Hospital microbial surface colonization revealed during monitoring of Klebsiella spp., Pseudomonas aeruginosa, and non-tuberculous mycobacteria.
Hospital environmental conditions, human occupancy, and the characteristics of the equipment influence the survival of microbial communities and raise a concern with regard to nosocomial infections. The objective of the present work was to use the monitoring of Pseudomonas aeruginosa, Klebsiella spp. and non-tuberculous mycobacteria as a strategy to improve knowledge on microbial colonization of non-critical equipment and surfaces, in a tertiary hospital from Central Portugal. A 3-month microbiological survey was performed in a district teaching hospital. A total of 173 samples were obtained from the wards Hematology, Urology, Medicine, and Renal Transplants, and 102 presumptive strains recovered. Per sampling, Pseudomonas Isolation agar showed 42.8 to 73.3% of presumptive P. aeruginosa colonies and MacConkey agar recovered mostly Staphylococcus. Most of the colonies recovered in Middlebrook 7H10-PANTA belonged to the genus Methylobacterium. Taps and WC shower curtains carry high bacterial species diversity. The Redundancy Analysis grouped the samples in those mostly handled by patients, and those mostly handled by healthcare staff or of mixed use. This study shows that the preferential users of the space and equipment seem to be important contributors to the microbial community. The most recovered genus was Methylobacterium, known as colonizer of the water distribution system therefore, it is possible that the water points and biofilms in taps also contribute as dispersion hotspots.
Instituto Piaget, Silves, Portugal.|CEMUC-Department of Mechanical Engineering, University of Coimbra, Coimbra, Portugal.|Department of Life Sciences, University of Coimbra, Coimbra, Portugal.
Pedro
P
Geadas Farias
Centro Hospitalar e Universitário de Coimbra, Coimbra, Portugal.|Department of Life Sciences, University of Coimbra, Coimbra, Portugal.
Fernando
F
Gama
CNC-Centro de Neurociências e Biologia Celular, Coimbra, Portugal.|Department of Life Sciences, University of Coimbra, Coimbra, Portugal.
Diogo
D
Reis
CNC-Centro de Neurociências e Biologia Celular, Coimbra, Portugal.|Department of Life Sciences, University of Coimbra, Coimbra, Portugal.
Susana
S
Alarico
CNC-Centro de Neurociências e Biologia Celular, Coimbra, Portugal.|IIIUC - Institute for Interdisciplinary Research, University of Coimbra, Coimbra, Portugal.|Department of Life Sciences, University of Coimbra, Coimbra, Portugal.
Nuno
N
Empadinhas
Escola Superior de Enfermagem de Coimbra, Coimbra, Portugal.|Department of Life Sciences, University of Coimbra, Coimbra, Portugal.
José Carlos
JC
Martins
Instituto Piaget, Silves, Portugal.|Department of Life Sciences, University of Coimbra, Coimbra, Portugal.
Ana Figueiredo
AF
de Almeida
CEMUC-Department of Mechanical Engineering, University of Coimbra, Coimbra, Portugal. pvmorais@ci.uc.pt.|Department of Life Sciences, University of Coimbra, Coimbra, Portugal. pvmorais@ci.uc.pt.|Life Sciences Department, FCT University of Coimbra, Apartado 3126, 3001-401, Coimbra, Portugal. pvmorais@ci.uc.pt.
Paula Vasconcelos
PV
Morais
D003428:Cross Infection; D004784:Environmental Monitoring; D006761:Hospitals; D006801:Humans; D007709:Klebsiella; D009170:Nontuberculous Mycobacteria; D011174:Portugal; D011550:Pseudomonas aeruginosa
Hospital environment; Klebsiella; NT mycobacteria; Non-critical equipment and surfaces; Pseudomonas