Mycobacterium heraklionense sp. nov.: A case series
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Published on: February 24, 2023
Ioannis K Neonakis1, Demetrios A Spandidos2, Zoe Gitti1
1Department of Clinical Bacteriology, Parasitology, Zoonoses and Geographical Medicine, University Hospital of Heraklion, Heraklion, Crete, Greece.
Abstract:
Mycobacterium heraklionense sp. nov. (M. heraklionense) is a novel non-tuberculous mycobacterium belonging to the Mycobacterium terrae complex that has recently been described. It has a world-wide distribution. Recently, a case of tenosynovitis in an immunocompetent individual caused by M. heraklionense was reported, indicating that it has the ability to cause diseases. In the present study, in order to provide a more detailed profile of this mycobacterium and to obtain a more complete overall picture of its clinical significance, we report all available data regarding the initial 12 cases of its isolation. Of the 12 patients, 5 (42%) eventually died within a period of 3 months following the isolation of the mycobacterium. However, any connection between the presence of M. heraklionense and these deaths could not be documented. These 5 patients were all males with a mean age of 74.6 years suffering from serious underlying diseases, which most probably were the cause of death. Additional data from possible new cases of M. heraklionense isolation are anticipated.
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