Infections caused by Flavobacterium meningosepticum in patients in a neonatal intensive care unit
Heeg, P.; Heizmann, W.; Mentzel, H.
Zentralblatt für Hygiene und Umweltmedizin 195(4): 282-287
1994
ISSN/ISBN: 0934-8859 PMID: 8011057 Document Number: 428814
During a period of three and a half months 7 neonates from a neonatal intensive care unit became infected by F. meningosepticum, serotype B. The pathogens could be isolated from the tracheal secretions and--less frequently--from throat swabs, gastric juice and nose swabs. Environmental sampling led to the isolation of F. meningosepticum from the humidification fluid of the respirator, from vaporizers as well as from the artificial ventilation tubing. F. mengingosepticum was found in the water of humidifiers from 3 children, who developed neither a colonization nor an infection. In a number of cases the patients' environment was contaminated with F. meningosepticum prior to colinization or infection. Nearly identical resistance patterns against the antibiotics tested, could be demonstrated for the isolated strains. The primary source of infection could not be identified, it is supposed however that the index patient had been admitted to the hospital nine months before. A strict hygienic policy, like consequently performed hand hygiene, adequate processing of ventilation equipment and application of sterile tubings led to extinction of the infections. During subsequent environmental controls, F. meningosepticum could not be isolated.