Isolamenti di Yersinia spp. da tamponi linguali e contenuto cecale di suini allevati in Campania

The Authors carried out a research of Yersinia genus in swines butchered in Campania in order to confirm the locai epidemiology of this microorganism. 194 caecal contents and 81 tongue swabs from 204 swines were examined. Yersinia was isolated in 26 samples (13%), with prevalence of strains of Yersinia enterocolitica biotype 1. All serotypes isolated were non pathogen for humans

Cluster of Pseudomonas aeruginosa catheter-related bloodstream infections traced to contaminated multidose heparinized saline solutions in a medical ward

Intravascular catheters are indispensable in modern medical practice; healthcare institutions purchase millions of them each year. The present study describes an outbreak of Pseudomonas aeruginosa catheter-related bloodstream infection (CRBSI) in a medical ward of the associated hospitals, a teaching hospital with 1005 beds, in Ancona, Italy, with details of the source of infection and the efficacy of the control measures adopted. The environmental strain of P. aeruginosa was isolated from the mixture of heparin and saline solution. Clinical and environmental isolates were identical at PFGE, showing that the outbreak had been caused by a single clone of P. aeruginosa. The frequency of P. aeruginosa bacteraemia depends on the population of patients studied; our patients did not show risk factors that increased their susceptibility to hospital infections. As these pathogens cannot be eradicated from the hospital environment, constant infection control measures are needed in order to prevent nosocomial infections

Fish oil supplementation reduces cortisol basal levels and perceived stress: A randomized, placebo-controlled trial in abstinent alcoholics

Behavioral distress and dysfunctions of hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenocortical (HPA) axis play a central role in alcohol abuse. Omega-3 fatty acids are proposed as having antistress, regulatory effects on HPA responsiveness, but a possible protective role in ethanol addiction is unexplored.A randomized, doubleblind, placebo-controlled trial was performed in male alcoholics undergoing residential rehabilitation program, to evaluate the effects of 3-week supplementation with fish-oil providing eicosapentaenoic (60 mg/day) and docosahexaenoic acid (252 mg/day) on perceived stress/anxiety and HPA activity, assessed by measuring saliva basal cortisol levels at various daytimes (0730 h, 1130 h, 1600 h, 2000 h, and 2400 h) and the acute cortisol response to Trier Social Stress Test.Results showed that in supplemented subjects, before versus after decrease of stress/anxiety ratings was accompanied by reduction of cortisol basal levels throughout the day; no changes were observed in placebo group. At the end of intervention, amplitude, and duration of stress-evoked cortisol response did not differ between groups; however, the peak of cortisol response was temporally anticipated in supplemented subjects. In conclusion, an elevated omega-3 intake may reduce distress symptoms and basal cortisol secretion in abstinent alcoholics, thus providing a valid subsidiary measure to increase the efficacy of rehabilitation programs in ethanol addicts