The Impact of Harsh Stratospheric Conditions on Survival and Antibiotic Resistance Profile of Non-Spore Forming Multidrug Resistant Human Pathogenic Bacteria Causing Hospital-Associated Infections

Ignacy Górecki, Agata Kołodziejczyk, Matt Harasymczuk, Grażyna Młynarczyk and Ksenia Szymanek-Majchrzak ()
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Ignacy Górecki: Department of Medical Microbiology, Medical University of Warsaw, Chalubinskiego, Str. 5, 02-004 Warsaw, Poland
Agata Kołodziejczyk: Analog Astronaut Training Center, Morelowa Str. 1F/4, 30-222 Cracow, Poland
Matt Harasymczuk: Analog Astronaut Training Center, Morelowa Str. 1F/4, 30-222 Cracow, Poland
Grażyna Młynarczyk: Department of Medical Microbiology, Medical University of Warsaw, Chalubinskiego, Str. 5, 02-004 Warsaw, Poland
Ksenia Szymanek-Majchrzak: Department of Medical Microbiology, Medical University of Warsaw, Chalubinskiego, Str. 5, 02-004 Warsaw, Poland

IJERPH, 2023, vol. 20, issue 4, 1-18

Abstract: Bacteria are constantly being lifted to the stratosphere due to air movements caused by weather phenomena, volcanic eruptions, or human activity. In the upper parts of the atmosphere, they are exposed to extremely harsh and mutagenic conditions such as UV and space radiation or ozone. Most bacteria cannot withstand that stress, but for a fraction of them, it can act as a trigger for selective pressure and rapid evolution. We assessed the impact of stratospheric conditions on the survival and antibiotic resistance profile of common non-spore-forming human pathogenic bacteria, both sensitive and extremely dangerous multidrug-resistant variants, with plasmid-mediated mechanisms of resistance. Pseudomonas aeruginosa did not survive the exposure. In the case of strains that were recovered alive, the survival was extremely low: From 0.00001% of Klebsiella pneumoniae carrying the ndm -1 gene and methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus mec A-positive with reduced susceptibility to vancomycin (MRSA/VISA), to a maximum of 0.001% of K. pneumoniae sensitive to all common antibiotics and S. aureus sensitive to vancomycin (MRSA/VSSA). We noticed a tendency towards increased antibiotic susceptibility after the stratospheric flight. Antimicrobial resistance is a current real, global, and increasing problem, and our results can inform current understandings of antibiotic resistance mechanisms and development in bacteria.

Keywords: antibiotic resistance; astrobiology; hospital-associated infections (HAI); human pathogenic bacteria; stratospheric flight (search for similar items in EconPapers)
JEL-codes: I I1 I3 Q Q5 (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Date: 2023
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