Streptococcus salivarius meningitis case strain traced to oral flora of anesthesiologist.
Two women in labor received intrapartum spinal anesthesia from the same anesthesiologist approximately 1 h apart. Within 15 h, both patients developed Streptococcus salivarius meningitis and one patient died. Blood and cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) samples from both patients and tongue swab specimens from the anesthesiologist yielded isolates of an indistinguishable S. salivarius strain.
Shewmaker
Patricia L
PL
Respiratory Diseases Branch, Division of Bacterial Diseases, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, Atlanta, GA 30329, USA.
Gertz
Robert E
RE
Kim
Clara Y
CY
de Fijter
Sietske
S
DiOrio
Mary
M
Moore
Matthew R
MR
Beall
Bernard W
BW
D000775:Anesthesia, Spinal; D015373:Bacterial Typing Techniques / Q000379:methods*; D003470:Culture Media; D004269:DNA, Bacterial / Q000032:analysis; D016521:Electrophoresis, Gel, Pulsed-Field; D017809:Fatal Outcome; D005260:Female; D005798:Genes, Bacterial / Q000235:genetics; D006801:Humans; D017757:Infectious Disease Transmission, Professional-to-Patient; D008505:Medical Staff, Hospital; D016920:Meningitis, Bacterial / Q000209:etiology / Q000382:microbiology; D011247:Pregnancy; D013291:Streptococcus / Q000235:genetics / Q000254:growth & development / Q000302:isolation & purification*; D014059:Tongue / Q000382:microbiology*
D003470:Culture Media; D004269:DNA, Bacterial