Spatiotemporal evaporating droplet dynamics on fomites enhances long term bacterial pathogenesis

Naturally drying bacterial droplets on inanimate surfaces representing fomites are the most consequential mode for transmitting infection through oro-fecal route. We provide a multiscale holistic approach to understand flow dynamics induced bacterial pattern formation on fomites leading to pathogenesis. The most virulent gut pathogen, Salmonella Typhimurium (STM), typically found in contaminated food and water, is used as model system in the current study. Evaporation-induced flow in sessile droplets facilitates the transport of STM, forming spatio-temporally varying bacterial deposition patterns based on droplet medium’s nutrient scale. Mechanical and low moisture stress in the drying process reduced bacterial viability but interestingly induced hyper-proliferation of STM in macrophages, thereby augmenting virulence in fomites. In vivo studies of fomites in mice confirm that STM maintains enhanced virulence. This work demonstrates that stressed bacterial deposit morphologies formed over small timescale (minutes) on organic and inorganic surfaces, plays a significant role in enhancing fomite’s pathogenesis over hours and days.