Individual variability in finger-to-finger transmission efficiency of Enterococcus faecium clones

Microbiologyopen. 2014 Feb;3(1):128-32. doi: 10.1002/mbo3.156. Epub 2014 Jan 2.

Abstract

A fingertip-to-fingertip intraindividual transmission experiment was carried out in 30 healthy volunteers, using four MLST-typed Enterococcus faecium clones. Overall results showed an adequate fit goodness to a theoretical exponential model, whereas four volunteers (13%) exhibited a significantly higher finger-to-finger bacterial transmission efficiency. This observation might have deep consequences in nosocomial epidemiology.

Keywords: Bacterial transmission; enterococcal clones; hand hygiene..

Publication types

  • Comparative Study
  • Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't

MeSH terms

  • Bacterial Load
  • Cross Infection / microbiology
  • Cross Infection / transmission
  • Disease Transmission, Infectious*
  • Enterococcus faecium / isolation & purification*
  • Fingers / microbiology*
  • Gram-Positive Bacterial Infections / microbiology
  • Gram-Positive Bacterial Infections / transmission*
  • Hand Disinfection*
  • Hand Sanitizers
  • Humans
  • Touch

Substances

  • Hand Sanitizers