ABSTRACT
Cronobacter causes a foodborne disease classified by the International Commission on Microbiological Specifications for Foods in risk group IB: “diseases of severe hazard for restricted population; life threatening or resulting in substantial chronic sequelae or presenting effects of long duration.” The Food and Agriculture Organization/World Health Organization expert meetings have identified all infants as the population at particular risk for Cronobacter infections. The members of the genus Cronobacter are Gram-negative rods, oxidase negative, catalase positive and facultative anaerobic. Most infections occur through the oral route, although there are cases of transmission in the birth canal or through wounds. With the evolution of the infection, Cronobacter can reach the central nervous system and the bloodstream. Among the survivors of Cronobacter infections, colonization ranges from 2 to 8 weeks, and meningitis can develop severe neurological complications. Fatal cases occur mainly among premature infants and low-birth-weight infants.
