Inactivation of multidrug-resistant pathogens and Yersinia enterocolitica with cold atmospheric-pressure plasma on stainless-steel surfaces

•Impact of cold atmospheric-pressure plasma (CAP) on five multidrug-resistant (MDR) pathogens and Yersinia enterocolitica.•Y. enterocolitica and MDR pathogens were inactivated by CAP in a time-dependent manner.•Different response of Gram-negative and Gram-positive bacteria to CAP was observed.•Fluorescence microscopy showed a high amount of sublethally damaged bacterial cells.•CAP could be a suitable alternative sterilisation method for heat-sensitive devices and surfaces. The objective of this study was to investigate the impact of cold atmospheric-pressure plasma (CAP) produced by a surface micro-discharge plasma source as a new strategy to combat the transmission of five multidrug-resistant (MDR) pathogens and Yersinia enterocolitica on typical hospital- and food-producing surfaces, e.g. stainless-steel. Approximately 106 CFU/cm2 of vancomycin-resistant Enterococcus faecium, methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus, Klebsiella pneumoniae, Acinetobacter baumannii, extended-spectrum β-lactamase (ESBL)-producing Escherichia coli and Y. enterocolitica were inoculated on a 3.14-cm2 stainless-steel surface. Bovine serum albumin (BSA) (3%) was used as a disruptive factor simulating natural organic material. The inoculated surfaces were subsequently exposed to CAP, generated by a peak-to-peak voltage of 10 kV with sinusoidal waveform and a frequency of 2 kHz, for 5, 10 and 20 min, respectively. Fluorescent staining with propidium iodide and SYTOTM 9 was used to demonstrate the manner of bacterial cell damage. Significant (P < 0.05) inactivation of 1.68 ± 0.17 up to 2.80 ± 0.17 log steps was achieved after 5 min of CAP treatment. However, bacterial reduction could be increased to 3.35 ± 0.1 up to 5.17 ± 0.67 log steps after 20 min of CAP treatment. Bacterial cells covered with BSA were statistically significantly less inactivated by CAP. Fluorescent staining showed a predominant level of orange-stained, sublethally damaged bacterial cells after 10 min of CAP treatment. In conclusion, CAP has the ability to inactivate MDR bacterial pathogens on stainless-steel surfaces. Further research is required to investigate the clinical features of CAP.