Pillows, an unexpected source of Acinetobacter.
From 1989 until 1992 an increase in the number of isolations of Acinetobacter was observed in a community hospital in The Netherlands. The organisms were spread throughout the hospital and a common source was suspected. Feather pillows were found to harbour high numbers of acinetobacters. Replacement with synthetic pillows and correction of the laundry procedure resulted in a significant reduction of Acinetobacter isolations. A number of isolates from patients and from pillows were indistinguishable using biotyping, antibiogram typing and cell envelope protein typing. By the use of DNA-DNA hybridization most isolates were identified to A. baumannii and the unnamed closely related genomic species 13. A number of isolates, mostly from pillows, were identified as A. radioresistens. The outcome of cultivation, intervention and typing suggests that the feather pillows played an important role in the outbreak.
Weernink
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Department of Hospital Hygiene, Regional Hospital Midden Twente, Hengelo, The Netherlands.
Severin
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WP
Tjernberg
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Dijkshoorn
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D000150:Acinetobacter / Q000145:classification / Q000302:isolation & purification*; D000151:Acinetobacter Infections / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000382:microbiology / Q000635:transmission*; D015373:Bacterial Typing Techniques; D001512:Bedding and Linens / Q000592:standards*; D003428:Cross Infection / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000382:microbiology / Q000635:transmission*; D004196:Disease Outbreaks / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D004783:Environmental Microbiology; D006764:Hospitals, Community; D006801:Humans; D009426:Netherlands / Q000453:epidemiology