Hand Washing: A Cornerstone to Prevent the Transmission of Diarrhoeal Infection

Abstract: The present study was on the effect of hand washing in reducing spread of diarrhoeal infection among students. A total of 400 hand swab samples of 100 students were analyzed before and after hand washing and hands of all students were found to harbor bacterial pathogens which include Staphylococcus sp. . The data indicates that the hands of the male (42%) were less contaminated than female (58%). The present study showed clear evidence of 54% decrease in microbial flora after hand washing. Thus, it can be concluded that hand washing is a cornerstone to prevent the diarrhoeal infection

Evaluation of antibacterial potential of Trikatu churna and its ingredients: An in vitro study

Herbal medicines are being used increasingly as dietary supplements to fight or prevent common disease. The dried fruits of Piper nigrum L. (Piperaceae), Piper longum L. (Piperaceae) and rhizome of Zingiber officinale Roscoe. (Zingiberaceae) were powdered and mixed together in equiproportions to get a polyherbal formulation, Trikatu churna. The aqueous, ethanol, methanol and acetone extracts of these plant’s fruits and Trikatu churna were prepared and antibacterial activities were tested by disc diffusion method against enteric bacterial pathogens such as Escherichia coli, Staphylococcus aureus, Pseudomonas aeruginosa, Proteus vulgaris, Staphylococcus epidermidis, Salmonella typhi, Salmonella typhimurium and Enterobacter aerogenes. The extracts of Piper longum, Piper nigrum and Zingiber officinale were found antibacterial to all bacterial pathogen tested. Trikatu churna exhibited potent antibacterial activity; this might be due to the multifunctional effect of all the three plant ingredients of Trikatu churna. Antibacterial activity of Trikatu churna and its ingredients was carried out in attempt to support the use of Trikatu churna for the treatment of enteric bacterial infections.Keywords: Antibacterial activity, Trikatu churna, bacterial pathogens

Evaluation of antibacterial potential of Trikatu churna and its ingredients: An in vitro study

Herbal medicines are being used increasingly as dietary supplements to fight or prevent common disease. The dried fruits of Piper nigrum L. (Piperaceae), Piper longum L. (Piperaceae) and rhizome of Zingiber officinale Roscoe. (Zingiberaceae) were powdered and mixed together in equiproportions to get a polyherbal formulation, Trikatu churna. The aqueous, ethanol, methanol and acetone extracts of these plant’s fruits and Trikatu churna were prepared and antibacterial activities were tested by disc diffusion method against enteric bacterial pathogens such as Escherichia coli, Staphylococcus aureus, Pseudomonas aeruginosa, Proteus vulgaris, Staphylococcus epidermidis, Salmonella typhi, Salmonella typhimurium and Enterobacter aerogenes. The extracts of Piper longum, Piper nigrum and Zingiber officinale were found antibacterial to all bacterial pathogen tested. Trikatu churna exhibited potent antibacterial activity; this might be due to the multifunctional effect of all the three plant ingredients of Trikatu churna. Antibacterial activity of Trikatu churna and its ingredients was carried out in attempt to support the use of Trikatu churna for the treatment of enteric bacterial infections.Keywords: Antibacterial activity, Trikatu churna, bacterial pathogens

PREVALENCE AND ANTIMICROBIAL SUSCEPTIBILITY PATTERN OF METHICILLIN RESISTANT STAPHYLOCOCCUS AUREUS FROM HEALTHCARE AND COMMUNITY ASSOCIATED SOURCES

Methicillin resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA) is an important nosocomial pathogen. We report the prevalence and antibiotic susceptibility pattern of MRSA in Amravati, Maharashtra state (India). A total of 150 healthcare-associated (HA) sources (doctors mobiles phone and wound/pus swabs), and 160 community-associated (CA) sources (hand swab) were screened for MRSA and their antibiotic resistance pattern was performed. Out of 41 isolated strains of S. aureus, 77% from HA and 50% CA samples were found to be methicillin resistant. There were high prevalence of MRSA in doctor’s mobile phone (83%) and wound/pus (71%) (HA sources) than the hand swab. Almost all HA and CA MRSA strains were resistant to penicillin and penicillin V (100%) followed by cloxacillin and cephalexin, co-trimoxazole. About 56 - 67% HA and CA-MRSA strains were resistance to erythromycin, ceftazidime, lincomycin, ceftazidime, cephalexin, erythromycin and tetracycline indicating high degree of multi-resistance MRSA prevalence in the region. However, 67% strains of CA and 56% strains of HA were sensitive to vancomycin. The study showed high prevalence of MRSA in hospital setting indicating need of good control measures such as proper hand hygiene, avoiding mobile phone while wound dressing and treating patient, surveillance cultures and monitoring of susceptibility patterns of MRSA may also help in arresting the spread of infections in this part of India

HAND HYGIENE AND HEALTH: AN EPIDEMIOLOGICAL STUDY OF STUDENTS IN AMRAVATI

Hands may be the most important means by which enteric pathogens are transmitted. Skin hygiene particularly of the hands, has been accepted as a primary mechanism to control the spread of infectious agents. Therefore the present study was undertaken to evaluate the number and type of enteric bacterial pathogens associated with hands. A total of 160 hands swab samples of 80 students of KG, PS, SS, UG, and PG were analyzed. Pathogens were isolated from hands includes Escherichia coli (22%), Pseudomonas aeruginosa (12%), Staphylococcus aureus (15%), Proteus mirabilis (11%), Citrobacter freundii (10%), Enterobacter aerogenes (8%), Streptococcus sp. (7%), Klebsiella sp. (6%), Micrococcus sp. (5%) and Salmonella typhi (4%). The prevalence of the bacterial pathogens was high in students of K.G. and primary than those in secondary schools and colleges. The data indicated that the hands of the female were more contaminated than male and the left hand was more contaminated than the right hand. Thus, the potential risk factors for transmission of enteric pathogens through hands should be investigated in order to improve the general health of the students

Virulence Characteristics and Genetic Affinities of Multiple Drug Resistant Uropathogenic Escherichia coli from a Semi Urban Locality in India

Extraintestinal pathogenic Escherichia coli (ExPEC) are of significant health concern. The emergence of drug resistant E. coli with high virulence potential is alarming. Lack of sufficient data on transmission dynamics, virulence spectrum and antimicrobial resistance of certain pathogens such as the uropathogenic E. coli (UPEC) from countries with high infection burden, such as India, hinders the infection control and management efforts. In this study, we extensively genotyped and phenotyped a collection of 150 UPEC obtained from patients belonging to a semi-urban, industrialized setting near Pune, India. The isolates representing different clinical categories were analyzed in comparison with 50 commensal E. coli isolates from India as well as 50 ExPEC strains from Germany. Virulent strains were identified based on hemolysis, haemagglutination, cell surface hydrophobicity, serum bactericidal activity as well as with the help of O serotyping. We generated antimicrobial resistance profiles for all the clinical isolates and carried out phylogenetic analysis based on repetitive extragenic palindromic (rep)-PCR. E. coli from urinary tract infection cases expressed higher percentages of type I (45%) and P fimbriae (40%) when compared to fecal isolates (25% and 8% respectively). Hemolytic group comprised of 60% of UPEC and only 2% of E. coli from feces. Additionally, we found that serum resistance and cell surface hydrophobicity were not significantly (p = 0.16/p = 0.51) associated with UPEC from clinical cases. Moreover, clinical isolates exhibited highest resistance against amoxicillin (67.3%) and least against nitrofurantoin (57.3%). We also observed that 31.3% of UPEC were extended-spectrum beta-lactamase (ESBL) producers belonging to serotype O25, of which four were also positive for O25b subgroup that is linked to B2-O25b-ST131-CTX-M-15 virulent/multiresistant type. Furthermore, isolates from India and Germany (as well as global sources) were found to be genetically distinct with no evidence to espouse expansion of E. coli from India to the west or vice-versa

Optimization of the production and partial characterization of an extracellular alkaline protease from thermo-halo-alkalophilic lonar lake bacteria, Bioscience Discovery

ABSTRACT LONAR Lake, an impact crater located in the Buldhana district of Maharashtra State, India is occupied by saline water and harbors various unidentified, unique haloalkaliphilic bacterial bacillus species which produces thermo-halo-alkaliphilic proteases. The present study deals with the isolation, production dynamics, purification, characterization and optimization of a protease from Bacillus pseudofirmus, Cohnella thermotolerans and Bacillus odysseyi isolated and identified by 16S rRNA ribotyping from the Alkaline Lonar Lake. The Bacillus pseudofirmus, Cohnella thermotolerans and Bacillus odysseyi produced protease at maximum rate after 72 h of incubation at 37 0 C with agitation speed of 120 rpm and 5% of starter culture. The best carbon sources for this Bacillus pseudofirmus, Cohnella thermotolerans and Bacillus odysseyi were fructose, maltose, starch and lactose respectively where as the best nitrogen sources were yeast extract, soy tone and soyabean cake respectively. While the most effective inorganic nitrogen sources was ammonium carbonate for Bacillus pseudofirmus, Cohnella thermotolerans and urea for Bacillus odysseyi. Supplementation of the culture medium with amino acid L-glutamic acid for Bacillus pseudofirmus and L-glycine for Cohnella thermotolerans and Bacillus odysseyi and metal ion Mg 2+ for all the three bacillus species improved the protease production substantially. Under these conditions, newly isolated Bacillus pseudofirmus, Cohnella thermotolerans and Bacillus odysseyi strain were found to produce alkaline proteases at a maximum rate of optimum pH 10 and temperature at 75 0 C