ANTS AS POTENTIAL VECTORS OF PATHOGENS IN HOSPITALS IN THE STATE OF SAO-PAULO, BRAZIL

Baiting studies performed in large, medium and small hospitals in Brazil revealed the presence of 14 ant species, with up to nine recorded in one hospital. Dominant species were exotic ants, and in the large hospital, Tapinoma melanocephalum was the most prevalent. Ants were not uniformly spread through the hospitals, but tended to be found in the more critical areas, particularly in nursery, intensive care, obstetrics, neurology and dermatology units. Bacteriological studies using specific media for bacteria associated with intra-hospital infections indicated the potential for the mechanical vectoring of species of Staphylococcus, Serratia, Klebsiella, Acinetobacter, Enterobacter, Candida and Enterococcus by ants. Although T. melanocephalum did not have the highest rate of association with these bacteria, its ubiquitous occurrences resulted in the highest overall potential as a vector of these bacteria. Because of a large number of ant species occurring in Brazilian hospitals, ants pose a potential problem to the spread of diseases in hospitals. Because of the number of associated ant species in hospitals, the control of this potential problem is much more difficult than in registered temperate areas.

Periodontal status in smokers and never-smokers: Clinical findings and real-time polymerase chain reaction quantification of putative periodontal pathogens

Background: Smoking is a well-known risk factor for destructive periodontal disease, but its relationship with periodontal status and subgingival microbiota remains unclear. Inherent limitations of microbiological methods previously used may partly explain these mixed results, and real-time polymerase chain reaction (PCR) has been presented as a valid alternative. The aim of the present study was to investigate the clinical condition and microbiological profile of patients with chronic periodontitis as related to the habit of smoking.Methods: Fifty patients (33 to 59 years old), 25 smokers and 25 never-smokers, constituted the sample. The visible plaque index (VPI), gingival bleeding index (GBI), bleeding on probing (BOP), periodontal probing depth (PD), clinical attachment loss (CAL), and gingival crevicular fluid (GCF) volume were recorded. Real-time PCR quantified Porphyromonas gingivalis, Micromonas micros, Dialister pneumosintes, Actinobacillus actinomycetemcomitans and total bacteria in subgingival samples.Results: Smokers and never-smokers showed similar values for VPI, GBI, and BOP. Smokers had deeper PD in buccal/lingual sites and higher CAL independently of the tooth surface. The GCF volume was smaller in smokers, independent of the PD. Similar amounts of total bacteria and P. gingivalis were observed for both groups. Significantly higher numbers of D. pneumosintes and M. micros were present in smokers and associated with moderate and deep pockets. When heavy smokers were considered, higher counts of total bacteria, M. micros, and D. pneumosintes were observed.Conclusions: Smoking seems to have a detrimental impact on the periodontal status and microbiological profile of patients with periodontitis. Compared to never-smokers, smokers had deeper pockets, greater periodontal destruction, and higher counts of some putative periodontal pathogens.

Antimicrobial activity of Uncaria tomentosa against oral human pathogens

Uncaria tomentosa is considered a medicinal plant used over centuries by the peruvian population as an alternative treatment for several diseases. Many microorganisms usually inhabit the human oral cavity and under certain conditions can become etiologic agents of diseases. The aim of the present study was to evaluate the antimicrobial activity of different concentrations of Uncaria tomentosa on different strains of microorganisms isolated from the human oral cavity. Micropulverized Uncaria tomentosa was tested in vitro to determine the minimum inhibitory concentration (MIC) on selected microbial strains. The tested strains were oral clinical isolates of Streptococcus mutans, Staphylococcus spp., Candida albicans, Enterobacteriaceae and Pseudomonas aeruginosa. The tested concentrations of Uncaria tomentosa ranged from 0.25-5% in Müeller-Hinton agat. Three percent Uncaria tomentosa inhibited 8% of Enterobacteriaceae isolates, 52% of S. mutans and 96% of Staphylococcus spp. The tested concentrations did not present inhibitory effect on P. aeruginosa and C. albicans. It could be concluded that micropulverized Uncaria tomentosa presented antimicrobial activity on Enterobacteriaceae, S. mutans and Staphylococcus spp. isolates.

Antibacterial activity of oregano essential oil against foodborne pathogens

Purpose: This paper aims to evaluate in vitro antibacterial activity of oregano essential oil against foodborne pathogens as a starting point for the use of spice as a natural preservative in food. Design/methodology/approach: Disc and well-diffusion assays were performed to investigate antibacterial activity of oregano essential oil against six bacteria strains: Bacillus cereus, Bacillus subtilis, Escherichia coli, Pseudomonas aeruginosa, Staphylococcus aureus and Salmonella Typhimurium. Three concentrations of oregano essential oil were employed: 1.0 percent, 2.0 percent and 5.0 percent. Bacterial growth inhibition was determinate as the diameter of the inhibition zones. Findings: Oregano essential oil showed antibacterial activity against spoilage microorganisms, at different concentrations, except for P. aeruginosa. There was a significant difference between methodologies only for the microorganism S. aureus. The results provided evidence of the existence of significant differences among the concentrations of oregano essential oil for each microorganism evaluated. Research limitations/implications: Although the research for this paper involved only oregano essential oil, it provided a starting-point for further investigations concerning spices as natural preservatives for food systems. Practical implications: Disc and well-assays were found to be simple and reproducible practical methods. Other spices, their essential oil and extracts might be researched against other micro-organisms. Furthermore, in situ studies need to be performed to evaluate possible interactions between essential oils and compounds naturally present in food against microbial strains. Social implications: The imminent adoption of measures to reduce the use of additives in foods and the reduction on using such compounds. Originality/value: This study provides insights that suggest a promising exploratory development of food natural preservative against spoilage microorganisms in food systems by the use of oregano essential oil. © Emerald Group Publishing Limited.

Chemical control of pathogens and the physiological performance of peanut seeds

The establishment of a peanut crop may be unsatisfactory due to poor seed performance in the field and among the factors attributed to this are a reduction in seed vigor during storage and the presence of pathogens. The objective of this study was to evaluate the efficiency of treating peanut seeds with fungicides and the effect on physiological performance and disease control during storage. In a completely random experimental design, two seed batches of the Runner IAC 886 peanut cultivar were submitted to five fungicide treatments (1 control - untreated; 2 thiram; 3 carbendazim + thiram; 4 fludioxonil + metalaxyl-m; 5 fludioxonil + mefenoxam + thiabendazole) and evaluated after zero, 30 and 60 days of storage. The seeds were stored untreated but treated before the evaluation of physiological performance from germination, vigor (first germination count and accelerated aging), field seedling emergence and seed sanitation tests. The results showed differences in batch performance potential during storage, with batch 1 being superior. The sanitation test showed that all the chemical seed treatments controlled pathogens efficiently (Aspergillus spp. and Penicillium sp.), but only thiram did not affect peanut seed performance in the laboratory evaluations.

Salivary epithelial cells as model to study immune response against cutaneous pathogens

The human skin not only provides passive protection as a physical barrier against external injury, but also mediates active surveillance via epidermal cell surface receptors that recognize and respond to potential invaders. Primary keratinocytes and immortalized cell lines, the commonly used sources to investigate immune responses of cutaneous epithelium are often difficult to obtain and/or potentially exhibit changes in cellular genetic make-up. Here we investigated the possibility of using salivary epithelial cells (SEC) to evaluate the host response to cutaneous microbes. Elevated secretion of IFN-γ and IL-12 was observed in the SEC stimulated with Staphylococcus aureus, a transient pathogen of the skin, as mono species biofilm as compared to SEC stimulated with a commensal microbe, the Staphylococcus epidermidis. Co-culture of the SEC with both microbes as dual species biofilm elicited maximum cytokine response. Stimulation with S. aureus alone but not with S. epidermidis alone induced maximum toll-like receptor-2 (TLR-2) expression in the SEC. Exposure to dual species biofilm induced a sustained upregulation of TLR-2 in the SEC for up to an hour. The data support novel application of the SEC as efficient biospecimen that may be used to investigate personalized response to cutaneous microflora. © 2013 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.

Molecular and serological detection of tick-borne pathogens in dogs from an area endemic for Leishmania infantum in Mato Grosso do Sul, Brazil

Patógenos transmitidos por carrapatos atingem uma variedade de hospedeiros vertebrados. Para identificar os agentes patogênicos transmitidos por carrapatos entre cães soropositivos para Leishmania infantum no município Campo Grande-MS, foi realizado um estudo sorológico e molecular para a detecção de Ehrlichia canis, Anaplasma platys e Babesia vogeli em 60 amostras de soro e baço, respectivamente. Adicionalmente, foi realizado o diagnóstico confirmatório de L. infantum por meio de técnicas sorológicas e moleculares. Também foi realizado o alinhamento e análise filogenética das sequências para indicar a identidade das espécies de parasitas que infectam esses animais. Anticorpos IgG anti-Ehrlichia spp., anti-B. vogeli e anti-L. infantum foram detectados em 39 (65%), 49 (81,6%) e 60 (100%) dos cães amostrados, respectivamente. Vinte e sete (45%), cinquenta e quatro (90%), cinquenta e três (88,3%), dois (3,3%) e um (1,6%) cães mostraram-se positivos na PCR para E. canis, Leishmania spp., Leishmania donovani complex, Babesia sp. e Anaplasma sp., respectivamente. Após o seqüenciamento, os amplicons mostraram 99% de similaridade com isolados de E. canis, B. vogeli e A. platys e Leishmania chagasi. Os resultados deste estudo indicaram que os cães soropositivos para L. infantum de Campo Grande, MS, são expostos a vários agentes transmitidos por carrapatos, e, portanto, devem ser incluídos no diagnóstico diferencial em cães com suspeita clínica de leishmaniose.

Molecular detection of feline arthropod-borne pathogens in cats in Cuiaba, state of Mato Grosso, central-western region of Brazil

Fundação de Amparo à Pesquisa do Estado de São Paulo (FAPESP)

Bacterial Pathogens Related to Chronic Suppurative Otitis Media in Individuals With Cleft Palate: Bacteriological Culture and Polymerase Chain Reaction

Objective: To characterize the microbial etiology of chronic suppurative otitis media comparing the methods of classical bacteriological culture and polymerase chain reaction.Design/Setting/Patients: Bacteriological analysis by classical culture and by molecular polymerase chain reaction of 35 effusion otitis samples from patients with cleft lip and palate attending the Hospital for Rehabilitation of Craniofacial Anomalies of the University of Sao Paulo, Bauru, Brazil.Interventions: Collection of clinical samples of otitis by effusion through the external auditory tube.Main Outcome Measure: Otolaryngologic diagnosis of chronic suppurative otitis media.Results: Positive cultures were obtained from 83% of patients. Among the 31 bacterial lineages the following were isolated. In order of decreasing frequency: Pseudomonas aeruginosa (54.9%), Staphylococcus aureus (25.9%), and Enterococcus faecalis (19.2%). No anaerobes were isolated by culture. The polymerase chain reaction was positive for one or more bacteria investigated in 97.1% of samples. Anaerobe lineages were detected by the polymerase chain reaction method, such as Fusobacterium nucleatum, Bacteroides fragilis, and Peptostreptococcus anaerobius.Conclusions: Patients with cleft lip and palate with chronic suppurative otitis media presented high frequency of bacterial infection in the middle ear. The classical bacteriological culture did not detect strict anaerobes, whose presence was identified by the polymerase chain reaction method.

Composition and Activity against Oral Pathogens of the Essential Oil of Melampodium divaricatum (Rich.) DC.

The chemical composition of the essential oil isolated from the aerial parts of Melampodium divaricatum (Rich.) DC. (Asteraceae) was characterized by GC-FID and GC/MS analyses. (E)-Caryophyllene (56.0%), germacrene D (12.7%), and bicyclogermacrene (9.2%) were identified as the major oil components. The antimicrobial activity of the oil against seven standard strains of oral pathogens from the American Type Culture Collection (ATCC) was evaluated by determining minimum inhibitory concentrations (MICs) using the microdilution method. MIC Values below 100 mu g/ml were obtained against Streptococcus sobrinus (90 mu g/ml), Lactobacillus casei (30 mu g/ml), S. mutans (20 mu g/ml), and S. mitis (18 mu g/ml). In contrast, the MIC values of the major oil compound (E)-caryophyllene were higher than 400 mu g/ml against all pathogens, suggesting that the activity of the oil might depend on minor oil components and/or on synergistic effects. The M. divaricatum essential oil is a promising agent to include in anticariogenic oral rinse formulations for the control of oral pathogens.

Salivary carriage of periodontal pathogens in generalized aggressive periodontitis families

Fundação de Amparo à Pesquisa do Estado de São Paulo (FAPESP)

Identification of pathogens and virulence profile of Rhodococcus equi and Escherichia coli strains obtained from sand of parks

Fundação de Amparo à Pesquisa do Estado de São Paulo (FAPESP)

Arthropod-borne pathogens circulating in free-roaming domestic cats in a zoo environment in Brazil

Fundação de Amparo à Pesquisa do Estado de São Paulo (FAPESP)

Proteins, Pathogens, and Failure at the Composite-Tooth Interface

In the United States, composites accounted for nearly 70% of the 173.2 million composite and amalgam restorations placed in 2006 (Kingman et al., 2012), and it is likely that the use of composite will continue to increase as dentists phase out dental amalgam. This trend is not, however, without consequences. The failure rate of composite restorations is double that of amalgam (Ferracane, 2013). Composite restorations accumulate more biofilm, experience more secondary decay, and require more frequent replacement. In vivo biodegradation of the adhesive bond at the composite-tooth interface is a major contributor to the cascade of events leading to restoration failure. Binding by proteins, particularly gp340, from the salivary pellicle leads to biofilm attachment, which accelerates degradation of the interfacial bond and demineralization of the tooth by recruiting the pioneer bacterium Streptococcus mutans to the surface. Bacterial production of lactic acid lowers the pH of the oral microenvironment, erodes hydroxyapatite in enamel and dentin, and promotes hydrolysis of the adhesive. Secreted esterases further hydrolyze the adhesive polymer, exposing the soft underlying collagenous dentinal matrix and allowing further infiltration by the pathogenic biofilm. Manifold approaches are being pursued to increase the longevity of composite dental restorations based on the major contributing factors responsible for degradation. The key material and biological components and the interactions involved in the destructive processes, including recent advances in understanding the structural and molecular basis of biofilm recruitment, are described in this review. Innovative strategies to mitigate these pathogenic effects and slow deterioration are discussed.

Pathogens in animal meal and the use of Salmex (R) in the elimination of Clostridium perfringens

Fundação de Amparo à Pesquisa do Estado de São Paulo (FAPESP)