A hospital superbug can feed on medical plastic

A superbug that commonly causes infections in hospitals can feed on the plastic used for medical interventions, potentially making it even more dangerous.

- WORDS BEN TURNER

The bacterial species Pseudomonas aeruginosa is commonly found in hospitals and can cause potentially deadly infections in the lungs, urinary tract and blood. Now, scientists have analysed a strain from a hospital patient’s wound that revealed a surprising trick that could enable it to break down the biodegradable plastics used in stints, sutures and implants. “It means we need to reconsider how pathogens exist in the hospital environment,” said Ronan McCarthy, a professor in biomedical sciences at Brunel University. “Plastics, including plastic surfaces, could potentially be food for these bacteria. Pathogens with this ability could survive for longer in the hospital environment. It also means that any medical device or treatment that contains plastic could be susceptible to degradation by bacteria.”