Cronobacter sakazakii

Background

Microbiology

• Facultatively anaerobic, oxidase-negative, catalase-positive Gram-negative bacillus within the Enterobacterales
• Previously known as Enterobacter sakazakii

Epidemiology

• Outbreaks have been associated with contaminated infant formula

Clinical Manifestations

• A rare cause of sepsis in infants who are fed infant formula that has not been appropriately heated

Management

• No natural beta-lactamases or resistance to cephalosporins in wild-type isolates
• Intrinsic resistance to lincosamides, glycopeptides, streptogramins, and fusidic acid
• Reasonable to treat infant sepsis with broad-spectrum antibiotics until susceptibilities are available

Prevention

• Appropriate heating of infant formula and cleaning of bottles before using the formula for children below 3 months of age

Further Reading

• Cronobacter: an emerging opportunistic pathogen associated with neonatal meningitis, sepsis and necrotizing enterocolitis. J Perinatol. 2013;33:581-585. doi: 10.1038/jp.2013.26