{"title":"Design and development of primers for detection of Streptococcus pneumoniae, Haemophilus influenzae, and Neisseria meningitidis.","authors":"Leila Azimi, Fatemeh Shirkavand, Shahnaz Armin, Fereshteh Karbasian, Hannan Khodaei","doi":"10.3205/dgkh000545","DOIUrl":"10.3205/dgkh000545","url":null,"abstract":"<p><strong>Background: </strong>The mortality rate of meningitis is still alarmingly high in certain regions across the globe. The objective of this research is to identify the most effective primers for detecting <i>Streptococcus (S.) pneumoniae, Haemophilus (H.) influenzae,</i> and <i>Neisseria (N.) meningitidis</i> using Real-Time PCR technology.</p><p><strong>Materials and methods: </strong>Two sets of primers were developed for detecting <i>S. pneumoniae, H. influenzae</i>, and <i>N. meningitidis</i> using the Primer Biosoft Allele ID 7.6 application. The study examined the minimum bacterial copy numbers detectable by each primer, as well as their specificity.</p><p><strong>Results: </strong><i>CtrA</i> and <i>hpd2</i> could detect the 400 copy numbers/ml of <i>H. influenzae</i>, and <i>N. meningitidis</i> and <i>LytA2</i> could detect the 40 copy numbers/ml of <i>S. pneumoniae</i>. The sensitivity and specificity of all primers was 100% (CI: 95%).</p><p><strong>Conclusion: </strong>Using more sensitive primers to detect the bacterial agent responsible for causing bacterial meningitis increases the chance of identifying the causative bacteria. The primers designed in this study could identify the selected bacteria with at least 10 times more sensitivity than the currently available commercial diagnostic kits in Iran.</p>","PeriodicalId":12738,"journal":{"name":"GMS Hygiene and Infection Control","volume":"20 ","pages":"Doc16"},"PeriodicalIF":1.7,"publicationDate":"2025-04-30","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC12101131/pdf/","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"144142327","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"OA","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
{"title":"Isolation, characterization, therapeutic and prophylactic applications of a lytic bacteriophage to combat multi-drug resistance Shigella flexneri: an animal study model.","authors":"Parisa Abbasi Fashami, Abazar Pournajaf, Nour Amirmozafari, Masoume Hallajzadeh, Vahid Pirhajati Mahabadi, Reza Saghiri, Soraya Khafri, Rezvan Golmoradi Zadeh, Sousan Akrami, Sajjad Asgharzadeh, Mehdi Rajabnia","doi":"10.3205/dgkh000543","DOIUrl":"10.3205/dgkh000543","url":null,"abstract":"<p><strong>Background: </strong><i>Shigella (S.) flexneri</i> is one of the most important causes of disease in children with diarrhea in Iran. Today, bacteriophages are an attractive option to resolve the drug resistance problem among pathogenic agents. Accordingly, the present study aimed to isolate a lytic bacteriophage of <i>S. flexneri</i> and investigate its impact on reducing excretion of <i>Shigella</i> in mouse models suffering from bacillary dysentery.</p><p><strong>Method: </strong><i>S. flexneri</i> ATCC12022 was used. Identification of the phage isolated from hospital wastewater was performed using Transmission Electron Microscopy (TEM). Stability tests were performed to determine the sensitivity of isolated phages to various factors such as temperature, pH and bile salts. A male Syrian mouse model (C57), with mice 6 weeks of age weighing 22-25 g, was used to ensure safety and efficacy of the bacteriophage in reducing <i>Shigella</i> in stool. Treatment with the phage was performed (I) 1 h before, (II) 1 h after, (III) 5 h after, and (IV) 1 h before +1 h after bacterial challenge.</p><p><strong>Results: </strong>TEM indicated that the bacteriophage used in this study belongs to the Myoviridae family. Administration of one dose of bacteriophage before the infection can accelerate improvement post-transfection, and administration of bacteriophage post-infection has a therapeutic influence.</p><p><strong>Conclusion: </strong><i>In vivo</i> and <i>in vitro</i> results indicate that our bacteriophage causes complete lysis of <i>S. flexneri</i>. Thus, this phage could be a therapeutic option for treating bacillary dysentery resulting from multidrug-resistant <i>S. flexneri</i>.</p>","PeriodicalId":12738,"journal":{"name":"GMS Hygiene and Infection Control","volume":"20 ","pages":"Doc14"},"PeriodicalIF":1.7,"publicationDate":"2025-04-30","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC12101133/pdf/","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"144142343","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"OA","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
{"title":"Comparison of antimicrobial efficacy of Acacia catechu mouthrinse and HiOra herbal mouthrinse and their influence on Streptococcus mutans count and Lactobacillus spp. count in children with early childhood caries.","authors":"Madhura Joshi, Shruthi B Patil","doi":"10.3205/dgkh000541","DOIUrl":"10.3205/dgkh000541","url":null,"abstract":"<p><strong>Background: </strong>Early childhood caries (ECC) is a chronic, infectious disease affecting young children. Though several preventive methods/measures are, the awareness about the benefits of a Ayurvedic preparation and its limited side effects is high. Thus, aim of this study was to compare efficacy of Ayurvedic formulations in reduction of the micro-organism causing ECC.</p><p><strong>Method: </strong>In a double-blind randomized, placebo-controlled trial 60 children between 6 and 71 months age with ECC were divided into group I (n=20, control group), group II (n=20, <i>Acacia catechu</i> group) and group III (n=20, HiOra group). Unstimulated saliva was collected pre and after 16<sup>th</sup> day post mouthrinse. The baseline microbiological colony count was performed for <i>Streptococcus mutans</i> and Lactobacillus spp. The results obtained were statistically analysed using non parametric test.</p><p><strong>Results: </strong>There was significant reduction in the amount of colony-forming units (cfu) between the control and the treatment groups. In the HiOra group the reduction of cfu was tendentially greater (p>0.05) than in the <i>Acacia catechu</i> group. In the HiOra group only significant reduction of <i>Streptococcus (S.) mutans</i> was seen, whereas in the <i>Acacia catechu</i> group significant reduction of <i>S. mutans</i> and Lactobacillus spp. was seen.</p><p><strong>Conclusion: </strong>Reduction in total microorganisms was less significant among the experimental groups. However the reduction in total colony count was greater in HiOra followed by <i>Acacia catechu</i> and the control group showed lesser reduction value.</p>","PeriodicalId":12738,"journal":{"name":"GMS Hygiene and Infection Control","volume":"20 ","pages":"Doc12"},"PeriodicalIF":1.7,"publicationDate":"2025-04-28","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC12101132/pdf/","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"144142259","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"OA","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
David Zeidler, Gwendolyn Scheumann, Claudia Baessler, Manuel Döhla, Dominic Preuß, Dominic Rauschning
{"title":"The whole is greater than the sum of its parts: effect of implementing an ABS consultation service in the ABS program on antibiotic consumption at a tertiary military hospital.","authors":"David Zeidler, Gwendolyn Scheumann, Claudia Baessler, Manuel Döhla, Dominic Preuß, Dominic Rauschning","doi":"10.3205/dgkh000540","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.3205/dgkh000540","url":null,"abstract":"<p><strong>Background: </strong>Infections with multidrug resistant (MDR) pathogens represent an enormous challenge for the healthcare system. By implementing the principles of Antibiotic Stewardship (ABS), the rational use of antibiotics is promoted to counteract the increasing development of resistance on the one hand and to ensure adequate treatment for patients on the other.</p><p><strong>Methods: </strong>An interdisciplinary ABS team has therefore been set up at the Bundeswehr Central Hospital and is available to medical staff every working day as part of a consultation and ward-rounds service. The work of the ABS team primarily serves to advise on the treatment, diagnosis and prevention of infectious diseases. It also intends to provide knowledge during the training of young medical officers in order to promote the rational use of antibiotics even outside the Bundeswehr Central Hospital.</p><p><strong>Results: </strong>Since the implementation of the consultation and ward-rounds service, antibiotic consumption at the Bundeswehr Central Hospital has been reduced by 25%. In this context, the halving of carbapenem consumption is particularly noteworthy. Furthermore, the rising number of consultation requests shows an increasing need for the service and acts as a marker for ABS awareness.</p><p><strong>Conclusion: </strong>The reduction in antibiotic consumption is not solely due to the mentioned service, but is also the result of interdisciplinary ABS measures.</p>","PeriodicalId":12738,"journal":{"name":"GMS Hygiene and Infection Control","volume":"20 ","pages":"Doc11"},"PeriodicalIF":1.7,"publicationDate":"2025-03-10","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC12060362/pdf/","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"143993173","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"OA","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Peter Melcher, Corinna Pietsch, Sandra Bergs, Yasmin Youssef, Paul Rahden, Pierre Hepp, Ralf Henkelmann
{"title":"Optimizing oropharyngeal swabbing techniques: the relationship between force applied and SARS-CoV-2 detection sensitivity.","authors":"Peter Melcher, Corinna Pietsch, Sandra Bergs, Yasmin Youssef, Paul Rahden, Pierre Hepp, Ralf Henkelmann","doi":"10.3205/dgkh000539","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.3205/dgkh000539","url":null,"abstract":"<p><strong>Aim: </strong>Nasopharyngeal and oropharyngeal swabs are essential for diagnosing SARS-CoV-2 infections, with nucleic acid testing (NAT) being the most sensitive method. However, NAT results are heavily influenced by preanalytical factors, including quality of the sample. This study examines the effect of applied force during oropharyngeal sampling on sample quality, specifically assessing cell count and the associated NAT cycle threshold (Ct) values.</p><p><strong>Methods: </strong>A three-phase investigation was conducted to explore the relationship between sampling force and cell quantity, as well as the impact of cell count on NAT sensitivity.</p><p><strong>Results: </strong>A significantly lower Ct value was achieved by artificially increasing the cell count in a swab sample and applying a greater force resulted in higher cell counts, but the opposite effect on Ct values of SARS-CoV-2 NAT was shown.</p><p><strong>Conclusion: </strong>These findings indicate that while applying greater force during sample collection increases the number of collected cells, it does not improve the sensitivity of SARS-CoV-2 detection and can even lead to poorer results. Further research should focus on optimizing swab design to improve sample quality and the number of cells obtained.</p>","PeriodicalId":12738,"journal":{"name":"GMS Hygiene and Infection Control","volume":"20 ","pages":"Doc10"},"PeriodicalIF":1.7,"publicationDate":"2025-03-07","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC12060361/pdf/","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"143963199","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"OA","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
{"title":"Oral mucosal lesions in pediatric patients.","authors":"Vasudevi Ramiah, Devaki Manivannan, Karthik Shunmugavelu, Barun Kumar, Evangeline Cynthia Dhinakaran","doi":"10.3205/dgkh000536","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.3205/dgkh000536","url":null,"abstract":"<p><p>Dental caries and periodontal diseases are the most common oral disorders, followed by other oral lesions, e.g., of the mucous membranes. This study aimed to identify the pattern and expression of oral mucosal lesions in a pediatric population. 100 patients between 3 and 16 years of age from the department of pediatrics in a multispeciality hospital were examined. The majority of them had oral lesions (68%), with traumatic ulceration being the most common.</p>","PeriodicalId":12738,"journal":{"name":"GMS Hygiene and Infection Control","volume":"20 ","pages":"Doc07"},"PeriodicalIF":1.7,"publicationDate":"2025-03-06","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC12059797/pdf/","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"144010986","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"OA","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Isah Musa Maishanu, Adeshina O Gbonjubola, Hussaini Mujahid, Busayo O Olayinka
{"title":"Molecular detection of phenol-soluble modulin-mec (PSM-mec) in Staphylococcus aureus clinical isolates from Federal Medical Center Birnin Kebbi, North-West, Nigeria.","authors":"Isah Musa Maishanu, Adeshina O Gbonjubola, Hussaini Mujahid, Busayo O Olayinka","doi":"10.3205/dgkh000538","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.3205/dgkh000538","url":null,"abstract":"<p><strong>Aim: </strong>This study was carried out to isolate and detect virulence genes associated with <i>Staphylococcus (S.) aureus</i> clinical isolates from the Federal Medical Center Birnin Kebbi, Nigeria.</p><p><strong>Methods: </strong>To obtain <i>S. aureus</i> isolates, samples were taken from urine, sputum, blood and wound sources. <i>S. aureus</i> was phenotypically identified using Microgen staph ID system and PSM-mec and PVL genes were detected using polymerase chain reaction (PCR).</p><p><strong>Results: </strong>A total of 48 non-duplicate <i>S. aureus</i> isolates were obtained (21 from wound swabs, 7 from blood, 15 from urine, and 5 from sputum). From the 14 <i>S. aureus</i> isolates examined by PCR, the most abundant gene was <i>PSM-mec</i> (42.8%), while the PVL was the least abundant with 21.4%.</p><p><strong>Conclusion: </strong>Because it gives highly specific and accurate results, it is essential to use the PCR technique to detect <i>S. aureus</i> virulence determinants as well as PSM-mec and PVL as targets for antimicrobial agents.</p>","PeriodicalId":12738,"journal":{"name":"GMS Hygiene and Infection Control","volume":"20 ","pages":"Doc09"},"PeriodicalIF":1.7,"publicationDate":"2025-03-06","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC12059804/pdf/","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"144013626","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"OA","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
{"title":"Letter to the editor regarding the paper \"S2k-Guideline hand antisepsis and hand hygiene\".","authors":"Maren Eggers, Katrin Steinhauer, Florin H H Brill","doi":"10.3205/dgkh000537","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.3205/dgkh000537","url":null,"abstract":"","PeriodicalId":12738,"journal":{"name":"GMS Hygiene and Infection Control","volume":"20 ","pages":"Doc08"},"PeriodicalIF":1.7,"publicationDate":"2025-03-06","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC12059810/pdf/","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"144014078","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"OA","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Maren Eggers, Nils-Olaf Hübner, Ulrike Helber-Soszynski, Johannes Blümel, Martin Exner, Jürgen Gebel, Carola Ilschner, Holger F Rabenau, Ingeborg Schwebke, Martin Enders
{"title":"Hygiene and disinfection measures for parvovirus B19 infections.","authors":"Maren Eggers, Nils-Olaf Hübner, Ulrike Helber-Soszynski, Johannes Blümel, Martin Exner, Jürgen Gebel, Carola Ilschner, Holger F Rabenau, Ingeborg Schwebke, Martin Enders","doi":"10.3205/dgkh000534","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.3205/dgkh000534","url":null,"abstract":"<p><strong>Background: </strong>In 2024, there has been a notable surge in the incidence of infections with parvovirus B19 (B19V). This development presents significant challenges, particularly for pregnant women, daycare centers, and medical facilities with vulnerable patients.</p><p><strong>Properties of b19v: </strong>B19V is transmitted primarily by droplet infection, directly and indirectly through contaminated surfaces. It is highly contagious and can have serious health consequences for at-risk groups, especially for pregnant women and immunocompromised individuals. There is not yet much data available on the specific tenacity/replication capacity of B19V, which is why empirical values from animal parvoviruses regarding sensitivity to disinfectants are used.</p><p><strong>Recommendations for hygiene measures: </strong>In order to prevent the further spread of B19V, an advisory has been prepared by experts from the Association for Applied Hygiene (VAH), in collaboration with the \"Virus Disinfection\" commission of the German Association for the Control of Virus Diseases (DVV) and the Society for Virology (GfV). This advisory is based on a risk assessment and the specific properties of B19V, and it outlines the necessary hygiene measures, including the selection of suitable disinfectants, to be taken in various areas in order to prevent the virus from spreading further. In the domestic setting, fundamental hygiene practices include thorough handwashing, refraining from touching the eyes, mouth, and nose, the use of a medical mask in the absence of physical distancing, and the frequent ventilation of rooms. In a medical setting, for example, the disinfection of surfaces in close proximity to the patient with an active virucidal agent and the use of gloves are also recommended when dealing with infected or potentially infected individuals.</p>","PeriodicalId":12738,"journal":{"name":"GMS Hygiene and Infection Control","volume":"20 ","pages":"Doc05"},"PeriodicalIF":1.7,"publicationDate":"2025-03-05","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC12059808/pdf/","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"144063460","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"OA","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Sebastian Beltz, Stephanie Fischer, Frank Huenger, Reza Vahdad, Hermann Kalhoff, Andreas Leutner
{"title":"Better care for children with appendicitis: implementation of antibiotic stewardship optimizes postoperative therapy.","authors":"Sebastian Beltz, Stephanie Fischer, Frank Huenger, Reza Vahdad, Hermann Kalhoff, Andreas Leutner","doi":"10.3205/dgkh000535","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.3205/dgkh000535","url":null,"abstract":"<p><strong>Aim: </strong>Appendectomy is the most frequent emergency abdominal operation in children, who regularly present with complicated acute appendicitis and thus need targeted antibiotic therapy. While in other fields antibiotic stewardship (ABS) is becoming increasingly well established, these principles are not consistently followed in pediatric surgery. With this study, we aimed to analyze the effects of the implementation of an ABS-compliant SOP on the postoperative care of patients.</p><p><strong>Material and methods: </strong>We compared the quality of antibiotic therapy before and after the implementation of standard operating procedure (SOP) for the peri-/postoperative antibiotic treatment of appendicitis in 2020. Pediatric patients who had undergone appendectomy were evaluated based on an algorithm presenting recommended antibiotic therapy of appendicitis, according to the current literature and good clinical practice. 165 patients were evaluated before and 209 patients after the implementation of SOP.</p><p><strong>Results: </strong>The mean number of cases in which antibiotic therapy was given postoperatively was 10.5% lower (p-value 0.036) and the median quality-of-treatment score increased by 31.2% (p<0.0001) after the implementation of the SOP. The median length of antibiotic treatment in cases of advanced-stage appendicitis was 2.0 days shorter (p=0.062). The rate of oral antibiotic treatment after discharge decreased by 25.6% (p<0.0001). We observed no significant effects on the median length of hospital stay or the complication rate.</p><p><strong>Conclusion: </strong>The implementation of SOP based on the principles of ABS positively influenced the quality of treatment after pediatric appendectomy. The algorithm developed in this study may help pediatric surgeons to improve their antimicrobial assessment.</p>","PeriodicalId":12738,"journal":{"name":"GMS Hygiene and Infection Control","volume":"20 ","pages":"Doc06"},"PeriodicalIF":1.7,"publicationDate":"2025-03-05","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC12059807/pdf/","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"143998075","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"OA","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}