Carbapenemase-Producing Bacteria Isolated from ICU Patients of a Peruvian Government Hospital during the COVID-19 Pandemic: A Descriptive Analysis.

Background and Objectives: In Peru, the presence of antimicrobial-resistant bacteria is a constant concern in hospitals and has likely increased in frequency during the pandemic. The objective of the study was to analyze the frequency of carbapenemase-producing bacteria resistant to two carbapenems (Imipenem and Meropenem), which were isolated from Peruvian patients in the intensive care unit of the Victor Lazarte Echegaray Hospital in Trujillo (Peru) during the COVID-19 pandemic. Materials and Methods: The biological samples of the patients hospitalized in the ICU were processed in the Microbiology Diagnostic Laboratory of the Víctor Lazarte Echegaray Hospital between May 2021 and March 2022. Antimicrobial sensitivity was determined with the automated system AutoScan-4, and for the identification of the type of carbapenemase, the RESISIT-3 O.K.N K-SET cassettes were used. Results: The results show that 76 cultures (76/129) had resistance to the two carbapenems (imipenem or meropenem), where the most frequent were Klebsiella pneuomoniae (31.6%), Pseudomonas aeruginosa (26.3%), and Acinetobacter baumannii (14.5%). Pseudomonas aeruginosa cultures showed at least three carbapenemase types (KPC, NDM, and OXA-48), while A. baumannii, Escherichia coli, and Burkholderia cepacia complex presented at least two carbapenemases (NDM and OXA-48). The carbapenemase NDM was detected in Enterobacter cloacae, Morganella morganii, and Proteus mirabilis, while KPC was present in all Klebsiella pneumoniae and Klebsiella oxytoca cultures. Conclusions: The samples from patients hospitalized in the Victor Lazarte Echegaray Hospital ICU showed a high prevalence of imipenem- and meropenem-resistant bacteria. These findings are relevant and concerning from the perspective of antibiotic-resistant bacteria monitoring, control, and disinfection. Thus, an appropriate antibiotic policy must be implemented.

Lignin-Degrading Bacteria in Paper Mill Sludge.

The effluents generated in the paper industry, such as black liquor, have a high content of lignin and other toxic components; however, they represent a source of lignin-degrading bacteria with biotechnological potential. Therefore, the present study aimed to isolate and identify lignin-degrading bacteria species in paper mill sludge. A primary isolation was carried out from samples of sludge present in environments around a paper company located in the province of Ascope (Peru). Bacteria selection was made by the degradation of Lignin Kraft as the only carbon source in a solid medium. Finally, the laccase activity (Um-L-1) of each selected bacteria was determined by oxidation of 2,2'-azinobis-(3-etilbencenotiazolina-6-sulfonate) (ABTS). Bacterial species with laccase activity were identified by molecular biology techniques. Seven species of bacteria with laccase activity and the ability to degrade lignin were identified. The bacteria Agrobacterium tumefasciens (2), Klebsiella grimontii (1), and Beijeinckia fluminensis (1) were reported for first time. K. grimowntii and B. fluminensis presented the highest laccase activity, with values of 0.319 ± 0.005 UmL-1 and 0.329 ± 0.004 UmL-1, respectively. In conclusion, paper mill sludge may represent a source of lignin-degrading bacteria with laccase activity, and they could have potential biotechnological applications.

Literature Review: Evaluation of Drug Removal Techniques in Municipal and Hospital Wastewater.

There are several techniques for the removal of pharmaceuticals (drugs) from wastewater; however, strengths and weaknesses have been observed in their elimination processes that limit their applicability. Therefore, we aimed to evaluate the best techniques for the removal of pharmaceuticals from municipal and hospital wastewater. For this, a non-experimental, descriptive, qualitative-quantitative design was used, corresponding to a systematic review without meta-analysis. Based on established inclusion and exclusion criteria, 31 open-access articles were selected from the Scopus, ProQuest, EBSCOhost, and ScienceDirect databases. The results showed that high concentrations of analgesics such as naproxen (1.37 mg/L) and antibiotics such as norfloxacin (0.561 mg/L) are frequently found in wastewater and that techniques such as reverse osmosis, ozonation, and activated sludge have the best removal efficiency, achieving values of 99%. It was concluded that reverse osmosis is one of the most efficient techniques for eliminating ofloxacin, sulfamethoxazole, carbamazepine, and diclofenac from municipal wastewater, with removal rates ranging from 96 to 99.9%, while for hospital wastewater the activated sludge technique proved to be efficient, eliminating analgesics and antibiotics in the range of 41-99%.

Electric Current Generation by Increasing Sucrose in Papaya Waste in Microbial Fuel Cells.

The accelerated increase in energy consumption by human activity has generated an increase in the search for new energies that do not pollute the environment, due to this, microbial fuel cells are shown as a promising technology. The objective of this research was to observe the influence on the generation of bioelectricity of sucrose, with different percentages (0%, 5%, 10% and 20%), in papaya waste using microbial fuel cells (MFCs). It was possible to generate voltage and current peaks of 0.955 V and 5.079 mA for the cell with 20% sucrose, which operated at an optimal pH of 4.98 on day fifteen. In the same way, the internal resistance values of all the cells were influenced by the increase in sucrose, showing that the cell without sucrose was 0.1952 ± 0.00214 KΩ and with 20% it was 0.044306 ± 0.0014 KΩ. The maximum power density was 583.09 mW/cm2 at a current density of 407.13 A/cm2 and with a peak voltage of 910.94 mV, while phenolic compounds are the ones with the greatest presence in the FTIR (Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy) absorbance spectrum. We were able to molecularly identify the species Achromobacter xylosoxidans (99.32%), Acinetobacter bereziniae (99.93%) and Stenotrophomonas maltophilia (100%) present in the anode electrode of the MFCs. This research gives a novel use for sucrose to increase the energy values in a microbial fuel cell, improving the existing ones and generating a novel way of generating electricity that is friendly to the environment.

Use of Onion Waste as Fuel for the Generation of Bioelectricity.

The enormous environmental problems that arise from organic waste have increased due to the significant population increase worldwide. Microbial fuel cells provide a novel solution for the use of waste as fuel for electricity generation. In this investigation, onion waste was used, and managed to generate maximum peaks of 4.459 ± 0.0608 mA and 0.991 ± 0.02 V of current and voltage, respectively. The conductivity values increased rapidly to 179,987 ± 2859 mS/cm, while the optimal pH in which the most significant current was generated was 6968 ± 0.286, and the ° Brix values decreased rapidly due to the degradation of organic matter. The microbial fuel cells showed a low internal resistance (154,389 ± 5228 Ω), with a power density of 595.69 ± 15.05 mW/cm2 at a current density of 6.02 A/cm2; these values are higher than those reported by other authors in the literature. The diffractogram spectra of the onion debris from FTIR show a decrease in the most intense peaks, compared to the initial ones with the final ones. It was possible to identify the species Pseudomona eruginosa, Acinetobacter bereziniae, Stenotrophomonas maltophilia, and Yarrowia lipolytica adhered to the anode electrode at the end of the monitoring using the molecular technique.