By Healthcare Facilities Today

University at Buffalo research published in Infection and Immunity said that Streptococcus pneumoniae and Streptococcus pyogenes persist on surfaces for far longer than has been thought, according to an article on the Newswise website. The findings suggest that additional precautions may be needed to prevent infections in settings such as schools, daycare centers and hospitals. 

The UB researchers found that in the day care center, four out of five stuffed toys tested positive for S. pneumonaie and several surfaces, such as cribs, tested positive for S. pyogenes, even after being cleaned. The testing was done just prior to the center opening in the morning so it had been many hours since the last human contact, according tot the article.

Some bacteria form biofilms when colonizing human tissues, the article said. The study found that these sophisticated, highly structured biofilm communities are hardier than other forms of bacteria. 

The UB experiments found that month-old biofilm of S. pneumoniae and S. pyogenes from contaminated surfaces readily colonized mice, and that biofilms survived for hours on human hands and persisted on books and soft and hard toys and surfaces in a daycare center, in some cases, even after being well-cleaned. 

"Commonly handled objects that are contaminated with these biofilm bacteria could act as reservoirs of bacteria for hours, weeks or months, spreading potential infections to individuals who come in contact with them," the study said. 

Read the article.