Rapid in situ imaging and whole genome sequencing of biofilm in neonatal feeding tubes: A clinical proof of concept. Issue 1 (December 2017)

• Record Type: Journal Article
• Authors: Ogrodzki, Pauline; Cheung, Chi Shing; Saad, Mohamed; Dahmani, Khaled; Coxill, Rebecca; Liang, Haida; Forsythe, Stephen
• Is Part Of: Scientific reports. Volume 7:Issue 1(2017)
• Page Start: 1
• Page End: 8
• Publication Date: 2017-12
• Subjects: Natural history -- Research -- Periodicals; Biology -- Research -- Periodicals; Physical sciences -- Research -- Periodicals; Earth sciences -- Research -- Periodicals; Environmental sciences -- Research -- Periodicals; 502.85
• DOI: 10.1038/s41598-017-15769-9
• Languages: English
• ISSNs: 2045-2322

Abstract

Abstract The bacterial flora of nasogastric feeding tubes and faecal samples were analysed for a low-birth weight (725 g) neonate EGA 25 weeks in intensive care. Samples were collected at age 6 and 8 weeks of life. Optical coherence tomography (OCT) was used to visualise bacterial biofilms inside the nasogastric feeding tubes. The biofilm was heterogeneously distributed along the tube lumen wall, and had a depth of up to 500 µm. The bacterial biofilm and faecal samples includedEnterococcus faecalis andEnterobacter hormaechei . Representative strains, recovered from both feeding tubes and faecal samples, were whole genome sequenced using Illumina, Mi-Seq, which revealed indistinguishable strains, each with less than 28 SNP differences, ofE. faecalis andE. hormaechei . TheE. faecalis strains were from two sequence types (ST191 and ST211) and encoded for a number of traits related to biofilm formation (BopD ), adherence (Epb pili), virulence (cps loci, gelatinase, SprE ) and antibiotic resistances (IsaA, tetM). TheE. hormaechei were all ST106, and encoded forbla ACT-15 β–lactamase and fosfomycin resistance (fosA ). This proof of concept study demonstrates that bacterial flora within the neonatal feeding tubes may influence the bacterial colonisation of the intestinal tract and can be visualised non-destructively using OCT.