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[Microbiological and clinical studies of vancomycin resistant Leuconostoc spp. and Pediococcus spp. isolated from
Abstract:
We described three septicemia cases in which blood cultures yielded gram-positive cocci identified as Leuconostoc spp. and Pediococcus spp. Patients were three male adults aged 63 to 71 years with severe underlying diseases, pancreatic cancer, esophageal cancer and diabetes mellitus with chronic renal failure. They had fever and chills at the onsets of septicemia with acute obstructive suppurative cholangitis, acute pneumonia, and infection complicated with invasion sites of esophageal cancer contagious to bronchus and subcutaneous tissue. Blood cultures yielded catalase and oxidase negative highly vancomycin-resistant (MIC: 1024 micrograms/ml <) gram-positive cocci showing alpha or gamma hemolysis on blood agar plates. Two cases were polymicrobial infections. In one case with esophageal cancer, clinical symptoms persisted after the start of antimicrobial chemotherapy and the patient died 10 days later associated with complications of esophageal cancer. Leuconostoc lactis, Leuconostoc mesenteroides subsp. dextranicum, and Pediococcus acidilactici wee identified by physiological reactions. These strains were also highly resistant to teicoplanin and fosfomycin, and tolerant to all rested beta-lactams such as benzylpenicillin. This is the first report in Japan to our knowledge on the identification of Leuconostoc spp. and Pediococcus spp. isolated from human infectious diseases.
Insights
This study reports three cases of septicemia caused by vancomycin-resistant Leuconostoc and Pediococcus species in elderly men with severe underlying conditions. These gram-positive cocci demonstrated high resistance to multiple antibiotics, posing significant treatment challenges.
Area of Science:
- Medical Microbiology
- Infectious Diseases
Context:
- Septicemia cases in immunocompromised patients.
- Emergence of antibiotic-resistant bacteria.
Purpose:
- To identify and characterize gram-positive cocci causing septicemia.
- To assess antibiotic resistance patterns of isolated Leuconostoc and Pediococcus species.
Summary:
- Three male adults with severe comorbidities developed septicemia due to Leuconostoc spp. and Pediococcus spp.
- Blood cultures revealed highly vancomycin-resistant, catalase-negative gram-positive cocci.
- Identified strains showed resistance to teicoplanin, fosfomycin, and tolerance to beta-lactams.
Impact:
- Highlights the potential of Leuconostoc and Pediococcus as human pathogens.
- Underscores the need for updated diagnostic and treatment strategies for resistant infections.
- First report of these organisms in human infections in Japan.