Opportunistic pathogens enriched in showerhead biofilms
Opportunistic pathogens enriched in showerhead biofilms
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DOI：
10.1073/pnas.0908446106
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发表时间：
2009-09-22
影响因子：
11.1
通讯作者：
Pace, Norman R.
中科院分区：
文献类型：
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作者：
Feazel, Leah M.;Baumgartner, Laura K.;Pace, Norman R.
我们人类每天遇到的环境是暴露于各种微生物群落的来源，其中一些可能对人类健康造成影响。在这项研究中，我们使用非培养技术来调查的微生物组成的生物膜内的鸭嘴兽作为生态组合在人类室内环境。淋浴是人类通过吸入气溶胶与微生物相互作用的重要界面，而淋浴头沃茨与疾病有关。尽管机会致病菌通常是从淋浴设施中培养出来的，但人们对它们的流行程度或淋浴期间可能传播的其他微生物的性质知之甚少。为了确定莲蓬头生物膜和沃茨的组成，我们分析了美国45个莲蓬头站点的rRNA基因序列。我们发现，变量和复杂的，但具体的，微生物组合发生在bracelheads。特别引人注目的是发现代表非结核分枝杆菌（NTM）和其他机会人类病原体的序列在许多淋浴头生物膜中富集到高水平，超过背景水含量的100倍。我们的结论是，光头可能会出现一个显着的潜在暴露于雾化微生物，包括记录的机会致病菌。与淋浴喷头微生物群相关的健康风险需要在免疫或肺部系统受损的人中进行调查。
The environments we humans encounter daily are sources of exposure to diverse microbial communities, some of potential concern to human health. In this study, we used culture-independent technology to investigate the microbial composition of biofilms inside showerheads as ecological assemblages in the human indoor environment. Showers are an important interface for human interaction with microbes through inhalation of aerosols, and showerhead waters have been implicated in disease. Although opportunistic pathogens commonly are cultured from shower facilities, there is little knowledge of either their prevalence or the nature of other microorganisms that may be delivered during shower usage. To determine the composition of showerhead biofilms and waters, we analyzed rRNA gene sequences from 45 showerhead sites around the United States. We find that variable and complex, but specific, microbial assemblages occur inside showerheads. Particularly striking was the finding that sequences representative of non-tuberculous mycobacteria (NTM) and other opportunistic human pathogens are enriched to high levels in many showerhead biofilms, >100-fold above background water contents. We conclude that showerheads may present a significant potential exposure to aerosolized microbes, including documented opportunistic pathogens. The health risk associated with showerhead microbiota needs investigation in persons with compromised immune or pulmonary systems.