New PreMiEr Preprint: Hospital Sinks in Bolivia Found to Harbor Dangerous Pathogens in 75% of Samples
A new PreMiEr study finds dangerous drug-resistant pathogens in 75% of sink and surface samples from two high-burden hospitals in Bolivia, reinforcing the role of hospital plumbing as a major source of healthcare-associated infection risk.
A new PreMiEr study finds that sinks and surrounding surfaces in two high-burden hospitals in La Paz, Bolivia, are extensively colonized by ESKAPEE pathogens, a group of particularly dangerous drug-resistant bacteria. Using both culture-based methods and DNA sequencing, researchers found these pathogens in roughly 75% of surface and air samples, with the highest concentrations in sink basins. Klebsiella and Enterobacter were the most abundant, while Staphylococcus aureus was detected most frequently. The findings, posted to medRxiv, reinforce the role of hospital sinks as reservoirs that seed pathogens into patient care areas and highlight the urgent need for targeted infection control strategies in resource-limited settings.
Read more here: https://doi.org/10.64898/2026.03.13.26348341