 0.800, p < 0.001) as well as between two ACC measurements on the same fomite (R = 0.667, p < 0.001). A much weaker correlation was found between RLU values and ACC’s (R = 0.244, p < 0.001). Conclusions Reproducibility of ATP measurements and ACC’s on the same fomite was good. However, the correlation between RLU values and ACC’s on hospital surfaces was much lower. This may be explained by the wide variety of biological material that is measured with ATP, of which the bacterial load is only one of many components. ATP measurement can be used to give a quantifiable outcome for the rating of cleanliness in health care facilities, however the results cannot be translated into the level of microbial contamination.


2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
Andreas van Arkel ◽  
Ina Willemsen ◽  
Jan Kluytmans

Abstract Background:The objective of this study was to determine the correlation between adenosine triphosphate (ATP) measurements and microbial contamination using a standardized method. Secondarily, analyzing reproducibility of ATP measurements and aerobic colony counts (ACC’s) on the same surface. Methods: ATP measurements and ACC’s were conducted on 10 pre-defined fomites in a hospital and nursing home setting. Per fomite two ATP measurements and two agar plate measurements were conducted, each measurement was conducted on a 25 cm2 surface. Both measurements were compared and analyzed for correlation.Results: In total 200 paired measurements were conducted, 200 ATP measurements and 200 ACC’s. The mean of all ATP measurements tested on the same surface was calculated, as was for all 200 ACC’s. There was a strong correlation between the mean of two ATP measurements on two different sites on the same fomite (R=0.800, p<0.001) as well as between two ACC measurements on the same fomite (R=0.667, p<0.001). A much weaker correlation was found between RLU values and ACC’s (R=0.244, p<0.001). Conclusions: Reproducibility of ATP measurements and ACC’s on the same fomite was good. However, the correlation between RLU values and ACC’s on hospital surfaces was much lower. This may be explained by the wide variety of biological material that is measured with ATP, of which the bacterial load is only one of many components. ATP measurement can be used to give a quantifiable outcome for the rating of cleanliness in health care facilities, however the results cannot be translated into the level of microbial contamination.


Antibiotics ◽  
2021 ◽  
Vol 10 (6) ◽  
pp. 721
Author(s):  
John E. Romanowski ◽  
Shannon V. Nayyar ◽  
Eric G. Romanowski ◽  
Vishal Jhanji ◽  
Robert M. Q. Shanks ◽  
...  

Coagulase-negative staphylococci (CoNS) are frequently occurring ocular opportunistic pathogens that are not easily identifiable to the species level. The goal of this study was to speciate CoNS and document antibiotic susceptibilities from cases of endophthalmitis (n = 50), keratitis (n = 50), and conjunctivitis/blepharitis (n = 50) for empiric therapy. All 150 isolates of CoNS were speciated using (1) API Staph (biochemical system), (2) Biolog GEN III Microplates (phenotypic substrate system), and (3) DNA sequencing of the sodA gene. Disk diffusion antibiotic susceptibilities for topical and intravitreal treatment were determined based on serum standards. CoNS identification to the species level by all three methods indicated that S. epidermidis was the predominant species of CoNS isolated from cases of endophthalmitis (84–90%), keratitis (80–86%), and conjunctivitis/blepharitis (62–68%). Identifications indicated different distributions of CoNS species among endophthalmitis (6), keratitis (10), and conjunctivitis/blepharitis (13). Antibiotic susceptibility profiles support empiric treatment of endophthalmitis with vancomycin, and keratitis treatment with cefazolin or vancomycin. There was no clear antibiotic choice for conjunctivitis/blepharitis. S. epidermidis was the most frequently found CoNS ocular pathogen, and infection by other CoNS appears to be less specific and random. Antibiotic resistance does not appear to be a serious problem associated with CoNS.


2015 ◽  
Vol 5 (1) ◽  
Author(s):  
Marcus H. Y. Leung ◽  
David Wilkins ◽  
Patrick K. H. Lee

Abstract Many studies have characterized microbiomes of western individuals. However, studies involving non-westerners are scarce. This study characterizes the skin microbiomes of Chinese individuals. Skin-associated genera, including Propionibacterium, Corynebacterium, Staphylococcus and Enhydrobacter were prevalent. Extensive inter-individual microbiome variations were detected, with core genera present in all individuals constituting a minority of genera detected. Species-level analyses presented dominance of potential opportunistic pathogens in respective genera. Host properties including age, gender and household were associated with variations in community structure. For all sampled sites, skin microbiomes within an individual is more similar than that of different co-habiting individuals, which is in turn more similar than individuals living in different households. Network analyses highlighted general and skin-site specific relationships between genera. Comparison of microbiomes from different population groups revealed race-based clustering explained by community membership (Global R = 0.968) and structure (Global R = 0.589), contributing to enlargement of the skin pan-microbiome. This study provides the foundation for subsequent in-depth characterization and microbial interactive analyses on the skin and other parts of the human body in different racial groups and an appreciation that the human skin pan-microbiome can be much larger than that of a single population.


2020 ◽  
Author(s):  
Sandeep Chakraborty

The metagenome of patients infected with SARS-Cov2 [1] has shown Prevotella to be a key player in immune response [2] in one Chinese study [3], just starting in another [4] and a host of other opportunistic pathogens in a study from San Diego county [5]. The metagenome can also be queried to find host response genes [5], as was done in monkey cells infected with SARS-Cov2 [6]Nanopore sequencing data from a familial cluster in ShenzhenThe patients were tested for 4 bacterial species - Bordetella pertussis, Bordetella parapertussis, Chlamydophila pneumoniae, and Mycoplasma pneumoniae. The sequencing data (Accid:SRR10948474, Nanopore) from five patients in a family cluster from Shenzhen who presented with unexplained pneumonia after returning from Wuhan (Table 1) shows a wide range of bacterial species - Lautropia, Cutibacterium, Haemophilus being most abundant. The presence of Campylobacter explains diarrhea seen in the patient [7,8]. Also, their tests should have detected Mycoplasma, since it is there in the data.Significant bacterial load with some bacterial species predominatingThe bacterial reads are about 20% (95K out of 500K reads). The viral load is also significant here (70K reads) [2]. They are in SI.familial/allsequences.fa. The number of bacterial species (with at least two reads) is 876 (SI.familial/list.allbacteria.txt). Thus, it is important to consider secondary infection, a possible reason why azithromycin (in addition to hydroxychloroquine) has given good initial results in a clinical trial [9].


2019 ◽  
Vol 40 (Supplement_1) ◽  
Author(s):  
A Pitsis ◽  
N Tsotsolis ◽  
E Theofilogiannakos ◽  
H Boudoulas ◽  
K Boudoulas

Abstract The use of artificial chordae is one of the main techniques used in mitral valve repair to treat prolapsing leaflets, especially in anterior and bileaflet prolapse. With the use of PTFE sutures to replace elongated or ruptured chords mitral valve repair rates have significantly improved. The main difficulty with this technique is to determine the optimal length of the artificial chordae. Intraoperative transoesophageal echocardiography (TOE) is mandatory in mitral valve repair in order to determine the type of lesion of the mitral valve but also to evaluate the quality of the repair. We examined the accuracy of preoperative prediction of artificial chordae length by the preoperativeTOE. Patients and methods Twenty-one consecutive patients (7 females) underwent mitral valve repair with artificial chordae for significant mitral valve prolapse in our department during the last year. The median age of the patients was 62 y. (range 25 - 87) and the mean EuroSCORE II 3,36% (SD 4,61%). During the prep TOE we determined the predicted length of the required replacement chordae for the repair using mainly the 4 chamber view to calculate the distance between the tip of the papillary muscle and the coaptation point of the two leaflets and we subtracted 5mm which is the minimum of the desired coaptation length (top right part of the Figure). All the patients underwent totally endoscopic mitral repair through a 3 cm right periareolar incision. 14,3% of the patients had anterior leaflet (AML) prolapse, 23,8% bileaflet and 61,9% posterior (PML). The appropriate length of the required chordae was measured intraoperatively. Results We used on average 3 loops of artificial chordae size 23,3 mm (SD 1,15mm) to treat the AML prolapse, 5 loops size 23,2 mm (SD 2,28mm) to treat the bileaflet prolapse and 2,23 loops size 18mm (SD 2mm) to treat the PML prolapse (bottom part of the figure). The predicted size of the artificial chordae had a positive correlation to the length used (Pearson correlation, p<0,001) as demonstrated in the top left part of the Figure. An annuloplasty band was implanted to all the patients. All the patients had no mitral regurgitation in the postoperative TOE. The mean valve area was 3,54cm2 (SD 0,57) and the mean peak gradient 5,6 mmHg (SD 1,82). There was no mortality. Chordae length predicted by echo Conclusion The length of artificial chordae can be predetermined with great accuracy with the use of TOE, making TOE an important tool not only for the determination of the mitral lesion and quality of the repair but also for the planning of the operation.


2018 ◽  
Vol 38 (8) ◽  
pp. 1577-1583 ◽  
Author(s):  
José C. Ribeiro Júnior ◽  
Pedro I. Teider Junior ◽  
André L.M. Oliveira ◽  
Edson A. Rios ◽  
Ronaldo Tamanini ◽  
...  

ABSTRACT: Pseudomonas, the main genus of gram-negative microorganisms isolated from milk, is psychrotrophic, biofilm-forming, and thermo-resistant deteriorating enzyme producers. The aim of this study was to quantify Pseudomonas spp. in goat’s and cow’s milk produced in the Paraná state, Brazil, to evaluate the deteriorating activity of the isolates at mesophilic and psychrotrophic conditions and to identify, at the species level, the isolates with alkaline metalloprotease (aprX gene) production potential. Microbiological, biochemical and molecular methods were used for isolating, confirming and identifying of isolates. The mean counts were 1.6 (±6.3)x104 and 0.89(±3)x102 CFU/mL for goat and bovine milk samples, respectively, immediately after milking. Of the Pseudomonas colonies isolated from goat milk (n=60), 91.7% showed proteolytic potential when incubated at 35°C/48 h and 80% at 7°C/10 days, and lipolytic potential was observed in 95% of the isolates incubated in mesophilic and 78.3% at refrigeration conditions. From the isolates of bovine milk (n=20), 35% showed proteolytic activity only when incubated at 35°C/48 h, and lipolytic potential was observed in 25% of the isolates incubated at 7°C/10d and 35°C/48h. It was observed that 83.3% and 25% of the isolates genetically confirmed as Pseudomonas spp. of goat and bovine milk showed the potential for alkaline metalloprotease production, with the species P. azotoformans, P. koreensis, P. gessardii, P. monteilii and P. lurida being the most frequent in goat milk and P. aeruginosa the only species identified in cow milk.


Phytotaxa ◽  
2016 ◽  
Vol 268 (3) ◽  
pp. 209 ◽  
Author(s):  
SHUANG-XI YAN ◽  
HUI-JIE LIU ◽  
LE-LE LIN ◽  
SHUAI LIAO ◽  
JIN-YU LI ◽  
...  

The morphologically based taxonomic status of Clematis acerifolia var. elobata has been controversial. This study used two nuclear (ITS and ETS) and six plastid (rps16, rpl16, accD, trnS-trnG, atpB-rbcL, and trnV-atpE) molecular markers, and a DNA barcoding analysis to address the taxonomic status of C. acerifolia var. elobata and the relationship among other Clematis species. Our results showed that the discrimination power of ITS, ETS, and atpB-rbcL was better than that of the other tested DNA regions. When all tested sequences combined, most of the sampled taxa were resolved. Though the two taxa are closely related, they have differentiated clearly and formed two clades respectively. The mean divergence of the two taxa was 0.78%, which was higher than closely related Clematis species such as C. heracleifolia and C. pinnata (0.50 %). Considering molecular divergence, morphological differences, and distribution area, we raised C. acerifolia var. elobata to species level.


Sign in / Sign up

Export Citation Format

Share Document