The main source of E. coli 0157:H7 is cattle, but recent studies showed high percentage of outbreaks contributed by contaminated water. The occurrence of E. coli O157:H7 in environmental water samples poses a potential threat to human health. The aim of this study was to establish a protocol for the detection of the pathogen E. coli O157:H7 and E. coli virulence genes (eaeA, rfbE, hly, stx1, an...

background : free-living amoebae such as acanthamoeba species may act as carriers of cryptosporidium and toxoplasma oocysts, thus, may play an important role in the water-borne transmission of these parasites. in the present study, a loop mediated isothermal amplification (lamp) method for detection of toxoplasma and a pcr assay were developed for investigation of acanthamoeba in environmental ...

Currently HPLC/MS is the state of the art tool for environmental/drinking water perfluorooctane sulfonate (PFOS) monitoring. PFOS can bind to peroxisomal proliferator-activated receptor-alpha (PPARα), which forms heterodimers with retinoid X receptors (RXRs) and binds to PPAR response elements. In this bioassay free PFOS in water samples competes with immobilized PFOS in ELISA plates for a give...

Multiplex polymerase chain reaction (PCR) and gene probe detection of target lacZ and uidA genes were used to detect total coliform bacteria and Escherichia coli, respectively, for determining water quality. In tests of environmental water samples, the lacZ PCR method gave results statistically equivalent to those of the plate count and defined substrate methods accepted by the U.S. Environment...

Reliable and sensitive pathogen detection in clinical and environmental (including food and water) samples is of greatest importance for public health. Standard microbiological methods have several limitations and improved alternatives are needed. Most important requirements for reliable analysis include: (i) specificity; (ii) sensitivity; (iii) multiplexing potential; (iv) robustness; (v) spee...

Infective Endocarditis (IE) is a disease with high morbidity and mortality. Nowadays, in addition to classic pathogens were isolated exigent Gram negative bacteria as A. baumannii, A. lwoffii, C. burnetii, Bartonella, Chlamydia and Legionella. We present our experience of Legionella isolations in environmental sample (water and air) collected from the Cardiology units belonging to two hospitals...

HPLC coupled simultaneously to NMR and MS is particularly suited to the identification of unknown polar, non-volatile compounds in complex environmental samples, i.e. to non-target analysis of such samples, if pollutants are present in the ppb range. Both methods give complementary structural information. Optimum information on unknowns is gained if both techniques are coupled on-line. This rev...

The efforts of modern civilization to create an environment to meet human aspirations have successfully resulted in constant improvements of our lifestyle, but it has increased risks to human and ecological health. This situation has motivated many scientists throughout the world to analyze the environmental factors that can affect our health or ecology and to calculate the levels of risk. In B...

Caffeine, a purine alkaloid drug, has been recognized as a contaminant of water bodies in various climatic regions, however, these environmental caffeine concentrations are the first to be reported in the tropical Caribbean. The major objective of this study was to develop an improved method to extract caffeine from surface and wastewaters in the warm Caribbean environment and measure caffeine ...

OBJECTIVES Cyclophosphamide (CP) and ifosfamide (IF) are effective anti-cancer drugs but their genotoxicity can harm everyone contacting them occupationally or environmentally. Therefore, a sensitive method for monitoring their amounts in biological and environmental samples is needed. This has aimed to develop a method for analyzing these drugs in urine and water sewage samples. MATERIAL AND...