Serratia marcescens in a newborn unit--microbiological features.

Area of Science:

• Medical Microbiology
• Infectious Diseases
• Neonatal Care

Background:

• Serratia marcescens is an opportunistic pathogen.
• Nosocomial infections in neonatal units pose significant risks.

Purpose of the Study:

• To investigate an outbreak of Serratia marcescens in a newborn unit.
• To characterize the clinical manifestations and epidemiology of the outbreak.

Main Methods:

• Retrospective analysis of clinical isolates over 12 months.
• Identification of S. marcescens through standard microbiological methods.
• Molecular typing using SDS-PAGE to assess isolate relatedness.

Main Results:

• S. marcescens was linked to meningitis, septicemia, pneumonia, urinary tract infections, and conjunctivitis.
• Peak rectal colonization incidence reached 95% during the outbreak.
• SDS-PAGE confirmed all S. marcescens isolates were identical, indicating a common source.

Conclusions:

• A single strain of S. marcescens caused a significant outbreak in the newborn unit.
• High rates of colonization suggest efficient transmission within the unit.
• Effective infection control measures are crucial to prevent such outbreaks.