Inhibition of Clinical Nosocomial Bacteria by Chlorine Dioxide

Chlorine dioxide is an effective chemical to inhibit the growth of bacteria and viruses or to disinfect infected areas. In this study, the effects of chlorine dioxide on several bacteria in hospitals were analyzed. Alloiococcus otitis, Kocuria rosea, Leuconostoc mesenteroides spp. and Staphylococcus lentus as gram-positive bacteria and Acinetobacter lwoffii, Aeromonas salmonicida, Brucella melitensis, Oligella ureolytica as gram-negative bacteria were done for the inhibitory analysis. The growth and morphology of the bacteria were analyzed by placing a plastic stick which was called "FarmeTok (medistick/Puristic)" provided by Purgofarm, co, Ltd. to release ClO₂ (13 ppmv/hr) next to the plate where the bacteria were incubated for 24 hours. Less than 10 bacterial colonies were evaluated as having 99% inhibitory effect. The initial bacterial culture concentration of 0.5 McFaland turbidity was good for analyzing the chlorine dioxide inhibitory effect. All bacteria could be easily counted post 24 hr co-incubation with ClO₂, but A. otitis and A. lwoffii without ClO₂ gas were not countable due to very dispersed colony types which were not affected for result analysis. As shown in this study, the FarmeTok plastic stick, which discharges chlorine dioxide at 13 ppmv / hour, was evaluated to be sufficient to suppress the above bacteria in the hospital. Bacteria existing in the clinic such as this hospital will be used as a data to inhibit the growth of bacteria by using ClO₂, and molecular biology analysis using the gene of bacteria will be possible in the future rather than inhibiting the growth of bacteria itself.