Bacterial Infections and Mycoses Commons^™

A Rare Case Of Leprosy In West Florida, Adrian Lugo, Taylor Studsrud, Nemer Dabage, James Demaio

West Florida Division GME Research Day 2020

• Leprosy is caused by acid-fast bacilli of the M. leprae complex, which includes M. leprae and M. lepromatosis.
• Transmission in the U.S. is rare, but has been documented in hunters who handle wild ninebanded armadillo.
• The origins of M. leprae infection among armadillos, the geographic range of the infected animals, and the potential risks infected armadillos present to people have been topics of concern.
• The infection originated amongst armadillos decades before they were ever used in leprosy research, and numerous surveys have confirmed that armadillos in the southern United States are a large natural reservoir for M. leprae; its prevalence …

Investigating The Impact Of The Nursing Practice Environment (Npe) On Central Line-Associated Bloodstream Infections (Clabsi) Among Older Adults In The Intensive Care Unit (Icu), Kristen A. Cribbs

Dissertations and Theses

Background: Health care–associated infections, resulting from treatment received for medical or surgical conditions in a health care setting, represent a critical public health and patient safety issue, exacting substantial medical, social, and economic costs. The costliest among the leading causes of preventable health care-associated infections is central-line associated bloodstream infections (CLABSI), to which older adults (age 65 years and older) are particularly susceptible, especially during intensive care unit (ICU) stays. A rich body of research has empirically linked the quality of the nursing practice environment (NPE) in hospitals to both positive and negative patient outcomes; yet, surprisingly few studies have …

Food Safety Risk In An Indoor Microgreen Cultivation System, Gina Marie Misra

Graduate Theses and Dissertations

Microgreens are immature sprouts of edible plants, sharing some similarities with sprouted seeds and petite leafy greens. Since they are most often grown in containers in buildings or greenhouses, they present a new area for food safety research at the intersection of the built environment and produce farming. Contamination by human pathogens has been extensively studied in other types of produce typically eaten raw, including sprouted seeds, which have been implicated in numerous outbreaks of salmonellosis over the last several decades. There is a paucity of knowledge about the microgreen sector of the fresh-cut industry; thus, it was determined that …

Characterization Of A Mycoplasma Pneumoniae Cards Toxin Mutant, Nikaash Pasnoori

Honors Scholar Theses

Mycoplasma pneumoniae is a high-burden pathogen which causes mild to significant infections of the respiratory system. According to the CDC, an estimated two million cases occur yearly in the United States alone, demonstrating the widespread effect of the pathogen. In addition to being the cause of respiratory infections, M. pneumoniae has also been implicated in exacerbating pre-existing asthma conditions. These morbidities make finding a vaccine candidate a vital part of easing the healthcare burden caused by the pathogen. The current mechanism of infection is unknown, but recent evidence points to the Community Acquired Respiratory Distress Syndrome (CARDS) toxin as being …

280— Exploring The Geographic Distribution Of Childbed Fever Deaths In Mid-19th Century Rochester, Ny, Meaghan Parks

GREAT Day Posters

Childbed fever, formally called puerperal fever or puerperal septicemia, is an infection typically contracted by women after childbirth. Historically, childbed fever was a serious threat to maternal health. Childbed fever is caused by exposure of open wounds or abrasions, which are common after giving birth, to group A and B Streptococcal bacteria. Ignaz Semmelweis discovered that hand washing using a chlorinated solution reduced cases of childbed fever in 1847. This project reviews the instances of death from childbed fever in Rochester, New York from 1837-1860 and later from 1907-1919 and attempts to determine which areas of the city had the …

Cryptococcal Antigen Testing In An Integrated Medical System: Eastern Wisconsin, Marianne Klumph, Brian Hoeynck, Dennis J. Baumgardner

Journal of Patient-Centered Research and Reviews

Cryptococcosis is a serious environmentally acquired endemic fungal infection commonly associated with immunocompromised hosts. Little is known regarding frequency or distribution in Wisconsin. We explored the geodemographic and clinical features of patients tested with cryptococcal antigen tests (CrAg) — previously shown to be >90% sensitive and >90% specific — within a large health care system located in eastern Wisconsin. To examine this, we retrospectively analyzed 1465 CrAg tests on 1211 unique patients (female: 50.2%; white race: 73.9%; mean age: 53.7 ± 16.5 years). At least one CrAg result was positive in 23 of 1211 patients (1.9%). From these, 21 of …

Quantitative Study Of The Antimicrobial Effects Of Silver On The Motility Of Escherichia Coli, Benjamin Russell

Graduate Theses and Dissertations

In recent decades, the number of antibiotic-resistant bacterial infections has grown to become a serious global threat. This rise can be attributed to the widespread misuse of antibiotics and the lack of newly developed drugs to fight resistant organisms. Novel bactericidal substances have, therefore, garnered significant research interest. Silver, due to its powerful antimicrobial effects, is one such substance. Silver is typically most effective in cationic form; however, advancements in nanotechnology have paved the way for the controlled fabrication of nano-silver. Silver nanoparticles have been shown to have increased antibacterial potency for a variety of reasons, including the release of …

Developments For The Treatment Of Invasive Infections Due To Multidrug-Resistant Acinetobacter Baumannii, David Laurent, Richard Drew, Dustin Wilson

The University of Louisville Journal of Respiratory Infections

Acinetobacter baumannii is a significant pathogen in healthcare settings (specifically prominent in healthcare- and ventilator-associated pneumonia) due primarily to its virulence and resistance to a wide variety of antimicrobial drug classes, including carbapenems (CRAB). Existing therapies (notably polymyxins, minocycline, tigecycline, amikacin, and sulbactam) often result in suboptimal tissue concentrations, high rates of toxicity, and increasing rates of resistance. Although utilizing combinations of antibiotics (specifically those containing colistin) have been employed, results have been mixed, and control trials are lacking. Eravacycline is a novel tetracycline with an improved pharmacokinetic profile and more potent activity against A. baumannii relative to tigecycline. Cefiderocol …

Oral Fungal Microbiota: To Thrush And Beyond, Dennis J. Baumgardner

Journal of Patient-Centered Research and Reviews

The oral microbiota is complex, multikingdom, interactive, and involves extensive biofilm formation. While dominated by bacteria, Candida is a frequent member of this microbiota; however, several other potentially pathogenic fungi (among around 100 identified species) appear to reside in some individuals, including Cryptococcus, Aspergillus, and Fusarium. Oral candidiasis may manifest as a variety of disease entities in normal hosts and in the immunocompromised. These include pseudomembranous candidiasis (thrush), hyperplastic or atrophic (denture) candidiasis, linear gingival erythema, median rhomboid glossitis, and angular cheilitis. The purpose of this review is to describe the oral fungal microbiota (ie, oral mycobiota), …

Whooping Cough: A Pharmacist's Role In An Emerging Endemic, Haley Armstrong, Lydia Suchecki, Sarah Lipperman, Taylor Roberson, Andrew M. Roecker

Pharmacy and Wellness Review

Pertussis is an acute infectious disease caused by the organism Bordetella pertussis and characterized by a "whooping cough." Incidence of the disease had declined since the development of a vaccine, but is now increasing in reported cases. This increase has been attributed to both an increased awareness but also surmised to be related to a decrease in vaccinations. The pertussis vaccine is given in conjunction with tetanus and diphtheria vaccines to children before the age of 6 in five separate injections over the course of four to six years. A booster is now recommended for the older child and adults …

Occupied, Judy Diamond, Tom Floyd, Rebecca Smith, Ann Downer-Hazell, Martin Powell, Nick Poliwko, Angie Fox, Amy Spiegel, Patricia Wonch Hill, Julia Mcquillan

Zea E-Books Collection

Our bodies are home to more microbes than human cells. The balance of helpful to harmful microbes in our bodies can make us sick or healthy. The Biology of Human project focuses on helping people understand themselves by exploring scientific principles that underlie modern research in human biology. Biology of Human is an alliance of science educators, artists, science writers, and biomedical researchers working to increase public understanding about viruses and infectious disease. In this comic, Daniel and Miguel find themselves in the world of the microbes, where they meet the Roid (Bacteroides), Longo biffi (Bifidobacterium longum), E. …

Ticked Off: How Expansion Of City Boundaries Affects Rates Of Lyme Disease In The United States, Daphne Fauber

The Journal of Purdue Undergraduate Research

No abstract provided.

Reducing The Risk: Psychological And Technological Approaches For Improving Handwashing Practices In The Foodservice Industry, Jeffrey Allan Clark

Graduate Theses and Dissertations

As Americans are spending greater portions of their dollar on food consumed outside the home, the foodservice industry plays more of an integral part of daily existence compared to previous generations. Given the numerous annual foodborne illness outbreaks that threaten human lives while undermining confidence in the food supply, food safety is a pertinent issue for industry stakeholders, government regulators, and consumers. Food worker handwashing reduces the risk of foodborne illness transmission, yet compliance with this simple behavior is a complex problem. This dissertation addresses, predominantly, the issue of sub-optimal handwashing practices through applying psychology and technology, including wearable computers …

Operationalization Of Bi-Directional Screening For Tuberculosis And Diabetes In Private Sector Healthcare Clinics In Karachi, Pakistan, Mashal S. Basir, Shifa Salman Habib, Syed M A. Zaidi, Saira Khowaja, Hamidah Hussain, Rashida A. Ferrand, Aamir J. Khan

Community Health Sciences

Background: Many countries are facing overlapping epidemics of tuberculosis (TB) and diabetes mellitus (DM). Diabetes increases the overall risk of developing Tuberculosis (TB) and contributes to adverse treatment outcomes. Active screening for both diseases can reduce TB transmission and prevent the development of complications of DM. We investigated bi-directional TB-DM screening in Karachi, Pakistan, a country that ranks fifth among high TB burden countries, and has the seventh highest country burden for DM.
Methods: Between February to November 2014, community-based screeners identified presumptive TB and DM through verbal screening at private health clinics. Individuals with presumptive TB were referred for …

Multiple Regression Models To Analyze Length Of Hospitalization Due To Nosocomial Infections In U.S. Hospitals, Ernest M. Oleksy

The Downtown Review: An Interdisciplinary Journal Written and Peer-Reviewed by Mandel Honors College Students at Cleveland State University

Nosocomial diseases are a serious concern and detriment to hospitals’ abilities to provide appropriate patient care. Bearing this in mind, an effort must be made to determine whether infection surveillance and control programs have reduced the rates of nosocomial infection at U.S. hospitals. The data that were studied were obtained as part of the Study on the Efficacy of Nosocomial Infection Control (SENIC) and used to develop a model of what variables most contribute to a patient’s length of stay at the Cleveland Clinic (Quade et al, 1980).

Simulating Antibiotic Resistance In The Computer Lab And Biology Lab: Ideas For Undergraduate Projects, Anne E. Yust

Annual Symposium on Biomathematics and Ecology Education and Research

No abstract provided.

Coping With Chronic Fungal Rhinosinusitis: Diagnosis To Therapy, Veronica Corcino, Leslie Beavin, Shengli Lu, Ashley Ross, Carmen V. Sciortino Jr.

The University of Louisville Journal of Respiratory Infections

No abstract provided.

Using Clinical Decision Support Within The Electronic Health Record To Reduce Incorrect Prescribing For Acute Sinusitis, Regina Ginzburg, Justin J. Conway, Eve Waltermaurer, Wendy Song, Samantha P. Jellinek-Cohen

Journal of Patient-Centered Research and Reviews

Purpose: Acute sinusitis has viral etiology in more than 90% of cases, but antibiotics are prescribed for more than 80% of adults in the United States. While applications of computer-assisted guidelines have been found effective in reducing inaccurate prescribing for acute respiratory infections, there is a paucity of research focused specifically on the utilization of electronic best practice alerts (BPA) in improving treatment for acute sinusitis.

Methods: This observational cohort study examined prescribing behavior for sinusitis at a single Federally Qualified Health Center 1 year prior and during the first year of implementation of a BPA in the electronic health …

Increasing Follow-Up In College Students With Latent Tuberculosis Infection, Emily Middleton, Dnp, Aprn, Ccrn, Kathy James, Dnsc, Aprn, Faan, Kimberly Woodruff, Md, Mph

Doctor of Nursing Practice Final Manuscripts

Around 13 million people in the United States have latent tuberculosis infection (LTBI) with a 5-10% chance of developing active tuberculosis (TB) in their lifetime if not treated (Center for Disease Control, 2015). At a University Student Health Center (SHC), there is a matriculation requirement for TB testing for students that screen as high risk. Many students have these testing requirements performed at outside clinics, including foreign clinics, and follow-up regarding education about LTBI and treatment recommendations was often missing. The purpose of this evidence-based practice (EBP) project was to increase follow-up, education, and treatment options after diagnosis of LTBI. …

Infections Not Fought: Antibiotic Resistance In Underserved Communities, Derek Lillestolen

Senior Honors Theses

In 1928, the profound effects of penicillin were discovered and antibiotic treatments became extremely popular. Broad-spectrum antibiotics, like tetracyclines, have been since branded as cure-all prescriptions and used profusely in the Western World and abroad. Due to ignorance of specific biochemical mechanisms and the misuse of antibiotics these drugs inadvertently allowed the rise in prevalence of antibiotic resistant strains of certain bacteria as the century progressed. Now, the specific genetic causes and mechanisms of antibiotic resistance are being understood, but the fight against antimicrobial resistance is far from over. In the United States, thousands of fatalities are caused annually by …

Use Of Urine Antigen Testing For Blastomyces In An Integrated Health System, Dennis J. Baumgardner

Journal of Patient-Centered Research and Reviews

Purpose: Blastomycosis, an endemic fungal infection, mimics many other diseases. We explored the use of Blastomyces urine antigen (BuAg), reportedly the most sensitive noninvasive test, in clinical practice and compared it to other noninvasive tests.

Methods: A total of 836 BuAg tests performed on unique patients (first test only) at one large integrated health system from June 2013 to May 2016 were retrospectively reviewed to examine test characteristics and demographic features. Of these, 100 cases from 2015, a year containing a large local blastomycosis outbreak, were randomly selected for detailed analysis.

Results: Demographics for the BuAg-tested population: mean age 54.9 …

Amphibians And Reptiles As A Source Of Salmonella – A Review Of Salmonella Outbreaks In A Period Of Last Ten Years, Mateusz Drozdz, Gabriela Bugla-Plooskonska

Appalachian Student Research Forum

Salmonellosis is a serious problem of public health that mainly infants, young children and people with immunodeficiencies face. Human direct contact with animals is one of the possible ways of transmission of the disease. An increasing trend of keeping exotic pets, including amphibians and reptiles, has been observed for recent years in the United States and developing European countries. Most of these animals are asymptomatic carriers of Salmonella. However, in this review we introduced new and the most dangerous outbreaks of salmonellosis caused by contact with amphibians and reptiles that appeared in all continents in last ten years.

It was …

How Climate Effects The Tick Vector Of Lyme Disease: A Critical And Systematic Review Of The Literature, Anita Desikan, Matias Attene Ramos

GW Research Days 2016 - 2020

Background

Lyme disease (LD) is a common vector-borne disease in North America. Understanding the causes behind inter-annual fluctuations of LD incidence can help warn healthcare providers of upcoming outbreaks.

Objective

Identifying what specific climate variables affects the vector, Ixodes scapularis ticks, and ultimately LD incidence.

Methods

A systematic review was carried out to understand how climate variables affect the tick population variables that are related to LD.

Results

Twenty-one studies met the inclusion criteria. Risk of bias was generally rated “low” or “probably low” and quality of evidence was rated “moderate”. Strength of evidence was assessed for tick abundance, a …

Factors Associated With Month 2 Smear Non-Conversion Among Category 1 Tuberculosis Patients In Karachi, Pakistan, Kimberly A. D'Souza, Syed M A. Zaidi, Maria Jaswal, Shahid Butt, Saira Khowaja, Shifa Salman Habib, Amyn A. Malik

Community Health Sciences

Predictors of smear non-conversion at baseline can help identify cases at risk for failure of tuberculosis treatment. Retrospective data for smear-positive Category 1 patients in Karachi, Pakistan, was analyzed. Predictors of sputum conversion were determined using multiple logistic regression with sputum conversion as outcome variable and patient demographics, baseline weight, baseline sputum smear grade, case-finding approach as explanatory variables. Age ≥35 years, baseline sputum grade of 3+ were significantly associated with predicting sputum smear positivity at month 2 of treatment. Monitoring compliance to TB treatment should be considered amongst older patients and those with a high sputum grade at baseline.

Lebanon: Cholera Outbreak, Muhammad Naqvi

Global Public Health

Lebanon is a country that has always been tangled with the ever looming threat of a growing health crisis. With a failing government and massive influx of refugees, mostly the victim of their war torn economy, it seemed inevitable that sanitation procedures would run short. Now the Lebanese people and government face the challenge of the spread of Cholera, a water-borne disease, within the countries vicinity as a result of mass pollution from the formation of informal settlements as well as the country being a hotbed for political instability. These have resulted in limited success in controlling the outbreak engulfing …

The Gambia : Tuberculosis, Amen Belayneh

Global Public Health

Tuberculosis in the Gambia

This brief consists of some general information about Gambia, demographic information, the effects of tuberculosis in the country including the challenges brought forth by the disease, and some personal suggestions on the matter. From the general information on Gambia, we learn the location, political structure as well as major internal and external challenges faced by the country. Tuberculosis is one of the country’s major internal challenges in addition to its environmental and economic issues. Under the demographic information we get a broader idea of the Gambia people by looking at population demographic such as birth and …

Niger: Meningitis, Rodrigo Medeiros

Global Public Health

Niger is a semi-presidential republic located in western Africa. The majority of the population lives in the most extreme southern part of the country since 80% of Niger’s territory is occupied by the Sahara desert. The desert has been spreading in recent years forcing people to leave their subsistence farms. The majority of the population lives with less than 1 dollar per day. The first meningitis outbreak lasted from 2002 until 2012, but the 2015 outbreak was the one that caused more damage to the countries located in the meningitis belt of sub-Saharan Africa. The meningitis belt is the place …

Micronesia: Tuberculosis, Mulualem Hailom

Global Public Health

This brief contains the general information of the Federal state of Micronesia, major problems of the country, and in particular Tuberculosis disease and Multidrug-Resistant Tuberculosis. Under the general information of Micronesia, the location, the political structure, the demographic information, and the internal and also external challenges are listed. This brief also has detailed information about the two simultaneous outbreaks of Multidrug-Resistant Tuberculosis of Micronesia. Tuberculosis is one of death contributing factor in Micronesia. Tuberculosis can be cured if the therapy is properly taken but if the therapy isn’t taken properly, the TB disease can grow into Multidrug –Resistance tuberculosis, which …

Cholera: Uganda, Emilie Verran

Global Issues in Public Health

The bacterium Vibrio cholerae, when ingested, infects the intestines and causes a communicable diarrhea disease called cholera. Outbreaks of cholera occur in areas with poor sanitation and sewage treatments where fecal material of an infected person contaminates the water. These areas include Southeast Asia, Haiti, and sub-Saharan Africa, including Uganda. From 2011-2016, an analysis of Ugandan cholera data showed ‘hot spots’ of cholera cases in fishing communities with incidence rates as high as 120-998 cases per 100,000 people. An analysis of these same districts from 2011-2015 showed an average Case-Fatality Ratio of 2.4%, with the worst district as high …

Usefulness Of The Captia Syphilis Igg Eia Test Method And Reverse Algorithm For Detection Of Syphilis Infection In A Public Health Setting, Patricia Armour

Theses and Dissertations

Syphilis, a systemic sexually transmitted disease, is on the rise in the US, with infection rates the highest recorded since 1994 according to the CDC. Useful laboratory testing is an important diagnostic tool for determining individual syphilis infection and preventing community-wide disease spread.

The purpose of this study was to determine the usefulness of a specific automated treponemal test method, the Captia^TM Syphilis IgG EIA, and the syphilis reverse algorithm interpretation for detecting syphilis infection among patients seeking care in a public health clinic. The study employed a retrospective, nonexperimental descriptive correlational design with data collected between 2012-2013 from …