Morganella morganii: A Newly Reported, Rare Cause of Neonatal Sepsis

Abstract

This case report reviews the clinical course of an 11-day-old boy who developed late-onset neonatal sepsis secondary to a rare neonatal pathogen, Morganella morganii. This gram-negative enteric bacterium, within the Enterobacteriaceae family, has most commonly been a nosocomial pathogen in debilitated, postsurgical patients. Like many other Enterobacteriaceae, M. morganii has an inducible beta-lactamase and is resistant to multiple antibiotics. When caring for neonates with culture-proven M. morganii sepsis, the authors recommend administering both a third-generation cephalosporin and an aminoglycoside to ensure that both antibiotics are bactericidal and to reduce the induction of resistance.