| Name: | Description: | Size: | Format: | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1.88 MB | Adobe PDF |
Advisor(s)
Abstract(s)
Biofilms are described as colonies of microorganisms that are attached to each other and to a surface, in an irreversible mode. These structures are virtualy everywhere: natural and humanized environments, as well as within living beings (humans and animals). For a long time biofilms where regarded as a bacterial survival strategie. Nowadays, in the industrialized world, the impact of acute bacterial infections caused by rapidly proliferating planktonic cells have gradually decreased in comparison to chronic infections owing to environmental organisms growing as biofilms. The major concern in this field is the healthcare-associated infections (HAIs). In 2012, HAIs estimated cases reached 6.7 million either in long-term care facilities or acute-care hospitals from which result 37,000 deaths configuring a serious public health problem [1].
The etiological agents are diverse being often resistant to antimicrobials and able to assemble biofilms both in abiotic and biotic surfaces. Here we evaluated the ability of different bacteria to assemble biofilms on a model surface and materials mimicking surfaces present either on healthcare units or medical devices. All bacteria were able to assemble biofilmls although following different kinetics and exhibiting different structural features assessed by electron microscopy. Additionally a link was established between bacteria ability to assemble biofilms and increased antibiotic resistance [2].
1. ECDC Europe; (2012), Annual epidemiological report 2011
2. Bandeira M; (2014), Pathogens (doi:10.3390/pathogens3030720)
Description
Keywords
Biofilms Infecções Respiratórias
Pedagogical Context
Citation
Publisher
Instituto Nacional de Saúde Doutor Ricardo Jorge, IP