Introduction: Microbial contamination in hospitals is a significant public health issue, largely because it leads to healthcare-associated infections (HAls). These infections are made worse by the high levels of antimicrobial resistance (AMR) found in the pathogens that cause them. Chemical disinfection provides only a short- term solution and can contribute to the development of resistant pathogens, a trend that was noted during the COVID-19 pandemic. Alternatively, probiotic-based sanitation, known as the probiotic cleaning hygiene system (PCHS), has been shown to effectively reduce pathogens, AMR, and HAls in a more stable manner. However, the action of probiotics is neither quick nor targeted. On the other hand, bacteriophages can rapidly kill specific bacteria, though their effect is short-lived. Therefore, considering the characteristics of both probiotics and bacteriophages, we aimed to explore their combined use as a potential method for consistently eliminating bacteria primarily responsible for hospital infections, especially those resistant to drugs.
Methods: With studies that have been analyzed in Pubmed, Google Scholar and Clinical trials.gov databases and journals such as Nature and Elsevier and findings from conventional microbiological tests and molecular assays; showed that an eco-friendly cleaner fortified with bacteriophages and probiotics was effective in permanently eliminating surface pathogens. This biological approach was efficient because the rapid and specific action of bacteriophages was complemented by the sustained and widespread action of probiotics. This method provides new possibilities for infection control management in hospital environments. For example, recently the efficiency of a new approach based on the use of non-pathogenic microorganisms of the genus Bacillus added to persistent detergents in the system (PCHS) has been analyzed. Such a method is effective in dealing with surface recontamination by various pathogens and reduces their presence by about 80-90% compared to the microbial load detected on surfaces treated with conventional disinfectants.
Results: Findings from microbiological and molecular tests, along with studies from databases like PubMed, Google Scholar, and Scopus, revealed that an eco-friendly cleaner fortified with bacteriophages and probiotics permanently eliminated surface pathogens effectively.
Conclusion: Bacteriophages and probiotics are considered potential decontaminants due to their unique capability to target and eliminate specific bacterial strains. However, their stability in detergents and their potential application in conventional sanitation remain unexplored, and more research is needed in this area.