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Swanson CS, He Q. Linkage of in-refrigerator water dispensing systems to elevated exposure to microbial contamination at the microbiome scale. Am J Infect Control 2024; 52:857-859. [PMID: 38460731 DOI: 10.1016/j.ajic.2024.03.001] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/31/2023] [Revised: 02/25/2024] [Accepted: 03/03/2024] [Indexed: 03/11/2024]
Abstract
In-refrigerator water dispensing systems are ubiquitous in residential homes with tap water as the inflow. Passage through these systems resulted in significant microbial growth in the water, with the abundance of potential opportunistic pathogens Mycobacterium and Pseudomonas increasing by 8,053- and 221-fold, respectively. Elevated exposure to microbial contaminants linked to in-refrigerator water dispensing systems may represent a significant public health concern.
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Affiliation(s)
- Clifford S Swanson
- The University of Tennessee, Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering, Knoxville, TN
| | - Qiang He
- The University of Tennessee, Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering, Knoxville, TN; The University of Tennessee, Institute for a Secure and Sustainable Environment, Knoxville, TN.
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2
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Zampolli J, De Giani A, Rossi M, Finazzi M, Di Gennaro P. Who inhabits the built environment? A microbiological point of view on the principal bacteria colonizing our urban areas. Front Microbiol 2024; 15:1380953. [PMID: 38863750 PMCID: PMC11165352 DOI: 10.3389/fmicb.2024.1380953] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/02/2024] [Accepted: 05/09/2024] [Indexed: 06/13/2024] Open
Abstract
Modern lifestyle greatly influences human well-being. Indeed, nowadays people are centered in the cities and this trend is growing with the ever-increasing population. The main habitat for modern humans is defined as the built environment (BE). The modulation of life quality in the BE is primarily mediated by a biodiversity of microbes. They derive from different sources, such as soil, water, air, pets, and humans. Humans are the main source and vector of bacterial diversity in the BE leaving a characteristic microbial fingerprint on the surfaces and spaces. This review, focusing on articles published from the early 2000s, delves into bacterial populations present in indoor and outdoor urban environments, exploring the characteristics of primary bacterial niches in the BE and their native habitats. It elucidates bacterial interconnections within this context and among themselves, shedding light on pathways for adaptation and survival across diverse environmental conditions. Given the limitations of culture-based methods, emphasis is placed on culture-independent approaches, particularly high-throughput techniques to elucidate the genetic and -omic features of BE bacteria. By elucidating these microbiota profiles, the review aims to contribute to understanding the implications for human health and the assessment of urban environmental quality in modern cities.
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Affiliation(s)
| | | | | | | | - Patrizia Di Gennaro
- Department of Biotechnology and Biosciences, University of Milano-Bicocca, Milan, Italy
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3
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Yao S, Swanson CS, Cheng Z, He Q, Yuan H. Alternating polarity as a novel strategy for building synthetic microbial communities capable of robust Electro-Methanogenesis. BIORESOURCE TECHNOLOGY 2024; 395:130374. [PMID: 38280409 DOI: 10.1016/j.biortech.2024.130374] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/11/2023] [Revised: 01/08/2024] [Accepted: 01/22/2024] [Indexed: 01/29/2024]
Abstract
Electro-methanogenic microbial communities can produce biogas with high efficiency and have attracted extensive research interest. In this study an alternating polarity strategy was developed to build electro-methanogenic communities. In two-chamber bioelectrochemical systems amended with activated carbon, the electrode potential was alternated between +0.8 V and -0.4 V vs. standard hydrogen electrode every three days. Cumulative biogas production under alternating polarity increased from 45 L/L/kg-activated carbon after start-up to 125 L/L/kg after the 4th enrichment, significantly higher than that under intermittent cathode (-0.4 V/open circuit), continuous cathode (-0.4 V), and open circuit. The communities assembled under alternating polarity were electroactive and structurally different from those assembled under other conditions. One Methanobacterium population and two Geobacter populations were consistently abundant and active in the communities. Their 16S rRNA was up-regulated by electrode potentials. Bayesian networks inferred close associations between these populations. Overall, electro-methanogenic communities have been successfully assembled with alternating polarity.
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Affiliation(s)
- Shiyun Yao
- Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering, Temple University, Philadelphia, PA 19122, United States
| | - Clifford S Swanson
- Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering, University of Tennessee, Knoxville, Knoxville, TN 37996, United States
| | - Zhang Cheng
- Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering, Temple University, Philadelphia, PA 19122, United States
| | - Qiang He
- Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering, University of Tennessee, Knoxville, Knoxville, TN 37996, United States.
| | - Heyang Yuan
- Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering, Temple University, Philadelphia, PA 19122, United States.
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4
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Yu X, Han Y, Liu J, Cao Y, Wang Y, Wang Z, Lyu J, Zhou Z, Yan Y, Zhang Y. Distribution characteristics and potential risks of bioaerosols during scattered farming. iScience 2023; 26:108378. [PMID: 38025774 PMCID: PMC10679821 DOI: 10.1016/j.isci.2023.108378] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/27/2023] [Revised: 10/06/2023] [Accepted: 10/27/2023] [Indexed: 12/01/2023] Open
Abstract
In most economically underdeveloped areas, scattered farming and human‒livestock cohabitation are common. However, production of bioaerosols and their potential harm in these areas have not been previously researched. In this study, bioaerosol characteristics were analyzed in scattered farming areas in rural Northwest China. The highest bacteria, fungi, and Enterobacteria concentrations were 125609 ± 467 CFU/m³, 25175 ± 10305 CFU/m³, and 4167 ± 592 CFU/m³, respectively. Most bioaerosols had particle sizes >3.3 μm. A total of 71 bacterial genera and 16 fungal genera of potential pathogens were identified, including zoonotic potential pathogenic genera. Moreover, our findings showed that the scattered farming pattern of human‒animal cohabitation can affect the indoor air environment in the surrounding area, leading to chronic respiratory diseases in the occupants. Therefore, relevant government departments and farmers should enhance their awareness of bioaerosol risks and consider measures that may be taken to reduce them.
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Affiliation(s)
- Xuezheng Yu
- State Key Laboratory of Environmental Aquatic Chemistry, Research Center for Eco-Environmental Sciences, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing 100085, P.R. China
- University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing 100049, P.R. China
- Key Laboratory of Environmental Pollution Control and Remediation at Universities of Inner Mongolia Autonomous Region, College of Resources and Environmental engineering, Inner Mongolia University of Technology, Hohhot, Inner Mongolia 010051, PR China
| | - Yunping Han
- State Key Laboratory of Environmental Aquatic Chemistry, Research Center for Eco-Environmental Sciences, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing 100085, P.R. China
- University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing 100049, P.R. China
| | - Jianguo Liu
- Key Laboratory of Environmental Pollution Control and Remediation at Universities of Inner Mongolia Autonomous Region, College of Resources and Environmental engineering, Inner Mongolia University of Technology, Hohhot, Inner Mongolia 010051, PR China
| | - Yingnan Cao
- Key Laboratory of Environmental Pollution Control and Remediation at Universities of Inner Mongolia Autonomous Region, College of Resources and Environmental engineering, Inner Mongolia University of Technology, Hohhot, Inner Mongolia 010051, PR China
| | - Ying Wang
- State Key Laboratory of Environmental Aquatic Chemistry, Research Center for Eco-Environmental Sciences, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing 100085, P.R. China
- University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing 100049, P.R. China
| | - Zixuan Wang
- State Key Laboratory of Environmental Aquatic Chemistry, Research Center for Eco-Environmental Sciences, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing 100085, P.R. China
- University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing 100049, P.R. China
- Key Laboratory of Environmental Pollution Control and Remediation at Universities of Inner Mongolia Autonomous Region, College of Resources and Environmental engineering, Inner Mongolia University of Technology, Hohhot, Inner Mongolia 010051, PR China
| | - Jinxin Lyu
- Key Laboratory of Environmental Pollution Control and Remediation at Universities of Inner Mongolia Autonomous Region, College of Resources and Environmental engineering, Inner Mongolia University of Technology, Hohhot, Inner Mongolia 010051, PR China
| | - Ziyu Zhou
- State Key Laboratory of Environmental Aquatic Chemistry, Research Center for Eco-Environmental Sciences, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing 100085, P.R. China
- University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing 100049, P.R. China
- Key Laboratory of Environmental Pollution Control and Remediation at Universities of Inner Mongolia Autonomous Region, College of Resources and Environmental engineering, Inner Mongolia University of Technology, Hohhot, Inner Mongolia 010051, PR China
| | - Ying Yan
- State Key Laboratory of Environmental Aquatic Chemistry, Research Center for Eco-Environmental Sciences, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing 100085, P.R. China
- University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing 100049, P.R. China
- Key Laboratory of Environmental Pollution Control and Remediation at Universities of Inner Mongolia Autonomous Region, College of Resources and Environmental engineering, Inner Mongolia University of Technology, Hohhot, Inner Mongolia 010051, PR China
| | - Yuxiang Zhang
- Key Laboratory of Environmental Pollution Control and Remediation at Universities of Inner Mongolia Autonomous Region, College of Resources and Environmental engineering, Inner Mongolia University of Technology, Hohhot, Inner Mongolia 010051, PR China
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5
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Davies LR, Barbero-López A, Lähteenmäki VM, Salonen A, Fedorik F, Haapala A, Watts PC. Microbes within the building envelope-a case study on the patterns of colonization and potential sampling bias. PeerJ 2023; 11:e16355. [PMID: 38025723 PMCID: PMC10658902 DOI: 10.7717/peerj.16355] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/21/2023] [Accepted: 10/04/2023] [Indexed: 12/01/2023] Open
Abstract
Humans are exposed to diverse communities of microbes every day. With more time spent indoors by humans, investigations into the communities of microbes inhabiting occupied spaces have become important to deduce the impacts of these microbes on human health and building health. Studies so far have given considerable insight into the communities of the indoor microbiota humans interact with, but mainly focus on sampling surfaces or indoor dust from filters. Beneath the surfaces though, building envelopes have the potential to contain environments that would support the growth of microbial communities. But due to design choices and distance from ground moisture, for example, the temperature and humidity across a building will vary and cause environmental gradients. These microenvironments could then influence the composition of the microbial communities within the walls. Here we present a case study designed to quantify any patterns in the compositions of fungal and bacterial communities existing in a building envelope and determine some of the key variables, such as cardinal direction, distance from floor or distance from wall joinings, that may influence any microbial community composition variation. By drilling small holes across walls of a house, we extracted microbes onto air filters and conducted amplicon sequencing. We found sampling height (distance from the floor) and cardinal direction the wall was facing caused differences in the diversity of the microbial communities, showing that patterns in the microbial composition will be dependent on sampling location within the building. By sampling beneath the surfaces, our approach provides a more complete picture of the microbial condition of a building environment, with the significant variation in community composition demonstrating a potential sampling bias if multiple sampling locations across a building are not considered. By identifying features of the built environment that promote/retard microbial growth, improvements to building designs can be made to achieve overall healthier occupied spaces.
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Affiliation(s)
- Lucy R. Davies
- Department of Biological and Environmental Science, University of Jyväskylä, Jyväskylä, Finland
| | | | | | - Antti Salonen
- Civil Engineering, Faculty of Technology, University of Oulu, Oulu, Finland
| | - Filip Fedorik
- Civil Engineering, Faculty of Technology, University of Oulu, Oulu, Finland
| | - Antti Haapala
- Department of Chemistry, University of Eastern Finland, Joensuu, Finland
| | - Phillip C. Watts
- Department of Biological and Environmental Science, University of Jyväskylä, Jyväskylä, Finland
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Swanson CS, Dhand R, Cao L, Ferris J, Elder CS, He Q. Microbiome-scale analysis of aerosol facemask contamination during nebulization therapy in hospital. J Hosp Infect 2023; 134:80-88. [PMID: 36690253 DOI: 10.1016/j.jhin.2023.01.008] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/10/2022] [Revised: 12/31/2022] [Accepted: 01/17/2023] [Indexed: 01/22/2023]
Abstract
BACKGROUND Microbial contamination of aerosol facemasks could be a source of nosocomial infections during nebulization therapy in hospital, prompting efforts to identify these contaminants. Identification of micro-organisms in medical devices has traditionally relied on culture-dependent methods, which are incapable of detecting the majority of these microbial contaminants. This challenge could be overcome with culture-independent sequencing-based techniques that are suited for the profiling of complex microbiomes. AIM To characterize the microbial contaminants in aerosol facemasks used for nebulization therapy, and identify factors influencing the composition of these microbial contaminants with the acquisition and analysis of comprehensive microbiome-scale profiles using culture-independent high-throughput sequencing. METHODS Used aerosol facemasks collected from hospitalized patients were analysed with culture-independent 16S rRNA gene-based amplicon sequencing to acquire microbiome-scale comprehensive profiles of the microbial contaminants. Microbiome-based analysis was performed to identify potential sources of microbial contamination in facemasks. FINDINGS Culture-independent high-throughput sequencing was demonstrated for the capacity to acquire microbiome-scale profiles of microbial contaminants on aerosol facemasks. Microbial source identification enabled by the microbiome-scale profiles linked microbial contamination on aerosol facemasks to the human skin and oral microbiota. Antibiotic treatment with levofloxacin was found to reduce contamination of the facemasks by oral microbiota. CONCLUSION Sequencing-based microbiome-scale analysis is capable of providing comprehensive characterization of microbial contamination in aerosol facemasks. Insight gained from microbiome-scale analysis facilitates the development of effective strategies for the prevention and mitigation of the risk of nosocomial infections arising from exposure to microbial contamination of aerosol facemasks, such as targeted elimination of potential sources of contamination.
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Affiliation(s)
- C S Swanson
- Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering, The University of Tennessee, Knoxville, TN, USA
| | - R Dhand
- Department of Medicine, The University of Tennessee Graduate School of Medicine, Knoxville, TN, USA
| | - L Cao
- Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering, The University of Tennessee, Knoxville, TN, USA
| | - J Ferris
- Department of Medicine, The University of Tennessee Graduate School of Medicine, Knoxville, TN, USA
| | - C S Elder
- Respiratory Therapy Department, The University of Tennessee Medical Center, Knoxville, TN, USA
| | - Q He
- Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering, The University of Tennessee, Knoxville, TN, USA; Institute for a Secure and Sustainable Environment, The University of Tennessee, Knoxville, TN, USA.
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Hickman B, Kirjavainen PV, Täubel M, de Vos WM, Salonen A, Korpela K. Determinants of bacterial and fungal microbiota in Finnish home dust: Impact of environmental biodiversity, pets, and occupants. Front Microbiol 2022; 13:1011521. [PMID: 36419417 PMCID: PMC9676251 DOI: 10.3389/fmicb.2022.1011521] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/04/2022] [Accepted: 09/23/2022] [Indexed: 11/22/2023] Open
Abstract
The indoors is where many humans spend most of their time, and are strongly exposed to indoor microbiota, which may have multifaceted effects on health. Therefore, a comprehensive understanding of the determinants of indoor microbiota is necessary. We collected dust samples from 295 homes of families with young children in the Helsinki region of Finland and analyzed the bacterial and fungal composition based on the 16S rRNA and ITS DNA sequences. Microbial profiles were combined with extensive survey data on family structure, daily life, and physical characteristics of the home, as well as additional external environmental information, such as land use, and vegetational biodiversity near the home. Using permutational multivariate analysis of variance we explained 18% of the variation of the relative abundance between samples within bacterial composition, and 17% of the fungal composition with the explanatory variables. The fungal community was dominated by the phyla Basidiomycota, and Ascomycota; the bacterial phyla Proteobacteria, Firmicutes, Cyanobacteria, and Actinobacteria were dominant. The presence of dogs, multiple children, and firewood were significantly associated with both the fungal and bacterial composition. Additionally, fungal communities were associated with land use, biodiversity in the area, and the type of building, while bacterial communities were associated with the human inhabitants and cleaning practices. A distinction emerged between members of Ascomycota and Basidiomycota, Ascomycota being more abundant in homes with greater surrounding natural environment, and potential contact with the environment. The results suggest that the fungal composition is strongly dependent on the transport of outdoor environmental fungi into homes, while bacteria are largely derived from the inhabitants.
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Affiliation(s)
- Brandon Hickman
- Human Microbiome Research Program, Faculty of Medicine, University of Helsinki, Helsinki, Finland
| | - Pirkka V. Kirjavainen
- Environmental Health Unit, Finnish Institute for Health and Welfare, Kuopio, Finland
- Institute of Public Health and Clinical Nutrition, University of Eastern Finland, Kuopio, Finland
| | - Martin Täubel
- Environmental Health Unit, Finnish Institute for Health and Welfare, Kuopio, Finland
| | - Willem M. de Vos
- Human Microbiome Research Program, Faculty of Medicine, University of Helsinki, Helsinki, Finland
| | - Anne Salonen
- Human Microbiome Research Program, Faculty of Medicine, University of Helsinki, Helsinki, Finland
| | - Katri Korpela
- Human Microbiome Research Program, Faculty of Medicine, University of Helsinki, Helsinki, Finland
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Swanson CS, Dhand R, Cao L, Ferris J, Elder CS, He Q. Microbiome Profiles of Nebulizers in Hospital Use. J Aerosol Med Pulm Drug Deliv 2022; 35:212-222. [PMID: 35230145 DOI: 10.1089/jamp.2021.0032] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/12/2022] Open
Abstract
Background: Nebulizers are used to provide treatment to respiratory patients. Concerns over nosocomial infection risks from contaminated nebulizers raise the critical need to identify all microbial populations in nebulizers used by patients. However, conventional culture-dependent techniques are inadequate with the ability to identify specific microbial populations only. Therefore, the aims of this study were to acquire complete profiles of microbiomes in nebulizers used by in-patients with culture-independent high-throughput sequencing and identify sources of microbial contaminants for the development of effective practices to reduce microbial contamination in nebulizer devices. Methods: This study was conducted at the University of Tennessee Medical Center in Knoxville, TN. Nebulizers were collected between May 2018 and October 2018 from inpatients admitted to the floors for pneumonia or chronic obstructive pulmonary disease exacerbations. Nebulizers were sampled for 16S rRNA gene-based amplicon sequencing to profile nebulizer microbiomes and perform phylogenetic analysis. A Bayesian community-wide culture-independent microbial source tracking technique was used to quantify the contribution of human-associated microbiota as potential sources of nebulizer contamination. Results: Culture-independent sequencing detected diverse microbial populations in nebulizers, represented by 18 abundant genera. Stenotrophomonas was identified as the most abundant genus, accounting for 12.4% of the nebulizer microbiome, followed by Rhizobium, Staphylococcus, Streptococcus, and Ralstonia. Phylogenetic analysis revealed the presence of multiple phylotypes with close relationship to potential pathogens. Contributing up to 15% to nebulizer microbiomes, human-associated microbiota was not identified as the primary sources of nebulizer contamination. Conclusion: Culture-independent sequencing was demonstrated to be capable of acquiring comprehensive profiles of microbiomes in nebulizers used by in-patients. Phylogenetic analysis identified differences in pathogenicity between closely related phylotypes. Microbiome profile-enabled community-wide culture-independent microbial source tracking suggested greater importance of environmental sources than human sources as contributors to nebulizer microbiomes, providing important insight for the development of effective strategies for the monitoring and control of nebulizer devices to mitigate infection risks in the hospital.
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Affiliation(s)
- Clifford S Swanson
- Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering, The University of Tennessee, Knoxville, Tennessee, USA
| | - Rajiv Dhand
- Department of Medicine, The University of Tennessee Graduate School of Medicine, Knoxville, Tennessee, USA
| | - Liu Cao
- Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering, The University of Tennessee, Knoxville, Tennessee, USA
| | - Jennifer Ferris
- Department of Medicine, The University of Tennessee Graduate School of Medicine, Knoxville, Tennessee, USA
| | - C Scott Elder
- Department of Respiratory Therapy, The University of Tennessee Medical Center, Knoxville, Tennessee, USA
| | - Qiang He
- Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering, The University of Tennessee, Knoxville, Tennessee, USA.,Institute for a Secure and Sustainable Environment, The University of Tennessee, Knoxville, Tennessee, USA
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9
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Swanson CS, Dhand R, Cao L, Ferris J, Elder CS, He Q. Microbiome-Based Source Identification of Microbial Contamination in Nebulizers Used by Inpatients. J Hosp Infect 2022; 122:157-161. [DOI: 10.1016/j.jhin.2022.01.008] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/06/2021] [Revised: 01/15/2022] [Accepted: 01/16/2022] [Indexed: 11/29/2022]
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10
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Liang J, Swanson CS, Wang L, He Q. Impact of building closures during the COVID-19 pandemic on Legionella infection risks. Am J Infect Control 2021; 49:1564-1566. [PMID: 34537274 PMCID: PMC8447490 DOI: 10.1016/j.ajic.2021.09.008] [Citation(s) in RCA: 16] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/28/2021] [Revised: 08/11/2021] [Accepted: 09/10/2021] [Indexed: 01/14/2023]
Abstract
Prolonged building closures are prevalent during the COVID-19 pandemic, resulting in extreme stagnation in building water systems. High-throughput sequencing analysis revealed significantly increased presence of Legionella due to extreme water stagnation, highlighting elevated exposure risks to Legionella from building water systems during re-opening of previously closed buildings.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jiayu Liang
- School of Food and Biological Engineering, Jiangsu University, Zhenjiang, Jiangsu, China
| | - Clifford S Swanson
- Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering, The University of Tennessee, Knoxville, TN, USA
| | - Liang Wang
- School of Food and Biological Engineering, Jiangsu University, Zhenjiang, Jiangsu, China.
| | - Qiang He
- Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering, The University of Tennessee, Knoxville, TN, USA.
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Feng Z, Shen H, Nie Y, Wu XL. The Impacts of the Occupants on the Bacterial Communities of Classrooms. Curr Microbiol 2021; 78:2112-2121. [PMID: 33768385 DOI: 10.1007/s00284-021-02451-7] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/18/2020] [Accepted: 03/10/2021] [Indexed: 11/29/2022]
Abstract
In modern societies, people spend most of their time in the built environment which harbors unique microbial assemblages with the potential to influence human health. However, how the occupants of buildings influence indoor microbial communities remains under-researched. Here, we investigated the diversities of the bacterial communities of a typical Chinese middle school to demonstrate the effects of occupant activities on bacterial communities inside classrooms. The results showed that samples taken from classrooms exhibited higher microbial diversity compared to samples collected from public areas such as gym and restaurant, suggesting the occupant activities could increase the diversities of the indoor microbial communities. Moreover, we also found that the duration of occupation strongly influence the presence/absence of phylogenetic lineages of the bacterial communities, the type of occupants, on the other hand, affect the relative abundances of bacterial taxa. In addition, samples taken from classrooms with longer occupation time exhibited a better fit to the Sloan Neutral Community Model for Prokaryotes, suggesting that room occupation influences the assembly process of microbial communities. In conclusion, our study demonstrates that the duration of occupation and the type of occupants influence the microbiome of the built environment.
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Affiliation(s)
- Zhou Feng
- College of Engineering, Peking University, Beijing, 100871, China
| | - He Shen
- The Experimental High School Attached to Beijing Normal University, Beijing, 100032, China
| | - Yong Nie
- College of Engineering, Peking University, Beijing, 100871, China.
| | - Xiao-Lei Wu
- College of Engineering, Peking University, Beijing, 100871, China. .,Institute of Ocean Research, Peking University, Beijing, 100871, China. .,Institute of Ecology, Peking University, Beijing, 100871, China.
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