Molluscum contagiosum is a viral infection of the skin and mucous membranes which is caused by a DNA virus from the poxvirus family. It is usually transmitted by direct skin contact, autoinoculation or fomites. Children are generally affected, and adults who are immunocompromised or sexually active may also be afflicted. Although molluscum lesions can be presented on any skin surface of the body, its occurrence on the sole is unusual. Molluscum contagiosum virus appears to have a particular affinity for follicular epithethelium and it may explain its lack of sole involvement. A 30-year-old male had a small pea sized nodule on his right sole that had been present for several days. Histological examination showed numerous molluscum bodies within the epithelium. Herein, we report a rare case of solitary molluscum contagiosum on the right sole of a healthy male patient.
Adult ; Child ; DNA Viruses ; Epithelium ; Fomites ; Humans ; Male ; Molluscum Contagiosum ; Molluscum contagiosum virus ; Mucous Membrane ; Peas ; Skin

OBJECTIVE: Trichomonas vaginalis is the common cause of sexually transmitted diseases. The present study was performed to find the possibility of other transmission mode of T. vaginalis than sexual transmission. METHODS: Survivals of trophozoites suspended in various environmental conditions were measured by haemocytometer after trypan blue staining. Also, drying time of vaginal secretion exposed at different temperatures such as 4 degrees C, 26 degrees C, 30 degrees C were observed. RESULTS: The survival rates of T. vaginalis decreased as the temperatures of tap water increased. The survival rates of trophozoites were less than 10% at 30 min-exposure at 4d degrees C or 15 min-exposure at 26 degrees C water. Hot water above 45 degrees C killed trichomonads in 5 minutes or so. T. vaginalis soaked in water from swimming pool and in cleaning solution deceased in about 5 minutes. When trophozoites were put into urines of six healthy person, the survival rates of T. vaginalis showed less than 10% after 24 hr exposure except KT4. The survival rates of trichomonads were changed according to individual urine on examined day, and isolate of T. vaginalis. The vaginal secretion was put on slide glass and leave alone until complete drying in 4degrees C refrigerator, 26 degrees C and 30 degrees C incubator. For drying of vaginal secretion, it took 70 minutes, 44 minutes and 26 minutes in 4 degrees C refrigerator, 26 degrees C and 30 degrees C incubators, respectively. The survival of trichomonads showed no change until complete dryness of vaginal secretion. T. vaginalis immersed in tap water for 5 minutes, was divided into two or many fragments. Some trichomonads were partially or completely destructed. CONCLUSION: From above results, it is supposed that transmission of T. vaginalis by contaminated fomites such as toilet stool, toilet seats is possible although this type of transmission may not occur frequently.
Fomites ; Glass ; Humans ; Incubators ; Sexually Transmitted Diseases ; Survival Rate ; Swimming Pools ; Trichomonas vaginalis* ; Trichomonas* ; Trophozoites ; Trypan Blue ; Water

Syphilis is a communicahble disease caused by the motile microaerophilic spirochete Treponema pallidum, which is only a netural pathogen for human. Prevalence of syphilis and other sexually transmitted diseases has traditioially fluctuated with changes in sccia, conditions and sexual behavior. Although sexual contact is the main route of transmission, T. pallidum may also be infected through direct contact with syphilitic lesions, blood transfusion, ingestion of menstrual blood or vaginal secretions, or trsnsplacental transemission. Fomites as the means of transfer is only hypothetical and account for very few, if any, infection. Prosectors, blood handlers and laboratory technicians are at risk for accidental inoculation with infected materials. In extremely unusual circumstances, infection by means of contact with a skin lesion and human bite have been reported. We report two cases of eyphilis following the abnormal imposition of hands, which caused unnecessary erosive trauma with fingernails,
Bites, Human ; Blood Transfusion ; Eating ; Fomites ; Hand* ; Humans ; Laboratory Personnel ; Nails ; Prevalence ; Sexual Behavior ; Sexually Transmitted Diseases ; Skin ; Spirochaetales ; Syphilis* ; Treponema pallidum

A 77-year-old woman with chronic renal failure and malnutrition had thick crusted plaques, erythematous papules and scaly patches on her entire body. The skin scraping and exfoliated skin scales showed the presence of numerous itch mites, Sarcopbes scabiei var horriums 8667 mites were counted from Ig of the collected samples. Twenty six cases a pruritic rash were reported among hospital personnel: mites were recovered from only one. Among other hospitalized patients, 2 cases of scabies were reported. One patient had pruritic papules and burrows on the left upper arm and the other had lesions in the axilla, mites were recovered from both. Subsequent evaluation suggested that they acquired scabies from a contaminated blood pressure monitoring cuff and a clinical thermometer. The contaminated medical instruments are considered to be fomites, a mode of dissemination of mites.
Aged ; Arm ; Axilla ; Blood Pressure Monitors ; Exanthema ; Female ; Fomites ; Humans ; Kidney Failure, Chronic ; Malnutrition ; Mites ; Personnel, Hospital ; Scabies* ; Skin ; Thermometers ; Weights and Measures

Dental professionals are repeatedly exposed to many microorganisms present in both blood and saliva. Thus, dental professionals are at a greater risk of acquiring and spreading infections, and the implementation of infections control guidelines is necessary. Cellular phones have become a necessary device for communicating in hospitals. Cellular phones contaminated with bacteria may serve as a fomite in the transmission of pathogens by the hands of medical personnel. Nevertheless, studies about rate and levels of bacterial contamination of cellular phones have been extremely limited with regards to dental personnel. The purpose of this study was to identify bacterial flora on the cellular phones of dentists by a molecular biological method using the 16S rRNA cloning and sequencing method. We acquired total 200 clones from dentists' cell phones and identified the bacterial species. Pseudomonas (34.6%), Lactobacillus (18.5%), Azomonas (11.5%), and Janthinobacterium (6%) were the dominant genera on dentists' cell phones. The oral bacteria identified were Anaerococcus lactolyticus, Gibbsiella dentisursi, Lactobacills leiae, Streptococcus mitis, Streptococcus oligofermentans, and Streptococcus sanguinis. Pathogenic bacteria and opportunistic pathogens such as Carnobacterium funditum, Raoultella planticola, Shigella flexneri, Lactobacillus iners, Staphylococcus aureus, and Staphylococcus epidermidis were also identified.
Bacteria ; Carnobacterium ; Cellular Phone* ; Clone Cells ; Cloning, Organism ; Dentists* ; Fomites ; Hand ; Humans ; Lactobacillus ; Pseudomonadaceae ; Pseudomonas ; Saliva ; Shigella flexneri ; Staphylococcus aureus ; Staphylococcus epidermidis ; Streptococcus ; Streptococcus mitis

BACKGROUND: Cellular phone has become a necessary device for communicating in hospitals. Cellular phones contaminated with bacteria may serve as a fomite in the transmission of pathogens by the hands of medical personnel. We investigated the bacterial contamination of cellular phones used by medical personnel in a tertiary hospital. METHODS: Culture swabs were obtained from 101 cellular phones and 99 anterior nasal cavities from medical personnel using cellular phones. The swabs were inoculated on blood agar, MacConkey agar, mannitol salt agar, and enterococcal broths containing 6microgram/mL vancomycin for 48 h at 37degrees C. The bacteria were identified on the basis of colony morphology, gram staining characteristics, catalase test, coagulase test, and DNase test; Microscan (Siemens, USA) was used for the identification of enterococci. RESULTS: Of the 101 cellular phones, 13 were contaminated with Staphylococcus aureus (including 4 methicillin-resistant S. aureus [MRSA]), 61 with coagulase-negative staphylococci (CoNS) (including 38 methicillin-resistant CoNS), 27 with Micrococcus spp., 11 with diphtheroids, 67 with Bacillus spp., and 4 with viridans streptococci. No gram-negative bacilli were isolated. Nasal swabs yielded 36 S. aureus, including 9 MRSA. Only 1 of 9 cellular phones used by the MRSA carriers was contaminated with MRSA. CONCLUSION: Cellular phones used by some medical personnel were contaminated with pathogens such as S. aureus or MRSA. Although, the clinical implications of pathogens isolated from cellular phones have not been fully investigated, pathogens could be transmitted by the hands of medical personnel who are cellular phone users.
Agar ; Bacillus ; Bacteria ; Catalase ; Cellular Phone ; Coagulase ; Deoxyribonucleases ; Disinfection ; Fomites ; Hand ; Hand Hygiene ; Mannitol ; Methicillin Resistance ; Methicillin-Resistant Staphylococcus aureus ; Micrococcus ; Nasal Cavity ; Staphylococcus aureus ; Tertiary Care Centers ; Vancomycin ; Viridans Streptococci

Dermatophytosis is one of the major public health problems in tropical countries, especially the chronic recurrent type. Tinea imbricata (TI), a dermatophytosis caused by Trichophyton concentricum (TC), is endemic in several remote and isolated areas in Indonesia. This dermatophytosis is unique due to its predominant genetic predisposition, which leads to chronic recurrent conditions among the affected. Moreover, hot and humid climate, low socio-economic conditions, lack of hygiene, inadequate treatment due to difficult access to health care facilities, and persistent source of re-infections, are among other factors that maintain the chronic-recurrent state. Studies on TI in Indonesia have been done since the 1960s, encompassing the epidemiology, clinical features, and efficacy of antifungal treatment. Griseofulvin is still the mainstay treatment, but relapse rates are high. The latest effort in reducing relapse includes the training of healthcare providers and provision of fungal disinfectant for clothing and bedding to patients in West Papua in addition to standard treatment. Higher cure rate was achieved at the end of treatment and the four-month follow-up in comparison to previous studies. Parallel studies on the same patient populations showed that: 1. clothing and bedding were fomites and potential sources of re-infections; 2. sodium hypochlorite worked well as a fungal disinfectant, followed by anionic detergent and pine oil containing cleaner; 3. terbinafine was the most effective antifungal agent for TC in vitro, followed by griseofulvin; itraconazole, and fluconazole were less effective. In conclusion, to eradicate TI in endemic areas, appropriate and affordable antifungal treatment, concurrent with health education and efforts to identify and eradicate the source of re-infections are very important.
Climate ; Clothing ; Detergents ; Fluconazole ; Follow-Up Studies ; Fomites ; Genetic Predisposition to Disease ; Griseofulvin ; Health Education ; Health Personnel ; Health Services Accessibility ; Humans ; Hygiene ; Indonesia ; Itraconazole ; Naphthalenes ; Public Health ; Recurrence ; Sodium Hypochlorite ; Tinea ; Trichophyton

BACKGROUND: Acinetobacter spp. is an important nosocomial pathogen for which increasing resistance to multiple antimicrobial agents has been observed. Prevalence of multidrug-resistant (MDR) Acinetobacter spp. in the intensive care unit (ICU) at a teaching hospital in Korea started to increase in 2008. The aim of this study was to determine the source of pathogen spread and to characterize the emerging strains at an early stage of outbreak. METHODS: Samples from respiratory instruments and fomites in the ICUs, as well as from the healthcare workers, were cultured to identify the sources of MDR Acinetobacter spp. Antimicrobial susceptibility was determined by the CLSI disk diffusion method. Pulsed field gel electrophoresis (PFGE) was performed for clinical and environmental isolates in order to determine clonality. Carbapenemase genes were detected by multiplex PCR. Infection control measures including peer-monitoring of hand washing, environmental cleaning and standard precautions were enforced. RESULTS: Among the samples from the ICU tools (105) and healthcare worker's hands (44), 31 (30%) and 2 (5%) respective samples yielded MDR Acinetobacter spp. Among the environmental samples, 90% were from respiratory-related equipment. The majority of clinical and environmental MDR Acinetobacter spp. (44/55) belonged to the pulsotype A. baumannii and carried both bla(OXA-51)-like and bla(OXA-23)-like genes. Even though infection-control measures were enforced, prevalence of MDR Acinetobacter spp. continues to increase. CONCLUSION: An outbreak of MDR Acinetobacter spp. in a Korean hospital was caused by A. baumannii carrying the bla(OXA-23)-gene and was correlated with contaminated respiratory-related instruments in the ICUs. More intensive measures for nosocomial infection control are needed for successful prevention of Acinetobacter spread in hospitals.
Acinetobacter* ; Anti-Infective Agents ; Cross Infection ; Delivery of Health Care ; Diffusion ; Disease Outbreaks ; Electrophoresis, Gel, Pulsed-Field ; Fomites ; Hand ; Hand Disinfection ; Hospitals, Teaching* ; Infection Control ; Intensive Care Units* ; Korea ; Multiplex Polymerase Chain Reaction ; Prevalence