Serratia marcescens
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{{Taxobox | color = lightgrey | name = Serratia marcescens | image = Serratia marcescens 01.jpg | image_width = 240px | image_caption = S. marcescens on an XLD agar plate. | regnum = Bacteria | phylum = Proteobacteria | classis = Gamma Proteobacteria | ordo = Enterobacteriales | familia = Enterobacteriaceae | genus = Serratia | species = S. marcescens | binomial = Serratia marcescens | binomial_authority = Bizio 1823 }} Serratia marcescens is a species of Gram negative bacteria in the family Enterobacteriaceae. A human pathogen, S. marcescens is involved in nosocomial infections, particularly urinary tract infections and wound infections.<ref>Template:Cite journal</ref>
S. marcescens is a rod shaped, motile organism and can grow in temperatures ranging from 5–40°C Celsius and in pH levels ranging from 5 to 9. [1]
Due to its ubiquitous presence in the environment, and its preference for damp conditions, S. marcesens is commonly found growing in bathrooms (especially on tile grout), where it manifests as a pink discoloration. Once established, complete eradication of the organism is often difficult, but can be accomplished by application of a bleach-based disinfectant.
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Pathogenesis
S. marcescens can cause conjunctivitis, keratitis, endophthalmitis, and tear duct infections. It is not uncommon in the respiratory and urinary tracts of adults and the gastrointestinal system of children. <ref>Template:Cite web</ref> Most S. marcescens strains are resistant to several antibiotics because of the presence of R-factors on plasmids.
In coral, S. marcescens is the cause of the disease known as White pox.
Historical
In the 1950s S. marcescens was erroneously believed to be non-pathogenic and its reddish coloration was used in school experiments to track infections. It has also been used as a simulant in biological warfare tests by the United States Military. On September 26 and 27, 1950, the United States Navy conducted a secret experiment named "Operation Sea-Spray" in which an aerosolized cloud of S. marcescens was sprayed over urban areas of the inland San Francisco Bay Area in California from balloons lofted from Navy vessels standing just off the coast to gauge the effectiveness of a similar biological attack. Although the Navy later claimed the bacteria were harmless, beginning on September 29 eleven patients at a local hospital developed very rare, serious S. marcescens infections and one of these individuals, Edward J. Nevin, died.<ref>Template:Cite book</ref>,<ref>Template:Cite book</ref>
Since 1950, S. marcescens has steadily increased as a cause of human infection, with many strains resistant to multiple antibiotics (Hejazi and Falkiner 1997). The first indications of problems with the influenza vaccine produced by Chiron Corporation in 2004 involved S. marcescens contamination.
Because of its red pigmentation, and its ability to grow on bread, S. marcescens has been evoked as a naturalistic explanation of Medieval accounts of the "miraculous" appearance of blood on the eucharist that led to Pope Urban IV instituting the Feast of Corpus Christi in 1264.[2]
References
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