Chlorine-Based Disinfectant : How Effective Is It Against Burkholderia Species?

Angeline, Michael and Yuwana, Podin (2023) Chlorine-Based Disinfectant : How Effective Is It Against Burkholderia Species? In: 2nd Malaysian Conference on Biosafety and Biosecurity, 21-22 June 2023, National Institute of Health, Setia Alam, Selangor.

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Abstract

The members of the Burkholderia genus are Gram-negative and are mostly environmental bacteria that are either beneficial or pathogenic to humans, animals and plants. Burkholderia pseudomallei is one of the more well-known members of the genus which is pathogenic to humans and animals manifesting as melioidosis. B. pseudomallei possesses two chromosomes where Chromosome 1 holds housekeeping genes whereas Chromosome 2 carries genes for accessory functions such as adaptations to atypical conditions, iron homeostasis, secondary metabolism, regulation and horizontal gene transfer. These genes render the bacteria’s ability to adapt to harsh and nutrient-limited conditions, and to be resistant to a myriad of antibiotics. Due to these characteristics and its potential to be aerolized, B. pseudomallei has been categorized as a Tier 1 select agent in the United States of America by the Center for Disease Control and Prevention. This influences the biosafety considerations including the sterilization methods of B. pseudomallei in laboratories. Chlorine-based disinfectants are commonly used in laboratories and even as drinking-water disinfectants due to its affordability. Previous studies have shown a variation of chlorine efficacies on different microorganisms under various methodologies employed. In this simple study, the effectiveness of chlorine-based disinfectant was evaluated on selected strains of Burkholderia species and B. pseudomallei of Sarawak origin under a range of concentrations, contact time and shelf-lives. Results suggested that minimal inhibitory concentration and shelf-life of chlorine solutions are vital in the inactivation of Burkholderia species and Burkholderia pseudomallei where variations of efficacy for different strains were observed. The findings of this study highlights the importance of the principles of biosafety being applied into daily laboratory practices. Keywords: Sterilization method, disinfectants, chlorine, Burkholderia pseudomallei

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