Shaping the subway microbiome through probiotic-based sanitation during the COVID-19 emergency: a pre–post case–control study
Abstract Background The COVID-19 pandemic has highlighted the extent to which the public transportation environment, such as in subways, may be important for the transmission of potential pathogenic microbes among humans, with the possibility of rapidly impacting large numbers of people. For these r...
| Main Authors: | , , , , , , , , , , |
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| Format: | Article |
| Language: | English |
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BMC
2023-03-01
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| Series: | Microbiome |
| Subjects: | |
| Online Access: | https://doi.org/10.1186/s40168-023-01512-2 |
| _version_ | 1797853683380125696 |
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| author | Maria D’Accolti Irene Soffritti Francesca Bini Eleonora Mazziga Carolina Cason Manola Comar Antonella Volta Matteo Bisi Daniele Fumagalli Sante Mazzacane Elisabetta Caselli |
| author_facet | Maria D’Accolti Irene Soffritti Francesca Bini Eleonora Mazziga Carolina Cason Manola Comar Antonella Volta Matteo Bisi Daniele Fumagalli Sante Mazzacane Elisabetta Caselli |
| author_sort | Maria D’Accolti |
| collection | DOAJ |
| description | Abstract Background The COVID-19 pandemic has highlighted the extent to which the public transportation environment, such as in subways, may be important for the transmission of potential pathogenic microbes among humans, with the possibility of rapidly impacting large numbers of people. For these reasons, sanitation procedures, including massive use of chemical disinfection, were mandatorily introduced during the emergency and remain in place. However, most chemical disinfectants have temporary action and a high environmental impact, potentially enhancing antimicrobial resistance (AMR) of the treated microbes. By contrast, a biological and eco-sustainable probiotic-based sanitation (PBS) procedure was recently shown to stably shape the microbiome of treated environments, providing effective and long-term control of pathogens and AMR spread in addition to activity against SARS-CoV-2, the causative agent of COVID-19. Our study aims to assess the applicability and impact of PBS compared with chemical disinfectants based on their effects on the surface microbiome of a subway environment. Results The train microbiome was characterized by both culture-based and culture-independent molecular methods, including 16S rRNA NGS and real-time qPCR microarray, for profiling the train bacteriome and its resistome and to identify and quantify specific human pathogens. SARS-CoV-2 presence was also assessed in parallel using digital droplet PCR. The results showed a clear and significant decrease in bacterial and fungal pathogens (p < 0.001) as well as of SARS-CoV-2 presence (p < 0.01), in the PBS-treated train compared with the chemically disinfected control train. In addition, NGS profiling evidenced diverse clusters in the population of air vs. surface while demonstrating the specific action of PBS against pathogens rather than the entire train bacteriome. Conclusions The data presented here provide the first direct assessment of the impact of different sanitation procedures on the subway microbiome, allowing a better understanding of its composition and dynamics and showing that a biological sanitation approach may be highly effective in counteracting pathogens and AMR spread in our increasingly urbanized and interconnected environment. Video Abstract |
| first_indexed | 2024-04-09T19:54:40Z |
| format | Article |
| id | doaj.art-de14a5cb7c9e411aba77fc3b0bd1664c |
| institution | Directory Open Access Journal |
| issn | 2049-2618 |
| language | English |
| last_indexed | 2024-04-09T19:54:40Z |
| publishDate | 2023-03-01 |
| publisher | BMC |
| record_format | Article |
| series | Microbiome |
| spelling | doaj.art-de14a5cb7c9e411aba77fc3b0bd1664c2023-04-03T05:34:05ZengBMCMicrobiome2049-26182023-03-0111111910.1186/s40168-023-01512-2Shaping the subway microbiome through probiotic-based sanitation during the COVID-19 emergency: a pre–post case–control studyMaria D’Accolti0Irene Soffritti1Francesca Bini2Eleonora Mazziga3Carolina Cason4Manola Comar5Antonella Volta6Matteo Bisi7Daniele Fumagalli8Sante Mazzacane9Elisabetta Caselli10Section of Microbiology, Department of Chemical, Pharmaceutical and Agricultural Sciences, and LTTA, University of FerraraSection of Microbiology, Department of Chemical, Pharmaceutical and Agricultural Sciences, and LTTA, University of FerraraSection of Microbiology, Department of Chemical, Pharmaceutical and Agricultural Sciences, and LTTA, University of FerraraSection of Microbiology, Department of Chemical, Pharmaceutical and Agricultural Sciences, and LTTA, University of FerraraDepartment of Advanced Translational Microbiology, Institute for Maternal and Child Health, IRCCS “Burlo Garofolo”Department of Advanced Translational Microbiology, Institute for Maternal and Child Health, IRCCS “Burlo Garofolo”CIAS Research Center, University of FerraraCIAS Research Center, University of FerraraFacility Management Unit, Azienda Trasporti Milanesi S.P.ACIAS Research Center, University of FerraraSection of Microbiology, Department of Chemical, Pharmaceutical and Agricultural Sciences, and LTTA, University of FerraraAbstract Background The COVID-19 pandemic has highlighted the extent to which the public transportation environment, such as in subways, may be important for the transmission of potential pathogenic microbes among humans, with the possibility of rapidly impacting large numbers of people. For these reasons, sanitation procedures, including massive use of chemical disinfection, were mandatorily introduced during the emergency and remain in place. However, most chemical disinfectants have temporary action and a high environmental impact, potentially enhancing antimicrobial resistance (AMR) of the treated microbes. By contrast, a biological and eco-sustainable probiotic-based sanitation (PBS) procedure was recently shown to stably shape the microbiome of treated environments, providing effective and long-term control of pathogens and AMR spread in addition to activity against SARS-CoV-2, the causative agent of COVID-19. Our study aims to assess the applicability and impact of PBS compared with chemical disinfectants based on their effects on the surface microbiome of a subway environment. Results The train microbiome was characterized by both culture-based and culture-independent molecular methods, including 16S rRNA NGS and real-time qPCR microarray, for profiling the train bacteriome and its resistome and to identify and quantify specific human pathogens. SARS-CoV-2 presence was also assessed in parallel using digital droplet PCR. The results showed a clear and significant decrease in bacterial and fungal pathogens (p < 0.001) as well as of SARS-CoV-2 presence (p < 0.01), in the PBS-treated train compared with the chemically disinfected control train. In addition, NGS profiling evidenced diverse clusters in the population of air vs. surface while demonstrating the specific action of PBS against pathogens rather than the entire train bacteriome. Conclusions The data presented here provide the first direct assessment of the impact of different sanitation procedures on the subway microbiome, allowing a better understanding of its composition and dynamics and showing that a biological sanitation approach may be highly effective in counteracting pathogens and AMR spread in our increasingly urbanized and interconnected environment. Video Abstracthttps://doi.org/10.1186/s40168-023-01512-2Subway microbiomeProbiotic sanitationDisinfectionCOVID-19 |
| spellingShingle | Maria D’Accolti Irene Soffritti Francesca Bini Eleonora Mazziga Carolina Cason Manola Comar Antonella Volta Matteo Bisi Daniele Fumagalli Sante Mazzacane Elisabetta Caselli Shaping the subway microbiome through probiotic-based sanitation during the COVID-19 emergency: a pre–post case–control study Microbiome Subway microbiome Probiotic sanitation Disinfection COVID-19 |
| title | Shaping the subway microbiome through probiotic-based sanitation during the COVID-19 emergency: a pre–post case–control study |
| title_full | Shaping the subway microbiome through probiotic-based sanitation during the COVID-19 emergency: a pre–post case–control study |
| title_fullStr | Shaping the subway microbiome through probiotic-based sanitation during the COVID-19 emergency: a pre–post case–control study |
| title_full_unstemmed | Shaping the subway microbiome through probiotic-based sanitation during the COVID-19 emergency: a pre–post case–control study |
| title_short | Shaping the subway microbiome through probiotic-based sanitation during the COVID-19 emergency: a pre–post case–control study |
| title_sort | shaping the subway microbiome through probiotic based sanitation during the covid 19 emergency a pre post case control study |
| topic | Subway microbiome Probiotic sanitation Disinfection COVID-19 |
| url | https://doi.org/10.1186/s40168-023-01512-2 |
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