Antibiotic pressure can induce the viable but non-culturable state in Staphylococcus aureus growing in biofilms

Abstract

Our findings demonstrate that S. aureus can enter the VBNC state in infectious biofilms. The presence of vancomycin or quinupristin/dalfopristin can inadvertently induce a true VBNC state or its persistence in S. aureus cells embedded in biofilms, supporting previous findings on the role of staphylococcal biofilms in recurrent infections.

Emerging frontiers in detection and control of bacterial biofilms

“…However, these methods do not provide a reliable picture of the diversity in a given sample since biofilm bacteria do not produce colony-forming units that reflect their true numbers, despite the presence of bacterial mRNA activity [7]. Pasquaroli et al showed that antibiotic (vancomycin or quinupristin/dalfopristin) pressure can induce the VBNC state in S. aureus biofilms [7].…”

“…In addition, biofilm formation increases the corrosion and clogging of pipelines in food processing plants and reduces heat transfer efficiency, resulting in increased operational costs. In terms of food borne diseases, some pathogens enter into a concealed 'viable but non-culturable' (VBNC) form that eludes conventional detection methods and even leads to survival under stressful conditions such as low temperature [4][5][6][7]. VBNC bacteria are difficult to detect and eradicate since they cannot be cultivated by conventional methods and have low levels of metabolic activity.…”

Optimization of Propidium Monoazide Quantitative PCR for Evaluating Performances of Bioaerosol Samplers for Sampling AirborneStaphylococcus aureus

“…However, these methods are slow and do not effectively detect bacteria that are in the viable but non-culturable (VBNC) stage. Considering that S. aureus in the VBNC stage is a potential cause of nosocomial infection (Pasquaroli et al 2013), culture-independent assays are needed to detect viable S. aureus or MRSA. Therefore, the efficiencies of liquid (e.g., AGI-30 or BioSampler) and filter samplers, analyzed through both culture and non-culture methods, warrant further investigation.…”

“…A previous report suggested that S. aureus could be dispersed by humans (Thompson et al 2014), and the concentration of this bacterium can vary depending on the type of house sampled, the geographical region, and the sampling method used. Under stressful conditions, S. aureus can enter the VBNC state and can be responsible for recurrent symptoms (Pasquaroli et al 2013). The low viability of airborne S. aureus found in the ICU (1.5%) and GYM (6.2%) may be related to cleaning and disinfecting procedures implemented at these two sites.…”

Biofilm and Diabetic Foot Infections

“…Ancak biyofilm yapısı içinde bulunan bazı mikroorganizmalar canlı olmalarına rağmen kültürde üretilemeyebi-lir. Bu gibi durumlarda moleküler tekniklerden faydalanılma-lıdır (56,57). Rutin antibiyotik duyarlılık metotlarıyla serbest çoğalan mikroorganizmaların duyarlılık sonuçları belirlenebilir.…”