Global outbreak of M chimaera linked to German factory

Editor's Note

The LivaNova factory in Munich, Germany, a manufacturer of heater-cooler units used in cardiothoracic surgery, appears to be the source of a global outbreak of Mycobacterium chimaera, this study finds.

Researchers matched the DNA of samples taken from 21 infected cardiothoracic surgical patients to samples from heater-cooler units in multiple hospitals and at the production site.

Since 2013, more than 100 cases of M chimaera prosthetic valve endocarditis and disseminated disease, linked to heater-cooler units, have been diagnosed in Switzerland, Germany, the Netherlands, UK, US, and Australia. 

HCU contamination with M chimaera at the LivaNova factory seems a likely source for cardiothoracic surgery-related severe M chimaera infections diagnosed in Switzerland, Germany, the Netherlands, the UK, the USA, and Australia. Protective measures and heightened clinician awareness are essential to guarantee patient safety.