What does this research mean for the field?

Urban ants in hospital environments carry clinically relevant and antibiotic-resistant bacteria, acting as potential mechanical vectors for nosocomial pathogens. Novelty: ClaimNovelty.INCREMENTAL. Consensus alignment: ConsensusAlignment.NEUTRAL.

What question did this study set out to answer?

To investigate the occurrence of urban ants in a hospital environment and determine whether they carry clinically relevant and antibiotic-resistant bacteria.

August 22, 2026Medical and Veterinary EntomologyOpen Access

Urban ants as potential mechanical vectors of pathogenic and antibiotic‐resistant bacteria in a Brazilian hospital

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Authors

LSLuana Biggi SouzaCentro Universitário Cesmac ADAnny Karoliny de Lima DionisioCentro Universitário Cesmac MCMayara Acioli CedrimCentro Universitário Cesmac

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Implication

Surveillance study uncovers multidrug- and carbapenem-resistant pathogenic bacteria on hospital-dwelling urban ants, highlighting the need for rigorous pest control.

Key Points

To investigate the occurrence of urban ants in a hospital environment and determine whether they carry clinically relevant and antibiotic-resistant bacteria.
Collected urban ants across 17 distinct sectors of a public hospital in Maceió, Alagoas, Brazil.
Identified prevalent ant species and performed microbiological analyses on recovered isolates to assess bacterial taxonomy and antibiotic resistance profiles.
Identified Tapinoma melanocephalum and Dorymyrmex brunneus as the most prevalent ant species, with bacteria isolated from ants in 10 hospital areas including emergency wards.
Identified 18 bacterial isolates across eight genera, including Escherichia coli, Pluralibacter gergoviae, Citrobacter koseri, Acinetobacter sp., and Pseudomonas sp.
Demonstrated that several bacterial isolates carried multidrug resistance, including resistance to carbapenems.

Cite This Study

Souza et al. (2026) studied this question.

synapsesocial.com/papers/6a895ed9ca7ade938187cfa0 https://doi.org/10.1111/mve.70108

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Implication

Surveillance study uncovers multidrug- and carbapenem-resistant pathogenic bacteria on hospital-dwelling urban ants, highlighting the need for rigorous pest control.

Urban ants as potential mechanical vectors of pathogenic and antibiotic‐resistant bacteria in a Brazilian hospital

Discussion

Member takes

Implication

Key Points

Cite This Study

Urban ants as potential mechanical vectors of pathogenic and antibiotic‐resistant bacteria in a Brazilian hospital

Discussion

Member takes

Implication

Key Points

Cite This Study

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