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The presence of antimicrobial-resistant bacteria and carried by ants isolated from hospitals was investigated in Campos dos Goytacazes, RJ, Brazil. Three health institutions were visited from 2001 to 2002 and samples were collected within critical areas of medical care based on criteria of greater risk of patient hospital acquired-infection. Four ant species were identified, Tapinoma melanocephalum (Fabricius)(63.1%), Paratrechina longicornis (Latreille)(21.1%), Monomorium pharaonis (L.)(10.5%), and Solenopsis saevissima (S. Smith)(5.3%) carrying 21 species of bacteria. The tests for bacteria species identification and antimicrobial-resistance profile were carried out by using standardized kits and evaluated by automated equipment. Among the bacteria isolates, some were considered multiresistant isolates, including genera Acinetobacter, Streptococcus, Gemella, and Klebsiella. For Enterobacter antibacterial analysis the disk diffusion standard method was used. The results suggest that there are risks for patients which seek for health assistance in the hospitals studied, and the presence of emerging bacteria isolates in hospital carried by ants must be considered.

Nosocomial infections bring a high risk to the health of hospital patients and employees. Ants are common organisms in Brazilian hospitals, where they can act as dispersers of opportunistic microorganisms in places they forage. The occurrence of multi-resistant bacteria carried by ants was analyzed in two public hospitals (HA and HB) in southeastern Bahia, Brazil. In these two hospitals 132 workers belonging to three ant species were collected. The bacteria associated to these ants were identified and their susceptibility to antibiotics was evaluated. More than half (57.3%) of ants collected in HA were associated with some kind of bacteria, with 26.7% of them being opportunist bacteria, while 84,2% of the ants from HB presented associated bacteria growth, with 61.4% of them being opportunist bacteria. Twenty four species of bacteria were isolated. The Gram-positive bacilli of the genus Bacillus were the most frequent, followed by the Gram-positive cocci, Gram-negative bacilli (family Enterobacteriaceae) and Gram-negative non-fermenters bacilli. The profile of sensitivity of the bacterial isolates to drugs pointed out the existence of multi-resistant isolates carried by ants. For the first time, are reported cases of the same bacterial resistant isolates taken form homospecific ant workers that point out the importance of ants to bacteria dissemination and proliferation in a hospital. Our results suggest that the risk of contamination presented by these ants is similar to the one of any other mechanical vector of bacterial dissemination.

Nosocomial infections bring a high risk to the health of hospital patients and employees. Ants are common organisms in Brazilian hospitals, where they can act as dispersers of opportunistic microorganisms in places they forage. The occurrence of multi-resistant bacteria carried by ants was analyzed in two public hospitals (HA and HB) in southeastern Bahia, Brazil. In these two hospitals 132 workers belonging to three ant species were collected. The bacteria associated to these ants were identified and their susceptibility to antibiotics was evaluated. More than half (57.3%) of ants collected in HA were associated with some kind of bacteria, with 26.7% of them being opportunist bacteria, while 84,2% of the ants from HB presented associated bacteria growth, with 61.4% of them being opportunist bacteria. Twenty four species of bacteria were isolated. The Gram-positive bacilli of the genus Bacillus were the most frequent, followed by the Gram-positive cocci, Gram-negative bacilli (family Enterobacteriaceae) and Gram-negative non-fermenters bacilli. The profile of sensitivity of the bacterial isolates to drugs pointed out the existence of multi-resistant isolates carried by ants. For the first time, are reported cases of the same bacterial resistant isolates taken form homospecific ant workers that point out the importance of ants to bacteria dissemination and proliferation in a hospital. Our results suggest that the risk of contamination presented by these ants is similar to the one of any other mechanical vector of bacterial dissemination.

A comunidade de formigas da área externa ao hospital do Hospital Municipal de Morrinhos, GO, caracterizou-se pelos baixos índices de riqueza, diversidade, dominância e eqüidade de abundância das espécies. Pheidole sp.1, uma espécie poligínica, dominou esse ambiente apesar da coexistência com espécies potencialmente competitivas. A mesma espécie de formiga predominou no interior de praticamente todas as repartições do hospital e sua distribuição espaço-temporal aproximou-se da agregada (variância/média = 1.102, χ2 = 29.38, P < 0.01). Escherichia, Salmonella, Aeromonas, Enterococcus, Staphylococcus e Klebsiella foram os gêneros de bactérias associados a essa espécie de formiga em praticamente todas as repartições do hospital. O unicolonialismo de Pheidole sp.1 tende a potencializar o processo de contaminação e disseminação de agentes infecto-contagiosos. O manejo e controle da espécie devem ser acompanhados de técnicas que reduzam o processo de colonização por novas rainhas e a quantidade de locais de nidificação no interior do hospital. The external ant community of Hospital Municipal de Morrinhos, in Morrinhos, Goiás State, was characterized by the low rates of richness, diversity, dominance and equity of species abundance. Pheidole sp.1, a polygynic species was numerically dominant in this environment, although it coexists with potentially competitive species. This ant species prevailed within all hospital departments and its space-time distribution was a little aggregated (variance/mean ratio = 1.102, χ2 = 29.38, P < 0.01). Escherichia, Salmonella, Aeromonas, Enterococcus, Staphylococcus and Klebsiella were the bacteria associated to this ant species in nearly all hospital annexes. The unicolonialism of Pheidole sp.1 tends to increase the contamination and dissemination process of infecto-contagious agents. The control and management of this ant species must be followed by practices that reduce the colonization process by other queens and the quantity of site nidification within the hospital.

A cidade de Uberlândia, MG, vem apresentando um processo de urbanização acelerado, com crescimento populacional de 3,54% ao ano, acima da média nacional. Entre os problemas causados pela urbanização está o fornecimento de hábitats para uma grande variedade de insetos. Neste estudo objetivou-se identificar espécies de formigas que ocorrem nos domicílios de Uberlândia, relacionando-as ao tempo de urbanização e infra-estrutura dos bairros e ao estado de conservação das residências. As formigas foram coletadas utilizando isca-armadilha em 120 residências de 12 bairros reunidos em três grupos. Registraram-se 14 espécies de formigas, sendo Camponotus (Mayr), Monomorium (Mayr) e Tapinoma (Foerster), respectivamente, os gêneros mais freqüentes. Somente Camponotus vittatus (Forel), Monomorium pharaonis (L.), Tapinoma melanocephalum (Fabricius) e Brachymyrmex sp. (Mayr) foram coletadas nos três grupos. A relação entre as formigas mais freqüentes no interior dos domicílios e seu estado de conservação mostrou que Paratrechina longicornis (Latreille) foi mais freqüente (60%) em construções mal conservadas ou precárias. C. vittatus e Camponotus melanoticus (Emery) ocorreram em locais que correspondem às três categorias de estado de conservação. C. vittatus foi a espécie de formiga mais freqüente nessa área urbana de Cerrado, o que não foi encontrado em nenhum outro levantamento publicado sobre formigas urbanas. Uberlândia, MG, Brazil, underwent an accelerated process of urbanization with a population growth of 3,54% each year, higher than the national average. One of the problems emergent from urbanization is the use of different habitats for a great variety of insects. The objective of this study was to identify species of house-invading ants that occur in the urban area of Uberlândia. The occurrence of the house-invading species in regard to the time of urbanization, neighborhood infrastructure, age and maintenance of private houses was also assessed. The ants were collected using bait-traps in 120 residences from 12 neighborhoods which were put in three groups. Fourteen species of ants were catalogued, with Camponotus (Mayr), Monomorium (Mayr) and Tapinoma (Foerster) being the most frequent genera. Only Camponotus vittatus (Forel), Monomorium pharaonis (L.), Tapinoma melanocephalum (Fabricius) and Brachymyrmex sp. (Mayr) were collected in all three groups. The relation between the ants collected and the age and maintenance of the private houses showed that Paratrechina longicornis (Latreille) was most frequent (60%) in poorly preserved or precarious constructions. Whereas, C. vittatus and Camonotus melanoticus (Emery) occurred in all categories of maintenance. Overall, C. vittatus which had not been found in any previously published survey of urban ants, was the most frequent species in urban areas of the Cerrado.

The presence of antimicrobial-resistant bacteria and carried by ants isolated from hospitals was investigated in Campos dos Goytacazes, RJ, Brazil. Three health institutions were visited from 2001 to 2002 and samples were collected within critical areas of medical care based on criteria of greater risk of patient hospital acquired-infection. Four ant species were identified, Tapinoma melanocephalum (Fabricius)(63.1%), Paratrechina longicornis (Latreille)(21.1%), Monomorium pharaonis (L.)(10.5%), and Solenopsis saevissima (S. Smith)(5.3%) carrying 21 species of bacteria. The tests for bacteria species identification and antimicrobial-resistance profile were carried out by using standardized kits and evaluated by automated equipment. Among the bacteria isolates, some were considered multiresistant isolates, including genera Acinetobacter, Streptococcus, Gemella, and Klebsiella. For Enterobacter antibacterial analysis the disk diffusion standard method was used. The results suggest that there are risks for patients which seek for health assistance in the hospitals studied, and the presence of emerging bacteria isolates in hospital carried by ants must be considered. A presença de bactérias resistentes a antimicrobianos e carreadas por formigas isoladas em hospitais foi investigada em Campos dos Goytacazes, RJ. Três instituições de saúde foram visitadas nos períodos de 2001 a 2002 e amostras foram coletadas em áreas de cuidados médicos consideradas críticas baseando-se em critérios de maior risco para a aquisição de infecções por pacientes hospitalizados. Quatro espécies de formigas foram identificadas, Tapinoma melanocephalum (Fabricius)(63,1%), Paratrechina longicornis (Latreille)(21,1%), Monomorium pharaonis (L.)(10,5%) e Solenopsis saevissima (S. Smith)(5,3%) como carreadoras de 21 morfoespécies de bactérias. Os testes de identificação bacteriana e de perfil de resistência antimicrobiana foram realizados por meio de kits padronizados e avaliados por método automatizado. Entre as bactérias isoladas, algumas foram consideradas multirresistentes, incluindo o gênero Acinetobacter, Streptococcus, Gemella, e Klebsiella. Para análise antimicrobiana do gênero Enterobacter foi utilizado o método padrão de difusão em disco. Os resultados sugerem que existem riscos para pacientes que procuram por assistência de saúde nos hospitais estudados e a ocorrência de bactérias emergentes em hospitais carreadas por formigas devem ser consideradas.