Back to Search
Start Over
An outbreak of Serratia liquefaciens at a rural health center in The Gambia
- Source :
- Journal of infection in developing countries. 10(8)
- Publication Year :
- 2015
-
Abstract
- Introduction: Healthcare-associated infections (HAIs) are better documented in developed than in developing countries. There are emerging reports regarding the high frequency of HAIs in developing countries. We aimed to report an outbreak of an HAI caused by Serratia liquefaciens at a rural health center in The Gambia. Methodology: Following an abrupt increase in the isolation of S. liquefaciens in clinical samples, laboratory and clinical consumables, as well as staff, were screened for contamination with S. liquefaciens. Conventional microbiological techniques and biochemical identification tests were used. A phenotypic typing was achieved using the Kirby-Bauer antibiotic susceptibility method. Strategies to control the outbreak were implemented. Results: A total of 794 samples were processed during the outbreak; 44 (6%) grew S. liquefaciens. Five (25%) of the 20 suspected contaminated materials (hospital consumables and equipment) screened yielded growth of the organism. The primary source of the outbreak was hospital consumables. Three (7%) of the 44 infected children died with no other known cause than S. liquefaciens infection. Ninety-nine percent similarity of the antibiogram phenotypic typing suggests the isolates were from the same clonal origin. The outbreak was successfully controlled after the removal and sterilization of the respective contaminated fluids and equipment. Conclusions: This HAI was caused by poor practice in the preparation of medications for nebulization and intravenous infusion, hygiene practices, and a lack of awareness among staff about infection control. We recommend further studies to delineate the role played by HAIs in the developing world.
- Subjects :
- Male
Isolation (health care)
medicine.drug_class
Attitude of Health Personnel
media_common.quotation_subject
Antibiotics
030204 cardiovascular system & hematology
Serratia liquefaciens
Microbiology
Disease Outbreaks
Serratia Infections
03 medical and health sciences
0302 clinical medicine
Professional Competence
Hygiene
Virology
Environmental health
Environmental Microbiology
Medicine
Infection control
Humans
030212 general & internal medicine
Typing
media_common
Bacteriological Techniques
Cross Infection
business.industry
Rural health
Infant, Newborn
Outbreak
Infant
General Medicine
Infectious Diseases
Child, Preschool
Equipment Contamination
Parasitology
Female
Gambia
Rural Health Services
business
Drug Contamination
Subjects
Details
- ISSN :
- 19722680
- Volume :
- 10
- Issue :
- 8
- Database :
- OpenAIRE
- Journal :
- Journal of infection in developing countries
- Accession number :
- edsair.doi.dedup.....204674573923a98d615e58d69cf7ddf8