Objective: To perform an initial screening study of methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA) contamination in an ambulance fleet.
Methods: This was a cross-sectional study of MRSA contamination in an ambulance fleet operating in the western United States in June 2006. Five specific areas within each of 21 ambulances (n = 105) were tested for MRSA contamination using dacron swabs moistened with a 0.85% sterile saline solution. These samples were then plated onto a screening media of mannitol salt agar containing 6.5% NaCl and 4 mcg/mL oxacillin.
Results: Thirteen samples isolated from 10 of the 21 ambulances (47.6%) in the sample group tested positive for MRSA.
Conclusions: The results of this preliminary study suggest that ambulances operating in the emergency medical services (EMS) system may have a significant degree of MRSA contamination and may represent an important reservoir in the transmission of potentially serious infections to patients.
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http://dx.doi.org/10.1080/10903120701205125 | DOI Listing |
Infect Dis Now
January 2025
Department of Global Health and Development, London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine, UK.
Antimicrobial resistance (AMR) poses a global health challenge, particularly in maritime environments where unique conditions foster its emergence and spread. Characterized by confined spaces, high population density, and extensive global mobility, ships create a setting ripe for the development and dissemination of resistant pathogens. This review aims to analyse the contributing factors, epidemiological challenges, mitigation strategies specific to AMR on ships and to propose future research directions, bridging a significant gap in the literature.
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January 2025
Department of Laboratory Medicine, Clinical Microbiology, Faculty of Medicine and Health, rebro University, rebro, Sweden.
National epidemiological investigations of microbial infections greatly benefit from the increased information gained by whole-genome sequencing (WGS) in combination with standardized approaches for data sharing and analysis. To evaluate the quality and accuracy of WGS data generated by different laboratories but analysed by joint pipelines to reach a national surveillance approach. A national methicillin-resistant (MRSA) collection of 20 strains was distributed to nine participating laboratories that performed in-house procedures for WGS.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFHeliyon
January 2025
Infectious Diseases and Tropical Medicine Research Center, Health Research Institute, Babol University of Medical Sciences, Babol, Iran.
Cockroaches are widely recognized as vectors for transmitting pathogenic microorganisms in hospital and community environments due to their movement between contaminated and human-occupied spaces. (. ), particularly methicillin-resistant (MRSA), is a primary global health concern because of its capacity to cause a wide range of infections and its resistance to many antibiotics.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFAdv Healthc Mater
January 2025
Laboratory for Biointerfaces, Empa, Swiss Federal Laboratories for Materials and Technology, Lerchenfeldstrasse 5, St. Gallen, 9014, Switzerland.
Surface-mediated transmission of pathogens plays a key role in healthcare-associated infections. However, proper techniques for its quantitative analysis are lacking, making it challenging to develop novel antimicrobial and anti-fouling surfaces to reduce pathogen spread via environmental surfaces. This study demonstrates a gelatin hydrogel-based touch transfer test, the HydroTouch test, to evaluate pathogen transmission on high-touch surfaces under semi-dry conditions.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFBraz J Microbiol
January 2025
Department of Microbiology, Faculty of Science, Ain shams University, El-Khalyfa El-Mamoun Street, Abbasya, Cairo, Egypt.
Hospital surfaces are often contaminated with multidrug-resistant pathogenic bacteria that cause healthcare-associated infections and lead to increased mortality and morbidity. There is a need for new alternative antibacterial agents to overcome antibiotic resistance. Azadirachta indica and Simmondsia chinensis have been found to possess antibacterial activity and medicinal value.
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