Preliminary Study of high-risk environmental reservoirs of Stenotrophomonas in Beijing

Objective To understand the characteristics of reservoirs of Stenotrophomonas in hospitals, public places and natural environment in Beijing.

Methods Soil, air, and water samples were collected in Beijing. for the detection of Stenotrophomonas through enrichment culture, specific PCR testing, and streak plate isolation. After genomic sequencing, the average nucleotide identity was calculated to identify the species of the isolates. The susceptibility test of the isolates to 17 commonly used therapeutic drugs for Gram-negative bacteria infection was conducted.

Results A total of 367 samples were collected, and 4 strains of Stenotrophomonas were isolated (1.09%). The isolation rate was 0% in soil samples, 2.22% in air samples, and 2.36% in water samples. The isolated species included S. geniculata, S. maltophilia, and S. frigidaeris, all of which belonged to Stenotrophomonas maltophilia complex. All the strains were multi-drug resistant.

Conclusion Waterbody in Beijing is a more significant natural reservoir of Stenotrophomonas. In addition to hospital water supply, it is necessary to strengthen the management of public water supply and household water supply systems.