A unique outbreak of Pasteurella multocida in a chronic disease hospital.

An outbreak of Pasteurella multocida infection, involving seven patients on two adjacent wards, has been observed. All seven patients were debilitated and had underlying chronic neuromuscular and/or pulmonary disease and had a tracheostomy tube in situ. The isolates of P. multocida were of the same biotype and serotype, and had an identical antibiogram. Epidemiological studies failed to determine the source of these infections.