[Epidemiological evaluation of Serratia marcescens isolates in one Japanese hospital during the two years from April 1997 to March 1999].

ABSTRACT

One hundred fourteen isolates of Serratia marcescens from different patients in Showa University Fujigaoka Hospital during the 2 years from April 1997 to March 1999 were investigated in this study. The isolation frequency(37%, 43 of the isolates) of O-serotype 14(O14) was highest among the 16 different serotypes, and that(24%, 27 of the isolates) of O2 was secondarily highest, while these types were frequently isolated from patients in the surgical ward. O14 with major bacteriocin types 4 and 9(B4 and B9, respectively) showed resistance to piperacillin, the third and fourth generation cephems, new quinolones and aminoglycosides except gentamicin tested. However, O2 with major B1 and B5 showed much greater sensitivity to the antimicrobial agents tested than O14. Furthermore, O2 and O14 were frequently isolated from patients' sputa(41%, 11 of the 27 isolates) and urine(72%, 31 of the 43 isolates), respectively. These findings suggested that S. marcescens O14 with B4 and B9, more resistant to various agents, and O2 with B1 and B5, more sensitive to various agents, show a tendency to inhabit the urinary and respiratory tracts in the hospital patient's body, respectively, having a high risk of hospital infection.