Globicatella sanguinisBacteremia in a Korean Patient

Abstract

Globicatella sanguinis is an unusual pathogen causing bacteremia, meningitis, and urinary tract infection, and can be misidentified as Streptococcus pneumoniae or viridans streptococci due to its colonial morphology. A 76-year-old female patient with hypertension and degenerative arthritis was admitted to the hospital complaining of knee joint pain. Blood culture revealed the presence of Gram-positive cocci, and the isolated organism was equally identified as S. pneumoniae using the MicroScan identification system (Beckman Coulter, USA) and Vitek 2 identification system (bioMérieux, USA). However, the isolate showed optochin resistance based on the optochin disk susceptibility test. The organism was finally confirmed to be G. sanguinis based on 16S rRNA sequencing and hydrogen sulfide production testing. Accurate identification of G. sanguinis isolated from aseptic body fluids including blood is important for appropriate antibiotic selection based on accurate application of interpretative criteria of antimicrobial susceptibility test. (Ann Clin Microbiol 2018;21:40-44)

Isolation of <i>Globicatella sanguinis</i> from a neonate with sepsis using BacT/Alert and VITEK-2 compact system at Federal Teaching Hospital, Katsina, northwest Nigeria: A case report

“…The colony morphology of the strains makes it difficult to distinguish from aerococci, viridans streptococci, and enterococci. Although ability to grow in 6.5% NaCl and failure to grow at 10˚C helps to differentiate Globicatella from viridans streptococci and enterococci respectively, it is hard to distinguish it from Aerococcus (20). Standardized systems such as Rapid ID 32 Strep or API 20 Strep were recognized to identify alpha-hemolytic streptococci (21) but these are not readily available in our setting.…”