Genomic epidemiological investigation of an outbreak of Serratia marcescens neurosurgical site infections associated with contaminated haircutting toolkits in a hospital barber shop

Abstract

Nine surgical site infections caused by Serratia marcescens were diagnosed in neurosurgical patients in a 3500-bed hospital between 2nd February and 6th April 2022. To trace the source of infections caused by S.marcescens to expedite termination of the outbreak and prevent future epidemics. A review of all surgical procedures and cultures yielding S.marcescens since February 2022 was conducted. Samples were collected from patients and environmental sources. S.marcescens isolates were characterized by antibiotic susceptibility testing. Whole-genome sequencing (WGS) was used to investigate genetic relationships. Resistance genes, virulence genes and plasmid replicons were identified. S.marcescens was isolated from patients' puncture fluid, cerebrospinal fluid and other secretions, and was also cultured from the barbers' haircutting tools, including leather knives, slicker scrapers and razors. In total, 15 isolates were obtained from patients and eight isolates were obtained from haircutting tools. All isolates exhibited identical antibiotic resistance patterns. WGS revealed close clustering among the 23 isolates which differed significantly from previous strains. Three resistance genes and nine virulence-associated genes were detected in all isolates, and 19 of 23 isolates harboured an MOBP-type plasmid. The results confirmed an outbreak of S.marcescens, which was traced to contaminated haircutting tools in the hospital barber shop. The outbreak ended after extensive reinforcement of infection control procedures and re-education of the barbers. These results highlight the risk of postoperative infections related to pre-operative skin preparation, and demonstrate the value of next-generation sequencing tools to expedite outbreak investigations.