Skip to main content
PMC home page
Journal of Clinical Microbiology logoLink to Journal of Clinical Microbiology
. 1979 Aug;10(2):155–160. doi: 10.1128/jcm.10.2.155-160.1979

Airway colonization by Flavobacterium in an intensive care unit.

G C du Moulin
PMCID: PMC273120  PMID: 511985

Abstract

A total of 195 patients admitted to a respiratory-surgical intensive care unit became colonized with species of Flavobacterium during a 70-month prospective study. By biochemical, cultural, and morphological criteria and a comparison of antibiotic susceptibilities, all patient isolates of Flavobacterium were apparently related. The origin of these organisms was sought. Flavobacterium were recovered from different water-associated areas of the hospital and from the hands of respiratory-surgical intensive care care unit staff. The organisms were also found in university dormitory sinks. The isolation of these organisms from tap water led to their recovery from reservoirs supplying drinking water to the city of Boston and surrounding communities. These organisms are resistant to chlorine concentrations found in municipal water. There was no proven case of pneumonia caused by Flavobacterium in 2,329 consecutive patients studied in our respiratory-surgical intensive care unit.

Full text

PDF

Selected References

These references are in PubMed. This may not be the complete list of references from this article.

  1. Airoldi T., Litsky W. Factors contributing to the microbial contamination of cold-water humidifiers. Am J Med Technol. 1972 Dec;38(12):491–495. [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  2. Altmann G., Bogokovsky B. In-vitro sensitivity of Elavobacterium meningosepticum to antimicrobial agents. J Med Microbiol. 1971 May;4(2):296–299. doi: 10.1099/00222615-4-2-296. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  3. Atlas R. M., Bartha R. Degradation and mineralization of petroleum by two bacteria isolated from coastal waters. Biotechnol Bioeng. 1972 May;14(3):297–308. doi: 10.1002/bit.260140303. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  4. BRODY J. A., MOORE H., KING E. O. Meningitis caused by an unclassified gram-negative bacterium in newborn infants. AMA J Dis Child. 1958 Jul;96(1):1–5. doi: 10.1001/archpedi.1958.02060060003001. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  5. Bauer A. W., Kirby W. M., Sherris J. C., Turck M. Antibiotic susceptibility testing by a standardized single disk method. Am J Clin Pathol. 1966 Apr;45(4):493–496. [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  6. CABRERA H. A., DAVIS G. H. Epidemic meningitis of the newborn caused by flavobacteria. I. Epidemiology and bacteriology. Am J Dis Child. 1961 Mar;101:289–295. doi: 10.1001/archpedi.1961.04020040017004. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  7. Covelli H. D., Kleeman J., Martin J. E., Landau W. L., Hughes R. L. Bacterial emission from both vapor and aerosol humidifiers. Am Rev Respir Dis. 1973 Sep;108(3):698–701. doi: 10.1164/arrd.1973.108.3.698. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  8. Edmondson E. B., Reinarz J. A., Pierce A. K., Sanford J. P. Nebulization equipment. A potential source of infection in gram-negative pneumonias. Am J Dis Child. 1966 Apr;111(4):357–360. doi: 10.1001/archpedi.1966.02090070055004. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  9. Eykens A., Eggermont E., Eeckels R., Vandepitte J., Spaepen J. Neonatal meningitis caused by flavobacterium meningosepticum. Helv Paediatr Acta. 1973 Nov;28(5):421–425. [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  10. Feeley T. W., Du Moulin G. C., Hedley-Whyte J., Bushnell L. S., Gilbert J. P., Feingold D. S. Aerosol polymyxin and pneumonia in seriously ill patients. N Engl J Med. 1975 Sep 4;293(10):471–475. doi: 10.1056/NEJM197509042931003. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  11. Greenfield S., Teres D., Bushnell L. S., Hedley-Whyte J., Feingold D. S. Prevention of gram-negative bacillary pneumonia using aerosol polymyxin as prophylaxis. I. Effect on the colonization pattern of the upper respiratory tract of seriously ill patients. J Clin Invest. 1973 Nov;52(11):2935–2940. doi: 10.1172/JCI107490. [DOI] [PMC free article] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  12. HERMAN L. G., HIMMELSBACH C. K. DETECTION AND CONTROL OF HOSPITAL SOURCES OF FLAVOBACTERIA. Hospitals. 1965 Jun 16;39:72–76. [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  13. Hawley H. B., Gump D. W. Vancomycin therapy of bacterial meningitis. Am J Dis Child. 1973 Aug;126(2):261–264. doi: 10.1001/archpedi.1973.02110190231025. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  14. Jackson A. E., Southern P. M., Pierce A. K., Fallis B. D., Sanford J. P. Pulmonary clearance of gram-negative bacilli. J Lab Clin Med. 1967 May;69(5):833–841. [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  15. KAUFMAN D. D., KEARNEY P. C. MICROBIAL DEGRADATION OF ISOPROPYL-N-3 -CHLOROPHENYLCARBAMATE AND 2-CHLOROETHYL-N-3-CHLOROPHENYLCARBAMATE. Appl Microbiol. 1965 May;13:443–446. doi: 10.1128/am.13.3.443-446.1965. [DOI] [PMC free article] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  16. KING E. O. Studies on a group of previously unclassified bacteria associated with meningitis in infants. Am J Clin Pathol. 1959 Mar;31(3):241–247. doi: 10.1093/ajcp/31.3.241. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  17. Klick J. M., du Moulin G. C., Hedley-Whyte J., Teres D., Bushnell L. S., Feingold D. S. Prevention of gram-negative bacillary pneumonia using polymyxin aerosol as prophylaxis. II. Effect on the incidence of pneumonia in seriously ill patients. J Clin Invest. 1975 Mar;55(3):514–519. doi: 10.1172/JCI107957. [DOI] [PMC free article] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  18. Kohn J. A waste-trap-sterilising method. Lancet. 1970 Sep 12;2(7672):550–551. doi: 10.1016/s0140-6736(70)91351-6. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  19. Maderazo E. G., Bassaris H. P., Quintiliani R. Flavobacterium meningosepticum meningitis in a newborn infant. Treatment with intraventricular erythromycin. J Pediatr. 1974 Nov;85(5):675–676. doi: 10.1016/s0022-3476(74)80515-9. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  20. Madruga M., Zanon U., Pereira G. M., Galvão A. C. Meningitis caused by Flavobacterium meningosepticum. The first epidemic outbreak of meningitis in the newborn in South America. J Infect Dis. 1970 Mar;121(3):328–330. doi: 10.1093/infdis/121.3.328. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  21. Moffet H. L., Williams T. Bacteria recovered from distilled water and inhalation therapy equipment. Am J Dis Child. 1967 Jul;114(1):7–12. doi: 10.1001/archpedi.1967.02090220013002. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  22. Olsen H. A clinical analysis of 10 cases of postoperative infection with Flavobacterium meningosepticum. Dan Med Bull. 1967 Jan;14(1):1–5. [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  23. Olsen H. An epidemiological study of hospital infection with Flavobacterium meningosepticum. Dan Med Bull. 1967 Jan;14(1):6–9. [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  24. SCHIFF J., SUTER L. S., GOURLEY R. D., SUTLIFF W. D. Flavobacterium infection as a cause of bacterial endocarditis. Report of a case, bacteriologic studies, and review of the literature. Ann Intern Med. 1961 Sep;55:499–506. doi: 10.7326/0003-4819-55-3-499. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  25. Stamm W. E., Colella J. J., Anderson R. L., Dixon R. E. Indwelling arterial catheters as a source of nosocomial bacteremia. An outbreak caused by Flavobacterium Species. N Engl J Med. 1975 May 22;292(21):1099–1102. doi: 10.1056/NEJM197505222922105. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  26. Teres D. ICU-acquired pneumonia due to Flavobacterium meningosepticum. JAMA. 1974 May 6;228(6):732–732. [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  27. Washington J. A., 2nd, Yu P. K., Martin W. J. Evaluation of accuracy of multitest micromethod system for identification of Enterobacteriaceae. Appl Microbiol. 1971 Sep;22(3):267–269. doi: 10.1128/am.22.3.267-269.1971. [DOI] [PMC free article] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  28. Werthamer S., Weiner M. Subacute bacterial endocarditis due to Flavobacterium meningosepticum. Am J Clin Pathol. 1972 Mar;57(3):410–412. doi: 10.1093/ajcp/57.3.410. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]

Articles from Journal of Clinical Microbiology are provided here courtesy of American Society for Microbiology (ASM)

RESOURCES