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PubMed1995

Isolation of HIV-1 from experimentally contaminated multidose local anaesthetic vials.

OBJECTIVE: To investigate the hypothesis that HIV can be transmitted via contamination of multidose vials of local anaesthetic solution through reuse of needles and syringes. DESIGN AND SETTING: Laboratory study. (1) By experiments with multidose vials and disposable needles and syringes, we identified a sequence of events in which HIV could contaminate the anaesthetic solution. (2) Three anaesthetic solutions were contaminated with a laboratory strain of HIV and tested by viral culture and p24 enzyme immunoassay one, two and four hours later to see how long the virus remained active. RESULTS: (1) Needles and syringes retained small volumes of fluid after use (mean, 25 microL; in syringe alone, mean 16 microL) which could be transferred to multidose vials of local anaesthetic. (2) 10 mL of anaesthetic solution contaminated with 8 microL of HIV-infected solution (equivalent to 1% infected lymphocytes in vivo) contained active virus one hour later. In some settings, HIV could be isolated four hours after exposure. CONCLUSION: When inadvertently contaminated with HIV, multidose solutions represent a potential source of transmissible virus.

Anesthetics, Local↗

PubMed2006

Update: Delayed onset Pseudomonas fluorescens bloodstream infections after exposure to contaminated heparin flush--Michigan and South Dakota, 2005-2006.

In March 2005, CDC reported a multistate outbreak of Pseudomonas fluorescens bloodstream infections associated with use of syringes preloaded with heparin intravenous catheter flush. The heparin flush became contaminated during preparation by IV Flush, LLC (Rowlett, Texas). Thirty-six patients in four states were identified who had been exposed to the contaminated flush and subsequently experienced P. fluorescens bloodstream infection during December 2004-February 2005. Based on a recommendation by the Food and Drug Administration (FDA), IV Flush voluntarily recalled the preloaded syringes in late January; on January 31 and February 4, 2005, FDA issued nationwide alerts recommending that consumers and institutions stop using and return the preloaded syringes to IV Flush or the distributor (Pinnacle Medical Supply, Rowlett, Texas). Approximately 3 months after the product was recalled, patients in Michigan and South Dakota were identified with P. fluorescens bloodstream infections. As of April 2006, a total of 15 patients in Michigan and 13 in South Dakota had been identified with delayed onset P. fluorescens bloodstream infections, with occurrences ranging from 84 to 421 days after their last potential exposure to the contaminated flush. The patients all had indwelling central venous catheters and received treatment during October 2005-February 2006 at clinics known to have used the contaminated flush. This report describes the investigation of these cases, which determined that these were delayed onset cases of P. fluorescens bloodstream infection from a past exposure to contaminated flush, and provides recommendations for ongoing surveillance for delayed P. fluorescens bloodstream infections among similarly exposed patients.

Anticoagulants↗

PubMed1997

A large community outbreak of salmonellosis caused by intentional contamination of restaurant salad bars.

CONTEXT: This large outbreak of foodborne disease highlights the challenge of investigating outbreaks caused by intentional contamination and demonstrates the vulnerability of self-service foods to intentional contamination. OBJECTIVE: To investigate a large community outbreak of Salmonella Typhimurium infections. DESIGN: Epidemiologic investigation of patients with Salmonella gastroenteritis and possible exposures in The Dalles, Oregon. Cohort and case-control investigations were conducted among groups of restaurant patrons and employees to identify exposures associated with illness. SETTING: A community in Oregon. Outbreak period was September and October 1984. PATIENTS: A total of 751 persons with Salmonella gastroenteritis associated with eating or working at area restaurants. Most patients were identified through passive surveillance; active surveillance was conducted for selected groups. A case was defined either by clinical criteria or by a stool culture yielding S Typhimurium. RESULTS: The outbreak occurred in 2 waves, September 9 through 18 and September 19 through October 10. Most cases were associated with 10 restaurants, and epidemiologic studies of customers at 4 restaurants and of employees at all 10 restaurants implicated eating from salad bars as the major risk factor for infection. Eight (80%) of 10 affected restaurants compared with only 3 (11%) of the 28 other restaurants in The Dalles operated salad bars (relative risk, 7.5; 95% confidence interval, 2.4-22.7; P<.001). The implicated food items on the salad bars differed from one restaurant to another. The investigation did not identify any water supply, food item, supplier, or distributor common to all affected restaurants, nor were employees exposed to any single common source. In some instances, infected employees may have contributed to the spread of illness by inadvertently contaminating foods. However, no evidence was found linking ill employees to initiation of the outbreak. Errors in food rotation and inadequate refrigeration on ice-chilled salad bars may have facilitated growth of the S Typhimurium but could not have caused the outbreak. A subsequent criminal investigation revealed that members of a religious commune had deliberately contaminated the salad bars. An S Typhimurium strain found in a laboratory at the commune was indistinguishable from the outbreak strain. CONCLUSIONS: This outbreak of salmonellosis was caused by intentional contamination of restaurant salad bars by members of a religious commune.

Contact Tracing↗

PubMed1998

Contamination of poliovirus vaccines with simian virus 40 (1955-1963) and subsequent cancer rates.

CONTEXT: Poliovirus vaccine contaminated with live simian virus 40 (SV40), a macaque polyomavirus that is tumorigenic in rodents, was used extensively in the United States between 1955 and 1963. Simian virus 40 DNA has recently been detected in several rare human tumors, including ependymomas, osteosarcomas, and mesotheliomas. OBJECTIVE: To determine the risk of ependymoma, osteosarcoma, and mesothelioma among Americans who as children received SV40-contaminated poliovirus vaccine. DESIGN: Retrospective cohort study using data from the Surveillance, Epidemiology, and End Results program (1973-1993) and the Connecticut Tumor Registry (1950-1969), as well as national mortality statistics (1947-1973). SETTING: United States. PARTICIPANTS: Birth cohorts that were likely to have received SV40-contaminated poliovirus vaccine as infants, born 1956 through 1962 (60 811730 person-years of observation); as children, born 1947 through 1952 (46430953 person-years); or that were unexposed, born 1964 through 1969 (44959979 person-years). MAIN OUTCOME MEASURES: Relative risk (RR) of each cancer among exposed compared with unexposed birth cohorts. RESULTS: Age-specific cancer rates were generally low and were not significantly elevated in birth cohorts exposed to SV40-contaminated vaccine. Specifically, compared with the unexposed, the relative risk of ependymoma was not increased in the cohorts exposed as infants (RR, 1.06; 95% confidence interval [CI], 0.69-1.63), or as children (RR, 0.98; 95% CI, 0.57-1.69) nor did the exposed have an increased risk of all brain cancers. Osteosarcoma incidence also showed no relation to exposure as infants (RR, 0.87; 95% CI, 0.71-1.06) or children (RR, 0.85; 95% CI, 0.59-1.22). Last, mesotheliomas were not significantly associated with exposure, although the cohorts studied have not yet reached the age at which these tumors tend to occur. CONCLUSIONS: After more than 30 years of follow-up, exposure to SV40-contaminated poliovirus vaccine was not associated with significantly increased rates of ependymomas and other brain cancers, osteosarcomas, or mesotheliomas in the United States.

Adolescent↗

PubMed1996

Monitoring program for mycotoxin contamination in Uruguayan food and feeds.

A pilot study for monitoring mycotoxin contamination in food and feeds was implemented by the Technological Laboratory of Uruguay (LATU) with the technical assistance of the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO). The scope of the study was to determine the potential hazard posed by priority food-contaminant and feed-contaminant combinations. The choice of foods and contaminants to be monitored was based on the importance of the food in the total diet, the economic importance of the product and the potential health risk posed by the specific combination. The principal commodities selected were wheat, barley and rice. Also included were com, soy, dairy products, feeds, dried fruits and legumes, oil seeds, cocoa beans and organ meats. Mycotoxins analyzed (TLC/densitometry) were aflatoxins, zearalenone, ochratoxin A, deoxynivalenol (DON) and ergot alkaloids. The survey results (1993-95) showed differences in both incidence and levels of mycotoxin content for the principal commodities. Of all food/feed categories analyzed, feed had the highest values for all mycotoxins. Samples containing DON in levels above 1000 ng/g were found in all groups. Ochratoxin A was not detected in any of the samples. Rice and soy beans were the categories with lowest aflatoxin incidence. Uruguayan regulatory limits for all toxins analyzed were exceeded for wheat, barley and rice in less than 3, 9 and 7% of samples, respectively. The data on actual mycotoxin levels in different foods will help identify sources of contaminations and areas where control measures should be improved, enable better risk assessment by proper estimation of mycotoxin intake, assist in the establishment of tolerances and adequate guidelines, aid in the implementation of a national program and provide economic benefits by improving grain quality.

Aflatoxins↗

PubMed1997

Foreign body contamination during stent implantation.

The treatment of coronary artery disease using stents has become a widely accepted technique. However, the inadvertent co-implantation of contaminating factors with the stent has received little attention. We studied histological cross-sections of stented porcine coronary arteries and observed contamination of some vessels with surgical glove powder and textile fibres. The contaminating particles were associated with a foreign body reaction. Such a reaction could delay the wound-healing response of a stented vessel and thereby prolong the period in which subacute thrombosis could occur. It is also proposed that air contamination could affect the thrombogenicity of the stent. Appropriate measures should be followed to reduce the chance of contamination occurring.

Angioplasty, Balloon↗

PubMedDate not supplied

Rapid HPLC screening method for contaminants found in implicated L-tryptophan associated with eosinophilia myalgia syndrome and adulterated rapeseed oil associated with toxic oil syndrome.

In 1981 a massive food-borne epidemic, termed the toxic oil syndrome (TOS), occurred in Spain. Eight years later a closely related disease, the eosinophilia myalgia syndrome (EMS), was reported in the USA with many additional cases being reported worldwide. Although EMS was linked to the ingestion of contaminated L-tryptophan and TOS to aniline denatured rapeseed oil, the etiological agent(s) responsible for both diseases remains unknown. However, contaminants in both the oil and the dietary supplement are believed to have triggered these diseases, and there has been much speculation that a common contaminant may have caused both epidemics. In this report, methods for the facile preparation and HPLC analysis of EMS-implicated L-tryptophan and adulterated rapeseed oil samples associated with TOS are described which allow a direct comparison between the contaminants of both foodstuffs. A combination of solvent and solid phase extraction methods are demonstrated along with the application of C18 reversed-phase high-performance liquid chromatography (RP-HPLC) coupled with on-line UV and MS detection. These methods have allowed us to determine for the first time, based upon this work, that there are no detectable common contaminants that possess a UV response, between EMS implicated L-tryptophan and TOS implicated rapeseed oil samples.

Chromatography, High Pressure Liquid↗

PubMedDate not supplied

Halothane hepatitis without halothane: role of inapparent circuit contamination and its prevention.

Halothane and other halogenated anesthetic agents are liquids which are highly soluble in rubber and plastic materials widely used as components of anesthesia machines. These agents must be administered using machines equipped with vaporizers. We report a patient with a past history of halothane hepatitis in whom recurrence was suspected despite the fact that halothane had been avoided purposely during the subsequent operation. Circumstances led us to believe that inapparent circuit contamination of vaporizer-equipped anesthesia machine with halothane may be responsible for the inadvertant rechallenge and recurrence of halothane hepatitis. Vaporizer-equipped machines were tested for inapparent contamination with halothane and enflurane using Perkin-Elmer mass spectrometer. Oxygen alone was passed through the anesthesia circuits, and gas in the efferent limbs of the machines was tested for halothane (in eight machines) and enflurane (in two machines) which were found in various concentrations in all machines so tested. Our findings suggest that inapparent contamination may be widely prevalent in vaporizer-equipped anesthesia machines. The validity of this conclusion was confirmed in five patients with previous diagnosis of halothane hepatitis who subsequently underwent operations under general anesthesia during which machines never equipped with vaporizers were successful in preventing recurrence of hepatitis. We conclude that patients with a prior history of halothane hepatitis are at risk of inapparent circuit contamination-induced recurrent hepatitis. Unless such contamination can be confidently excluded, vaporizer-equipped machines should not be used to administer general anesthesia in these susceptible patients.

Anesthesia, General↗

PubMed2000

Viral contamination of embryos cryopreserved in liquid nitrogen.

Despite the worldwide application of embryo-freezing technology as the means of preserving germplasm of mammalian species, there is no information available on the possible transmission of infectious agents to cryopreserved embryos via contaminated liquid nitrogen (LN). Recently, it has been reported that new methods of cryopreservation which employ ultrarapid freezing or vitrification require direct contact between the freezing medium containing oocytes or embryos and liquid phase nitrogen (LPN). As models for human and animal viral pathogens three bovine viruses, bovine viral diarrhea virus (BVDV), bovine herpesvirus-1 (BHV), and bovine immunodeficiency virus (BIV), were employed to study the potential for their transmission by experimentally contaminated LN to embryos frozen and stored in open freezing containers. Bovine embryos in a mixture of 20% ethylene glycol, 20% ME(2)SO, and 0.6% sucrose were vitrified in either unsealed standard 0.25 ml or modified open pulled straws or in plastic cryovials and then plunged into contaminated LPN. After 3-5 weeks of storage in LN, embryos were thawed and sequentially washed and only those with intact ZP were pooled together and tested in batches of three for viral contamination. From this pool of 83 batches, 13 of 61 (21.3%) batches exposed to BVDV and BHV-1 tested positive for viral association while all 22 batches exposed to BIV in unsealed containers tested negative. All control embryos vitrified in sealed cryovials and straws were free from viral contamination.

Animals↗

PubMed2002

Risk assessment of ochratoxin: current views of the European Scientific Committee on Food, the JECFA and the Codex Committee on Food Additives and Contaminants.

The chlorinated isocoumarin compound, ochratoxin A (OTA), together with some related derivatives (ochratoxins B, C, alpha, beta) are produced by Penicillium verrucosum and by several spp. of Aspergillus, most notably A. ochraceus. P. verrucosum is the principal source of OTA contamination of stored foods in temperate climates while Aspergillus spp. predominate in warmer countries. The major dietary sources of OTA are cereals but significant levels of contamination may be found in grape juice and red wine, coffee, cocoa, nuts, spices and dried fruits. Because of the chemical stability of OTA and long half-life in mammalian tissues, contamination may also carry over into pork and pig blood products and into beer. OTA is potently nephrotoxic and carcinogenic, the potency varying markedly between species and sexes; it is also teratogenic and immunotoxic. There have been different approaches to the risk assessment of OTA in different jurisdictions, largely arising from whether or not the carcinogenicity of OTA is considered to arise through a thresholded or non-thresholded mechanism. Consequently the tolerable intakes have variously been estimated at 100 ng/kg bw/week (JECFA), 1.5 to 5.7 ng/kg bw/day (Canada) and not more than 5 ng/kg bw/day (European Commission). These differences are also reflected in risk management measures that have been implemented or proposed with different maximum contamination levels being applied to different commodities and to the same commodity in different countries. Prevention of contamination at source is considered to be the most effective public health measure. There is also a need to harmonise the risk assessment and management processes to a greater extent than currently exist if barriers to trade are to be avoided.

Animals↗

PubMed1996

Reduction of risks associated with fumonisin contamination in corn.

Fumonisins, produced by Fusarium moniliforme, have been recognized as an important group of chemicals which cause health risks in domestic animals and humans. Decontamination procedures for fumonisin B1 (FB1) were evaluated to determine chemical modification and reduction in toxic/carcinogenic potentials. Ammoniation, a procedure used for decontamination of aflatoxins, yielded a 79% reduction in FB1 levels in naturally contaminated corn. Authentic FB1 and FB1-contaminated corn were exposed to alternative treatments containing various combinations of Ca(OH)2, NaHCO3, and H2O2 simulating a modified nixtamalization procedure. Treatments also included NH4Cl alone or in combination with H2O2 or horseradish peroxidase. The brine shrimp assay (Artemia spp.) was used to monitor toxicity of reaction products and the Salmonella/microsomal mutagenicity assay, using tester strains TA-100 and TA-102, was used to evaluate mutagenicity. Treatments of FB1-contaminated corn simulating modified nixtamalization (Ca(OH)2 alone or with Na-HCO3 + H2O2) gave 100% reduction of FB1 and reduced brine shrimp toxicity by ca. 40%. The positive mutagenic potential (without S-9) for extracts of corn naturally contaminated with FB1 was eliminated following exposure to modified nixtamalization. Reaction products formed when pure FB1 was treated with Ca(OH)2 and H2O2/NaHCO3 were inhibitory to Bacillus cereus, B. subtilis, and B. megaterium. No inhibitory potential was evident for contaminated corn extracts following the chemical treatments.

Animals↗

PubMed1978

Pesticides and heavy metals as food contaminants.

From the general pollution, contaminants spread along a variety of routes, many of which lead to our food. Pesticides and heavy metals as food contaminants have raised strong public concern and contributed to the general uneasiness associated with the pollution boom of the last two decades. Pesticides in food are predominantly residues from their application on growing crops, less often from post harvest use on stored agriculatural products, whereas heavy metals contaminate the food at various stages along the food production line. Both groups of contaminants exhibit in the number of their members a spectrum of health hazards. A few examples of these will be dealth with, and thought will be given to some features in the philosophies behind the current practices of risk assessment and management in this area. A widespread shortage of toxicological expertice maintain a level of ignorance sufficient to make risk evaluation very often a dilemma. This distressing shortcoming at least partly arises form a common neglect of toxicology as a university discipline. Some international efforts to control food contamination will also be touched upon.

Animals↗

PubMed1992

Reconstituted thiopentone retains its alkalinity without bacterial contamination for up to four weeks.

The manufacturers of thiopentone recommend that after reconstitution, it should be kept only for 24 hr to reduce the risk of contamination. However, there are no studies to support this practice and compliance with this recommendation has economic implications. The reasons for discarding a reconstituted bottle of thiopentone are related to concerns about chemical and physical (pH) stability, contamination with infectious agents, and contamination with cellular material. We studied the incidence of bacterial contamination and pH stability of thiopentone in clinical use, as well as the pH stability of thiopentone not in clinical use, and surveyed the eight hospitals affiliated with the University of British Columbia to determine their protocols for thiopental preparation and storage. Cost comparisons were made between our current practice of discarding thiopentone when depleted and the practice of routinely discarding it 24 hr after reconstitution. Samples of thiopentone in clinical use were cultured daily and the pH was measured. The bottles had been in clinical use from 1 to 25 days (mean 4.23 +/- 4.32 SD). Of 106 samples there were no positive bacteriological cultures and there were only minor changes in pH. The telephone survey of the eight hospitals revealed that only one had a policy to discard thiopentone after 24 hr. Cost comparisons indicate that discarding thiopentone 24 hr after reconstitution would result in increased cost. In conclusion, reconstituted thiopentone retains its alkalinity for up to four weeks, and has an acceptably low risk of bacterial contamination for periods beyond 24 hr, therefore thiopentone need not be discarded after 24 hr.

Alkalies↗

PubMed2002

Routine handling of propofol prevents contamination as effectively as does strict adherence to the manufacturer's recommendations.

PURPOSE: Propofol is a potential vector of infection, because it contains no preservative. Thus, the manufacturer's specific recommendations for preparing injections or infusions go beyond the guidelines commonly used in our operating rooms for preparing other iv drugs. The purpose of the present study was to determine whether in the daily routine of an operating theatre a modified propofol handling technique can prevent contamination as effectively as do the manufacturer's handling recommendations. METHODS: A total of 160 consecutive neurosurgical patients were allocated to either Group I (manufacturer's handling recommendations: i.e., 1) disinfecting propofol vials and ampoules before filling syringes; 2) replacing empty syringes; 3) discarding all material at the end of surgery); or Group II (modified propofol handling protocol: i.e., 1) refilling empty syringes; 2) renewing only the infusion line to the patient). RESULTS: Total contamination rates were comparable in both groups (Group I: 14/160 (8.75%), Group II: 13/160 (8.13%) (chi2= 0.074; P=0.96). Frequency of contamination was not different between groups; either in sample 1 taken at the beginning of the procedure, (Group I: 5/80 (6.25%) vs Group II: 6/80 (7.5%); chi2=0.098; P=0.76) or in sample 2, taken at the end, (Group I: 9/80 (11.25%) vs Group II: 7/80 (8.75%); chi2=0.278; P=0.598). CONCLUSION: We conclude that in the daily routine of the operating theatre following a modified propofol handling protocol prevents contamination of propofol syringes as effectively as does adhering to the manufacturer's specific handling recommendations. However, neither of the tested guidelines completely prevented contamination.

Anesthetics, Intravenous↗

PubMed1998

The role of intraocular lenses in anterior chamber contamination during cataract surgery.

BACKGROUND: Bacterial endophthalmitis is a rare vision-threatening disease, usually caused by microorganisms that are natural inhabitants of the eye lids and conjunctiva. This study was conducted to investigate the role of intraocular lenses (IOLs) in introducing bacterial contamination into the eye during cataract surgery and the efficacy of povidone-iodine solution in prevention this ocular inoculum. METHODS: Fifty patients underwent routine cataract surgery and intraocular lens implantation. One group of the patients was pretreated with external disinfection using povidone-iodine 4% before surgery, while the other group was only pretreated with saline irrigation. Before IOL implantation, a test IOL was placed on the conjunctiva and taken for microbiological studies. Anterior chamber tap was done at the beginning and at the end of each operation. Positive bacterial growth was followed by bacterial identification and sensitivity tests to various antibiotics. RESULTS: Bacterial growth was obtained in 14 of the 50 eyes (28%); in 5 eyes the organism was cultured from tapped aqueous and in 9 eyes from the test IOLs. Prophylactic use of povidone-iodine 4% solution effectively reduced the contamination rate from 34.7% to 16.7%. Coagulase-negative staphylococci were the most common organisms isolated (72%). Most organisms were sensitive to vancomycin (86%) and to fucidic acid (71%). There were no cases of clinical endophthalmitis. CONCLUSIONS: IOLs are apparently potential vehicles for introduction of intraocular bacterial contamination. Instillation of povidone-iodine 4% into the cul-de-sac reduces the risk of bacterial inoculum. Vancomycin is the most effective single agent against intraocular contamination. In order to reduce potential intraocular contamination it is advisable to avoid contact between the IOL and ocular tissues.

Aged↗

PubMed2005

Behavioral response in the terrestrial isopod Porcellio scaber (Crustacea) offered a choice of uncontaminated and cadmium-contaminated food.

The objective of this study was to find out whether Porcellio scaber discriminates against Cd-contaminated food. The foraging behavior in animals offered uncontaminated and Cd-contaminated food simultaneously was quantified for 48-h employing computer-aided video tracking. To see whether the isopods' selection of less contaminated food could diminish the influence Cd on food consumption, growth, metal assimilation, moulting and mortality, Cd-dosed food (20, 45, 200 and 450 mg kg(-1) dry weight) was offered together with untreated food for 3 weeks. Data from the video tracking experiments revealed that animals visited Cd-dosed food as often as untreated food, but spent much less time near Cd-dosed food. Discrimination against Cd-contaminated food increased with previous experience with contaminated food and/or with increased Cd body burden. In 3 weeks exposure uncontaminated food preference rose with time of exposure and cadmium concentration in food and reached a maximal preference ratio of 65% (untreated food): 35% (Cd-dosed food). The decreased consumption of Cd-dosed food was compensated by the increased consumption of control food. Cadmium body burden increased with time of exposure and cadmium concentration in food consumed, while the influence of Cd on food consumption, growth and moulting was diminished.

Animal Feed↗

PubMed2004

Trends of fumonisin contamination and animal intoxication through monitoring 1991 to 1997 corn crop in the State of Paraná, Brazil.

Eleven feed samples associated with six animal (horse and poultry) intoxication outbreaks (1991) in the state of Paraná, Brazil, were evaluated for fungal and fumonisin contamination. In order to estimate the trend of livestock intoxication, fumonisin contamination was monitored in corn produced both at the commercial level (1991, 1995 crop), and in an experimental field at a local Agronomy Institute (1997 crop). The total mould count in the feed samples ranged from 2.9 x 10(3) to 1.9 x 10(7) CFU/g, with Fusarium verticillioides as the predominant species, at a high count of 2.4 x 10(4)-6.5 x 10(5) CFU/g. Fumonisins (FB1 + FB2) were detected in all corn-based feed samples at levels ranging from 2.89 to 14.54 microg/g. All 27 Northern corn samples (1991 crop) were contaminated with fumonisins at levels ranging from 2.32 to 16.64 microg/g. Twenty-six (96.3%) out of 27 corn samples from the Central-Southern region (1995 crop) were positive for fumonisins (FB1+FB2), with the range of 0.07-3.66 microg/g, while all 37 Northern samples (1995 crop) were contaminated with fumonisins ranging from 0.57 to 9.97 microg/g. Twenty-one out of 37 corn samples from the Northern region (1997 crop) were positive for fumonisins, but at low level (range of 0.05-2.67 microg/g). The results showed a decreasing trend in fumonisin contamination over the years. Nowadays animal intoxication outbreaks rarely occur in this State, as both animal producers and feed industries have become conscious about monitoring of corn and other raw materials at the quality control level.

Animal Feed↗

PubMed1993

Incidence of perceived and actual face shield contamination during vaginal and cesarean delivery.

OBJECTIVE: The purpose of this study was to determine the rate of potential contamination or splashes to the face of obstetricians during vaginal and cesarean delivery. STUDY DESIGN: Clear plastic face shields were worn during 50 consecutive vaginal and 50 consecutive cesarean deliveries. The face shields were then analyzed for evidence of contamination, and rates of contamination were compared. RESULTS: The contamination rate of the face shields was 50% during cesarean deliveries and 32% during vaginal deliveries. Ninety-two percent of the contaminated face shields were undetected by physicians at the time of cesarean delivery and 50% were undetected at the time of the vaginal delivery. CONCLUSIONS: Obstetricians commonly receive blood or amniotic fluid splashes to the face during deliveries and should wear protective eyeglasses or face shields during all deliveries to minimize the risk of exposure to potentially infectious blood and body fluids.

Amniotic Fluid↗