New research has challenged the widely held belief that pathogens cannot degrade medical plastics, such as those used in sutures, stents, wound dressings and implants.
Researchers at Brunel University in London have discovered that a strain of bacteria commonly found in hospitals is able to ‘feed’ on plastic, potentially enabling these pathogens to survive longer in hospital wards and within patients.
Much research is currently being undertaken into certain bacteria’s ability to break down various types of plastic to avoid them polluting the environment.
Ronan McCarthy, professor in biomedical sciences at Brunel, led a study to discover whether pathogens in hospital settings had similar plastic-eating abilities.
McCarthy said: “We were surprised to find that some hospital germs, such as Pseudomonas aeruginosa, might be able to break down plastic.
“P aeruginosa is associated with about 559,000 deaths globally each year. It is listed on the World Health Organization’s critical priority list...