International Journal of Infection最新文献

{"title":"Investigation of the Microbial Contamination of the Hands of Healthcare Workers in Different Wards of Sheikh Hospital in Mashhad","authors":"Zoleikha Avestan, Mohammad Jami, Marziyeh Mirzaei, Yousef Amini, K. Ghazvini, H. Safdari, Aida Gholobi, Hadi Farsiani","doi":"10.5812/iji-130579","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.5812/iji-130579","url":null,"abstract":"Background: Many nosocomial infections, which cause death and cost society, may be transmitted through healthcare workers’ contacts. Preventive health measures greatly reduce their prevalence. Objectives: This study aimed to investigate the microbial contamination of healthcare workers’ hands in different wards of Sheikh Hospital. In addition, the alcohol-based hand sanitizers’ ability to reduce microbial load of nosocomial infections was evaluated. Methods: The present study was performed in spring 2019. Thirty-two nurses’ hand samples were obtained from different wards of the hospital, including emergency, ICU, surgery, peritoneal dialysis, nephrology, and hematology-oncology. Biochemical tests determined the isolates. Participants’ hands were cleaned using a standard procedure using soap and 70% isopropyl alcohol-based hand sanitizer. Results: Different species, including coagulase-negative Staphylococcus (CoNS), Klebsiella pneumoniae, Staphylococcus aureus, Escherichia coli, Pseudomonas aeruginosa, Bacillus, Klebsiella oxytoca, Acinetobacter baumannii, Stenotrophomonas maltophilia, and Burkholderia cepacia complex were isolated. Following hand hygiene procedure, the most effective decontamination for a wide variety of organisms was observed. Conclusion: Separation of dangerous pathogenic bacteria such as S. aureus, K. pneumoniae, and E. coli from healthcare workers may be a great warning sign for these infections in the hospital. Therefore, hand hygiene procedures may be considered an appropriate method to decrease nosocomial infections.","PeriodicalId":13989,"journal":{"name":"International Journal of Infection","volume":"76 1","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":0.0,"publicationDate":"2022-09-14","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"83841335","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Prevalence of Intestinal Parasitic Infection and Associated Risk Factors Among Primary School-Aged Children (5 - 15 years) in Southern Nigeria","authors":"J. Gbonhinbor, A. Abah, Grace Awi-waadu","doi":"10.5812/iji-123721","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.5812/iji-123721","url":null,"abstract":"Background: In Nigeria, intestinal parasitic infection (IPI) is one of the neglected tropical diseases of public health importance. Objectives: This study investigated intestinal parasitic infection and associated risk factors among primary school-aged children in Sagbama Local Government Area, Bayelsa State, Nigeria. Methods: A total of 622 stool samples (335 males and 287 females) were collected from 13 primary schools in nine communities and analyzed using parasitological techniques (direct wet mount and formal ether concentration method). The Tukey Honest Significance Difference test (HSD) was used to determine the association and variation between prevalence and socioeconomic variables. Results: Nine parasite species were encountered with a total prevalence of 23.95%, including Ascaris lumbricoides (7.32%), Entamoeba histolytica (4.98%), Strongyloides stercorals (2.09%), Giardia lamblia (1.93%), Hookworm (1.77%), Trichuris trichiura (1.61%), Schistosoma mansoni (1.45%), Diphyllobotium latium (0.64%) and Fasciola hepatica (0.32%). A total of 4.50% of infections were mixed. With 30.26%, the age group 5 - 7 years had the highest infection rate. The second most prevalent age group was 8 - 10 years old (26.53%), while the least prevalent age group was 14 - 16 years old (12.60%). Males were more infected with the disease, 25.07%, than females, 22.65%. Ascaris lumbricoides were the most predominantcommon parasites encountered across the nine communities. There was a significant difference between the infected population in the nine communities at P < 0.05 (P = 0.001). Conclusions: There was a relatively high prevalence of intestinal parasitic infection among primary school children in Sagbama local government area. Improved sanitation, safe drinking water, and set-up health education in the communities will reduce the exacerbation of the infection in the area.","PeriodicalId":13989,"journal":{"name":"International Journal of Infection","volume":"60 1","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":0.0,"publicationDate":"2022-08-30","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"90622855","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Vitamin D Status in COVID-19 Patients Versus Non-COVID-19 Individuals and Its Association with the Severity of Infection","authors":"Yasamin Khosravani-Nezhad, M. Zangeneh, M. Mesgarian, S. Siadat, Mohammad Bagheri-Mansouri, Zahra Vosoughi","doi":"10.5812/iji-124057","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.5812/iji-124057","url":null,"abstract":"Background: The recent severe acute respiratory syndrome-coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) has resulted in millions of confirmed cases of infection and death. Vitamin D modulates the adaptive and innate immune systems; therefore, vitamin D deficiency may be related to the severity of coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19). Methods: This study was performed on 122 COVID-19 patients and 122 non-COVID-19 individuals to determine the possible relationship between vitamin D deficiency and COVID-19 severity. Besides, the relationship between vitamin D status and the severity of disease was investigated in 49 patients without an underlying disease. The COVID-19 severity was defined based on O2 saturation, respiratory rate, and pulmonary involvement. Also, vitamin D status was defined as follows: vitamin D deficiency (< 30 ng/mL) and vitamin D sufficiency (≥ 30 ng/mL). Results: The mean age of 122 COVID-19 patients, including 71 (58.2%) male patients and 51 (41.8%) women patients, was 59 ± 16 years in this study, while the mean age of the controls, including 61 male participants and 61 female participants, was 48 ± 13 years (P < 0.05). The mean vitamin D level was 34.14 ± 1 ng/mL in the patients and 32.94 ± 1 ng/mL in the controls (P = 0.872). However, there was no significant correlation in none of all the 122 patients and 49 patients without an underlying disease (P = 0.074, P = 0.261). Conclusions: Based on the present findings, the correlation between vitamin D status and COVID-19 severity was not significant neither in 122 patients, and nor in 49 patients without an underlying disease.","PeriodicalId":13989,"journal":{"name":"International Journal of Infection","volume":"2005 1","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":0.0,"publicationDate":"2022-07-27","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"83005478","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Assessment of Circulating Nurses’ Aseptic Practices in Orthopedic and General Surgeries of Public Hospitals in Shiraz, Iran","authors":"Hamed Parnikh, R. Kalantari, Samaneh Dehghan Abnavi, Mehdi Hasanshahi, Somayeh Gheysari","doi":"10.5812/iji-123759","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.5812/iji-123759","url":null,"abstract":"Background: Infection is a possible problem in operating rooms. The aseptic technique is one of the circulating nurses’ duties to prevent infections and keep patients safe against microorganisms in the operating room. Objectives: This study aimed to assess the circulating nurses’ aseptic practices in orthopedic and general surgeries. Methods: This cross-sectional study was conducted on 296 circulating nurses who worked in public hospitals in Shiraz, Iran, during the 2020 summer. Data collection tools included a demographics questionnaire and the Aseptic Practices among Circulating Nurses Scale. The data were collected after the assessment of the psychometric properties of the tool. The data were analyzed using SPSS software (version 22). Results: The mean score of the aseptic practice scale was 3.50 out of 5. Although the aseptic practice score was higher than the average level, the circulating nurses had low scores in several items. Age and work experience had a weak negative correlation with the “establishment of a sterile field” subscale. The aseptic practice score was significantly different in circulating nurses with different academic educational levels. Conclusions: There is a need to improve some aseptic practices. Supplying the hospitals with necessary materials, using appropriate guidelines and educational programs, supervising, and setting appropriate policies can help improve aseptic practices.","PeriodicalId":13989,"journal":{"name":"International Journal of Infection","volume":"85 1","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":0.0,"publicationDate":"2022-07-13","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"81241631","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Breast Tuberculosis: A Report of Two Cases","authors":"Meghraj Kundan, P. Aswin, Garima Tyagi, M. Ghosh","doi":"10.5812/iji-116425","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.5812/iji-116425","url":null,"abstract":"Introduction: Breast Tuberculosis is relatively uncommon in the modern era. However, it is necessary to understand how to manage this disease since most patients require medical management, despite presenting as a lump. Case Presentation: Both patients were young females presented with lump breasts. Bilateral breast ultrasound with axilla was suggestive of infective aetiology. Fine needle aspiration cytology (FNAC) revealed ZN stain positive acid-fast bacilli. Both patients were started on anti tubercular treatment. One patient had complete resolution of the lump; however, another patient developed an abscess drained via percutaneous aspiration. Subsequently, the dissolution of the lump was observed. Conclusions: The diagnosis of breast tuberculosis is challenging and involves constant vigilance, detailed clinical history, examination, and supporting investigations, including chest X-ray, breast ultrasound with axilla, CT thorax, FNAC, and blood investigations such as erythrocyte sedimentation rate and Mantoux test. After diagnosis, treatment with antitubercular drugs should be started and regularly followed up. Inappropriate diagnosis and treatment can result in complications such as the non-resolution of lump and/or abscess.","PeriodicalId":13989,"journal":{"name":"International Journal of Infection","volume":"19 1","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":0.0,"publicationDate":"2022-06-30","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"87778688","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Comorbidities, Infections, and Mortalities of COVID-19 in Bangladesh During May-June 2021","authors":"Ahasan Ullah Khan, R. Akter, Foyj Ullah Khan, S. Khanom, B. Das, A. Khan, A. Afsana","doi":"10.5812/iji-118083","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.5812/iji-118083","url":null,"abstract":"Background: COVID-19 is the serious ruin of the current century that emaciated health, economy, and everyday life. Objectives: This research assessed the condition and relation of tests, infections, recoveries, and deaths of SARS-CoV-2 from May 1 to June 30, 2021. Methods: The research plan was carried out from May 1 to June 30, 2021 (N = 61 days) to state the position of Bangladesh towards widespread COVID-19. The information in this study was obtained from different government organizations. Results: The total cases, infections, recoveries, and deaths were 1100361, 149576, 136159, and 2864, respectively, during the study period. In May 2021, the total number of COVID-19 tests, infections, recoveries, and deaths was 439111, 36858, 49147, and 975, respectively. In June 2021, the total number of COVID-19 tests, infections, recoveries, and deaths was 661250, 112718, 87012, and 1889, respectively. The maximum number of COVID-19 infections was 1914 on May 4, recoveries 3870 on May 4, and deaths 69 on May 2. The minimum number of COVID-19 infections was 261 on May 15, recoveries 601 on May 16, and deaths 17 on May 26. The maximum number of COVID-19 infections was 8822, and recoveries were 4550 on June 30, while deaths were 119 on June 27. The minimum number of COVID-19 infections was 1447, and recoveries were 1667 on June 5, while deaths were 30 on June 3 and 7. In May and June, a positive correlation was observed between the tests and infections, recoveries, and deaths, and a negative relationship was found between a date with daily tests of COVID-19 (R2 = 0.8359, 0.2147, 0.1424, and 0.0035 and R2 = 0.6016, 1, 1, and 0.6488). At the 0.01 level of two-tailed Spearman, the relationships were positive and moderate to strong. The Spearman relationship for infections, recoveries, and deaths was 0.606, 0.756, 0.689, and 0.736. This research additionally showed a moderate to strong relationship between tests, infections, recoveries, and deaths of SARS-CoV-2. Conclusions: COVID-19 has spread rapidly to 64 districts in Bangladesh. The continuing occurrence of COVID-19 infections has emphasized the importance of the quick and developed 118 laboratory diagnoses to limit its spread. In this situation, people should avoid public gatherings as much as possible and return home as soon as possible after finishing work.","PeriodicalId":13989,"journal":{"name":"International Journal of Infection","volume":"31 1","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":0.0,"publicationDate":"2022-06-06","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"80767670","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Microsatellite Signature of Reference Genome Sequence of SARS-CoV-2 and 32 Species of Coronaviridae Family","authors":"Rezwanuzzaman Laskar, Md Gulam Jilani, Taslima Nasrin, Safdar Ali","doi":"10.5812/iji-122019","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.5812/iji-122019","url":null,"abstract":"Background: Simple sequence repeats (SSRs) are 1 - 6 bp repeat motif sequences present across both prokaryotic and eukaryotic genomes with various clinical implications besides being tools for conservation and evolutionary studies. Objectives: Analysis of 33 Coronavirus genomes, including severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2), for incidence, distribution, and complexity of SSRs patterns to understand their role in host divergence and evolution. Methods: Full-length genome sequences were extracted from National Center for Biotechnology Information (NCBI). Extraction of microsatellites was done using imperfect microsatellite extractor (IMEx) in “Advanced Mode”. Sequences were aligned with MAFFT v6.861b and the maximum likelihood tree was inferred using RAxML v8.1.20 of the GTR + GAMMA+I model with default specifications. Results: A total of 3,442 SSRs and 136 complex sequence repeats (cSSRs) were extracted from the studied 33 genomes. SSR incidence ranged from 82 (CV09) to 144 (CV60). cSSR incidence ranged from 1 (CV42, CV43, CV53) to 11 (CV32). CV61 (SARS-CoV-2) had 107 SSRs and 6 SSRs. Di-nucleotide motifs were the most prevalent followed by tri- and mono-nucleotide motifs. TG/GT was the most represented di-nucleotide motif, followed by CA/AC. In tri-nucleotide SSRs, ACA/TGT was the most represented motif followed by CAA/GTT, whereas in mono-nucleotide SSRs, T was the most observed nucleotide, followed by A. About 94% of SSRs were localized to the coding region. Twenty species, including CV61 (SARS-CoV-2), exhibit mono-nucleotide repeats exclusively in the A/T region, which were clustered in phylogenetic analysis. The sequence similarity of the genomes was assessed through heat map analysis and revealed similar sequences are expectedly placed in proximity on the phylogenetic tree. Conclusions: Mono-nucleotide exclusivity to A/T region and SSR genome signature can be a possible basis for predicting the evolution of viruses in terms of host range.","PeriodicalId":13989,"journal":{"name":"International Journal of Infection","volume":"66 1","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":0.0,"publicationDate":"2022-05-31","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"87207674","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Review of Molecular Approaches in Leishmaniasis Vaccines: Implications and Restrictions","authors":"Ail Fattahi Bafghi, E. Rezaee, S. Ahmadi, Mostafa Gholamrezaei, Nima Firouzeh","doi":"10.5812/iji-121894","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.5812/iji-121894","url":null,"abstract":": Leishmaniasis, a cosmopolitan parasitic infection, is a sandfly-borne parasitic disease caused by different species of Leishmania. Many attempts have been made to discover effective and safe vaccines against leishmaniasis, but most of them are not accompanied by promising results. During the last decade, the characterization of new antigens for potential vaccine candidates based on classical and molecular protocols has been a hot research topic in immunological science. The present review focuses on the development and the status of various vaccines and potential vaccine candidates against leishmaniasis. Here, molecular approaches to leishmaniasis vaccine development are described. Also, implications and restrictions are discussed.","PeriodicalId":13989,"journal":{"name":"International Journal of Infection","volume":"26 1","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":0.0,"publicationDate":"2022-05-22","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"83225344","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Effects of Interferon β1-a Administration in the First Versus Second Week of Treatment on Recovery in Patients with COVID-19: A Retrospective Study","authors":"H. Samimagham, M. Hassani Azad, M. Arabi, Sara Ghazizadeh, Alireza Malektojjari, Golbahar Ghasemi, Mitra Kazemi Jahromi","doi":"10.5812/iji-119391","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.5812/iji-119391","url":null,"abstract":"Background: COVID-19, an acute respiratory disease caused and transmitted by SARS-COV-2 virus, has turned into a major global concern since 2019. In severe cases, the elevated levels of immune cells cause inappropriate responses. To date, no medications have been approved for COVID-19. Methods: The present retrospective cohort study was designed and conducted in Shahid Mohammadi Hospital, Bandar Abbas, Iran, in 2020. Eligible patients with confirmed COVID-19 based on PCR test were included (n = 200) and allocated to two groups to receive interferon β1-a (IFNβ1-a) either in the first or in the second week of treatment (IFN week 1 and IFN week 2 groups, respectively). The primary objective of this study was to compare the effectiveness of IFNβ1-a administration in the first and the second week of treatment on patient mortality. The secondary objective was to investigate the difference between the two groups in terms of laboratory data and length of hospitalization. The data were analyzed using Chi-square and Fisher’s exact tests. Results: The study population was divided into two equal groups. IFNw1 group received IFNβ1-a in the first week and IFNw2 group in the second week of treatment. The two groups matched in terms of baseline demographic data. The mortality rate was significantly lower in the IFNw1 group (13% vs. 18%; P-value = 0.01). At discharge, C-reactive protein (CRP) was clearly reduced in the IFNw1 group compared to the IFNw2 group (15 ± 12 vs. 24 ± 16; P-value = 0.02), but other lab variables did not show a significant difference between the two groups. Conclusions: There was a relationship between IFNβ1-a administration time and the trend of recovery in patients with moderate COVID-19. Administration of IFNβ1-a in the first days of treatment can reduce inflammatory factors and mortality rates in these patients.","PeriodicalId":13989,"journal":{"name":"International Journal of Infection","volume":"44 1","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":0.0,"publicationDate":"2022-04-10","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"79669461","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"The Association Between Physical Activity Level of CVD Patients and Rate of Covid-19 Incidence","authors":"R. Hoseini, Z. Hoseini, Elahe Bahmani, Mahsa Ahmadi Darmian","doi":"10.5812/iji.118853","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.5812/iji.118853","url":null,"abstract":"Background: Decreased physical activity level (PAL) and consequent lifestyle alterations might induce cardiovascular diseases (CVDs). Like many other chronic diseases, CVD attenuates the immune system, which in turn can affect the rate of COVID-19 infection and its severity. Objectives: This study aims to investigate the association between PAL and the rate of COVID-19 incidence in CVD patients. Methods: The statistical population of this descriptive cross-sectional study included all CVD patients in Kermanshah, among which 727 individuals (371 men and 356 women) were randomly selected as the statistical sample. The International Physical Activity Questionnaire (IPAQ-SF) was used to assess the PAL. The independent t-test was used to compare men and women. Also, the association between variables was evaluated by the Pearson correlation coefficient test (using SPSS 24 at the significance level of P < 0.05). Results: No significant differences were observed in the PAL and the incidence of COVID-19 between men and women. There is also a significant positive association between low and severe PAL and the incidence of COVID-19 in men and women suffering from CVD. However, there was a significant inverse association between moderate PAL and the incidence of COVID-19. Conclusions: This study demonstrated that moderate PAL might prevent or reduce the severity of COVID-19 in CVD patients by strengthening the immune system.","PeriodicalId":13989,"journal":{"name":"International Journal of Infection","volume":"11 1","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":0.0,"publicationDate":"2022-04-10","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"82482759","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}