Bacteremia due to Moraxella atlantae in a cancer patient.
A gram-negative alkaline phosphatase- and pyrrolidone peptidase-positive rod-shaped bacterium (CCUG 45702) was isolated from two aerobic blood cultures from a female cancer patient. No identification could be reached using phenotypic techniques. Amplification of the tRNA intergenic spacers revealed fragments with lengths of 116, 133, and 270 bp, but no such pattern was present in our reference library. Sequencing of the 16S rRNA gene revealed its identity as Moraxella atlantae, a species isolated only rarely and published only once as causing infection. In retrospect, the phenotypic characteristics fit the identification as M. atlantae (formerly known as CDC group M-3). Comparative 16S rRNA sequence analysis indicates that M. atlantae, M. lincolnii, and M. osloensis might constitute three separate genera within the MORAXELLACEAE: After treatment with amoxicillin-clavulanic acid for 2 days, fever subsided and the patient was dismissed.
De Baere
Thierry
T
Department of Microbiology, Ghent University Hospital, Ghent, Belgium. Thierry.De Baere@rug.ac.be
Muylaert
An
A
Everaert
Els
E
Wauters
Georges
G
Claeys
Geert
G
Verschraegen
Gerda
G
Vaneechoutte
Mario
M
D000230:Adenocarcinoma / Q000150:complications; D000328:Adult; D019980:Amoxicillin-Potassium Clavulanate Combination / Q000627:therapeutic use; D016470:Bacteremia / Q000188:drug therapy / Q000209:etiology* / Q000382:microbiology; D001483:Base Sequence; D004269:DNA, Bacterial / Q000235:genetics; D004275:DNA, Ribosomal / Q000235:genetics; D005260:Female; D005798:Genes, Bacterial; D006801:Humans; D008969:Molecular Sequence Data; D009016:Moraxella / Q000145:classification / Q000235:genetics / Q000302:isolation & purification / Q000472:pathogenicity*; D016870:Neisseriaceae Infections / Q000188:drug therapy / Q000209:etiology* / Q000382:microbiology; D009894:Opportunistic Infections / Q000209:etiology / Q000382:microbiology; D012329:RNA, Bacterial / Q000235:genetics; D012336:RNA, Ribosomal, 16S / Q000235:genetics; D012004:Rectal Neoplasms / Q000150:complications; D012689:Sequence Homology, Nucleic Acid; D013045:Species Specificity
D004269:DNA, Bacterial; D004275:DNA, Ribosomal; D012329:RNA, Bacterial; D012336:RNA, Ribosomal, 16S; D019980:Amoxicillin-Potassium Clavulanate Combination