The Pseudomonas aeruginosa bacteria is associated with 559,000 deaths around the world every year caused by a bacterial infection from the hospital. Bacteria thrives in a sterile environment due to the ability to eat medical plastics, says a new study. TASR informs The Cell and Live Science, according to the scientific journal report.
Scientists from the Brunel University of London (Bul) analyzed a sample taken from the patient’s wound and revealed that the bacteria is capable of surviving on different surfaces and surviving longer because it can break down medical plastics such as stents, surgical threads or implants. The results of a study 7. May published the scientific journal The Cell Reports.
A problem with hospital plastic
“This means that we must review the existence of pathogens in a hospital environment. Plastics, including plastic surfaces, can feed these bacteria and pathogens with this ability could survive longer in the hospital environment.
Bacteria of the type of pseudomonas aeruginosa is commonly found in hospitals and many of its strains have gained resistance to a wide spectrum of antibiotics. It is assumed that it has developed rapidly over the past 200 years when it began to infect people with weakened immunity caused by air polluted. In hospitals, for example, catheters and lung ventilation can contaminate and cause potentially deadly lung, urinary system and blood infections. So far, however, it has not been clear how it successfully survived in the alleged sterile environment of hospitals.
The enzyme decomposing plastics
The wound analysis performed by the authors of the study revealed that the bacterium produces the PAP1 enzyme decomposing polycaprolacton (PCL) – biodegradable plastic commonly used in surgical threads and nets, bandages or other medical devices. The decomposition releases the food of the bacteria – carbon dioxide.
Scientists have been decomposed by the ability of the PAP1 enzyme PCL by inserting the gene that encodes it into the Escherichia coli (E. coli) – the bacteria thus gained the ability to decompose PCL. The team further confirmed the ability of the enzyme by removing the pseudomonas aeruginosa from the pseudomonas aeruginosa, which was responsible for its encoding, which prevented the breakdown of PCL.
Dangerously resistant bacteria
Researchers have found that the breakdown of the bacteria plastic is not only provided by a source of food, but also dangerously increases its resistance to treatment. The bacterium uses plastic particles to create more resistant biofilms – protective layers that protect it from antibiotics.
Similar enzymes have also been revealed by the authors of the study in other bacteria, which means that commonly used medical plastics can strengthen “superbacteria” and contribute to the spread of infections in hospitals.
In response to the results of the study, scientists called for accelerated research into the widespread of enzymes decomposing plastics among pathogens. They also asked for a reassessment of the types of plastics and methods of monitoring the hospital environment.
