Pseudomonas aeruginosa in premise plumbing of large buildings

Abstract

Pseudomonas aeruginosa is an opportunistic bacterial pathogen that is widely occurring in the environment and is recognized for its capacity to form or join biofilms. The present review consolidates current knowledge on P. aeruginosa ecology and its implication in healthcare facilities premise plumbing. The adaptability of P. aeruginosa and its capacity to integrate the biofilm from the faucet and the drain highlight the role premise plumbing devices can play in promoting growth and persistence. A meta‐analysis of P. aeruginosa prevalence in faucets (manual and electronic) and drains reveals the large variation in device positivity reported and suggest the high variability in the sampling approach and context as the main reason for this variation. The effects of the operating conditions that prevail within water distribution systems (disinfection, temperature, and hydraulic regime) on the persistence of P. aeruginosa are summarized. As a result from the review, recommendations for proactive control measures of water contamination by P. aeruginosa are presented. A better understanding of the ecology of P. aeruginosa and key influencing factors in premise plumbing are essential to identify culprit areas and implement effective control measures.

Faecal Indicator Bacteria and Pseudomonas aeruginosa in Marine Coastal Waters: Is there a Relationship?

“…Opportunistic bacteria, such as Pseudomonas aeruginosa [13], might better serve to indicate the occurrence of some of the nonfaecal pathogens [12], especially in bathing waters [14]. Taking into account the results found in a study from Mariño and coworkers, where a positive correlation was found between skin infections and the presence of P. aeruginosa in seawater [14], this opportunistic bacteria [13] might better serve to indicate the occurrence of some nonfaecal pathogens in bathing waters [12].Being rod-shaped, gram-negative, facultative aerobic bacterium, P. aeruginosa has minimal survival requirements [15,16] and a remarkable adaptation ability towards a variety of environmental conditions, being able to thrive in soil, water, animal hosts, hospital settings, soap, and even distilled water [17][18][19][20]. P. aeruginosa, as the origin of an extensive variety of infections, is a main cause of illness in immunocompromised individuals [21].…”

“…Being rod-shaped, gram-negative, facultative aerobic bacterium, P. aeruginosa has minimal survival requirements [15,16] and a remarkable adaptation ability towards a variety of environmental conditions, being able to thrive in soil, water, animal hosts, hospital settings, soap, and even distilled water [17][18][19][20]. P. aeruginosa, as the origin of an extensive variety of infections, is a main cause of illness in immunocompromised individuals [21].…”

Pharmacological Inhibition of the Pseudomonas aeruginosa MvfR Quorum-Sensing System Interferes with Biofilm Formation and Potentiates Antibiotic-Mediated Biofilm Disruption

“…This pathogen may be problematic due to its ability to form biofilms-multicellular aggregates embedded in selfproduced polymeric substances-that shield bacterial cells from antibacterial agents (such as disinfectants in water premise plumbing [1], host immune defenses [2,3]). It is well documented that biofilms greatly contribute to the establishment of chronic infections, including chronic pneumonia in cystic fibrosis patients, relapsing and chronic wound and ear infections, as well as medical device-related infections (3).…”

Nitrification in Premise Plumbing: A Review

“…Over the last decade, the interest in premise plumbing from the water industry has increased. Numerous studies have investigated different issues surrounding premise plumbing, such as corrosion [78][79][80][81] and the growth of opportunistic pathogens [82][83][84][85][86][87][88]. Premise plumbing systems are an area of the distribution system that can be overlooked by water utilities, since most premise plumbing systems are not owned or maintained by the utility and most drinking water regulations do not address premise plumbing, with the exception of the Lead and Copper Rule (LCR).…”