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Risk Assessment for the Spread of Serratia marcescens Within Dental-Unit Waterline Systems Using Vermamoeba vermiformis

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Abstract

Vermamoeba vermiformis is associated with the biofilm ecology of dental-unit waterlines (DUWLs). This study investigated whether V. vermiformis is able to act as a vector for potentially pathogenic bacteria and so aid their dispersal within DUWL systems. Clinical dental water was initially examined for Legionella species by inoculating it onto Legionella selective-medium plates. The molecular identity/profile of the glassy colonies obtained indicated none of these isolates were Legionella species. During this work bacterial colonies were identified as a non-pigmented Serratia marcescens. As the water was from a clinical DUWL which had been treated with Alpron™, this prompted the question as to whether S. marcescens had developed resistance to the biocide. Exposure to Alpron™ indicated that this dental biocide was effective, under laboratory conditions, against S. marcescens at up to 1 × 108 colony forming units/millilitre (cfu/ml). V. vermiformis was cultured for 8 weeks on cells of S. marcescens and Escherichia coli. Subsequent electron microscopy showed that V. vermiformis grew equally well on S. marcescens and E. coli (P = 0.0001). Failure to detect the presence of S. marcescens within the encysted amoebae suggests that V. vermiformis is unlikely to act as a vector supporting the growth of this newly isolated, nosocomial bacterium.

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Acknowledgments

The authors wish to acknowledge the help and cooperation of the general dental practices who took part in this study. The authors also express their gratitude to Mr. David McCarthy for examination of the specimen grids and capturing images on behalf of Sham Lal as the privileged recipient of the 2013, Don Claugher Bursary. The prize was awarded by the Committee of the Society of Electron Microscope Technology (www.semt.org.uk). The lead author (SL) would like to thank the Shah Abdul Latif University (Pakistan) and HEC-Pakistan, for the award of an overseas scholarship to study at the University of Central Lancashire, UK. UAD acknowledges NERC National Capability Funding to the Culture Collection of Algae and Protozoa.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Oral & Dental Sciences Research Group, School of Medicine and Dentistry, University of Central Lancashire, Preston, PR1 2HE, England, UK

    Sham Lal, Sim K. Singhrao, L. H. Glyn Morton, Mark Pearce & StJohn Crean

  2. Culture Collection of Algae and Protozoa, Scottish Association for Marine Science (SAMS), Scottish Marine Institute, Argyll, PA37 1QA, Scotland, UK

    Undine E. M. Achilles-Day

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  1. Sham Lal
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  2. Sim K. Singhrao
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  3. Undine E. M. Achilles-Day
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  4. L. H. Glyn Morton
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Correspondence to Sim K. Singhrao.

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Lal, S., Singhrao, S.K., Achilles-Day, U.E.M. et al. Risk Assessment for the Spread of Serratia marcescens Within Dental-Unit Waterline Systems Using Vermamoeba vermiformis . Curr Microbiol 71, 434–442 (2015). https://doi.org/10.1007/s00284-015-0872-0

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