Pseudomonas aeruginosa outbreak in a pediatric oncology care unit caused by an errant water jet into contaminated siphons

Pediatr Infect Dis J. 2012 Jun;31(6):648-50. doi: 10.1097/INF.0b013e31824d1a11.

Abstract

We analyzed an outbreak of invasive infections with an exotoxin U positive Pseudomonas aeruginosa strain within a pediatric oncology care unit. Environmental sampling and molecular characterization of the Pseudomonas aeruginosa strains led to identification of the outbreak source. An errant water jet into the sink within patient rooms was observed. Optimized outbreak management resulted in an abundance of further Pseudomonas aeruginosa infections within the pediatric oncology care unit.

Publication types

  • Case Reports

MeSH terms

  • Adolescent
  • Bacterial Toxins / metabolism
  • Child, Preschool
  • Cluster Analysis
  • Cross Infection / epidemiology*
  • Cross Infection / microbiology
  • Disease Outbreaks*
  • Drinking Water / microbiology*
  • Female
  • Genotype
  • Hospitals, Pediatric
  • Humans
  • Molecular Typing
  • Neoplasms / complications*
  • Pseudomonas Infections / epidemiology*
  • Pseudomonas Infections / microbiology
  • Pseudomonas aeruginosa / classification
  • Pseudomonas aeruginosa / genetics
  • Pseudomonas aeruginosa / isolation & purification*
  • Random Amplified Polymorphic DNA Technique
  • Retrospective Studies

Substances

  • Bacterial Toxins
  • Drinking Water