Morganella morganii causing fatal sepsis in a platelet recipient and also isolated from a donor's stool

Bacterial contamination of blood products cause significant patient morbidity and mortality. Contaminated platelet transfusion ia a frequent cause of bacteremia and sepsis because of the storage conditions of platelets. A fatal case of Morganella morganii platelet transfusion associated with sepsis is described, along with procedures traced back to the isolation of M.morganii from a donors stool. Molecular typing was performed (Pulse Field Gel Electrophoresis-PFGE) and the same M. morganii strain was found in blood and post mortem organ cultures of platelet recipient and platelet bag and in the donor's stool. The route of contamination is unknown. The contamination could be due to either insufficient venipuncture site disinfection or the donor's transient bacteriemia. Patient died five days after transfusion.