INTRODUCTION: We studied the richness and abundance of ant species, their bacteria and the bacteria isolated from patient clinical samples. METHODS: Ants were collected with baited traps at 64 sites in a public hospital in São Luis, State of Maranhão, Brazil. RESULTS: In total, 1,659 ants from 14 species were captured. The most frequent species were Crematogaster victima, Solenopsis saevissima, Tapinoma melanocephalum, Camponotus vittatus and Paratrechina fulva. Forty-one species of bacteria were isolated from the ants and 18 from patients. CONCLUSIONS: Ants are potential vehicles for pathogenic and opportunistic bacteria, and they can represent a risk factor in nosocomial infections.
INTRODUCTION: We studied the richness and abundance of ant species, their bacteria and the bacteria isolated from patientclinical samples. METHODS: Ants were collected with baited traps at 64 sites in a public hospital in São Luis, State of Maranhão, Brazil. RESULTS: In total, 1,659 ants from 14 species were captured. The most frequent species were Crematogaster victima, Solenopsis saevissima, Tapinoma melanocephalum, Camponotus vittatus and Paratrechina fulva. Forty-one species of bacteria were isolated from the ants and 18 from patients. CONCLUSIONS: Ants are potential vehicles for pathogenic and opportunistic bacteria, and they can represent a risk factor in nosocomial infections.
Authors: Caio Colodette Senna; Fabio Porto Sena; Jeanne Saraiva da Paz; Abel de Barros Rios; Carolina Magri Ferraz; Dominik Lenz; Filippe Elias Freitas Soares; Fernando Luiz Tobias; Emy Hiura; Jackson Victor de Araújo; Fabio Ribeiro Braga Journal: 3 Biotech Date: 2018-07-21 Impact factor: 2.406