Purpose: The present study was carried out to assess the prevalence of the Extended Spectrum Beta Lactamases (ESBLs) and to characterize the ESBL types which were prevalent in our hospital.Material Methods: Five hundred gram negative isolates which belonged to the family, Enterobacteriaceae, which were isolated during the study period of 2009 to 2011, were investigated for ESBL production. Clinical isolates from urine (344), pus (109), blood (15), IV/ central line tip (10), sputum (12) and body fluid (10) specimens were processed. The organisms which were identified, included E.coli (351), Klebsiella pneumoniae (74), Klebsiella oxytoca (21), Proteus mirabilis (15), Proteus vulgaris (9) , Enterobacter spp (15) and Citrobacterspp (15). Antimicrobial susceptibility testing was done. The ESBL detection was carried out for all the isolates by the CLSI confirmatory method. The MIC of ceftazidime and ceftazidime plus clavulanic acid was determined by the E-test. Molecular typing of the ESBLs was performed by multiplex PCR among 93 ESBL isolates.Results: 45.8% isolates were found to be ESBL producers by the CLSI confirmatory method and they were confirmed by the E-test ESBL strips. A majority of E.coli in the study possessed the CTX-M genes (59.32%). Among the Klebsiella isolates, a majority were co producers of the ESBL genes; either 2 or all the 3 genes co-existed together.

Various strategies are used to reduce postharvest cereal grain contaminants such as insect pests and fungal pathogens. Chemical and physical treatments are common management practices but may leave harmful chemical residues on grains or alter their nutrient content (particularly temperature treatments) and have other limitations. This review explores the recent literature regarding cold plasma, with emphasis on its efficacy for decontamination of postharvest cereal grain from biological contaminants. Cold plasma is an ionised gas containing reactive oxygen and nitrogen species, electrons and free radicals that are lethal to microorganisms and has the potential to decontaminate food surfaces and to increase shelf life. Studies conducted on rice, wheat, corn, barley and oats have demonstrated that cold plasma significantly reduced the amount of fungi, bacteria and their spores on grain surfaces. Cold plasma may also detoxify mycotoxins, and control insect pests. Evidence from various global studies demonstrates the potential use of cold plasma to manage postharvest fungi, mycotoxins and insect pests in Australian stored cereal grain.

Cold plasma is an ionised gas that can be used to control a range of microorganisms. In this study, a protocol was developed for cold plasma treatment of in vitro growth of Fusarium graminearum, a global mycotoxic species generally associated with cereal grain. Four F. graminearum isolates on potato dextrose agar (PDA) were treated with cold plasma for 70 s from a distance of 21 cm in a closed environment, and their radial colony growth was measured. To consider whether cold plasma modified the culture media, non-inoculated half-strength PDA plates were also treated with cold plasma prior to inoculation with the F. graminearum isolates. Similarly, to determine if a rise in temperature during the treatment impacted the growth of the isolates or the culture media itself, the plates were treated with dry heat before and after inoculation with the isolates. Treatment of F. graminearum isolates with cold plasma inhibited their growth and was not associated with the culture media or the rise in temperature during the treatment. Optical emission spectroscopy of cold plasma identified reactive (ionised) species of argon, nitrogen, hydrogen, oxygen, copper, and carbon with the highest number of peaks produced for argon. These results demonstrate that cold plasma can significantly inhibit the in vitro growth of F. graminearum isolates when treated in a closed environment and suggest there is potential to control the in vivo growth of F. graminearum.

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