Avaliação do potencial das formigas como vetores mecâncios de micobactérias em hospital especializado na assistência de pacientes de tuberculose no Estado de São Paulo / Evaluation of ants as potential mechanical vectors of mycobacteria in a hospital specializing in assistance to TB patients, the state of São Paulo

AUTOR(ES)

Ana Paula Macedo Ruggiero Couceiro

FONTE

IBICT - Instituto Brasileiro de Informação em Ciência e Tecnologia

DATA DE PUBLICAÇÃO

02/04/2012

RESUMO

Introduction- Urbanization triggers numerous disorders, such as the dissemination of arthropods and, consequently, dissemination of diseases transmitted by them. Some ant species are very adaptable to the human environment. At hospitals, once they are mechanical vectors of bacteria, and the diversity of species found in these environments, they can represent a potential risk to public health. The increase of nosocomial infections involving environmental mycobacteria, with outbreaks in Brazil from 1998 to 2009 in 23 states called the interest of health professionals and health agencies. Purpose - Evaluate the potential of ants as vectors of mycobacteria in a hospital specialized in the care of patients with tuberculosis. Methods Samples of ants were collected from different areas of the hospital from 2009 to 2010, and workers were inoculated in Löwenstein-Jensen and Stonebrink media for mycobacteria isolation. The suggestive cultures were subjected to Ziehl-Neelsen stain for acid-fast bacilli and identification were performed by molecular methods (PRA for the hsp65 gene with the pair of primers TB11 - TB12 and genetic sequencing). Results - The total of 247 samples of ants collected and sown, 70 per cent belonged to species of ants Tapinoma melanochepalum, 25 per cent Dorymyrmex sp.,3 per cent Camponotus sp. and 2 per cent Pheidole sp., data similar with previous studies conducted in hospitals. Fifteen fast-growing mycobacteria were isolated. In molecular methods, twelve belonged to the genus Mycobacterium. In PRA-hsp65, and the genome sequencing of DNA, four samples were identified at species level (two Mycobacterium chelonae, one Mycobacterium parafortuitum and one Mycobacterium murale), four mycobacteria with similar results in the PRA and not identified in the sequencing, suggestive of a new species and two unidentified samples. M. chelonae was previously reported as causative agent of abscess in humans. Conclusions - These results confirm the presence of mycobacteria carried by ants in the hospital, representing a potential mechanical vector for these patients and healthcare professionals, particularly in nosocomial infections

ASSUNTO(S)

ambiente hospitalar ants fast-growing mycobacteria formigas hospital hospital infecção nosocomial mechanical vector micobactérias micobactérias de crescimento rápido mycobacteria nosocomial infection vetor mecânico

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