Impact of the safe water system on water quality in cyclone-affected communities in Madagascar.
(57/846)
Cyclone Hudah struck the northeastern coast of Madagascar in the spring of 2000. Over a 5-month period, 11 700 relief kits consisting of bottles of water disinfectant and foldable jerry cans were distributed to the affected population. Five months after the cyclone, a survey was conducted in 12 villages to determine the impact of these relief kits on water quality. Seventy-six percent of the surveyed households reported using jerry cans, and 65% reported using the disinfectant. Stored water in households using both products had significantly less microbiological contamination than stored water in other households. To improve the prospects for a sustainable intervention, the response plan for future disasters should incorporate a transition to recovery and development, including formative research into local customs, beliefs, and water handling habits, and funding support to initiate social marketing. (+info)
Multistate outbreak of Salmonella serovar Muenchen infections associated with alfalfa sprouts grown from seeds pretreated with calcium hypochlorite.
(58/846)
During September 1999, a multistate outbreak of Salmonella serovar Muenchen infection associated with eating raw alfalfa sprouts was identified in Wisconsin. Despite use of a calcium hypochlorite sanitizing procedure to pretreat seeds before sprouting, at least 157 outbreak-related illnesses were identified in seven states having sprouters who received alfalfa seed from a specific lot. The continued occurrence of sprout-related outbreaks despite presprouting disinfection supports the concern that no available treatment will eliminate pathogens from seeds before sprouting and reinforces the need for additional safeguards to protect the public. A lack of consumer knowledge regarding exposure to sprouts documented in this investigation suggests that more-targeted outreach to high-risk individuals may be needed to reduce their risk. (+info)
Evaluation of BacT/Alert 3D liquid culture system for recovery of mycobacteria from clinical specimens using sodium dodecyl (lauryl) sulfate-NaOH decontamination.
(59/846)
A total of 52 mycobacterial isolates were recovered from 1,197 clinical specimens decontaminated by a sodium dodecyl (lauryl) sulfate (SDS)-NaOH protocol. Of these, 94% were recovered with the BacT/Alert 3D system (Organon Teknika, Durham, N.C.) and 79% were recovered on Lowenstein-Jensen (LJ) medium. Mean times to detection of organisms of the Mycobacterium tuberculosis complex (n = 47) were 22.8 days with LJ medium and 16.2 days with the system. The BacT/Alert 3D system is a rapid and efficient detection system which can be used with an SDS-NaOH decontamination procedure. (+info)
Decontamination of laryngoscopes in The Netherlands.
(60/846)
In this study the decontamination procedures of laryngoscopes in Dutch hospitals are described, based on a structured telephone questionnaire. There were substantial differences between decontamination procedures in Dutch hospitals and the standards of the APIC (Association of Professionals in Infection Control and Epidemiology), CDC (Centers of Disease Control) and ASA (American Society of Anesthesiology) were met in full in 19.4% of the hospitals. The standards of manual decontamination, used in 78% of the 139 hospitals, were particularly disappointing; manual cleaning was considered inadequate in 22.9% of these hospitals and manual disinfection did not meet the standards of the APIC, CDC or ASA in any of these hospitals. Decontamination by instrument cleaning machines as a standard procedure was used in 30 (22%) hospitals. In three of these hospitals the blades were subsequently sterilized. We suggest adherence to the infection control guidelines of the CDC, APIC and ASA, until the safety of less conservative infection control practices are demonstrated. (+info)
Microwave sanitization of color additives used in cosmetics: feasibility study.
(61/846)
Microwave exposure has been explored as a method of microbiologically sanitizing color additives used in cosmetic products. Selected microbiologically unacceptable cosmetic color additives, D&C red no. 7 Ca lake (certified synthetic organic color), carmine (natural organic color not subject to certification), and chromium hydroxide green (inorganic color not subject to certification), were submitted to microwave exposure. Gram-negative bacteria were eliminated, as verified by enrichment procedures, and levels of gram-positive bacteria were reduced. Generally, analytical and dermal safety studies indicated no significant alterations in physical, chemical, and toxicological properties of the colors. Sanitization was also successfully performed on other colors (D&C red no. 9 Ba lake, D&C red no. 12 Ba lake, D&C green no. 5, and FD&C red no. 4); initial physical and chemical tests were satisfactory. Results indicated that this method of sanitization is feasible and warrants further investigation. (+info)
Agents of transmissible spongiform encephalopathy (prion) are known to be extremely resistant to physicochemical inactivation procedures such as heat, radiation, chemical disinfectants such as detergents, alcohols, glutaraldehyde, formalin, and so on. Because of its remarkable resistance, it is difficult to inactivate prion. Chemical inactivation seems to be a practical method because it is applicable to large or fixed surfaces and complicated equipment. Here, three epoxides: beta-propiolactone, propylene oxide, and glycidol (GLD) were examined of their inactivation ability against scrapie-mouse prion protein (PrP(Sc)) under various conditions of chemical concentration, incubation time, and temperature. Among these chemicals, GLD worked most effectively and degraded PrP into small fragments. As a result of the bioassay, treatment with 3% GLD for 5 hr and 5% GLD for 2, 5 hr or 12 hr at room temperature prolonged the mean incubation time by 44, 30, 110 and 73 days, respectively. From dose-incubation time standard curve, the decrease in infectivity titers were estimated as 10(3) or more. Therefore, degradation of PrP(Sc) by GLD decreased the scrapie infectivity. It is also suggested that pH and salt concentrations influence the effect of GLD. Although further study is necessary to determine the optimal condition, GLD may be a potential prion disinfectant. (+info)
Nature of the surviving plaque-forming unit of reovirus in water containing bromine.
(63/846)
The initial inactivation of reovirus in water containing 3 to 7 microns M bromine as HOBr was very rapid. Electron microscopy revealed extensive physical damage to the virions in as little as 1 min, but none were degraded beyond recognition. As treatment time continued, the reaction rate decreased toward a plateau of resistance, usually at about the 10-4 survival level; still no particles were lost. Progeny grown from these resistant plaque-forming units (PFU) were no more resistant to HOBr than the parent cultures. Small-number aggregation (adhering groups of two to ten virions counted by electron microscopy) had no detectable effect on the level of persistant PFU. Large aggregates seemed to be involved. Sonic treatment at 20 kHz after bromine exposure increased survival PFU titer 10- to 43-fold. Virus exposed to light centrifugation prior to bromine treatment did not show the plateau of resistance. Surviving PFU sedimented faster in a shallow sucrose gradient than single virions. Large aggregates were apparently too few to be counted by electron microscopy, but their penetration and inactivation must be achieved by any disinfectant chosen to rid water of reovirus. (+info)
Effects of combined water potential and temperature stresses on Cryptosporidium parvum oocysts.
(64/846)
Hosts infected with the parasite Cryptosporidium parvum may excrete oocysts on soils in watersheds that supply public drinking water. Environmental stresses decrease the numbers of oocysts after deposition on soils. However, the rates and effects of combined stresses have not been well characterized, especially for the purposes of estimating decrease in numbers. We subjected oocysts to combined stresses of water potential (-4, -12, and -33 bars), above-freezing temperatures (4 and 30 degrees C), and a subfreezing temperature (-14 degrees C) for 1, 14, and 29 days and one to six freeze-thaw cycles (-14 to 10 degrees C) to estimate coefficients to characterize population degradation using multiplicative error and exponential decay models. The experiments were carried out in NaCl solutions with water potentials of -4, -12, and -33 bars, in combination with temperature stresses at levels that could be expected in natural soils. Increased water potential increased the rate of population degradation for all temperature conditions investigated. Enhanced degradation leads to estimated rates of population degradation that are greater than those that have been reported and used in previous studies conducted to assess risk of water supply contamination from sources of C. parvum. (+info)