Deciphering Bacterial Community Succession and Pathogen Dynamics in ICU Ventilator Circuits Through Full-Length 16S rRNA Sequencing for Mitigating the Risk of Nosocomial Infections

The rapid evolution of ventilators and their circuits, coupled with varying maximum usage durations set by different hospitals globally, poses a significant risk for the proliferation and transmission of nosocomial infections in intensive care settings. This study investigated temporal changes in bacterial community structure and predicted metabolic functions in ventilator circuits over a three-week period, with a specific focus on ESKAPE pathogens. The results of full-length 16S rRNA sequencing revealed dynamic shifts in bacterial communities, with an increased bacterial diversity and unique species prevalence in week-2 compared to week-1 and week-3. However, a marked emergence of pathogenic bacteria, including Serratia marcescens and Chryseobacterium indologenes, was observed in week-3 compared to week-1 and week-2. Additionally, the abundance of ESKAPE pathogens, including Klebsiella pneumoniae and Acinetobacter baumannii, was higher in week-3 compared to week-1 and week-2. Furthermore, the PCR analysis revealed a higher detection rate of Pseudomonas aeruginosa and K. pneumoniae in week-3 than in the previous weeks. FAPROTAX analysis further revealed a high abundance of specific functions associated with the pathogens of pneumonia, nosocomial, and septicemia in week-3 compared to the other two weeks, suggesting a shift toward more virulent or opportunistic pathogens with increased utilization of ventilator circuits. These findings highlight the microbial risks associated with prolonged use of ventilator circuits, underscoring the need for continuous microbial surveillance throughout their usage, and provide a foundation for optimizing infection control strategies in intensive care settings.