Abstract

BACTERIAL TYPES CAUSING RESPIRATORY INFECTIONS IN OIL REFINERY

*Mohemid Maddallah Al-Jebouri, Ashwaq Noori Al-Doori

ABSTRACT

Background: Chronic bronchitis typically occurs in individuals with contributing factors such as smoking or environmental exposure to dust, which results in decreased mucus production and ciliary function. Although the role of bacterial infection in chronic bronchitis is unclear. Methodology: This study was carried out in the Northern Refinery Company (NRC), one of the biggest factories in the country, which is located in the north of Baiji city, 200 samples were collected from patients worked in the Northern Refineries Company in Baiji town, equal number of samples was collected from patients hospitalized in Tikrit teaching hospital as control. Swabs taken from upper respiratory tract and sputum samples taken from lower respiratory tract, as soon as possible taken to the laboratory, were cultured on four plates of culture mediarecommended for primary isolation of pathogens. All statistical analyses were performed using IBM SPSS Statistics for Windows, Version 26.0 (IBM Corp., Armonk, NY, USA). Results: Lactobacillales included the largest number of respiratory pathogens in both refinery and hospital samples. These included one species of Aerococcus (0.4%) belonged to the family Aerococcaceae. The distribution of bacterial species differed significantly between the Refinery and Hospital locations (Pearson’s χ² = 58.92, df = 26, p = 0.00023), indicating a strong association between sampling location and the bacterial profile. As seen, one isolate of Bordetella bronchiseptica was found in patient of refinery caused bronchitis. Conclusions: Out of the positive culture among refinery isolates, 62 (26.8%), 22 (9.5%), 2 (~ 0.9%) and 23 (~10%) were S. pyogenes, S. pneumoniae, S. dysgalactiae and normal upper respiratory oral flora (viridans Streptococci) respectively. On the other hand, the isolates of hospital samples were S. pyogenes 52 (~ 24.9%), S. pneumoniae 12 (5.7%), S. dysgalactiae 2 (~ 1%), S. equi 1 (~0.5%) and normal upper respiratory oral flora 19 (9%). The combined bacterial species, respiratory infection and location association was highly significant as χ² = 551.94, df = 220, p = 1.82 × 10⁻³⁰ and Cramér’s V = 0.632, indicating a strong association. Further investigations are needed for more detection of infectious diseases and for more protection of workers.

Keywords: respiratory infections, bacteria, oil refinery, Al-Baiji, Iraq.