Reduction of skin bacteria in theatre air with comfortable,non-woven disposable clothing for operating-theatre staff.

Conventional loose-weave cotton operating garments were compared with clothing of a non-woven fabric to test their efficacy in reducing the dispersal of skin bacteria into theatre air. When men wore operating suits made of the non-woven fabric dispersal of skin bacteria was reduced by 72%. When all the operating-theatre staff wore suits and dresses of this fabric air bacterial counts during operating sessions were reduced by 55%; no reduction occurred when the fabric was worn by only the scrubbed team. The lowest levels of microbial contamination of the air in the operating theatre occurred when both the unscrubbed and scrubbed theatre staff wore clothes of non-woven fabric.     

啤酒腐败微生物与啤酒微生物稳定性研究进展

尽管生产环境和卫生条件已经得到大幅改善,但啤酒生产过程中仍然会发生微生物污染,因此,真正意义上的啤酒纯种酿制是很难实现的。为了有效控制生产过程中的微生物污染,本文系统介绍了啤酒微生物的多样性及其在生产工序中的分布,探讨了啤酒环境对抑制啤酒微生物污染的影响,讨论了啤酒微生物对啤酒质量与风味的积极贡献,提出合理控制外源微生物侵染是形成不同啤酒典型特征的关键。     

Importance of associated microorganisms in the development of acute pneumonia

Sputum samples obtained from 106 patients with acute pneumonia have been studied by the quantitative microbiological method. Different microbial associations have been shown to play an important role in the development of acute pneumonia (67.9%). Microbiological studies have revealed the prevalence of pneumococci in the etiological structure of the disease. Staphylococci, hemophilic bacteria and Neisseria have been found to take part in the development of acute pneumonia in a lesser number of cases and more often occur in combination with pneumococci or form different associations themselves. The so-called "etiological" type of microbial associations has been determined, two or three microbial species being isolated at high concentrations (10(6) and over) and the percentage of patients with such combinations being 59.7 +/- 5.8%. The analysis of the clinical course of the disease has revealed that the presence of different microbial species in patients linked, to a great extent, with the clinical picture of the disease. These data may be used for prescribing adequate etiotropic therapy and for prognostication. Quantitative bacteriological studies carried out in the dynamics of the disease permit timely detection of changes in the microflora of the respiratory tracts, the evaluation of the effectiveness of antibacterial therapy in the process of its implementation and the rational correction of therapeutic measures.     

Microbial contamination and its control in fuels and fuel systems since 1980 – a review

Although the documentation of fuel biodeterioration dates back to the late 19th century, general recognition of the value of microbial contamination control evolved slowly until the 1980s. Since the early 1980s a number of factors have converged to stimulate greater interest in fuel and fuel system biodeterioration. This, in turn, has stimulated applied research in the ecology of biodeteriogenic processes and biodeterioration control. This presentation reviews progress in both of these areas since 1980. The aforementioned factors that have provided the impetus for improved microbial control, the evolution of our understanding of the nature of the biodeteriogenic processes will be discussed. Activities of consensus organizations to develop guidelines and practices will also be reviewed.     

Importance of good manufacturing practices in microbiological monitoring in processing human tissues for transplant

Skin allografts represent an important therapeutic resource in the treatment of severe skin loss. The risk associated with application of processed tissues in humans is very low, however, human material always carries the risk of disease transmission. To minimise the risk of contamination of grafts, processing is carried out in clean rooms where air quality is monitored. Procedures and quality control tests are performed to standardise the production process and to guarantee the final product for human use. Since we only validate and distribute aseptic tissues, we conducted a study to determine what type of quality controls for skin processing are the most suitable for detecting processing errors and intercurrent contamination, and for faithfully mapping the process without unduly increasing production costs. Two different methods for quality control were statistically compared using the Fisher exact test. On the basis of the current study we selected our quality control procedure based on pre- and post-processing tissue controls, operator and environmental controls. Evaluation of the predictability of our control methods showed that tissue control was the most reliable method of revealing microbial contamination of grafts. We obtained 100 % sensitivity by doubling tissue controls, while maintaining high specificity (77 %).     

Viral and bacterial contamination of mussels (Mytilus edulis) exposed in an unpolluted marine environment

Bacteria indicating faecal contamination, cell-culturable enteroviruses and hepatitis A virus (HAV) were investigated in sea-water and in mussels exposed in an unpolluted marine environment, over a 7-month period with two samplings per month. Of the 16 mussel samples examined, none contained cell-culturable enteroviruses, four showed a low-level contamination by HAV and two did not conform to the current bacteriological norms. No connection was observed between the viral and bacterial contamination. No viral contamination was detected in the sea-water samples, but two gave bacterial counts above current norms.     

The presence of some yeasts species in occupational dermatitis

The samples of skin lesions were collected from forearms, palms and phalanges of ten females working in a manufacturing section (clothes tailoring and assemblage) using imported textiles. The samples were examined for bacteriological and mycotic flora by using classical methods. The textile fragments of 1-2 square centimeters from four samples were investigated using the same classical methods. The gauze fragments were used as toxic negative control samples. In 6 out of 10 samples from cutaneous lesions, Candida albicans was isolated and in 5 samples Rhodotorula species was identified. The yeasts species were identified by cultural and biochemical characteristics. All C. albicans strains were positive for the germ tube test and produced spherical chlamydospores on corn meal agar. The Rhodotorula strains grew on Sabouraud agar pure orange-red pigmented and mucoid colonies of 2-3 mm diameter. The textile samples incubated on blood--agar (10% sheep blood) demonstrated a high toxic activity producing a surrounding beta-hemolysis area of 3-5 cm. This lysis of the sheep red cell was caused by an unidentified chemical agent. In our cases, dermatites were associated with chemical and yeasts agents. The chemical agents irritated and made the derma sensitive, favouring C. albicans and Rhodotorula species multiplication.     

Type of closure prevents microbial contamination of cosmetics during consumer use.

The dispensing closure used for containers plays an important role in protecting cosmetics from in-use microbial contamination. This hypothesis was tested by aseptically packing unpreserved shampoo and skin lotion into containers with three different closure types which provided various degrees of protection against consumer and environmental microbial insults. Shampoo was packed in containers with slit-cap (n = 25), flip-cap (n = 25), or screw-cap (n = 28) closures. Skin lotion was packed in containers with pump-top (n = 21), flip-cap (n = 18), or screw-cap (n = 21) closures. The products were then used by volunteers under actual in-use conditions for 3 (shampoo) or 2 (skin lotion) weeks. After use, the products were evaluated for microbial contamination by using standard methods for enumeration and identification. The standard screw-cap closure provided only minimal protection against microbial contamination of both the shampoo (29% contamination incidence) and the skin lotion (71%). The slit-cap closure on the shampoo container and the flip-cap closure on the skin lotion container provided slightly enhanced degrees of protection (21 and 39% contamination incidence, respectively). The greatest amount of protection (i.e., lowest contamination incidence) was provided by the flip-cap closure for the shampoo container (0%) and the pump-top closure for the skin lotion container (10%). As a result, closure type plays an important role in protecting poorly preserved products from in-use microbial contamination.     

Type of closure prevents microbial contamination of cosmetics during consumer use

The dispensing closure used for containers plays an important role in protecting cosmetics from in-use microbial contamination. This hypothesis was tested by aseptically packing unpreserved shampoo and skin lotion into containers with three different closure types which provided various degrees of protection against consumer and environmental microbial insults. Shampoo was packed in containers with slit-cap (n = 25), flip-cap (n = 25), or screw-cap (n = 28) closures. Skin lotion was packed in containers with pump-top (n = 21), flip-cap (n = 18), or screw-cap (n = 21) closures. The products were then used by volunteers under actual in-use conditions for 3 (shampoo) or 2 (skin lotion) weeks. After use, the products were evaluated for microbial contamination by using standard methods for enumeration and identification. The standard screw-cap closure provided only minimal protection against microbial contamination of both the shampoo (29% contamination incidence) and the skin lotion (71%). The slit-cap closure on the shampoo container and the flip-cap closure on the skin lotion container provided slightly enhanced degrees of protection (21 and 39% contamination incidence, respectively). The greatest amount of protection (i.e., lowest contamination incidence) was provided by the flip-cap closure for the shampoo container (0%) and the pump-top closure for the skin lotion container (10%). As a result, closure type plays an important role in protecting poorly preserved products from in-use microbial contamination.     

Development and diagnostic value evaluation of a nutrient medium for the yield and isolation of hemoculture

The effectiveness of the bacteriological study of the blood depends in many aspects on the quality of nutrient media. The currently approved nutrient media for the isolation and yield of hemocultures have low isolation rates and require prolonged time for the isolation of causative agents. A two-phase nutrient medium for the yield and isolation of hemoculture has been developed. This medium has been found to have advantages over the control "double medium" in sensitivity, yield effect, growth rate and isolation rate with respect to the causative agents of bacteriemia and sepsis. The medium is standard and ready for use. The above-mentioned advantages of the medium increase the quality of the bacteriological diagnosis of bacteriemia and sepsis.     

The microbiology of metalworking fluids

Metalworking fluids (MWFs) are complex mixtures of chemicals and are indispensable materials in industry. They are used as cooling and lubricating agents in different machining process such as grinding, milling, and cutting. The quality of MWFs is affected by physical, chemical, and microbial contaminates. In particular, MWFs are highly vulnerable to microbial contamination, which may act both as potential pathogens and deteriorgens. Microbial contamination is of major concern due to potential health hazards such as skin dermatitis and hypersensitivity pneumonitis. The contaminated MWFs can exhibit high degrees of microbial loading, ranging from 10(4) to 10(10) colony-forming units (CFU)/ml. Wide varieties of microorganisms are reported to colonize MWFs. Traditional culturing techniques are not only laborious and time consuming but also underestimate the actual distribution of the microorganisms present in the contaminated MWFs. Therefore, rapid molecular methods such as real-time PCR and fluorescent in situ hybridization are implemented to monitor the microbial load. In industry, biocides are presently used to control microbial contamination. However, it has its own disadvantages and therefore, in recent years, alternative methods such as UV irradiation were evaluated to reduce microbial contamination in MWFs. Microbes inhabiting the MWF are also capable of forming biofilm which is detrimental to the MWF system. Biofilm is resistant to common disinfectant methods, and thus further research and development is required to effectively control its formation within MWF systems. This review is intended to discuss the overall microbiological aspects of MWF.     

Cytokine gene polymorphisms and atopic disease in two European cohorts. (ECRHS-Basel and SAPALDIA)

Background

Avoidance of allergens is still recommended as the first and best way to prevent allergic illnesses and their comorbid diseases. Despite a variety of attempts there has been very limited success in the area of environmental control of allergic disease. Our objective was to identify a non-invasive, non-pharmacological method to reduce indoor allergen loads in atopic persons' homes and public environments. We employed a novel in vivo approach to examine the possibility of using aluminum sulfate to control environmental allergens.

Methods

Fifty skin test reactive patients were simultaneously skin tested with conventional test materials and the actions of the protein/glycoprotein modifier, aluminum sulfate. Common allergens, dog, cat, dust mite, Alternaria, and cockroach were used in the study.

Results

Skin test reactivity was significantly reduced by the modifier aluminum sulfate. Our studies demonstrate that the effects of histamine were not affected by the presence of aluminum sulfate. In fact, skin test reactivity was reduced independent of whether aluminum sulfate was present in the allergen test material or removed prior to testing, indicating that the allergens had in some way been inactivated.

Conclusion

Aluminum sulfate was found to reduce the in vivo allergic reaction cascade induced by skin testing with common allergens. The exact mechanism is not clear but appears to involve the alteration of IgE-binding epitopes on the allergen. Our results indicate that it may be possible to diminish the allergenicity of an environment by application of the active agent aluminum sulfate, thus producing environmental control without complete removal of the allergen.     

Microbial challenges for domestic heating oil storage tanks

Microbial growth on hydrocarbons is common in nature and used in bioremediation of contaminated sites, whereas in fuel storage tanks this phenomenon can affect the stability of the fuel and the tank. The impact of microbial growth and produced metabolites on materials, which are used in the construction of storage tanks, were analyzed. In contrast to metal tank components, polymeric materials did not affect or were influenced by microorganisms. Zinc was highly corroded by microbial growth, most likely due to the formation of organic acids that were produced during microbial growth on hydrocarbons. A contaminated water phase in a storage tank of a heating system was simulated with a self‐constructed pump test bench. Microbial growth began in the water phase of the storage tank and microbes were distributed throughout the tank system, through water‐in‐oil microemulsions. No microbial growth was observed in oil that was previously contaminated, indicating that essential nutrients had been depleted. The identification and removal of these essential nutrients from fuels could minimize or prevent microbial contamination. The results are discussed with regard to developing recommendations for the design and operation of domestic heating oil storage tanks to lower the risk of technical failure due to microbial contamination.     

Microbial growth in saline breast implants and saline tissue expanders

The subject of microbial growth within the saline medium of prosthetic breast implants has been one of great controversy in recent years. Although several articles have described microbial growth within the tissue surrounding implanted breast prostheses, few have attempted to determine the possibility of such contamination of the luminal saline. The authors studied the intraluminal saline medium of a series of explanted breast prostheses with the objective of identifying any microbial contamination. Over a 6-month period, a consecutive series of saline-filled breast implants and tissue expanders were removed from 37 patients. Under the supervision of a microbiologist, saline extracted from each implant was subjected to bacterial and fungal cultures, Gram staining, and acid-fast staining. A total of 24 saline-filled breast implants were removed from 15 patients, and 32 saline-filled tissue expanders were removed from 22 patients. The average length of implantation was 28.1 months for the implants and 7.1 months for the expanders. None of the saline within the implants or expanders within our series displayed any evidence of microbial contamination. These results suggest that microbial contamination of the luminal saline of prosthetic breast implants is an extremely unlikely event.     

In-use Evaluation of Safety to Skin of Enzyme-Containing Washing Products

The effect on the skin of housewives of using a washing product in the home for all cleaning purposes under conditions of maximal exposure has been studied. Tests conducted on over 4,000 housewives showed that detergents containing proteolytic enzymes had no greater effect on the skin than conventional detergents, even when the hand skin condition was initially poor. The same was true in a further test on 130 housewives with “dishpan” hands. No adverse reactions attributable specifically to the enzyme products were seen. No eruptions from contact with clothes washed in enzyme products were reported from any of the families involved in these tests.     

Metagenomic Investigation of Plasma in Individuals with ME/CFS Highlights the Importance of Technical Controls to Elucidate Contamination and Batch Effects

Myalgic Encephalomyelitis/Chronic Fatigue Syndrome (ME/CFS) is a debilitating disease causing indefinite fatigue. ME/CFS has long been hypothesised to have an infectious cause; however, no specific infectious agent has been identified. We used metagenomics to analyse the RNA from plasma samples from 25 individuals with ME/CFS and compare their microbial content to technical controls as well as three control groups: individuals with alternatively diagnosed chronic Lyme syndrome (N = 13), systemic lupus erythematosus (N = 11), and healthy controls (N = 25). We found that the majority of sequencing reads were removed during host subtraction, thus there was very low microbial RNA content in the plasma. The effects of sample batching and contamination during sample processing proved to outweigh the effects of study group on microbial RNA content, as the few differences in bacterial or viral RNA abundance we did observe between study groups were most likely caused by contamination and batch effects. Our results highlight the importance of including negative controls in all metagenomic analyses, since there was considerable overlap between bacterial content identified in study samples and control samples. For example, Proteobacteria, Firmicutes, Actinobacteria, and Bacteriodes were found in both study samples and plasma-free negative controls. Many of the taxonomic groups we saw in our plasma-free negative control samples have previously been associated with diseases, including ME/CFS, demonstrating how incorrect conclusions may arise if controls are not used and batch effects not accounted for.     

Correlation of in vitro challenge testing with consumer use testing for cosmetic products

An in vitro microbial challenge test has been developed to predict the likelihood of consumer contamination of cosmetic products. The challenge test involved inoculating product at four concentrations (30, 50, 70, and 100%) with microorganisms known to contaminate cosmetics. Elimination of these microorganisms at each concentration was followed over a 28-day period. The test was used to classify products as poorly preserved, marginally preserved, or well preserved. Consumer use testing was then used to determine whether the test predicted the risk of actual consumer contamination. Products classified by the challenge test as poorly preserved returned 46 to 90% contaminated after use. Products classified by the challenge test as well preserved returned with no contamination. Marginally preserved products returned with 0 to 21% of the used units contaminated. As a result, the challenge test described can be accurately used to predict the risk of consumer contamination of cosmetic products.     

Immunoenzyme method of diagnosing suppurative-septic complications due to Pseudomonas aeruginosa and Proteus

Two test systems, based on the inhibition of the reaction of enzyme-labeled antibodies and on the indirect reaction of enzyme-labeled antibodies, have been developed with a view to diagnosing purulent and septic complications caused by P. aeruginosa and Proteus in accordance with the results of the determination of the corresponding microbial antigens and antibodies to these antigens in the patients' blood. An increase in the levels of P. aeruginosa and Proteus antigens during the first 3 days of the development of complications and in the titers of antibodies on days 7-10 indicates that the purulent septic complication is caused by the given infective agent. A high correlation of the results obtained by bacteriological and serological diagnostic methods has been observed.     

环境抗生素污染的微生物修复进展

近年来随着抗生素在畜牧业、水产养殖业以及医疗行业的广泛应用,大量抗生素通过排泄物进入环境,导致我国大面积水体及土壤环境中抗生素残留量急剧增高。环境中不同种类的抗生素的残留导致微生物种群结构失衡,对生态环境及人类造成极大危害。因此,解决抗生素残留问题是21世纪新型环境污染物领域的一个重要课题。已有研究显示,一些微生物能够以抗生素为碳源生存,可用于降解环境中残留抗生素,但人们对微生物降解抗生素的降解机制了解较少。文中概括了近十年来抗生素降解菌株和菌群对抗生素的去除情况,以及应用微生物菌群处理抗生素残留的技术方法,同时对未来利用微生物修复法减少环境中抗生素残留进行了展望。