Hot and steamy: Outbreak of Bacillus cereus in Singapore associated with construction work and laundry practices

Journal of Hospital Infection

Volumn 81, Issue 4, 2012, Pages 224-230

  Balm, M N D ^a   Jureen, R ^a   Teo, C ^a   Yeoh, A E J ^a   Lin, R T P ^a   Dancer, S J ^b   Fisher, D A ^a  

^a NATIONAL UNIVERSITY HEALTH SYSTEM   (Singapore)

^b HAIRMYRES HOSPITAL   (United Kingdom)

Author keywords

Bacillus cereus; Building construction; Infection control; Laundry

Indexed keywords

DOMESTIC CHEMICAL; VANCOMYCIN;

AIR CONDITIONING; ARTICLE; BACILLUS CEREUS; BACILLUS CEREUS INFECTION; BACTEREMIA; BACTERIUM CONTAMINATION; CLINICAL PRACTICE; CONSTRUCTION WORK; FEMALE; HOSPITAL INFECTION; HUMAN; INFECTION CONTROL; LAUNDRY; MAJOR CLINICAL STUDY; MALE; NONHUMAN; SINGAPORE; STORAGE; UNIVERSITY HOSPITAL;

ANTI-BACTERIAL AGENTS; BACILLUS CEREUS; CROSS INFECTION; DISEASE OUTBREAKS; ENVIRONMENTAL MICROBIOLOGY; GRAM-POSITIVE BACTERIAL INFECTIONS; HOSPITAL DESIGN AND CONSTRUCTION; HOSPITALS, UNIVERSITY; HUMANS; LAUNDRY SERVICE, HOSPITAL; SINGAPORE; VANCOMYCIN;

EID: 84863881424     PISSN: 01956701     EISSN: 15322939     Source Type: Journal    
DOI: 10.1016/j.jhin.2012.04.022     Document Type: Article

References (33)

1. Bottone E. Bacillus cereus, a volatile human pathogen. Clin Microbiol Rev 2010, 23:382-398.
2. Arnold K., Drenzek C., Salter M., et al. Outbreak of cutaneous Bacillus cereus infections among cadets in a university military program - Georgia, August 2004. Morb Mortal Wkly Rev 2005, 54:1233-1235.
3. Dubouix A., Bonnet E., Alvarez M., et al. Bacillus cereus infections in traumatology-orthopedics department: retrospective investigation and improvement of healthcare practices. J Infect 2005, 50:22-30.
4. Miller J.M., Hair J.G., Hebert M., et al. Fulminating bacteremia and pneumonia due to Bacillus cereus. J Clin Microbiol 2007, 35:504-507.
5. Steen M.K., Bruno-Murtha L.A., Chaux G., et al. Bacillus cereus endocarditis: report of a case and review. Clin Infect Dis 1992, 14:945-946.
6. David R.B., Kirkby G.R., Noble B.A. Bacillus cereus endophthalmitis. Br J Ophthalmol 1994, 78:577-580.
7. Brown K.L. Control of bacterial spores. Br Med Bull 2000, 56:158-171.
8. Meats E., Taur Y., Marino L., et al. Investigation of increased rates of isolation of Bacillus species. Infect Control Hosp Epidemiol 2010, 31:1257-1263.
9. Ashkenazi-Hoffnung L., Kaufman Z., Bromberg M., et al. Seasonality of Bacillus species isolated from blood cultures and its potential implications. Am J Infect Control 2009, 37:49-59.
10. Ven der Zwet W.C., Parlevliet G.A., Savelkoul P.H., et al. Outbreak of Bacillus cereus infections in a neonatal intensive care unit traced to balloons used in manual ventilation. J Clin Microbiol 2000, 38:4131-4136.
11. Kalpoe J.S., Hogenbirk K., van Maarseveen N.M., et al. Dissemination of Bacillus cereus in a pediatric intensive care unit traced to insufficient disinfection of reusable ventilator air-flow sensors. J Hosp Infect 2008, 68:341-347.
12. Thuler L.C., Velasco E., de Souza Martins C.A., et al. An outbreak of Bacillus species in a cancer hospital. Infect Control Hosp Epidemiol 1998, 19:856-858.
13. Lui P.Y., Ke S.C., Chen S.L. Use of pulse-field gel electrophoresis to investigate a pseudo-outbreak of Bacillus cereus in a pediatric unit. J Clin Microbiol 1997, 35:1533-1535.
14. Barrie D., Hoffman P.N., Wilson J.A., Kramer J.M. Contamination of linen by Bacillus cereus. Epidemiol Infect 1994, 113:297-306.
15. Sasahara T., Hayashi S., Morisawa Y., et al. Bacillus cereus outbreak due to contaminated hospital linens. Eur J Clin Microbiol Infect Dis 2011, 30:219-226.
16. Dohmae S., Okubo T., Higuchi W., et al. Bacillus cereus nosocomial infection from reused towel in Japan. J Hosp Infect 2008, 69:361-367.
17. Adler A., Gottesman T., Dolfin T., et al. Bacillus species sepsis in the neonatal intensive care unit. J Infect 2005, 51:390-395.
18. Loeb M., Wilcox L., Thornley D., et al. Bacillus species pseudobacteremia following hospital construction. Can J Infect Control 1995, 10:37-40.
19. Ohsaki Y., Koyano S., Tachibana M., et al. Undetected Bacillus pseudo-outbreak after renovation work in a teaching hospital. J Infect 2007, 54:617-622.
20. Campbell J.R., Hulten K., Baker C.J. Cluster of Bacillus species bacteremia cases in neonates during a hospital construction project. Infect Control Hosp Epidemiol 2011, 32:1035-1038.
21. Pasquarella C., Pitzurra O., Savino A. The index of microbial air contamination. J Hosp Infect 2000, 46:241-256.
22. Ryzhof V., Hathout Y., Fenselau C. Rapid characterization of spores of Bacillus cereus group bacteria by matrix-assisted laser desorption/ionisation-time of flight mass spectrometry. Appl Environ Microbiol 2000, 66(9):3828-3834.
23. Kiyomizu K., Yagi T., Yoshida H., et al. Fulminant septicemia of Bacillus cereus resistant to carbapenem in a patient with biphenotypic acute leukemia. J Infect Chemother 2008, 14:361-367.
24. Kayatsu H., Takata T., Ishikawa T., et al. A patient with acute myeloid leukemia who developed fatal pneumonia caused by carbapenem-resistant Bacillus cereus. J Infect Chemother 2009, 15:39-41.
25. Frankard J., Li R., Taccone F., et al. Bacillus cereus pneumonia in a patient with acute lymphoblastic leukemia. Eur J Clin Microbiol Infect Dis 2004, 23:725-728.
26. Gaur A., Patrick C.C., McCullers J.A., et al. Bacillus cereus bacteremia and meningitis in immunocompromised children. Clin Infect Dis 2001, 32:1456-1462.
27. Henrickson K.J., Shenup J.L., Flynn P.M., et al. Primary cutaneous Bacillus cereus infection in neutropenic children. Lancet 1989, 8638:601-603.
28. Ozkocamen V., Ozcelik T., Ali R., et al. Bacillus spp. among hospitalized patients with haematological malignancies: clinical features, epidemics and outcomes. J Hosp Infect 2006, 64:169-176.
29. Russell A.D. Bacterial spores and chemical sporicidal agents. Clin Microbiol Rev 1990, 3:99-119.
30. Perez J., Springthorpe V.S., Sattar S.A. Activity of selected oxidizing microbicides against the spores of Clostridium difficile: relevance to environmental control. Am J Infect Control 2005, 33:320-325.
31. Maillard J.Y. Innate resistance to spores and potential failure to decontaminate. J Hosp Infect 2011, 77:204-209.
32. Wood J.P., Calfee M.W., Clayton M., et al. Optimizing acidified bleach solutions to improve sporicidal efficiency on building materials. Lett Appl Microbiol 2011, 53:668-672.
33. Osahi Y., Kuroki M., Tachibana M., et al. Use of sodium hypochlorite (NaOCl) in laundering stops cross-contamination of Bacillus cereus. J Infect 2007, 55:283-284.