How long can nosocomial pathogens survive on textiles? A systematic review

The military gear microbiome: risk factors surrounding the warfighter

Combat extremity wounds are highly susceptible to contamination from surrounding environmental material. This bioburden could be partially transferred from materials in immediate proximity to the wound, including fragments of the uniform and gear. However, the assessment of the microbial bioburden present on military gear during operational conditions of deployment or training is relatively unexplored. Opportunistic pathogens that can survive on gear represent risk factors for infection following injury, especially following combat blasts, where fibers and other materials are embedded in wounded tissue. We utilized 16S rRNA sequencing to assess the microbiome composition of different military gear types (boot, trouser, coat, and canteen) from two operational environments (training in Hawai'i and deployed in Indonesia) across time (days 0 and 14). We found that microbiome diversity, stability, and composition were dependent on gear type, training location, and sampling timepoint. At day 14, species diversity was significantly higher in Hawai'i samples compared to Indonesia samples for boot, coat, and trouser swabs. In addition, we observed the presence of potential microbial risk factors, as opportunistic pathogenic species, such as Acinetobacter, Pseudomonas, and Staphylococcus, were found to be present in all sample types and in both study sites. These study outcomes will be used to guide the design of antimicrobial materials and uniforms and for infection control efforts following combat blasts and other injuries, thereby improving treatment guidance during military training and deployment.IMPORTANCECombat extremity wounds are vulnerable to contamination from environments of proximity to the warfighter, leading to potential detrimental outcomes such as infection and delayed wound healing. Therefore, microbial surveillance of such environments is necessary to aid the advancement of military safety and preparedness through clinical diagnostics, treatment protocols, and uniform material design.

Antiviral efficacy of nanomaterial-treated textiles in real-life like exposure conditions

Due to the growing interest towards reducing the number of potentially infectious agents on critical high-touch surfaces, the popularity of antimicrobially and antivirally active surfaces, including textiles, has increased. The goal of this study was to create antiviral textiles by spray-depositing three different nanomaterials, two types of CeO2 nanoparticles and quaternary ammonium surfactant CTAB loaded SiO2 nanocontainers, onto the surface of a knitted polyester textile and assess their antiviral activity against two coronaviruses, porcine transmissible gastroenteritis virus (TGEV) and severe acute respiratory syndrome virus (SARS CoV-2). Antiviral testing was carried out in small droplets in semi-dry conditions and in the presence of organic soiling, to mimic aerosol deposition of viruses onto the textiles. In such conditions, SARS CoV-2 stayed infectious at least for 24 h and TGEV infected cells even after 72h of semi-dry deposition suggesting that textiles exhibiting sufficient antiviral activity before or at 24 h, can be considered promising. The antiviral efficacy of nanomaterial-deposited textiles was compared with the activity of the same nanomaterials in colloidal form and with positive control textiles loaded with copper nitrate and CTAB. Our results indicated that after deposition onto the textile, CeO2 nanoparticles lost most of their antiviral activity, but antiviral efficacy of CTAB-loaded SiO2 nanocontainers was retained also after deposition. Copper nitrate deposited textile that was used as a positive control, showed relatively high antiviral activity as expected. However, as copper was effectively washed away from the textile already during 1 h, the use of copper for creating antiviral textiles would be impractical. In summary, our results indicated that antiviral activity of textiles cannot be predicted from antiviral efficacy of the deposited compounds in colloid and attention should be paid on prolonged efficacy of antivirally coated textiles.

Nanoscale Technologies in the Fight against COVID-19: From Innovative Nanomaterials to Computer-Aided Discovery of Potential Antiviral Plant-Derived Drugs

The last few years have increasingly emphasized the need to develop new active antiviral products obtained from artificial synthesis processes using nanomaterials, but also derived from natural matrices. At the same time, advanced computational approaches have found themselves fundamental in the repurposing of active therapeutics or for reducing the very long developing phases of new drugs discovery, which represents a real limitation, especially in the case of pandemics. The first part of the review is focused on the most innovative nanomaterials promising both in the field of therapeutic agents, as well as measures to control virus spread (i.e., innovative antiviral textiles). The second part of the review aims to show how computer-aided technologies can allow us to identify, in a rapid and therefore constantly updated way, plant-derived molecules (i.e., those included in terpenoids) potentially able to efficiently interact with SARS-CoV-2 cell penetration pathways.

Rapid Method to Quantify the Antiviral Potential of Porous and Nonporous Material Using the Enveloped Bacteriophage Phi6

The pandemic revealed significant gaps in our understanding of the antiviral potential of porous textiles used for personal protective equipment and nonporous touch surfaces. What is the fate of a microbe when it encounters an abiotic surface? How can we change the microenvironment of materials to improve antimicrobial properties? Filling these gaps requires increasing data generation throughput. A method to accomplish this leverages the use of the enveloped bacteriophage ϕ6, an adjustable spacing multichannel pipette, and the statistical design opportunities inherent in the ordered array of the 24-well culture plate format, resulting in a semi-automated small drop assay. For 100 mm² nonporous coupons of Cu and Zn, the reduction in ϕ6 infectivity fits first-order kinetics, resulting in half-lives (T₅₀) of 4.2 ± 0.1 and 29.4 ± 1.6 min, respectively. In contrast, exposure to stainless steel has no significant effect on infectivity. For porous textiles, differences associated with composition, color, and surface treatment of samples are detected within 5 min of exposure. Half-lives for differently dyed Zn-containing fabrics from commercially available masks ranged from 2.1 ± 0.05 to 9.4 ± 0.2 min. A path toward full automation and the application of machine learning techniques to guide combinatorial material engineering is presented.

Laundry Hygiene and Odor Control: State of the Science

Laundering of textiles—clothing, linens, and cleaning cloths—functionally removes dirt and bodily fluids, which prevents the transmission of and reexposure to pathogens as well as providing odor control. Thus, proper laundering is key to controlling microbes that cause illness and produce odors. The practice of laundering varies from region to region and is influenced by culture and resources. This review aims to define laundering as a series of steps that influence the exposure of the person processing the laundry to pathogens, with respect to the removal and control of pathogens and odor-causing bacteria, while taking into consideration the types of textiles. Defining laundering in this manner will help better educate the consumer and highlight areas where more research is needed and how to maximize products and resources. The control of microorganisms during laundering involves mechanical (agitation and soaking), chemical (detergent and bleach), and physical (detergent and temperature) processes. Temperature plays the most important role in terms of pathogen control, requiring temperatures exceeding 40°C to 60°C for proper inactivation, while detergents play a role in reducing the microbial load of laundering through the release of microbes attached to fabrics and the inactivation of microbes sensitive to detergents (e.g., enveloped viruses). The use of additives (enzymes) and bleach (chlorine and activated oxygen) becomes essential in washes with temperatures below 20°C, especially for certain enteric viruses and bacteria. A structured approach is needed that identifies all the steps in the laundering process and attempts to identify each step relative to its importance to infection risk and odor production.

An Examination and Comparison of Stethoscope Hygiene in Nursing Education Programs

BACKGROUND

Improper stethoscope hygiene has been found to contribute to the development of health care associated infections, which affects approximately one in every 30 hospitalized patients. Various pathogens have been found on the stethoscopes of health care workers.

METHOD

A correlational descriptive design was used to compare stethoscopes from 117 nursing students. Sterile swab samples were obtained from four separate areas of each stethoscope. Samples were plated and incubated for 24 to 48 hours.

RESULTS

Bacteria were found on all parts of the stethoscopes from both undergraduate and graduate nursing students, with the earpiece having the highest percentage of contamination. Staphylococcus was the most prevalent microbe found on all four swab sites.

CONCLUSION

Educating students about stethoscope hygiene and consistently reinforcing it in practice are essential to reduce the transmission of pathogens in the health care environment. Nurses can model best practice with students and other disciplines to increase the likelihood of adherence. [J Nurs Educ. 2021;60(5):277-280.].