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Updated: Jun 9, 2025

Identification of Rare Bacterial Pathogens by 16S rRNA Gene Sequencing and MALDI-TOF MS
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Published on: July 11, 2016

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Clinical Outcomes and Molecular Characteristics of Bacteroides fragilis Infections

Bongyoung Kim1, Myungsook Kim2, Kyungwon Lee2,3

  • 1Department of Internal Medicine, Hanyang University College of Medicine, Seoul, Korea.

Annals of Laboratory Medicine
|October 31, 2024
PubMed

Insights

Bacteroides fragilis infections can be fatal. A study identified carbapenem-resistant B. fragilis ST157, highlighting the need for careful antimicrobial therapy and monitoring of this opportunistic pathogen.

Area of Science:

  • Microbiology
  • Infectious Diseases
  • Genomics

Background:

  • Bacteroides fragilis is a common opportunistic anaerobic pathogen.
  • Infections can lead to high mortality rates (up to 50%) without proper antimicrobial treatment.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To investigate the clinical features and outcomes of B. fragilis infections.
  • To analyze the molecular genetic characteristics of B. fragilis isolates.

Main Methods:

  • Collected 40 B. fragilis clinical isolates from Hanyang University Hospital (Jan 2022-Dec 2023).
  • Performed antimicrobial susceptibility testing using agar dilution.
  • Conducted whole-genome sequencing on the Illumina platform.

Main Results:

  • Identified various multilocus sequence types (STs), including ST149, ST11, ST1, ST21, and ST157.
  • Found IS1187 insertion sequence linked to high-level carbapenem resistance in the ST157 isolate.
  • Detected B. fragilis toxin genes (bft) in 30% of isolates; common comorbidities included diabetes and cancer.
  • Reported a 30-day mortality rate of 14.7%, with 5.9% directly attributed to B. fragilis infection.

Conclusions:

  • The emergence of high-level carbapenem-resistant B. fragilis ST157 necessitates caution.
  • Clinical and molecular characterization is crucial for managing B. fragilis infections.
Keywords:
BacteremiaIntraabdominal infectionST157

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