Article
Environmental Sciences
Carla Viegas, Beatriz Almeida, Ana Monteiro, Ines Paciencia, Joao Cavaleiro Rufo, Elisabete Carolino, Anita Quintal-Gomes, Magdalena Twaruzek, Robert Kosicki, Genevieve Marchand, Liliana Aranha Caetano, Susana Viegas
Summary: The study aimed to characterize the bioburden in vacuumed settled dust from 10 Primary Health Care Centers by culture-based and molecular methods. Results showed a wide range of bacterial and fungal loads in the dust samples, indicating the importance of routine settled dust sampling coupled with air sampling for assessing bioburden exposure.
INTERNATIONAL JOURNAL OF ENVIRONMENTAL HEALTH RESEARCH
(2021)
Article
Multidisciplinary Sciences
Laura J. Rose, Hollis Houston, Marla Martinez-Smith, Amanda K. Lyons, Carrie Whitworth, Sujan C. Reddy, Judith Noble-Wang
Summary: This study investigated the recovery of healthcare-associated pathogens from different surface materials, and found that the characteristics of the pathogens and the presence of a body fluid simulant greatly influenced the recovery rate, while the type of surface had less impact.
Article
Veterinary Sciences
C. Verdial, C. Carneiro, I. Machado, L. Tavares, V. Almeida, M. Oliveira, S. Gil
Summary: The study evaluated bacterial contamination levels in the BICU environment and implemented corrective actions on disinfection protocols. High bacterial loads were found on cage, sponge, and telephone surfaces. Enterococcus spp. were the most frequently isolated pathogen, and new disinfection protocols effectively reduced bacterial counts.
IRISH VETERINARY JOURNAL
(2021)
Article
Environmental Sciences
Carla Viegas, Marta Dias, Ana Monteiro, Tiago Faria, Joana Lage, Elisabete Carolino, Liliana Aranha Caetano, Anita Quintal Gomes, Susana Marta Almeida, Sandra Cabo Verde, Joana Belo, Nuno Canha
Summary: This study found that the majority of indoor air bacteria in Portuguese dwellings came from our own bodies, while prevalent indoor fungi included Aspergillus sections such as Chrysosporium spp. and Penicillium spp. Additionally, some fungal species found in sleeping environments showed reduced susceptibility to antifungal drugs, and indicators of harmful fungal contamination were observed in these environments.
ENVIRONMENTAL POLLUTION
(2021)
Article
Biotechnology & Applied Microbiology
Lia Freier, Nicole Zacharias, Stefanie Gemein, Juergen Gebel, Steffen Engelhart, Martin Exner, Nico T. Mutters
Summary: Wastewater pipes serve as microbial ecosystems, which can pose a potential infection risk. This study investigates the impact of C. difficile-infected patients on environmental contamination and identifies potential reservoirs. The findings highlight the importance of addressing the risk of transmission and infection from these reservoirs to ensure patient safety.
APPLIED AND ENVIRONMENTAL MICROBIOLOGY
(2023)
Article
Public, Environmental & Occupational Health
Thanuri Navarathna, Chetan Jinadatha, Brandon A. Corona, John D. Coppin, Hosoon Choi, Morgan R. Bennett, Gautam S. Ghamande, Marjory D. Williams, Robin E. Keene, Piyali Chatterjee
Summary: This study evaluated the effectiveness of a filtered far-UV-C handheld disinfection device in killing microbial pathogens on hospital surfaces. The results showed that the device successfully reduced the microbial bioburden on surfaces, making it a valuable tool for supplementing manual disinfection or low-level disinfection.
AMERICAN JOURNAL OF INFECTION CONTROL
(2023)
Review
Construction & Building Technology
Anita Maki, Noora Salonen, Meija Kivisaari, Merja Ahonen, Martti Latva
Summary: Indoor residents are exposed to dynamic microbiota that have significant health effects. Antimicrobial coatings (AMCs) can prevent the spread of infectious diseases in public areas. However, the use of AMCs may lead to dysbiosis and a reduction in microbial diversity, which can increase the risk of harmful bacteria and non-communicable inflammatory diseases.
FRONTIERS IN BUILT ENVIRONMENT
(2023)
Article
Infectious Diseases
Itziar Chapartegui-Gonzalez, Maria Lazaro-Diez, Jose Ramos-Vivas
Summary: Antimicrobial-resistant pathogenic bacteria, especially Acinetobacter species, pose a growing threat to public health, particularly in healthcare settings. This study conducted genomic analysis of clinically isolated A. pittii strains from a Spanish hospital, revealing genetic resistance determinants and plasmid structures. The findings highlighted the presence of beta-lactam resistance genes and MDR efflux pumps, as well as novel point mutations associated with colistin resistance in this species.
Article
Health Care Sciences & Services
Michelangelo Bruno Casali, Guido Vittorio Travaini, Carlotta Virginia Di Francesco, Umberto Rosario Genovese
Summary: Forensic medicine recognizes the importance of the human environment and its evolution to include physical and virtual spaces. Artificial Intelligence has contributed to the creation of new virtual realities. A sustainable life requires the development of new environmental justice, forensic medicine, and criminology.
Article
Chemistry, Analytical
Md Sadique Hasan, Monireh Marsafari, Michael Tolosa, Abhay Andar, Sai Sathish Ramamurthy, Xudong Ge, Yordan Kostov, Govind Rao
Summary: A system featuring microfluidics and a multichannel fluorometer has been developed for rapid detection of low-level bioburden. The system utilizes the slope of fluorescence intensity as the criterion for detection and employs a redox indicator dye to monitor viable cell presence. The system shows high sensitivity and applicability in laboratory, pharmaceutical, and field settings.
ANALYTICAL CHEMISTRY
(2022)
Review
Infectious Diseases
Yusuke Yoshino
Summary: Some Enterococcus species, including Enterococcus faecalis and E. faecium, are increasingly causing nosocomial infections, while other species such as E. casseliflavus have also been found to be pathogenic to humans. These infections vary in their transmission mode, symptoms, and characteristics, and treatment is challenging due to drug resistance. This review summarizes the clinical features of E. casseliflavus infections and provides insights into effective therapeutic strategies.
INFECTION AND DRUG RESISTANCE
(2023)
Article
Public, Environmental & Occupational Health
Marilyn Ramirez, Laura Matheu, Miguel Gomez, Alicia Chang, Jose Ferrolino, Ricardo Mack, Federico Antillon-Klussmann, Mario Melgar
Summary: Dry hydrogen peroxide was effective in reducing microbial surface contamination in a pediatric oncology intensive care unit, leading to improved quality of environmental cleaning.
AMERICAN JOURNAL OF INFECTION CONTROL
(2021)
Article
Environmental Sciences
Paula Aillon Garcia, Blanca Parga-Landa
Summary: The study explores the use of copper in ICU to reduce nosocomial infections, proposing a sustainable lamina + adhesive format as an equally efficient solution with a thinner layer of copper. Additional improvements are suggested for material standardization and replacement methods.
ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCE AND POLLUTION RESEARCH
(2021)
Article
Environmental Sciences
Carla Viegas, Pedro Sousa, Marta Dias, Liliana Aranha Caetano, Edna Ribeiro, Elisabete Carolino, Magdalena Twaruzek, Robert Kosicki, Susana Viegas
Summary: This study comprehensively assessed the bioburden in Portuguese firefighters' ambulances, revealing clinically relevant fungal contamination in the ambulance air. Interestingly, higher surface contamination was found after cleaning at several sampling sites, and a high prevalence of colonization by Staphylococcus aureus was observed in the firefighter crew. Additional studies are required to determine the potential risk of infection transmission and to strengthen the paramedic sector's mission to save lives while ensuring their own health and safety.
ENVIRONMENTAL RESEARCH
(2021)
Article
Microbiology
Mia J. Biondi, Lauren Garnett, Alexander Bello, Duane Funk, Philippe Guillaume Poliquin, Shane Jones, Kevin Tierney, Kaylie Tran, Robert A. Kozak, Anders Leung, Allen Grolla, Cory Nakamura, Geoff Soule, Charlene Ranadheera, Mable Hagan, Amrinder Dhaliwal, Darwyn Kobasa, Darryl Falzarano, Hugues Fausther Bovendo, Heinz Feldmann, Murray Kesselman, Gregory Hansen, Jason Gren, Todd Mortimer, Trina Racine, Yvon Deschambault, Jocelyn Edmonds, Sam Aminian, Ray Saurette, Mark Allan, Lauren Rondeau, John Huynh, Sharron Hadder, Christy Press, Christine DeGraff, Stephanie Kucas, Julie Kubay, Kim Azanarsky, Bradley W. M. Cook, B. J. Hancock, Anand Kumar, Reeni Soni, Daryl Schantz, Jarrid McKitrick, Bryce Warner, Bryan D. Griffin, Xiangguo Qiu, Gary P. Kobinger, Dave Safronetz, Heidi Wood, Derek R. Stein, Todd Cutts, Brad Pickering, James Kenny, Steven Theriault, Liam Menec, Robert Vendramelli, Sean Higgins, Logan Banadyga, Guodong Liu, Md Niaz Rahim, Samantha Kasloff, Angela Sloan, Shihua He, Nikesh Tailor, Alixandra Albietz, Gary Wong, Michael Gray, Friederike Feldmann, Andrea Marzi, George Risi, James E. Strong
Summary: This study conducted Ebola virus infection experiments on non-human primates in a Biosafety Level 4 laboratory, revealing that the virus could be detected in blood earlier than in urine, gastric fluid, and swabs; despite the presence of droplet spread and fomite contamination in the intensive care unit for the infected animals, these risks may be mitigated through good hygiene practices.
Article
Public, Environmental & Occupational Health
David M. Lister, Kenneth Tan, Elizabeth Carse, Rhonda L. Stuart
AMERICAN JOURNAL OF INFECTION CONTROL
(2016)
Article
Public, Environmental & Occupational Health
Elizabeth Gillespie, Jill Wilson, Anita Lovegrove, Carmel Scott, Mardi Abernethy, Despina Kotsanas, Rhonda L. Stuart
AMERICAN JOURNAL OF INFECTION CONTROL
(2013)
Article
Public, Environmental & Occupational Health
Mardi Abernethy, Elizabeth Gillespie, Kylie Snook, Rhonda L. Stuart
AMERICAN JOURNAL OF INFECTION CONTROL
(2013)
Article
Public, Environmental & Occupational Health
Elizabeth Gillespie, Anne Rodrigues, Louise Wright, Natalie Williams, Rhonda L. Stuart
AMERICAN JOURNAL OF INFECTION CONTROL
(2013)
Article
Emergency Medicine
Ezra I. Limm, Xin Fang, Claire Dendle, Rhonda L. Stuart, Diana Egerton Warburton
ANNALS OF EMERGENCY MEDICINE
(2013)
Article
Medicine, General & Internal
Despina Kotsanas, W. R. P. L. I. Wijesooriya, Tony M. Korman, Elizabeth E. Gillespie, Louise Wright, Kylie Snook, Natalie Williams, Jan M. Bell, Hua Y. Li, Rhonda L. Stuart
MEDICAL JOURNAL OF AUSTRALIA
(2013)
Article
Medicine, General & Internal
Rhonda L. Stuart, Donna R. M. Cameron, Carmel Scott, Despina Kotsanas, M. Lindsay Grayson, Tony M. Korman, Elizabeth E. Gillespie, Paul D. R. Johnson
MEDICAL JOURNAL OF AUSTRALIA
(2013)
Article
Public, Environmental & Occupational Health
Sara Barnes, Rhonda Stuart, Bernice Redley
AMERICAN JOURNAL OF INFECTION CONTROL
(2019)
Article
Public, Environmental & Occupational Health
Leslie Dowson, Caroline Marshall, Kirsty Buising, N. Deborah Friedman, David C. M. Kong, Rhonda L. Stuart
AMERICAN JOURNAL OF INFECTION CONTROL
(2019)
Article
Nursing
Daniel L. Rolnik, Tony M. Korman, Andrea Rindt, Rhonda L. Stuart, Michelle L. Giles, Janine Rawlins, Kirsten R. Palmer, Andrew Stripp, Euan M. Wallace, Ryan J. Hodges
Summary: During a two-week period in May 2020, a study in Melbourne, Australia found a negligible rate of asymptomatic coronavirus infection among pregnant women, with all 350 tests returning negative results. This reflects low levels of community transmission during the study period.
Article
Environmental Sciences
Sarah L. McGuinness, Josphin Johnson, Owen Eades, Peter A. Cameron, Andrew Forbes, Jane Fisher, Kelsey Grantham, Carol Hodgson, Peter Hunter, Jessica Kasza, Helen L. Kelsall, Maggie Kirkman, Grant Russell, Philip L. Russo, Malcolm R. Sim, Kasha P. Singh, Helen Skouteris, Karen L. Smith, Rhonda L. Stuart, Helena J. Teede, James M. Trauer, Andrew Udy, Sophia Zoungas, Karin Leder
Summary: The study found that Australian healthcare workers employed in 2021 experienced poor mental health outcomes, with prevalence differences observed according to occupation. Longitudinal evidence is needed to guide the implementation of effective measures to support the physical and mental wellbeing of healthcare workers.
INTERNATIONAL JOURNAL OF ENVIRONMENTAL RESEARCH AND PUBLIC HEALTH
(2022)
Article
Public, Environmental & Occupational Health
Rhonda L. Stuart, Caroline Marshall, Glenys Harrington, Louisa Sasko, Mary-Louise McLaws, John Ferguson
INFECTION DISEASE & HEALTH
(2019)
Article
Public, Environmental & Occupational Health
Susan Ryan, Elizabeth Gillespie, Rhonda L. Stuart
AMERICAN JOURNAL OF INFECTION CONTROL
(2017)
Article
Public, Environmental & Occupational Health
Allen C. Cheng, Andrew J. Stewardson, Brett G. Mitchell, Peter Collignon, Paul D. Johnson, Rhonda L. Stuart
INFECTION DISEASE & HEALTH
(2016)
Article
Public, Environmental & Occupational Health
Rhonda L. Stuart, Wendy Zhu, Eric F. Morand, Andrew Stripp
INFECTION DISEASE & HEALTH
(2020)
