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Identification of infectious Pseudomonas aeruginosa strains in an occupational saturation diving environment
C Ahlén1, L H Mandal, O J Iversen
1SINTEF Unimed, Extreme Work Environment, Trondheim, Norway.
Objectives:
Occupational saturation divers have various skin disorders, of which skin infections are the most serious and frequent. Pseudomonas aeruginosa is the microbe most often isolated from skin infections in divers. The purpose of the present work was (a) to report the occurrence of P aeruginosa in skin infections in operational saturation diving in the North Sea from 1987 to 1995; (b) to report the environmental occurrence of P aeruginosa in saturation diving systems, and finally (c) to identify possible relations between infection related to strains of P aeruginosa and environmental isolates of the microbe.
Results:
During the period 1987-95, P aeruginosa was isolated from 257 skin infections in operational saturation divers. Most of the isolates related to infection by P aeruginosa show a unique growth inhibition pattern towards the normal skin flora, and the serotype pattern of P aeruginosa from skin infections is limited compared with similar infections in non-divers. In a mini-epidemiological study on board one diving vessel during one operational diving period, five significantly different DNA fragment profiles were found among the 12 isolates related to infection by P aeruginosa obtained from the saturation system. In two cases the infectious genotypes were detected in the fresh water for the saturation chambers weeks before the arrival of the infected diver.
Conclusions:
The most commonly used epidemiological marker for P aeruginosa world wide, also used in earlier studies, is serotyping, but with pulsed field gel electrophoresis (PFGE) miniepidemiology it was shown to be insufficient for epidemiological purposes in saturation environments. PFGE analyses were shown to be superior both to antibacterial factor and to serotyping in epidemiological analyses of P aeruginosa infections in saturation diving.
Insights
Pseudomonas aeruginosa causes frequent skin infections in saturation divers. Pulsed field gel electrophoresis (PFGE) revealed environmental sources of infection in diving systems, highlighting PFGE
Area of Science:
- Diving Medicine
- Microbiology
- Epidemiology
Background:
- Occupational saturation divers frequently experience skin disorders, with infections being the most serious and common.
- Pseudomonas aeruginosa is the predominant microbe identified in diver skin infections.
- Understanding the prevalence and sources of P. aeruginosa is crucial for diver health.
Purpose of the Study:
- To document the occurrence of P. aeruginosa in saturation diver skin infections (1987-1995).
- To investigate the environmental presence of P. aeruginosa within saturation diving systems.
- To explore potential links between P. aeruginosa strains causing infections and those found in the environment.
Main Methods:
- Retrospective analysis of P. aeruginosa isolates from diver skin infections (1987-1995).
- Environmental sampling within saturation diving systems.
- Pulsed field gel electrophoresis (PFGE) for mini-epidemiological analysis of P. aeruginosa genotypes.
Main Results:
- P. aeruginosa was isolated from 257 skin infections in saturation divers between 1987 and 1995.
- Infectious P. aeruginosa isolates exhibited unique growth inhibition patterns and limited serotype diversity.
- PFGE identified five distinct DNA fragment profiles among isolates from one diving system, with infectious genotypes detected in system water prior to diver arrival.
Conclusions:
- Traditional serotyping is insufficient for epidemiological tracking of P. aeruginosa in saturation diving environments.
- Pulsed field gel electrophoresis (PFGE) is a superior method for epidemiological analysis of P. aeruginosa infections in this setting.
- Environmental contamination of saturation diving systems poses a risk for P. aeruginosa infections in divers.