Made available in DSpace on 2014-12-17T14:10:22Z (GMT). No. of bitstreams: 1 EutaliaENFS_DISSERT.pdf: 2712662 bytes, checksum: 8c38ff6fb5ec0c379f1f2e3b3fe8a0c7 (MD5) Previous issue date: 2009-12-07 / In a hospital environment, these bacteria can be spread by insects such as ants, which are characterized by high adaptability to the urban environment. Staphylococcus is a leading cause of hospital infection. In Europe, Latin America, USA and Canada, the group of coagulase negative staphylococci (CoNS) is the second leading cause of these infections, according to SENTRY (antimicrobial surveillance program- EUA). In this study, we investigated the potential of ants (Hymenoptera: Formicidae) as vehicle mechanics of Staphylococcus bacteria in a public hospital, in Natal-RN. The ants were collected, day and night, from June 2007 to may 2008, in the following sectors: hospitals, laundry, kitchen, blood bank. The ants were identified according to the identification key of Bolton, 1997. For the analysis of staphylococci, the ants were incubated in broth Tryptic Soy Broth (TSB) for 24 hours at 35 ? C and then incubated on Mannitol Salt Agar. The typical colonies of staphylococci incubated for 24 hours at 35 ? C in Tryptic Soy Agar for the characterization tests (Gram stain, catalase, susceptibility to bacitracin and free coagulase). The identification of CoNS was performed through biochemical tests: susceptibility to novobiocin, growth under anaerobic conditions, presence of urease, the ornithine decarboxylation and acid production from the sugars mannose, maltose, trehalose, mannitol and xylose. The antimicrobial susceptibility examined by disk-diffusion technique. The technique of Polymerase Chain Reaction was used to confirm the presence of mecA gene and the ability to produce biofilm was verified by testing in vitro using polystyrene inert surface, in samples of resistant staphylococci. Among 440 ants, 85 (19.1%) were carrying coagulase-negative staphylococci (CoNS) of the species Staphylococcus saprophyticus (17), Staphylococcus epidermidis (15), Staphylococcus xylosus (13), Staphylococcus hominis hominis (10), Staphylococcus lugdunensis (10), Staphylococcus warneri (6), Staphylococcus cohnii urealyticum (5), Staphylococcus haemolyticus (3), Staphylococcus simulans (3), Staphylococcus cohnii cohnii (2), and Staphylococcus capitis (1). No Staphylococcus aureus was found. Among the isolates, 30.58% showed resistance to erythromycin. Two samples of CoNS (2.35%), obtained from the ant Tapinoma melanocephalum collected in the post-surgical female ward, S. Hominis hominis and S. lugdunensis harbored the mecA gene and were resistant to multiple antibiotics, and the specie S. hominis hominis even showed to be a biofilm producer. This study proves that ants act as carriers of multidrug-resistant coagulase-negative Staphylococci and biofilm producers and points to the risk of the spreading of pathogenic microorganisms by this insect in the hospital environment / No ambiente hospitalar, bact?rias podem ser disseminadas por insetos, tais como as formigas, que se destacam pela alta adaptabilidade ao ambiente urbano. As bact?rias do g?nero Staphylococcus s?o uma das principais causas de infec??o hospitalar. Em pa?ses da Europa, Am?rica Latina, Estados Unidos e Canad?, o grupo dos estafilococos coagulase-negativos (ECN) representa a segunda maior causa dessas infec??es, segundo o SENTRY (Programa de vigil?ncia antimicrobiana- EUA). No presente estudo foi analisado o potencial de formigas (Hymenoptera: Formicidae) como ve?culos mec?nicos de bact?rias do g?nero Staphylococcus em um hospital da rede p?blica de sa?de, no munic?pio de Natal-RN. As formigas capturadas em coletas diurnas e noturnas, entre junho de 2007 e maio de 2008, nos seguintes setores: enfermarias, lavanderia, cozinha, banco de sangue. Esses insetos foram identificados segundo a chave de identifica??o de Bolton, 1997. Para a an?lise da presen?a de estafilococos, as formigas foram incubadas em caldo de case?na de soja (TSB) por 24h, a 35?C para posterior semeadura em Agar Manitol Salgado. As col?nias caracter?sticas de estafilococos incubadas por 24h a 35?C, em Tryptic Soy Agar, para testes de caracteriza??o do g?nero (colora??o de Gram, catalase, susceptibilidade ? bacitracina e coagulase livre). A identifica??o dos ECN foi realizada atrav?s das provas bioqu?micas: susceptibilidade ? novobiocina, crescimento em anaerobiose, presen?a de urease, descarboxila??o da ornitina e produ??o de ?cidos a partir dos a??cares manose, maltose, trealose, manitol e xilose. A susceptibilidade aos antimicrobianos analisada atrav?s da t?cnica disco-difus?o. Para confirmar a presen?a do gene mecA foi utilizada a t?cnica da Rea??o em Cadeia da Polimerase e a capacidade de produ??o de biofilme foi verificada atrav?s de ensaio in vitro usando superf?cie inerte de poliestireno, em amostras de estafilococos resistentes. Entre 440 formigas, 85 (19,1%) estavam transportando os ECN das esp?cies Staphylococcus saprophyticus (17), Staphylococcus epidermidis (15), Staphylococcus xylosus (13), Staphylococcus hominis hominis (10), Staphylococcus lugdunensis (10), Staphylococcus warneri (6), Staphylococcus cohnii urealyticum (5), Staphylococcus haemolyticus (3), Staphylococcus simulans (3), Staphylococcus cohnii cohnii (2), e Staphylococcus capitis (1 ). Nenhum Staphylococcus aureus foi encontrado. Entre os isolados, 30,58% apresentaram resist?ncia ? eritromicina. Duas amostras de ECN (2,35%), obtidas a partir da formiga Tapinoma melanocephalum coletadas na enfermaria feminina p?s-cir?rgica, S. hominis hominis e S. lugdunensis albergavam o gene mecA e foram resistentes a m?ltiplos antibi?ticos. Al?m disso, a esp?cie S. hominis hominis ainda mostrou ser um produtor de biofilme. Este estudo demonstra que as formigas podem agir como veiculadoras de ECN multiresistentes aos antimicrobianos e produtores de biofilme, e, ainda, aponta para o risco da dissemina??o de microrganismos patog?nicos por esse inseto no ambiente hospitalar