scholarly journals Evaluating the risk of bacterial infections associated with the most handled Iraqi notes in Kalar

2019 ◽  
Vol 4 (1) ◽  
pp. 26-30 ◽  
Author(s):  
Hassan Mohammad Tawfeeq ◽  
Mohammed Hassan Fatah ◽  
Ahmed Mohammed Tofiq

Every day new sources of microbial and especially bacterial infections are reported, which are not taken into account, the fact that these sources have been implicated in the outbreaks of these infections. The goals of the current research focused on the exploration of the scope of microbial pollution of the widely traded paper currency notes of the Iraqi currencies (250, 1000 and 5000 Iraqi Dinars) in Kalar city. 300 banknotes (100 samples for each of the denominations under investigation) in circulation were gathered from different categories of Kalar population and one fresh sample for each of the three currencies (control negative). Each bill was rinsed in 5 ml D.W then cultured on Nutrient agar, Mannitol Salt agar and MacConkey agar, respectively, then incubated at 37 ºC for up to 48 hours. Results revealed the rate of microbial contamination, specifically bacterial ones as 94%, 68%, and 60%, respectively on the denominations of 250, 1000, and 5000 of Iraqi Dinars. In a descending order, and with regard to the prevalence rate, bacterial species contaminated 250, 1000 and 5000 Iraqi denominations respectively were as follows: 55.31%, 32.35% and 36.66% for Bacillus sp.; 14.89%, 38.23% and 20% for coagulase-negative Staphylococcus; 8.51%, 8.82% and 20% for E. coli; 2.12%, 11.76 and 20% for Pseudomonas sp.; 2.12% for each of Klebsiella sp., and Salmonella sp.; 10.63% and 4.25% for Enterobacter sp. and Staphylococcus aureus, respectively, and only on 250 denomination;  2.94% and 5.88% for each of Corynebacterium sp. and Serratia sp. only on 1000 currency note; lastly, 3.33% for Proteus sp. on 5000 IQD only. These outcomes suggest that bacterial contamination of Iraqi Dinars, specifically the 250 denomination is risky and could be regarded as the real source of infectious diseases with the most dangerous pathogenic bacteria.  

2019 ◽  
Vol 14 (1) ◽  
pp. 28-31 ◽  
Author(s):  
Rowles H. L.

Probiotics are live microorganisms, which when ingested in sufficient amounts, confer health benefits to the host by improving the gut microflora balance. The purpose of this research was to determine whether commercial probiotic products containing multitude of commensal bacteria would reduce the growth rate of pathogenic bacteria, specifically Escherichia coli and Salmonella typhimurium. Growth curves were established, and the growth rates were compared for samples of E. coli, S. typhimurium, Nature’s Bounty Controlled Delivery probiotic, Sundown Naturals Probiotic Balance probiotic, and cocultures of the pathogenic bacteria mixed with the probiotics. The findings of this research were that the commercial probiotics significantly reduced the growth rate of E. coli and S. typhimurium when combined in cocultures. Probiotics containing multiple strains may be taken prophylactically to reduce the risk of bacterial infections caused by E. coli and S. typhimurium. Probiotics could be used to reduce the high global morbidity and mortality rates of diarrheal disease.


Foods ◽  
2021 ◽  
Vol 10 (8) ◽  
pp. 1786
Author(s):  
György Schneider ◽  
Bettina Schweitzer ◽  
Anita Steinbach ◽  
Botond Zsombor Pertics ◽  
Alysia Cox ◽  
...  

Contamination of meats and meat products with foodborne pathogenic bacteria raises serious safety issues in the food industry. The antibacterial activities of phosphorous-fluorine co-doped TiO2 nanoparticles (PF-TiO2) were investigated against seven foodborne pathogenic bacteria: Campylobacter jejuni, Salmonella Typhimurium, Enterohaemorrhagic E. coli, Yersinia enterocolitica, Shewanella putrefaciens, Listeria monocytogenes and Staphylococcus aureus. PF-TiO2 NPs were synthesized hydrothermally at 250 °C for 1, 3, 6 or 12 h, and then tested at three different concentrations (500 μg/mL, 100 μg/mL, 20 μg/mL) for the inactivation of foodborne bacteria under UVA irradiation, daylight exposure or dark conditions. The antibacterial efficacies were compared after 30 min of exposure to light. Distinct differences in the antibacterial activities of the PF-TiO2 NPs, and the susceptibilities of tested foodborne pathogenic bacterium species were found. PF-TiO2/3 h and PF-TiO2/6 h showed the highest antibacterial activity by decreasing the living bacterial cell number from ~106 by ~5 log (L. monocytogenes), ~4 log (EHEC), ~3 log (Y. enterolcolitca, S. putrefaciens) and ~2.5 log (S. aureus), along with complete eradication of C. jejuni and S. Typhimurium. Efficacy of PF-TiO2/1 h and PF-TiO2/12 h NPs was lower, typically causing a ~2–4 log decrease in colony forming units depending on the tested bacterium while the effect of PF-TiO2/0 h was comparable to P25 TiO2, a commercial TiO2 with high photocatalytic activity. Our results show that PF-co-doping of TiO2 NPs enhanced the antibacterial action against foodborne pathogenic bacteria and are potential candidates for use in the food industry as active surface components, potentially contributing to the production of meats that are safe for consumption.


Author(s):  
Angélique Buton ◽  
Louis-Marie Bobay

Abstract Homologous recombination is a key pathway found in nearly all bacterial taxa. The recombination complex allows bacteria to repair DNA double strand breaks but also promotes adaption through the exchange of DNA between cells. In Proteobacteria, this process is mediated by the RecBCD complex, which relies on the recognition of a DNA motif named Chi to initiate recombination. The Chi motif has been characterized in Escherichia coli and analogous sequences have been found in several other species from diverse families, suggesting that this mode of action is widespread across bacteria. However, the sequences of Chi-like motifs are known for only five bacterial species: E. coli, Haemophilus influenzae, Bacillus subtilis, Lactococcus lactis and Staphylococcus aureus. In this study we detected putative Chi motifs in a large dataset of Proteobacteria and we identified four additional motifs sharing high sequence similarity and similar properties to the Chi motif of E. coli in 85 species of Proteobacteria. Most Chi motifs were detected in Enterobacteriaceae and this motif appears well conserved in this family. However, we did not detect Chi motifs for the majority of Proteobacteria, suggesting that different motifs are used in these species. Altogether these results substantially expand our knowledge on the evolution of Chi motifs and on the recombination process in bacteria.


2008 ◽  
Vol 71 (7) ◽  
pp. 1401-1405 ◽  
Author(s):  
JEREMY A. OBRITSCH ◽  
DOJIN RYU ◽  
LUCINA E. LAMPILA ◽  
LLOYD B. BULLERMAN

The antimicrobial activities of four long-chain food-grade polyphosphates were studied at concentrations allowed in the food industry (<5,000 ppm) in defined basal media by determining the inhibition of growth of three gram-negative and four gram-positive spoilage and pathogenic bacteria. Both generation time and lag phase of Escherichia coli K-12, E. coli O157: H7, and Salmonella Typhimurium were increased with all of the polyphosphates tested. Bacillus subtilis and Staphylococcus aureus were more sensitive to polyphosphates, but not in all cases, with multiphased growth. The growth of Lactobacillus plantarum was inhibited by polyphosphates at concentrations above 750 ppm, but the lag time of Listeria monocytogenes was shortened by the presence of polyphosphates. No single polyphosphate was maximally inhibitory against all bacteria. Polyphosphates with chain lengths of 12 to 15 were significantly different from those with chain lengths of 18 to 21 depending on the organism and concentrations of polyphosphate used. Overall, higher polyphosphate concentrations resulted in greater inhibition of bacterial growth.


2017 ◽  
Vol 24 (10) ◽  
Author(s):  
Giulia Malachin ◽  
Elisa Lubian ◽  
Fabrizio Mancin ◽  
Emanuele Papini ◽  
Regina Tavano

ABSTRACT Dendritic cells (DCs) regulate the host-microbe balance in the gut and skin, tissues likely exposed to nanoparticles (NPs) present in drugs, food, and cosmetics. We analyzed the viability and the activation of DCs incubated with extracellular media (EMs) obtained from cultures of commensal bacteria (Escherichia coli, Staphylococcus epidermidis) or pathogenic bacteria (Pseudomonas aeruginosa, Staphylococcus aureus) in the presence of amorphous silica nanoparticles (SiO2 NPs). EMs and NPs synergistically increased the levels of cytotoxicity and cytokine production, with different nanoparticle dose-response characteristics being found, depending on the bacterial species. E. coli and S. epidermidis EMs plus NPs at nontoxic doses stimulated the secretion of interleukin-1β (IL-1β), IL-12, IL-10, and IL-6, while E. coli and S. epidermidis EMs plus NPs at toxic doses stimulated the secretion of gamma interferon (IFN-γ), tumor necrosis factor alpha (TNF-α), IL-4, and IL-5. On the contrary, S. aureus and P. aeruginosa EMs induced cytokines only when they were combined with NPs at toxic concentrations. The induction of maturation markers (CD86, CD80, CD83, intercellular adhesion molecule 1, and major histocompatibility complex class II) by commensal bacteria but not by pathogenic ones was improved in the presence of noncytotoxic SiO2 NP doses. DCs consistently supported the proliferation and differentiation of CD4+ and CD8+ T cells secreting IFN-γ and IL-17A. The synergistic induction of CD86 was due to nonprotein molecules present in the EMs from all bacteria tested. At variance with this finding, the synergistic induction of IL-1β was prevalently mediated by proteins in the case of E. coli EMs and by nonproteins in the case of S. epidermidis EMs. A bacterial costimulus did not act on DCs after adsorption on SiO2 NPs but rather acted as an independent agonist. The inflammatory and immune actions of DCs stimulated by commensal bacterial agonists might be altered by the simultaneous exposure to engineered or environmental NPs.


2017 ◽  
Vol 61 (11) ◽  
Author(s):  
Marc B. Habash ◽  
Mara C. Goodyear ◽  
Amber J. Park ◽  
Matthew D. Surette ◽  
Emily C. Vis ◽  
...  

ABSTRACT Increasing antibiotic resistance among pathogenic bacterial species is a serious public health problem and has prompted research examining the antibacterial effects of alternative compounds and novel treatment strategies. Compounding this problem is the ability of many pathogenic bacteria to form biofilms during chronic infections. Importantly, these communities are often recalcitrant to antibiotic treatments that show effectiveness against acute infection. The antimicrobial properties of silver have been known for decades, but recently silver and silver-containing compounds have seen renewed interest as antimicrobial agents for treating bacterial infections. The goal of this study was to assess the ability of citrate-capped silver nanoparticles (AgNPs) of various sizes, alone and in combination with the aminoglycoside antibiotic tobramycin, to inhibit established Pseudomonas aeruginosa biofilms. Our results demonstrate that smaller 10-nm and 20-nm AgNPs were more effective at synergistically potentiating the activity of tobramycin. Visualization of biofilms treated with combinations of 10-nm AgNPs and tobramycin reveals that the synergistic bactericidal effect may be caused by disrupting cellular membranes. Minimum biofilm eradication concentration (MBEC) assays using clinical P. aeruginosa isolates shows that small AgNPs are more effective than larger AgNPs at inhibiting biofilms, but that the synergy effect is likely a strain-dependent phenomenon. These data suggest that small AgNPs synergistically potentiate the activity of tobramycin against P. aeruginosa in vitro and may reveal a potential role for AgNP/antibiotic combinations in treating patients with chronic infections in a strain-specific manner.


2012 ◽  
Vol 56 (2) ◽  
pp. 171-175
Author(s):  
Beata Trawińska ◽  
Jerzy Lechowski ◽  
Antoni Polonis ◽  
Marta Kowaleczko

Abstract The studies involved gilts 6 weeks pre-partum allocated into the control and experimental groups. The experimental group received vitamin C at the dose of 2.5g/100 kg b.w./day. Faeces for analyses were collected for 3- and 6- week period of vitamin C dietary inclusion. The faecal material underwent quantitative and qualitative bacteriological evaluation. The count of Enterobacteriaceae was evaluated. The qualitative examination of these bacteria was made using the micro-plate method API 20E. Feed supplemented with vitamin C contributed to a statistically significant decline of the total bacterial count of Enterobacteriaceae in faeces. The qualitative bacterial analyses showed the presence of E. coli, Providecia sp., Proteus sp., and Salmonella sp. in the control and experimental groups. Enterobacter sp. was recovered only in the control group, while Lactobacillus sp. in the experimental group. The dietary administration of vitamin C significantly decreased the number of the studied bacterial species, except Salmonella rods. No statistically significant differences in the number of most blood morphotic elements following the 6- week supply of vitamin C were found; only the granulocyte count significantly increased, while lymphocyte numbers declined. Ascorbic acid inhibited the growth of pathogenic intestinal flora and reduced the pathogenic and relatively pathogenic bacteria count in the gastrointestinal tract and notably contributed to enhanced growth of beneficial bacteria.


2019 ◽  
Author(s):  
Hillary M. Figler ◽  
Lingzi Xiaoli ◽  
Kakolie Banerjee ◽  
Maria Hoffmann ◽  
Kuan Yao ◽  
...  

AbstractEscherichia coliO157:H7 is a foodborne pathogen, implicated in various multi-state outbreaks. It encodes Shiga toxin on a prophage, and Shiga toxin production is linked to phage induction. AnE. colistrain, designated 0.1229, was identified that amplified Stx2a production when co-cultured withE. coliO157:H7 strain PA2. Growth of PA2 in 0.1229 cell-free supernatants had a similar effect, even when supernatants were heated to 100°C for 10 min, but not after treatment with Proteinase K. The secreted molecule was shown to use TolC for export and the TonB system for import. The genes sufficient for production of this molecule were localized to a 5.2 kb region of a 12.8 kb plasmid. This region was annotated, identifying hypothetical proteins, a predicted ABC transporter, and a cupin superfamily protein. These genes were identified and shown to be functional in two otherE. colistrains, and bioinformatic analyses identified related gene clusters in similar and distinct bacterial species. These data collectively suggestE. coli0.1229 and otherE. coliproduce a microcin that induces the SOS response in target bacteria. Besides adding to the limited number of microcins known to be produced byE. coli, this study provides an additional mechanism by whichstx2aexpression is increased in response to the gut microflora.ImportanceHow the gut microflora influences the progression of bacterial infections is only beginning to be understood. Antibiotics are counter-indicated forE. coliO157:H7 infections, and therefore treatment options are limited. An increased understanding of how the gut microflora directs O157:H7 virulence gene expression may lead to additional treatment options. This work identifiedE. colithat enhance the production of Shiga toxin by O157:H7, through the secretion of a proposed microcin. This work demonstrates another mechanism by which non-O157E. colistrains may increase Shiga toxin production, and adds to our understanding of microcins, a group of antimicrobials that are less well understood than colicins.


2020 ◽  
Vol 13 (1) ◽  
Author(s):  
Azam Haeidari ◽  
DAVOOD KESHAVARZI ◽  
Parviz Owlia ◽  
Hassan Vatandoost ◽  
ATIYEH RAFINEJAD ◽  
...  

Abstract. Haeidari A, Keshavarzi D, Owlia P, Vatandoost H, Rafinejad A, Rafinejad J. 2020. Isolation and enumeration of bacteria responsible for nosocomial infections from houseflies and determining their susceptibility to poison bait. Nusantara Bioscience 13: 24-28. Nosocomial infections represent a serious public health concern in developing countries. Houseflies are one of the most common household pests carrying different pathogenic organisms. The purpose of this study was to isolate and enumerate bacteria species from house flies and to determine their susceptibility to Agita® fly bait. Flies were collected from two hospital environments between July to December 2014, in Yazd Province of Iran. Bacterial species were isolated from the outer surfaces of flies, and Agita® efficacy was evaluated based on lethal time (LT50) after 1, 2, 4, 8, 16, and 32 minutes. Three species of bacteria (Escherichia coli, Pseudomonas aeruginosa, and Staphylococcus aureus) responsible for nosocomial infections have been isolated and enumerated from flies. Among the 30 flies collected, 17, 24, and 3 flies were contaminated with E. coli, S. aureus, and Ps. aeruginosa, respectively. The minimum number of isolated bacteria was 3 × 102 CFU/mL, whereas the highest number was 2.4 × 105 CFU/mL. The susceptibility results showed that, despite the existence of a significant effect for heterogeneity in both field and laboratory strains (p-value ˂ 0/05) and an increase in the mortality of houseflies during the time, there was no significant difference between two strains regarding the efficacy of Agita® against houseflies. The findings of the present study revealed and confirmed that houseflies have an important role in the spread of nosocomial infections in hospital environments, and they are susceptible to Agita® fly bait.


2020 ◽  
Vol 12 (2) ◽  
pp. 34-49
Author(s):  
علاء حسين هامل1 ◽  
◽  
جيهان عبد الستار سلمان2 ◽  
رغد أكرم عزيز3 ◽  
◽  
...  

This study aimed to study the inhibition activity of purified bacteriocin produced from the local isolation Lactococcuslactis ssp. lactis against pathogenic bacteria species isolated from clinical samples in some hospitals Baghdad city. Screening of L. lactis ssp. Lactis and isolated from the intestines fish and raw milk was performed in well diffusion method. The results showed that L. lactis ssp. lactis (Lc4) was the most efficient isolate in producing the bacteriocin as well observed inhibitory activity the increased that companied with the concentration, the concentration of the twice filtrate was better in obtaining higher inhibition diameters compared to the one-fold concentration. The concentrated bacteriocin was purified using the gel filtration column and Sephacryl S-200. The results showed the high inhibitory activity of the purified bacteriocin after the purification against the positive and negative bacteria of the Gram stain under study compared to the one-fold concentration and two-fold before purification , The diameters of the inhibition zones after gel-filtering of the purified bacteriocin reached S. aureus, S. epidermidis, P. aeruginosa, E. coli, E. clocae and S. marcescens (23, 25, 26, 20, 22 and 28) Mm respectively. The carbohydrate content of purified bacteriocin from L. lactis ssp. lactis (Lc4) isolate was 6.02% with a molecular weight of 6310 Dalton. The results showed that purified bacteriocin retained its inhibitory activity at pH 2-10 and showed the highest inhibition at pH 4-6 and lost at pH 12. The purified bacteriocin was characterized by thermal stability. It retained its effectiveness when exposed to 40, 60, 80, 100°C for 30, 15, 5 minutes and 120°C for 15.5 minutes and lost 50% of its effectiveness when exposed to 120°C for 30 minutes. Results The purified bacteriocin was effectively retained when treated with enzyme pepsin and trypsin of 37°C for one hour and at pH 7.


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