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Persistence of Biofilm-Forming and Multidrug-Resistant Staphylococcus aureus on High-Touch Hospital Surfaces Despite
Maria Luisa Cristina1,2, Gianluca Ottria1, Elisa Schinca1,2
1Department of Health Sciences University of Genoa, Genoa, Italy.
Journal of Preventive Medicine and Hygiene
|July 14, 2026
Summary
Routine hospital cleaning reduces germs but may not eliminate resilient, drug-resistant Staphylococcus aureus. This highlights the need for ongoing surveillance and infection control to manage antimicrobial resistance in healthcare environments.
Area of Science:
- Infection Prevention and Control
- Microbiology
- Environmental Hygiene
Background:
- Hospital surfaces are key in healthcare-associated infections (HAIs) transmission, especially from antimicrobial-resistant pathogens.
- Multidrug-resistant organisms, like biofilm-forming Staphylococcus aureus, can persist on surfaces despite disinfection.
- Environmental reservoirs of pathogens pose a significant challenge to infection control.
Purpose of the Study:
- To evaluate the effectiveness of routine cleaning and disinfection on reducing bacterial contamination on hospital surfaces.
- To investigate the persistence of multidrug-resistant Staphylococcus aureus on high-touch surfaces.
- To assess the role of environmental surveillance in identifying infection risks.
Main Methods:
- Environmental surveillance in a hospital room, sampling high-touch surfaces before and after cleaning with chlorine-based agents.
- Evaluation of cleaning effectiveness using aerobic colony count (ACC) and S. aureus detection against microbiological benchmarks.
- Molecular characterization of S. aureus isolates, including antimicrobial susceptibility and biofilm production.
Main Results:
- Routine cleaning significantly reduced overall bacterial load (ACC), decreasing non-compliant samples.
- S. aureus was still detected on surfaces post-cleaning, particularly in the near-patient area.
- A multidrug-resistant, biofilm-producing S. aureus strain (ST22, spa type t032) persisted on a bedside table handle despite cleaning.
Conclusions:
- Standard cleaning and disinfection protocols may not fully eradicate resilient, multidrug-resistant S. aureus from critical surfaces.
- Continuous microbiological surveillance is essential for identifying and managing environmental reservoirs of antimicrobial resistance.
- Targeted infection prevention and control interventions are needed to combat persistent pathogen contamination in healthcare settings.
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