Outbreak of Corynebacterium pseudodiphtheriticum Infection in Cystic Fibrosis Patients, France

Fadi Bittar (1) , Carole Cassagne (2, 3) , Emmanuelle Bosdure , Nathalie Stremler (4) , Jean-Christophe Dubus , Jacques Sarles (4) , Martine Reynaud-Gaubert (1) , Didier Raoult (5, 1) , Jean-Marc Rolain (1)

1 URMITE - Unité de Recherche sur les Maladies Infectieuses et Tropicales Emergentes
2 AMU - Aix Marseille Université
3 IP-TPT - Infections Parasitaires : Transmission, Physiopathologie et Thérapeutiques
4 TIMONE - Hôpital de la Timone [CHU - APHM]
5 IHU Marseille - Institut Hospitalier Universitaire Méditerranée Infection

An increasing body of evidence indicates that nondiphtheria corynebacteria may be responsible for respiratory tract infections. We report an outbreak of Corynebacterium pseudodiphtheriticum infection in children with cystic fibrosis (CF). To identify 18 C. pseudodiphtheriticum strains isolated from 13 French children with CF, we used molecular methods (partial rpoB gene sequencing) and matrix-assisted laser desorption ionization time-of-flight (MALDI-TOF) mass spectrometry. Clinical symptoms were exhibited by 10 children (76.9%), including cough, rhinitis, and lung exacerbations. The results of MALDI-TOF identification matched perfectly with those obtained from molecular identification. Retrospective analysis of sputum specimens by using specific real-time PCR showed that ≈20% of children with CF were colonized with these bacteria, whereas children who did not have CF had negative test results. Our study reemphasizes the conclusion that correctly identifying bacteria at the species level facilitates detection of an outbreak of new or emerging infections in humans.

Domaines: Bactériologie

Fadi Bittar, Carole Cassagne, Emmanuelle Bosdure, Nathalie Stremler, Jean-Christophe Dubus, et al.. Outbreak of Corynebacterium pseudodiphtheriticum Infection in Cystic Fibrosis Patients, France. Emerging Infectious Diseases, 2010, 16 (8), pp.1231 - 1236. ⟨10.3201/eid1608.100193⟩. ⟨hal-01478672⟩