Pseudo-outbreak of Mycobacterium gordonae in a teaching hospital: importance of strictly following decontamination procedures and emerging issues concerning sterilization.

Aim of this study was to investigate a pseudo-outbreak of Mycobacterium gordonae analyzing isolates detected from clinical and environmental samples. Mycobacterium gordonae was detected in 7 out of 497 broncho-alveolar lavage (BAL) samples after bronchoscopy procedure in patients admitted to a teaching hospital between January and April 2013. During this pseudo-outbreak clinical, epidemiological, environmental and molecular investigations were performed.

Factors influencing persistence of Legionella pneumophila serogroup 1 in laboratory cocultures.

Background: Risk for infections from Legionella pneumophila for immunocompromised individuals increases greatly when this species is present within the biofilm of the water distribution systems of hospitals or other health facilities. Multiplication and persistence of Legionella may dependent also upon planktonic growth in alternative to sessile growth. Here we compared the persistence of L.

Legionella control in the water system of antiquated hospital buildings by shock and continuous hyperchlorination: 5 years experience.

Background: To control the presence of Legionella in an old hospital water system, an integrated strategy of water disinfection-filtration was implemented in the university hospital Umberto I in Rome.

Methods: Due to antiquated buildings, hospital water system design and hospital extension (38 buildings), shock hyperchlorination (sodium hypochlorite, 20-50 ppm of free chlorine at distal points for 1-2 h) followed by continuous hyperchlorination (0.5-1.

Microbiological safety of glasses dispensed at 3D movie theatres.

Recent popularity of three-dimensional movies raised some concern about microbiological safety of glasses dispensed into movie theatres. In this study, we analysed the level of microbiological contamination on them before and after use and between theatres adopting manual and automatic sanitation systems. The manual sanitation system was more effective in reducing the total mesophilic count levels compared with the automatic system (P < 0.

Temporal pattern of microbial indicators of ready-to-eat rocket salads during shelf life.

Introduction: From 2001-2009 there have been numerous community alerts and notifications about the rocket salad produced in Italy and distributed in Europe. Our study describes the evolution of the microbial quality of ready to eat rocket salad during shelf life among three different Italian producers.

Material And Methods: Total Mesophilic Count (TMC) and Escherichia coli (EC) count were measured in 248 samples.

Ready-to-eat vegetables production with low-level water chlorination. An evaluation of water quality, and of its impact on end products.

Introduction: We evaluated the microbiological impact of low-level chlorination (1 ppm free chlorine) on the production of ready-to-eat (RTE) vegetables by monitoring the microbiological quality of irrigation and processing water in two production plants over a 4-season period, as well as the microbiological quality of unprocessed vegetables and RTE product. Water samples were also characterized in terms of some chemical and physico-chemical parameters of relevance in chlorination management.

Materials And Methods: Both producers use water with maximum 1 ppm free chlorine for vegetables rinsing, while the two processes differ by the number of washing cycles.