Serratia marcescens Colonization in a Neonatal Intensive Care Unit Has Multiple Sources, with Sink Drains as a Major Reservoir
Thibault Bourdin, Marie-Ève Benoit, Alizée Monnier, Émilie Bédard, Michèle Prévost, Dominique Charron, Nathalie Audy, Sophie Gravel, Mélanie Sicard, Caroline Quach, Éric Déziel, Philippe Constant
Abstract
The bacterium Serratia marcescens is an important opportunistic human pathogen that thrives in many environments, can become multidrug resistant, and is often involved in nosocomial outbreaks in neonatal intensive care units (NICU). We evaluated the role of sinks during five suspected S. marcescens outbreaks in a NICU. An innovative approach combining molecular and culture methods was used to maximize the detection and typing of S. marcescens in the sink environment. Our results indicate multiple reservoirs of S. marcescens within the NICU, including patients, sink drains, and external sources. These results highlight the importance of sinks as a major reservoir of S. marcescens and potential sources of future outbreaks.