ABSTRACT
BACKGROUND: Limited data exists on effects of intrapartum azithromycin on prevalence of carriage and antibiotic resistance of Enterobacterales. METHODS: We conducted a randomized trial in Gambia and Burkina Faso where women received intrapartum azithromycin (2g) or placebo. We determined impact of treatment on prevalence of carriage and antibiotic resistance of Escherichia coli and Klebsiella pneumoniae by analysing rectal swabs (RS), nasopharyngeal swabs (NPS), breast milk and recto-vaginal swabs (RVS). Bacteria were isolated microbiologically; antibiotic susceptibility was confirmed with an E-test. Prevalence ratios (PR) with 95% confidence intervals (CI's) were used for comparison between arms. RESULTS: In infants, E. coli carriage in RS was lower in the intervention than placebo arm at days 6 (63.0% vs. 75.2%, PR, 0.84; CI, 0.75-0.95) and 28 (52.7% vs. 70.4%, 0.75; 0.64-0.87) post-intervention. Prevalence of azithromycin-resistant E. coli was higher in the azithromycin arm at days 6 (13.4% vs. 3.6%, 3.75; 1.83-7.69) and 28 (16.4% vs. 9.6%, 1.71; 1.05-2.79). For K. pneumoniae, carriage in RS was higher in the intervention than placebo arm at days 6 (49.6% vs. 37.2%, 1.33; 1.08-1.64) and 28 (53.6% vs. 32.9%, 1.63; 1.31-2.03). Prevalence of azithromycin-resistant K. pneumoniae was higher in the azithromycin arm at day 28 (7.3% vs. 2.1%, 3.49; 1.30-9.37). No differences were observed for other sample types. CONCLUSION: Intrapartum azithromycin decreased E. coli carriage but increased both K. pneumoniae carriage and azithromycin resistance in both bacteria. These data need to be considered together with efficacy results to balance the potential short- and long-term impact of the intervention. CLINICAL TRIALS REGISTRATION: www.clinicaltrials.gov: NCT03199547.
ABSTRACT
The increasing worldwide automobile production and usage adversely impact the environmental, economic, and social well-being. Although the automobile companies are trying to solve this problem by adopting corporate sustainability, there is a gap in the extant literature on sustainable corporate practices that are the most important to empower better sustainability performance. This study highlights the impact of core corporate sustainable practices attributes, government initiative, technology usage, and organizational culture on the sustainable performance of the automobile industry in India. The study proposed six aspects and fifty-three criteria from the literature review. The current article has used survey questionnaires to collect the primary data. The present article also applied the smart-PLS to test the association among the variables. The results indicated that the corporate sustainable practices attributes, technology usage, and organizational culture have a positive and significant linkage with the sustainable performance of the automobile industry. The current article guides the regulators in developing the regulations to improve sustainable organizational performance using sustainable corporate practices.
Subject(s)
Organizational Culture , Professional Corporations , Automobiles , Government , TechnologyABSTRACT
BACKGROUND: Scabies is a WHO neglected tropical disease common in children in low- and middle-income countries. Excoriation of scabies lesions can lead to secondary pyoderma infection, most commonly by Staphyloccocus aureus and Streptococcus pyogenes (group A streptococcus, GAS), with the latter linked to acute post-streptococcal glomerulonephritis (APSGN) and potentially rheumatic heart disease (RHD). There is a paucity of data on the prevalence of these skin infections and their bacterial aetiology from Africa. METHODOLOGY/PRINCIPAL FINDINGS: A cross-sectional study, conducted over a four-month period that included the dry and rainy season, was conducted to determine the prevalence of common skin infections in Sukuta, a peri-urban settlement in western Gambia, in children <5 years. Swabs from pyoderma lesions were cultured for S. aureus and GAS. Of 1441 children examined, 15.9% had scabies (95% CI 12.2-20.4), 17.4% had pyoderma (95% CI 10.4-27.7) and 9.7% had fungal infections (95% CI 6.6-14.0). Scabies was significantly associated with pyoderma (aOR 2.74, 95% CI 1.61-4.67). Of 250 pyoderma swabs, 80.8% were culture-positive for S. aureus, and 50.8% for GAS. Participants examined after the first rains were significantly more likely to have pyoderma than those examined before (aRR 2.42, 95% CI 1.38-4.23), whereas no difference in scabies prevalence was seen (aRR 1.08, 95% CI 0.70-1.67). Swab positivity was not affected by the season. CONCLUSIONS/SIGNIFICANCE: High prevalence of scabies and pyoderma were observed. Pyoderma increased significantly during the rainy season. Given the high prevalence of GAS pyoderma among children, further research on the association with RHD in West Africa is warranted.