Leuconostoc species as a cause of bacteremia : two case reports and a literature review

Two new cases of significant bacteremia caused by Leuconostoc spp. are reported and five others described in the literature are reviewed. Four of the seven patients were under one year old and presented with prolonged diarrhea related to gastrointestinal disorders. The remaining three patients were...

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Bibliographic Details
Published in:European journal of clinical microbiology & infectious diseases 1991-06, Vol.10 (6), p.505-509
Main Authors: BERNALDO DE QUIROS, J. C. L, MUNOZ, P, CERCENADO, E, HERNANDEZ SAMPELAYO, T, MORENO, S, BOUZA, E
Format: Article
Language:English
Subjects:
Age Factors
Aged
Bacteremia - microbiology
Bacterial diseases
Bacterial diseases of the digestive system and abdomen
Biological and medical sciences
Catheterization, Central Venous
Catheters, Indwelling
Female
Gram-Positive Bacterial Infections - microbiology
Human bacterial diseases
Humans
Infant
Infectious diseases
Leuconostoc - isolation & purification
Male
Medical sciences
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Summary:Two new cases of significant bacteremia caused by Leuconostoc spp. are reported and five others described in the literature are reviewed. Four of the seven patients were under one year old and presented with prolonged diarrhea related to gastrointestinal disorders. The remaining three patients were over 50 years of age and being treated in intensive care units. Six patients had nosocomially acquired catheter-related bacteremia. Leuconostoc spp. are naturally resistant to vancomycin, and five patients had received this antibiotic for prior bacteremia caused by methicillin-resistant staphylococci. The majority of patients presented with fever without severe complications. Penicillin is the treatment of choice and there is no report of any death directly attributable to infection by these microorganisms. Infection with Leuconostoc spp. should be suspected if "vancomycin-resistant streptococci" are isolated from the blood, and recorded as a potential cause of bacteremia in patients with indwelling intravenous catheters.
ISSN:0934-9723
1435-4373
DOI:10.1007/BF01963938