Prevalence of Opportunistic Pathogens and Diversity of Microbial Communities in the Water System of a Pulmonary Hospital.

OBJECTIVE: Our objective was to investigate the occurrence of opportunistic pathogens and characterize the bacterial community structures in the water system of a pulmonary hospital. METHODS: . Illumina sequencing targeting 16S rRNA genes was performed to profile bacterial communities. RESULTS: were the dominant bacterial phyla. Disinfectant residuals, nitrate, and temperature were found to be the key environmental factors driving microbial community structure shifts in water systems. CONCLUSION: This study revealed a high level of colonization of water faucets by opportunistic pathogens and provided insight into the characteristics of microbial communities in a hospital water system and approaches to reduce risks of microbial contamination.