Investigation and Characterization of Human-Health Related Microbes in Public Transport

Abstract

Public transportation plays a significant role in the transmission of pathogenic organisms, particularly highlighted by the COVID-19 pandemic. This study focuses on the investigation of microbial diversity and distribution across different areas of the passenger cabin, using a local train in North-Rhine Westphalia as an example. The sampling was conducted on the RE6 train, using various types of sampling techniques to sample different areas and surfaces on the train, which were subsequently identified using MALDI-TOF MS. Five clinically significant microorganisms – Acinetobacter lwoffii, Citrobacter freundii, Enterobacter cloacae, Enterococcus faecalis, and Escherichia coli – were subjected for further experiments regarding their growth physiology and resistance behavior towards antibiotics, UV-C irradiation, desiccation, cleaning agents and disinfectants. The MALDI-TOF MS results showed that the majority of the microorganisms isolated from the RE6 train were abundant environmental microbes or part of the human microbiome. Noteworthy antimicrobial susceptibility was only displayed by E. cloacae. The desiccation experiment showed that C. freundii, E. cloacae, and E. faecalis were able to survive for a period of 14 days under dry conditions. Moreover, all examined isolates displayed relatively moderate levels of UV-C irradiation resistance. Future research should encompass more sampling campaigns to gain a deeper understanding of the train microbiome.