Necrotizing enterocolitis. Epidemic following an outbreak of Enterobacter cloacae type 3305573 in a neonatal intensive care unit
J. Powell, M. A. Bureau, C. Pare, M. L. Gaildry, D. Cabana and H. Patriquin
Twelve cases of necrotizing enterocolitis (NEC) occurred within three weeks
in a neonatal intensive care unit (NICU) with 325 annual admissions.
Enterobacter cloacae type 3305573 was found in stool and/or blood cultures
from affected babies prior to the onset of the disease. This bacterium
could not be grown in cultures from infants in the same NICU six weeks
later. A causal relationship between E cloacae and the epidemic of NEC is
suggested.
