Formigas (Hymenoptera: Formicidae) como potenciais vetores mecânicos de micro-organismos patogênicos em um hospital

Abstract

The presence of ants in hospital environments represents a serious problem, since they are abundant beings, difficult to control and considered mechanical vectors of dissemination of pathogens. The objective of this research was to study the composition of the Mirmecofauna (Hymenoptera: Formicidae) and the isolation of microorganisms associated with these insects in a public hospital in the city of Macapá, Amapá. Methodology: Ants were collected in 15 rooms, using sterilized baits during the day and night of the Emergency Hospital, from September to November 2017 and January to July 2018. Afterwards, the ants were identified with the use of specific keys and the microbiological analyzes. Up to 10 individuals per ant species were used to pool BHI Broth for 24h 37 ° C and seeded on 5% blood agar and MacConkey. After the isolation, tests of biochemical identifications were carried out. Results: The sample effort was 9691 ants, of which 6,758 (69.73%) were individuals in the least rainy season and 2,993 (30,27%) in the rainy season. It was observed 10 species of ants: Brachymyrmex sp, Camponotus.sexguttatus, Linepithema humile, Monomorium florícola, Monomorium pharaonis, Paratrechina longicornis, Solenopsis saevissima, Tapinoma melanocephalum. Tetramorium bicarinatum and Wasmannia auropunctata. Getting the value of p = <0.001. The Jaccard Dendrogram, among the sectors, showed that the Burn Treatment Center and the Extra Infirmary had 100% similarity. When assessing the diversity of formicides, Nursing 1 demonstrated a higher index (H = 0.7318). The highest index of dominance (d = 1) was in the Medical Clinic, followed by the Equitability in the Extra Infirmary (j = 0.969). The microorganisms isolated from the ants were: Bacillus sp., Escherichia coli, Enterobacter sp., Klebisiella sp. and Pseudomonas aeruginosa, Staphylococcus aureus, Staphylococcus coagulase negative-SCN (Staphylococcus epidermidis, Staphylococcus capitis, Staphylococcus haemolyticus, Staphylococcus saprophyticus Staphylococcus cohii, Staphylococcus capitis) Fungus (yeast and filamentous) The value of p = 0.07. Bacillus bacteria were the most frequent (35.11%). Nursing 1 presented a greater diversity of microorganisms (H = 2,079), followed by the Nursing Post with dominance (d = 0.5556) and Nursery 1 and Pharmacy showed a greater equitability for microorganisms (j = 1). Conclusion: High abundance of M. pharaonis, T. melanocephalum and P. longicornis. Evident time variation of both the richness and the abundance of species of formicides, being the less rainy period with greater representativity. There is a high incidence of bacteria and fungi isolated from the formicides collected in the rooms. These pathogens may be associated with the spread of nosocomial infection in patients, since they have been reported in the literature as causing nosocomial infections. It is essential pest control in the Hospital, since, scientific works already exist confirming the vectorial capacity of these formicides.