BIOFILMS FORMED BY MYCOBACTERIUM ABSCESSUS SUBSP. BOLLETII IN THE PRESENCE OF SUBINHIBITORY CONCENTRATIONS OF GLUTARALDEHYDE – A PUBLIC HEALTH ISSUE

Introduction: In 2008, the National Health Surveillance Agency (Anvisa) released a technical note, stating that from 2003 to 2008, more than 2,000 cases of hospital infections by rapidly growing mycobacteria had been reported in private hospitals in the country, mainly related to procedures videolaparoscopic procedures. A common factor was the predominance of a particular Mycobacterium abscessus subsp. bolletii, which mainly affected the patients' skin and subcutaneous cellular tissue. After these outbreaks, several measures were taken by Anvisa, including the suspension of chemical sterilization 1 Postgraduate Program in Health Surveillance, National Institute for Quality Control in Health, Oswaldo Cruz Fundation, Rio de Janeiro, Brazil. E-mail: bsabagh@hotmail.com 2 State University of Rio de Janeiro, Medical Sciences College, Rio de Janeiro, Brazil (in memoriam) 3 Postgraduate Program in Health Surveillance, National Institute for Quality Control in Health, Oswaldo Cruz Fundation, Rio de Janeiro, Brazil 4 Oswaldo Cruz Institute, Oswaldo Cruz Fundation, Rio de Janeiro, Brazil 5 Oswaldo Cruz Institute, Oswaldo Cruz Fundation, Rio de Janeiro, Brazil. Center for Technological Development in Health, Oswaldo Cruz Fundation, Rio de Janeiro, Brazil 6 Postgraduate Program in Health Surveillance, National Institute for Quality Control in Health, Oswaldo Cruz Fundation, Rio de Janeiro, Brazil Volume 21, Número 5 ISSN 2447-2131 João Pessoa, 2021