Hostname: page-component-586b7cd67f-dlnhk Total loading time: 0 Render date: 2024-11-25T00:48:17.742Z Has data issue: false hasContentIssue false
  • English
  • Français

The increasing isolation of Serratia species from clinical specimens

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  15 May 2009

Heather J. L. Brooks ,
T. J. Chambers  and
Soad Tabaqchali
Heather J. L. Brooks
Affiliation:
Department of Medical Microbiology, St Bartholomew's Hospital, London, E.G. 1
T. J. Chambers
Affiliation:
Department of Medical Microbiology, St Bartholomew's Hospital, London, E.G. 1
Soad Tabaqchali
Affiliation:
Department of Medical Microbiology, St Bartholomew's Hospital, London, E.G. 1
Rights & Permissions [Opens in a new window]

Summary

Core share and HTML view are not available for this content. However, as you have access to this content, a full PDF is available via the ‘Save PDF’ action button.

A 14-month survey was undertaken in a diagnostic bacteriology laboratory to determine the incidence of Serratia spp. in routine clinical specimens. Gram-negative organisms with enterobacteria-like colonies were tested by a simple screening procedure. Fifty-eight strains of S. marcescens and two strains of S. liquefaciens were isolated from 59 patients. The strains were usually nonpigmented and exhibited multiple antibiotic resistance. Serotyping and determination of bacteriocine sensitivity patterns revealed that the majority of infections were sporadic, although episodes of cross-infection did occur.

S. marcescens was considered to contribute significantly to morbidity and mortality in 53% of patients and appears to be of increasing importance in hospital-acquired infections.

Type
Research Article
Information
Journal of Hygiene , Volume 82 , Issue 1 , February 1979 , pp. 31 - 40
Copyright
Copyright © Cambridge University Press 1979

References

REFERENCE

Anderhub, B., Pitt, T. L., Erdman, Y. J. & Willcox, W. R. (1977). Comparison of typing methods for Serratia marcescens. Journal of Hygiene 79, 89–102.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Ball, A. P., McGhie, D. & Geddes, A. M. (1977). Serratia marcescens in a general hospital. Quarterly Journal of Medicine 40, 63–71.Google Scholar
Black, W. A., Hatch, L. A., Binnie, P. & Newberry, J. (1973). Serratia macescens infection in a general hospital. Journal of Clinical Pathology 26, 984–5.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Black, W. A. & Hodgson, R. (1971). Search for Serratia. Journal of Clinical Pathology 24, 444–8.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Black, W. A., Pollock, A. & Batchelor, E. L. (1967). Fatal transfusion reaction due to Serratia marcescens. Journal of Clinical Pathology 20, 883–6.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
British Medical Journal – editorial (1977). Serratia marcescens in general hospitals. 7th May, pp. 1177–8.Google Scholar
Cardos, S. F., Florman, A. L., Simberkoff, M. S. & Lanier, L. (1973). Serratia marcescens: Use of detailed characterisation of strains to evaluate an increase of isolates in an intensive care unit. American Journal of the Medical Sciences 366, 447–52.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Center for disease Control – Guide to Proficiency Testing (Dec. 1st, 1972). Serratia marcescens, pp. 21–3.Google Scholar
Clayton, E. & Von Graevenitz, A. (1966). Non-pigmented Serratia marcescens. Journal of the American Medical Association 197, 1059–64.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Davis, J. T., Foltz, E. & Blakemore, W. S. (1970). Serratia marcescens: a pathogen of increasing importance. Journal of the American Medical Association 214, 2190–92CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Dodson, W. H. (1968). Serratia marcescens septicemia. Archives of Internal Medicine 121, 145–50.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Edwards, P. R. & Ewing, W. H. (1972). In Identification of Enterobacteriaceae, 3rd ed., pp. 311–316. Minneapolis, Minnesota: Burgess.Google Scholar
Gale, D. & Sonnenwrith, A. C. (1962). Frequent human isolation of Serratia marcescens. Archives of Internal Medicine 109, 414–21.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Hedges, R. W., Rodrigues-Lemoine, V. & Datta, N. (1975). R factors from Serratia marcescens. Journal of General Microbiology 86, 88–92.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Lancaster, L. J. (1962). Role of Serratia species in urinary tract infection. Archives of Internal Medicine 109, 536–9.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Lancet – editorial (1977). The importance of S. marcescens, i, 636.Google Scholar
Maki, D. G., Hennekens, C. G., Phillips, C. W., Shaw, W. V. & Bennett, J. V. (1973). Nosocomial urinary tract infection with Serratia marcescens: An epidemiologic study. Journal of Infectious Diseases 128, 579–87.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
McCormack, R. C. & Kunin, C. M. (1966). Control of a single source nursery epidemic due to Serratia marcescens. Pediatrics 37, 750–55.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
McCracken, A. W. & Lipscomb, F. E. (1965). Serratia marcescens infection complicating peritoneal dialysis. British Medical Journal i, 1536–7.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Meltz, D. J. & Grieco, M. H. (1973). Characteristics of Serratia marcescens pneumonia. Archives of Internal Medicine 132, 359–64.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Meyer, R. D., Halter, J., Lewis, R. P. & White, M. (1976). Gentamicin-resistant Pseudo. monas aeruginosa and Serratia marcescens in a general hospital. Lancet i, 580–583.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Price, K. E., Defuria, M. D. & Pursiano, T. A. (1976). Amikacin, an aminoglyceside with marked activity against antibiotic-resistant clinical isolates. Journal of Infectious Diseases 134, S249–61.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Schaefler, S., Winter, J., Catelli, A., Greene, J. & Toharski, B. (1971). Specific distribution of R factors in Serratia marcescens isolated from hospital infections. Applied Microbiology 22, 339–43.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Schreier, J. B. (1969). Modification of deoxyribonuclease test medium for rapid identification of Serratia marcescens. American Journal of Clinical Pathology 51, 711–16.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Tabaqchali, S., Chambers, T. J. & Brooks, H. J. L. (1977). Serratia marcescens in hospital. Practice 1, 306–7.Google ScholarPubMed
Taylor, G. & keane, P. M. (1962). Cross-infection with Serratia marcescens. Journal of Clinical Pathology 15, 145–7.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Traub, W. H. (1972). Continued surveillance of Serratia marcescens infections by bacteriocin typing: Investigation of two outbreaks of cross-infection in an intensive care unit. Applied Microbiology 23, 982–3.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Whitby, J. L., Blair, J. N. & Rampling, A. (1972) A cross-infection with Serratia marcescens in an intensive-therapy unit. Lancet ii, 127–8.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Wilfert, J. N., Barrett, F. F. & Kass, B. H. (1968). Bacteraemia due to Serratia marcescens. New England Journal of Medicine 279, 286–9.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Wilkowske, C. J., Washington, J. A., Martin, W. J. & Ritts, R. E. (1970). Serratia marcescens. Biochemical characteristics, antibiotic susceptibility patterns and clinical significance. Journal of the American Medical Association 214, 2157–62.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed