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Background: Eggs are commonly regarded as one of the best sources of various macro and micronutrients, in particular, high biological value (BV) proteins and both saturated and unsaturated fatty acids. Apart from proteins, eggs are excellent sources of various high health value lipid components, carotenoids, minerals, and both water and lipid-soluble vitamins. However, the nutrient-rich nature of this ‘superfood’ also makes them susceptible to microbial contamination from various sources, such as fecal matter, drinking water for layer chicken, and the surrounding environment. Moreover, drinking water and chicken feed are also sources of heavy metal contamination. The presence of both factors poses serious health concerns for consumers. Objective: The main aim of this research was to proximate heavy metals and bacterial contaminants in nine different brands of brown organic and conventional white eggs available in the hypermarkets of the Eastern Province of Saudi Arabia. Methods: An Inductively Coupled Plasma-Optical Emission Spectrometer (ICP-OES) was used to determine the concentration of metals with high sensitivity. Standard plate count was followed by enrichment of bacterial contaminants in a double-strength nutrient broth medium for microbiological assessment. Results: The results indicated that Pb, Cd, Al, and As were present in high concentrations in all egg brands of both types (organic and conventional). The estimated daily intake (EDI) values for Ca, Fe, Mn, and Mg were within the range of WHO-recommended thresholds, and these essential minerals were present in adequate amounts in all egg brands. The two major groups predominating the microbial loads were the family Enterobacteriaceae and Pseudomonas sp. Conclusion: The presence of heavy metals, such as Al, As, Pb, and Cd, in nearly all the brands in amounts that exceeded the established ADI and EDI thresholds was considerably concerning. In particular, the elevated levels of Cd and Pb in group 1 and group 2A probable human carcinogens, respectively, demands that local regulatory authorities investigate the sources of heavy metal contamination and alleviate this considerable risk to human health. Furthermore, this study could be a benchmark for establishing food safety and hygiene standards for local egg production, storage, handling, and transport in Saudi Arabia.

Consumers’ demand for minimally processed fresh minimally fruits and vegetables owing to their reputation of being convenient, fresh, nutritive, healthy, and cheap has been on the increase over the years. Contamination of these commodities during processing has been reported and vendors often ignore proper hygienic processes. However, since fresh produce is often consumed raw, these products could harbor potentially pathogenic bacteria. In this study, 15 randomly selected samples of fresh, minimally processed watermelon, cucumber and garden egg were collected from markets in southeastern Nigeria and evaluated by way of standard plate techniques of serial dilution for bacterial contaminants. Following standard bacteriological practices, dilutions were plated on suitable growth media and incubated for 48 h. Pure cultures of bacterial isolates were investigated for total viable counts and identified both macroscopically and microscopically via Gram staining technique, spore staining technique, motility test and biochemical analysis. Fifty-eight isolates were obtained and the total viable plate count from all samples ranged from 1.0×106-8.0×106 CFU/g with watermelon samples recording the highest volume of bacteria loads. The cultural and biochemical characterization revealed the presence of seventeen (17) probable species of bacteria: Staphylococcus aureus (40%), Bacillus sp.(21%), Escherichia coli (18%), Staphylococcus epidermidis, Corynebacterium sp., and Citrobacter sp. (17%), Lactobacillus sp., and Proteus sp.(12%), Yersinia sp., Serratia marcescens, Listeria sp. and Pseudomonas sp.(6%), Klebsiella sp., Streptococcus sp., Bacillus cereus and Clostridium sp. (5%), and Salmonella sp. (2%). Probable pathogenic bacteria exceeded the standard limit thus requiring urgent public sensitization and education by appropriate regulatory agencies. Therefore, the consumption of these minimally processed fruits and vegetables couldlead to foodborne infections.

Currency notes can act as a vehicle for the transmission of pathogenic organisms. This study was carried out to determine the antibiotic susceptibility patterns of the predominant bacterial contaminants of Nigerian currency notes in circulation in parts of Ogun State. A total of 240 naira notes of 8 different denominations were collected from various persons into sterile polythene bags, transferred into universal bottles containing 10 mL of sterile buffered peptone water. The notes were removed; the resulting solution incubated overnight and the overnight solution inoculated onto Blood agar, Mannitol salt agar, Eosin Methylene Blue agar and MacConkey agar plates and incubated at 370C for 24 hours. The isolates were then identified by Gram reactions and Biochemical tests and their susceptibility profiles against 8 commonly used antibiotics were determined. A total of 95 out of the 240 samples showed bacterial contamination and the prevalent isolates include: Escherichia coli 31 (32.6 %), Salmonella typhi 26 (27.4 %), Staphylococcus aureus 20 (21.1 %) and Bacillus subtilis 18 (18.9 %) respectively. There was no bacteria growth on the control samples. 52.3 % of the isolates were resistant strains. EC 1 isolate showed the highest susceptibility with an inhibitory zone diameter (IZD) of 25 mm against ciprofloxacin while on the whole, 26.6 % of the isolates were susceptible to all the antibiotics evaluated with 20.9 % showing intermediate susceptibility. This study showed that most of the circulating currency notes harbored one or more bacteria, especially the resistant strains which could pose a severe public health challenge

Caulerpa racemosa is a green algae consumed by people in northern coastal areas. C. racemosa has a habitat attached to the shallow seabed. C. racemosa usualy consumed fresh without any cooking process so that the contamination of microorganisms can be eaten. Molecular identification using 16S rRNA is needed to determine the type of bacterial contaminants in C. racemosa. The isolates of C. racemosa were cultured in HIA, BAP, and BHI media. Bacteria from BHI media were isolated by DNA, PCR for 16S rRNA gene, and sequencing. Bacteria isolate C. racemosa was found to have the α-hemolytic ability in BAP media. The sequencing analysis showed that the three bacterial colonies of C. racemosa isolate had high similarity with V. parahemolyticus, Caldalkalibacillus mannanilyticus, and Exiguobacterium profundum.

Indoor air quality needs attention, especially during the COVID-19 pandemic because the majority of activities are carried out indoors. The air in the room must be protected from the threat of harmful virus and bacterial contaminants. One such innovation is placing diffuser in the room. Diffuser is a device that converts liquid into gas particles in the air. To reduce harmful virus contamination, a natural antiseptic liquid is filled into the diffuser, one of which is papermint essential oil, which can provide freshness in the room. Air quality is monitored with internet of things (IoT) technology so that users can easily control air quality with just a PC/gadget. The gas output from the diffuser is detected by a gas sensor that is connected to the wemos board so that the data can be connected to the internet cloud. To obtain optimal air quality data, the placement of gas sensors in the area around the diffuser as a point of observation needs to be considered because the distribution of gas in the air is influenced by the vertical wind speed in the room, this can affect the quality of the data generated. This study aims to determine the optimal observation point on an IoT-based diffuser so that the resulting air quality data is more accurate. In this study the gas sensor was placed at a distance of 15 and 25 cm from the diffuser. The direction of the gas sensor placement was adjusted according to the angle of the full circle ranging from 0°, 45°, 90°, 135°, 180°, 225°, 270°, 315°, and 0°. The distribution of gas is influenced by the vertical wind speed in the room causing the air quality data at a vertical angle to always have the same pattern. From the results obtained, the optimal observation point as a reference for the position of the gas sensor to the diffuser is at an angle between 135°-180° as well as at an angle between 315° -0°.

Food and water borne diseases are leading cause of morbidity and mortality in developing countries. This study identified bacterial agents contaminating the hands of food handlers at Ahmadu Bello University Zaria. A total of 205 food handlers were recruited, their hands were swabbed, processed to isolate and identify bacteria using standard microbiological techniques. Of the two hundred and five (205) participants, fifty-five (55) were positive for bacterial contamination (26.8%). Fifty-nine (59) different bacteria strains were isolated; Staphylococcus aureus was the commonest with the frequency of 29(49%). Other foodborne pathogens isolated were Escherichia coli 4(6.8%) and Salmonella subspecies IIIb 1(1.7%). It has been shown from this study that a significant proportion of food handlers’ hands were contaminated with bacterial agents. Therefore, optimizing hand hygiene programme among food handlers will help to minimize food contamination. Keywords: Hygiene, Food, contamination, Bacteria

Objective An ambulance is a medically equipped vehicle which is used in case of any medical emergency for the transport of patients to treatment facilities. The ambulances help in the transportation of thousands of patients per year, and such patients may carry infectious microorganisms which pose a major threat to the treatment of such patients. In this study, we analyzed the extent of bacterial contamination in our ambulance vehicles and measured the degree of antimicrobial resistance among isolated pathogens. Material and Method This study included five ambulances of our tertiary care hospital and different random sites were swabbed in each vehicle. These were selected based on their well-known high frequency of contact by emergency personnel and patients. Swabs were inserted into sterile test tubes containing normal saline and immediately transferred to our microbiology laboratory to identify bacterial contaminants utilizing standard microbiological procedures. Result A total of 198 swab samples were collected from all the five ambulances, out of which 170 (85.8%) swabs were sterile and 28 (14.2%) swabs yielded potentially pathogenic bacterial isolates. The highest contamination rate with pathogenic bacteria was detected in the oxygen flow meter knob (60%), suction machine tubing (60%), and stethoscope (40%). Staphylococcus aureus (32%) was the most frequently detected microorganism. Conclusion Our study showed low prevalence of bacterial contamination in ambulances because of good infection control policy of our hospital, however, some areas still need improvement and require proper standard operating procedures of disinfection policies of these emergency vehicles.

Background: Hospital acquired infection pose a great challenge in provision of healthcare services to many settings particulary in developing countries where there is limited availability of resources. The roles played by exposed surfaces in spreading of potential bacterial pathogens within the hospital environment have certainly contributed to the increased burden of bacterial infectious diseases such as morbidness, death as well as cost imolecation in healthcare. Our study aimed to determine common bacteria isolated on exposed surfaces and the antimicrobial sensitivity patterns. Methods: A sum of 516 specimens gathered and enrolled for study at Benjamin Mkapa Hopsital (BMH). The swab specimens were continuously gathered (collected) from different exposed objects in hospital environmental surfaces. All microbiological procedures or tests were performed using appropriate standard operating procedure. The obtained data were analysed using SPSS version 16.0. Results: Among 516 samples, 317 (61.4%) were positive with variety of bacterial isolates from different sites. Out of 317 positive cultures, 120 (37.9%) Staphylococcus aureus, 97 (30.6%) E. coli, 28 (8.8%) Enterobacter aerogenes, 25 (7.9%) Pseudomonas aeruginosa, 23 (7.3%) other Citrobacter species, 20 (6.3%) Citrobacter freundii, 3 (0.9%) Morganella morganii and 1 (0.3%) Serratia mercesens were isolated from different source of exposed surfaces at BMH. Serratia mercesens were highly (100%) resistant to most of the antimicrobial agents including erythromycin, cefotaxime, ciprofloxacin, gentamicin, amikacin, penicillin,ceftriaxone, ceftazidime, levofloxacin, ampicillin, azithromycin and cotrimoxazoleTrimethoprim/sulfamethoxazole. Conclusion: High levels of potentially pathogenic bacteria were isolated in swab specimens from a wide range of exposed surfaces at BMH. Variable pattern of antiobiotic resistance were observed among bacterial isolates with alarming levels demonstrated by isolates of Serratia mercesens which is amongst the common causes of surgical site infections. This findings call for improved actions for infection prevention and control measures at BMH.

The microbiological stabilization treatment of beer sometimes guarantees the absence of microbiota. These treatments, however, are not usually done in craft beers. In this study, we have analyzed 38 craft beers from the Spanish market and found that, in 68% of cases, exogenous microbiota is present. The samples have been classified based on their alcohol content and the results have shown a large presence of wild yeasts in 100% of the contaminated beers with alcohol by volume (ABV) 6%, the wild yeasts were only present in 41% of the samples; however, bacterial contaminants were detected in 50% of the samples. We also found that incorporating higher amounts of raw materials results in the presence of contaminant microbiota. These situations may be due to excessive manual operations, the lack of automation during cleaning and, above all, the absence of a stabilization treatment in the finished product.

Aim: Contaminated dental unit water lines (DUWLs) are a possible source for spreading microorganisms in dental practices. The aim of this study was to detect the bacterial contamination of dental unit water and investigate the effectiveness of the disinfectants. Methodology: Bacterial contamination was detected by a) using bacterial culture of heterotrophic bacteria, total coliforms and Pseudomonas aeruginosa and b) Scanning electron microscopy (SEM) of DUWLs tube. Subsequently, dentists were suggested to treat the DUWLs with disinfectants to eradicate bacterial contaminants and its effectiveness was tested after three months. Results: Bacterial contamination of the water samples ranged from not detected to 2.38×106 CFU/mL. Out of 34 DUWLs water samples tested, 30 (88.24%) samples exceeded the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) and Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) recommended threshold of ≤500 CFU /mL, whereas only 4 (11.76%) samples met the standards. Contamination by total coliforms and P. aeruginosa was detected in 52.94% and 64.7% of samples respectively. SEM displayed a dense biofilm on DUWLs tubing confirming the bacterial contamination. The intervention for disinfection of DUWLs resulted more than 50% samples with acceptable bacterial count in test performed after three months. Conclusion: The high rate of bacterial contamination of dental unit water highlights the need to disinfect and monitor the quality of DUWLs periodically.

BackgroundThe analysis of the quality of food is important to protect humans from food-borne or food-based illnesses caused by pathogens, such as bacteria, fungi, viruses, and protozoa. Rapid identification of these pathogens is critical to ensure food safety. Various detection and identification strategies exist; however, they are laborious and time consuming and hence the detection takes longer time. The aim of this study was to develop the specific and fast method for the detection of contaminants in milk.ResultsIn this study, we have developed a simple paper-based PCR method with minimum sample preparation process. The 16S rDNA universal primers were used for the detection of bacterial contaminants. LacZ primers were used for coliform detection which causes serious illness and hence their detection is crucial. ITS region primers were used for fungal detection. The most unique thing about this study is use of Whatman paper no. 1 as sample carrier material. We developed and validated the paper-based PCR method and used it for the detection of microbes and coliforms using milk as a representative sample.ConclusionWe evaluated this method for its suitability in the detection of contaminant microbes using different milk samples. The paper-based method could successfully detect contaminants in the milk samples and the results were comparable to the traditional microbial detection method. The traditional microbiological method takes at least 18–20 h for detecting the presence of microbes in any sample but the developed paper-based PCR method can confirm the microbial presence in 2–3 h. This is very promising especially in the testing where sample sterility is crucial.

Grass-jelly is one of the most popular plants consumed by people in various forms. Contamination can cause various diseases, one of those is typhoid fever by Salmonella typhi. The purpose of this study was to detect S. typhi in grass-jelly based on molecular detection by amplification of the fliC gene using PCR. Validation was done by culture methods on SSA media and biochemical testing. The fliC gene amplification results in grass-jelly samples (A1, A2, B1, B2, C1, and C3) showed the DNA fragments size of about 1500 bp. Colony and biochemical characters isolate Peterongan were lead to S. typhi, whereas another isolate was another Salmonella spp. Grass-jelly samples from the Peterongan market in Semarang were positively contaminated by S. typhi and isolate from Pedurungan and the minimarket was another Salmonella spp. Molecular-based food testing is fast enough and accurate for detecting types of bacterial contaminants but the amplification of only the fliC gene cannot specific for S. typhi.

Background: The use of herbal medicine continues to remain popular despite advances in orthodox medicine largely as a result of affordability and availability. However, contaminated and potentially toxic polyherbal preparations remain a public health challenge despite regulations instituted by concerned agencies in Nigeria. The objective of this study was to determine and compare the bacterial contaminants of different polyherbal products sold in Nnewi, NigeriaMethodology: This study evaluated the bacteriological profile of 22 packaged and 22 unpackaged polyherbal preparations sold in Nnewi, Nigeria. The samples were collected from different herbal medicine shops in Nnewi by simple random sampling and were assayed for comparative bacterial loads with chromogenic media and their total viable counts evaluated following standard method for microbial load analysis.Results: Bacterial contaminants were isolated from 9 of 22 (40.9%) packaged polyherbal samples while 13 of 22 (59.1%) samples were bacteriologically sterile. For the unpackaged polyherbal, bacterial contaminants were isolated from 18 of 22 (81.8%) samples while 4 of 22 (18.2%) were bacteriologically sterile (OR 0.1538, p=0.0122). The most frequently isolated bacterial contaminant in the packaged polyherbal samples was Enterococcus faecalis with 33.3% (6/18) while Salmonella sp was the least frequently isolated with 5.6% (1/18). For the unpackaged polyherbals, the most frequently isolated bacterial contaminant was Staphylococcus aureus with 25% (7/28) while Salmonella sp and E. faecalis were the least frequently isolated with 10.7% (3/28) each. The median total viable count of the packaged group of the polyherbal products was 1.48x106 CFU/ml, while the median total viable count for unpackaged group of polyherbals was 1.95x106 CFU/ml.Conclusion: This study shows that many polyherbal products sold in Nnewi are potentially contaminated with bacterial agents. It is therefore imperative that herbal medicine practitioners be enlightened on hygienic ways of preventing microbial contamination during polyherbal production. Keywords: Bacterial contaminants, herbal products, Nnewi, Nigeria

The study aims to recognize bacterial colonization of surfaces and equipment’s in operation theaters and to determine the bacteriological contamination of air in OTs in Gojra. Objectives: To identify the bacteriological colonization of surfaces, inanimate objects, air, in the operation room facilities and antibiotic susceptibility profile of the isolates at tehsil Gojra hospitals. Study Design: One Group Pre and Post-experimental study. Settings: Department of Surgery THQ Hospital Gojra. Period: 1st January 2019 to 31st July 2019. Material & Methods: Operation theatres sampled and left vacant for more than one-hour before sampling. Settle pate method used for sampling of air by using agar plates and swab method for sampling of surfaces and equipment. Bacterial isolates identified by colony morphology. Gram Staining, Antibiotic Susceptibility testing done by disc diffusion technique. Conclusion: There is a high hazard for the occurrence of surgical site infections because of the significant level of pollution observed in our study. The results emphasize the need for proper cleaning, scrubbing techniques, improved disinfection and sterilization methods and regular fumigation of operation theatres to prevent the cause of infection and maintain a safe environment for the patients and health care professionals.

This research aims to find out how high the level of bacterial contamination found in broiler chicken meat sold at the Bauntung Market, Banjarbaru. The method used in this research is the sampling method to determine the sample using the random sampling method used to determine the experimental test sample. This sampling was carried out for three days at 8:00 AM and 11:00 PM. The variables observed in this study were physical observation, the number of bacteria (TPC), and the type of bacteria. The data obtained were then performed a t-test (paired samples test) using a variety of SPSS (Statistical Product and Service Solution) program analysis 18. Laboratory analysis was carried out in the Microbiology Laboratory of the Faculty of Agriculture, Lambung Mangkurat University. The results obtained indicate that there are significant differences in Sig. (2-tailed) (

Pathogenic enteric viruses and bacteria tend to occur in higher concentrations and survive longer in aquatic sediments than suspended in the water column. Re-suspension of these organisms can result in a significant degradation of overlying water quality. Additionally, the re-suspension of microbial pathogens in artificial irrigation canals could endanger the consumption of fresh and ready-to-eat produce. Irrigation water has been implicated in numerous fresh produce outbreaks over the last 30 years. This study aimed to quantify the proportions of bacterial and viral re-suspension from sediment in a recirculating flume with varying velocities. MS2 coliphage and

Due to the erratic nature of microbial contaminants in drinking water, private and municipality water supply systems failed to deliver safe drinking water to households. In Ethiopia, there is lack of data and knowledge on the effectiveness of filter devices used to treat drinking water at household. This study aims to evaluate efficiency of household point of use filter devices (membrane filter, membrane with activated carbon, ceramic candle type filter and hybrid (multistage)) in reducing bacterial contaminants from drinking water. Percent reduction efficiency model was employed in evaluating bacterial removal efficiency. Membrane filter and membrane with activated carbon filter devices had good total coliform removal efficiency on the 1st and 2nd days than hybrid filter device which showed low removal efficiency. Similarly, all filter devices showed better fecal coliform removal efficiency on the 1st day compared to 2nd day but had low heterotrophic bacteria removal efficiency during the three days filtration. Fecal Streptococcus removal efficiency on the 2nd and 3rd days by all filter devices was low except the first day. The result in general showed that using of point of use filter devices for prolonged time could not guarantee in providing risk free drinking water at household level. Key words: Coliform, drinking water, household filters, point of use, removal efficiency.

We summarized the studies on the usage of terpenes and some essential oils on mold and bacterial concentrations in air samples. There was strong action of the terpenes product to decrease total microbial load. The investigation of antifungal activity in indoor environments validates the translation of laboratory-based outcomes showing a statistically significant reduction of bacterial and fungal concentration in the tested sites. Terpenes have recently generated interest for their in vitro antimicrobial efficacy, but have not been widely evaluated in situ. There have been limited studies that scale-up laboratory experiments and assess the efficiency of antimicrobial agents within building environments. Our findings provide a basis to reduce microbial load, including drug-resistant fungi, by washing the indoor air with a terpenes solution. This strategy could diminish health adverse effects, such as allergy or pulmonary infection, produced by inhalation of etiologic agents. Terpenes have an effect on the indoor microbial load and may be used to reduce fungal and bacterial contaminants in workplaces, hospitals and houses.

University students’ health may be adversely affected by exposure to indoor bacterial contaminants on their campuses. This study aims (1) to quantify culturable bacterial concentrations in three indoor environments at a university, (2) to investigate the influence of meteorological factors and gender, to assess the relationship between indoor and outdoor, and (3) to estimate the bacterial dose for university students in different indoor environments. Airborne bacteria samples were collected in 12 classrooms, in 12 living rooms and four bathrooms in two dormitory buildings, and in a dining hall. The results showed that the microenvironment in the female dormitory had the highest mean bacterial concentration (2847 CFU/m3), whereas the lowest mean bacterial concentration was observed in classrooms (162 CFU/m3). Indoor bacterial concentrations in male dormitories were significantly lower than in female dormitories probably because of crowding and increased ventilation. Outdoor weather conditions were associated with the indoor concentrations with regard to insufficient ventilation and varying outdoor concentration. The occupants’ activity level was also more closely related to the indoor bacteria concentration in the residential setting. Students experienced about four times higher dose of airborne bacteria in the dormitories than in the classrooms and dining hall.

Effect of penicillin- ciprofloxacin combinations on some semen characteristics and bacterial contaminants of diluted bull semen was determined and compared with those of penicillin- streptomycin combinations. Sperm motility, percentage of dead and abnormal spermatozoa and survival index did not differ significantly for penicillin (1000 IU) and ciprofloxacin (125, 250, 500, 1000 ug) combinations per milliliter of diluted bull semen from those of penicillin (1000 I.U) and streptomycin (500 ug) combination / ml. Each penicillin ciprofloxacin combination effectively controlled bacterial growth. However penicillin streptomycin combination did not effectively control the growth. Accordingly, the combination of penicillin- ciprofloxacin seems to be a satisfactory substituent for penicillin- streptomycin combination for controlling bacterial contaminants in diluted bull semen without impairing semen characteristics.

Feeding pasteurized milk to suckling calves is a popular practice used increasingly on dairy farms. Waste milk is frequently fed to calves because of its high nutritional value and economic benefits compared to milk replacement products. However, one of the disadvantages of feeding waste milk is the potential for exposure to a high number of bacterial contaminants, which may lead to serious illnesses or infections in calves. One of these contaminants is Mycobacterium avium ssp. paratuberculosis (MAP), the causative agent of Johne's disease (paratuberculosis). The transmission and distribution of paratuberculosis in dairy herds occurs mostly through the feeding newborn calves with contaminated colostrum or milk, because this age group is believed to be most susceptible to infection. To reduce the risk of transmission of pathogens, on-farm pasteurization of milk has become increasingly popular. In this study, we analyzed the efficacy of a new commercial high-temperature, short-time pasteurizer (73.5°C for 20 to 25 s) in terms of MAP inactivation under experimental on-farm conditions. The pasteurizer uses a newly developed steam-heating technique, allowing for the pasteurization of the transition milk without clumping. In 3 independent trials, we spiked fresh raw milk samples to a level of 107 or 104 viable MAP cells/mL before pasteurization. We examined the thermal inactivation and viability of MAP using culture and a D29 bacteriophage-based assay. To verify the identity and number of MAP cells, we also performed PCR assays. Pasteurization of the inoculated milk (107 and 104 MAP cells/mL) resulted in a remarkable reduction in viable MAP cells. The mean inactivation rate of MAP ranged from 0.82 to 2.65 log10 plaque-forming units/mL, depending on the initial MAP amount inoculated and the addition of conservative agents to the pasteurized milk. Nevertheless, approximately 103 MAP cells/mL remained viable and could be transferred to calves after high-temperature, short-time pasteurization of milk.

Artificial Intelligence (AI) has provided a new insight on how to make better predictions in water quality. AI uses convolutional neural networks (CNN) modeled after the human brain. In this work we have started implementing deep learning techniques to predict level of bacterial contaminants in water. A look-up table is used to classify the level of sensing parameters based on signature of the bacteria. AI will be very helpful for accurate prediction based on signature as identified by the sensor. We have simulated an AI-based lab-on-chip application platform that can detect the contamination using the output from Photonic Crystal based optical biosensor. The presence of bacteria in water changes the output spectral behavior. By training with the different samples, design of input layer was optimized for bacteria in water. Optical biosensors are generally light weight, small and portable and less noisy system and works without electric power. The AI technique helped to distinctly predict the presence of Escherichia coli bacteria. Research concludes with the probability of accuracy of 95% detection based on output spectrum and identified training data.

Detection of bacterial contaminants in blood and platelet concentrates (PCs) continues to be challenging in clinical settings despite available current testing methods. At the same time, it is important to detect the low bacterial contaminants present at the time of transfusion. Herein, we report the design and synthesis of a dual-modal magneto-fluorescent nanosensor (MFnS) by integrating magnetic relaxation and fluorescence modalities for the wide-range detection of blood-borne pathogens. In this study, functional MFnS are designed to specifically detect Staphylococcus epidermidis and Escherichia coli, two of the predominant bacterial contaminants of PCs. Specific interaction between the target pathogen and functional MFnS resulted in the change of water proton’s magnetic relaxation time (T2 MR), indicative of sensitive detection of the target bacteria from low to high colony forming unit (CFU). In addition, the acquired MR signal of MFnS further facilitated the quantitative assessment of the slow and fast growth kinetics of target pathogens. Moreover, the presence of fluorescence modality in MFnS allowed for the detection of multi-contaminants. The bacterial detection was also performed in complex media including whole blood and platelet concentrates, which further demonstrated for it’s robust detection sensitivity. Overall, our study indicated that the designer MFnS will have potential for the wide-range detection of blood-borne pathogens, and features desirable qualities including timeliness, sensitivity and, specificity.

The predominance of bacteria on door handles and computers keyboards in Faculty of Science, University of Kufa in Najaf Governorate was assessed. One hundred samples were collected and cultured for bacterial identification. The occurrence of positive samples was as the following; 95% with both of toilets doors handles and computers keyboards, 90% in laboratories doors handles, 80% in Classrooms doors handles and 75% in offices doors handles. The current study demonstrate a high prevalence rate of aerobic bacteria on different doors handles and computers keyboards in Faculty of Science, University of Kufa. The current study gave a clear view about the microbial contamination of door handles and computer keyboards and the possibility to be one of the main sources of infection in the university environment.

Together with the worldwide Washoku (traditional Japanese foods and drinks) boom, interest in sake, a traditional Japanese alcoholic drink, is increasing around the world. There are few scientific analyses and studies on the production of sake or the final product itself. We show the diversity of bacterial contaminants during sake production and investigated the effects of different ingredients on sake (for example, amino acids). The koji mold Aspergillus oryzae converts rice starch into sugars, and then, the sake yeast Saccharomyces cerevisiae converts the sugars to ethanol. Comparative studies of the bacterial flora of different sakes have shown that various bacterial species are detected, but that there are few frequently detected bacteria. In addition, the bacterial flora does not vary much during the process of sake brewing, after the koji (steamed rice covered with koji mold) and moto (fermentation starter) are mixed, suggesting that most bacteria contaminate the sake during the process of koji and moto production. Thus, there is the possibility that the contaminating bacteria may grow due to a relationship with the koji mold and/or the sake yeast. The flavor, taste, and quality of sakes differ, even between the same brands of sakes, which may be attributed to variations in the contaminating bacteria during sake production.

Aim and Objectives: The objective of this study was to provide an overview of the microorganisms implicated in the contamination of household drinking water in Nigeria, their pattern of distribution and the regulatory gap(s) if any that is responsible for the cases of drinking water contamination and water borne diseases in Nigeria. Study Design and Methodology: The methodology employed for this study involved a comprehensive and critical review of ten randomly selected studies to identify the major bacterial contaminants of drinking water in Nigeria and their distribution. This review was restricted to microbiological measures of drinking water contamination excluding chemical aspects of water quality. Results: Escherchia coli was found to be the predominant microbial contaminant of drinking water in the studies reviewed with 70%, Klebsiella sp 60%, Pseudomonas aeruginos 60%, Staphylococcus aureus 50%, Proteus sp 50%, Enterobacter aerogenes 40%, Streptococcus fecalis 30%, Salmonella typhi 30% and 10% for Vibrio cholerae and Shigella sp. Conclusion: The presence of microbes in drinking water especially E. coli reported in 70 percent of the studies reviewed is a source of concern. The presence of toxin producing strains of E. coli like the O157:H7 in drinking water can result in fatal consequences like hemorrhagic diarrhea and kidney failure. The widespread presence of other disease-causing organisms further confirms that a good number of the drinking water presented as safe for consumption across Nigeria are actually not fit for human consumption. The gaps reported in most of the studies reviewed were mainly oversight gaps in monitoring by the National Agency for Food and Drug Administration and control, NAFDAC, the agency charged with monitoring food and drugs in the country.

Background: Bacterial contamination in thrombocyte concentrate (TC) blood product becomes a serious problem since it can cause clinical risks from mild symptom to death. TC storage condition at 22-25oC with agitation is good condition for bacterial growth. Source of bacterial contamination can come from donor bacteremia, not aseptically from taking and processing blood product. In a previous study, showed there were positive gram bacteria as bacterial contamination in TC. Objective: This objective aims to determine bacterial contaminants in TC blood products. Methods: Total of 3 TC bag samples were collected from UDD PMI Kabupaten Sleman. Each sample was inoculated to nutrient agar media and it incubated for 48 jam at 37oC. Observation of bacterial colony growth is carried out after incubation time is over. Results: There was no bacterial growth in the media so that there was no bacterial contamination in TC. It showed that the procedures, processing, and storage of TC products in PMI Kabupaten Sleman were aseptic. Besides that, TC donors also did not suffer from bacteremia so there was bacterial contamination in TC. Conclusion: In this study, bacterial contamination in blood product TC was not found since there was no bacterial growth in media. Keywords: Bacterial contamination, blood products, blood bank, thrombocyte concentrate.

Bioactive compounds in food can have high impacts on human health, such as antioxidant, antithrombotic, antitumor, and anti-inflammatory activities. However, many of them are sensitive to thermal treatments incurred during processing, which can reduce their availability and activity. Milk, including ovine, caprine, bovine, and human is a rich source of bioactive compounds, including immunoglobulins, vitamins, and amino acids. However, processing by various novel thermal and non-thermal technologies has different levels of impacts on these compounds, according to the studies reported in the literature, predominantly in the last 10 years. The reported effect of these technologies either covers microbial inactivation or the bioactive composition; however, there is a lack of comprehensive compilation of studies that compare the effect of these technologies on bioactive compounds in milk (especially, caprine and ovine) to microbial inactivation at similar settings. This research gap makes it challenging to conclude on the specific processing parameters that could be optimized to achieve targets of microbial safety and nutritional quality at the same time. This review covers the effect of a wide range of thermal and non-thermal processing technologies including high-pressure processing, pressure-assisted thermal sterilization, pulsed-electric field treatment, cold plasma, microwave-assisted thermal sterilization, ultra-high-pressure homogenization, ultrasonication, irradiation on the bioactive compounds as well as on microbial inactivation in milk. Although a combination of more than one technology could improve the reduction of bacterial contaminants to meet the required food safety standards and retain bioactive compounds, there is still scope for research on these hurdle approaches to simultaneously achieve food safety and bioactivity targets.

To broaden and emphasize the educational benefits of research to more biology majors in a course setting, we developed and assessed a microbiology-focused course-based undergraduate research experience that utilizes culture-based bacterial enumeration to compare contamination present on different ground beef sources (conventional vs. organic). During the final 3 weeks of the quarter, students learned and practiced common microbiology techniques like dilution math, selective and differential media-based identification, and statistical analysis to evaluate data and test hypotheses. Students were assessed primarily via a formal lab report and a lab practical focused on evaluating process of science and quantitative reasoning skills. The majority of students could write hypotheses and describe variables but were challenged when asked to describe the limitations of the experiments that were conducted as part of this research project. Most students could perform Excel-based graphing and a t test, but many could not solve the complex dilution math required for this project. The greatest barriers to skills mastery represented microbiology-focused concepts, like understanding selective media biases and the nuances of multistep viable counting procedures and outcomes.

Highlights • Ultrasound improves the cleaning efficacy of water. • Effective cleaning of hay was achieved with 60 s of ultrasonically activated stream. • A novel hay cleaning technology can be developed to improve animal feed safety., The ingestion of contaminated hay is detrimental to livestock wellbeing. In this study, the feasibility of using an ultrasonically activated stream (UAS) to clean bacterial contamination from hay was investigated. Hay samples were stained with SYTO-9 nucleic acid stain for the in-situ visualization of microbes on the surface using an episcopic differential interference contrast microscope coupled with epi-fluorescence. The total microbial load per sample was calculated by measuring the mean percentage area of SYTO-9 positive staining. The cleaning efficacy was evaluated by comparing the total microbial coverage before and after cleaning. The cleaning performance between an UAS and a non UAS were compared and results have shown that an exposure of 60 s to an UAS demonstrated an 87.94 ± 2.22% removal of the bacterial contaminants, exceeding that of non UAS (21.85 ± 13.63% removal). UAS is capable of removing bacterial contaminants without the use of antimicrobial agents, therefore its cleaning mechanism can potentially prevent infection and reduce antimicrobial resistance. The cleaning mechanism of UAS can be adapted for the development of a new hay cleaning strategy for effective removal of bacterial contaminant to improve feed safety.

Background: In prosthetic joint infections (PJIs), identification of the causative microorganisms is critical to successfully adapt and optimize treatment. However, microbiological diagnosis of PJIs remains a challenge notably because bacteria are embedded in biofilm adhered to the prosthetic material. Recently, dithiothreitol (DTT) treatment of prosthesis has been proposed as a new strategy to release bacteria from biofilm and to improve the yield of microbiological diagnosis. In this study, we evaluated the interest of a commercial device using DTT, the MicroDTTect system (Heraeus, Hanau, Germany), for the diagnosis of low-grade chronic PJIs, compared to the conventional culture of periprosthetic tissue (PPT) samples.Methods: Twenty patients undergoing a surgery procedure for removal of prosthetic material because of a suspicion of low-grade PJI without pre-operative microbiological documentation were included (NCT04371068). Bacteriological results using the fluid obtained after prosthesis treatment with the MicroDTTect system were compared to results obtained with conventional culture of PPT samples.Results: All the bacteria considered as responsible for PJIs recovered from culture of PPT samples were also detected using the MicroDTTect device. For one patient, an additional bacterial isolate (Staphylococcus haemolyticus) suspected to be involved in a polymicrobial PJI was identified using DTT treatment. Time to positivity of the cultures was also reduced using the MicroDTTect system, notably in case of Cutibacterium acnes infection. However, probable bacterial contaminants were found (MicroDTTect system, n = 5; PPT samples, n = 1).Conclusion: This study showed that DTT treatment of the prosthetic component using the MicroDTTect device could improve the microbiological diagnosis of low-grade PJIs.

This article included bacteriological and some chemical elements study of pollution from Euphrates riverand Al-Flalloja city drainage. The study of four selected sites which are Euphrates river (T), Al-Falahat (F)drainage, Al-Ne’emya (N) drainage, and Al-Bo Alwan (B) drainage in the period 11-13/December/2016Bacteria were isolated and diagnosed in water samples depending on their cultural, microscopic biochemicaltests. Results showed that the water samples were polluted with bacteria produced by human and animalwastes, 7out 20 isolates were selected and diagnosed. The study included counting the concentration ofsome chemical ions such as Sodium, Potassium using a flame photometer, the highest concentration ofSodium was in station F and the highest concentration of Potassium was at the station B, concentrations ofcarbonates and bicarbonates were measured using titration method, the highest concentration of bicarbonatesion was at station T, it also showed no carbonates in a water sample

Infectious infectious diseases are one of the most common signs of disease in pharmacy. It's usually diagnosed clinically, with a clinical evaluation followed by a dermo copy images examination, a therapeutic or transdermal drug, and a histological examination.. In this study, I'll look at how deep learning techniques like CNN and health information detection can be used to forecast microbial skin disease. Big data is constantly being used to verify the effectiveness of identifying specific skin conditions. Many new methods have been developed to speed up the process while maintaining the quality of precision. In this paper, we introduced a method for predicting the likelihood of bacterial infections using machine learning and artificial neural networks, both of which are components of artificial intelligence's deep learning framework.. The data comprises nearly 3000 photographs of individuals with skin infections that are divided into two categories: malignant or benign. We used CNN and its 7 distinct frameworks to verify the relevance of photos of surface infectious diseases and conducted a comparative study to identify the best framework for this issue.. For the training, testing and validation of our dataset a wellknown MATLAB R2019a software was used for this purpose. We had the great outcome using Neural Networks and Health Information Analysis, with an efficiency rate of nearly 91.303 percent in detecting skin problems..