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BackgroundThe prevalence of colorectal cancer (CRC) is growing in Pakistan; however, there are no national screening programs or guidelines in place to curb its development. This study was conducted with the aim of ascertaining public awareness and attitudes regarding CRC and current screening practices. Furthermore, the study assessed perceived barriers which could impact future screening processes.MethodsA cross-sectional, questionnaire-based study was conducted among urban dwellers of Karachi, Pakistan. We excluded any individuals belonging to the medical profession, those diagnosed previously with CRC or having any significant co-morbidity. The validated and pre-tested questionnaire was administered among the study participants to record demographic information, awareness of CRC risk factors, symptoms and screening tests. Attitudes towards screening and perceived barriers to screening were also assessed. Data were analyzed using Statistical Package for Social Sciences (SPSS version 20.0) (IBM Corp., Armonk, NY). A knowledge score, out of a total of 14 points was calculated to reflect a participant’s overall knowledge regarding CRC risk factors and signs/symptoms.ResultsThe prevalence of CRC screening in eligible individuals (50 years or older) was 2.6% in our study population. Positive attitudes towards CRC management and screening were observed, with 75.1% (n = 296) acknowledging the preventive role of screening tests. Despite this only 14.9% (n = 58) of study participants expressed a future desire to undergo screening. Major barriers to screening were reported to be “a lack of knowledge regarding the screening procedure”, a “lack of screening facilities” and that the “screening procedure is too expensive”. A majority (n = 285, 72.3%) of the participants expressed a greater willingness to undergo screening if their doctor recommended it.ConclusionA national CRC screening and awareness program should be launched to promote awareness and facilitate screening in risk groups. General practitioners are needed to play a key role in counseling patients and endorsing healthy screening practices.

Abstract. Khairullah AR, Sudjarwo SA, Effendi MH, Ramandininto SC, Gelolodo MA, Widodo A, Riwu KHP, Kurniawati DA, Rehman S. 2022. Profile of Multidrug Resistance and Methicillin-Resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA) on dairy cows and risk factors from farmer. Biodiversitas 23: 2853-2858. Staphylococcus aureus is a facultative anaerobic Gram-positive coccus that causes mastitis and is one of the most widespread pathogenic bacteria in dairy farming. These bacteria can quickly develop into antibiotic-resistant strains due to inappropriate antibiotic administration. Staphylococcus aureus bacteria that have Multidrug-Resistant (MDR) properties can be known as Methicillin-Resistant S. aureus (MRSA) if these bacteria are resistant to beta-lactam antibiotics. The high number of MDR and MRSA contamination in dairy farms as a result of excessive administration of antibiotics in the treatment of dairy cows and the spread of these bacteria cannot be separated from the sanitation management at the time of milking, it can be from milk that is milked from the udder and it can also be from the hands of farmers during the milking process. This study tests antibiotic resistance and detects Methicillin-Resistant S. aureus (MRSA) strains sourced from milk and hand swabs of farmers in Probolinggo, East Java, Indonesia. A total of 109 dairy cow’s milk samples and 41 samples of farmers’ hand swabs were taken from each farm. Samples were cultured and purified using Mannitol Salt Agar (MSA). Staphylococcus aureus resistance profile was performed by disk diffusion test using antibiotic disks such as Oxacillin, Cefoxitin, Tetracycline, Erythromycin, and Gentamicin. Staphylococcus aureus isolates that were resistant to Oxacillin and Cefoxitin antibiotics were then tested for Oxacillin Resistance Screening Agar Base (ORSAB) as a confirmation test for Methicillin-Resistant S. aureus (MRSA). The results of the isolation and identification found 80 (53.33%) S. aureus isolates, then the results of the resistance test found 8 (10%) S. aureus isolates that were Multidrug-Resistant (MDR), and in the Oxacillin Resistance Screening Agar Base (ORSAB) test there were 3 isolates of S. aureus MDR were ORSAB positive. It can be found that there are several S. aureus isolates that are Multidrug-Resistant (MDR) and Methicillin-Resistant S. aureus (MRSA) in dairy farms. The S. aureus that is MDR and MRSA can be spread to the community and will endanger public health. Thus, prevention and control measures are needed to suppress the spread of S. aureus infection on a dairy farm in Probolinggo, East Java, Indonesia.

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