LAB
4 : SOURCES OF CONTAMINATION AND INFECTION
INTRODUCTION
Airborne particles are a major
cause of respiratory ailments of humans, causing allergies, asthma, and
pathogenic infections of the respiratory tract. Airborne fungal spores are also
important agents of plant disease, and the means for dissemination of many
common saprotrophic (saprophytic) fungi.
An infection is the
invasion of body tissues by disease-causing microorganisms, their multiplication and the reaction of body tissues to
these microorganisms and the toxins that they produce. Infections
are caused by microorganisms such as viruses, prions, bacteria, and viroids, though larger organisms can also infect.
In this laboratory practical, we are
required to prepares agar plates in objective to test and determine
microorganisms in air, normal breathing, violent cough, ear and hand.
The procedure to determine
microorganisms ; Air : Leave the
molten agar plate prepared exposed to environment for 5 minutes and incubate at
37 Degree Celcius for 48hours. Hands : wash
hand using sterile water without using soap. Transfer 1mL of the wash water into petri dish.
Add molten agar to the petri dish. Incubate the dish at 37
Degree Celcius for 48hours. Ear : Using
extreme care, rub a sterile swab moistened with sterile isotonic solution into
ear. Inoculate the agar plate with the swab. Normal breathing : Remove
the lid and hold the plate about 15cm from subject mouth. Breathe normally but
directly into the plate for one minute. Incubate the dish at 37 Degree Celcius
for 48hours. Violent coughing : cough
violently into the agar plate. Incubate the dish at 37 Degree Celcius for
48hours.
OBJECTIVE
To determine the microorganism in the
air and from healthy humans.
RESULT
Air
;
Hands ;
Ear ;
Normal breathing ;
Violent coughing ;
DISCUSSION
Humans are hosts for many bacterial species that colonize the skin
as normal flora. Staphylococcus aureus and Streptococcus
pyogenes are infrequent resident flora, but they account for a wide
variety of bacterial pyodermas. Predisposing factors to infection include minor
trauma, preexisting skin disease, poor hygiene, and, rarely, impaired host
immunity.
Airborne microorganism is chemical contamination in
the form of vapors or aerosols that has a detrimental effect on a product or a
process. These chemicals may be organic or inorganic in nature and includes
acids, bases, polymer additives, organometallic compounds and dopants. The main
sources are building and cleanroom
construction materials, general environment, process chemicals and operating
personnel.
Indoor airborne bacteria can loosely be categorized
into bacterial pathogens and environmental bacteria associated with
water-damaged building materials. Bacterial pathogens are capable of causing
severe diseases in humans if inhaled, ingested or if they come into contact
with the skin. The most important airborne bacterial infections in indoor
environments are tuberculosis, nosocomial pneumonia, and legionellosis. These
infections are primarily acquired through inhalation of the causative agents.
Environmental bacteria generally associated with
mouldy building materials include Acinetobacter, Bacillus,Flavobacterium, Nocardia, Streptomyces,
and Thermomonospora. Also associated with water-damaged material
are the filamentous bacteria, the Actinomycetes. Some airborne bacteria such
as Staphylococcus spp and Micrococcus spp are
dispersed into the air from human skin, oral and nasal surfaces, and hair.
These bacteria are associated with nosocomial infections in health care
facilities.
CONCLUSION
Prevention steps
: The best way to avoid airborne
infections is to be in a different room from the person who is ill, with a
closed door in between. If you need to be in the same room, wearing a mask may
help for a brief exposure. Covering the mouth or nose when coughing or sneezing decreases
droplet spread to some degree.
REFERENCES
en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Airborne_disease
No comments:
Post a Comment