Related Experiment Video
Updated: Jan 6, 2026

Identification of Rare Bacterial Pathogens by 16S rRNA Gene Sequencing and MALDI-TOF MS
Published on: July 11, 2016
Sphingobacterium multivorum: An Atypical Bacterium in an Atypical Place
Hadrián Pernas-Pardavila1, Aldara M Vallejo-Alonso2, Ignacio Novo-Veleiro1
1Department of Internal Medicine, Complejo Hospitalario Universitario, Santiago de Compostela, Spain.
Abstract:
We present the case of a 75-year-old woman admitted to hospital because of an infected pressure ulcer. Cultures revealed that the responsible bacterium was Sphingobacterium multivorum, which was successfully eradicated with ciprofloxacin. Over the last few years, there have been reports of new cases of infection caused by bacteria previously not thought to be harmful to humans, like S. multivorum. Previous cases were reported mostly in immunosuppressed patients and the present report is, to our knowledge, the first describing a pressure ulcer infected by this bacterium.
Learning Points:
Bacteria previously not thought to be harmful to humans can cause disease.Sphingobacterium multivorum should be considered a potential cause of pressure ulcer infection.As S. multivorum may be resistant to many antibiotics, complete susceptibility testing should be mandatory.
Related Concept Videos
Bacterial Phylum Bacteroidota
Bacterial Phylum Tenericutes
Bacterial Phylum Verrucomicrobiota
Bacterial Phylum Spirochaetes
Bacterial Phylum Planctomycetes
Bacterial Phylum Actinobacteria

