Abstract
Naturally drying bacterial droplets on inanimate surfaces representing fomites are the most consequential mode for transmitting infection through oro-fecal route. We provide a multiscale holistic approach to understand flow dynamics induced bacterial pattern formation on fomites leading to pathogenesis. The most virulent gut pathogen, Salmonella Typhimurium (STM), typically found in contaminated food and water, is used as model system in the current study. Evaporation-induced flow in sessile droplets facilitates the transport of STM, forming spatio-temporally varying bacterial deposition patterns based on droplet medium’s nutrient scale. Mechanical and low moisture stress in the drying process reduced bacterial viability but interestingly induced hyper-proliferation of STM in macrophages, thereby augmenting virulence in fomites. In vivo studies of fomites in mice confirm that STM maintains enhanced virulence. This work demonstrates that stressed bacterial deposit morphologies formed over small timescale (minutes) on organic and inorganic surfaces, plays a significant role in enhancing fomite’s pathogenesis over hours and days.
Highlights
Drying bacterial droplets on inanimate surfaces representing fomites are the most consequential mode for transmitting infection through oro-fecal route
To understand the pattern formation caused by bacterial agglomeration in an evaporating fomite under environmental factors, we have considered a sessile mode of droplet evaporation
Based on the above observations, it is clear that neutral media viz. saline solution and milli-Q water have similar bacterial deposition patterns that differ significantly from the nutrient-rich media viz. dextrose and mucin
Summary
Drying bacterial droplets on inanimate surfaces representing fomites are the most consequential mode for transmitting infection through oro-fecal route. The most virulent gut pathogen, Salmonella Typhimurium (STM), typically found in contaminated food and water, is used as model system in the current study. The ability of STM to survive on inanimate surfaces such as polypropylene, formica, stainless steel, and wooden surfaces in the presence or absence of the protein source at room temperature, 6 hrs post-inoculation enhances the risk of contamination of consumable food items from the contact surface[18]. All these factors contribute to the significance of study of STM in droplets settled on fomites. This microbe can adhere to plant leaves, and even on end product (e.g., tomato[19])
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