Epidemiological Studies of Serratia marcescens Infections by Bacteriocin (Marcescin) Typing

Abstract

NASU, M. Epidemiological Studies of Serratia marcescens Infections by Bacteriocin (Marcescin) Typing. Tohoku J. exp. Med., 1981, 133 (1), 45-52 -Serratia marcescens strains isolated from various clinical materials and the environment in Nagasaki University Hospital during the period from April 1970 to May 1979 were classified by bacteriocin (marcescin) production typing by means of the agar cross streaking method utilizing 8 indicators without induction. Six hundred and fifty-four isolated strains (406 from urine, 153 from sputum, 60 from pus & exudate, 13 from bile and 21 from others) in the above period were classified into 30 types by bacteriocin production typing. The distribution of the bacteriocin type of these strains differed according to the clinical material. Epidemiological investigations were performed using the isolates obtained from different patients and places in the Hospital during the 15 month period from January 1975 to March 1976. Each ward had a distinctive distribution of the bacteriocin type of the isolates. The bacterial flora in 100 sites of each ward was examined, and 5 strains of Serratia marcescens were obtained from the Gynecological Ward (4 from a washing recess, 1 from a treatment room) and 5 from the Urological Ward (2 from a floor, 1 from a bed). The bacteriocin types of these strains were coincident with that of the isolated from the patients admitted to both wards except one strain from the treatment room of the Gynecological Ward. Six patients were studied for comparison of the bacteriocin types of Serratia marcescens isolated from several materials taken from the same patients. Three of these patients demonstrated identical bacteriocin type strains in different materials, but the others showed different bacteriocin types of Serratia marcescens. Furthermore, the communicable form of Serratia marcescens among the hospitalized patients was classified by bacteriocin production typing.