Characteristics of Antibiotic Resistance of Airborne Staphylococcus Isolated from Metro Stations

This study focused on the presence of antibiotic-resistant bacteria in a metro system as an example of a public transportation system. The molecular characteristics of Staphylococcus were investigated to discern which strains were isolated from metro stations in Shanghai. These were compared with strains isolated from hospital treatment rooms and parks. Airborne Staphylococcus samples in the metro were resistant to an average of 2.64 antibiotic types, and 58.0% of the strain samples were resistant to at least three antibiotics; this was a significantly higher rate than strains from the park, but was lower than those from hospitals. The presence of two antibiotic resistance genes of Staphylococcus strains, mecA (28.0%) and qac (40.0%), were also found at significantly higher levels in metro samples than park samples, but did not differ significantly from hospital samples. Furthermore, 22.0% of the metro Staphylococcus samples were found to be biofilm-positive. The high rate of antibiotic resistance found in Staphylococcus samples collected from metro stations, and the discovery of antibiotic-resistant genes, indicate that the closed indoor environment and crowded passengers may accelerate the spread of antibiotic resistant strains. More attention should be paid to the inspection and control of antibiotic resistant strains in public transportation systems.

• Publication year

  2013

• Venue

  International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health

• Publication date

  2013-06-01

• Fields of study

  Biology, Medicine, Environmental Science

• Identifiers
  DOI 10.3390/ijerph10062412PMID 23765189PMCID 3717744
• External record

  Open on Semantic Scholar

• Source metadata

  Semantic Scholar, PubMed

• No claims are published for this paper.

• No concepts are published for this paper.

• Prevalence and pattern of antibiotic resistance of Campylobacter spp. in poultry meat in Southern Italy

  2013cited by this paper
• Characterization of Airborne Bacteria at an Underground Subway Station

  2012cited by this paper
• Community-acquired methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus from skin and soft tissue infections (in a sample of Egyptian population): analysis of mec gene and staphylococcal cassette chromosome.

  2012cited by this paper
• MEGA5: molecular evolutionary genetics analysis using maximum likelihood, evolutionary distance, and maximum parsimony methods.

  2011cited by this paper
• Dissemination of multiple MRSA clones among community-associated methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus infections from Japanese children with impetigo

  2011cited by this paper
• A diversity of Antibiotic-resistant Staphylococcus spp. in a Public Transportation System

  2011cited by this paper
• Distribution and Identification of Airborne Fungi in Railway Stations in Tokyo, Japan

  2010cited by this paper
• Methicillin-resistant coagulase-negative staphylococci in the community: high homology of SCCmec IVa between Staphylococcus epidermidis and major clones of methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus.

  2010cited by this paper
• Comparative Analysis of Plasmids in the Genus Listeria

  2010cited by this paper
• Assessment of airborne environmental bacteria and related factors in 25 underground railway stations in Seoul, Korea

  2010cited by this paper
• Chronic wound infection: facts and controversies.

  2010cited by this paper
• Identification of coagulase-negative staphylococci isolated from ovine milk samples by PCR-RFLP of 16S rRNA and gap genes.

  2010cited by this paper
• Exposure assessment in Beijing, China: biological agents, ultrafine particles, and lead

  2010cited by this paper
• Molecular characterization of Staphylococcus epidermidis strains isolated from a teaching hospital in Shanghai, China.

  2009cited by this paper
• Antibiotic resistance patterns of coagulase-negative staphylococcus strains isolated from blood cultures of septicemic patients in Turkey.

  2009cited by this paper
• Prevalence of the ica operon and insertion sequence IS256 among Staphylococcus epidermidis prosthetic joint infection isolates

  2009cited by this paper
• Characterization of methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus and methicillin-resistant coagulase-negative Staphylococcus spp. isolated from US West Coast public marine beaches.

  2009cited by this paper
• Prevalence and persistence of coagulase-negative Staphylococcus species in three dairy research herds.

  2009cited by this paper
• SarZ is a key regulator of biofilm formation and virulence in Staphylococcus epidermidis.

  2008cited by this paper
• Clustal W and Clustal X version 2.0

  2007cited by this paper
• Degradation of plasmid and plant DNA in water microcosms monitored by natural transformation and real-time polymerase chain reaction (PCR).

  2006cited by this paper
• Analysis of Coagulase Negative staphylococcus from Sputum

  2006cited by this paper
• Presence of New mecA and mph(C) Variants Conferring Antibiotic Resistance in Staphylococcus spp. Isolated from the Skin of Horses before and after Clinic Admission

  2006cited by this paper
• Occurrence of bacteria and biochemical markers on public surfaces

  2005cited by this paper
• Progress toward characterization of the group A Streptococcus metagenome: complete genome sequence of a macrolide-resistant serotype M6 strain.

  2004cited by this paper
• Incidence of Constitutive and Inducible Clindamycin Resistance in Staphylococcus aureus and Coagulase-Negative Staphylococci in a Community and a Tertiary Care Hospital

  2004cited by this paper
• Comparison of mortality associated with methicillin-resistant and methicillin-susceptible Staphylococcus aureus bacteremia: a meta-analysis.

  2003cited by this paper
• Novel Plasmid-Borne Gene qacJ Mediates Resistance to Quaternary Ammonium Compounds in Equine Staphylococcus aureus, Staphylococcus simulans, and Staphylococcus intermedius

  2003cited by this paper
• Environmental Study in Subway Metro Stations in Cairo, Egypt

  2002cited by this paper
• Genome and virulence determinants of high virulence community-acquired MRSA.

  2002cited by this paper
• The evolutionary history of methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA)

  2002cited by this paper
• Biofilms: Survival Mechanisms of Clinically Relevant Microorganisms

  2002cited by this paper
• Biofilm formation: a clinically relevant microbiological process.

  2001cited by this paper
• Biofilm formation as microbial development.

  2000cited by this paper
• The Staphylococcus qacH gene product: a new member of the SMR family encoding multidrug resistance.

  1998cited by this paper
• Impact of methicillin resistance on the outcome of patients with bacteremia caused by Staphylococcus aureus.

  1998cited by this paper
• QacA Multidrug Efflux Pump fromStaphylococcus aureus: Comparative Analysis of Resistance to Diamidines, Biguanidines, and Guanylhydrazones

  1998cited by this paper
• A preliminary survey of aerial biocontaminants at six London Underground stations

  1998cited by this paper
• Inhibitors of branched-chain amino acid biosynthesis as potential antituberculosis agents.

  1998cited by this paper
• Bacterial gene transfer by natural genetic transformation in the environment.

  1994cited by this paper
• Transduction of resistance to Imipenem, Aztreonam and Ceftazidime in nosocomial strains of Pseudomonas aeruginosa by wild-type phages.

  1993cited by this paper
• Genetic characterisation of resistance to metal ions in methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus: elimination of resistance to cadmium, mercury and tetracycline with loss of methicillin resistance.

  1991cited by this paper
• Principles and Practice of Infectious Diseases

  1990cited by this paper
• Principles and practice of infectious diseases. Vols 1 and 2.

  1979cited by this paper
• Transfer of erythromycin resistance from clinically isolated lysogenic strains of Streptococcus pyogenes via their endogenous phage.

  1978cited by this paper
• Identification and characterization of nine novel types of small staphylococcal plasmids carrying the lincosamide nucleotidyltransferase gene lnu (A)

  year unknowncited by this paper

• Detection of the ST111 Global High-Risk Pseudomonas aeruginosa Clone in a Subway Underpass

  2025cites this paper
• Pollution profiles, pathogenicity, and toxicity of bioaerosols in the atmospheric environment of urban general hospital in China.

  2025cites this paper
• Elucidating airborne bacterial communities and their potential pathogenic risks in urban metro environments.

  2025cites this paper
• Isolation and assessment of antibiotic resistance of Staphylococcus aureus in the air of an underground hard coal mines

  2025cites this paper
• The composition of the bacterial communities collected from the PM10 samples inside the Seoul subway and railway station

  2024cites this paper
• High Bacterial Contamination Load of Self-Service Facilities in Sakaka City, Aljouf, Saudi Arabia, with Reduced Sensitivity to Some Antimicrobials

  2023cites this paper
• Thermal-Mass and Microbiological Analysis of Forced Air Flow through the Stone Heat Accumulator Bed

  2023cites this paper
• Shaping the subway microbiome through probiotic-based sanitation during the COVID-19 emergency: a pre–post case–control study

  2023cites this paper
• Is Peracetic Acid Fumigation Effective in Public Transportation?

  2022influential citation
• The Bacterial Urban Resistome: Recent Advances

  2022cites this paper
• Where environmental microbiome meets its host: Subway and passenger microbiome relationships

  2022cites this paper
• The air-borne antibiotic resistome: Occurrence, health risks, and future directions.

  2022cites this paper
• Survival of Methicillin-Resistant Coagulase-Negative Staphylococci from Floor Dust

  2022cites this paper
• Surveillance and prevalence of antimicrobial resistant bacteria from public settings within urban built environments: Challenges and opportunities for hygiene and infection control

  2021influential citation
• Concentrations, Size Distribution, and Community Structure Characteristics of Culturable Airborne Antibiotic-Resistant Bacteria in Xinxiang, Central China

  2021cites this paper
• Contamination and Antimicrobial Susceptibility Testing of Staphylococcus aureus Isolated from Pork in Fresh Markets, Nongchok District, Thailand

  2021cites this paper
• Environmental and Health Effects of Ventilation in Subway Stations: A Literature Review

  2020cites this paper
• Shared bicycle microbial community: a potential antibiotic-resistant bacteria warehouse

  2020influential citation
• Entry Routes of Antibiotics and Antimicrobial Resistance in the Environment

  2020cites this paper
• Bioaerosols in the Athens Metro: Metagenetic insights into the PM10 microbiome in a naturally ventilated subway station.

  2020cites this paper
• Prevalence and dissemination risk of antimicrobial-resistant Enterobacteriaceae from shared bikes in Beijing, China.

  2019cites this paper
• Airborne Staphylococcus aureus in different environments—a review

  2019cites this paper
• The presence of multidrug-resistant staphylococcal isolates outside of a major hospital in London, United Kingdom.

  2019cites this paper
• Emergence of Multidrug-Resistant Staphylococci on Hand-Touching Surfaces in a University Town in Southwestern China: A Prevalence Study of Virulence and Resistance

  2019influential citation
• Time-resolved spread of antibiotic resistance genes in highly polluted air.

  2019cites this paper
• Prevalence of Antibiotic-Resistant Airborne Bacteria along Roadsides in Rahim Yar Khan, Pakistan

  2019influential citation
• Investigating the presence of qacA/B and mecA genes in Staphylococcus aureus strains isolated from metro stations in Tehran city of Iran

  2019cites this paper
• Microbial diversity of bioaerosol inside sports facilities and antibiotic resistance of isolated Staphylococcus spp.

  2019cites this paper
• Resistance to Antibiotics and the Occurrence of Genes Responsible for the Development of Methicillin Resistance in Staphylococcus Bacteria Isolated From the Environment of Horse Riding Centers

  2018cites this paper
• Microbiological air contamination in university premises and the evaluation of drug resistance of staphylococci occurring in the form of a bioaerosol

  2017cites this paper
• Bacteriological Indoor Air Quality in Neonatal Wards of Three Tertiary Hospitals in Dar Es Salaam

  2017cites this paper
• Time-Dependent Size-Resolved Bacterial and Fungal Aerosols in Beijing Subway

  2017cites this paper
• Multidrug-resistant Staphylococci Found on Book Surfaces in East London Libraries

  2017cites this paper
• Microbial air contamination on the premises of the sewage treatment plant in Bydgoszcz (Poland) and antibiotic resistance of Staphylococcus spp.

  2017cites this paper
• Microbiological burden of public transport vehicles

  2017cites this paper
• The relationship between particle and culturable airborne bacteria concentrations in public transportation

  2017cites this paper
• Non-hospital environment contamination with Staphylococcus aureus and methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus: proportion meta-analysis and features of antibiotic resistance and molecular genetics.

  2016influential citation
• Relationship between culturable airborne bacteria concentrations and ventilation systems in underground subway stations in Seoul, South Korea

  2016cites this paper
• Coagulase‐Negative Staphylococci Collected from Bovine Milk: Species and Antimicrobial Gene Diversity

  2016cites this paper
• Using MALDI-TOF Mass Spectrometry to Identify Drug Resistant Staphylococcal Isolates from Nonhospital Environments in Brunei Darussalam

  2016cites this paper
• Characterisation of nasal colonization and hand contamination of food handlers with Staphylococcus aureus and investigation of virulence and resistance determinants of isolates

  2015cites this paper
• Respirable Particle Counts and Concentrations in Public Transportation in Istanbul Turkey

  2015cites this paper
• [Microbiological air quality in some kindergartens and antibiotic resistance of bacteria of the Staphylococcus spp. genus].

  2015cites this paper
• Coagulase Gene Typing with Emphasis on Methicillin-Resistance Staphylococci: Emergence to Public Health

  2015cites this paper
• Review and phylogenetic analysis of qac genes that reduce susceptibility to quaternary ammonium compounds in Staphylococcus species.

  2015cites this paper
• PREVALÊNCIA DE BACTÉRIAS RESISTENTES A ANTIMICROBIANOS EM ÁGUA NATURAL

  2015cites this paper
• Prevalence of multi-drug-resistant (MDR) bacteria in air samples from indoor and outdoor environments

  2015cites this paper
• Metro system in Guangzhou as a hazardous reservoir of methicillin-resistant Staphylococci: findings from a point-prevalence molecular epidemiologic study

  2015cites this paper
• Indoor-Air Microbiome in an Urban Subway Network: Diversity and Dynamics

  2014cites this paper
• Role of Polymerase Chain Reaction (PCR) in the detection of antibiotic-resistant Staphylococcus aureus

  2014cites this paper
• Effect of Ampicillin, Streptomycin, Penicillin and Tetracycline on Metal Resistant and Non-Resistant Staphylococcus aureus

  2014cites this paper
• (-)-Menthol based thixotropic hydrogel and its application as a universal antibacterial carrier.

  2014cites this paper
• Correction: Zhou, F.; Wang, Y. Characteristics of Antibiotic Resistance of Airborne Staphylococcus Isolated from Metro Stations. Int. J. Environ. Res. Public Health 2013, 10, 2412-2426

  2013cites this paper