Search

During a six-month period (October 2017−March 2018), the prevalence and susceptibility of important pathogenic bacteria isolated from 12 hospital raw sewage samples in North Western Greece was investigated. The samples were analyzed for methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA), vancomycin-resistant enterococci (VRE), extended-spectrum beta-lactamase (ESBL) producing Escherichia coli, carbapenemase-producing Klebsiella pneumoniae (CKP), and multidrug-resistant Pseudomonas aeruginosa. Antimicrobial susceptibility testing was performed using the agar diffusion method according to the recommendations of the Clinical and Laboratory Standards Institute. The diversity of carbapenemases harboring K. pneumoniae was examined by two phenotyping screening methods (modified Hodge test and combined disk test), a new immunochromatographic rapid assay (RESIST-4 O.K.N.V.) and a polymerase chain reaction (PCR). The results demonstrated the prevalence of MRSA, vancomycin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (VRSA), VRE, and CKP in the examined hospital raw sewage samples. In addition, the aforementioned methods which are currently used in clinical laboratories for the rapid identification and detection of resistant bacteria and genes, performed sufficiently to provide reliable results in terms of accuracy and efficiency.

The potential antibacterial activity of basil (Ocimum basilicum), chamomile (Matricaria chamomilla), origanum (Thymus capitatus), tea tree (Melaleuca alternifolia) and thyme (Thymus vulgaris) essential oils, was investigated against 29 Gram-positive bacterial strains isolated from wastewater treatment plants, clinical samples (n = 25) and American Type Culture Collection (ATCC) reference strains (n = 4). Wild bacterial strains included methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (n = 16) and vancomycin-resistant Enterococcus spp. (n = 9). The antimicrobial activity of the selected oils was studied using the broth macrodilution method. The Minimal Inhibitory Concentration (MIC) values for S. aureus ranged from 0.06 to 0.5% (v/v) for origanum oil, 0.06 to 1% (v/v) for thyme oil, 0.12 to 1% (v/v) for tea tree oil, 0.25 to 4% (v/v) for basil oil and 2 to >4% (v/v) for chamomile oil. For enterococci the MIC values were significantly higher ranging from 0.25 to 1% (v/v), 0.5 to 2% (v/v), 1 to 4% (v/v), 4 to >4% (v/v) and >4% (v/v) for the above-mentioned oils, respectively. The main compounds of the tested essential oils were: estragole (Ocimum basilicum), bisabolol and trans-b-farnesene (Matricaria chamomilla), carvacrol and thymol (Thymus capitatus), terpinen-4-ol and p-cymene (Melaleuca alternifolia), thymol, linalool, and p-cymene (Thymus vulgaris). Origanum essential oil yielded the best antimicrobial results followed by thyme, tea tree, and basil oil, while chamomile oil exhibited weak antibacterial properties.