Publications by authors named "Ellen Braun-Howland"

Community-associated acquisition of extended-spectrum beta-lactamase- (ESBL) and carbapenemase-producing Enterobacteriaceae has significantly increased in recent years, necessitating greater inquiry into potential exposure routes, including food and water sources. In high-income countries, drinking water is often neglected as a possible source of community exposure to antibiotic-resistant organisms. We screened coliform-positive tap water samples (n = 483) from public and private water systems in six states of the United States for bla, bla, bla, bla, bla, and bla-type genes by multiplex PCR.

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Bacteria indigenous to water distribution systems were used to grow multispecies biofilms within continuous-flow slide chambers. Six flow chambers were also inoculated with an Escherichia coli isolate obtained from potable water. The effect of disinfectants on bacterial populations was determined after exposure of established biofilms to 1 ppm of hypochlorous acid (ClOH) for 67 min or 4 ppm of monochloramine (NH(2)Cl) for 155 min.

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The largest reported outbreak of waterborne Escherichia coli O157:H7 in the United States occurred in upstate New York following a county fair in August 1999. Culture methods were used to isolate E. coli O157:H7 from specimens from 128 of 775 patients with suspected infections.

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