Compounds originating from animal husbandry can pollute surface water through the application of manure to soil. Typically, grab sampling is employed to detect these residues, which only provides information on the concentration at the time of sampling. To better understand the emission patterns of these compounds, we utilized passive samplers in surface water to collect data at eight locations in a Dutch agricultural region, during different time intervals. As a passive sampler, we chose the integrative-based Speedisk® hydrophilic DVB. In total, we targeted 46 compounds, among which 25 antibiotics, three hormones, nine antiparasitics, and nine disinfectants. From these 46 compounds, 22 compounds accumulated in passive samplers in amounts above the limit of quantification in at least one sampling location. Over the 12-week deployment period, a time integrative uptake pattern was identified in 53% of the examined cases, with the remaining 47% not displaying this behavior. The occurrences without this behavior were primarily associated with specific location, particularly the most upstream location, or specific compounds. Our findings suggest that the proposed use of passive samplers, when compared in this limited context to traditional grab sampling, may provide enhanced efficiency and potentially enable the detection of a wider array of compounds. In fact, a number of compounds originating from animal husbandry activities were quantified for the first time in Dutch surface waters, such as flubendazole, florfenicol, and tilmicosine. The set-up of the sampling campaign also allowed to distinguish between different pollution levels during sampling intervals on the same location. This aspect gains particular significance when considering the utilization of different compounds on various occasions, hence, it has the potential to strengthen ongoing monitoring and mitigation efforts.

In 2022, an outbreak with severe bloodstream infections caused by Serratia marcescens occurred in an adult intensive care unit (ICU) in Hungary. Eight cases, five of whom died, were detected. Initial control measures could not stop the outbreak. We conducted a matched case-control study. In univariable analysis, the cases were more likely to be located around one sink in the ICU and had more medical procedures and medications than the controls, however, the multivariable analysis was not conclusive. Isolates from blood cultures of the cases and the ICU environment were closely related by whole genome sequencing and resistant or tolerant against the quaternary ammonium compound surface disinfectant used in the ICU. Thus, S. marcescens was able to survive in the environment despite regular cleaning and disinfection. The hospital replaced the disinfectant with another one, tightened the cleaning protocol and strengthened hand hygiene compliance among the healthcare workers. Together, these control measures have proved effective to prevent new cases. Our results highlight the importance of multidisciplinary outbreak investigations, including environmental sampling, molecular typing and testing for disinfectant resistance.

The increase in vegetable consumption has underlined the importance of minimizing the risks associated with microbiological contamination of fresh produce. The critical stage of the vegetable washing process has proven to be a key point for cross-contamination and the persistence of pathogens. In this context, the agri-food industry has widely adopted the use of disinfectants to reduce the bacterial load in the wash water. Therefore, we conducted laboratory-scale experiments in order to demonstrate the antimicrobial activity of disinfectants used in the wash tank of agro-food industries. Different wash water matrices of shredded lettuce, shredded cabbage, diced onion, and baby spinach were treated with sodium hypochlorite (NaClO), chlorine dioxide (ClO2), and per-oxyacetic acid (PAA) at recommended concentrations. To simulate the presence of pathogenic bacteria, a cocktail of E. coli O157:H7 was inoculated into the process water samples (PWW) to determine whether concentrations of disinfectants inhibit the pathogen or bring it to a viable non-culturable state (VBNC). Hereby, we used quantitative qPCR combined with different photo-reactive dyes such as ethidium monoazide (EMA) and propidium monoazide (PMA). The results indicated that concentrations superior to 20 ppm NaClO inhibit the pathogen E. coli O157:H7 artificially inoculated in the process water. Concentrations between 10-20 ppm ClO2 fail to induce the pathogen to the VBNC state. At concentrations of 80 ppm PAA, levels of culturable bacteria and VBNC of E. coli O157:H7 were detected in all PWWs regardless of the matrix. Subsequently, this indicates that the recommended concentrations of ClO2 and PAA for use in the fresh produce industry wash tank do not inhibit the levels of E. coli O157:H7 present in the wash water.

The understanding of antibiotic resistance, one of the major health threats of our time, is mostly based on dated and incomplete notions, especially in clinical contexts. The \"canonical\" mechanisms of action and pharmacodynamics of antibiotics, as well as the methods used to assess their activity upon bacteria, have not changed in decades; the same applies to the definition, acquisition, selective pressures, and drivers of resistance. As a consequence, the strategies to improve antibiotic usage and overcome resistance have ultimately failed. This review gathers most of the \"non-canonical\" notions on antibiotics and resistance: from the alternative mechanisms of action of antibiotics and the limitations of susceptibility testing to the wide variety of selective pressures, lateral gene transfer mechanisms, ubiquity, and societal factors maintaining resistance. Only by having a \"big picture\" view of the problem can adequate strategies to harness resistance be devised. These strategies must be global, addressing the many aspects that drive the increasing prevalence of resistant bacteria aside from the clinical use of antibiotics.

Pseudomonas aeruginosa is a common pathogen associated with recreational water facilities and poses risks to public health. However, data on the prevalence of P. aeruginosa in tourist destinations like the Canary Islands, Spain, remain limited. We assessed P. aeruginosa prevalence in 23 tourist facilities from 2016 to 2019. Compliance with water quality standards was evaluated, and 3962 samples were collected and analyzed. We examined different types of recreational water installations, including outer swimming pools, whirlpools, and cold wells. Of the sampled facilities, 31.2% did not comply with the current legislation\'s parametric values, mainly due to inadequate disinfectant levels, water temperature, and P. aeruginosa presence. The prevalence of P. aeruginosa was 4.8%, comparable to some European countries but lower than others. Cold wells displayed the highest non-compliance rate (89.2%) and yet exhibited a lower P. aeruginosa prevalence (1.9%) than outer swimming pools and whirlpools. Children\'s presence did not significantly impact P. aeruginosa contamination. Chlorine-based disinfectants are more effective than bromine-based ones in controlling P. aeruginosa. Regional variability in contamination was observed, with Fuerteventura showing lower colonization rates. Disinfectant levels play a critical role in P. aeruginosa control, and maintaining adequate levels is essential, particularly in bromine-treated installations. Our findings provide valuable insights into the prevalence and distribution of P. aeruginosa in recreational waters within tourist facilities. Tailored strategies are needed to ensure water safety in different Spanish regions. Continued monitoring and assessment, combined with artificial intelligence and machine learning, will enable the implementation of targeted interventions to protect the health of recreational water users.

Despite continued outbreaks of yellow fever virus (YFV) in endemic regions, data on its environmental stability or guidelines for its effective inactivation is limited. Here, we evaluated the susceptibility of the YFV 17D vaccine strain to inactivation by ethanol, 2-propanol, World Health Organization (WHO)-recommended hand rub formulations I and II, as well as surface disinfectants. In addition, two pathogenic strains were tested to compare inactivation kinetics by WHO-recommended hand rub formulations I and II. Furthermore, environmental stability of the vaccine strain was assessed. YFV 17D particles displayed infectivity half-life decay profiles of ~13 days at room temperature. Despite this extended environmental stability, YFV was efficiently inactivated by alcohols, WHO-recommended hand formulations, and four out of five tested surface disinfectants. These results are useful in defining disinfection protocols to prevent non-vector borne YFV transmission.

Viral pathogens pose a substantial threat to public health and necessitate the development of effective remediation and antiviral strategies. This short communication aimed to investigate the antiviral efficacy of disinfectants on the surface proteins of human pathogenic viruses. Using in silico modeling, the ligand-binding energies (LBEs) of selected disinfectants were predicted and combined with their environmental impacts and costs through an eco-pharmaco-economic analysis (EPEA). The results revealed that the binding affinities of chemical disinfectants to viral proteins varied significantly (p < 0.005). Rutin demonstrated promising broad-spectrum antiviral efficacy with an LBE of -8.49 ± 0.92 kcal/mol across all tested proteins. Additionally, rutin showed a superior eco-pharmaco-economic profile compared to the other chemicals, effectively balancing high antiviral effectiveness, moderate environmental impact, and affordability. These findings highlight rutin as a key phytochemical for use in remediating viral contaminants.

Iatrogenic transmission of prions, the infectious agents of fatal Creutzfeldt-Jakob disease, through inefficiently decontaminated medical instruments remains a critical issue. Harsh chemical treatments are effective, but not suited for routine reprocessing of reusable surgical instruments in medical cleaning and disinfection processes due to material incompatibilities. The identification of mild detergents with activity against prions is therefore of high interest but laborious due to the low throughput of traditional assays measuring prion infectivity. Here, we report the establishment of TESSA (sTainlESs steel-bead Seed Amplification assay), a modified real-time quaking induced cyclic amplification (RT-QuIC) assay that explores the propagation activity of prions with stainless steel beads. TESSA was applied for the screening of about 70 different commercially available and novel formulations and conditions for their prion inactivation efficacy. One hypochlorite-based formulation, two commercially available alkaline formulations and a manual alkaline pre-cleaner were found to be highly effective in inactivating prions under conditions simulating automated washer-disinfector cleaning processes. The efficacy of these formulations was confirmed in vivo in a murine prion infectivity bioassay, yielding a reduction of the prion titer for bead surface adsorbed prions below detectability. Our data suggest that TESSA represents an effective method for a rapid screening of prion-inactivating detergents, and that alkaline and oxidative formulations are promising in reducing the risk of potential iatrogenic prion transmission through insufficiently decontaminated instrument surfaces.

Chloroxylenol is a worldwide commonly used disinfectant. The massive consumption and relatively high chemical stability of chloroxylenol have caused eco-toxicological threats in receiving waters. We noticed that chloroxylenol has a chemical structure similar to numerous halo-phenolic disinfection byproducts. Solar detoxification of some halo-phenolic disinfection byproducts intrigued us to select a rapidly degradable chloroxylenol alternative from them. In investigating antimicrobial activities of disinfection byproducts, we found that 2,6-dichlorobenzoquinone was 9.0-22 times more efficient than chloroxylenol in inactivating the tested bacteria, fungi and viruses. Also, the developmental toxicity of 2,6-dichlorobenzoquinone to marine polychaete embryos decreased rapidly due to its rapid degradation via hydrolysis in receiving seawater, even without sunlight. Our work shows that 2,6-dichlorobenzoquinone is a promising disinfectant that well addresses human biosecurity and environmental sustainability. More importantly, our work may enlighten scientists to exploit the slightly alkaline nature of seawater and develop other industrial products that can degrade rapidly via hydrolysis in seawater.

UNASSIGNED: The COVID-19 pandemic has globally influenced the exposure of populations to chemical substances through various channels. This study aims to evaluate the tendencies of the use of chemical products in Latvia amidst the pandemic. Answers from 597 respondents (26.6% male, 73.4% female, mean age 46.0 ± 12.2) which were gathered as part of the HBM4EU (Human Biomonitoring Initiative) citizen survey and 8 focus group participants were used.
UNASSIGNED: The study utilized data from the HBM4EU citizen survey and conducted focus group discussions to understand the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on chemical product usage in Latvia. Survey responses were analyzed to identify changes in exposure to chemicals, particularly in relation to disinfection agents and household products.
UNASSIGNED: More than two-thirds of survey participants reported increased exposure to chemicals during the COVID-19 pandemic, mainly related to the use of disinfection agents and household products. About 2-in-5 (39.8%) of survey respondents considered that the COVID-19 pandemic has increased their interest in exposure to chemicals. The excessive use of disinfectant products is the main concern of citizens (mentioned by 66.7%, n = 389). Also, two focus group participants noted that the use of disinfectant products is too widespread and should be minimized.
UNASSIGNED: The findings suggest that the COVID-19 pandemic has not only increased the use of chemical products in Latvia but also promoted an interest in safe and healthy use of chemicals which could be useful to raise the awareness of the general public.