title: Chromobacterium violaceum nosocomial pneumonia in two Japanese patients at an intensive care unit.
abstract: Chromobacterium violaceum is sensitive to temperature and the infection is usually confined to tropical or subtropical regions. Since Japan has a warm climate, C. violaceum has been scarcely isolated from clinical specimens. With global warming, however, the geographical distribution of C. violaceum infection is likely to change. We report two cases of C. violaceum nosocomial pneumonia that occurred at an intensive care center in Japan. C. violaceum was first detected from a patient in the same center as a pathogenic organism of pneumonia. Later, the organism was isolated from sputum and a ventilator circuit tube of another patient in the center. The two patients were admitted to the center in nearby beds for several days. All of the pathogens were confirmed to be C. violaceum by the nucleic acid sequence of the 16S rRNA gene and were proven to be genetically identical organisms by pulsed field gel electrophoresis. Both patients were managed with well-humidified and heated oxygen using a venturi mask and ventilator to promote excretion of sputum. It was thought that the medical respiratory care devices that provide a humid and warm environment, an optimal condition for proliferation of C. violaceum, can contribute to C. violaceum infection in a hospital environment.
authors.affiliation: Department of General Medicine, Okayama University Graduate School of Medicine, Dentistry and Pharmaceutical Sciences, 2-5-1 Shikata-cho, Kitaku, Okayama 700-8558, Japan. Electronic address: e_dai_for_all@hotmail.com.
authors.forename: Hideharu
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Hagiya
authors.affiliation: Department of Clinical Laboratory, Microbiology Division, Tsuyama Central Hospital, 1756 Kawasaki, Tsuyama, Okayama 708-0841, Japan.
authors.forename: Tomoko
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Murase
authors.affiliation: Department of Bacteriology II, National Institute of Infectious Diseases, 4-7-1 Gakuen, Musashimurayama, Tokyo 208-0011, Japan.
authors.forename: Masato
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Suzuki
authors.affiliation: Department of Bacteriology II, National Institute of Infectious Diseases, 4-7-1 Gakuen, Musashimurayama, Tokyo 208-0011, Japan.
authors.forename: Keigo
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Shibayama
authors.affiliation: Department of Nursing, Microbiology Division, Tsuyama Central Hospital, 1756 Kawasaki, Tsuyama, Okayama 708-0841, Japan.
authors.forename: Yumi
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Kokumai
authors.affiliation: Department of Clinical Laboratory, Microbiology Division, Tsuyama Central Hospital, 1756 Kawasaki, Tsuyama, Okayama 708-0841, Japan.
authors.forename: Naoto
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Watanabe
authors.affiliation: Department of Clinical Laboratory, Microbiology Division, Tsuyama Central Hospital, 1756 Kawasaki, Tsuyama, Okayama 708-0841, Japan.
authors.forename: Miyako
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Maki
authors.affiliation: Department of General Medicine, Okayama University Graduate School of Medicine, Dentistry and Pharmaceutical Sciences, 2-5-1 Shikata-cho, Kitaku, Okayama 700-8558, Japan.
authors.forename: Fumio
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Otsuka
mesh_terms: D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D000900:Anti-Bacterial Agents / Q000627:therapeutic use; D002861:Chromobacterium / Q000187:drug effects / Q000235:genetics / Q000302:isolation & purification*; D003428:Cross Infection / Q000188:drug therapy / Q000382:microbiology*; D016905:Gram-Negative Bacterial Infections / Q000188:drug therapy / Q000382:microbiology*; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D000077731:Meropenem; D018410:Pneumonia, Bacterial / Q000188:drug therapy / Q000382:microbiology*; D013183:Sputum / Q000382:microbiology; D013845:Thienamycins / Q000627:therapeutic use
chemical_list: D000900:Anti-Bacterial Agents; D013845:Thienamycins; D000077731:Meropenem
keywords: Chromobacterium violaceum infection; Global warming; Intensive care unit; Nosocomial infection; Respiratory care device