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Introduction In recent years, a large number of refugees have crossed the Greek borders. The aim of this study was to estimate the health-related quality of life (HRQoL) and life satisfaction (LS) of refugees and asylum seekers residing in the Vagiochori Accommodation Center. Methods The Short Form-36 (SF-36) survey tool and the Satisfaction With Life Scale (SWLS) were employed for the analysis. The sample consists of 144 individuals with an average age of 39.4 years, most of which are Afghans, married, and have a secondary education level. Non-parametric tests examined the association of respondents' demographics and health-related and residence-related characteristics with the physical component scale (PCS) and mental component scale (MCS) of SF-36 and SWLS. Regression analysis was used to examine the effect of these variables on dependent scales. Results HRQoL and LS of the participants were poor (median scores: PCS = 44.91, MCS = 42.05, and SWLS = 12.00). Age, gender, education, marital status, and specific health-related and residence-related characteristics were associated with HRQoL (p < 0.05). Marital status and specific health-related and residence-related characteristics were associated with SWLS. Conclusion In summary, social support, legal counseling, and a better understanding of refugees' concerns are required to improve refugees' and asylum seekers' HRQoL and LS.
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BACKGROUND: Streptococcus macedonicus is an intriguing streptococcal species whose most frequent source of isolation is fermented foods similarly to Streptococcus thermophilus. However, S. macedonicus is closely related to commensal opportunistic pathogens of the Streptococcus bovis/Streptococcus equinus complex. METHODOLOGY/PRINCIPAL FINDINGS: We analyzed the pSMA198 plasmid isolated from the dairy strain Streptococcus macedonicus ACA-DC 198 in order to provide novel clues about the main ecological niche of this bacterium. pSMA198 belongs to the narrow host range pCI305/pWV02 family found primarily in lactococci and to the best of our knowledge it is the first such plasmid to be reported in streptococci. Comparative analysis of the pSMA198 sequence revealed a high degree of similarity with plasmids isolated from Lactococcus lactis strains deriving from milk or its products. Phylogenetic analysis of the pSMA198 Rep showed that the vast majority of closely related proteins derive from lactococcal dairy isolates. Additionally, cloning of the pSMA198 ori in L. lactis revealed a 100% stability of replication over 100 generations. Both pSMA198 and the chromosome of S. macedonicus exhibit a high percentage of potential pseudogenes, indicating that they have co-evolved under the same gene decay processes. We identified chromosomal regions in S. macedonicus that may have originated from pSMA198, also supporting a long co-existence of the two replicons. pSMA198 was also found in divergent biotypes of S. macedonicus and in strains isolated from dispersed geographic locations (e.g. Greece and Switzerland) showing that pSMA198's acquisition is not a recent event. CONCLUSIONS/SIGNIFICANCE: Here we propose that S. macedonicus acquired plasmid pSMA198 from L. lactis via an ancestral genetic exchange event that took place most probably in milk or dairy products. We provide important evidence that point towards the dairy origin of this species.