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Streptococcus bovis new taxonomy: does subspecies distinction matter?

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European Journal of Clinical Microbiology & Infectious Diseases Aims and scope Submit manuscript

Abstract

Bacteremia with Streptococcus bovis/equinus complex strains is associated with hepatobiliary disease, colorectal lesions (CL), and infective endocarditis (IE). This study addressed the clinical significance of subspecies distinction of previously designated S. bovis blood culture isolates according to the updated nomenclature. During 2002–2013, all blood culture isolates previously designated as S. bovis were recultured and identified using 16S rRNA gene sequencing and MALDI-TOF (Bruker BioTyper and Vitek MS, bioMérieux). Clinical data of patients aged ≥18 years were reviewed. A review of four recent case series was performed as well. Forty blood isolates were identified using 16S rRNA sequencing. Twenty-six bacteremic patients had S. gallolyticus ssp. pasteurianus, six had S. gallolyticus ssp. gallolyticus, two had S. gallolyticus ssp. macedonicus, and six had S. infantarius bacteremia. Species diagnosis using Vitek and bioMérieux MALDI-TOF technology was applicable in 37 and 36 samples, respectively, and was successful in all samples (100 %). Subspecies identification was confirmed in 30 (83 %) samples (as compared with 16S rRNA sequencing detection). IE was diagnosed in 22 (59 %) patients and CL in 8 (20 %) patients. Both complications were associated with all subspecies. Combining our results with those of four recent series resulted in, overall, 320 bacteremic cases, of which 88 (28 %) had CL and 66 (21 %) had IE. All ‘bovis/equinus’ complex subspecies were associated with CL or IE. From a clinical point of view, species diagnosis using MALDI-TOF MS should suffice to warrant consideration of transesophageal echocardiography and colonoscopy.

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    Authors and Affiliations

    1. Infectious Diseases Unit, Shaare Zedek Medical Center affiliated with the Hebrew University Hadassah Medical School, 12 Shmuel Bayit Street, 91031, Jerusalem, Israel

      E. Ben-Chetrit & Y. Wiener-Well

    2. Microbiology and Immunology Laboratory, Shaare Zedek Medical Center, Jerusalem, Israel

      L. Kashat & M. V. Assous

    3. Division of Internal Medicine, Shaare Zedek Medical Center affiliated with the Hebrew University Hadassah Medical School, Jerusalem, Israel

      A. M. Yinnon

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    1. E. Ben-Chetrit
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    2. Y. Wiener-Well
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    Correspondence to E. Ben-Chetrit.

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    This work was supported by the Mirsky Research Fund.

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    The authors declare that they have no conflict of interest.

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    E. Ben-Chetrit and Y. Wiener-Well contributed equally to this work.

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    Ben-Chetrit, E., Wiener-Well, Y., Kashat, L. et al. Streptococcus bovis new taxonomy: does subspecies distinction matter?. Eur J Clin Microbiol Infect Dis 36, 387–393 (2017). https://doi.org/10.1007/s10096-016-2814-6

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    • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s10096-016-2814-6

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