Nasal carriage of highly resistant methicillin resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA) strains by hospital staff in Hazara region of Pakistan.

OBJECTIVE: To isolate and characterise multidrug resistant strains of Staphylococcus aureus from healthcare workers who are at potential risk of nosocomial infections. METHODS: The observational, cross-sectional study was conducted from November 2014 to April 2015 at different hospitals of Haripur and Abbottabad, Pakistan, and comprised ward and operation theatre staff. The isolates were identified on the basis of microbiological and biochemical tests and further confirmed by polymerase chain reaction. Disc diffusion method was used for antibiotic sensitivity testing, and panton valentine leukocidin and methicillin resistance mecA genes were detected using polymerase chain reaction. RESULTS: Of 208 isolates, 108(52%) were from the ward staff and 100(48%) were from the operation theatre staff. Overall, 167(80.3%) isolates were positive for Staphylococcus aureus, and 75(36%) were methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus. The number of antibiotic-resistant isolates was 75(45%) cefoxitin, 60(36%) ofloxacin, 152(91%) erythromycin, 52(31%) doxycycline, 127(76%) lincomycin, 53(32%) amoxicillin-clavulanate, 67(40%) ciprofloxacin, and 89(53%) ceftriaxone. CONCLUSIONS: A high number of hospital staff, including those working in operation theatres, were found to be carrying methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus and multidrug resistant strains in their nasal passage that may be a source of infection to patients.

Phytoremediation of pollutants from wastewater: A concise review.

As there is a global water crisis facing the whole world, it is important to find alternative solutions to treat wastewater for reuse. Hence, plants have an effective role in removing pollutants from wastewater, which has been emphasized in this review article. Biological treatment of wastewater can be considered an eco-friendly and cost-effective process that depends on in the future. Living organisms, including plants, can remediate pollutants in wastewater, especially in agricultural fields, such as dyes, heavy metals, hydrocarbons, pharmaceuticals, and pesticides. This review discusses the different activities of plants in pollutant elimination from wastewater and sheds light on the utilization of plants in this scope. This review focuses on the remediation of the most common contaminants present in wastewater, which are difficult to the removal with microorganisms, such as bacteria, fungi, and algae. Moreover, it covers the major role of plants in wastewater treatment and the potential of phytoremediation as a possible solution for the global water crisis.

Antagonistic, Anti-oxidant, Anti-inflammatory and Anti-diabetic Probiotic Potential of Lactobacillus agilis Isolated From the Rhizosphere of the Medicinal Plants.

Potential probiotic bacteria can be used as a biotherapeutic agent and a sustainable alternative to antibiotics, as an anti-oxidative, anti-inflammatory, and anti-diabetic agent without causing any serious side effects. Mostly human-friendly Lactic acid bacteria (LAB) have been isolated from the animal-human origin to be used as biotherapeutic agents or to produce useful metabolites (nutraceutical). However, less information is known about the role of medicinal plants associated LAB as biotherapeutic agents. The isolation of 115 human-friendly Lactobacillus strains was done from the rhizosphere of the medicinal plants Ocimum tenuiflorum, Azadirachta indica, Ficus carica. The obtained bacteria were then tested for their safe status before being using it for a beneficial purpose. Out of 115 strains, 29 (25%) were negative for blood hemolytic activities. Among these 29 isolates, three isolates did not show a breakdown of gelatin and were recognized as safe. Antibiotic resistance assay showed resistance of two of them against antibiotics discs of Streptomycin (10 µg), Ciprofloxacin (20 µg), Vancomycin (30 µg), Metronidazole (10 µg), Ampicillin (5 µg), Chloramphenicol (30 µg), Kanamycin (30 µg), Erythromycin (15 µg), Penicillin (10 µg) and Tetracycline (30 µg). The bacterial isolate (T-2) was found safe that was identified as Lactobacillus agilis by sequence analysis of 16 s rRNA gene and processed in vitro as an anti-bacterial, anti-oxidant, anti-diabetic, and anti-inflammatory agent. Free radical scavenging activities and inhibition of α-amylase activities for Lactobacillus agilis were found relative to standard drug values as 68% and 73% and 51.3% and 65.3%, respectively. The in-vitro anti-inflammatory assay showed 61.6% (Lactobacillus agilis) while showed 69% (aspirin) activity for denaturation albumin protein. The results suggested that Lactobacillus agilis can be used as a potential probiotic strain as well as can be used to produce nutraceuticals.

Methicillin-Resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA) in Slaughter Houses and Meat Shops in Capital Territory of Pakistan During 2018-2019.

Livestock-associated methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (LA-MRSA) is a major concern in many parts of the world, including Pakistan. The aim of this study was to investigate the prevalence of MRSA in slaughterhouses and meat shops in Rawalpindi-Islamabad, Pakistan, 2018-2019. A total of 300 samples were collected: 40 from each of working area, tools (knives, hooks), butcher hands and beef, 30 from each of chicken and mutton, 20 from each of nasal and rectal swabs. S. aureus was phenotypically identified by performing gram staining and biochemical tests. 150 of the 300 samples were confirmed to be S. aureus by phenotypic identification. MRSA was identified among S. aureus positive isolates by performing disk diffusion test and by detecting S. aureus-specific genes such as 16s rRNA, nuc, mecA, spa, and coa. Out of 150 isolates 96 (63%) showed resistance to antibiotic cefoxitin, known as a potential marker for detecting MRSA. While all 150 isolates have shown complete resistance to the four antibiotics neomycin, methicillin, ciprofloxacin and tetracycline. The nuc and 16s rRNA genes were detected in all 150 S. aureus-positive isolates and 118 (79%) were confirmed to be MRSA through the detection of the mecA gene. MRSA prevalence was highest in chicken (23/30, 77%) followed by beef (25/40, 63%), mutton (15/30, 50%), knives (18/40, 45%), nasal swabs (7/20, 35%), working area (11/40, 28%), rectal swabs (5/20, 25%), hooks (7/40, 18%), and butcher hands (7/40, 18%). 50 MRSA-positive isolates were chosen to identify two virulence factors (spa and coa gene). Of the 50 MRSA isolates subject to coa and spa gene typing, 27 (54%) were positive for the coa gene and 18 (36%) were positive for the spa gene, respectively. To the best of our knowledge, this was the first study on the molecular identification of MRSA in meat samples from Pakistan. High prevalence of MRSA in meat samples demand for implementation of proper hygienic practices and procedures during the slaughtering, transport and marketing of meat and meat products in order to prevent the spread of these bacteria to the human population.