A parent as a vector of Salmonella brandenburg nosocomial infection in a neonatal intensive care unit

• Published in: Clinical microbiology and infection Vol. 9; no. 6; pp. 560 - 562
• Main Authors: Cartolano, G.-L., Moulies, M.-E., Seguier, J.-C., Boisivon, A.
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: Oxford, UK Elsevier Ltd 01.06.2003; Blackwell Science Ltd; Blackwell
• Subjects: Bacterial diseases; Bacterial diseases of the digestive system and abdomen; Biological and medical sciences; Clostridium difficile; Cross Infection - transmission; Female; Human bacterial diseases; Humans; Infant, Newborn; Infectious diseases; Intensive Care Units, Neonatal; Male; Medical sciences; Neonatal Intensive Care Unit; nosocomial infection; Salmonella; Salmonella - physiology; Salmonella brandenburg; Salmonella Infections - transmission; Salmonellosis; Shock, Septic - physiopathology; Shock, Septic - transmission; Visitors to Patients; Salmonellosis; Neonatal Intensive Care Unit; Salmonella brandenburg; nosocomial infection; Human; Nosocomial infection; Parent; Epidemiology; Intensive care unit; Infection; Case study; Survey; Newborn; Bacteriosis; Transmission mode; Vector
• ISSN: 1198-743X; 1469-0691
• DOI: 10.1046/j.1469-0691.2003.00562.x

A newborn baby was admitted to the Neonatal Intensive Care Unit (NICU) of St Germain en Laye Hospital (France) because of premature birth. On day 12, he contracted gastroenteritis due to Salmonella brandenbourg. The salmonellosis led to a septic shock syndrome with a brief cardiopulmonary arrest. He was treated with intravenous ceftriaxone and gentamicin, and the evolution was favorable. Microbiological investigations revealed that the mother was the vector for this nosocomial infection. S. brandenbourg was isolated from the feces of the baby, despite recent recommendations on managing stool specimens from patients hospitalized for more than three days: according to these recommendations, these stools should be processed for viruses and Clostridium difficile toxin only.