What are the causes of Serratia marcescens

What are the causes of Serratia marcescens? This is something many people want to know in full. Only by knowing the causes of Serratia marcescens in full can they maintain good hygiene in all aspects and stay away from this disease to avoid serious infection to their bodies. The following content gives a detailed introduction and you can learn about it as soon as possible.

Serratia marcescens has long been considered a common flora in water and soil that is harmless to humans. However, it has only been discovered in recent years that it can cause human infections, including urinary tract, respiratory tract, meningeal and wound infections, and can cause bacteremia, endotoxin shock and endocarditis. In recent years, nosocomial infections caused by Serratia marcescens, especially wound infections, have been on the rise, and there have been reports of outbreaks in cardiac surgery and pediatric wards. Clinical medical staff should pay great attention to this issue. Although other species of Serratia are occasionally isolated, it has not yet been determined whether they are pathogens. A characteristic of Serratia is the production of gelatinase, lipase and DNase. The main difference between Serratia and Klebsiella, Enterobacter and Hafnia is that it is DNase positive.

The genus Serratia includes 9 species. The most common one in clinical practice and the one with the most obvious biochemical characteristics is Serratia marcescens. The main difference between Serratia marcescens and other species in the same genus is that it is arabinose negative, raffinose negative, and xylose negative. Serratia marcescens isolated from soil or water produces a non-diffusible red pigment prodigiosin when cultured aerobically, especially at 20°C, but most clinical isolates do not produce the pigment. Identification of biotypes of Serratia marcescens: It can be identified using its O and H antigens, but antiserum is not easy to obtain.

Alternative approaches include carbon utilization assays and other phenotypic identification methods, which have been used in conjunction with serotyping in epidemiological surveys. Other species that produce red pigments include Serratia rubrum and Serratia plymuthica, but they are rarely isolated from humans. Serratia marcescens can be isolated from sputum, blood, and cerebrospinal fluid specimens and produces a characteristic rancid potato odor that aids in identification. Serratia solani can also be isolated from clinical specimens, mainly in wound exudate, but the biochemical reaction of Serratia solani (VP, gelatinase, lipase, DNase negative) is atypical and may be further classified in the future.

What are the causes of Serratia marcescens? After a comprehensive understanding of the above content, I believe that many people have already fully understood the causes of Serratia marcescens. After a comprehensive understanding, find out the cause. If you are infected with this disease, you must undergo a comprehensive examination as soon as possible. After the diagnosis, use the correct treatment method to keep yourself away from the harm of this disease as soon as possible.