Serratia marcescens: Description of a nosocomial outbreak Serratia marcescens: Descripción de un brote de infección intrahospitalaria

Abstract

We describe a nosocomial outbreak of Serratia marcescens infections in different departaments, which occurred between May and December 2001. It involved 85 patients, 72 with clinical infections and 13 in which the strains isolated were found as colonization. The most common site was urinary tract infection. Thirty six percent of the infections were severe (including pneumonia and bacteremia), occurring in patients older than 65 years, with predisposing conditions, previous antibiotic usage, prolonged hospitalisation and invasive procedures. Global lethality was 2,8%. All the cases had genetically the same strain, so a common source of infection was thought. The environmental and water microbiological studies yielded no growth of Serratia, except for the water faucet in the Neurology ward, where the index case was detected, and probably where the epidemic originated.