scholarly journals Shielding surfaces from viruses and bacteria with a multifunctional coating

Author(s):  
Deepu Ashok ◽  
Mahdiar Taheri ◽  
Daryl Webb ◽  
Pawan Parajuli ◽  
Puneet Garg ◽  
...  

Abstract The spread of viral and bacterial pathogens mediated by contact with surfaces is a leading cause of infection worldwide. COVID-19 as well as the continuous rise of deaths associated with antibiotic-resistant bacteria highlights the need to impede surface-mediated transmission. We report a sprayable coating with an intrinsic ability to resist the uptake of bacteria and viruses from surfaces and droplets, such as those generated by sneezing or coughing. Our coating also provides an effective microbicidal functionality against bacteria, providing a dual barrier against pathogen uptake and transmission. This antimicrobial functionality is fully preserved following scratching and other induced damage to its surface or 9 days of submersion in a highly concentrated suspension of bacteria.

2021 ◽  
Vol 1 (10) ◽  
pp. 28-35
Author(s):  
Sergei V. Lenev ◽  
◽  
Mikhail K. Pirozhkov ◽  
Anton V. Motorygin ◽  
Alsu A. Galiakbarova ◽  
...  

In recent years, the development of antibiotic-resistant bacteria has become a global problem, which determines the need for research in the direction of developing alternative methods for controlling diseases of agricultural animals of bacterial etiology. Bacteriophages (bacterial viruses) create the prospect of a sustainable alternative approach in the fight against bacterial pathogens. In this paper, we consider the prospects of using bacteriophages as biological agents in the fight against salmonellosis and colibacteriosis of animals, as well as reducing the likelihood of human disease through slaughter products and meat of animals and poultry, contaminated with the pathogens of these infections.


2018 ◽  
Vol 216 (1) ◽  
pp. 10-19 ◽  
Author(s):  
James W. Keith ◽  
Eric G. Pamer

The emergence of antibiotic-resistant bacterial pathogens is an all-too-common consequence of antibiotic use. Although antibiotic resistance among virulent bacterial pathogens is a growing concern, the highest levels of antibiotic resistance occur among less pathogenic but more common bacteria that are prevalent in healthcare settings. Patient-to-patient transmission of these antibiotic-resistant bacteria is a perpetual concern in hospitals. Many of these resistant microbes, such as vancomycin-resistant Enterococcus faecium and carbapenem-resistant Klebsiella pneumoniae, emerge from the intestinal lumen and invade the bloodstream of vulnerable patients, causing disseminated infection. These infections are associated with preceding antibiotic administration, which changes the intestinal microbiota and compromises resistance to colonization by antibiotic-resistant bacteria. Recent and ongoing studies are increasingly defining commensal bacterial species and the inhibitory mechanisms they use to prevent infection. The use of next-generation probiotics derived from the intestinal microbiota represents an alternative approach to prevention of infection by enriching colonization with protective commensal species, thereby reducing the density of antibiotic-resistant bacteria and also reducing patient-to-patient transmission of infection in healthcare settings.


Antibiotics ◽  
2021 ◽  
Vol 10 (4) ◽  
pp. 466
Author(s):  
Herbert Galler ◽  
Josefa Luxner ◽  
Christian Petternel ◽  
Franz F. Reinthaler ◽  
Juliana Habib ◽  
...  

In recent years, antibiotic-resistant bacteria with an impact on human health, such as extended spectrum β-lactamase (ESBL)-containing Enterobacteriaceae, methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA) and vancomycin-resistant Enterococci (VRE), have become more common in food. This is due to the use of antibiotics in animal husbandry, which leads to the promotion of antibiotic resistance and thus also makes food a source of such resistant bacteria. Most studies dealing with this issue usually focus on the animals or processed food products to examine the antibiotic resistant bacteria. This study investigated the intestine as another main habitat besides the skin for multiresistant bacteria. For this purpose, faeces samples were taken directly from the intestines of swine (n = 71) and broiler (n = 100) during the slaughter process and analysed. All samples were from animals fed in Austria and slaughtered in Austrian slaughterhouses for food production. The samples were examined for the presence of ESBL-producing Enterobacteriaceae, MRSA, MRCoNS and VRE. The resistance genes of the isolated bacteria were detected and sequenced by PCR. Phenotypic ESBL-producing Escherichia coli could be isolated in 10% of broiler casings (10 out of 100) and 43.6% of swine casings (31 out of 71). In line with previous studies, the results of this study showed that CTX-M-1 was the dominant ESBL produced by E. coli from swine (n = 25, 83.3%) and SHV-12 from broilers (n = 13, 81.3%). Overall, the frequency of positive samples with multidrug-resistant bacteria was lower than in most comparable studies focusing on meat products.


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