Outbreak of neonatal infection by an endemic clone of Serratia marcescens

• Published in: Revista da Sociedade Brasileira de Medicina Tropical
• Main Authors: Karla Valéria Batista Lima, Raimundo Gladson Corrêa Carvalho, Irna Carla do Rosário Souza Carneiro, Josiane Lílian de Sousa Lima, Cintya de Oliveira Sousa, Edvaldo Carlos Brito Loureiro, Lena Líllian Canto de Sá, Flávia Corrêa Bastos
• Format: Article in Journal/Newspaper
• Language: English
• Published: Sociedade Brasileira de Medicina Tropical (SBMT) 2011
• Subjects: Serratia marcescens; Surto; Infecção hospitalar; Arctic medicine. Tropical medicine; RC955-962; Arctic
• Online Access: https://doi.org/10.1590/S0037-86822011000100024; https://doaj.org/article/f1df97f5f7ef4e2f921f7fa903b8842e

INTRODUCTION: The outbreak occurred between February and June 2006 and included identification of the cases, analysis of medical records, cultures from environmental sources, resistance analyses and genotyping profile of Serratia marcescens. METHODS: The cultures were composed of 13 blood isolates, 17 rectal and hand swabs and air sampling. RESULTS: The data obtained by pulsed-field gel electrophoresis exhibited three strains that contaminated 24 patients. Systemic infection was the most common in neonates with lower weight, long periods of hospitalization, premature delivery and the use of mechanical ventilation. CONCLUSIONS: This investigation revealed the multifactorial nature of the outbreak. An endemic clone of S. marcescens was detected.