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Abstract

Abstract

Stenotrophomonas maltophilia is a water-borne infectious bacterium that is found in both clinical (hospitals) and non-clinical environments. This human pathogen is commonly recovered from respiratory tract infections. A recent study at a hospital in Taiwan suggested that dry patient charts can serve as a vehicle of transmission of this bacterium7. As S. maltophilia is not commonly isolated from dry surfaces, this current study tested the hypothesis that this pathogen can remain viable for some time on a dry surface. This study was designed to determine how long S. maltophilia could remain viable after air-drying by observing culture growth from paper disks that had been inoculated with the bacterium. The data obtained indicate that S. maltophilia can remain viable up to two days, providing novel information regarding the amount of time that this water-associated pathogen can survive in dry conditions.

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