STUDY ON SEROTYPING, PHAGETYPING AND DRUG RESISTANCE OF SERRATIA MARCESCENS ISOLATED FROM CLINICAL SPECIMENS
1980 Volume 71 Issue 11 Pages 1313-1327
Details
1980 Volume 71 Issue 11 Pages 1313-1327
During 18 months from April 1977 to September 1978, 222 clinical isolates of Serratia marcescens obtained from Niigata University Hospital were microbiologically examined and the results were summarized as follows:
1) One-hundred and twenty-two strains were isolated from urine, 44 strains from sputum and 56 strains from the other specimens. The number of isolates increased in 1978 as compared with those of the preceding year.
2) One-hundred and ninety-five strains (87.8%) were typable serologically. The serotype O-2 and O-3 were frequent in urine, O-8 in sputum, and O-2 and O-8 in the other specimens.
3) In 20 strains which produced prodigiosin and in 13 strains which were resistant to penicillin, bacteriophages were isolated and the phagetyping was performed. However, there was no significant finding between the origin, serotype and phagetype of the strains.
4) All strains were examined for sensitivity to 26 drugs. “Urinary” strains were found to be higher in prevalence rate of resistant strains. In general, Serratia strains tested were resistant to PCG, MCIPC, CET and CEZ, and sensitive to aminoglycosides, including AMK and GM. However, some isolates in 1978 became resistant to the latter.
5) Cephalosporinase was produced by almost all strains tested. However, penicillinase was produced by 90% of “urinary” strains, respiratory strains and 25% of the other strains. Chloramphenicol acetyltransferase was demonstrated in one strain which was highly resistant to CP.
6) The drug resistance of Serratia to PC, SM, TC and CP was transferable to Escherichia coli at a frequency of 1×10-5. And the resistance of the transconjugant was eliminated by ethidium bromide in 80%.
Besides, the transmission of resistance between strains of S. marcescens was also demonstrated.
