| Congresso Brasileiro de Microbiologia 2023 | Resumo: 873-1 | ||||
Resumo:Health care-associated infections (HAIs) are a significant public health problem worldwide, favoring multidrug-resistant (MDR) microorganisms. The SARS-CoV-2 infection was negatively associated with the increase in antimicrobial resistance, and the ESKAPE group (Enterococcus faecium, Staphylococcus aureus, Klebsiella pneumoniae, Acinetobacter baumannii, Pseudomonas aeruginosa, and Enterobacter spp.) had the most significant impact on HAIs. The study evaluated the bactericidal effect of a high concentration of O3 gas on some reference and ESKAPE bacteria. Four standard strains and four clinical or environmental MDR strains were exposed to elevated ozone doses at different concentrations and times. Bacterial inactivation (growth and cultivability) was investigated using colony counts and resazurin as metabolic indicators. Scanning electron microscopy (SEM) was performed. The culture exposure to a high level of O3 inhibited the growth of all bacterial strains tested with a statistically significant reduction in colony count compared to the control group. The culture exposure at different times (1 to 40 min) with a high level of gaseous O3 was able to inhibit the in vitro growth of all bacterial strains tested with a statistically significant reduction in colony count compared to the control group (not treated with ozone). The cell viability of S. aureus (MRSA) (99.6%) and P. aeruginosa (XDR) (29.2%) was reduced considerably, and SEM showed damage to bacteria after O3 treatment. Morphological analysis showed that S. aureus (MRSA) and P. aeruginosa (XDR)present membrane alterations after O3 treatment.The impact of HAIs can be easily dampened by the widespread use of ozone in ICUs. This product usually degrades into molecular oxygen and has a low toxicity compared to other sanitization products. However, high doses of ozone were able to interfere with the growth of all strains studied, evidencing that ozone-based decontamination approaches may represent the future of hospital cleaning methods. Palavras-chave: ESKAPE pathogens, SEM, Antimicrobial resistance, Ozone, Pathogenic bacteria Agência de fomento:Cape/CDTS | |||||