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This study was conducted in order to know the colonization rate of MDR enterobacteria in neonates during their hospitalization in neonatal intensive care unit (NICU). Furthermore, we investigated risk factors for potential colonization and molecular epidemiology of isolated resistant bacteria. This prospective study was carried out in the neonatology and intensive care unit department of the University Hospital of Fez (Morocco) from February 2013 to July 2015. All consecutive admitted newborns were screened for intestinal and nasal carriage of MDR enterobacteria at admission of the babies and during the hospitalization. During the study period, a total of 641 Enterobacteriaceae were isolated and Klebsiella pneumoniae was the predominated bacteria. Bacterial identification and antibiograms were performed according to the international standards. On admission, 455 newborns were screened. A median age of these newborns was 1 day with an extended 147 days and their average weight was 2612 ± 1023 grams. 22.4% of neonates were found colonized by an ESBL producing Enterobacteriaceae (ESBL-E), 8.7% by a carbapenemases producing Enterobacteriaceae (CPE). During hospitalization, 207 of newborns were included in the acquisition study. 59.4% of newborns acquired an ESBL-E during their stay, 12.5% has acquired CPE. The blaCTXM-15 gene was the most frequently detected (81.2%) among ESBL-E. While, all CPE has expressed the blaOXA-48 gene exclusively. Two risk factors have been significantly associated with MDR enterobacteria colonization at admission which are newborns admission from maternity of the university hospital (95% CI, 1.859–5.129, P = 0.000) and neurological distress (95% CI, 1.038 to 4.694, P = 0.040). During hospitalization, the none risk factor was significantly associated with the carriage of MDR-E. The high rate of colonization, the MDR enterobacteria and the resistance genes found represent good indicator of cross-transmission in the NICU. An active strategy to control the spread of MDR enterobacteria should be applied.

During the Covid-19 pandemic, healthcare workers were extremely vulnerable to infection with the virus and needed continuous protection. One of the most effective and widely used means of protection was the FFP2 respirator. Unfortunately, this crisis created a shortage of these masks, prompting hospitals to explore opportunities to reuse them after decontamination.An approach for assessing the filtration efficiency of decontaminated FFP2 masks has been proposed and applied to evaluate the possibilities of their safe reuse. The decontamination processes adopted are those based on moist heat or hydrogen peroxide. The approach introduces efficiency measures that define the filtration and protection capacity of the masks, which characterize both chemical and structural changes, and encompasses many techniques including scanning electron microscopy (SEM), Fourier transforms infrared spectroscopy (FTIR), and thermogravimetric analysis (TGA). The test protocol was applied to mask samples that had endured different decontamination cycles and the results of their efficiency measures were compared to brand-new masks’ performances.The main result was that chemical and structural characterization of the decontaminated masks have shown no substantial change or deformation of their filter media structures. Indeed, the respiratory resistance test has shown that the results of both the FFP2 masks that have undergone a hydrogen peroxide disinfection cycle or a steam autoclave cycle remained constant with a small variation of 10 Pa from the EN149 standard. The chemical characterization, on the other hand, has shown that the filter media of the decontaminated masks remains unchanged, with no detectable chemical derivatives in its constituents.

The Culex pipiens mosquito (Diptera: Culicidae) is highly suspected to be the vector responsible for the spread of several parasitic and viral diseases. The use of synthetic insecticides is generally the preferred method of controlling these mosquitoes’ proliferation. However, it has led to resistance problems in target mosquitoes and environmental damage. Hence, diverse plant extracts could be considered as an alternative and potential source as mosquito control agents. In this study, essential oils of Lavandula angustifolia subsp. angustifolia and Lavandula dentata spp. dentata that are growing in Morocco were examined for their insecticidal effects on Culex pipiens larvae. The bioassay was performed according to a methodology inspired by the standard protocol of the World Health Organization. The mortality rate was determined after 24 hours of exposure, and probit regression analysis was used to calculate LC50 and LC90. The chemical analysis revealed that the principal compounds of L. angustifolia subsp. essential oils include linalool, linalyl acetate, geraniol, lavandulyl acetate, camphor, β-caryophyllene, terpinen-4-ol, β-myrcene, and 1,8-cineole, while the essential oil of L. dentata spp. was mainly composed of 1,8-cineole, camphor, α-pinene, trans-pinocarveol, linalool, and borneol. These volatile compounds have shown a toxic effect against Culex pipiens larvae, with lethal concentrations LC50 and LC90 being, respectively, 140 µg/ml and 450 µg/ml, for the L. angustifolia subsp. essential oil. Meanwhile, they were estimated at 2670 µg/ml and 7400 µg/ml, respectively, for the L. dentata spp. essential oil. These results suggest using essential oils of two species of Lavandula to control the Culex pipiens mosquito. It could be useful for the study of new natural larvicidal compounds.

Escherichia coli is related to foodborne disease and outbreaks worldwide. It mainly affects persons at high risk as newborns, infants, and individuals with impaired immune system in hospitals. Multidrug-resistant E. coli is currently spreading both in community and hospital settings. Our study aims to evaluate the presence of E. coli and the incidence of its antibiotic resistance in samples obtained from various cooked and raw foods (N = 300), food contact surfaces (N = 238), and food handlers (N = 40) in Moroccan hospital catering service. E. coli was identified using API 20E, and the antibiotic resistance patterns were obtained using the agar disk diffusion methods. However, PCR method was used for O157 and H7 typing. The samples analysis showed that 14.33%, 24.16%, and 45% of food, surfaces, and food handlers harbored E. coli, respectively, with the highest rates obtained in raw meats (34.88%) and salads (34.88%). Molecular amplification shows that 14 E. coli isolates carried the flagellar antigen H7, while there are no isolates showing amplification for O157. The high rate of resistance was noted against ampicillin (100%), amoxicillin-clavulanate acid (100%), nalidixic acid (61.62%), and cefotaxime (59.49%), and isolates obtained from food handler’s hands showed the highest rates of resistance. None of the isolates are extended-spectrum beta-lactamases producing, while 27.7% of the isolates were metallo-beta-lactams producing. This first study conducted on Moroccan hospital catering services may draw the authorities’ attention to the necessity of setting up a surveillance system to monitor the food preparation process and the safety of prepared food in healthcare settings.

Background and Objectives: Food in healthcare settings are complementary to medical treatment, hence it should be produced in good sanitary conditions. In fact, hospitalized and immune-compromised patients are more likely to have foodborne infections than the rest of the community. The aim of our study is to evaluate the microbiological quality of food contact surfaces in a hospital kitchen in Morocco. Materials and Methods: A total of 238 samples was collected from kitchen surfaces and analyzed for total aerobic mesophilic bacteria (AMC), Enterobacteriaceae and Staphylococcus aureus count and the presence of Salmonella spp., Pseudomonas spp. and Listeria monocytogenes. Results: The bacteriological analysis shows that the highest rates of compliance with good hygienic conditions were obtained in baking worktops (77%) and serving meal worktops (50%) and the vegetables cutting boards (45.83%). In contrary, some surfaces show a low level of compliance, such as the raw meat cutting boards (96%). The isolated bacteria were S. aureus, coagulase-negative staphylococci, Escherichia coli, Serratia marcescens, Serratia odorifera, Raoultela ornithiaolytica and Pseudomonas aeroguinosa. Conclusion: The actual results indicate that the high levels of bacterial counts on kitchen surfaces, presents an evident need to improve the hygienic process and adopt an HACCP system in this facility.

Background. The microbiological risk of the hospital environment, including inert surfaces, medical devices, and equipment, represents a real problem. Objective. This study is aimed at demonstrating and assessing the antibacterial activity of three synthetic disinfectants classified as quaternary ammoniums on different bacterial strains (Gram-negative and Gram-positive like Escherichia coli, Klebsiella pneumoniae, Enterobacter cloacae, Pseudomonas aeruginosa, Acinetobacter baumannii, and Staphylococcus aureus) isolated from the hospital environment. The reference strains included Escherichia coli ATCC 25922, Staphylococcus aureus ATCC 29213, and Pseudomonas aeruginosa ATCC 27853 used as negative control strains. Method. Three quaternary ammonium disinfectants were tested: DDN9® (0.5%) which contains didecylmethylpolyoxyethylammonium propionate as an active substance, spray (0.4%) containing quaternary ammonium compounds, and Phagosurf ND® (0.4%) with didecyldimethylammonium chloride. Their effect was evaluated using the disk diffusion technique and the broth dilution methods, allowing the Minimum Inhibitory Concentration (MIC) and then the Minimum Bactericidal Concentration (MBC). Result. Only the growth of Gram-positive bacteria and some strains of Gram-negative bacteria were inhibited by the three synthetic disinfectants. NDD9® demonstrated an antibacterial effect only against the Gram-positive strains (S. aureus and S. aureus ATCC 29213) with a MIC of 0.25 mg/ml. The disinfectant spray showed effect against all four strains including E. coli (9), S. aureus, E. coli ATCC 25922, and P. aeruginosa ATCC 27853 with an inhibitory concentration of 4 mg/ml, while the growth of S. aureus ATCC 29213 was inhibited at 2 mg/ml. The third disinfectant, Phagosurf ND®, inhibited only the growth of S. aureus ATCC 29213 at a MIC of 4 mg/ml. Conclusion. This study is the first here in Morocco to evaluate the bacterial activity of products intended for the control of the healthcare environment. The results obtained on the three disinfectants tested reveal an ineffectiveness against some isolated strains from the hospital environment.

This survey aims at assessing knowledge, attitudes and practices towards standard precautions (SP) among caregivers at Hassan II University Teaching Hospital in Fes. This is a cross-sectional prospective and evaluative study that covers a two-month period. Data were collected using an anonymous and selfadministered questionnaire. Sampling population was divided into 307 nurses (53.8%), 210 hospital doctors (36.77%) and 57 support staff (9.45%), belonging to other various categories working in different departments. This is a young population since 79.7% are under 30 years old. The results have shown that only 28.72% of health care professionals had received training in SP. Moreover, 87.7% claimed to practice hands' hygiene while moving from one patient to another. In contrast, 75.7% emphasized the need to change gloves each time they work on a new patient. However, individual protection measures were rarely mentioned in several risky situations.

This survey aims at assessing knowledge, attitudes and practices towards standard precautions (SP) among caregivers at Hassan II University Teaching Hospital in Fes. This is a cross-sectional prospective and evaluative study that covers a two-month period. Data were collected using an anonymous and selfadministered questionnaire. Sampling population was divided into 307 nurses (53.8%), 210 hospital doctors (36.77%) and 57 support staff (9.45%), belonging to other various categories working in different departments. This is a young population since 79.7% are under 30 years old. The results have shown that only 28.72% of health care professionals had received training in SP. Moreover, 87.7% claimed to practice hands' hygiene while moving from one patient to another. In contrast, 75.7% emphasized the need to change gloves each time they work on a new patient. However, individual protection measures were rarely mentioned in several risky situations.المعلومات والاتجاهات والممارسات في مقابل الاحتياطات القياسية لدى القائمن عى تقديم الرعاية في مستشفى الحسن الثاني الجامعي في فاس (المغرب).موسى بن بوبكر، بوجمعة المرنيسي، عزيز النحيلي، كريمة الغازي.كان الهدف من هذا المسح هو تقييم مستوى المعلومات والاتجاهات والممارسات العملية مقابل الاحتياطات القياسية لدى القائمن عى تقديم الرعاية في مستشفى الحسن الثاني الجامعي بفاس. فهي دراسة تقييمية مقطعية دامت شهرين. وقد تم جمع البيانات من خال استبيان يملؤه المستجيبون بأنفسهم. وأخذت عينات من مجموعة الدراسة الذي شمل 307 ممرضة (53.8%)، 210 طبيباً (36.77%)و 57 من موظفي الدعم (9.45%) الذين يعملون في فئات أخرى في الخدمات المختلفة. إن عينة هذه الدراسة كانت شابة، إذ تقل أعار 79.7% منهم عن 30 عاماً. وأظهرت النتائج أن 28.72% فقط من العاملن في مجال الصحة قد تلقوا تدريباً عى الاحتياطات القياسية. ومن ناحية أخرى، أفاد 87.7% من عينة الدراسة أنهم يلتزمون بممارسة غسل الأيدي عند الانتقال من مريض لآخر، وفي المقابل أفاد 75.7% منهم أنه من الروري تغير القفازات عند الانتقال من مريض لآخر. وخلاصة القول، فإن الالتزام بتدابر الحماية الشخصية كانت ضعيفة في العديد من الحالات المعرَّضة للمخاطر.Connaissances, attitudes et pratiques vis-à-vis des précautions standard chez les soignants du Centre hospitalier universitaire Hassan II de Fès (Maroc).La présente enquête avait pour objectif d’évaluer le niveau de connaissances, les attitudes et pratiques vis-à-vis des précautions standard (PS) parmi le personnel soignant du Centre hospitalier universitaire Hassan II de Fès. Il s’agit d’une étude d’évaluation, transversale et prospective, sur une période de deux mois. Les données ont été recueillies au moyen d’un questionnaire auto-administré. La population étudiée était répartie en 307 infirmiers (53,8 %), 210 médecins (36,77 %) et 57 personnels d’appui (9,45 %) appartenant aux autres catégories travaillant dans différents services. Cette population est très jeune puisque 79,7 % ont moins de 30 ans. Les résultats ont montré que seulement 28,72 % du personnel soignant avait reçu une formation aux PS. D’autre part, 87,7 % déclarent pratiquer le lavage des mains entre deux patients et 75,7 % reconnaissent la nécessité de changer de gants entre deux patients. Par contre, les mesures de protection individuelle ont été faiblement citées dans plusieurs situations à risque.