UC study suggests bacteria survive in hospital environment by degrading plastic surfaces
The research aimed to understand how bacteria manage to survive in a hospital environment, even after different disinfection processes.
Bacteria survive in hospital environments through the degradation of plastic materials, according to a study led by the Faculty of Sciences and Technology of the University of Coimbra (FCTUC).
The research, published in the journal “Heliyon”, shows that this process of degrading polymers by bacteria is relevant in explaining the persistence of bacteria in hospital environments.
"The occurrence of healthcare-associated infections is a multifactorial phenomenon related to hospital space contamination by bacteria. The ESKAPE group, specifically Pseudomonas aeruginosa and Klebsiella pneumoniae, play a relevant role in the occurrence of these infections. Therefore, comprehensive research is needed to identify characteristics that justify the prevalence of these species in the healthcare environment", explain Paula Morais and Rita Branco, professors at the Department of Life Sciences (DCV) and researchers at the Environmental Microbiology Group of the Centre for Mechanical, Materials and Process Engineering (CEMMPRE).
According to the co-authors of the study, the research aimed to understand how bacteria manage to survive in a hospital environment, even under different disinfection processes. "We concluded that bacteria are sometimes resistant to some antibiotics, but they are also able to use hospital materials, such as nasal cannulas or infusion sets, as a substrate for their growth.
"The strategy used by the bacteria is to form biofilms on the materials and then start the degradation process" explains Paula Morais, who points out the public health concerns associated with the persistence and proliferation of these organisms in hospital environments. "It is important to strengthen infection control measures to mitigate the risks associated with bacterial growth on such surfaces," she says.
On the other hand, these polymer degradation processes could be relevant in future processes, especially for recycling and disposal of plastic waste. "We will continue to study these bacteria to understand how they manage to use the polymer and whether they do so efficiently, so that they can be used in other processes."
The article 'Assessment of antimicrobial resistance, biofilm formation, and surface modification potential in hospital strains of Pseudomonas aeruginosa and Klebsiella pneumoniae' is available here.
In addition to Professors Paula Morais and Rita Branco, Roberta Lordelo, a doctoral student at FCTUC and first author of the study, and Fernando Gama, a researcher at the Health Sciences Research Unit: Nursing (UICISA: E) and Health School of the Polytechnic Institute of Viseu, participated in the study.