FORMIGAS COMO VETORES DE BACTÉRIAS E FUNGOS NO INTERIOR DE UM HOSPITAL DO SUL DA BAHIA

Nosocomial infections, mainly caused by bacteria and fungi, constitute a growing cause of morbidity and mortality in Brazil and worldwide. Although some insects are recognized vectors of microorganisms, ants have proved to be a threat to public health, acting as vectors of pathogenic microorganisms. Thus, knowing the species of ants, as well as identifying the species of microorganisms that are found and transported by these insects, can support educational actions, complementing programs for prevention and control of nosocomial infections. Samples were collected in different sectors of a public hospital in the city of Itabuna from June to August 2009. Twenty-five worker ants were collected. It was also collected, with the aid of a sterile swab, from the place where the insects were removed. The collected ants were placed inside sterile tubes, numbered and immediately sent to CEPLAC's Mimercology laboratories for identification and UESC Microbiology for processing, which consisted of inoculating whole ants on Sabouraud Agar for fungal growth and separating the ants into head, thorax, abdomen, paws and antennae, which were placed individually in tubes with BHI broth for bacterial growth. Next the bacteria were inoculated into the blood agar, MacConkey agar and Mannitol agar culture media for identification. The bacteria were classified microscopically by Gram stain. Biochemical tests were performed for nonfermenting and sugar fermenting bacteria. Then the ants were placed in tubes containing Micosel Agar for fungal growth. The fungi were identified according to morphological aspects of the colony as well as morphological characteristics of the microscopic reproduction structures, using the microculture technique. The identified bacterial genera were: Staphylococcus sp. and Bacillus sp. The main genera of fungi identified were Aspergillus sp., Cladosporium sp., Fusarium sp., Mucor sp., Paecilomyces sp., Rhizopus sp., And Rhodotorula sp., Which are widely involved in opportunistic infections. The most prevalent ant species were Paratrechina longicornis, Pheydole megacephala, Solenopsis saevissima and Tapinoma melanocephalum. Thus, knowing the species of ants, as well as identifying the species of microorganisms that are found and transported by these insects, can support educational actions, complementing programs for prevention and control of nosocomial infections.