Enterobacter sakazakii: a review

Enterobacter sakazakii, previously referred to as a ‘yellow-pigmented Enterobacter cloacae’, was designated as a unique species in 1980. This reclassification was based on differences from E. cloacae in DNA relatedness, pigment production and biochemical reactions. E. sakazakii has been implicated in a severe form of neonatal meningitis. Although studies have failed to identify an environmental source for the organism, dried-infant formula has been implicated in both outbreaks and sporadic cases of E. sakazakii meningitis. The high mortality rate (40–80%), the severity of the infection in infants, plus the scarcity of information on the ecology and pathogenicity of this organism warranted a review of the clinical and microbiological features of this putative foodborne pathogen.