Exploiting Zeta potential of air borne pathogenic bacteria for effective air decontamination

Background

Airborne microorganisms contribute significantly to hospital-associated infections (HAIs), particularly causing respiratory tract infections (RTIs). Multi-drug resistant (MDR) airborne pathogens pose a global clinical threat, challenging existing air decontamination technologies. While current methods effectively trap microbes, they often lack microbicidal properties. Exploitation of Zeta potential of microbes which are naturally charged could be a potential strategy for air decontamination, independent of their antimicrobial resistance. In this study, we tested the efficacy of ZeBox technology which relies on zeta potential to trap and eliminate airborne pathogens such as clinically isolated, MDR Klebsiella pneumoniae, Acinetobacter baumannii, Pseudomonas aeruginosa, Escherichia coli of respiratory origin and a non RTI isolate Staphylococcus aureus .

Methods

Five MDR bacterial pathogens which include K. pneumoniae (2 nos), A. baumannii, P. aeruginosa , and E. coli from patients with RTI and one pus isolate of S. aureus were included in the study. These isolates were aerosolized in a certified BSL-2 setting containing a ZeBox-powered Air Sterilization device. Viable bacteria were enumerated before and after exposure to the Zebox powered device. Clinical and laboratory isolated bacterial strains were assessed for zeta potential variations to understand its association with antibiotic resistance and pathogenicity.

Results

Our analyses revealed that Zeta potential is species specific, but independent of the pathogenicity and antibiotic susceptibility of the tested bacteria. Exposure to Zebox powered device for 5 mins resulted in a remarkable decline of microbial load with a minimum 5 log reduction (99.999%) of all the tested isolates, irrespective of their species. Zeta potential measurements further indicated a consistent killing mechanism of MDR pathogens by Zebox technology.

Conclusions

The current study underscores the reliability of zeta potential based air decontamination strategies for potential elimination of diverse, air borne MDR bacteria in healthcare settings.

Highlights

• Zeta potential value of bacteria is not influenced by AST or pathogenicity of bacteria.

• Zeta potential driven device traps and kills airborne MDR bacteria with 99.999% efficiency.

• The efficacy of ZeBox technology is consistent across pathogens.