Biofilm in Veterinary Healthcare Environments – a Source for spread of Pathogenic Bacteria and AMR?
KEY POINTS- Studies of biofilm prevalence in veterinary healthcare environments
- Studies of the prevalence of pathogenic bacteria and AMR in biofilms
- Effect of cleaning and disinfection
Project overview
Participants
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Short summary
Biofilms are common in human healthcare environments, where pathogenic bacteria and antimicrobial resistance (AMR) are often found within them. Biofilms are difficult to eliminate through cleaning and disinfection. In veterinary healthcare environments, the prevalence of biofilms is unknown.
Therefore, we are studying the prevalence of biofilm in veterinary healthcare environments, including the prevalence of pathogenic bacteria and AMR. The project will also examine the effects of cleaning and disinfection agents on biofilm.
Project overview
In the project, suitable surfaces and equipment for sampling will be identified, with a focus on determining risk surfaces and equipment relevant for transmission of infections. In a pilot study, analytical methods such as culturing, MALDI-TOF, antimicrobial susceptibility testing, 16S rRNA analysis, chemical analyses, optotracer technology, and scanning electron microscopy will be combined to provide an in-depth understanding of the composition of biofilms. Based on the pilot study results, appropriate analytical methods will be selected for the prevalence study. The results from the pilot and prevalence studies will form the basis for the laboratory study, in which the effectiveness of cleaning and disinfection agents will be evaluated.
Objective
Our aim is to increase knowledge about biofilm in veterinary healthcare environments, which—beyond assessing its prevalence—includes investigating the risks and challenges posed by biofilms in these settings. We will apply this knowledge in the laboratory study, where we will grow biofilms to evaluate the effectiveness of cleaning and disinfection agents.
