We know that many vegetive bacteria can survive on dry surfaces for longer than you might think. For some Enterococcus species, this capability is nothing short of extraordinary. In one study, Enterococcus dried onto a surface was still viable 4 years (yes FOUR YEARS) later! How can this be? No nutrients, no water (other than ambient humidity), and not an endospore former. A recent paper in the JHI may have some answers: Enterococcus is able to form dry surface biofilms and these contain viable Enterococcus many months after inoculation, regardless of species and substrate.
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Biofilms…the gift that keeps on giving!
Last week I spent some time at the Infection Prevention Society (IPS) annual conference in Birmingham which provided a fantastic selection of talks and discussions on current and emerging IPC challenges. One topic which came up time and time again was biofilms…. for example, whether the presence of biofilms provide Candida auris with the ability to persist in the clinical environment for prolonged periods, through to the role of biofilms in reduced susceptibility to disinfectants and antibiotics. It made me revisit an excellent recent review published in Antimicrobial Resistance and Infection Control, which is the topic of today’s blog and tomorrow’s IPC Journal Club (register here).
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Reflections on Infection Prevention and Control 