Fighting AMR in the healthcare environment: Microbiome-based sanitation approaches and monitoring tools

Healthcare-associated infections (HAIs) affect up to 15% of all hospitalized patients, representing a global concern. Major causes include the persistent microbial contamination of hospital environment, and the growing antimicrobial-resistance (AMR) of HAI-associated microbes. The hospital environment represents in fact a reservoir of potential pathogens, continuously spread by healthcare personnel, visiting persons and hospitalized patients. The control of contamination has been so far addressed by the use of chemical-based sanitation procedures, which however have limitations, as testified by the persistence of contamination itself and by the growing AMR of hospital microbes. Here we review the results collected by a microbial-based sanitation system, inspired by the microbiome balance principles, in obtaining more effective control of microbial contamination and AMR. Whatever the sanitation system used, an important aspect of controlling AMR and HAIs relates to the ability to check any variation of a microbial population rapidly and effectively, thus effective monitoring procedures are also described.