AUTHOR=Gregory Tyler V. , Ellis Karen , Valeriani Renzo , Khan Faidad , Wu Xueqing , Murin Landon , Alibayov Babek , Vidal Ana G. Jop , Zhao Tong , Vidal Jorge E. 

TITLE=MoWa: A Disinfectant for Hospital Surfaces Contaminated With Methicillin-Resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA) and Other Nosocomial Pathogens

JOURNAL=Frontiers in Cellular and Infection Microbiology

VOLUME=11

YEAR=2021

URL=https://www.frontiersin.org/journals/cellular-and-infection-microbiology/articles/10.3389/fcimb.2021.676638

DOI=10.3389/fcimb.2021.676638

ISSN=2235-2988

ABSTRACT=<sec><title>Introduction</title><p><italic>Staphylococcus aureus</italic> strains, including methicillin-resistant <italic>S. aureus</italic> (MRSA) and methicillin-sensitive <italic>S. aureus</italic> (MSSA), are a main cause of nosocomial infection in the world. The majority of nosocomial <italic>S. aureus</italic>-infection are traced back to a source of contaminated surfaces including surgery tables. We assessed the efficacy of a mixture of levulinic acid (LA) and sodium dodecyl sulfate (SDS), hereafter called MoWa, to eradicate nosocomial pathogens from contaminated surfaces.</p></sec><sec><title>Methods and Results</title><p>A dose response study demonstrated that MoWa killed 24 h planktonic cultures of <italic>S. aureus</italic> strains starting at a concentration of (LA) 8.2/(SDS) 0.3 mM while 24 h preformed biofilms were eradicated with 32/1.3 mM. A time course study further showed that attached MRSA bacteria were eradicated within 4 h of incubation with 65/2 mM MoWa. Staphylococci were killed as confirmed by bacterial counts, and fluorescence micrographs that were stained with the live/dead bacterial assay. We then simulated contamination of hospital surfaces by inoculating bacteria on a surface prone to contamination. Once dried, contaminated surfaces were sprayed with MoWa or mock-treated, and treated contaminated surfaces were swabbed and bacteria counted. While bacteria in the mock-treated samples grew at a density of ~10<sup>4</sup> cfu/cm<sup>2</sup>, those treated for ~1 min with MoWa (1.0/0.04 M) had been eradicated below limit of detection. A similar eradication efficacy was obtained when surfaces were contaminated with other nosocomial pathogens, such as <italic>Klebsiella pneumoniae</italic>, <italic>Pseudomonas aeruginosa</italic>, <italic>Acinetobacter baumannii</italic>, or <italic>Staphylococcus epidermidis</italic>.</p></sec><sec><title>Conclusions</title><p>MoWa kills planktonic and biofilms made by MRSA and MSSA strains and showed great efficacy to disinfect MRSA-, and MSSA-contaminated, surfaces and surfaces contaminated with other important nosocomial pathogens.</p></sec>