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Enteroccocus pallens as a potential novel human pathogen: three cases of spontaneous bacterial peritonitis
Simon Lévesque1, Yves Longtin2, Marc-Christian Domingo1
1Laboratoire de santé publique du Québec/Institut national de santé publique du Québec , Sainte-Anne-de-Bellevue, Québec , Canada.
Introduction:
Enterococcus pallens is one of the four yellow-pigmented members of the genus Enterococcus. To date, a single report of E. pallens isolated from a human sample has been published.
Case Presentation:
We report three cases of E. pallens spontaneous bacterial peritonitis in patients with liver cirrhosis that all occurred in Quebec, Canada. Ascitic fluid analysis revealed the presence of E. pallens in culture. Identification was made by classical biochemical testing and MALDI-TOF MS, as well as 16S rRNA and elongation factor (tuf) gene sequencing. Two of the three patients recovered after antimicrobial treatment.
Conclusion:
This report identifies E. pallens as a novel human pathogen that appears to possess particular but as-yet unidentified virulence factors that favour the development of peritoneal fluid infections, as previously reported for other Enterococcus species. Clinical microbiologist should be aware of this micro-organism which can be identified by phenotypic and molecular methods.
Insights
Enterococcus pallens, a yellow-pigmented bacterium, has been identified as a novel cause of spontaneous bacterial peritonitis in liver cirrhosis patients. Further research is needed to understand its virulence factors.
Area of Science:
- Medical Microbiology
- Infectious Diseases
Background:
- Enterococcus pallens is a rare cause of human infection, with only one prior report.
- This study investigates E. pallens in patients with liver cirrhosis.
Observation:
- Three cases of E. pallens spontaneous bacterial peritonitis were identified in Quebec, Canada.
- The bacterium was detected in ascitic fluid using biochemical tests and molecular methods (MALDI-TOF MS, 16S rRNA, tuf sequencing).
Findings:
- Enterococcus pallens is confirmed as a novel human pathogen.
- The organism appears to cause peritoneal fluid infections, similar to other Enterococcus species.
Implications:
- Clinical microbiologists should be aware of E. pallens as a potential pathogen.
- Understanding E. pallens virulence factors is crucial for targeted antimicrobial strategies.
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