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Transmission of Staphylococcus aureus from dry surface biofilm (DSB) via different types of gloves

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  13 November 2018

Shamaila Tahir Open the ORCID record for Shamaila Tahir [Opens in a new window] ,
Durdana Chowdhury ,
Mark Legge ,
Honghua Hu ,
Greg Whiteley ,
Trevor Glasbey ,
Anand K. Deva  and
Karen Vickery
Shamaila Tahir*
Affiliation:
Surgical Infection Research Group, Faculty of Medicine and Health Sciences (FMHS), Macquarie University, Sydney, New South Wales, Australia
Durdana Chowdhury
Affiliation:
Surgical Infection Research Group, Faculty of Medicine and Health Sciences (FMHS), Macquarie University, Sydney, New South Wales, Australia
Mark Legge
Affiliation:
Surgical Infection Research Group, Faculty of Medicine and Health Sciences (FMHS), Macquarie University, Sydney, New South Wales, Australia
Honghua Hu
Affiliation:
Surgical Infection Research Group, Faculty of Medicine and Health Sciences (FMHS), Macquarie University, Sydney, New South Wales, Australia
Greg Whiteley
Affiliation:
Whiteley Corporation, Tomago, Newcastle, New South Wales, Australia
Trevor Glasbey
Affiliation:
Whiteley Corporation, Tomago, Newcastle, New South Wales, Australia
Anand K. Deva
Affiliation:
Surgical Infection Research Group, Faculty of Medicine and Health Sciences (FMHS), Macquarie University, Sydney, New South Wales, Australia
Karen Vickery
Affiliation:
Surgical Infection Research Group, Faculty of Medicine and Health Sciences (FMHS), Macquarie University, Sydney, New South Wales, Australia
*
Author for correspondence: Shamaila Tahir, Level 1, 75 Talavera Road, Macquarie University, NSW, Australia. E-mail: shamaila.tahir@mq.edu.au
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Abstract

Background

Pathogens can survive for extended periods when incorporated into biofilm on dry hospital surfaces (ie, dry-surface biofilm, DSB). Bacteria within biofilm are protected from desiccation and have increased tolerance to cleaning agents and disinfectants.

Objective

We hypothesized that gloved hands of healthcare personnel (HCP) become contaminated with DSB bacteria and hence may transmit bacteria associated with healthcare-associated infections (HAIs).

Method

Staphylococcus aureus DSB was grown in vitro on coupons in a bioreactor over 12 days with periodic nutrition interspersed with long periods of dehydration. Each coupon had ~107 DSB bacterial cells. Transmission was tested with nitrile, latex, and surgical gloves by gripping DSB-covered coupons then pressing finger tips onto a sterile horse blood agar surface for up to 19 consecutive touches and counting the number of colony-forming units (CFU) transferred. Coupons were immersed in 5% neutral detergent to simulate cleaning, and the experiment was repeated.

Results

Bacterial cells were readily transmitted by all 3 types of gloves commonly used by HCP. Surprisingly, sufficient S. aureus to cause infection were transferred from 1 DSB touch up to 19 consecutive touches. Also, 6 times more bacteria were transferred by nitrile and surgical gloves than to latex gloves (P <.001). Treating the DSB with 5% neutral detergent increased the transmission rate of DSB bacteria 10-fold.

Conclusion

Staphylococcus aureus incorporated into environmental DSB and covered by extracellular polymeric substances readily contaminates gloved hands and can be transferred to another surface. These results confirm the possibility that DSB contributes to HAI acquisition.

Type
Original Article
Information
Infection Control & Hospital Epidemiology , Volume 40 , Issue 1 , January 2019 , pp. 60 - 64
Copyright
© 2018 by The Society for Healthcare Epidemiology of America. All rights reserved. 

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Footnotes

Cite this article: Tahir S, et al. (2019). Transmission of Staphylococcus aureus from dry surface biofilm (DSB) via different types of gloves. Infection Control & Hospital Epidemiology 2019, 40, 60–64. doi: 10.1017/ice.2018.285

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