Pseudomonas aeruginosa countrywide outbreak in hospitals linked to pre-moistened non-sterile washcloths, Norway, October 2021 to April 2022
Kirsten Gravningen, Oliver Kacelnik, Egil Lingaas, Torunn Pedersen, Bjørn G Iversen, the Pseudomonas outbreak group
Abstract
In November 2021, a clonal outbreak of Pseudomonas aeruginosa of novel sequence type ST3875 was detected in three patients who died of bloodstream infections in one hospital. By 25 April 2022, the outbreak included 339 cases from 38 hospitals across Norway. Initial hospital reports indicate Pseudomonas infection as the main contributing cause in seven deaths. In March 2022, the outbreak strain was identified in non-sterile pre-moistened disposable washcloths, used to clean patients, from three lots from the same international manufacturer.
Topics & Concepts
OutbreakPseudomonas aeruginosaMedicineVeterinary medicineMicrobiologyVirologyBiologyBacteriaGeneticsVibrio bacteria research studiesAntibiotic Resistance in BacteriaNosocomial Infections in ICU