Airborne bacteria and antibiotic resistance genes in hospital rooms

The microbial biodiversity of bioaerosols in recently occupied hospital rooms was assessed in a pulmonology unit. Environmental samples and isolates were also screened for antibiotics resistance genes. Biofilms from sink drains were also studied to evaluate whether sink drains constitute a potential source of bioaerosols in this environment and a reservoir for opportunistic bacteria and antibiotic resistance genes. Stenotrophomonas maltophilia was by far the most frequently isolated microorganisms from the biofilm, followed by Enterobacter cloacae. Airborne bacterial concentration ranged from 14 to 74 CFU m⁻³ and fungi ranged from 50 to 600 CFU m⁻³. Biofilm bacteria were outnumbered in aerosols by microorganisms affiliated with human skin flora. Nonetheless, they were recovered from air samples in low concentrations. Erythromycin resistance genes were detected in all air samples collected from hospital rooms, and tetracycline resistance genes were detected sporadically. Antibiotic resistance genes were found in a single drain suggesting that genes present in DNA extracts from air samples were not aerosolized from sink drains, but rather from an unknown source. Results obtained in this study suggest that bacteria from sink drains were not aerosolized in significant concentration. They still remain a concern because of the risk of aerial transmission associated with their presence.