The washing machine as a reservoir for transmission of extended spectrum beta-lactamase (CTX-M-15)-producing Klebsiella oxytoca ST201 in newborns.

This report describes an outbreak with a single strain of a multidrug-resistant bacterium (Klebsiella oxytoca ST201) in a neonatal intensive care unit, that was only terminated when the washing machine was removed. In addition, the study implies that changes in washing machine design and processing are required to prevent accumulation of residual water where microbial growth can occur and contaminate clothes.
PMID: 31562168 [PubMed - as supplied by publisher]

Source: Applied and Environmental Microbiology - September 26, 2019 Category: Microbiology Authors: Schmithausen RM, Sib E, Exner M, Hack S, Rösing C, Ciorba P, Bierbaum G, Savin M, Bloomfield SF, Kaase M, Jacobshagen A, Gemein S, Gebel J, Engelhart S, Exner D Tags: Appl Environ Microbiol Source Type: research