Bacteria

Bacteria are not plants or animals, they belong to a group all by themselves. They are very small, microscopic in fact, and consist of only a single cell. They are generally found in very large numbers because they multiply so rapidly. Bacterial reproduction occurs through cell division. Each bacterium will split into two, then four, eight, sixteen, etc. E. coli bacteria will double every 20 to 30 minutes. As long as the resources for growth are present this multiplication can continue to significant numbers. The growth stage can easily result in a level of contamination of concern. Particularly, if the source is a sewage spill or Category 2 or 3 water event. As the resources diminish the bacterial growth will slow and then begin to decline.

There are many different types of bacteria. Most have little or no direct impact on humans while some are very beneficial and some can be extremely harmful. Bacteria that are harmful to humans and cause disease or illness are called pathogenic bacteria. It is this group of bacteria that we are concerned with in our homes and structures. It is this group that we have identified as a primary target for the ThermaPureHeat® process.

Both pathogenic and non-pathogenic bacteria may cause other problems that are costly such as food spoilage. In a food processing setting contaminated equipment or facilities can cause significant damage to food products, resulting in waste and loss of revenue. Again, ThermaPureHeat® may be an appropriate remedy.

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Pathogenic Bacteria

Bacteria that cause disease are called pathogenic bacteria. We are mostly concerned with those that cause disease in humans, but they may cause disease in animals, fowl, and also in plants. There are many types of disease that are caused by bacteria, too many to mention, but they include food poisoning, enteric diseases, infections, and even some forms of cancer. Some of these diseases can be life threatening, such as Legionnaire’s disease or varieties of nosocomial diseases. When an infectious disease spreads around a geographic area it is called an epidemic. The cholera epidemics and pandemics are an example of this. Cholera is a bacterial disease caused by Vibrio cholera.

Susceptibility to ThermaPureHeat® Temperatures

Bacteria are found in all temperature climates. Most bacteria that are found in structures are mesophilic and are susceptible to ThermaPureHeat® temperatures. Some thermophilic bacteria that are more resistant to temperatures may also be found in structures or around structures. If these bacteria are targeted they may require higher temperatures and/or longer durations. Waterborne or water based pathogenic bacteria do not form spores. As such they tend to be very thermal sensitive and are excellent targets.

The following table shows select species with temperatures and durations required for thermal death. Some of these results come from studies using dry heat, while others may ***liquid temperatures, soils temperatures or other mediums. Regardless of the medium, these temperatures give us a sense of the range of temperature and duration that will be necessary to successfully sanitize a space for specific problems such as floods, sewage spills or nosocomial contaminations. Note that some spore producing bacteria, such as Bacillus anthracis (Anthrax) are extremely heat tolerant and are not practical candidates for ThermaPureHeat®.

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Bed Bug Heat Eradication Chart

Survival of Bacteria on Environmental Surfaces

Once the resources for growth are removed, bacterial colonies will decline. How rapidly and efficiently the colonies decline is dependent on various factors, such as temperature, humidity, pH, type of environmental surface, soluble organic matter, species of bacteria, etc. Because of the concern over pathogenic bacteria responsible for nosocomial disease, there have been numerous recent studies that examine how these bacteria will survive on an environmental surface, such as on the floor or a counter in a health care facility. How long do these surfaces remain contaminated? How often should they be disinfected?

In one study, Methicillin-Resistant Staphylococcus Aureus (MRSA) was able to survive on a dry mop after 28 days. The study found that 59-125% survived after 7 days, 26.3-41.6% survived 14 days and 0.1-16.2% survived 28 days. The authors (Oie and Kamiya 1996) considered the survival of MRSA on disposable dry mops to reflect the survival of MRSA in the hospital environment. In another study (Makison and Swan 2006) it was determined that long term survival of MRSA on environmental surfaces may represent only a small percentage of initial amounts, however, some bacteria remained culturable as long as 14 weeks.

Enteric bacteria are known to survive for even longer periods of time outside of a host. It is estimated that 70,000 diarrheal illnesses per year in the United States occur causing infection and illness. E. coli survived over 10 months in recent research (Varma et al, 2003). The authors concluded that “humans may be at risk of infection long after an environment is initially contaminated.” It is important that a thorough disinfection take place shortly after the initial contamination. ThermaPureHeat® is an excellent tool for enteric bacterial contaminations.

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