Occurrence of extended-spectrum ß-lactamase-producing Enterobacteriaceae in raw milk from cows with subclinical mastitis in northeast Brazil.

Extended-spectrum ß-lactamase (ESBL)-producing Gram negative bacteria are becoming increasingly important in veterinary and human medicine because they can hydrolyze the third generation ß-lactams, penicillins, and monobactams. The aim of this study was to identify ESBL-producing Enterobacteriaceae in raw cow milk samples from northeast Brazil. Twenty-six bacterial isolates belonging to the Enterobacteriaceae family were obtained from milk samples from 257 cows with subclinical mastitis. Using microbiological tests, 53.85% (14/26) were identified as Escherichia coli, 15.38% (4/26) as Proteus mirabilis, 26.92% (7/26) as Klebsiella spp., and 3.85% (1/26) as Citrobacter spp. Of all the isolates, 61.54% (16/26) were positive in the ESBL screening test, of which 12.5% (2/16) were positive in the double-disc synergy test using three types of cephalosporins and amoxicillin/clavulanic acid. The two isolates were identified as Klebsiella spp. Among all the isolates, 53.85% (14/26) were positive for one or both ESBL-encoding genes, blaSHV and blaTEM; among these, 71.43% (10/14) were identified as E. coli. This study demonstrates that ESBL-producing bacteria can be found in raw cow milk from northeast Brazil. Cows with subclinical mastitis should be recognized as reservoirs of these strains, which can propagate to humans.

Investigation of soil contaminated with Toxoplasma gondii oocyst in urban public environment, in Brazil.

In this study, we determined the occurrence of Toxoplasma gondii oocysts in soil samples from public places. A total of 120 samples were collected from 24 sites, including squares, parks, university, hospitals in the city of Recife. The recovered oocysts were subjected to a nested-PCR test, and nine sites (9/24) were found to be positive for gene of apicomplexan parasites. The PCR product was sequenced, and 8.33% (10/120) of the samples showed 100% similarity to T. gondii DNA. T. gondii oocysts were detected in 75% (3/4) of the evaluated hospital soil samples and in 23.81% (5/21) soils samples from the public squares and parks. The results of this study demonstrate the potential of the soil in the areas analyzed as a source of T. gondii infection and therefore highlight the importance of devising educational strategies on the use of these sites, in addition to future cleaning protocols in public areas.