Rapidly controlled outbreak of Serratia marcescens infection/colonisations in a neonatal intensive care unit, Pescara General Hospital, Pescara, Italy, April 2011

E Polilli; G Parruti; P Fazii; D D’Antonio; D Palmieri; C D’Incecco; A Mangifesta; G Garofalo; L Del Duca; C D’Amario; M Scimia; V Cortesi; V Fortunato

doi:10.2807/ese.16.24.19892-en

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Rapidly controlled outbreak of Serratia marcescens infection/colonisations in a neonatal intensive care unit, Pescara General Hospital, Pescara, Italy, April 2011
E Polilli¹ , G Parruti² , P Fazii³ , D D’Antonio¹ , D Palmieri⁴ , C D’Incecco⁵ , A Mangifesta⁵ , G Garofalo² , L Del Duca⁶ , C D’Amario⁷ , M Scimia⁸ , V Cortesi⁷ , V Fortunato⁶
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Affiliations: ¹ Microbiology and Virology Unit, Santo Spirito General Hospital, Pescara, Italy ² Infection Control Unit, Santo Spirito General Hospital, Pescara, Italy ³ Clinical Pathology Unit, Santo Spirito General Hospital, Pescara, Italy ⁴ Epidemiological Office, Santo Spirito General Hospital, Pescara, Italy ⁵ Neonatal Intensive Care Unit, Santo Spirito General Hospital, Pescara, Italy ⁶ Health Department Unit, Santo Spirito Pescara General Hospital, Pescara, Italy ⁷ General Direction, Pescara Health District, Pescara, Italy ⁸ Risk Management Unit, Pescara Health District, Pescara, Italy

Correspondence:
G Parruti
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Citation style for this article: Polilli E, Parruti G, Fazii P, D’Antonio D, Palmieri D, D’Incecco C, Mangifesta A, Garofalo G, Del Duca L, D’Amario C, Scimia M, Cortesi V, Fortunato V. Rapidly controlled outbreak of Serratia marcescens infection/colonisations in a neonatal intensive care unit, Pescara General Hospital, Pescara, Italy, April 2011. Euro Surveill. 2011;16(24):pii=19892. https://doi.org/10.2807/ese.16.24.19892-en Received: 09 Jun 2011

Abstract

In April 2011, an outbreak of Serratia marcescens infection/colonisations occurred in the neonatal intensive care unit of Pescara General Hospital. Rapid microbiological investigations lead to identification of five cases of likely cross-transmission from a neonate hospitalised for S. marcescens sepsis: four infections and one neonate colonised post-mortem. Two low birth weight neonates died. The environmental investigation detected S. marcescens from two soap dispensers. Strict hygiene measures lead to early interruption of the outbreak, without recurrences to date.