History and Presence of Serratia marcescens

Abstract

Serratia marcescens is an important member of the order Enterobacterales, even though it was initially considered to be slightly virulent. Today it is an indisputable fact that Serratia is an important opportunistic pathogen responsible for a wide range of nosocomial infections. The main risk group is immunocompromised patients, both adults and newborns, and patients after different medical interventions such as bronchoscopy, central venous catheterization, urinal catheters, surgical drainage, tracheostomy, and mechanical ventilation. This species is documented as a causative agent of a variety of infections with different clinical presentations – bloodstream infections, respiratory and urinary tract infections, wound infections, and skin and soft tissue infections. In addition, S. marcescens is of high significance as an opportunistic pathogen due to its antibiotic resistance, which makes the treatment difficult. The types and the epidemiology of S. marcescens infections are presented and discussed in detail in this review.