A pilot study to assess the bacterial contaminants in hookah pipes in a community setting.

SETTING: Hookah smoking among young adults remains a public health threat. Increasing research has uncovered the deleterious effects of hookah smoking, including both acute and chronic health conditions. Due to the current lack of regulation, hookah bars/lounges lack protocols for equipment sanitation.

OBJECTIVES: To examine evidence of bacterial contamination in hookah pipes due to a lack of sanitation regulations.

DESIGN: For this field/laboratory study, 10 hookah bars/lounges were studied. Isolated bacteria were characterized and identified by species using 16S ribosomal RNA gene sequencing.

RESULTS: At the 10 hookah bars sampled, the mouthpiece had the highest bacterial prevalence and diversity. Some of the bacterial isolates were found to be antibiotic-resistant. Ten of the isolated bacteria were Gram-positive and two were identified as Gram-negative.

CONCLUSION: Levels of bacterial contamination vary widely from one hookah bar to the next, and reflect a lack of industry standards for cleaning these devices. Bacterial contamination of hookah pipes may represent a fomite for transmission of infectious diseases. Our results warrant future surveillance of hookahs to monitor for potential human pathogens.