Ant is the vector of pathogenic mycobacteria in hospitals, says survey

A survey conducted at the School of Public Health USP revealed that ants can carry mycobacteria that cause various diseases including aggravating the framework of inpatients immunologically vulnerable. According to research by veterinary Ana Paula Macedo Ruggiero Couceiro, ants can be mechanical vectors of pathogenic mycobacteria, as microbiological analysis by sampling at a hospital in São Paulo.

The analysis showed occurrence of environmental mycobacteria, related to opportunistic infections. These infections may occur in the skin, for example, the formation of abscesses, and do not respond to conventional therapy with antibiotics. The sample was collected in a sterile tube in public hospital, in various parts of the installation. Specializing in the care of patients with tuberculosis, the infestation of these pathogens in the hospital involves more risks to patient health imunlogiamente fragile, warns the researcher.

According to the researcher, the environmental mycobacteria are widely distributed, including in hospitals. Monitoring of these mycobacteria is unusual. However, with increasing surges related to them at institutions, health concern with these agents has increased.

The ants were collected for the study of species and genera Tapinoma melanocephalum Dorymyrmex sp, Camponotus sp, findable in all Brazilian households. The preferential points for sampling were next to patients, including the solarium terrace on which kind of people in treatment sunbathing.

After the collection has been done the process of isolation and identification of bacteria by detecting the species M. chelonae, M. and M. parafortuitum murale, and mycobacteria could not be identified that perhaps because they have not yet been described. The M. chelonae, found in toilets of patients' rooms, is considered one environmental pathogenic mycobacteria and already described in hospital outbreaks in Brazil.

For Paula, it is important to warn about the risks that these arthropods represent the spread of hospital infections, and review the frequency and effectiveness of desinsetizações.

<i> With the information USP </ i>

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