Serratia marcescens in human affairs.
Serratia marcescens, a ubiquitous, essentially saprophytic bacterium with a predilection for starches, has played a significant role in human affairs. Its notoriety has been occasioned by a blood-red pigment liberated by the organism during its metabolic activities that has been mistaken for fresh blood. In early Greek and Roman history, such "bloody" episodes were viewed as manifestations of divine destiny; by the Middle Ages in Europe they coincided with the development of church doctrine regarding the holy sacraments and had a far more sinister effect. In numerous instances between 1300 and 1500 A.D. host wafers developed a "bloody" appearance and led to the mass slaughter of Jews, who were accused of destructive attempts against the Eucharist. In our time, Serratia marcescens has been shown to possess significant endotoxic activity and can no longer be regarded as a harmless nuisance. It has been implicated in a wide range of human infections, particularly hospital-associated infections, of varying degrees of severity and including fatal antibiotic-resistant septicemias.
D001939:Bread / Q000506:poisoning; D003116:Color; D003428:Cross Infection / Q000209:etiology*; D014943:Global Health; D049668:History, 15th Century; D049669:History, 16th Century; D049670:History, 17th Century; D049671:History, 18th Century; D049672:History, 19th Century; D049673:History, 20th Century; D049690:History, Ancient; D049691:History, Medieval; D006801:Humans; D012706:Serratia marcescens / Q000472:pathogenicity*; D013483:Superstitions / Q000266:history*