Serratia marcescens
Serratia marcescens is a Gram-negative, rod-shaped bacterium that belongs to the genus Serratia.
Serratia marcescens can cause the following infections and diseases, among others:
Urinary tract infections
Conjunctivitis
Respiratory infections
Wound infections
Endocarditis (inflammation of the heart’s inner lining)
Sepsis
Serratia marcescens is found in soil, water, plants, and animals. It can also form biofilms.
Relevance of pathogen in transmission in endoscopy
Gastroenterology: Low
Pulmonology: Low
Ear, nose, and throat: Not relevant
Urology: Low
Relevance for endoscope processing
High concern organism
Transmission route
Infections can occur through the environment, direct human to human contact, or through touching contaminated objects.
Resistance to antibiotics
Serratia marcescens is an ESBL-producing strain (ESBL = extended-spectrum beta-lactamase) and exhibits resistance to several antibiotics. The bacterium is resistant to penicillins, carbapenems, and macrolides.
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Mahlen S. D. Serratia Infections: from Military Experiments to Current Practice, Clin Microbiol Rev. 2011 Oct; 24(4): 755–791, https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC3194826/ (accessed on 04.22.2021).