Life-threatening invasive Helcococcus kunzii infections in intravenous-drug users and ermA-mediated erythromycin resistance.
We report the first two cases of life-threatening invasive Helcococcus kunzii infection, with primary bacteremia and empyema thoracis, respectively. Gram smears of both H. kunzii isolates showed a mixture of gram-positive and gram-negative cocci. The isolate from the first patient, resistant to erythromycin and clindamycin, possessed an ermA gene.
Woo
Patrick C Y
PC
Department of Microbiology, The University of Hong Kong, University Pathology Building, Queen Mary Hospital, Hong Kong. hkumicro@hkucc.hku.hk
Tse
Herman
H
Wong
Samson S Y
SS
Tse
Cindy W S
CW
Fung
Ami M Y
AM
Tam
Dorothy M W
DM
Lau
Susanna K P
SK
Yuen
Kwok-yung
KY
D000328:Adult; D000900:Anti-Bacterial Agents / Q000494:pharmacology*; D016470:Bacteremia / Q000382:microbiology*; D001426:Bacterial Proteins / Q000235:genetics*; D024881:Drug Resistance, Bacterial / Q000235:genetics*; D004917:Erythromycin / Q000494:pharmacology*; D016908:Gram-Positive Bacterial Infections / Q000382:microbiology; D006095:Gram-Positive Cocci / Q000187:drug effects / Q000302:isolation & purification* / Q000472:pathogenicity; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008780:Methyltransferases / Q000235:genetics*; D008875:Middle Aged; D008969:Molecular Sequence Data; D012336:RNA, Ribosomal, 16S / Q000235:genetics; D017422:Sequence Analysis, DNA; D015819:Substance Abuse, Intravenous / Q000150:complications*
D000900:Anti-Bacterial Agents; D001426:Bacterial Proteins; D012336:RNA, Ribosomal, 16S; D004917:Erythromycin; D008780:Methyltransferases; C431709:ErmA protein, Bacteria