Morganella morganii infections in a general tertiary hospital

Morganella morganii is a commensal Gram-negative bacillus of the intestinal tract of humans and other mammals and reptiles. Few reports exist in the literature regarding infections caused by this organism.

A retrospective study at the 650-bed University Hospital of Heraklion, Crete, Greece was performed during a 4-year period (2001-2004) to identify and analyze infections caused by M. morganii.

Twenty-four patients had M. morganii isolated from clinical specimens during the study period. Thirteen patients (54%) suffered from skin and soft tissue infections, five from pyelonephritis, three from female genital tract infections, one from pneumonia, one from gangrenous appendicitis, and one from tonsillitis. M. morganii was a constituent of polymicrobial infections in 14 patients (58%). The patients received various antibiotics, i.e., six patients received ciprofloxacin, four piperacillin/tazobactam, two amoxicillin/clavulanic acid, one ticarcillin/clavulanic acid, one ceftriaxone, one imipenem, and one cefuroxime monotherapy, whereas the remaining eight received antibiotic combinations. Two (both debilitated) of 24 patients (8%) died, despite antibiotic treatment.

Skin and soft tissue infection was the commonest type of infection due to M. morganii in our series. M. morganii is commonly a part of polymicrobial infections and can rarely cause fatalities in debilitated patients.