Application of EN 16615 (4-Field Test) for the Evaluation of the Antimicrobial Activity of the Selected Commercial and Self-Made Disinfectant Wipes.

The purpose of disinfectants is to reduce microorganisms on a contaminated surface and to prevent the spread of microorganisms. The relatively new EN 16615 simulates disinfection by wiping and allows for assessing the recovery of microorganisms from the surface and, importantly, the degree of spread of microorganisms when the surface is disinfected by wiping. For the first time, using this standard, the tested products in the form of commercial disinfectant wipes were compared with self-made wipes soaked in respective disinfectant liquids.

Occurrence of antimicrobial agents, drug-resistant bacteria, and genes in the sewage-impacted Vistula River (Poland).

Antimicrobial agents (antimicrobials) are a group of therapeutic and hygienic agents that either kill microorganisms or inhibit their growth. Their occurrence in surface water may reveal harmful effects on aquatic biota and challenge microbial populations. Recently, there is a growing concern over the contamination of surface water with both antimicrobial agents and multidrug-resistant bacteria.

Molecular and phenotypic characteristics of methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus strains isolated from hospitalized patients in transplantation wards.

Objectives: Hospital-acquired methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (HA-MRSA) frequently causes therapeutic problems and provides information about the epidemiological condition of the ward.

Materials And Methods: HA-MRSA isolated from patients on transplantation wards in 1991, 1994, 1996, and from 2005 to 2007 were compared using molecular methods such as restriction fragment length polymorphism-pulse field gel electrophoresis, multilocus sequence typing (MLST), multiplex polymerase chain reaction (PCR) for detection type of staphylococcal chromosomal cassette mec, and PCR for detection.

Results: The analysis covered HA-MRSA strains, each from a different patient.

Evaluation of mycobactericidal activity of selected chemical disinfectants and antiseptics according to European standards.

Background: The history of the investigation of standardized mycobactericidal activity of disinfectants and antiseptics is not very long. There is growing interest among the manufacturers of disinfectants in carrying out research on the antimicrobial activities in accordance with European standards (EN). This research could facilitate the introduction of high-quality disinfectants to the market.

[Microbiological characteristics of selected liquid soaps for hands washing].

Introduction: According to common belief, supported by the authority of the World Health Organization - WHO, the common (social) hand washing is the simplest, cheapest and the most effective way of reduction the hospital-acquired infections. For this purpose products of"liquid soaps", present in a large number on the market, are most often applied. Microbiological status (microbiological purity and antimicrobial activity) of"liquid soaps" available on the Polish market is not known, because relevant routinely studies have not been performed.