pseudomonas (Emerging Infectious Diseases)

January 6, 2010

What an interesting article I found on pseudemonas. Been there, done that, have

had it a zillion times and to think I got it in the hospital. Here you will

learn more about how you got it and how it spread and now it has become a super

bug, here to haunt us.

" The opportunistic bacterium Pseudomonas aeruginosa is increasingly recognized

as a cause of severe nosocomial infections -- those are infections people

contract as a result of treatment in a hospital or other medical center. In

fact, a Pseudomonas aeruginosa infection can be life-threatening, especially if

someone is immunocompromised.

The germ also causes chronic infections in cystic fibrosis patients. So it's no

surprise that disinfectants are widely sprayed, sloshed and wiped over surfaces

in medical settings to supposedly protect patients. But now comes evidence the

very act of relying on disinfectants to prevent Pseudomonas aeruginosa

infections could be turning the already dangerous germ into a superbug that's

resistant to antibiotics as well as the disinfectant itself.

" For a study just published in the January issue of the journal Microbiology,

researchers from the National University of Ireland in Galway took laboratory

cultures of Pseudomonas aeruginosa and added increasing amounts of disinfectant

to the bacteria. They found this caused the germs to adapt over time so they

could survive the disinfectant.

" But something else also happened when the bacteria were exposed to the

disinfectant. Remarkably, the germs became resistant to ciprofloxacin, a strong

antibiotic widely-prescribed to fight Pseudomonas aeruginosa. And the germs

became resistant to the drug even though they weren't exposed to it. How could

this be possible? The scientists discovered that when exposed to the

disinfectant, the bacteria adapted to more efficiently pump out antimicrobial

agents (both the disinfectant and antibiotics) from the germ's cells. The

researchers also found the bacteria's adaptation resulted in a DNA mutation that

allowed the Pseudomonas aeruginosa microbes to specifically become immune to

ciprofloxacin-type antibiotics.

" Dr. Gerard Fleming, who headed the research team, warned in a media statement

that the study results could mean " ... residue from incorrectly diluted

disinfectants left on hospital surfaces could promote the growth of

antibiotic-resistant bacteria. What is more worrying is that bacteria seem to be

able to adapt to resist antibiotics without even being exposed to them. "

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