ABSTRACT
COVID-19 dedicated units were created early in the pandemic. Despite their need, factors specific to these units can possibly increase the risk of bacterial cross-contamination between COVID-19 patients. We report a Serratia marcescens outbreak in a COVID-19 intensive care unit, later discussing factors specific to COVID-19 units that may facilitate bacterial cross-contamination in such units, and raising awareness for such an issue.
Subject(s)
COVID-19 , Cross Infection , Serratia Infections , Cross Infection/epidemiology , Disease Outbreaks , Humans , Infant, Newborn , Infection Control , Intensive Care Units , Intensive Care Units, Neonatal , SARS-CoV-2 , Serratia Infections/epidemiology , Serratia marcescensABSTRACT
Serratia marcescens, time and again, has demonstrated its ability to easily adhere and infect vascular access catheters, making them a bona fide source of hospital outbreaks and contributing to adverse patient outcomes. We present a unique case of a severe recurrent Serratia infection, leading to persistent bacteria in the blood, haematogenous dissemination and subsequent development of abscesses, to a degree not reported in the literature before. These infections are exceedingly challenging to eradicate, owing to multiple virulence mechanisms and the deep seeding ability of this microorganism. Serratia infections require a multifaceted approach with intricacies in identification, therapeutics and surveillance, all of which are sparsely reported in the literature and reviewed in this report.