Environmental Application of Newly Designed Loop-Mediated Isothermal Amplification (LAMP) Kits for Nosocomial
Federica Marino1, Caterina Bonincontro1, Laura Caligaris1
1Department of Biological, Geological, and Environmental Sciences, University of Bologna, 40126 Bologna, Italy.
Abstract:
Nosocomial pathogens persist on hospital surfaces contributing to healthcare-associated infections (HAIs), especially among vulnerable patients and in the presence of multidrug-resistant strains. Environmental surveillance is essential to prevent cross-contamination and support timely infection control interventions. However, conventional culture-based methods, although considered the gold standard, are labor-intensive and time-consuming, often delaying critical responses. This study evaluated loop-mediated isothermal amplification (LAMP) as a rapid screening tool for hospital environmental monitoring. A total of 100 surface samples were collected from different hospital wards and analyzed using both culture and LAMP assays targeting six major HAI-related pathogens: Pseudomonas aeruginosa, Staphylococcus aureus, Enterococcus spp., Escherichia coli, Klebsiella pneumoniae, and Acinetobacter baumannii. LAMP showed excellent performance, with sensitivity of 1.00 for all targets and specificity ranging from 0.94 to 1.00. No statistically significant differences were observed between LAMP and culture results (p > 0.05). LAMP may represent a valuable complementary method for routine environmental surveillance.
