The Ecology and Genotype Distribution of Three Opportunistic Pathogens in Sinks

Sink drains and faucets in NICU at two hospitals were sampled over two and six months. High-throughput short sequence typing (HiSST) assays were performed to identify the three opportunistic pathogens: Pseudomonas aeruginosa, Stenotrophomonas maltophilia and Serratia marcescens. Sequence types from pure culture and environmental DNA were compared to characterize the temporal and spatial dynamics of opportunistic pathogens. These findings will help develop focused strategies to prevent pathogen colonization in sink drains, as part of healthcare infection prevention and control.