• Pathophysiology
  1. Enterobacter are facultatively anaerobic, highly motile, gas forming, Gram-negative rods in Enterobacteriaceae family
  2. Grouped with ESP Gram Negative Bacteria (Enterobacter, Serratia, Providencia)
  3. Colonizer of the normal human intestinal tract, and found in animal feces, sewage, soil, water, and dairy products
  4. Of the 22 identified Enterobacter species, only some are known to cause disease in humans
  5. Virulence factors
    1. Peritrichous flagella allows for high motility
    2. Increasing Antibiotic Resistance (including Carbapenem-Resistant Enterobacteriaceae)
  • Risk Factors
  1. Immunocompromised State (e.g. Diabetes Mellitus, Chemotherapy)
  2. Invasive medical devices
  • Associated Conditions
  1. Nosocomial Infection
    1. Respiratory tract infections
    2. Urinary Tract Infections (esp. CAUTI)
    3. Surgical Wound Infections
  2. Uncommon cause of community acquired infections
    1. Urinary Tract Infections
    2. Upper Respiratory Infections
    3. Osteomyelitis
    4. Endocarditis
    5. Soft tissue infections
  • Resources
  1. Enterobacter Infections (StatPearls)
    1. https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/books/NBK559296/