Skip to main content
SpringerLink
Log in

Nosocomial infections due to serratia marcescens — Clinical findings, antibiotic susceptibility patterns and fine typing

Nosokomiale Infektionen durch Serratia marcescens — klinische Befunde, Antibiotika-Empfindlichkeitsmuster und Feintypisierung

  • Originalia
  • Published:
Infection Aims and scope Submit manuscript

Summary

We report on nosocomial infections caused bySerratia marcescens occurring in a neonatal intensive care unit and a children's ward for cardiac intensive care. According to the plasmid pattern analysis, all isolated epidemic strains belonged to one clone. Multidrug resistance, even to cephalosporins of the third generation and amikacin, was characteristic for all strains. Certain markers ofS. marcescens (haemolysin, proteases, siderophores) which are thought to be related to virulence were studied but will require further investigation.

Zusammenfassung

Es wird über nosokomiale Infektionen durchSerratia marcescens auf einer neonatologischen Intensivtherapiestation und einer pädiatrisch-kardiologischen Überwachungsstation berichtet. Nach der Plasmidmusteranalyse gehören die isolierten Stämme einem Epidemieklon an. Charakteristisch für alleS. marcescens-Stämme ist eine Multiresistenz, auch gegen Cephalosporine der dritten Generation und Amikacin. Bestimmte Merkmale der Infektionserreger (Hämolysin, Protease, Siderophore), die mit der Virulenz in Zusammenhang gebracht werden, bedürfen weiterer Untersuchungen.

This is a preview of subscription content, log in via an institution to check access.

Access this article

Log in via an institution

Price excludes VAT (USA)
Tax calculation will be finalised during checkout.

Instant access to the full article PDF.

Institutional subscriptions

Similar content being viewed by others

References

  1. Baumann, U., Emmrich, P. Sepsis und andere Infektionen durchSerratia marcescens im Neugeborenen- und Säuglingsalter. Dtsch. Med. Wochenschr. 99 (1974) 1775–1760.

    Google Scholar 

  2. Handrick, W., Bergmann, L., Spencker, F. B. Perinatale Infektionen durch seltene Erreger. 2.Serratia marcescens. Pädiatrie 20 (1981) 87–93.

    Google Scholar 

  3. Taylor, P. W., Roberts, A. W., Gower, P. E. Evaluation of a technique for the estimation of serum bactericidal activity against gram-negative organisms. Med. Lab. Technol. 29 (1972) 272–279.

    Google Scholar 

  4. Reissbrodt, R., Rabsch, W. Further differentiation of Enterobacteriaceae by means of siderophore-pattern analysis. Zbl. Bakt. Hyg. A 268 (1988) 306–317.

    Google Scholar 

  5. Adegbola, R. A., Old, D. C. New fimbrial hemagglutinin inSerratia species. Infect. Immun. 38 (1982) 306–315.

    Google Scholar 

  6. Lindahl, M., Faris, A., Wadström, T., Hjerten, S. A new test, based on “salting out” to measure relative surface hydrophobicity of bacterial cells. Biochim. Biophys. acta 677 (1981) 471–476.

    Google Scholar 

  7. Klare, I., Witte, W. Mikrobouillonverdünnungstest zur standardisierten Bestimmung minimaler Hemm- und bakterizider Konzentrationen antimikrobieller Chemotherapeutika bei schnellwachsenden aeroben Bakterien. Z. ges. Hygiene 34 (1988) 111–115.

    Google Scholar 

  8. Klare, I., Witte, W. Methoden des Betalactamase-Nachweises bei Bakterien. Z. ges. Hygiene 30 (1984) 442–449.

    Google Scholar 

  9. Kado, C., Liu, S. T. Rapid procedure for detection and isolation of large and small plasmids. J. Bacteriol. 145 (1981) 1365–1373.

    Google Scholar 

  10. Achtmann, M., Mercer, A., Kusecek, B., Pohl, A., Heuzenroeder, M., Aaronson, W., Sutton, A., Silver, R. P. Six widespread bacterial clones amongEscherichia coli isolates. Infect. Immun. 39 (1983) 315–335.

    Google Scholar 

  11. Halle, E., Klare, I., Grauel, E. L., Bollmann, R., Baumann, B., Buchholz, P., Witte, W., Göldner, R.: Nosokomiale Infektionen durch Serratia marcescens in einem Universitätsklinikum. Pädiatr. Grenzgeb. 28 (1989) (in press).

  12. Witte, W., Spencker, F.-B., Halle, E. Überregionale Studie zur Chemotherapeutikaresistenz bei bakteriellen Infektionserregern. Z. Klin. Med. 42 (1986) 31–36.

    Google Scholar 

  13. Aspiotits, A., Cullmann, W., Dick, W., Stieglitz, M. Inducible betalactamases are principally responsible for the naturally occurring resistanee towards betalactam-antibiotics inProteus vulgaris. Chemotherapy 32 (1986) 236–246.

    Google Scholar 

  14. Lindberg, F., Normark, S. Contribution of chromosomal betalactamases to betalactam resistance in enterobacteria. Rev. Infect. Dis. 8 (1986) 292–304.

    Google Scholar 

  15. Okonogi, K., Sugiura, A., Kuno, M., Higashide, E., Kondo, M., Imada, A. Effect of betalactamase induction on susceptibility to cephalosporins inEnterobacter cloacae andSerratia marcescens. J. Antimicrob. Chemother. 16 (1985) 31–42.

    Google Scholar 

  16. Seeberg, A. H., Toxdorff-Neutzling, R. M., Wiedemann, B. Chromosomal betalactamases ofEnterobacter cloacae are responsible for resistance to third-generation cephalosporins. Antimicrob. Agents Chemother. 23 (1983) 918–925.

    Google Scholar 

  17. Wiedemann, B., Korfmann, G.: Selection of mutants resistant to betalactam drugs. Proceedings IXth International Congress of Infections and parasitic diseases, Munich, July 20–26, 1986 p. 135–139.

  18. Vu, H., Nikaido, H. Role of betalactam hydrolysis in the mechanism of resistance of a betalactamase-constitutive strain to expanded spectrum betalactams. Antimicrob. Agents Chemother. 27 (1985) 393–398.

    Google Scholar 

  19. Sanders, C. C. Inducible betalactamases and nonhydrolytic resistance mechanism. J. Antimicrob. Chemother. 13 (1984) 1–3.

    Google Scholar 

  20. Olson, B., Weinstein, R. A., Nathan, C., Kabins, S. A. Broad spectrum betalactam resistance inEnterobacter: Emergence during treatment and mechanism of resistance. J. Antimicrob. Chemother. 11 (1983) 299–310.

    Google Scholar 

  21. Then, R. L., Angehrn, P. Trapping of nonhydrolyzable cephalosporins by cephalosporinases inEnterobacter cloacae andPseudomonas aeruginosa as a possible resistance mechanism. Antimicrob. Agents Chemother. 21 (1982) 711–717.

    Google Scholar 

  22. Traub, W. H., Bauer, D. Outer membrane protein alterations inSerratia marcescens resistant against aminoglycoside and betalactam antibiotics. Chemotherapy 33 (1987) 172–176.

    Google Scholar 

  23. König, W., Faltin, Y., Scheffler, J., Schöffler, H., Braun, V. Role of a cell-bound hemolysin as a pathogenicity factor ofSerratia marcescens. Infect. Immun. 55 (1987) 2554–2561.

    Google Scholar 

  24. Poole, K., Braun, V. Iron regulation ofSerratia marcescens hemolysin gene expression. Infect. Immun. 56 (1988) 2967–2971.

    Google Scholar 

  25. Molla, A., Kagimoto, T., Maeda, H. Cleavage of immunoglobulin G (IgG) and IgA around the hinge region by proteases fromSerratia marcescens. Infect. Immun. 56 (1988) 916–920.

    Google Scholar 

  26. Traub, W. H. Virulence of nosocomial isolates ofSeratia marcescens for NMRI mice, correlation with O-antigens 06 and 014. Zbl. Bakt. Hyg. A 252 (1982) 360–369.

    Google Scholar 

Download references

Author information

Authors and Affiliations

  1. Institut für Medizinische Mikrobiologie der Humboldt-Universität zu Berlin (Charité), Clara-Zetkin-Str. 96, 1080, DDR-Berlin

    Renate Bollmann,  Elke Halle,  Wanda Sokolowska-Köhler &  Petra Buchholz

  2. Kinderklinik des Bereichs Medizin der Humboldt-Universität zu Berlin (Charité), Schumannstr. 20/21, 1040, DDR-Berlin

    E. L. Grauel

  3. Institut für Experimentelle Epidemiologie, Burgstr. 37, 3700, DDR-Wernigerode, GD Republic

    I. Klare,  H. Tschäpe &  W. Witte

Authors
  1. Renate Bollmann
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  2. Elke Halle
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  3. Wanda Sokolowska-Köhler
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  4. Petra Buchholz
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  5. E. L. Grauel
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  6. I. Klare
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  7. H. Tschäpe
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  8. W. Witte
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

Rights and permissions

Reprints and permissions

About this article

Cite this article

Bollmann, R., Halle, E., Sokolowska-Köhler, W. et al. Nosocomial infections due to serratia marcescens — Clinical findings, antibiotic susceptibility patterns and fine typing. Infection 17, 294–300 (1989). https://doi.org/10.1007/BF01650711

Download citation

  • Received:

  • Accepted:

  • Issue Date:

  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/BF01650711

Keywords

Search

Navigation