Aerosol bacterial communities in specialized hospitals

Bacteria is abundant and ubiquitous in bioaerosols from hospital environments. Understanding the distribution and diversity of bacterial communities is important for mitigating their negative impacts. However, the specificity of bioaerosol microorganism, especially potential pathogens, in PM2.5 from specialized hospitals remains poorly understood. To fill this knowledge gap, we collected thirty PM2.5 filter samples in halls and wards of five different hospitals (i.e. oral, dermatology, chest, eye and general hospitals) in China. Bacterial component diversity at the species level were analyzed in all samples using single molecule real-time sequencing technology (SMRT).