tst1-positive ST22-MRSA-IVa in healthy Italian preschool children

A survey was performed in May 2013 to assess methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA) nasal colonization in healthy children attending 26 municipal daycare centres in Palermo, Italy. Of the 500 children, ten (2 %) tested positive. Eight MRSA isolates were tst1-positive ST22-MRSA-IVa, spa t223; the other two isolates were identified as ST1-IVa and ST398-V, respectively. tst1-positive ST22-MRSA, spa t223 has been previously identified only in the Middle Eastern area

A survey on knowledge and self-reported formula handling practices of parents and child care workers in Palermo, Italy

Powdered infant formula (PIF) is not a sterile product, but this information appears to be poorly diffused among child caregivers. Parents and child care workers may behave in an unsafe manner when handling PIF. Methods: This study involved parents and child care workers in the 24 municipal child care centres of Palermo. Knowledge and self-reported practices about PIF handling were investigated by a structured questionnaire. A Likert scale was used to measure the strength of the respondent's feelings. Association of knowledge and self-reported practices with demographic variables was also evaluated. Results: 42.4% of parents and 71.0% of child care workers filled in the questionnaire. Significant differences were found between parents and child care workers for age and education. 73.2% of parents and 84.4% of child care workers were confident in sterility of PIF. Generally, adherence to safe procedures when reconstituting and handling PIF was more frequently reported by child care workers who, according to the existing legislation, are regularly subjected to a periodic training on food safety principles and practices. Age and education significantly influenced the answers to the questionnaire of both parents and child care workers. Conclusion: The results of the study reveal that parents and child care workers are generally unaware that powdered formulas may contain viable microorganisms. However, child care workers consistently chose safer options than parents when answering the questions about adherence to hygienic practices. At present it seems unfeasible to produce sterile PIF, but the risk of growth of hazardous organisms in formula at the time of administration should be minimized by promoting safer behaviours among caregivers to infants in both institutional settings and home. \ua9 2009 Calamusa et al; licensee BioMed Central Ltd

Immunization status of internationally adopted children in Italy.

An increasing number of internationally adopted children is coming to Italy, and their immunization status is unknown. We evaluated the immunization status of such children in Palermo, Italy. We searched for the presence of a BCG scar in 88 children, 49 boys and 39 girls (mean age 76+/-32 months), most of whom (98%) came from Eastern Europe. Presence of BCG scar was observed in 59 (67.1%) of them, included five children without any pre-adoptive medical records. Twenty-three out of 29 children without any evidence of BCG scar were tested by Mantoux. Seven (30.4%) of 23 were tuberculin positive and diagnosed as having latent tuberculosis infection. We also examined immunization status against poliovirus 1-3, tetanus, diphtheria, pertussis, measles, mumps, rubella and hepatitis B of 70 internationally adopted children and we compared it with the pre-adoptive immunization records of their birth country. Protective titers (>1:8) against poliovirus 1-3, were found respectively in 67.1%, 91.4%, 42.8% of 70 immunized children, and only 38.5% of them had at the same time full protection against all three types of poliovirus. Protective titers against tetanus and diphtheria were found in 91.4% and 95.7% of 70 vaccinated children. Presence of antibodies against pertussis, measles, mumps and rubella was observed respectively in 16 (32.6%) of 49, 40 (62.5%) of 64, 28 (56%) of 50 and 24 (85.7%) of 28 children who had received the vaccine. As regards hepatitis B, only 20 of 29 vaccinated children had detectable hepatitis B surface antibodies, while four of 29 vaccinated and two of 41 not vaccinated children were positive for both hepatitis B surface antibodies and hepatitis B core antibodies. Finally three of 41 not vaccinated children were both hepatitis B surface antigen and hepatitis B core antibodies positive. No relation was found between health status and immunization and between age and antibody positiveness of vaccinated children except for hepatitis B, therefore the youngest immunized children were more likely to be hepatitis B surface antibodies positive. Our data suggest that internationally adopted children should be tested for their immunization status on arrival in the adopting country, because they are not protected in a sufficient way against vaccine-preventable diseases and their pre-adoptive immunization records sometimes are lacking and frequently are scarcely reliable

INDAGINI PRELIMINARI SULLA PRESENZA DI CRONOBACTER (ENTEROBACTER SAKAZAKII ) NEL LATTE IN POLVERE

Cronobacter ( Enterobacter sakazakii ) is an emerging foodborne pathogen that causes neonatal meningitis , necrotizing enterocolitis and sepsis with case-fatality rates of 20- 50%. Contaminated infant formula has been epidemiologically identifi ed as the source of transmission, although this organism has been isolated from a wide range of foods, food ingredients or food production environments