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Bacillus species pseudomeningitis.

L A Lettau1, D Benjamin, H F Cantrell

  • 1Infection Control Program, Greenville Memorial Medical Center, South Carolina 29605.

Infection Control and Hospital Epidemiology
|September 1, 1988
PubMed
Summary
This summary is machine-generated.

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Contaminated lab supplies caused a false meningitis outbreak, leading to unnecessary treatments. Prompt investigation and physician awareness can prevent such costly pseudoinfections.

Area of Science:

  • Microbiology
  • Epidemiology
  • Infectious Diseases

Background:

  • A rise in positive cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) Gram's stains and cultures for Bacillus species was observed.
  • This prompted an investigation into a potential outbreak of bacterial meningitis.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To investigate the cause of a cluster of positive CSF Gram's stains and cultures.
  • To identify the source of Bacillus species contamination and determine if it represented a true outbreak or pseudomeningitis.

Main Methods:

  • Epidemiologic and microbiologic investigation was conducted.
  • Cultures of uninoculated commercial trypticase soy broth with Fildes enrichment were performed.
  • The source of contamination for CSF Gram's stains was identified.

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Main Results:

  • The investigation confirmed pseudomeningitis, not a true outbreak.
  • Bacillus species were found to contaminate uninoculated laboratory broth.
  • Secondary contamination of pipettes used for CSF inoculation was identified as the source of positive Gram's stains.

Conclusions:

  • The observed cases were due to laboratory contamination, not actual meningitis.
  • Pseudoinfections can lead to unnecessary medical interventions, including antibiotics and hospitalizations.
  • Increased physician awareness and prompt investigation are crucial for minimizing the impact of pseudoinfections.