Serratia marcescens

Abstract

SERRATIA MARCESCENS is a bacterium recognized with increasing frequency as a cause of serious infection in man. This micro-organism has a romantic history dating to antiquity, when, because of production of a red pigment, it masqueraded as blood. In this century, this distinctive pigmentation, combined with its apparent low level of virulence, led to its use as a biologic marker. This article will review the more distinctive historical aspects of S. marcescens and discuss its clinical status as an emerging pathogen.Bacteriology Serratia marcescens is an aerobic, motile, gram-negative bacillus classified as a member of the division klebsiella-enterobacter-serratia, within the . . .