- Uses glucose
- Related to the bacteria that causes diptheria, Corynebacterium diptheriae
- Found on human skin and mucous membranes as a commensal
- Often disregarded as a contaminant
- Opportunistic pathogen that can cause serious human disease
- First identified in 1988
- Often confused with other pathogens, C. minutissimum and C. xerosis
- Generally resistant to multiple antibiotics
- No standard lab testing
Diseases caused
- Pneumonia
- Peritonitis
- Empyema
- Infectious endocarditis
- Fatal sepsis
Worse infections in those with compromised immune systems. Has been found in human pus, urine, catheter tips, blood, prostatic fluid, spinal fluid, and sputum, and new reports of ear infection.
Drug treatment
Vancomycin or daptomycin has been used in conjunction with rifampicin for four weeks to six months. Infected heart valves may need replacing. No standard treatments due to newness of classification as a pathogen.
Seems sensitive to glycopeptide and lipopeptide antibiotics, but otherwise has broad resistance.
References
- Dalal, Aman; Urban, Segal-Maurer (October 2008). “Endocarditis due to Corynebacterium amycolatum”. Journal of Medical Microbiology. 57 (10): 1299–1302. doi:10.1099/jmm.0.2008/003343-0.
- Knox, Karen. “Nosocomial Endocarditis Caused by Corynebacterium amycolatum and Other Nondiphtheriae Corynebacteria”. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.
- Belmares, Jaime; Stephanie Detterline; Janet B Pak; Jorge P Parada (2007). “Corynebacterium endocarditis species-specific risk factors and outcomes”. BMC Infectious Diseases. 7: 4. doi:10.1186/1471-2334-7-4. PMC 1804271. PMID 17284316.
- Berner, R; K Pelz; C Wilhelm; A Funke; J U Leititis; M Brandis (April 1997). “Fatal sepsis caused by Corynebacterium amycolatum in premature infant”. Journal of Clinical Microbiology. 35 (4): 1011–1012. PMC 229725. PMID 9157120.
- Koneman, Elmer (2006). Koneman’s Color Atlas and Textbook of Diagnostic Microbiology, 6 ed. Lippincott Williams & Wilkins. p. 798. ISBN 9780781730143.
