Medical Microbiology

Corynebacterium,Actinomyces,OtherGram-PositiveRodBacteria 261

Table4. 3 Gram-PositiveRodswith(Generally)Low-LevelPathogenicity

Actinomycespyogenes Cutaneousandsubcutaneouspurulentinfections.

Arcanobacterium

hemolyticum

Purulentdermalinfections;pharyngitis?

Corynebacteriumulcerans Canproducediphtheriatoxinandthereforecause

diphtherialikeclinicalsymptoms

C.jeikeium Dermalpathogen.Occasionallyisolatedfromblood,

wounds,orintravasalcatheters.Oftenshowsmultiple

antibioticresistance.

C.xerosis

C.pseudodiphtheriticum

Rareendocarditispathogens.

Gordonabronchialis Colonizesandinfectstherespiratorytract.

Rhodococcusequi Infectionsoftherespiratorytractinimmunosuppressed

persons.

Tsukamurellasp. Infectionsoftherespiratorytractinimmunosuppressed

persons;meningitis.

Turicellaotitidis Infectionsoftheearinpredisposedpersons.

Propionibacteriumacnes

P.granulosum

P.avidum

Anaerobicormicroaerophilic.Rarelyinvolvedinendo-

carditis.P.acnesisthoughttobeinvolvedinthedevel-

opmentofacne.

Eubacteriumsp. Obligateanaerobe.Normalfloraoftheintestinaltract.

Sometimescomponentofananaerobicmixedflora.

Tropherymawhipplei

(nov.gen.;nov.spec.;

formerlyT.whippelii)

CausalpathogeninWhipple’sdisease.Culturegrowth

ofthisorganismhasnotbeenpossibletodate.Probable

taxonomicclassificationinproximitytoactinomycetes.

Littleisknownaboutthisorganism.Rare,chronic

systemicdisease.Dystrophyofsmallintestinemucosa

(1 00 %).Alsoinvolvementofcardiovascularsystem

(55%),respiratorytract(50%),centralnervoussystem

(25%),andeyes(1 0 %).Primaryclinicalsymptomsare

weightloss,arthralgias,diarrhea,abdominalpain.

Microscopicdetectionandidentificationinsmallintes-

tinebiopsies,otherbiopsiesorcerebrospinalfluid

(PASstaining)orbymolecularmethods(seep. 21 6).

Cotrimoxazoleistheantibioticagentofchoice.

Mobiluncusmulieri

M.curtisii

Obligateanaerobic.Colonizethevagina;frequently

isolatedincasesofbacterialvaginosistogetherwith

Gardnerellavaginalisandotherbacteria.

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Kayser, Medical Microbiology © 2005 Thieme