Kocuria rosea
Kocuria rosea and Micrococcus spp. (gram-positive bacteria) are widespread in nature and commonly found along with coagulase-negative Staphylococcus spp. on the skin of humans and mammals.
REF: http://www.usmicro-solutions.com/referencelibrary/bacteriallibrary.html Acessado em 11/06/12
segunda-feira, 11 de junho de 2012
Bacillus lentus
BioHazard Level:
1
Growth Temperature:
26oC
Appropriate growth media:
CASO agar
Genomic sources for restriction enzymes (at this website):
BlpI
Gram Stain:
Bacillus lentus is Gram stain positive
Respiration:
Bacillus lentus is aerobic
Taxonomic lineage:
Bacteria; Firmicutes; Bacilli; Bacillales; Bacillaceae; Bacillus
Industrial uses or economic implications:
Bacillus lentus produces a commercially important alkaline protease.
Miscellaneous:
Bacillus lentus is a urea-decomposing soils bacteria.
Human health and disease:
Bacillus lentus is considered non-pathogenic.
REF: http://www.thelabrat.com/restriction/sources/Bacilluslentus.shtml Acessado em 11/06/12
Bacillus cereus
A 'Bacillus cereus' é uma bactéria beta hemolítica gram-positiva, de forma cilíndrica, endêmica, que vive no solo. Algumas cepas são prejudiciais aos seres humanos e causam intoxicação alimentar, enquanto outras cepas podem ser benéficas, como os probióticos para animais [1]. É a causa da Síndrome do "Arroz Frito", como as bactérias são classicamente contraídas a partir de pratos de arroz frito que têm estado à temperatura ambiente por horas (tal como em um 'buffet'). [2]. As bactérias B. cereus são organismos anaeróbios facultativos, e tal como outros membros do gênero Bacillus, podem produzir endósporos protetores. Seus fatores de virulência incluem a cereolisina e a fosfolipase C.
REF: http://pt.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bacillus_cereus Acessado em 11/06/12
REF: http://pt.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bacillus_cereus Acessado em 11/06/12
Alternaria spp
Taxonomic Classification
Kingdom: Fungi
Phylum: Ascomycota
Class: Euascomycetes
Order: Pleosporales
Family: Pleosporaceae
Genus: Alternaria
Description and Natural Habitats
Alternaria is a cosmopolitan dematiaceous (phaeoid) fungus commonly isolated from plants, soil, food, and indoor air environment. The production of melanin-like pigment is one of its major characteristics. Its teleomorphic genera are called Clathrospora and Leptosphaeria.
Species
The genus Alternaria currently contains around 50 species. Among these, Alternaria alternata is the most common one isolated from human infections. Some authorities suggest that Alternaria alternata is a representative species complex rather than a single species and consists of several heterogenous species. While Alternaria chartarum, Alternaria dianthicola, Alternaria geophilia, Alternaria infectoria, Alternaria stemphyloides, and Alternaria teunissima are among the other Alternaria spp. isolated from infections, some Alternaria strains reported as causative agents remain unspecified.
Synonyms
See the summary of synonyms and teleomorph-anamorph relations for the Alternaria sp
Pathogenicity and Clinical Significance
Alternaria spp. have emerged as opportunistic pathogens particularly in patients with immunosuppression, such as the bone marrow transplant patients [1581] [2297]. They are one of the causative agents of phaeohyphomycosis. Cases of onychomycosis, sinusitis, ulcerated cutaneous infections, and keratitis, as well as visceral infections and osteomyelitis due to Alternaria have been reported [66, 802, 1429, 2042]. In immunocompetent patients, Alternaria colonizes the paranasal sinuses, leading to chronic hypertrophic sinusitis. In immunocompromised patients the colonization may end up with development of invasive disease[2306]. It is among the causative agents of otitis media in agricultural field workers [2345].
Since Alternaria species are cosmopolitan and ubiquitous in nature, they are also common laboratory contaminants. Thus, their isolation in culture requires cautious evaluation [1847].
Macroscopic Features
Alternaria spp. grow rapidly and the colony size reaches a diameter of 3 to 9 cm following incubation at 25°C for 7 days on potato glucose agar. The colony is flat, downy to woolly and is covered by grayish, short, aerial hyphae in time. The surface is greyish white at the beginning which later darkens and becomes greenish black or olive brown with a light border. The reverse side is typically brown to black due to pigment production [462, 1295, 2144].
Microscopic Features
Alternaria spp. have septate, brown hyphae. Conidiophores are also septate and brown in color, occasionally producing a zigzag appearance. They bear simple or branched large conidia (7-10 x 23-34 µm) which have both transverse and longitudinal septations. These conidia may be observed singly or in acropetal chains and may produce germ tubes. They are ovoid to obclavate, darkly pigmented, muriform, smooth or roughened. The end of the conidium nearest the conidiophore is round while it tapers towards the apex. This gives the typical beak or club-like appearance of the conidia [462, 1295, 2144].
Histopathologic Features
Dark colored filamentous hyphae are observed in the sections of infected tissue stained with H&E. If the pigment formation is not obvious, Fontana-Masson silver stain, which is specific to melanin, may be applied [462].
REF: http://www.doctorfungus.org/thefungi/alternaria.php Acessado em 11/06/12
Acremonium spp
Acremonium spp. are filamentous, cosmopolitan fungi frequently isolated from plant debris and soil, they are known to result in invasive infections in the setting of severe immunosuppression. In this letter, we present a case of catheter-related fungaemia associated with Acremonium spp. in a patient with chronic renal failure. After removal of the subclavian catheter, the patient was treated successfully with voriconazole, with a loading dose of 400 mg followed by a maintenance dose of 200 mg bid. To the best of our knowledge, this is the first paper reporting Acremonium spp. associated fungaemia in a relatively immunocompetent host. We also discuss the diagnosis and treatment of Acremonium spp. associated infections in the context of current literature.
REF: A novel fungal pathogen under the spotlight--Acremonium spp. associated fungaemia in an immunocompetent host.
Purnak T, Beyazit Y, Sahin GO, Shorbagi A, Akova M.
http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/19702621 Acessado em 11/06/12
REF: A novel fungal pathogen under the spotlight--Acremonium spp. associated fungaemia in an immunocompetent host.
Purnak T, Beyazit Y, Sahin GO, Shorbagi A, Akova M.
http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/19702621 Acessado em 11/06/12
quinta-feira, 8 de março de 2012
Environmental monitoring: settle plates
One of the series of learning articles, an overview of settle plates for environmental monitoring.
Settle plates are Petri-dishes, typically of either 9cm or 14cm diameter, containing different fill volumes of agar (normally between 20 and 30 mL). Settle plates are designed to detect any viable micro-organisms that may directly settle on or in the product (that is micro-organisms that are carried in the air-stream, although a person who leans over a plate can also potentially deposit micro-organisms). At determined monitoring locations (ideally positioned and exposed either side of the testing environment) the lids of the dishes are removed and the plates are exposed to the air for a defined period of time. In theory, micro-organisms and units containing micro-organisms settle out of the air under gravity, and are deposited onto horizontally positioned agar plates. This theoretically works better in turbulent or laminar airflows. The efficiency can be described as the ‘settling rate’.
The settling rate depends partly on the characteristics of the particles and on the air-flows. Larger units will tend to settle faster (due to gravitational effects) and settling is facilitated by still air-flows (which should not occur within a correctly designed uni-directional air-flow zone). Smaller particles have a lower tendency to settle due to sir resistance and air currents. The principle behind settle plates is that most micro-organisms in air are in association with particles. Generally the ‘complete particle’ (micro-organism in association with the ‘carrier’) is 12mm diameter or larger[i].
Outside of uni-directional air, such as the main cleanroom itself, then the greater the degree of turbulence there is. The amount of air turbulence is proportional to the amount of time that particles remain suspended in the air. Thereby, the greater the amount of air turbulence then the longer the particles will remain suspended in the air (this is not always a bad thing, as particles can be blown away from a critical zone, depending upon the design of the room). This can, however, influence the reliability of the settle plate and here the additional use of active air-samplers can provide additional assurance for the microbiologist assessing the cleanroom cleanliness.
The phenomenon of gravitational settling is, however, a debatable issue. The prevailing view, as discussed above, is that as most micro-organisms are associated with physical particles they will be large enough to settle out of the air due to gravity i. The dissenting view is that micro-organism carrying particles or any micro-organisms not associated with units as being light enough to remain in the air-stream for several minutes and possibly be carried out of the air-stream and not settle[ii]. Much of this debate thereby centres on the size of the particles in the air and the airflow.
The exposure time of the settle plate can be varied, although there is probably little value in exposing plates for less than one hour. For consistency of sampling, for aseptic filling, the EU GMP Guide recommends a four hour exposure time. This time should not be exceeded without strong justification, and even then there will probably be a challenge from the regulatory authority. For exposure times under four hours, such as when a shorter activity is being monitored, the result obtained should be extrapolated using the simple equation:
Count x 240 = cfu / 4 hours
Time exposed (minutes)
The risk from any exposure is desiccation. The depth and condition of the agar are the key variables, as is the cleanroom environment. The agar in the plate will dry out faster if the airflow is excessively high or if the air humidity is low. Therefore the exposure time of settle plates under the conditions of use (a particular cleanroom or uni-directional airflow cabinet) must be validated.
[i] Whyte, W. (1986): ‘Sterility assurance and models for assessing airborne bacterial contamination’, Journal of Parenteral Science and Technology, 40, pp188-197
[ii] Sykes, G. (1970): ‘The control of airborne contamination in sterile areas’, Aerobiology: Proceedings of the 3rd International Symposium, in Silver, I. H. (ed.), Academic Press, London
REF: http://pharmig.blogspot.com/2010/07/environmental-monitoring-settle-plates.html ACESSADO EM 08/03/12
One of the series of learning articles, an overview of settle plates for environmental monitoring.
Settle plates are Petri-dishes, typically of either 9cm or 14cm diameter, containing different fill volumes of agar (normally between 20 and 30 mL). Settle plates are designed to detect any viable micro-organisms that may directly settle on or in the product (that is micro-organisms that are carried in the air-stream, although a person who leans over a plate can also potentially deposit micro-organisms). At determined monitoring locations (ideally positioned and exposed either side of the testing environment) the lids of the dishes are removed and the plates are exposed to the air for a defined period of time. In theory, micro-organisms and units containing micro-organisms settle out of the air under gravity, and are deposited onto horizontally positioned agar plates. This theoretically works better in turbulent or laminar airflows. The efficiency can be described as the ‘settling rate’.
The settling rate depends partly on the characteristics of the particles and on the air-flows. Larger units will tend to settle faster (due to gravitational effects) and settling is facilitated by still air-flows (which should not occur within a correctly designed uni-directional air-flow zone). Smaller particles have a lower tendency to settle due to sir resistance and air currents. The principle behind settle plates is that most micro-organisms in air are in association with particles. Generally the ‘complete particle’ (micro-organism in association with the ‘carrier’) is 12mm diameter or larger[i].
Outside of uni-directional air, such as the main cleanroom itself, then the greater the degree of turbulence there is. The amount of air turbulence is proportional to the amount of time that particles remain suspended in the air. Thereby, the greater the amount of air turbulence then the longer the particles will remain suspended in the air (this is not always a bad thing, as particles can be blown away from a critical zone, depending upon the design of the room). This can, however, influence the reliability of the settle plate and here the additional use of active air-samplers can provide additional assurance for the microbiologist assessing the cleanroom cleanliness.
The phenomenon of gravitational settling is, however, a debatable issue. The prevailing view, as discussed above, is that as most micro-organisms are associated with physical particles they will be large enough to settle out of the air due to gravity i. The dissenting view is that micro-organism carrying particles or any micro-organisms not associated with units as being light enough to remain in the air-stream for several minutes and possibly be carried out of the air-stream and not settle[ii]. Much of this debate thereby centres on the size of the particles in the air and the airflow.
The exposure time of the settle plate can be varied, although there is probably little value in exposing plates for less than one hour. For consistency of sampling, for aseptic filling, the EU GMP Guide recommends a four hour exposure time. This time should not be exceeded without strong justification, and even then there will probably be a challenge from the regulatory authority. For exposure times under four hours, such as when a shorter activity is being monitored, the result obtained should be extrapolated using the simple equation:
Count x 240 = cfu / 4 hours
Time exposed (minutes)
The risk from any exposure is desiccation. The depth and condition of the agar are the key variables, as is the cleanroom environment. The agar in the plate will dry out faster if the airflow is excessively high or if the air humidity is low. Therefore the exposure time of settle plates under the conditions of use (a particular cleanroom or uni-directional airflow cabinet) must be validated.
[i] Whyte, W. (1986): ‘Sterility assurance and models for assessing airborne bacterial contamination’, Journal of Parenteral Science and Technology, 40, pp188-197
[ii] Sykes, G. (1970): ‘The control of airborne contamination in sterile areas’, Aerobiology: Proceedings of the 3rd International Symposium, in Silver, I. H. (ed.), Academic Press, London
REF: http://pharmig.blogspot.com/2010/07/environmental-monitoring-settle-plates.html ACESSADO EM 08/03/12
Environmental monitoring: settle plates
One of the series of learning articles, an overview of settle plates for environmental monitoring.
Settle plates are Petri-dishes, typically of either 9cm or 14cm diameter, containing different fill volumes of agar (normally between 20 and 30 mL). Settle plates are designed to detect any viable micro-organisms that may directly settle on or in the product (that is micro-organisms that are carried in the air-stream, although a person who leans over a plate can also potentially deposit micro-organisms). At determined monitoring locations (ideally positioned and exposed either side of the testing environment) the lids of the dishes are removed and the plates are exposed to the air for a defined period of time. In theory, micro-organisms and units containing micro-organisms settle out of the air under gravity, and are deposited onto horizontally positioned agar plates. This theoretically works better in turbulent or laminar airflows. The efficiency can be described as the ‘settling rate’.
The settling rate depends partly on the characteristics of the particles and on the air-flows. Larger units will tend to settle faster (due to gravitational effects) and settling is facilitated by still air-flows (which should not occur within a correctly designed uni-directional air-flow zone). Smaller particles have a lower tendency to settle due to sir resistance and air currents. The principle behind settle plates is that most micro-organisms in air are in association with particles. Generally the ‘complete particle’ (micro-organism in association with the ‘carrier’) is 12mm diameter or larger[i].
Outside of uni-directional air, such as the main cleanroom itself, then the greater the degree of turbulence there is. The amount of air turbulence is proportional to the amount of time that particles remain suspended in the air. Thereby, the greater the amount of air turbulence then the longer the particles will remain suspended in the air (this is not always a bad thing, as particles can be blown away from a critical zone, depending upon the design of the room). This can, however, influence the reliability of the settle plate and here the additional use of active air-samplers can provide additional assurance for the microbiologist assessing the cleanroom cleanliness.
The phenomenon of gravitational settling is, however, a debatable issue. The prevailing view, as discussed above, is that as most micro-organisms are associated with physical particles they will be large enough to settle out of the air due to gravity i. The dissenting view is that micro-organism carrying particles or any micro-organisms not associated with units as being light enough to remain in the air-stream for several minutes and possibly be carried out of the air-stream and not settle[ii]. Much of this debate thereby centres on the size of the particles in the air and the airflow.
The exposure time of the settle plate can be varied, although there is probably little value in exposing plates for less than one hour. For consistency of sampling, for aseptic filling, the EU GMP Guide recommends a four hour exposure time. This time should not be exceeded without strong justification, and even then there will probably be a challenge from the regulatory authority. For exposure times under four hours, such as when a shorter activity is being monitored, the result obtained should be extrapolated using the simple equation:
Count x 240 = cfu / 4 hours
Time exposed (minutes)
The risk from any exposure is desiccation. The depth and condition of the agar are the key variables, as is the cleanroom environment. The agar in the plate will dry out faster if the airflow is excessively high or if the air humidity is low. Therefore the exposure time of settle plates under the conditions of use (a particular cleanroom or uni-directional airflow cabinet) must be validated.
[i] Whyte, W. (1986): ‘Sterility assurance and models for assessing airborne bacterial contamination’, Journal of Parenteral Science and Technology, 40, pp188-197
[ii] Sykes, G. (1970): ‘The control of airborne contamination in sterile areas’, Aerobiology: Proceedings of the 3rd International Symposium, in Silver, I. H. (ed.), Academic Press, London
REF: http://pharmig.blogspot.com/2010/07/environmental-monitoring-settle-plates.html ACESSADO EM 08/03/12
One of the series of learning articles, an overview of settle plates for environmental monitoring.
Settle plates are Petri-dishes, typically of either 9cm or 14cm diameter, containing different fill volumes of agar (normally between 20 and 30 mL). Settle plates are designed to detect any viable micro-organisms that may directly settle on or in the product (that is micro-organisms that are carried in the air-stream, although a person who leans over a plate can also potentially deposit micro-organisms). At determined monitoring locations (ideally positioned and exposed either side of the testing environment) the lids of the dishes are removed and the plates are exposed to the air for a defined period of time. In theory, micro-organisms and units containing micro-organisms settle out of the air under gravity, and are deposited onto horizontally positioned agar plates. This theoretically works better in turbulent or laminar airflows. The efficiency can be described as the ‘settling rate’.
The settling rate depends partly on the characteristics of the particles and on the air-flows. Larger units will tend to settle faster (due to gravitational effects) and settling is facilitated by still air-flows (which should not occur within a correctly designed uni-directional air-flow zone). Smaller particles have a lower tendency to settle due to sir resistance and air currents. The principle behind settle plates is that most micro-organisms in air are in association with particles. Generally the ‘complete particle’ (micro-organism in association with the ‘carrier’) is 12mm diameter or larger[i].
Outside of uni-directional air, such as the main cleanroom itself, then the greater the degree of turbulence there is. The amount of air turbulence is proportional to the amount of time that particles remain suspended in the air. Thereby, the greater the amount of air turbulence then the longer the particles will remain suspended in the air (this is not always a bad thing, as particles can be blown away from a critical zone, depending upon the design of the room). This can, however, influence the reliability of the settle plate and here the additional use of active air-samplers can provide additional assurance for the microbiologist assessing the cleanroom cleanliness.
The phenomenon of gravitational settling is, however, a debatable issue. The prevailing view, as discussed above, is that as most micro-organisms are associated with physical particles they will be large enough to settle out of the air due to gravity i. The dissenting view is that micro-organism carrying particles or any micro-organisms not associated with units as being light enough to remain in the air-stream for several minutes and possibly be carried out of the air-stream and not settle[ii]. Much of this debate thereby centres on the size of the particles in the air and the airflow.
The exposure time of the settle plate can be varied, although there is probably little value in exposing plates for less than one hour. For consistency of sampling, for aseptic filling, the EU GMP Guide recommends a four hour exposure time. This time should not be exceeded without strong justification, and even then there will probably be a challenge from the regulatory authority. For exposure times under four hours, such as when a shorter activity is being monitored, the result obtained should be extrapolated using the simple equation:
Count x 240 = cfu / 4 hours
Time exposed (minutes)
The risk from any exposure is desiccation. The depth and condition of the agar are the key variables, as is the cleanroom environment. The agar in the plate will dry out faster if the airflow is excessively high or if the air humidity is low. Therefore the exposure time of settle plates under the conditions of use (a particular cleanroom or uni-directional airflow cabinet) must be validated.
[i] Whyte, W. (1986): ‘Sterility assurance and models for assessing airborne bacterial contamination’, Journal of Parenteral Science and Technology, 40, pp188-197
[ii] Sykes, G. (1970): ‘The control of airborne contamination in sterile areas’, Aerobiology: Proceedings of the 3rd International Symposium, in Silver, I. H. (ed.), Academic Press, London
REF: http://pharmig.blogspot.com/2010/07/environmental-monitoring-settle-plates.html ACESSADO EM 08/03/12
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