Bacteria
Enterobacter cloacae subsp. cloacae, Enterobacter cloacae
Strain/Type
clinical isolates
Host tropism
Humans, animals, plants, environment.
Route of Transmission
Transmission takes place percutaneously (through the skin).
Transmission takes place via inhalation (by breathe).
Transmission takes place orally (by ingestion).
Admission over the respiratory tract.
Microbial contaminated aerosols (bioaerosols) are inhalable due to their size and can thus get in the lung.
Admission over the mouth.
The transmission takes place due to contaminated water.
A transmission takes place by touching the mouth with dirty hands or gloves or smoking without prior thorough cleaning of the hands (smear infection).
Special hazard exists in the case of contact with infected people and animals or their excretion.
Admission through the skin or the mucous membranes.
Injuries, dry and chapped skin as well as existing skin alterations such as eczema allow the penetration into the body.
Transmission via penetration in the deep tissues (muscle, subcutaneous fatty tissue) in the case of injury e.g. due to stab and cutting injuries with contaminated equipment.
Transmission of E. cloacae subsp. cloacae mainly occurs via direct or indirect contact with contaminated persons, materials or objects (smear/contact infection). Transmission can occur, for example, via contamination on the hands of nursing staff due to poor hygiene or via cross-contamination via objects such as endoscopes, stethoscopes, respiratory equipment and dialysis equipment. In addition, direct transmission can occur via contaminated fluids, e.g. isotonic saline solution.
Zoonosis (transmission between animals and humans): Yes
Characteristics e.g. sensitizing or toxic effects, resistance to antibiotics
Pathogenicity
Facultative human-pathogenic (it does not necessarily cause diseases in humans).
Facultative animal-pathogenic (it does not necessarily cause diseases in animals).
Toxigenicity/Toxin formation
A number of pathogenicity factors have been identified as haemolytic and leukotoxic membrane cytotoxins.
Resistances
E. cloacae subsp. cloacae is naturally resistant to ampicillin, amoxicillin-clavulanic acid, cephalothin and cefoxitin. Ureidopenicillins and carboyxpenicillins are effective in approximately fifty percent of strains. Chromosomally encoded AmpC cephalosporinase can give rise to resistance to a wide range of beta-lactam antibiotics, in particular third generation cephalosporins (with the exception of cefepines). Numerous strains expressing ESBLs (extended-spectrum ß-lactamases) have been isolated since 1989. Subsequently, a large number of ESBLs, including the established types TEM, SHV and CTX-M have been identified in E. cloacae subsp. cloacae. Along with Escherichia coli and Klebsiella pneumoniae, one of the most frequently detected members of the Enterobacteriaceae that are resistant to third-generation cephalosporins is E. cloacae subsp. cloacae. In addition, isolates with potent carbapenemases have been found. Strains possessing IMP, NDM, GIM or KPC enzymes have been most commonly identified in Asia. Lee et al. reported that 0.4 % of E. cloacae strains were found to be resistant to imipenem . 0 - 51 % of strains have been found to be resistant to aminoglycosides, 0 - 34 % to amikacin, while ciprofloaxin has been found to be effective in 64 - 100 % of strains. In a study from China, plasmids carrying genes for aminoglycoside resistance were found in 77 % of E. cloacae strains. E. cloacae subsp. cloacae, together with E. coli and K. pneumoniae, is one of the species in which resistance to quinolones attributed to plasmid-encoded QnrA protein production has been identified. Such determining factors of fluoroquinolone resistance have been identified in more than 60 % of E. cloacae strains.
Note ht:
Pathogenic for humans and vertebrates, but normally no transmission between the two host groups.
Approved as biological safety measure if taken as recipient organism for genetic engineering?
Genetically modified (GenTSV)
no
Risk group (BioStoffV)
RG 2
Risk assessment
Risk accessment based on TRBA (Technical Rule for Biological Agents) 466 "Classification of prokaryotes (bacteria and archaea) into risk groups": https://www.baua.de/DE/Angebote/Rechtstexte-und-Technische-Regeln/Regelwerk/TRBA/TRBA-466.html
Operation instructions (mandatory for RG2 and higher)
https://biostoffe.dguv.de/data?name=822243&lang=en
Occupational health care (according to ArbMedVV)
Optional health care:In the case of tasks specifically involving contact and tasks involving incidental contact with biological agents classed as Risk Group 2 under the Biological Agents Ordinance (Biostoffverordnung, BioStoffV) or which involve a comparable risk, the employer must offer an optional health care. This does not apply when on account of the risk assessment and on account of the protective measures taken it can be assumed that there is no risk of infection.
An optional health care must also be offered if as a result of the exposure to biological agents
- a serious infectious illness is to be expected and post-exposure prophylatic measures are possible, or
- an infection has resulted.
Storage location of aliquots in the Biolab (just click Bearbeiten in the right corner of the header to add or change information in the table and use the menue in the left header to e.g. add a row)
| source | bacterial strain | freezing date | amount of bacteria per vial | stock was produced on | no. of aliquots | belongs to (full name) | rack/box in N2 tank or -80°C freezer and location (room, address) | comments |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Background
We have permission to work with this pathogen but it is currently not stored in our facilities.
