Prevalence and associated risk factors of symptomatic dry eye in Ghana: A cross-sectional population-based study

PurposeThis study sought to estimate the prevalence and associated risk factors of symptomatic dry eye in the general non-clinical Ghanaian population.MethodsThis was a cross-sectional population-based study conducted from November 2019 to February 2020. A stratified, multistage, random sampling technique was used to select participants aged 18 years and above from the capital cities of eight administrative regions in Ghana. Symptomatic dry eye was assessed using the Ocular Surface Disease Index questionnaire (OSDI). A study specific structured questionnaire was administered to collect information on participants’ demographics and self-reported risk factors of dry eye disease such as smoking, diabetes, hypertension, arthritis, ocular allergies, pregnancy, contact lens wear, use of topical glaucoma medication and multivitamin supplement. Multiple linear regression analysis was used to explore associations between symptomatic dry eye and participant characteristics. A p-value of 0.05 was considered statistically significant.ResultsA total of 1316 individuals participated in the study [mean (SD) age 37.0 (15.72) years; range 18–90 years; 50.2 % males]. The prevalence of symptomatic dry eye was 69.3 % [95 % CI: 66.7 % - 71.7 %; mean (SD) OSDI score of 26.97 (21.52)]: 19.8 %, 16.6 % and 32.9 % mild, moderate and severe symptoms respectively. The most common ocular symptom was sensitivity to light (experienced at least some of the time), reported by 67.1 % of participants; most affected vision-related activity was reading (49.3 %); most common environmental trigger of dry eye symptoms was windy conditions (61.3 %). There was a significant positive association between symptomatic dry eye and age (p < .0001), female sex (p = .026), arthritis (p = .031), ocular surface allergy (p = .036) and regional zone (p = .043).ConclusionThere is a high prevalence of dry eye symptoms in Ghana. This represents a high dry eye disease burden and a significant public health problem that needs immediate attention.     

Prevalence and serovar diversity of Salmonella spp. in primary horticultural fruit production environments

Increases in foodborne disease outbreaks associated with fresh produce have necessitated the need to identify potential sources of microbial contamination in produce and agricultural environments. The present study evaluated Salmonella prevalence and serovar diversity in fruit (225), water (140) and surface (126) samples, from three commercial farms and associated packhouses, located in different farming regions in South Africa. Fruit and water samples were collected from both orchards and packhouses, while surface samples were collected from conveyer belts and hands of packhouse employees. Salmonella was detected in 26 of the 491 (5.3%) samples. Environmental samples (water and surfaces) recorded a slightly higher proportion (3.1%; 15/491) of positive samples compared to fruit samples (2.2%; 11/491). Salmonella was not detected on employee hands and river water samples. A total of 263 Salmonella isolates were obtained from the 26 positive samples by standard culture methods, preliminarily identified through matrix-assisted laser desorption ionisation-time of flight mass spectroscopy (MALDI-TOF MS) and API 20E, and confirmed by invA gene. Of the 39 representative isolates serotyped the serovars Muenchen (33.3%), Typhimurium (30.8%), Heidelberg (20.5%), Bsilla (7.7%), Salmonella subspecies IIb: 17: r: z (5.1%) and one untypable strain were identified. Most samples had multiple serovars with orchard water form one site recording the highest serovar diversity (4 serovars). Our findings show the potential of agricultural fruit production environments to act as reservoirs of clinically important Salmonella serovars.     

Prevalence and characterization of Escherichia coli O157:H7 isolates from meat and meat products sold in Amathole District,Eastern Cape Province of South Africa

Meat and meat products have been implicated in outbreaks of Escherichia coli O157:H7 in most parts of the world. In the Amathole District Municipality of the Eastern Cape Province of South Africa, a large number of households consume meat and meat products daily, although the microbiological quality of these types of food is questionable. The present study investigated the prevalence of E. coli O157:H7 isolated from selected meat and meat products (45 samples each of biltong, cold meat, mincemeat, and polony) sold in this area. Strains of E. coli O157:H7 were isolated by enrichment culture and confirmed by polymerase chain reaction (PCR). Also investigated were the antibiogram profiles of the E. coli O157:H7 isolates. Five (2.8%) out of 180 meat and meat products examined were positive for E. coli O157:H7 that carried the fliC_H7, rfbE_O157, and eaeA genes. Two of the E. coli O157:H7 isolates were resistant against all the eight antibiotics tested. To prevent E. coli O157:H7 infections, meat and meat products such as biltong, cold meat, mincemeat and polony should be properly handled, and packed in sterile polyvinyl wrappers.     

Estimates of dry eye disease in Saudi Arabia based on a short questionnaire of prevalence,symptoms, and risk factors: The Twaiq Mountain Eye Study I

PurposeTo estimate the prevalence and associated risk factors of dry eye disease (DED) among the citizens of Saudi Arabia.MethodsA cross-sectional prevalence survey was administered to 4066 healthy adults from the five main regions of Saudi Arabia. Initial estimates of the prevalence and associated risk factors of DED were calculated for the general population and then stratified by demographic characteristics such as age, sex, and location. DED was assessed by a short, validated dry-eye questionnaire.ResultsThe overall prevalence of DED was 49.5 % (n = 2016), including 33.1 % (n = 1347) of participants who reported a previous DED diagnosis and 16.4 % (n = 669) who reported severe symptoms; 14.7 % reported severe symptoms and a previous DED diagnosis (n = 598). The DED prevalence among men was 49.8 % (n = 1005) compared with 50.2 % (n = 1011) for women. The multivariate model analysis confirmed the increased prevalence of DED in women (OR 1.48; 95 % CI 1.30–1.88), those ≥60 years of age (OR 1.99; 95 % CI 1.60–2.81), those who had undergone refractive surgery (OR 1.79; 95 % CI 1.50–2.59), those having undergone acne treatment (OR 1.51; 95 % CI 1.34–1.97), contact lens wearers (OR 1.77; 95 % CI 1.40–2.48), those having taken antiallergy drugs (OR 2.23; 95 % CI 1.55–2.78) or antidepressants (OR 1.60; 95 % CI 1.14–2.44), and those who reported computer use of >6 h per day (OR 1.66; 95 % CI 1.41–2.52).ConclusionDry eye is a common disease among the Saudi Arabian population. Prevalence is found to be high and vary significantly across the country. DED could be attributed to dry weather, low annual rainfall, low humidity, widespread use of air conditioners, air pollution, high temperature, and exposure to sunlight.     

Prevalence and contamination patterns of Listeria monocytogenes in catfish processing environment and fresh fillets

Catfish skins, intestines, fresh fillets, processing surfaces at different production stages, chiller water and non-food contact surfaces were sampled for Listeria monocytogenes and other Listeria species. Among 315 samples, prevalence of L. monocytogenes, Listeria innocua and a group of Listeria seeligeri–Listeria welshimeri–Listeria ivanovii was 21.6, 13.0 and 29.5%, respectively. No Listeria grayi was detected in this survey. While no L. monocytogenes strains were isolated from catfish skins and intestines, the strains were found with a frequency of 76.7% in chilled fresh catfish fillets and 43.3% in unchilled fillets. L. monocytogenes and Listeria spp. were also detected in fish contact surfaces such as deheading machine, trimming board, chiller water, conveyor belts at different stages, and fillet weighing table. Among L. monocytogenes, 1/2b (47.0%), 3b (16.0%) and 4c (14%) were the predominant serotypes isolated, whereas 4b, 4e, 1/2c and 1/2a were detected at much lower frequencies. Genotype analyses of L. monocytogenes isolates using serotyping, pulsed-field gel electrophoresis (PFGE) and enterobacterial repetitive intergenic consensus (ERIC)-PCR revealed that chiller water represented an important contamination source of L. monocytogenes in the chilled catfish fillets of two processing facilities, whereas fillet weighing table significantly contributed to the catfish fillet contamination of the third facility. This study suggests that L. monocytogenes contamination in the processed catfish fillets originates from the processing environment, rather than directly from catfish. Results from this study can aid the catfish industry to develop a plant-specific proper cleaning and sanitation procedure for equipment and the processing environment designed to specifically target L. monocytogenes contamination.     

Prevalence and counts of Campylobacter spp. in poultry meat at retail level in Estonia

Campylobacter contamination of poultry meat at retail level was studied in two surveys during the twelve-month period of 2012 in Estonia. The data from these surveys were combined and analyzed, partially together, in order to comprehensively estimate the prevalence and possible seasonality of Campylobacter in poultry and in poultry meat products in Estonia. Mostly Estonian, Lithuanian and Latvian products, representing the most typical origins of poultry products on the Estonian retail market, were sampled and analyzed in these surveys. The first survey, organized by the Estonian Veterinary and Food Board, focused on Campylobacter prevalence in poultry meat at retail level. The second survey, at the Estonian University of Life Sciences, focused on Campylobacter prevalence and counts in fresh broiler chicken meat at retail level. Additionally, broiler chicken caecal samples were collected at slaughterhouse level for the estimation of the seasonal variation of Campylobacter colonization. Caecal samples were collected weekly from a broiler chicken slaughterhouse belonging to a company representing over 95% of all commercial broiler production in Estonia. A total of 606 poultry meat samples at retail level and 380 broiler chicken caecal samples at slaughterhouse level were collected and analyzed. A total of 20.8% of the poultry meat and 39.2% of the caecal samples were found positive for Campylobacter spp. The mean number of Campylobacters in fresh broiler chicken meat in the positive samples was 3.20 log₁₀CFU/g. A distinct seasonal variation in the Campylobacter contamination of broiler chicken meat was observed, which peaked during the warm summer period.     

Prevalence,antimicrobial resistance and genetic diversity of Salmonella isolated from retail ready-to-eat foods in China

Salmonella is a leading cause of foodborne disease worldwide and ready-to-eat (RTE) foods are regarded as a major source of infection and outbreak. In recent years, the consumption of Chinese RTE foods has raised markedly with the pace of life increasing. However, the prevalence of Salmonella in these foods in China and its potential risk to public health has not been well determined and evaluated. This study was undertaken to investigate the prevalence of Salmonella in Chinese retail RTE food products and to determine serotype distribution, antimicrobial resistance, virulence, and genetic diversity of recovered Salmonella isolates. Out of the 539 RTE food products collected and tested from July 2011 to May 2014, 19 (3.5%) were positive for Salmonella. The contamination levels of Salmonella were mostly in the range of 0.3–10 most probable number (MPN)/g, with one sample exceeding 110 MPN/g. Among the 50 isolates identified, 37 isolates (74.0%) were resistant to at least one antimicrobial, while 21 isolates (42.0%) were resistant to more than three antimicrobials. High rates of resistance were observed for tetracycline (56.0%), ampicillin (38.0%), and streptomycin (34.0%). PCR analysis of 15 virulence genes showed that the avrA, ssaQ, mgtC, siiD, sopB, and bcfC genes were detected in all 50 isolates, whereas the genes located on plasmid and prophage varied significantly among the isolates. Ten distinct serovars were identified and S. Derby, S. Meleagridis, S. Enteritidis, and S. Senftenberg were the most prevalent serovars. A total of 11 sequence types by multilocus sequence typing and 20 profiles by pulsed-field gel electrophoresis were generated for the 20 selected isolates and the combination of these two methods presented a better knowledge of genetic diversity of Salmonella isolates. The study provided a systematical surveillance on prevalence of Salmonella in Chinese RTE foods and indicates its potential risk to public health.     

Isolation and characterization of Cronobacter spp. from indigenous infant flours sold in public health care centres within Abidjan,Côte d'Ivoire

The aim of this study was to evaluate the prevalence of Cronobacter spp. in indigenous infant flours sold in public health care centres within Abidjan (Côte d'Ivoire) and to assess their antimicrobial susceptibility. A total of 133 samples of cereal-based indigenous flours were collected from randomly selected public health care centres within Abidjan and subjected to Cronobacter spp. isolation and identification by using biochemical tests, API 20E system and duplex PCR detection. Subsequently, the antimicrobial susceptibility test was performed for confirmed isolates. Our results showed that the samples contained Cronobacter spp. in addition to 18 other Enterobacteriaceae species among with Enterobacter cloacae (21.84% of total isolates) and Pantoea spp. (14.08%) were the most frequently isolated species. Ninety samples (67.7%) were contaminated by Enterobacteriaceae and 16 samples (12.0%) by Cronobacter spp. Gentamycin, colistine, tobramycin, ticarcillin–clavunate and trimethoprim–sulphamethoxazole remained the most potent antimicrobial agents against Cronobacter spp. while resistance occurred most often to nalidixic acid (87.5%), aztreonam (75.0%), amoxicillin–clavunate (68.7%), ampicillin (62.5%) and cefotaxime (62.5%). Twelve resistant phenotypes were defined among Cronobacter spp. isolates and the most common phenotype (25% of isolates) was amoxicillin–clavunate/cefotaxime/aztreonam/tetracycline/nalidixic acid resistant. Furthermore, all the strains tested were resistant to at least four antibiotics.     

The nature and prevalence of inter-organizational project ventures: Evidence from a large scale field study in the Netherlands 2006-2009

There has recently been noted a rapid increase in research attention to projects that involve outside partners. Our knowledge of such inter-organizational projects, however, is limited. This paper reports large scale data from a repeated trend survey amongst 2000 SMEs in 2006 and 2009 that focused on inter-organizational project ventures. Our major findings indicate that the overall prevalence of inter-organizational project ventures remained significant and stable over time, even despite the economic crisis. Moreover, we find that these ventures predominantly solve repetitive rather than unique tasks and are embedded in prior relations between the partnering organizations. These findings provide empirical support for the recent claims that project management should pay more attention to inter-organizational forms of project organization, and suggest that the archetypical view of projects as being unique in every respect should be reconsidered. Both have important implications for project management, especially in the area of project-based learning.     

Meibomian gland dysfunction and its determinants in Iranian adults: A population-based study

Purpose

To estimate the prevalence of Meibomian gland dysfunction (MGD) and determine the associated factors in the general population in Iran.