Detección y caracterización de patógenos bacterianos en superficies del laboratorio de Microbiología y Parasitología de la Universidad Técnica Particular de Loja

Abstract

Abstract: Inert surfaces in microbiology laboratories can act as reservoirs of pathogenic microorganisms, posing a biological risk to students and teaching staff when updated information on their microbiological load is not available. The present study aimed to identify and characterize bacterial pathogens present on surfaces of the Microbiology and Parasitology of the Universidad Tecnica Particular de Loja, as well as to evaluate their antimicrobial susceptibility profile, as a basis for strengthening institutional biosafety measures. The study was conducted under a descriptive, observational, and cross-sectional approach, through sampling at 50 frequently used inert surfaces points, during two periods differentiated by the level of laboratory activity. Samples were processed using conventional techniques, including enrichment broths, nutritive, no selective, and differential culture media, biochemical indentification tests, and antimicrobial susceptibility assays using the disk diffusion method, following CLSI guidelines. The results showed a higher prevalence of gram-positive bacteria, mainly belonging to the genus Staphylococcus spp., as well as the isolation of gram-negative bacteria such as Pseudomonas fluorescens. An increase in the number of isolates was observed during the period of higher laboratory activity, along with the presence of antimicrobial resistance patterns in clinically relevant strains. These findings allowed the identification of critical areas of biological risk and served as the technical basis for the development and dissemination of a Standard Operating Procedure, aimed at strengthening disinfection and biosafety processes in the laboratory.