Association between environmental factors during the COVID-19 pandemic and functioning of infants with biological risk in the first year of life: Cross-sectional exploratory study.

BACKGROUND: Child development can be influenced by family and environmental factors, which changed during the COVID-19 pandemic. Thus, it is important to explore how these factors are associated with the functioning of infants with biological risk in the first year of life. OBJECTIVE: This study aimed to investigate associations between family factors, home opportunities, caregiver perception of environmental support and barriers at home and environmental factors during the COVID-19 pandemic and gross motor skills and home participation in infants with biological risk in the first year of life. METHODS: Fifty-six infants aged two to 12 months (M = 5.80 months; ±2.44) and their mothers performed remote assessments of gross motor skills using the Alberta Infant Motor Scale (AIMS); participation and environment (phone call) by the Young Children's Participation and Environment Measure (YC-PEM); family factors (income, age and maternal education), home opportunities - The Affordances in the Home Environment for Motor Development - Infant Scale (AHEMD-IS) and environmental factors during the COVID-19 pandemic (social distancing, emotional and financial factors and physiotherapy) (online forms). Regression models were constructed, considering gross motor skills and home participation as outcome variables, with a 5 % significance level. RESULTS: We found that older maternal age (p = 0.001), more home opportunities (p = 0.043), and less rigorous social distancing (as opposed to total social distancing [p = 0.045]) were significantly associated with better gross motor skills; and higher maternal education (p = 0.050) was associated with more involvement in home activities. CONCLUSION: Family factors, home opportunities and social distancing were differently associated with the gross motor skills and home participation of infants with biological risk in the first year of life.

Frequency of Leaks from Conical Centrifuge Tubes.

Introduction: Threaded conical centrifuge tubes are ubiquitous in biological laboratories and are frequently used for the storage/transport of potentially biohazardous samples. However, limited data are available on how frequently and from where these tubes leak. These data are valuable for laboratory biorisk management and to inform future studies on risks arising from the routine use of laboratory consumables. Methods: The frequency of leaks from threaded conical centrifuge tubes was tested using a Glo Germ solution as a tracer. Conical tubes (15 and 50 mL) from several brands were filled, inverted, and placed on their side on the benchtop. After 1 h, the presence or absence of leaks on the benchtop surface, tube threads, and exterior was recorded. Results: We observed that liquid leaked out of tubes that were apparently properly threaded in 2% of 15 mL tubes (confidence interval [95% CI] 1.4-2.6) and 1.4% of 50 mL tubes (95% CI 0.2-1.5). After opening, liquid was found on the threads on the outside of the tube in 20% of 15 mL tubes (95% CI 10-31) and 14% of 50 mL tubes (95% CI 1-28). We did not find sufficient evidence that differences in leak rates among brands were practically significant. Conclusions: The fact that leaks were not uncommonly observed from conical centrifuge tubes suggests that mitigations for any hazard posed by a leak should be a component of every biorisk management strategy for protocols involving the manipulation of hazardous substances in these tubes. Further research should be conducted on other activities that could cause tubes to leak (such as centrifugation or vortexing) and should be completed to understand the risks associated with this consumable. Research into the costs and benefits of mitigating the risk of leaks from conical tubes is recommended.

Suspended sediment dynamics and the related environmental risk assessment in a sensitive water area.

Suspended sediment (SS) is a natural component of aquatic environments. It is characterized by the adsorption of pollutants, and its physical properties can affect water volume quality. In this study, SS dynamics were simulated using a 2D hydrodynamic model in the Nanji Mountain Nature Reserve (NNR), and the fluxes of pollutants caused by SS were calculated to assess the biological risks during the wet (May-August) and dry (November-March) seasons. High spatial and temporal variability in SS load within the NNR was found in this study. The average SS load in the reserve increased and then decreased during the year, and the SS input from Ganjiang significantly affected the SS load in the NNR (p < 0.01). The SS load uptrend in the NNR occurred later than that of Ganjiang during the wet season because of the SS sedimentation in the NNR. And the suspension of SS in the NNR during the dry season resulted in a later SS load downtrend compared to Ganjiang. High SS load from Ganjiang during the wet season was responsible for the high nutrient and microplastic fluxes in the NNR, which were 8.38 and 10.61 times higher than those in the dry season, respectively. And the pollutant fluxes during the wet season were almost all from Ganjiang. In contrast, higher waterbird diversity and population during the dry season is the main reason for the increased biological risk of contaminants. Therefore, monitoring and managing SS and its contamination concentrations in rivers entering the lake is helpful for the protection of ecologically sensitive areas and key species in the lake.

Microvascular Disease, Cardiovascular Health, and Risk of Coronary Heart Disease in Type 2 Diabetes: A UK Biobank Study.

CONTEXT: The interplay between cardiovascular health metrics (CVHMs) and microvascular disease (MVD) in relation to the risk of incident coronary heart disease (CHD) among individuals with type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM) remains to be evaluated. OBJECTIVE: To investigate the role of MVD and CVHMs in the development of CHD among T2DM. DESIGN: We included 19,664 participants with T2DM from the UK Biobank who had data on CVH metrics (CVHMs) and were free of CHD during recruitment. CVHMs were defined based on five behavioral (body mass index, diet, sleep duration, smoking, and regular exercise) and three biological factors (glycemic control, hyperlipidemia, and hypertension). MVD was defined as the presence of retinopathy, peripheral neuropathy, and chronic kidney disease. HR and 95% CI of CHD were estimated by multivariable Cox regression models. RESULTS: There were 3,252 incident cases of CHD recorded after a median follow-up of 12.3 years. After multivariable adjustment, each MVD was separately associated with risk of CHD, and those who had 1 or ≥2 MVD had a 27% and an 87% increased risk of developing CHD, respectively. Each of the unfavorable CVHMs was associated with a higher risk of CHD. As compared with MVD-free participants who had ideal CVHMs, those who had ≥2 MVD and had poor CVHMs were at particularly high risk of incident CHD (HR=4.58; 95% CI: 3.58, 5.86), similarly when considering behavioral CVH or biological CVH separately. On an additive scale, there was a positive statistically significant interaction between number of MVD and CVHMs. CONCLUSIONS: Coexistence of multiple MVDs was associated with a substantially higher risk of CHD among individuals with T2DM. Such an association may be amplified by unfavorable CVHMs.

Assessing impacts of municipal wastewater treatment plant upgrades on bacterial hazard contributions to the receiving urban river using SourceTracker.

Upgrading municipal wastewater treatment plants (MWTPs) has been implemented in many megacities of China to reduce the discharges of nutrients and other pollutants and improve water quality of highly urbanized rivers. However, the contribution of MWTP discharge to bacterial hazards in the receiving rivers after upgrades has been largely unknown. In this study, high-throughput sequencing and shotgun metagenomics were applied to investigate the changes in the abundance, composition, potential risks, and contributions of bacteria and antibiotic resistance genes (ARGs) from effluent to receiving river after upgrading the third-largest MWTP in China with denitrification biofilters, ultrafiltration, ozonation, and disinfection processes. The annual loadings of total nitrogen and 27 types of pharmaceuticals were reduced by 42.4% ± 13.2% and 46.2% ± 15.4%, respectively. Bacterial biomass decreased from (3.58 ± 0.49) to (1.23 ± 0.27) × 107 16S rRNA gene copies/mL, and identified biomarkers in effluent and downstream shifted due to the adopted processes. Opportunistic pathogen bacteria downstream were also reduced. Although the relative abundance of total ARGs in MWTP effluent increased from 1.10 ± 0.02 to 2.19 ± 0.03 copies/16S rRNA gene after upgrades, that of total and high-risk ARGs downstream showed no significant difference. More importantly, the Bayesian-based SourceTracker method provided valuable insight by revealing that the contributions of MWTP discharge to downstream bacteria (from 44.2% ± 1.5%-31.4% ± 0.9%) and ARGs (from 61.2% ± 5.3%-47.6% ± 4.1%) were significantly reduced following the upgrades, indicating upgrading MWTP showed integrated benefits to the bacterial hazards in the receiving river. This study provides useful information for better control of bacterial hazard risks and operational strategy for the improvement of the urban aquatic ecosystem.

The impact of SARS-CoV-2 on healthcare workers of a large University Hospital in the Veneto Region: risk of infection and clinical presentation in relation to different pandemic phases and some relevant determinants.

Aim: The aim of this study is to evaluate the incidence of SARS-CoV-2 infection and the prevalence of COVID-19-related symptoms in relation to pandemic phases and some relevant variables in a cohort of 8,029 HCWs from one of the largest Italian University Hospitals. Methods: A single-center retrospective study was performed on data collected during SARS-CoV-2 infection surveillance of HCWs. Cox's multiple regression was performed to estimate hazard ratios of SARS-CoV-2 infection. Logistic multivariate regression was used to assess the risk of asymptomatic infections and the onset of the most frequent symptoms. All analyses were adjusted for sociodemographic and occupational factors, pandemic phases, vaccination status, and previous infections. Results: A total of 3,760 HCWs resulted positive (2.0%-18.6% across five study phases). The total incidence rate of SARS-CoV-2 infection was 7.31 cases per 10,000 person-days, significantly lower in phase 1 and higher in phases 4 and 5, compared to phase 3. Younger HCWs, healthcare personnel, and unvaccinated subjects showed a higher risk of infection. Overall, 24.5% were asymptomatic infections, with a higher probability for men, physicians, and HCWs tested for screening, fully vaccinated, and those with previous infection. The clinical presentation changed over the phases in relation to vaccination status and the emergence of new variants. Conclusion: The screening activities of HCWs allowed for the early detection of asymptomatic cases, limiting the epidemic clusters inside the hospital wards. SARS-CoV-2 vaccination reduced infections and symptomatic cases, demonstrating again its paramount value as a preventive tool for occupational and public health.

Identification of druggable genes for multiple myeloma based on genomic information.

Multiple myeloma (MM) is a hematological malignancy. It is widely believed that genetic factors play a significant role in the development of MM, as investigated in numerous studies. However, the application of genomic information for clinical purposes, including diagnostic and prognostic biomarkers, remains largely confined to research. In this study, we utilized genetic information from the Genomic-Driven Clinical Implementation for Multiple Myeloma database, which is dedicated to clinical trial studies on MM. This genetic information was sourced from the genome-wide association studies catalog database. We prioritized genes with the potential to cause MM based on established annotations, as well as biological risk genes for MM, as potential drug target candidates. The DrugBank database was employed to identify drug candidates targeting these genes. Our research led to the discovery of 14 MM biological risk genes and the identification of 10 drugs that target three of these genes. Notably, only one of these 10 drugs, panobinostat, has been approved for use in MM. The two most promising genes, calcium signal-modulating cyclophilin ligand (CAMLG) and histone deacetylase 2 (HDAC2), were targeted by four drugs (cyclosporine, belinostat, vorinostat, and romidepsin), all of which have clinical evidence supporting their use in the treatment of MM. Interestingly, five of the 10 drugs have been approved for other indications than MM, but they may also be effective in treating MM. Therefore, this study aimed to clarify the genomic variants involved in the pathogenesis of MM and highlight the potential benefits of these genomic variants in drug discovery.

Occurrence, formation, and proteins perturbation of disinfection byproducts in indoor air resulting from chlorine disinfection.

Increased amounts of chlorine disinfectant have been sprayed to inactivate viruses in the environment since the COVID-19 pandemic, and the health risk from chemicals, especially disinfection byproducts (DBPs), has unintentionally increased. In this study, we characterized the occurrence of haloacetic acids (HAAs) and trihalomethanes (THMs) in indoor air and evaluated their formation potential from typical indoor ingredients. Subsequently, the adverse effect of chloroacetic acid on A549 cells was depicted at the proteomic, transcriptional and silico levels. The results revealed that the total concentrations of HAAs and THMs ranged from 1.46 to 4.20 µg/m3 in ten indoor environments. Both classes of DBPs could be generated during the chlorination of prevalent terpenes by competing reactions, which are associated with the volatile state of indoor ingredients after disinfection. The C-type lectin receptor signaling pathway and cellular senescence were significantly perturbed pathways, which interfered with the development of lung fibrosis. The negative effect was further investigated by molecular docking and transcription, which showed that HAAs can interact with four C-type lectin receptor proteins by hydrogen bonds and inhibit the mRNA expression of related proteins. This study highlights the potential secondary biological risk caused by intensive DBPs generated from chlorination and draws our attention to the potential environmental factors leading to chronic respiratory disease.

Historical microbiology: researching past bioevents by integrating scholarship (re)sources with paleomicrobiology assets.

The analysis of past epidemics and pandemics, either spontaneous or of human origin, may revise the physical history of microbiota and create a temporal context in our understanding regarding pathogen attributes like virulence, evolution, transmission and disease dynamics. The data of high-tech scientific methods seem reliable, but their interpretation may still be biased when tackling events of the distant past. Such endeavors should be adjusted to other cognitive resources including historical accounts reporting the events of interest and references in alien medical cultures and terminologies; the latter may contextualize them differently from current practices. Thus 'historical microbiology' emerges. Validating such resources requires utmost care, as these may be susceptible to different biases regarding the interpretation of facts and phenomena; biases partly due to methodological limitations.

Bacteria and viruses have always impacted humankind. They do this directly by causing illness or indirectly by destroying crops and threatening livestock. We can learn a lot by studying disease events of the past ­ for example, we can see how bacteria and viruses have changed over time and predict how they might change in the future. This knowledge could be important to understanding present disease events and predicting future ones. In this review, we propose the concept of 'historical microbiology', which encourages collaboration between scientists, doctors, historians and linguists to provide historical, linguistic and cultural context to our scientific understanding of diseases of the past.

Prevalence and knowledge of modifiable cardiovascular diseases risk factors among vulnerable population in Central Tanzania.

BACKGROUND: Cardiovascular diseases (CVDs) are the global public health problem which has been associated with increasing prevalence of modifiable CVDs risk factors. This study aimed to describe the prevalence and knowledge of modifiable CVDs risk factors among vulnerable population of Central Tanzania. METHODS: A community-based cross-sectional study design was employed. A total of 749 participants were interviewed. The socio-demographic information and modifiable CVDs risk factors (behavioral and biological) were measured using a modified World Health Organization (WHO) STEPwise approach for chronic disease risk factor surveillance. Knowledge of modifiable CVDs risk factors was measured by comprehensive heart disease knowledge questionnaire. Descriptive statistics were used to describe the knowledge and prevalence of modifiable CVDs risk factors. Logistic regression analysis was used to determine the factors associated with adequate knowledge of CVDs risk factors. RESULTS: The prevalence of béhavioral risk factors were; current smokers and alcohol consumers were 4.4% and 18.0% respectively, use of raw salt was 43.7%, consumption of fruit/vegetables < 5 days per week was 56.9%. The prevalence of Biological CVDs risk factors was as follows: Overall, 63.5% (33.3% overweight and 29.9% obese) were overweight or obese, 4.5% were diabetic and 43.4% were hypertensive. Only 35.4% of participants had adequate knowledge of CVDs risk factors. Being a male (AOR = 1.44, 95%CI = 1.01-2.06, p < .05), having primary education (AOR = 6.43, 95%CI = 2.39-17.36, p < .0001), being employed (AOR = 1.59, 95%CI = 1.00-2.52, p < .05), ever checked blood pressure (AOR = 0.59, 95%CI = 0.42-0.84, p < .001), family history of hypertension (AOR = 0.38, 95%CI = 0.25-0.57, p < .0001) determined adequate knowledge of CVDs risk factors. CONCLUSIONS: This study has revealed a high prevalence of modifiable CVDs risk factors and low knowledge of CVDs risk factors. Community health promotion interventions to increase population knowledge of CVDs risk factors are recommended for the efficacious reduction of CVDs in the country.

The Impact of Biosecurity on Biological and Psychosocial Risks for Health Workers of COVID Hospitals in Guadalajara, Jalisco, Mexico.

BACKGROUND: Some data support that health care workers (HCWs) must have sufficient and good quality personal protective equipment (PPE) and the necessary training to manage COVID patients to avoid contagion that can lead to death. The objective of this study was to determine the relationship between biosafety on the biological risks of SARS-CoV-2 and risks of fatigue, anxiety, or depression in health workers who care for patients in COVID hospitals, from September 2020 to August 2021. MATERIAL AND METHODS: The questionnaire used in this study (Q6S64I) consisted of 6 spheres: Sociodemographic aspects, working conditions; Personal Protection Equipment; safety and health; training and knowledge about COVID-19, the form of transport, and personal health conditions. The answers were online. The Goldberg questionnaire (EADG) measures anxiety and depression, and the questionnaire measures fatigue (Barrientos-Gutiérrez et al.) (PSSF). RESULTS: In total, 76.5% of the HCWs were doctors, 25.2% worked in the emergency services, 79.3% received PPE from their institution, 82.9% cared for COVID-19 patients, and 27.9% tested positive for COVID-19. The PPE provided by the employer was 80%, but the quality was deficient, insufficient, and associated with a relative risk of 4.6. A total of 99% acquired better PPE on their own. The exposure to COVID-19 and the surgical mask provided by the institution had an associated relative risk of 2.8 for the HCWs. A total of 39% of the HCWs reported being calm. CONCLUSIONS: PPE, risk exposure, and safety at work were significantly associated with drowsiness and heaviness, difficulty concentrating, anxiety, and depression.

WHO Laboratory Biosafety Manual: A New Approach to Security.

The paper aims to highlight the new indications introduced in the 4th edition of the "Laboratory Biosafety Manual" of World Health Organization. The authors propose a new vision to improve biosafety and biosecurity in the laboratory aligned with the technical standards ISO 35001:2019 "Biorisk management for laboratories and other related organizations" and ISO 45001:2018 "Occupational health and safety management systems-Requirements with guidelines for use" framework. The current edition has a more innovative approach compared to the previous ones, more attention is given to training awareness and providing skills, to promote the culture of safety by adopting an approach based on risk analysis, rather than the prescriptive approach that has been used previously.

A Systematized Overview of Published Reviews on Biological Hazards, Occupational Health, and Safety.

Introduction: The COVID-19 pandemic turned biological hazards in the working environment into a global concern. This systematized review of published reviews aimed to provide a comprehensive overview of the specific jobs and categories of workers exposed to biological hazards with the related prevention. Methods: We extracted reviews published in English and French in PubMed, Embase, and Web of Science. Two authors, working independently, subsequently screened the potentially relevant titles and abstracts recovered (step 1) and then examined relevant full texts (step 2). Disagreements were resolved by consensus. We built tables summarizing populations of exposed workers, types of hazards, types of outcomes (types of health issues, means of prevention), and routes of transmission. Results: Of 1426 studies initially identified, 79 studies by authors from every continent were selected, mostly published after 2010 (n = 63, 79.7%). About half of the reviews dealt with infectious hazards alone (n = 38, 48.1%). The industrial sectors identified involved healthcare alone (n = 16), laboratories (n = 10), agriculture (including the animal, vegetable, and grain sectors, n = 32), waste (n = 10), in addition of 11 studies without specific sectors. The results also highlighted a range of hazards (infectious and non-infectious agents, endotoxins, bioaerosols, organic dust, and emerging agents). Conclusion: This systematized overview allowed to list the populations of workers exposed to biological hazards and underlined how prevention measures in the healthcare and laboratory sectors were usually well defined and controlled, although this was not the case in the agriculture and waste sectors. Further studies are necessary to quantify these risks and implement prevention measures that can be applied in every country.

A case study: Re-evaluating the biological risk following a processing aid change on a marketed cardiovascular implant device.

Per ISO 10993-1:2018, a processing change to a medical device requires re-evaluation of biological risk. Here, we present the biological evaluation of a marketed cardiovascular implant following a detergent formulation change. This change was initially assessed through a qualitative toxicological risk assessment based on the fully disclosed detergent formulation and a limited panel of biological testing. The conclusion was that the new detergent did not impact the biological safety of the device. This assessment was rejected during regulatory review, and extractables and leachables under exhaustive extraction conditions were then evaluated for devices processed with new versus original detergent. New extractables were present at low levels (2-65 µg/device), and a toxicological risk assessment concluded no concern. The regulatory agency responded requesting additional biological testing to evaluate local effects, further characterization of compounds with a "tentative" identification, and leachable data to support clinically relevant exposure estimates. All additional data was collected per the agency request. Still, the conclusion, considering all data, was unchanged, suggesting the extensive chemical characterization and repeat biological testing unnecessary, especially considering animal use. This case study highlights the recent shift in regulatory expectations around chemical characterization and questions the value of additional biological testing when faced with low extractable levels of low toxicity concern. It also demonstrates the need to hold to key portions of the ISO 10993 risk management framework to avoid excessive burden on medical device development when there is little to no determined risk to patient safety.

Genetic Diversity of Microcystin Producers (Cyanobacteria) and Microcystin Congeners in Aquatic Resources across Africa: A Review Paper.

Microcystins are produced by multifaceted organisms called cyanobacteria, which are integral to Africa's freshwater environments. The excessive proliferation of cyanobacteria caused by rising temperature and eutrophication leads to the production and release of copious amounts of microcystins, requiring critical management and control approaches to prevent the adverse environmental and public health problems associated with these bioactive metabolites. Despite hypotheses reported to explain the phylogeography and mechanisms responsible for cyanobacterial blooms in aquatic water bodies, many aspects are scarcely understood in Africa due to the paucity of investigations and lack of uniformity of experimental methods. Due to a lack of information and large-scale studies, cyanobacteria occurrence and genetic diversity are seldom reported in African aquatic ecosystems. This review covers the diversity and geographical distribution of potential microcystin-producing and non-microcystin-producing cyanobacterial taxa in Africa. Molecular analyses using housekeeping genes (e.g., 16S rRNA, ITS, rpoC1, etc.) revealed significant sequence divergence across several cyanobacterial strains from East, North, West, and South Africa, but the lack of uniformity in molecular markers employed made continent-wise phylogenetic comparisons impossible. Planktothrix agardhii, Microcystis aeruginosa, and Cylindrospermopsis raciborskii (presently known as Raphidiopsis raciborskii) were the most commonly reported genera. Potential microcystin (MCs)-producing cyanobacteria were detected using mcy genes, and several microcystin congeners were recorded. Studying cyanobacteria species from the African continent is urgent to effectively safeguard public and environmental health because more than 80% of the continent has no data on these important microorganisms and their bioactive secondary metabolites.

Accidentalidad laboral en salud: caracterización de condiciones del trabajador y del entorno laboral en un hospital de tercer nivel de complejidad / Occupational accidents in health: characterization of worker conditions and the work environment in a tertiary care hospital

El objetivo fue caracterizar condiciones individuales del trabajador y su entorno relacionadas con accidentes laborales. El estudio Transversal incluyó trabajadores accidentados en un hospital de tercer nivel en Medellín, en el periodo 2015-2019. Se presentaron 492 accidentes, la edad predominante fue 26 - 40 años (54,7%). El riesgo mecánico fue más frecuente (44,7%; n=220), El accidente biológico fue más frecuente en menores de 25 y mayores de 60 años (p<0.028). El 96,9% (n=447) de los accidentes fueron leves, la mayoría de personas manifestaron haber recibido inducción y entrenamiento en el puesto (98,2%; n=483). Existen características como sexo, edad, profesión y otras del entorno como horario, tipo de riesgo, entrenamiento, que pueden condicionar la presentación de accidentes laborales. Esto promueve programas de. vigilancia epidemiológica inteligente con enfoque de riesgo y la importancia de valorar los entrenamientos e inducciones, toda vez que estas pudieran no estar cumpliendo objetivos de autocuidado. (AU)

The objective was to characterize individual conditions of the worker and his environment related to occupational accidents. The cross-sectional study included injured workers in a third-level hospital in Medellín, in the period 2015-2019. There were 492 accidents, the predominant age was 26 - 40 years (54.7%). The mechanical risk was more frequent (44.7%; n=220), the biological accident was more frequent in those younger than 25 and older than 60 years (p<0.028). 96.9% (n=447) of the accidents were minor, the majority of people stated that they had received induction and training on the job (98.2%; n=483). There are characteristics such as gender, age, profession and others from the environment such as hours, type of risk, training, which can condition the presentation of occupational accidents. This promotes intelligent epidemiological surveillance programs with a risk approach and the importance of assessing training and inductions, since these may not be fulfilling self-care objectives. (AU)

Microorganismos asociados a signos y síntomas en trabajadores de laboratorios en docencia e investigación / Microorganisms associated with signs and symptoms in laboratory workers in teaching and research

Introducción: La identificación de microorganismos de manipulación intencional, es primordial para el diseño de un proceso de vigilancia epidemiológica asociada al riesgo biológico en laboratorios. Objetivo: Determinar los microorganismos asociados con la presencia de signos y síntomas en trabajadores de laboratorios de una institución universitaria de una ciudad del Oriente Colombiano. Material y Métodos: Estudio descriptivo de corte transversal llevado a cabo en 33 laboratorios y 24 trabajadores. Resultados: se observó asociación de riesgo de presentar cefalea al manipular Oscillatoria spp p=0,09 y RR=2,0 (IC95% 1,29-3,1), faringitis con los hongos del género Aspergillus spp y Fusarium spp p≤0,05 RR=10,0 (IC95% 1,39-71,86) y rinitis alérgica en la manipulación de Staphylococcus aureus p≤0,05 y RR=2,3 (IC95% 1,05-5,17) Conclusión: Las infecciones adquiridas en los laboratorios son identificables si se mantienen los protocolos e información sobre los microorganismos de manipulación intencional y no intencional, siendo el inicio del proceso de vigilancia epidemiológica asociada al riesgo biológico. (AU)

Introduction: The identification of microorganisms of intentional manipulation is essential for the design of an epidemiological surveillance process associated with biological risk in laboratories. Objective: To determine the microorganisms associated with the presence of signs and symptoms in laboratory workers of a university institution in a city of eastern Colombia. Material and Methods: Descriptive cross-sectional study carried out in 33 laboratories and 24 workers. Results: risk association of presenting headache when handling Oscillatoria spp p=0.09 and RR=2.0 (IC95% 1.29-3.1), pharyngitis with fungi of the genus Aspergillus spp and Fusarium spp p≤0.05 RR=10.0 (IC95% 1.39-71.86) and allergic rhinitis when handling Staphylococcus aureus p≤0.05 and RR=2.3 (IC95% 1.05-5.17) Conclusions: Laboratory-acquired infections are identifiable if protocols and information on intentional and unintentional handling microorganisms are maintained, being the beginning of the epidemiological surveillance process associated with biological risk. (AU)

Bioseguridad y autocuidado: prioridad en la formación universitaria en momentos de pandemia / Biosafety and self-care: a priority in university training during pandemic times

Introducción: La bioseguridad y el autocuidado son dos prácticas importantes en el proceso de formación. Estas deben reforzarse permanentemente, ya que se relacionan de manera directa no solo con el riesgo de infecciones, sino con la calidad de la atención. Objetivo: Identificar la evidencia científica sobre los procesos de formación en bioseguridad y autocuidado en el marco de la pandemia. Métodos: Se hizo una revisión de la literatura científica publicada entre 2016 y 2020 sobre medidas de bioseguridad y autocuidado. La búsqueda se realizó en español, inglés y portugués, en la Biblioteca Virtual en Salud, Pubmed, Science Direct y el motor de búsqueda de Google Académico. Se aplicó la metodología PRISMA y se evaluaron en total 25 artículos científicos. Resultados: El año 2020 tuvo mayor frecuencia. La generalidad de los estudios se realizó en el contexto universitario en programas de salud. La higiene de las manos y el uso de guantes fueron las medidas de bioseguridad más informadas; mientras que las medidas de precaución se conocen e implementan. Las publicaciones denotan moderado conocimiento en cuanto a prevención de factores de riesgos biológicos, especialmente en prácticas clínicas. Conclusiones: En los procesos de formación debe tenerse en cuenta la relevancia de reforzar las medidas de bioseguridad y autocuidado para favorecer el ejercicio profesional. Es importante diseñar y repensar estos procesos, tanto en docentes como estudiantes, a través de nuevos métodos y cambios curriculares. La salud mental puede verse afectada no solo por la situación, sino por desconocimiento, miedo a infectarse y sobrecarga laboral(AU)

Introduction: Biosafety and self-care are two important practices in the training process. These should be permanently reinforced, since they are directly related not only to the risk of infections, but also to the quality of care. Objective: To identify the scientific evidence on the biosafety and self-care training processes in the context of the pandemic. Methods: A review of the scientific literature published between 2016 and 2020 on biosafety and self-care measures was carried out. The search was performed in Spanish, English and Portuguese, in the Virtual Health Library, PubMed, Science Direct, and the Google Scholar search engine. The PRISMA methodology was applied and a total of 25 scientific articles were assessed. Results: The year 2020 had the highest frequency. Most of the studies were carried out in the university context in health programs. Hand hygiene and glove-wearing were the most reported biosafety measures, while warning measures are known and implemented. The publications are indicative of moderate knowledge regarding prevention of biological risk factors, especially in clinical practices. Conclusions: The relevance of reinforcing biosafety and self-care measures to favor professional practice should be taken into account in training processes. It is important to design and rethink these processes, both in professors and students, through new methods and curricular changes. Mental health may be affected not only by the situation, but also by ignorance, fear of infection and work overload(AU)

Vaccination Offer during the Occupational Health Surveillance Program for Healthcare Workers and Suitability to Work: An Italian Retrospective Cohort Study.

The active immunization of health care workers (HCWs) is a crucial measure to avoid nosocomial infection; nevertheless, vaccine coverage (VC) among health personnel in Italy is unsatisfactory. To improve VC in the healthcare set, the Hygiene and Occupational Medicine departments of Bari Policlinico General University Hospital applied a specific program. The operative procedure demands that in the context of the occupational medical examination, all workers are evaluated for susceptibility to vaccine-preventable diseases (VDPs), with immunization prophylaxis offered to those determined to be susceptible. This study analyzed data from workers who attended the biological risk assessment protocol from December 2017 to October 2021 (n = 1477), who were evaluated for the immune status for measles, mumps, rubella, and varicella. Among the enrolled subjects, non-protective antibody titers were higher for measles and mumps (13%), followed by rubella (11%) and varicella (8%). Appropriate vaccinations were offered to all susceptible HCWs, and HCWs were re-tested one month after immunization. The seroconversion rate after the administration of one or more booster dose(s) was over 80%. Overall, 2.5% of the subjects refused the offered vaccine(s); the main determinant of immunization compliance was younger age (aOR = 0.86; 95%CI = 0.80-0.92). Especially during the COVID-19 pandemic, VPDs may still present a hazard in nosocomial environment. Our experience suggests that, despite hospital procedures and dedicated human assets, satisfactory VC cannot be reached without the provision of federal regulations. Nevertheless, public health policymakers have to improve the promotion of vaccine prophylaxis and education to reach higher VC.