Environmental concerns about the massive use of disinfectants during COVID-19 pandemic: an overview on aquatic toxicity

Many public health measures to mitigate the spread of SARS-CoV-2 were adopted worldwide, and particularly to the environmental measure of regular cleaning and disinfection of surfaces, the increased use of disinfectant products raises environmental concerns. Quaternary ammonium compounds (QACs), povidone-iodine (PVP-I), chloroxylenol (PCMX) and chlorhexidine (CHX) are the active ingredients of most disinfectant products due to their effectiveness against various microbiological agents. Although presenting antimicrobial efficacy, these biocides have been associated with impacts on aquatic life. For instance, QACs can induce toxicity to Aliivibrio fischeri and fish (different species). Gill and liver damages are verified in Cyprinus carpio after exposure to PVP-I. CHX induces toxic effects on algae, crustaceans, and fish embryos. PCMX can induce genotoxicity to rainbow trout and malformations on zebrafish embryos, as well as it can reduce the reproduction rate of Caenorhabditis elegans. Thus, the potential to cause negative consequences on human and environmental health has resulted in activities from the U.S. and European agencies to favor the use of safer and greener disinfectant products during the COVID-19 pandemic. This review article summarizes the main findings on the impacts of disinfectants (the most used) on aquatic life. This information may help prioritize disinfectants with lower impacts on the aquatic environment for daily use, and especially for high-frequency use as verified in the COVID-19 pandemic. Furthermore, this review may help identify knowledge gaps on the aquatic hazard of disinfectants, which may drive future studies on this matter and, lastly, contribute to the development of sustainable products.

Biologization of growing grain crops technology

The use of biologics and preparations based on amino acids (Krokus universal) for protection against diseases, as well as entomopathogenic microorganisms against pests is one of the main directions in the biologization of technology for growing cereal crops. The research was carried out in 2018-2020 on the basis of the Kuban State Agrarian University. The object of the study was the wheat and barley varieties, as well as oats. As microbiological agents, cultures of microorganisms from the collection were used: Trichoderma viride and T. lignorum, Beauveria bassiana, Metarhizium anisopliae, Azotobacter chroococcum, Bacillus megatherium, Bacillus thuringiensis, Pseudomonas fluorescens. To suppress the pathogens of bacteriosis and stimulate the growth processes of plants, the preparation based on the essential amino acids Crocus universal was used. The results of research have shown that this method is not inferior in biological effectiveness to chemical protection and even have advantages. The systematic use of biologics on cereal crops turned out to be appropriate. It provided the increase in the suppressiveness and fertility of the soil, the suppression of various pathogens and pests on winter wheat crops, the reduction in the amount of pesticides introduced, as well as high economic efficiency.

Spine Infections: the role of Fluorodeoxyglucose Positron Emission Tomography (FDG PET) in the context of the actual diagnosis guideline

: Spondylodiscitis is an infectious process which requires numerous health care professionals in order to be clearly diagnosed and eventually, successfully treated. It implies a variety of microbiological agents and condition; during the diagnostic workup it is difficult to correctly identify them, and the clinician has to rapidly choose the most correct treatment, in order to avoid permanent injuries to the patient. In this context it comes our review work: based on current guidelines and literature available we wanted to deeply understand the most proper use of Positron Emission Tomography with 18-Fluoro-deossi-glucose (FDG PET) in a patient with the suspect of spondylodiscitis. We wanted to review the role of FDG PET in the spondylodiscitis diagnosis and follow up in the context of the current guidelines.

Post-mortem persistence of SARS-CoV-2: a preliminary study

Since the beginning of March 2020, the severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) pandemic has been the cause of millions of deaths worldwide. The need to better define the pathogenesis of coronavirus disease 19 (Covid-19) as well as to provide the correct statistical records concerning deaths related to this virus, inevitably involves the role of forensic pathology and routine autopsy practice. Currently, some data on macroscopic and microscopic features in autopsies performed in suspected Covid-19 cases are reported in the literature. The persistence of SARS-CoV-2 in cadavers has not yet been elucidated and only a few reports have emphasized the importance of evaluating the Virus RNA in post-mortem tissues. In this preliminary study, we observed that SARS-CoV-2 survives in multiple cadaver tissues many days after death despite some extreme conditions of post-mortem body preservation. The results of this on-going analysis could help improve the safety of working practices for pathologists as well as understanding the possible interaction between microbiological agents and the cadaver tissue’s supravital reactions.

Poly(3-HydroxyButyrate-co-3-HydroxyValerate) based Inorganic Consolidate for Firwood Preservation

The aim of this study was to address one of the major challenges of the conservation state of wooden artifacts or artworks namely, the preservation and restoration of wood surfaces. The factors involved in the deterioration of wood are mainly the external factors such as fire, low temperature and microbiological agents, which induce some degradation processes in wood, identified by discoloration, fragility and unsightly appearance. In this study, biodegradable materials based on poly(3-hydroxybutyrate-co-3-hydroxyvalerate) (PHBHV) and composites based on PHBHV and particles (zinc oxide (ZnO), carbonated hydroxyapatite (CHAp) and its metallic derivatives with silver (AgCHAp) and strontium (SrCHAp) were applied on firwood specimens in order to investigate their consolidation capacity. Colorimetric measurements have confirmed that the chosen treatments did not change the colour of the natural wood. The hardness test revealed that the consolidation system increases the mechanical properties of the samples. The used treatments confer a strong hydrophobic character which prevents exfoliation of the wood samples, as confirmed by the performed water absorption test.

The Incidence of Healthcare-Associated Infections, Their Clinical Forms, and Microbiological Agents in Intensive Care Units in Southern Poland in a Multicentre Study from 2016 to 2019

Introduction. Healthcare-associated infections (HAIs) are a serious problem of modern medicine. Patients hospitalized in intensive care units (ICUs) develop HAI significantly more often than patients in other hospital units. Materials and Methods. Analysis involved HAIs from three ICUs in southern Poland. The study was conducted in 2016–2019 on the basis of methodology recommended by the Healthcare-Associated Infections Surveillance Network (HAI-Net) and European Centre for Disease Prevention and Control (ECDC). The objective was to analyse HAIs, their clinical forms, and microbiological agents. Results. The study included 3028 patients hospitalized for 26,558 person-days (pds) in ICU. A total of 540 HAIs were detected; incidence per 100 hospitalizations was 17.8%, incidence density per 1000 pds was 20.3. The mortality of patients with HAI was 16%, and in Clostridioidesdifficile infection (CDI), the mortality was 28%. The most common clinical form of HAI was bloodstream infection (BSI): 209 cases (incidence rate 6.9%), followed by pneumonia (PN): 131 (incidence rate 4.3%), and urinary tract infection (UTI): 110 cases (incidence rate 3.6%). The most frequently isolated bacteria were Klebsiella pneumoniae 16.4%, Acinetobacter baumannii 14.4%, Staphylococcus aureus 11.8%, and Escherichia coli 11.4%. Conclusions. A two-fold higher incidence rate of BSI was detected compared to the average incidence in European countries. BSI of unknown source (BSI-UNK) was predominant. K. pneumoniae and A. baumannii bacteria were the most often isolated microorganisms causing HAI. Infection control based on incidence rate for each type of infection is necessary in ICU to assess the epidemiological situation.

FEATURES OF THE COURSE OF COMMUNITY-ACQUIRED PNEUMONIA IN CHILDREN WITH CEREBRAL PALSY

Сerebral palsy (CP) occupies a significant place in the structure of neurological pathology of childhood, which is connected with comorbid pathology, such as pneumonia, which is characterized by a long and atypical course, and associates with frequent development of complications. Aims. The aim was to determinate the main features of the course and identify microbiological agents of community-acquired pneumonia(CAP) in children with cerebral palsy. Methods. The cases of CAP in children with of cerebral palsy was retrospectively studied. Children with CAP have been treated in the Children's City Clinical Hospital No. 3 of the Odessa between 2018 to 2020. The main typical clinical signs were analyzed. The microbiological agents were investigated by the microbiological examination of sputum. Results. CAP in children with cerebral palsy has its own specific features. Onset of the disease is characterized by a significant severity of the general condition, rapid progression of intoxication in children with cerebral palsy. Resistant agents and Candida albicans were identified in children with cerebral palsy. Conclusions. The studied features will help pediatricians in the assessment of CAP in patients with cerebral palsy, and it will be useful in the management of antibiotic therapy in this patients.

Lifestyle as Risk Factor for Infectious Causes of Death in Young Dogs: A Retrospective Study in Southern Italy (2015–2017)

Infectious diseases are a common cause of death in young dogs. Several factors are thought to predispose young dogs to microbiological infections. Identifying the cause of death is often a challenge, and broad diagnostic analysis is often needed. Here, we aimed to determine the infectious causes of death in young dogs aged up to 1 year, examining how it relates to age (under and over 6 months), lifestyle (owned versus ownerless), breed (purebred and crossbreed), and gender. A retrospective study was conducted in a 3-year period (2015–2017) on 138 dead dogs that had undergone necropsy and microbiological diagnostics. Enteritis and pneumonia were the most commonly observed lesions. Polymicrobism was more prevalent (62.3%) than single-agent infections and associated with a higher rate of generalised lesions. Ownerless dogs showed over a three-fold higher predisposition to viral coinfections than owned dogs. Above all, canine parvovirus was the most prevalent agent (77.5%), followed by canine coronavirus (31.1%) and canine adenovirus (23.9%); ownerless pups had a higher predisposition to these viruses. Escherichia coli (23.9%), Clostridium perfringens type A (18.1%), and Enterococcus spp. (8.7%) were the most commonly identified bacteria, which mostly involved in coinfections. A lower prevalence of CDV and Clostridium perfringens type A was observed in puppies under 6 months of age. In conclusion, this study is the first comprehensive survey on a wide panel of microbiological agents related to necropsy lesions. It lays the groundwork for future studies attempting to understand the circulation of infectious agents in a determined area.