This research communication delineates the quality of pasteurized cow milk sold in Brazil from 2015 to 2020. A cross-sectional study was performed gathering 1749 samples, which were evaluated for microbiological and physicochemical parameters, including Salmonella spp., total and thermotolerant coliforms, freezing point, alkaline phosphatase and lactoperoxidase. The proportion of compliant and non-compliant samples was compared through the years and jurisdiction of the inspection services. Interactions between the design and response variables were assessed by log-linear analysis. Overall, a considerable non-conformity rate (12%) was found for at least one microbiological or physicochemical parameter. Post-pasteurization contamination by coliforms was the major challenge for dairy industries. Notably, the non-compliance rate for freezing point increased during the SARS-CoV-2 pandemic. In addition, the ability to comply was linked to the type of inspection service. Thus, it is suggested that the SARS-CoV-2 pandemic is affecting the dairy industries in Brazil, and we strengthen the need for more studies monitoring the quality of milk over the years, which could assist industries and regulatory agencies to ensure the compliance of pasteurized milk.

The inactivation processes of coliform bacteria (total and fecal) and sulphito-reducing Clostridium bacteria (vegetative species and spores) in water maturation lagoon of a low-cost nature-based wastewater treatment plant using constructed wetlands and through processes of photolysis in a pilot photoreactor have been comparatively studied. The different inactivation mechanisms by photolysis of these bacteria have been studied following the criteria of different statistical and kinetic models. Clostridium disinfection treatments fit models in which two types of bacteria populations coexist, one sensitive (vegetative species) and the other (spores) resistant to the treatment, the sensitive one (94%) with an inactivation rate of k = 0.24 ± 0.07 min-1 and the resistant one (6%) with k = 0.11 ± 0.05 min-1. Total coliform photolytic disinfection also shows two populations with different physiological state. The time required to reduce the first logarithmic decimal cycle of the different types of bacteria (physiological states) are δ1 = 4.2 ± 0.9 and δ2 = 8.3 ± 1.1 min, respectively. For fecal coliform photolytic disinfection, only bacteria population, with k = 1.15 ± 0.19 min-1, is found. The results obtained confirm the photolytic disinfection processes and maturation lagoon are effective systems for Clostridia bacteria removal after water treatment by nature-based systems. Total removal of coliform bacteria is not achieved by maturation lagoons, but their reduction is significant using low doses of cumulative radiation.

UNASSIGNED: Development of new nanomaterials that inhibit or kill bacteria is an important and timely research topic. For example, financial losses due to infectious diseases, such as diarrhea, are a major concern in livestock productions around the world. Antimicrobial nanoparticles (NPs) represent a promising alternative to antibiotics and may lower antibiotic use and consequently spread of antibiotic resistance traits among bacteria, including pathogens.
UNASSIGNED: Four formulations of zinc nanoparticles (ZnA, ZnB, ZnC, and ZnD) based on phosphates with spherical (ZnA, ZnB) or irregular (ZnC, ZnD) morphology were prepared. The highest in vitro inhibitory effect of our NPs was observed against Staphylococcus aureus (inhibitory concentration values, IC50, ranged from 0.5 to 1.6 mmol/L), followed by Escherichia coli (IC50 0.8-1.5 mmol/L). In contrast, methicillin resistant S. aureus (IC50 1.2-4.7 mmol/L) was least affected and this was similar to inhibitory patterns of commercial ZnO-based NPs and ZnO. After the successful in vitro testing, the in vivo study with rats based on dietary supplementation with zinc NPs was conducted. Four groups of rats were treated by 2,000 mg Zn/kg diet of ZnA, ZnB, ZnC, and ZnD, for comparison two groups were supplemented by 2,000 mg Zn/kg diet of ZnO-N and ZnO, and one group (control) was fed only by basal diet. The significantly higher (P < 0.05) Zn level in liver and kidney of all treated groups was found, nevertheless Zn NPs did not greatly influence antioxidant status of rats. However, the total aerobic and coliform bacterial population in rat feces significantly decreased (P < 0.05) in all zinc groups after 30 d of the treatment. Furthermore, when compared to the ZnO group, ZnA and ZnC nanoparticles reduced coliforms significantly more (P < 0.05).
UNASSIGNED: Our results demonstrate that phosphate-based zinc nanoparticles have the potential to act as antibiotic agents.

The presence of caffeine in environmental water samples is almost entirely human-related, given that there are virtually no industrial or agricultural releases. Caffeine has already been proposed as an anthropogenic marker for wastewater contamination of surface waters. The aim of this study was to evaluate if caffeine concentrations in water can be a predictor of virological and bacteriological contamination. Water samples were taken at three sampling sites from urban water streams from the hydrographic basin of the Sinos River (Brazil) monthly in the period of May 9th, 2016 to April 11th, 2017 (n = 36). Concentrations of Human mastadenovirus (HAdV-F and HAdV-C), fecal coliforms, and caffeine were measured in all collected samples. Concentrations of caffeine in water were strongly correlated with HAdV-F (rs = 0.704, p = 0.000). This study, for the first time, characterized caffeine concentrations in water as predictors of virus presence, with cut-off values presenting 92.9% specificity and 95.5% sensitivity for HAdV-F and 66.7% specificity and 80% sensitivity for HAdV-C. Considering its marked chemical stability and ease of quantification, caffeine concentrations can be used as a comprehensive marker of human contamination of water resources, also being predictive of bacteriological and virological concentrations.

Antibiotic-resistant bacteria are an escalating grim menace to global public health. Our aim is to phenotype and genotype antibiotic-resistant commensal Escherichia coli (E. coli) from humans, animals, and water from the same community with a \'one-health\' approach. The samples were collected from a village belonging to demographic surveillance site of Ruxmaniben Deepchand (R.D.) Gardi Medical College Ujjain, Central India. Commensal coliforms from stool samples from children aged 1-3 years and their environment (animals, drinking water from children\'s households, common source- and waste-water) were studied for antibiotic susceptibility and plasmid-encoded resistance genes. E. coli isolates from human (n = 127), animal (n = 21), waste- (n = 12), source- (n = 10), and household drinking water (n = 122) carried 70%, 29%, 41%, 30%, and 30% multi-drug resistance, respectively. Extended spectrum beta-lactamase (ESBL) producers were 57% in human and 23% in environmental isolates. Co-resistance was frequent in penicillin, cephalosporin, and quinolone. Antibiotic-resistance genes blaCTX-M-9 and qnrS were most frequent. Group D-type isolates with resistance genes were mainly from humans and wastewater. Colistin resistance, or the mcr-1 gene, was not detected. The frequency of resistance, co-resistance, and resistant genes are high and similar in coliforms from humans and their environment. This emphasizes the need to mitigate antibiotic resistance with a \'one-health\' approach.

OBJECTIVE: To evaluate household faecal contamination using children\'s toys among 100 rural Bangladeshi households categorised as \'cleaner\' (toilet that reliably separates faeces from the environment and no human faeces in/around living space) or \'less clean\' (no toilet or toilet that does not reliably separate faeces from the environment and human faeces in/around living space).
METHODS: We distributed toy balls to each household and rinsed each study toy and a toy already owned by the household in 200 ml of Ringer\'s solution. We enumerated faecal coliforms and faecal streptococci from each rinse using membrane filtration methods.
RESULTS: Study toys from 39 cleaner households had lower mean faecal coliform contamination than toys from 61 less clean households (2.4 log10 colony-forming units (CFU)/200 ml vs. 3.2 log10 CFU/200 ml, P = 0.03). However, wealth measures explained a portion of this relationship. Repeat measures were moderately variable [coefficient of variation (CV) = 6.5 between two toys in the household at the same time, CV = 37.6 between toys in the household at two different times 3-4 days apart]. Too few households owned a non-porous toy to compare groups without risk of bias.
CONCLUSIONS: In rural Bangladesh, improved sanitation facilities and practices were associated with less environmental contamination. Whether this association is independent of household wealth and whether the difference in contamination improves child health merit further study. The variation found was typical for measures of environmental contamination, and requires large sample sizes to ascertain differences between groups with statistical significance.