Ecology, Environment and Conservation Paper

IDENTIFICATION OF BACTERIAL ISOLATES FROM DIALYSIS WATER USED AT TWO HEMODIALYSIS PUBLIC UNITS IN JEDDAH, SAUDI ARABIA

Hadyl Shalan S. AAlabdaly, O I.M. El-Hamshary, O.I.M. and Sherif Edris

Abstract

This study aims at evaluating dialysis water for the presence of bacterial strains in two public hemodialysis units in Jeddah, Saudi Arabia. A total of 141 bacterial isolates were recovered from 84 samples collected from three points in the distribution loop, e.g., treatment water (point 1), dialysis fluids (point 2) and dialyzer effluents (point 3). Enumeration of total viable bacterial counts was performed following the European Dialysis and Transplant Association (EDTA) as well as the National standards of the Ministry of Health in the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia. Appropriate cultures were used to isolate bacterial pathogens, which were identified biochemically by Vitek 2 compact device. Ten predominant bacterial strains were further identified at the molecular level and antimicrobial susceptibility pattern was determined by disc diffusion assay. The bacteria belong to Bacillus cereus (17.7%), Acinetobacter baumannii (17.0%), Staphylococcus epidermidis (14.89%), Staphylococcus warneri (14.2%), Acinetobacter rpitti (13.5%), Escherichia coli (8.5%), Stenotrophomonas maltophilia (7.8%), Klebsiella pneumonia (5.0%) and Arthrobacter arilaitensis (1.4%). The overall compliance of treated water from points 1 and 2 to International and National standards comprised as low as 62.5 and 64.7%, respectively. The identified strains were resistant to three or more antibiotics. In conclusion, we strongly recommend the use of more rigid monitoring system for water distribution in hemodialysis mahines to avoid the recovery of human pathogenic bacteria.