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Surtos de doenças de origem alimentar ocorrem constantemente e constituem um problema de saúde pública no mundo. Nos restaurantes comerciais o processo de pré-lavagem e lavagem dos utensílios é feito com o auxílio de esponjas, objetivando eliminar resíduos de alimentos. Dessa forma, as esponjas se transformam em uma fonte de micro-organismos patogênicos, promovendo contaminação cruzada entre superfícies variadas e os alimentos. Os objetivos deste estudo foram avaliar a contaminação microbiológica e a eficácia de dois procedimentos de desinfecção de esponjas utilizadas em serviços de alimentação. Assim, neste trabalho foram avaliadas, sob o aspecto microbiológico, esponjas utilizadas em 9 restaurantes comerciais da cidade de Marmeleiro - PR. As esponjas foram coletadas após terem sido naturalmente contaminadas e, em seguida, encaminhadas ao laboratório de análises microbiológicas onde foram divididas em três partes iguais. Uma das partes foi submetida à contagem de coliformes totais e coliformes termo tolerantes, as outras duas foram submetidas, separadamente, à fervura em água durante cinco minutos e à desinfecção por hipoc1orito de sódio 200ppm, por 10 minutos, seguida de enxágue com água potável, quando foram analisadas seguindo os critérios da primeira parte. Os resultados demonstraram que, das 9 amostras de esponjas, 77,77% estavam contaminadas por coliformes totais e 44,44% estavam contaminadas por coliformes termo tolerantes, demonstrando assim o risco à saúde por contaminação cruzada. Ambos os procedimentos de desinfecção foram capazes de reduzir significativamente as contagens bacterianas, porém a fervura demonstrou redução de 100% da carga microbiológica em relação à desinfecção por hipoclorito de sódio a 200 ppm. Portanto qualquer medida no sentido de higienizar essas esponjas seria de grande valia na redução do potencial de risco das mesmas quanto a possíveis contaminações.(AU)

Evaluation of the microbiologic contamination of sponges used in feeding services in the city of Marmeleiro PR - Brazil Disease outbreaks by food-borne happen constantly and constitute a public health issue around the world. In the commercial restaurants, the cookware pre-washing and washing process is made with the assistance of sponges, in order to remove food residues. In that way, the sponges become a source of pathogenic microorganisms, promoting cross contamination among several surfaces for food. The goals of this study were evaluate the microbiologic contamination and the effectiveness of two sponge disinfection procedures used in feeding service. Therefore, in this work were evaluated, under the microbiologic aspect, sponges used in 9 commercial restaurants, located in the city of Marmeleiro PR - Brazil. The sponges were collected afire being naturally contaminated and then sent to the microbiologic analysis laboratory, where they were divided in tree equal shares. One part was submitted to a total and fecal coliform counting, the other two parts were submitted, separately, to water boiling during five minutes and to the 200 ppm sodium hypochlorite disinfection, for ten minutes, added with drinking water rinse, where they were analyzed following the criteria from the first part. The results demonstrated that from the nine sponge samples, 77,77% were contaminated by total coliforms and 44,44% were contaminated by fecal coliforms, showing that way the risk to the human health by cross contamination. Both disinfection procedures were capable to reduce significantly the bacterial counting, but the water boiling demonstrated 100% of microbiologic load reduction, instead of the 200 ppm sodium hypochlorite disinfection. Therefore any measure intended to sanitize those sponges would have great value in the reduction of the potential sponge contamination risks.(AU)

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OBJECTIVE: The presence and survival of microorganisms on toothbrush bristles might play a role on the etiology of oral infections. The aim of this in vitro study was to evaluate the presence of bacterial contamination on new toothbrushes before oral contact. MATERIALS AND METHODS: Forty toothbrushes from five different manufacturers were used in this experimental study. Each manufacturer was divided according to conventional local of obtaining: industry, drugstore, market, and perfumery. The toothbrush heads were completely immersed into tubes containing 5.0 mL of sterile peptonated water (dilution 1:10). A group of eight tubes containing the sterile solution was used as control. After 21 days of anaerobic incubation, occurrence of contamination was visually evaluated and confirmed by light microscopy. RESULTS: Bacterial growth in the medium, indicative of bristles contamination, was found in a total of 19 out of 40 samples (47.5%) evaluated: 6 out of 14 samples (42.85%) from industry group, 4 out of 8 samples (50.0%) from drugstore, 5 out of 10 samples (50.0%) from market, and 4 out of 8 samples (50.0%) from perfumery. Only the toothbrushes with bristles coated with chlorhexidine did not show contamination. The Gram-negative sporulating bacilli were the most prevalent form recovered. CONCLUSIONS: Except for chlorhexidine group, bacterial growth was observed in all groups evaluated irrespective local of obtaining.

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AIMS: To identify and quantify the presence of Escherichia coli, Staphylococcus aureus, Salmonella, hepatitis A and norovirus in households and to assess the effect of chlorine and quaternary ammonium-based disinfectants following a prescribed use. METHODS AND RESULTS: Eleven sites distributed in kitchen, bathroom, pet and children's areas of two groups of 30 homes each: (i) a nonprescribed disinfectant user group and (ii) a disinfectant protocol user group. During the 6-week study, samples were collected once a week except for week one when sample collection occurred immediately before and after disinfectant application to evaluate the disinfectant protocol. The concentration and occurrence of bacteria were less in the households with prescribed use of disinfectants. The greatest reductions were for E. coli (99%) and Staph. aureus (99·9999%), respectively. Only two samples were positive for HAV, while norovirus was absent. Disinfection protocols resulted in a significant (P < 0·05) microbial reduction in all areas of the homes tested compared to homes not using a prescribed protocol. CONCLUSIONS: The study suggests that disinfectant product application under specific protocol is necessary to achieve greater microbial reductions. SIGNIFICANCE AND IMPACT OF THE STUDY: Prescribed protocols constitute an important tool to reduce the occurrence of potential disease-causing micro-organisms in households.

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