New commercial wipes inhibit the dispersion and adhesion of S. aureus and P. aeruginosa biofilms.

Abstract

AIM Bacterial biofilms can form on the surfaces in hospital, clinics, farms and food processing plants, representing a possible source of infections and cross-contamination. This study investigates the effectiveness of new commercial wipes against Staphylococcus aureus and Pseudomonas aeruginosa biofilms (early attachment and formed biofilms), assessing LH SALVIETTE wipes (Lombarda H S.r.l) potential for controlling biofilm formation. METHODS AND RESULTS The wipes efficacy was studied against the early attachment phase and formed biofilm of S. aureus ATCC 6538 and P. aeruginosa ATCC 15442 on a polyvinyl chloride (PVC) surface, following a modified standard test EN 16615:2015, measuring Log10 reduction and cell viability using Live/dead staining. It was also evaluated the wipes anti-adhesive activity over time (3 h, 24 h), calculating CFU.mL-1 reduction. Data were analyzed using t-Student test. The wipes significantly reduced both early phase and formed S. aureus biofilm, preventing dispersion on PVC surfaces. Live/dead imaging showed bacterial cluster disaggregation and killing action. The bacterial adhesive capability decreased after short-time treatment (3 h) with the wipes compared to 24 h. CONCLUSIONS Results demonstrated decreased bacterial count on PVC surface both for early attachment phase and formed biofilms, also preventing the bacterial biofilm dispersion.