Bacteria detection

Nosocomial infections in healthcare settings constitute a major health hazard for patients and hospital staff. A great number of nosocomial infections are caused by bacteria, such as Staphylococcus aureus, Stenotrophomonas maltophilia, or Sphingomonas paucimobilis. Several medical procedures have been shown to produce bacterial bioaerosols that can act as a vector of transmission for infections. Indeed, while the defense system of the upper airway can fend off most larger particles, smaller aerosolized particles (<5um) are able to reach small airways and alveoli. Similarly, pathogenic bacteria suspended in poultry farms aerosols are suspected to cause infection and disease in both animals and humans. However, little is known concerning the diversity and concentrations of bacteria in the air. Understanding the biomass present in bioaerosols is crucial to the prevention and control of infections associated with airborne pathogenic microorganisms. Bioaerosols can contain culturable, non-culturable, and non-viable bacteria. Unfortunately, most traditional air sampling methods rely on culture techniques, which only allow for the recovery of the small culturable fraction of the airborne bacterial burden.

Bertin Technologies has developed the Coriolis, a range of air samplers that can be used to monitor the bacterial biomass both in indoor and outdoor settings. The Coriolis are suitable not only for the detection of a specific bacterium, but also for the analysis of the bacteria diversity in air samples. Indeed, as the Coriolis can concentrate ambient bacterial particles in a liquid sample, they are compatible with most modern microbiology techniques, including PCR and NGS.

Below, our scientists have shared a selection of our best application notes for aerosolized bacteria detection in various settings.