To the Editor: Recently, several outbreaks of nosocomial infection and pseudoinfection linked to endoscopes contaminated during cleaning and disinfection by automated reprocessing machines have been summarized. Some automated endoscope reprocessing machines have the potential to become colonized with heterotrophic organisms, and this occurred between 1988 and 1990 in two machines manufactured b...

The production of thermally concentrated fruit juices uses temperatures high enough to achieve at least a 5-log reduction of pathogenic bacteria that can occur in raw juice. However, the transportation and storage of concentrates at low temperatures prior to final packaging is a common practice in the juice industry and introduces a potential risk for postconcentration contamination with pathog...

Bacterial microleakage of the remaining gutta-percha in teeth prepared for post space with and without the use of an intracanal glass ionomer barrier was evaluated. Forty distal roots of mandibular molars were instrumented, obturated with gutta-percha and AH Plus sealer, and post spaces created. Teeth were divided as follows: Group I, 3 mm of gutta-percha; group II, 4 mm of gutta-percha; group ...

Enterohemorrhagic E. coli O157: H7 (EHEC) is a major foodborne pathogen capable of causing diarrhea and vomiting, with further complications such as hemolytic-uremic syndrome (HUS). The aim of this study was to use the real-time PCR method to quantify the survival of Escherichia coli O157:H7/pGFP in phyllosphere (leaf surface), rhizosphere (volume of soil tightly held by plant roots), and non-r...

BACKGROUND It has recently been reported that reusable dispensers for surface disinfection tissues may be contaminated, especially with adapted Achromobacter species 3, when products based on surface-active ingredients are used. Fresh solution may quickly become recontaminated if dispensers are not processed adequately. METHODS We evaluated the abilities of six manual and three automatic proc...

BACKGROUND Some rural African communities residing along rivers use the untreated river water for domestic purposes, making them vulnerable to waterborne diseases such as diarrhea. METHODS We determined water use practices and water quality, relating them to prevalence of diarrhea in communities along the Boro-Thamalakane-Boteti river system, northern Botswana. A total of 452 households were ...

Boiling is the most common method of disinfecting water in the home and the benchmark against which other point-of-use water treatment is measured. In a six-week study in peri-urban Zambia, we assessed the microbiological effectiveness and potential cost of boiling among 49 households without a water connection who reported "always" or "almost always" boiling their water before drinking it. Sou...