Pseudomonas putida

Pseudomonas putida is a Gram-negative, rod-shaped bacterium of the family Pseudomonadaceae.

Pseudomonas putida causes increased nosocomial infection, including among intensive care patients and in the event of immunodeficiency. The following diseases can be caused by this pathogen:

  • Wound infections

  • Pneumonia

  • Urinary tract infections

  • Skin infections

  • Meningitis

  • Sepsis

Pseudomonas putida is ubiquitously distributed in soil, water, plants, and in animals. The bacterium is a biofilm former.

Relevance of pathogen in transmission in endoscopy

  • Gastroenterology: Not relevant

  • Pulmonology: High

  • Ear, nose, and throat: Not relevant

  • Urology: Low

Relevance for endoscope surveillance

  • High concern organism

Transmission route

Transmission occurs via contact infection, via contaminated water, contaminated infusion or transfusion solutions.

Poor water quality can also cause the spread and transmission of this pathogen in healthcare facilities. Break-offs of Pseudomonas putida biofilms in water pipes can contaminate the water and lead to the spread of the pathogen. Thus, a recontamination of a previously reprocessed endoscope may also occur during final rinsing.

Resistance to antibiotics

Pseudomonas putida shows high rates of resistance up to multi-resistance to beta-lactams, carbapenems, and aminoglycosides, among others.

Sources and further readings

  1. Alfa MJ/Sitter DL. In-hospital evaluation of contamination of duodenoscopes: a quantitative assessment of the effect of drying, J Hosp Infect. 1991 Oct;19(2):89-98.

  2. Aumeran C et al. Pseudomonas aeruginosa and Pseudomonas putida outbreak associated with contaminated water outlets in an oncohaematology paediatric unit, J Hosp Infect. 2007 Jan;65(1):47–53.

  3. Cosgrove SE et al. Caveat emptor: the role of suboptimal bronchoscope repair practices by a third-party vendor in a pseudo-outbreak of pseudomonas in bronchoalveolar lavage specimens, Infect Control Hosp Epidemiol. 2012 Mar;33(3):224–9.

  4. Gries O, Ly T: Infektologie – Kompendium humanpathogener Infektionskrankheiten und Erreger, Springer-Verlag Berlin Heidelberg 2019.

  5. Lombardi G et al. Nosocomial infections caused by multidrug-resistant isolates of pseudomonas putida producing VIM-1 metallo-beta-lactamase, J Clin Microbiol. 2002 Nov;40(11):4051-5.

  6. Neulier C et al. Pseudo-outbreak of Pseudomonas putida Respiratory Infection Caused by Laboratory Contamination, Infect Control Hosp Epidemiol. 2011 May;32(5):523-5.

  7. Yoshino Y et al. Pseudomonas putida bacteremia in adult patients: five case reports and a review of the literature. J Infect Chemother. 2011 Apr;17(2):278-82.