Decontamination Effect of Hypochlorous Acid Dry Mist on Selected Bacteria, Viruses, Spores, and Fungi as Well as on Components of Electronic Systems.

This publication presents the effect of hypochlorous acid dry mist as a disinfectant on selected bacteria, viruses, spores, and fungi as well as on portable Microlife OXY 300 finger pulse oximeters and electronic systems of Raspberry Pi Zero microcomputers. The impact of hypochlorous acid on microbiological agents was assessed at concentrations of 300, 500, and 2000 ppm of HClO according to PN-EN 17272 (Variant I). Studies of the impact of hypochlorous acid fog on electronic components were carried out in an aerosol chamber at concentrations of 500 ppm and 2000 ppm according to two models consisting of 30 (Variant II) and 90 fogging cycles (Variant III). Each cycle included the process of generating a dry mist of hypochlorous acid (25 mL/m3), decontamination of the test elements, as well as cleaning the chamber of the disinfectant agent. The exposure of the materials examined on hypochlorous acid dry mist in all variants resulted in a decrease in the number of viruses, bacteria, spores, and fungi tested. In addition, the research showed that in the variants of hypochlorous acid fogging cycles analyzed, no changes in performance parameters and no penetration of dry fog of hypochlorous acid into the interior of the tested medical devices and electronic systems were observed.

Surveillance of SARS-CoV-2 Genetic Variants in the Polish Armed Forces Using Whole Genome Sequencing Analysis.

Military operations involve the global movement of personnel and equipment, increasing the risk of spreading infectious pathogens such as SARS-CoV-2. Given the continuous engagement of the Polish Armed Forces in overseas operations, an active surveillance program targeting Variants of Concern (VOC) of SARS-CoV-2 was implemented among military personnel. Screening using RT-qPCR tests was conducted on 1699 soldiers between November 2021 and May 2022. Of these, 84 SARS-CoV-2 positive samples met the criteria for whole genome sequencing analysis and variant identification. Whole genome sequencing was performed using two advanced next-generation sequencing (NGS) technologies: sequencing by synthesis and nanopore sequencing. Our analysis revealed eleven SARS-CoV-2 lineages belonging to 21K, 21L, and 21J. The predominant lineage was BA.1.1 (57% of the samples), followed by BA.1 (23%) and BA.2 (6%). Notably, all identified lineages detected in post-deployment screening tests were classified as VOC and were already present in Poland, showing the effectiveness of the Military Sanitary Inspection measures in mitigating the COVID-19 spread. Pre-departure and post-mission screening and isolation successfully prevented SARS-CoV-2 VOC exportation and importation. Proactive measures are vital in minimizing the impact of COVID-19 in military settings, emphasizing the need for continued vigilance and response strategies.

Various Aspects of a Gene Editing System-CRISPR-Cas9.

The discovery of clustered, regularly interspaced short palindromic repeats (CRISPR) and their cooperation with CRISPR-associated (Cas) genes is one of the greatest advances of the century and has marked their application as a powerful genome engineering tool. The CRISPR-Cas system was discovered as a part of the adaptive immune system in bacteria and archaea to defend from plasmids and phages. CRISPR has been found to be an advanced alternative to zinc-finger nucleases (ZFN) and transcription activator-like effector nucleases (TALEN) for gene editing and regulation, as the CRISPR-Cas9 protein remains the same for various gene targets and just a short guide RNA sequence needs to be altered to redirect the site-specific cleavage. Due to its high efficiency and precision, the Cas9 protein derived from the type II CRISPR system has been found to have applications in many fields of science. Although CRISPR-Cas9 allows easy genome editing and has a number of benefits, we should not ignore the important ethical and biosafety issues. Moreover, any tool that has great potential and offers significant capabilities carries a level of risk of being used for non-legal purposes. In this review, we present a brief history and mechanism of the CRISPR-Cas9 system. We also describe on the applications of this technology in gene regulation and genome editing; the treatment of cancer and other diseases; and limitations and concerns of the use of CRISPR-Cas9.

Influence of mosquito-borne biological agents on health risks among soldiers and military personnel.

INTRODUCTION AND OBJECTIVE: Mosquitoes are the most important vector group for humans, and three genera - Aedes, Anopheles and Culex, are of greatest significance in the transmission of pathogens to humans and animals. The geographical expansion of vectors can lead to the spread diseases into new regions. Soldiers exercise in the field, participate in missions, or are stationed in Military Contingents located in different climatic conditions, which is directly related to exposure to mosquitoborne diseases. OBJECTIVE: The aim is to describe the role of mosquitoes in the transmission of selected pathogens of medical and epidemiological importance, which pose a new threat in Europe, pointing to soldiers and other military personnel as particularly vulnerable occupational groups. REVIEW METHODS: PubMed and other online resources and publications were searched to evaluate scientific relevance. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE STATE OF KNOWLEDGE.: In recent years in Europe, attention has been drawn to emerging infectious diseases transmitted by mosquitoes, including malaria, Dengue fever, West Nile fever and Chikungunya fever. West Nile virus infections were recorded in many European countries, including Greece, Italy, Germany and Austria. Soldiers, due to their tasks, are particularly vulnerable to vector-borne diseases. In order to reduce the exposure of soldiers to mosquito-borne diseases various protection measures are used. SUMMARY: Some of vector-borne diseases belong to emerging infectious diseases and may pose a threat to public health. The burden on soldiers with these diseases can be significant, which is the reason why methods of surveillance and the control of vectors are being developed.

DNA damage and repair in human peripheral blood lymphocytes following treatment with microcystin-LR.

The purpose of this study was to find a possible explanation of the inconsistency of data regarding the genotoxicity of microcystin-LR (MC-LR). We compared the results of the comet assay with the results of the analysis of chromosome aberrations and apoptosis. In order to investigate the influence of MC-LR on DNA damage in human lymphocytes, cells were treated with MC-LR at different concentrations (1, 10 and 25 microg/ml) for 6, 12, 18 and 24 h. Analyses of Olive Tail Moment (OTM) as an indicator of DNA damage showed that MC-LR treatment induced DNA damage in a time-dependent manner, reaching its maximum after 18 h. The lowest values of OTM were observed after 24 h. MC-LR had no effect on the frequency of chromosome aberrations in lymphocytes. Since some data available in the literature indicate that apoptosis may lead to overestimated or false positive results regarding the genotoxicity of mutagens in the comet assay, we measured the frequency of late apoptotic cells by use of the comet assay and the frequency of early apoptotic cells with the TUNEL method. The comet assay results revealed that the highest level of apoptosis was observed after 24 h and the lowest after 18 h. The comparison of the frequency of apoptotic cells determined by the comet assay with DNA damage (OTM) examined by the comet assay revealed a statistically significant, negative correlation. The TUNEL results showed that the frequency of apoptotic cells progressively increased in a dose- and time-dependent manner. The comparison of the frequency of apoptotic cells determined by TUNEL method with DNA damage (OTM) examined by the comet assay showed a significant positive correlation for lymphocytes treated with MC-LR for 6, 12 and 18 h. Therefore, our findings indicate that microcystin-LR-induced DNA damage observed in the comet assay may be related to the early stages of apoptosis due to cytotoxicity but not genotoxicity. In addition, we examined the DNA repair kinetics in lymphocytes following treatment with microcystin-LR and ionizing radiation. Our results indicate that MC-LR has an inhibiting effect on the repair of radiation-induced damage.