A Possible Outbreak by Serratia marcescens: Genetic Relatedness between Clinical and Environmental Strains

Giuseppina Caggiano, Francesco Triggiano, Giusy Diella, Francesca Apollonio, Marco Lopuzzo, Adriana Mosca, Stefania Stolfa, Carlo Pazzani, Marta Oliva, Carla Calia, Nicola Laforgia, Lidia Dalfino, Giovanna Barbuti, Pasquale Stefanizzi, Anna Maria Minicucci, Osvalda De Giglio and Maria Teresa Montagna
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Giuseppina Caggiano: Department of Biomedical Science and Human Oncology, University of Bari Aldo Moro, Piazza G. Cesare 11, 70124 Bari, Italy
Francesco Triggiano: Department of Biomedical Science and Human Oncology, University of Bari Aldo Moro, Piazza G. Cesare 11, 70124 Bari, Italy
Giusy Diella: Department of Biomedical Science and Human Oncology, University of Bari Aldo Moro, Piazza G. Cesare 11, 70124 Bari, Italy
Francesca Apollonio: Department of Biomedical Science and Human Oncology, University of Bari Aldo Moro, Piazza G. Cesare 11, 70124 Bari, Italy
Marco Lopuzzo: Department of Biomedical Science and Human Oncology, University of Bari Aldo Moro, Piazza G. Cesare 11, 70124 Bari, Italy
Adriana Mosca: Department of Interdisciplinary Medicine, Microbiology Section, University of Bari Aldo Moro, Piazza G. Cesare 11, 70124 Bari, Italy
Stefania Stolfa: Department of Interdisciplinary Medicine, Microbiology Section, University of Bari Aldo Moro, Piazza G. Cesare 11, 70124 Bari, Italy
Carlo Pazzani: Department of Biology, University of Bari Aldo Moro, Via Orabona 4, 70125 Bari, Italy
Marta Oliva: Department of Biology, University of Bari Aldo Moro, Via Orabona 4, 70125 Bari, Italy
Carla Calia: Department of Biology, University of Bari Aldo Moro, Via Orabona 4, 70125 Bari, Italy
Nicola Laforgia: Neonatology and Intensive Care Neonatal Unit Section, Department of Interdisciplinary Medicine, University of Bari Aldo Moro, Piazza G. Cesare 11, 70124 Bari, Italy
Lidia Dalfino: Department of General Surgery, Gynecology and Anaesthesia—Anaesthesia and Intensive Care Unit II, University Hospital Policlinico of Bari, 70124 Bari, Italy
Giovanna Barbuti: Department of Biomedical Science and Human Oncology, University of Bari Aldo Moro, Piazza G. Cesare 11, 70124 Bari, Italy
Pasquale Stefanizzi: Department of Biomedical Science and Human Oncology, University of Bari Aldo Moro, Piazza G. Cesare 11, 70124 Bari, Italy
Anna Maria Minicucci: Health Management, University Hospital Policlinico of Bari, 70124 Bari, Italy
Osvalda De Giglio: Department of Biomedical Science and Human Oncology, University of Bari Aldo Moro, Piazza G. Cesare 11, 70124 Bari, Italy
Maria Teresa Montagna: Department of Biomedical Science and Human Oncology, University of Bari Aldo Moro, Piazza G. Cesare 11, 70124 Bari, Italy

IJERPH, 2021, vol. 18, issue 18, 1-9

Abstract: Serratia marcescens (SM) is a Gram-negative bacterium that is frequently found in the environment. Since 1913, when its pathogenicity was first demonstrated, the number of infections caused by SM has increased. There is ample evidence that SM causes nosocomial infections in immunocompromised or critically ill patients admitted to the intensive care units (ICUs), but also in newborns admitted to neonatal ICUs (NICUs). In this study, we evaluated the possible genetic correlation by PFGE between clinical and environmental SM strains from NICU and ICU and compared the genetic profile of clinical strains with strains isolated from patients admitted to other wards of the same hospital. We found distinct clonally related groups of SM strains circulating among different wards of a large university hospital. In particular, the clonal relationship between clinical and environmental strains in NICU and ICU 1 was highlighted. The identification of clonal relationships between clinical and environmental strains in the wards allowed identification of the epidemic and rapid implementation of adequate measures to stop the spread of SM.

Keywords: Serratia marcescens; outbreak; intensive care unit; neonatal intensive care unit; genetic relatedness; pulsed-field gel electrophoresis; environmental sampling; strains (search for similar items in EconPapers)
JEL-codes: I I1 I3 Q Q5 (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Date: 2021
References: View references in EconPapers View complete reference list from CitEc
Citations: View citations in EconPapers (1)

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