Risk assessment of the mechanical spread of bacterial pathogens due to Lasius neglectus ants infesting a tertiary hospital.

Introduction: Mechanical spread of microbial pathogens has been investigated in cockroaches, but less well in ants. Considerably less information is available for ants. An investigation into ant-borne mechanical pathogen transmission was triggered by an infestation of a tertiary care hospital with Lasius neglectus ants.