High economic burden is associated with foodborne illnesses. Different disinfection methods are therefore employed in food processing industry; such as use of ultraviolet light or usage of surfaces ...with copper-containing alloys. However, all the disinfection methods currently in use have some shortcomings. In this work we show that copper doped TiO2 nanotubes deposited on existing surfaces and illuminated with ceiling mounted fluorescent lights can retard the growth of Listeria Innocua by 80% in seven hours of exposure to the fluorescent lights at different places in a food processing plant or in the laboratory conditions with daily reinocuation and washing. The disinfection properties of the surfaces seem to depend mainly on the temperature difference of the surface and the dew point, where for the maximum effectiveness the difference should be about 3 degrees celsius. The TiO2 nanotubes have a potential to be employed for an economical and continuous disinfection of surfaces.
Bacterial infections acquired in healthcare facilities including hospitals, the so called healthcare acquired or nosocomial infections, are still of great concern worldwide and represent a ...significant economical burden. One of the major causes of morbidity is infection with Methicillin Resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA), which has been reported to survive on surfaces for several months. Bactericidal activity of copper-TiO2 thin films, which release copper ions and are deposited on glass surfaces and heated to high temperatures, is well known even when illuminated with very weak UVA light of about 10 μW/cm2. Lately, there is an increased intrerest for one-dimensional TiO2 nanomaterials, due to their unique properties, low cost, and high thermal and photochemical stability. Here we show that copper doped TiO2 nanotubes produce about five times more ·OH radicals as compared to undoped TiO2 nanotubes and that effective surface disinfection, determined by a modified ISO 22196:2011 test, can be achieved even at low intensity UVA light of 30 μW/cm2. The nanotubes can be deposited on a preformed surface at room temperature, resulting in a stable deposition resistant to multiple washings. Up to 103 microorganisms per cm2 can be inactivated in 24 hours, including resistant strains such as Methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA) and Extended-spectrum beta-lactamase Escherichia coli (E. coli ESBL). This disinfection method could provide a valuable alternative to the current surface disinfection methods.
Military working dogs are exposed to high levels of physical load during their work, although this is not always evident from their behaviour. This workload causes various physiological changes, ...including variation in the temperature of the affected body parts. In this preliminary study, we investigated whether thermal changes following the daily work routine of military dogs are detectable by infrared thermography (IRT). The experiment was carried out on eight male German and Belgian shepherd patrol guard dogs performing two training activities, obedience and defence. The surface temperature (Ts) of 12 selected body parts on both body sides was measured with the IRT camera 5 min before, 5 min after and 30 min after training. As predicted, there was a greater increase in Ts (mean of all measured body parts) after defence than after obedience, 5 min (by 1.24 vs. 0.60 °C, P < 0.001) and 30 min after activity (by 0.90vs. 0.57 °C, P < 0.01) compared to pre-activity levels. These findings indicate that defence is more physically demanding than obedience activity. Considering the activities separately, obedience increased Ts 5 min after the activity only in the trunk (P < 0.001) but not in the limbs, whereas defence increased it in all measured body parts (P < 0.001). Ts 30 min after obedience decreased to the pre-activity level in parts at trunk, while in distal parts of the limbs Ts remained elevated. The prolonged elevation in Ts of the limbs after both activities indicates heat flow from the core to the periphery as a thermoregulatory mechanism. The current study suggests that IRT may be a useful tool for assessing physical workload in different body parts of dogs.
•Higher surface temperature after defence than obedience as measured by infrared thermography in military working dogs.•More heat emitted by limbs as compared to the trunk.•More body parts with elevated surface temperature 30 min after defence than obedience.•Changes in the body surface temperature reflect the workload in military dogs.
•The fate of lasalocid in poultry manure and on arable land is largely unknown.•We measured lasalocid degradation in manure and compost and dissipation on land.•Degradation in compost is faster than ...in manure.•Half-life of lasalocid in soil was 3.1±0.6d.•PEC/PNEC in soil could exceed 1 in a worst-case scenario if manure is not aged.
Lasalocid is a veterinary ionophore antibiotic used for prevention and treatment of coccidiosis in poultry. It is excreted from the treated animals mostly in its active form and enters the environment with the use of contaminated manure on agricultural land. To properly assess the risk that lasalocid poses to the environment, it is necessary to know its environmental concentrations as well as the rates of its degradation in manure and dissipation in soil. These values are still largely unknown. A research was undertaken to ascertain the rate of lasalocid degradation in manure under different storage conditions (aging in a pile or composting) and on agricultural soil after using lasalocid-contaminated manure. The results have shown that there is considerable difference in lasalocid degradation between aging manure with no treatment (t1/2=61.8±1.7d) and composting (t1/2=17.5±0.8d). Half-lives in soil are much shorter (on average 3.1±0.4d). On the basis of the measured concentrations of lasalocid in soil after manure application, we can conclude that it can potentially be harmful to soil organisms (PEC/PNEC ratio of 1.18), but only in a worst-case scenario of using the maximum permissible amount of manure and immediately after application. To make certain that no harmful effects occur, composting is recommended.
In the European Union, eggs may not be washed or cleaned. So, in order to reduce food safety risks, several techniques for eggs in shell decontamination have been developed. The current study was ...undertaken to determine the potential of the Non-thermal, Atmospheric, Openair® Plasma Jet for surface decontamination of eggs in shell. In the experiment Polyethylene Theraphtalate plates and the eggshells of table eggs were exposed to single or multiple treatments with a Non-thermal, Atmospheric, Openair® Plasma Jet. This resulted in up to > 3 log reduction of Staphylococcus aureus (S. aureus) (NCTC 8325) on Polyethylene Theraphtalate and 1.8–2.5 log reduction of a common number of native aerobic mesophylic bacteria and S. aureus (NCTC 8325) on eggshells in a treatment time of 10-60 seconds. Ionising gas of the plasma jet was obviously not harmful to eggshell cuticle, since no significant alterations to plasma-treated eggs were found, or to physico-chemical properties of the contents of plasma-treated eggs, such as: air cell height, pH, the whole weight of eggs, or height of the thickness of egg white, which did not significantly differ from the untreated eggs during 54 days of aging. The results of the experiment indicate that the treatment of eggshells with the plasma jet has the potential for egg in shell decontamination with no side effects on egg quality, which is important as far as food safety and quality characteristics that are acceptable to consumers.
Airborne pathogens can cause infections within parrot (Psittaciformes) and pigeon (Columbiformes) holdings and, in the case of zoonoses, can even spread to humans. Air sampling is a useful, ...noninvasive method which can enhance the common sampling methods for detection of microorganisms in bird flocks. In this study, fecal and air samples were taken from four parrot holdings. Additionally, cloacal and oropharyngeal swabs as well as air samples were taken from 15 racing pigeon holdings. Parrots were examined for psittacine beak and feather disease virus (PBFDV), proventricular dilatation disease virus (PDDV), adenoviruses (AdVs), avian paramyxovirus type-1 (APMV-1), avian influenza virus (AIV), Chlamydia psittaci (CP), and Mycobacterium avium complex (MAC). MAC and AdVs were detected in three parrot holdings, CP was detected in two parrot holdings, and PBFDV and PDDV were each detected in one parrot holding. Pigeons were examined for the pigeon circovirus (PiCV), AdVs, and CP; PiCV and AdVs were detected in all investigated pigeon holdings and CP was detected in five pigeon holdings.
Pigeon circovirus (PiCV) was detected by real-time PCR in cloacal swabs, pharyngeal swabs, and serum samples taken from 74 feral pigeons (Columba livia var. domestica) that were caught at various ...locations in the city of Ljubljana, Slovenia. PiCV infections were detected in the majority of the tested birds. The highest (74.3%) detection rate was observed in the cloacal swabs and the lowest (31.1%) in serum samples. PiCV DNA was more readily detected in the cloacal swabs, pharyngeal swabs, and serum samples of birds younger than 1 yr. Molecular analysis of partial open reading frame V1 sequences showed that PiCV strains detected in feral pigeons share high nucleotide and amino acid sequence identities with PiCV strains detected in ornamental, racing, meat, and feral pigeons. Reporte de Caso—Prevalencia de las infecciones asociadas con circovirus de las paloma en las palomas en libertad en Ljubljana, Eslovenia. El circovirus de las palomas (PiCV) fue detectado por PCR en tiempo real en hisopos cloacales, hisopos faríngeos y en muestras de suero tomadas de 74 palomas en libertad (Columba livia var. domestica) que fueron capturadas en distintos lugares de la ciudad de Ljubljana, Eslovenia. Se detectó la infección por el circovirus de las palomas en la mayoría de las aves analizadas. El porcentaje de detección más alto (74.3%) se observó en los hisopos cloacales y la más baja (31.1%) en muestras de suero. El ADN del circovirus de las palomas fue detectado más fácilmente en los hisopos cloacales, hisopos faríngeos y en muestras de suero de las aves menores de un año. El análisis molecular de las secuencias parciales del marco de lectura continua V1 mostró que las cepas de circovirus detectadas en las palomas en libertad comparten altas identidades en las secuencias de nucleótidos y de aminoácidos con las cepas de circovirus detectadas en palomas ornamentales, de competencia, productoras de carne y salvajes.
The aim of this study was to establish the difference in the total number of
bacteria present on some surfaces after disinfection was performed either by
a professional or a layman employed at the ...slaughterhouse. Based upon the
obtained results it can be concluded that there were omissions in the
disinfection procedure. The study material consisted of wet and dry swabs
taken during a five week period, before and after disinfection was performed
either by a professional or a laymen. The following surfaces were sampled:
meat carving knife, meat hooks, floor of the stunning area, and corridor
floor. The procedure for wet swabs was carried out in accordance with the
standard ISO 18593 method. The number of bacteria was estimated from each
sample with the standard ISO 4833 method. Disinfection was performed with a
0.02% chlorine solution; the exposition time was 30 min. According to the
obtained results it can be concluded that after disinfection was carried out
by a professional- veterinarian, or by a layman, all surfaces which were
previously treated correctly (mechanical cleaning and sanitary washing), and
disinfected measured a significant decrease in the number of total bacteria
(log cfu/cm2). The results for the total number of bacteria obtained after
disinfection of the stunt area indicate on possible omissions as the number
of bacteria did not decrease.
nema
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