Abstract
(1) Background: The purpose of this study was to determine the prevalence of clostridia strains in a hospital environment in Algeria and to evaluate their antimicrobial susceptibility to antibiotics and biocides. (2) Methods: Five hundred surface samples were collected from surfaces in the intensive care unit and surgical wards in the University Hospital of Tlemcen, Algeria. Bacterial identification was carried out using MALDI-TOF-MS, and then the minimum inhibitory concentrations (MICs) of various antimicrobial agents were determined by the E-test method. P. sordellii toxins were searched by enzymatic and PCR assays. Seven products intended for daily disinfection in the hospitals were tested against Clostridium spp. spore collections. (3) Results: Among 100 isolates, 90 P. sordellii were identified, and all strains were devoid of lethal and hemorrhagic toxin genes. Beta-lactam, linezolid, vancomycin, tigecycline, rifampicin, and chloramphenicol all proved effective against isolated strains. Among all strains tested, the spores of P. sordellii exhibited remarkable resistance to the tested biocides compared to other Clostridium species. The (chlorine-based 0.6%, 30 min), (glutaraldehyde solution 2.5%, 30 min), and (hydrogen peroxide/peracetic acid 3%, 15 min) products achieved the required reduction in spores. (4) Conclusions: Our hospital’s current cleaning and disinfection methods need to be optimized to effectively remove spores from caregivers’ hands, equipment, and surfaces.
Highlights
Clostridia are composed of a broad spectrum of Gram-positive, spore-forming, and anaerobic bacilli, whose taxonomic classification of genera has been updated
Ten percent of P. sordellii isolates were recovered from cleaning and disinfection equipment and sterile surgical instruments (Figure 1)
We evaluated the efficacity of biocides for the inactivation of clostridial spores on a collection of nine bacterial strains: seven clostridia species strains and two Bacillus spp. strains
Summary
Clostridia are composed of a broad spectrum of Gram-positive, spore-forming, and anaerobic bacilli, whose taxonomic classification of genera has been updated. The clostridial spores display intrinsic resistance to high temperatures and biocides and persist for several months on abiotic surfaces [2]. Their environmental stability and antimicrobial tolerance are significant reasons that this group of bacteria can cause severe problems within healthcare settings [3]. The infection can develop from endogenous self-contamination or spore transmission from the environment [8]. This infection is afebrile, and the clinical manifestations include tachycardia, hypotension, leukemoid reaction, hemoconcentration, edema, and hemorrhage [9]
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