Human ocular infection by Cedecea sp. nov.
We report a novel Cedecea species causing acute pseudomembranous bacterial conjunctivitis in a healthy young adult in Malaysia. The patient developed ocular symptoms after exposure to stream water in Gunung Nuang Forest Reserve and recovered following ciprofloxacin therapy. Culture of conjunctival discharge yielded predominantly Cedecea isolates, and whole-genome sequencing was performed on representative strain B1(4). The isolate was resistant to cefoxitin and co-amoxiclav, and demonstrated non-susceptibility to imipenem. Comprehensive genomic analyses consistently demonstrated that strain B1(4) represents a novel species within the genus Cedecea, designated Cedecea siewii sp. nov. Reanalysis of publicly available genomes also identified several previously misclassified strains belonging to this species. These findings highlight the emergence of a novel environmental Cedecea pathogen associated with human ocular infection and underscore the value of genome-based taxonomy for accurate bacterial species delineation.
We report a novel Cedecea species causing acute pseudomembranous bacterial conjunctivitis in a healthy young adult in Malaysia. The patient developed ocular symptoms after exposure to stream water in Gunung Nuang Forest Reserve and recovered following ciprofloxacin therapy. Culture of conjunctival discharge yielded predominantly Cedecea isolates, and whole-genome sequencing was performed on representative strain B1(4). The isolate was resistant to cefoxitin and co-amoxiclav, and demonstrated non-susceptibility to imipenem. Comprehensive genomic analyses consistently demonstrated that strain B1(4) represents a novel species within the genus Cedecea, designated Cedecea siewii sp. nov. Reanalysis of publicly available genomes also identified several previously misclassified strains belonging to this species. These findings highlight the emergence of a novel environmental Cedecea pathogen associated with human ocular infection and underscore the value of genome-based taxonomy for accurate bacterial species delineation.
University of Nottingham Malaysia