First Italian outbreak of VIM-producing Serratia marcescens in an adult polyvalent intensive care unit, August-October 2018: A case report and literature review

Background: Carbapenem-resistant Enterobacteriaceae has become a significant public health concern as hospital outbreaks are now being frequently reported and these organisms are becoming difficult to treat with the available antibiotics.

Case summary: An outbreak of VIM-producing Serratia marcescens occurred over a period of 11 wk (August, 1 to October, 18) in patients admitted to the adult polyvalent intensive care unit of the University of Campania "Luigi Vanvitelli" located in Naples. Four episodes occurred in three patients (two patients infected, and one patient colonized). All the strains revealed the production of VIM.

Conclusion: After three decades of carbapenem antibiotics use, the emergence of carbapenem-resistance in Enterobacteriaceae has become a significant concern and a stricter control to preserve its clinical application is mandatory. This is, to our knowledge, the first outbreak of VIM-producing Serratia marcescens in Europe. Surveillance policies must be implemented to avoid future outbreaks.