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Objective: e-Bug is a teaching resource that addresses the UK 5-year National Action Plan on antimicrobial resistance (AMR) that pledges to work with educators and local authorities to ensure young people understand infection prevention and control (IPC) and AMR. This study aimed to evaluate the effectiveness and acceptability of the e-Bug face-to-face train-the-trainer intervention with school and community educators. Design: Service evaluation of an educational intervention via surveys. Setting: Workshops were organised by Public Health England (PHE) and collaborators in seven regions of the UK during 2018–2019. Method: Pre- and post-intervention surveys measured satisfaction with training, knowledge of IPC and AMR, and confidence to teach others. Statistical analyses included multilevel and ordinal logistic regression models to measure change in educator knowledge and confidence. Results: In all, 262 educators participated: primary (46%), secondary (17%), college (2%), healthcare (29%) and community (7%). Educators had high pre-intervention knowledge of topics, with significant improvement ( p Conclusion: Confident and knowledgeable educators, achieved via e-Bug train-the-trainer workshops, will enhance education of IPC and AMR topics in schools and communities, and therefore support the UK 5-year AMR action plan. The intervention will be monitored with long-term follow-up surveys to explore how training has been disseminated and to evaluate long-term benefits.

Foodborne diseases are a global burden, are preventable, and young people are a key population for behaviour change as they gain autonomy. This study aimed to explore young people’s needs across several European countries in relation to learning about and implementing food hygiene and food safety. Qualitative focus groups and interviews were conducted in rural and city regions across England, France, Hungary and Portugal. Data were collected to attain data saturation, transcribed, thematically analysed, and mapped to the Theoretical Domains Framework. Twenty-five out of 84 schools approached (29.8%) participated, with data collected from 156 11–18-year-old students. Students had good knowledge of personal hygiene but did not always follow hygiene rules due to forgetfulness, lack of facilities or lack of concern for consequences. Students had limited understanding of foodborne microbes, underestimated the risks and consequences of foodborne illness and perceived the “home” environment as the safest. Young people preferred interactive educational methods. Addressing gaps in young people’s food safety knowledge is essential to improve their lack of concern towards foodborne illness and motivate them to follow food hygiene and safety behaviours consistently. Findings have been used to develop educational resources to address gaps in knowledge, skills, attitudes and beliefs.

Peer education (PE) interventions may help improve knowledge and appropriate use of antibiotics in young adults. In this feasibility study, health-care students were trained to educate 16&ndash, 18 years old biology students, who then educated their non-biology peers, using e-Bug antibiotic lessons. Knowledge was assessed by questionnaires, and antibiotic use by questionnaire, SMS messaging and GP record searches. Five of 17 schools approached participated (3 PE and 2 control (usual lessons)). 59% (10/17) of university students and 28% (15/54) of biology students volunteered as peer-educators. PE was well-received, 30% (38/127) intervention students and 55% (66/120) control students completed all questionnaires. Antibiotic use from GP medical records (54/136, 40% of students&rsquo, data available), student SMS (69/136, 51% replied) and questionnaire (109/136, 80% completed) data showed good agreement between GP and SMS (kappa = 0.72), but poor agreement between GP and questionnaires (kappa = 0.06). Median knowledge scores were higher post-intervention, with greater improvement for non-biology students. Delivering and evaluating e-Bug PE is feasible with supportive school staff. Single tiered PE by university students may be easier to regulate and manage due to time constraints on school students. SMS collection of antibiotic data is easier and has similar accuracy to GP data.

Background Antimicrobial resistance (AMR) is a global threat to public health. e-Bug is an educational resource developed and promoted by a network of international partners. e-Bug seeks to reduce the spread of infection and use of antimicrobials in young people and the community, so helping to control AMR. This study aimed to explore how e-Bug is promoted by international partners and observe barriers to promotion, including the extent of education about antibiotics in schools. Methods A total of 29 e-Bug partners were invited to complete online questionnaires on (i) methods they use to promote e-Bug; and (ii) antibiotic topics covered in the national curriculum in their countries. Results Fourteen and 15 of 29 e-Bug partners across Europe and Palestine completed the promotional activities and curriculum questionnaires respectively. The most frequently reported methods of promotion included endorsement and collaboration with government and non-government sectors and involvement in national and global health awareness campaigns. Barriers to promotion included a lack of time and funding. The curriculum survey data showed variation in antibiotic education across Europe and Palestine, lack of antibiotic education for children under 11 years of age and little change in antibiotic topics included in the curriculum since 2006. Conclusions Future and existing e-Bug partners should be encouraged to follow promotional activities reported in this paper, including ministry endorsement, educator training, international campaigns and youth programmes. We encourage all countries to increase antibiotic topics in the school curriculum across all ages.

Digital game-based learning (DGBL) is being used increasingly as an alternative learning tool to teach science in further and higher education. A variety of digital game formats currently exist for science learning, alongside diverse methods for their implementation and evaluation. This paper aims to provide a broad summary of the field by discussing the current platforms for DGBL and examples of games played on them. These include gamified simulations and traditional digital games delivered through personal computer and online software; mobile games delivered through downloaded applications for devices such as tablets and mobile phones; and educational modifications of commercial games, known amongst gamers as ‘mods’. To conclude the summary, the paper discusses the current challenges and barriers associated with DGBL in further and higher science education, and potential strategies researchers may consider to overcome them., Digital game-based learning (DGBL) is an emerging trend in further and higher education. This minireview showcases current trends in DGBL and games for learning microbiology and other sciences.

The emergence of pan-resistant strains of Gram-negative pathogens and the ability of many bacteria to form multidrug-resistant biofilms during chronic infection poses the grave threat of bacterial infections that are truly untreatable with our current armoury of antibiotics. Despite obvious clinical need, few new antibiotics have entered clinical practice in recent years. For 'difficult to treat' Gram-negative bacteria such as Pseudomonas aeruginosa and Escherichia coli, where the presence of outer membrane and multidrugefflux pumps severely limit the effectiveness of whole classes of antibiotics, the need is particularly pressing. An alternative approach to antimicrobial treatment is to use the well-characterized species-specific colicin-like bacteriocins which are produced by a wide range of Gram-negative bacteria, including Pseudomonas aeruginosa and Escherichia coli. Our current work on colicin-like bacteriocins aims to determine whether these potent antimicrobial agents are effective at killing bacteria growing in the biofilm state and during infection. ©The Authors Journal compilation ©2012 Biochemical Society.

Crohn's disease (CD) is associated with bacterial dysbiosis that frequently includes colonization by adherent-invasive Escherichia coli (AIEC). AIEC are adept at forming biofilms and are able to invade host cells and stimulate the production of proinflammatory cytokines. The use of traditional antibiotics for the treatment of CD shows limited efficacy. In this study, we investigate the use of species-specific antibiotics termed colicins for treatment of CD-associated AIEC.Colicin activity was tested against a range of AIEC isolates growing in the planktonic and biofilm mode of growth. Colicins were also tested against AIEC bacteria associated with T84 intestinal epithelial cells and surviving inside RAW264.7 macrophages using adhesion assays and gentamicin protection assay, respectively. Uptake of colicins into eukaryotic cells was visualized using confocal microscopy. The effect of colicin treatment on the production of proinflammatory cytokine tumor necrosis factor alpha by macrophages was assessed by an enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay.Colicins show potent activity against AIEC bacteria growing as biofilms when delivered either as a purified protein or through a colicin-producing bacterial strain. In addition, colicins E1 and E9 are able to kill cell-associated and intracellular AIEC, but do not show toxicity toward macrophage cells or stimulate the production of proinflammatory cytokines. Colicin killing of intracellular bacteria occurs after entry of colicin protein into AIEC-infected macrophage compartments by actin-mediated endocytosis.Our results demonstrate the potential of colicins as highly selective probiotic therapeutics for the eradication of E. coli from the gastrointestinal tract of patients with CD.

This article has been developed to investigate successful methods of risk communication and education of young people on food hygiene and safety. The authors operate the e-Bug project, an international programme consisting of educational materials for schools and communities covering health protection topics including infection prevention and antibiotic resistance. This review will help inform SafeConsumE, a Horizon2020 funded project that will involve the development of new education materials for young people with the aim to prevent foodborne illness that align with relevant methods of risk communication.

Aim: Foodborne illnesses have a significant global burden and can be life-threatening, with higher risk in vulnerable groups such as children. SafeConsume is an EU-funded, transdisciplinary project aiming to improve consumers’ food safety behaviour. Developing educational resources on food safety for use in schools has potential to improve teaching of our young consumers. The aim of this study was to explore school educators’ attitudes, behaviours and knowledge towards food hygiene, safety and education. Methods: Focus groups and interviews in England, France, Portugal and Hungary explored educator knowledge, skills, intentions and beliefs around educating young people (11–18 years) about food safety. Data were analysed using NVivo and emerging themes were applied to the Theoretical Domains Framework. Results: A total of 48 educators participated. Knowledge, confidence and skills to teach food safety to young people varied depending on background and training. Educators reported they had a role to teach food safety to young people, were positive about delivering education and optimistic they could improve students’ food safety behaviour. Barriers to teaching included lack of national curriculum coverage, limited time and money, and lack of facilities. Educators reported that social influences (family, celebrity chefs, public health campaigns and social media) were important opportunities to improve young peoples’ awareness of food safety and consequences of foodborne illness. Conclusion: Educator food safety expertise varied; training could help to optimise educator knowledge, confidence and skills. Ministries of Health and Education need encouragement to get food safety incorporated further into school curricula across Europe, so schools will be motivated to prioritise these topics.