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The abundance of the potential pathogen Staphylococcus hominis in the air microbiome in a dental clinic and its susceptibility to far-UVC light
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  • Marilena Aquino de Muro,
  • Igor Shuryak,
  • Alice Tillman,
  • Dwayne Seeram,
  • Anne-Catrin Uhlemann,
  • Joseph Zakaria,
  • David Welch,
  • Steven Erde M,
  • David Brenner J
Marilena Aquino de Muro
Columbia University Irving Medical Center

Corresponding Author:[email protected]

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Igor Shuryak
Columbia University Irving Medical Center
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Alice Tillman
Columbia University Irving Medical Center
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Dwayne Seeram
Columbia University Irving Medical Center
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Anne-Catrin Uhlemann
Columbia University Irving Medical Center
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Joseph Zakaria
Columbia University Irving Medical Center
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David Welch
Columbia University Irving Medical Center
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Steven Erde M
Columbia University College of Dental Medicine
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David Brenner J
Columbia University Irving Medical Center
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Abstract

The dental clinic air microbiome incorporates microbes from the oral cavity and upper respiratory tract (URT). This study aimed to establish a reliable methodology for air sampling in a dental clinic setting and quantify the abundance of culturable mesophilic aerobic bacteria present in these samples using regression modeling. Staphylococcus hominis, a potentially pathogenic bacterium typically found in the human oropharynx and URT, was consistently isolated. S. hominis was the most abundant species of aerobic bacteria (22% to 24%) and comprised 60% to 80% of all Staphylococcus spp. The study also assessed the susceptibility of S. hominis to 222nm-far-UVC light in laboratory experiments, which showed an exponential surface inactivation constant of k = 0.475 cm2/mJ. This constant is a critical parameter for future on-site use of far-UVC light as a technique for reducing pathogenic bacterial load in dental clinics.
05 Nov 2022Submitted to MicrobiologyOpen
08 Nov 2022Submission Checks Completed
08 Nov 2022Assigned to Editor
15 Nov 2022Reviewer(s) Assigned
12 Dec 2022Review(s) Completed, Editorial Evaluation Pending
16 Dec 2022Editorial Decision: Revise Minor
30 Jan 20231st Revision Received
31 Jan 2023Submission Checks Completed
31 Jan 2023Assigned to Editor
31 Jan 2023Review(s) Completed, Editorial Evaluation Pending
31 Jan 2023Reviewer(s) Assigned
14 Feb 2023Editorial Decision: Revise Minor
16 Feb 20232nd Revision Received
17 Feb 2023Submission Checks Completed
17 Feb 2023Assigned to Editor
18 Feb 2023Review(s) Completed, Editorial Evaluation Pending
18 Feb 2023Editorial Decision: Accept