''Pseudescherichia vulneris'' is a Gram-negative bacterial species. ''P. vulneris'' is a fermentative, oxidase-negative, motile rod, which holds characteristics of the family Enterobacteraceae. This bacterium can colonize in the respiratory tract, genital tract, stool, and urinary tract. However, ''P. vulneris'' is most often associated with wounds and has been known to colonize open wounds of both humans and animals. This association gave the bacterium its species name, ''vulneris'', which is Latin for wound. It has also been infrequently reported in cases of meningitis. It was identified as ''Escherichia vulneris'' in 1982 with a 2017 genomic analysis of its original genus resulting in the creation of its new genus ''Pseudescherichia''.
Morphology
''P. vulneris'' has a rod-like (bacilli) shape, and it achieves motility using peritrichous flagella (covering the whole body of the bacteria). ''P. vulneris'' is facultatively anaerobic, and is not spore-forming. Optimal growth occurs at 35-37 °C, and it can colonize on a simple nutrient medium. Colonies are generally smooth and low convex with shiny surfaces.
Resistance
Susceptibility studies have shown ''P. vulneris'' is susceptible to 14 antibiotics, including third-generation
cephalosporins
The cephalosporins (sg. ) are a class of β-lactam antibiotics originally derived from the fungus ''Acremonium'', which was previously known as ''Cephalosporium''.
Together with cephamycins, they constitute a subgroup of β-lactam antibiotic ...
,
aminoglycosides
Aminoglycoside is a medicinal chemistry, medicinal and bacteriology, bacteriologic category of traditional Gram-negative antibacterial medications that inhibit protein synthesis and contain as a portion of the molecule an amino-modified glycoside ...
,
trimethoprim, and sulfamethoxazole-trimethoprim. Similar studies have shown they have some type of resistance to the antibiotics
penicillin
Penicillins (P, PCN or PEN) are a group of beta-lactam antibiotic, β-lactam antibiotics originally obtained from ''Penicillium'' Mold (fungus), moulds, principally ''Penicillium chrysogenum, P. chrysogenum'' and ''Penicillium rubens, P. ru ...
and
clindamycin, and were also marginally resistant to
carbenicillin,
erythromycin
Erythromycin is an antibiotic used for the treatment of a number of bacterial infections. This includes respiratory tract infections, skin infections, chlamydia infections, pelvic inflammatory disease, and syphilis. It may also be used ...
,
tetracycline,
chloramphenicol
Chloramphenicol is an antibiotic useful for the treatment of a number of bacterial infections. This includes use as an eye ointment to treat conjunctivitis. By mouth or by intravenous, injection into a vein, it is used to treat meningitis, pl ...
, and
nitrofurantoin
Nitrofurantoin, sold under the brand name Macrobid among others, is an antibacterial medication of the nitrofuran class used to treat urinary tract infections (UTIs), although it is not as effective for kidney infections. It is taken by mouth ...
.
Recorded cases of infection
Studied cases
Twelve Hawaiian patients infected with strains of ''P. vulneris'' were isolated. Except for two of the infected, evidence was found of soft tissue infections from multiple bacteria, caused by the ''P. vulneris''. The two without soft tissue infections had purulent
conjunctivitis
Conjunctivitis, also known as pink eye or Madras eye, is inflammation of the conjunctiva, the thin, clear layer that covers the white surface of the eye and the inner eyelid. It makes the eye appear pink or reddish. Pain, burning, scratchiness ...
. However, none of these cases had colonies of ''P. vulneris'' considered to be abundant or pathogenic. In one study, ''P. vulneris'' strains were injected into mice using both 10
7 cells and 10
6 cells. The 10
7 strain failed to cause serious symptoms in the infected mice. None of the 10
6 strains was able to produce persisting infections.
[Pien, FD et al. “Colonization of human wounds by ''Escherichia vulneris'' and ''Escherichia hermannii''.” ''J. Clin. Microbiol.'' 1985. 22(2): 283-285.
]
References
External links
Type strain of ''Pseudescherichia vulneris'' at Bac''Dive'' - the Bacterial Diversity Metadatabase
Bacteria described in 1983
{{Enterobacterales-stub