Ants (Hymenoptera: Formicidae) in five hospitals of Porto Alegre, Rio Grande do Sul State, Brazil Ants (Hymenoptera: Formicidae) in five hospitals of Porto Alegre, Rio Grande do Sul State, Brazil

• Main Authors: Simone Pirotta Tancredo, Maura Morel Trautmann, Bianca Ribeiro de Freitas, Carolina Charlier Ahlert, Flávio Roberto Mello Garcia, Junir Antônio Lutinski
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Published: Universidade Estadual de Maringá 2011-09-01
• Series: Acta Scientiarum. Health Sciences
• Subjects: Ants; vectors; public health care; environment; hospital infection
• Online Access: http://www.periodicos.uem.br/ojs/index.php/ActaSciHealthSci/article/view/10999
• ISSN: 1679-9291; 1807-8648

The presence of ants in hospitals is health risk for the hospital community, since presents a strong capability to carry pathogenic organisms throughout this environment. This study was carried out from May 2007 to April 2008, aiming the identification of ant species that infest the hospitals in Porto Alegre, Rio Grande do Sul State, Brazil. A total of 989 ants from 19 species were sampled: <em>Acromyrmex niger</em> (Fr. Smith, 1858), <em>Brachymyrmex</em> sp., <em>Camponotus rufipes</em> (Fabricius, 1775), <em>Camponotus sericeiventris</em> (Guerin-Meneville, 1838), <em>Camponotus</em> sp₁, <em>Camponotus</em> sp₂, <em>Gnamptogenys</em> sp., <em>Hypoponera</em> sp., <em>Labidus coecus</em> (Latreille, 1802), <em>Monomorium pharaonis</em> (Linnaeus, 1758), <em>Pachycondyla</em> sp., <em>Paratrechina fulva</em> (Mayr, 1862), <em>Paratrechina longicornis</em> Latreille, 1802, <em>Pheidole</em> sp₁,<em> Pheidole</em> sp₂, <em>Pheidole</em> sp₃, <em>Pheidole</em> sp₄, <em>Pheidole</em> sp₅, and <em>Tapinoma melanocephalum Fabricius</em>, 1793. Among them, <em>Brachymyrmex</em> sp. was the most frequent one (47.0%) followed by <em>Monomorium pharaonis</em> (18.7%) and <em>Labidus coecus</em> (17.2%).<br>The presence of ants in hospitals is health risk for the hospital community, since presents a strong capability to carry pathogenic organisms throughout this environment. This study was carried out from May 2007 to April 2008, aiming the identification of ant species that infest the hospitals in Porto Alegre, Rio Grande do Sul State, Brazil. A total of 989 ants from 19 species were sampled: <em>Acromyrmex niger</em> (Fr. Smith, 1858), <em>Brachymyrmex</em> sp., <em>Camponotus rufipes</em> (Fabricius, 1775), <em>Camponotus sericeiventris</em> (Guerin-Meneville, 1838), <em>Camponotus</em> sp₁, <em>Camponotus</em> sp₂, <em>Gnamptogenys</em> sp., <em>Hypoponera</em> sp., <em>Labidus coecus</em> (Latreille, 1802), <em>Monomorium pharaonis</em> (Linnaeus, 1758), <em>Pachycondyla</em> sp., <em>Paratrechina fulva</em> (Mayr, 1862), <em>Paratrechina longicornis</em> Latreille, 1802, <em>Pheidole</em> sp₁,<em> Pheidole</em> sp₂, <em>Pheidole</em> sp₃, <em>Pheidole</em> sp₄, <em>Pheidole</em> sp₅, and <em>Tapinoma melanocephalum Fabricius</em>, 1793. Among them, <em>Brachymyrmex</em> sp. was the most frequent one (47.0%) followed by <em>Monomorium pharaonis</em> (18.7%) and <em>Labidus coecus</em> (17.2%).