Gemella morbillorum as a source bacteria for necrotising fasciitis of the torso.

A 66-year-old man presented with upper back cellulitis and imaging findings consistent with a necrotising soft tissue infection. He was started on broad-spectrum intravenous antibiotics and was taken to the operating room for immediate surgical debridement. On postoperative day 5, the culture was noted to be growing Gemella morbillorum, an exceedingly rare cause of necrotising soft tissue infections in immunocompetent hosts. His condition improved, and he was transitioned to oral antibiotics and discharged home.

Polymicrobial abscess following ovariectomy in a mouse.

BACKGROUND: Ovariectomy is a common procedure in laboratory rodents used to create a post-menopausal state. Complications including post-surgical abscess are rarely reported, but merit consideration for the health and safety of experimental animals. CASE PRESENTATION: A female C57/black6 mouse was ovariectomized as part of a cohort study. At Day 14 post-surgery, she developed a visible swelling on the right side, which 7 days later increased in size over 24 h, leading to euthanasia of the animal. Gross pathology was consistent with abscess. A core of necrotic tissue was present in the uterine horn. Abscess fluid and affected tissue were collected for Gram stain and bacteriological culture. The abscess core and fluid yielded three distinct types of bacterial colonies identified by 16S ribosomal RNA sequencing as Streptococcus acidominimus, Pasteurella caecimuris, and a novel species in the genus Gemella. CONCLUSIONS: This is the first report of polymicrobial abscess in a rodent as a complication of ovariectomy, and the first description of a novel Gemella species for which we have proposed the epithet Gemella muriseptica. This presentation represents a potential complication of ovariectomy in laboratory animals.

Gemella morbillorum isolated from a pelvic abscess in an HIV-positive patient with squamous cell carcinoma of the perianal region.

Gemella morbillorumis a known commensal organism of the human oropharynx, gastrointestinal tract and genitourinary tract which is a rare cause of infections and even more rarely implicated in skin and soft tissue infections. We present a case of a young, HIV-positive patient with squamous cell carcinoma of the perianal region who presented with difficulty initiating urination for 1 week as well as increasing left leg swelling. His CD4 count was found to be 186, predisposing him to infection, and he had also received chemotherapy in the past year for his malignancy. He was febrile and tachycardic on presentation and admitted for further care. CT scan of the pelvis at time of admission demonstrated a pelvic abscess. Aspiration cultures ultimately grew G. morbillorum. Despite initial improvement with drainage and targeted antimicrobial therapy, the patient's abscess recurred, and he ultimately elected transition to hospice due to worsening prognosis of malignancy.

Canaliculitis due to Gemella haemolysans in a single isolate. / Canaliculitis por Gemella haemolysans en aislamiento único.

CASE REPORT: An 84 year-old woman was referred for evaluation of a painless swelling with small purulent discharge in her left upper canaliculus, and an associated epiphora of one-month duration. The patient was diagnosed with acute primary canaliculitis. She was treated with topical and oral antibiotics, as well as topical corticoids for three months, with little response. Surgical treatment with left upper canaliculotomy and curettage was then performed, and Gemella haemolysans was identified from the curetted material. The patient had no recurrence of the disease two months after the surgery. DISCUSSION: This is the first time that Gemella haemolysans is described as unique agent causing primary canaliculitis.

Severe Gemella haemolysans endophthalmitis following ranibizumab intravitreal injection.

Gemella haemolysans is a commensal of the upper respiratory tract that is rarely involved in ocular pathology. We present a unique case of endophthalmitis with negative cultures and positive 16s ribosomal ribonucleic acid gene sequencing showing G. haemolysans infection after an intravitreal ranibizumab injection for wet age-related macular degeneration.

Streptococcus pneumoniae Colonization Is Required To Alter the Nasal Microbiota in Cigarette Smoke-Exposed Mice.

Smokers have nasal microbiota dysbiosis, with an increased frequency of colonizing bacterial pathogens. It is possible that cigarette smoke increases pathogen acquisition by perturbing the microbiota and decreasing colonization resistance. However, it is difficult to disentangle microbiota dysbiosis due to cigarette smoke exposure from microbiota changes caused by increased pathogen acquisition in human smokers. Using an experimental mouse model, we investigated the impact of cigarette smoke on the nasal microbiota in the absence and presence of nasal pneumococcal colonization. We observed that cigarette smoke exposure alone did not alter the nasal microbiota composition. The microbiota composition was also unchanged at 12 h following low-dose nasal pneumococcal inoculation, suggesting that the ability of the microbiota to resist initial nasal pneumococcal acquisition was not impaired in smoke-exposed mice. However, nasal microbiota dysbiosis occurred as a consequence of established high-dose nasal pneumococcal colonization at day 3 in smoke-exposed mice. Similar to clinical reports on human smokers, an enrichment of potentially pathogenic bacterial genera such as Fusobacterium, Gemella, and Neisseria was observed. Our findings suggest that cigarette smoke exposure predisposes to pneumococcal colonization independent of changes to the nasal microbiota and that microbiota dysbiosis observed in smokers may occur as a consequence of established pathogen colonization.

Gemella morbillorum endocarditis of pulmonary valve:a case report.

BACKGROUND: Pulmonary valve infective endocarditis is a rare finding for endocarditis. Infective endocarditis caused by Gemella morbillorum remains a scanty occurrence. CASE PRESENTATION: This is a case reported of a 28-year-old Chinese male with endocarditis caused by pulmonary valve infection of Gemella morbillorum associated with congenital ventricular septal defect, atrial septal defect and double-chambered right ventricle. The patient presented with fever, shortness of breath, progressively worsening exertional fatigue, dyspnea and weight loss for 3 months. The diagnosis was made with transthoracic echocardiogram, blood cultures, and post-operative pathology. The patient developed congestive heart failure and was managed with aggressive antibiotic therapy followed by surgery. He underwent replacement of the pulmonary valve with an aortic bioprosthetic valve, repair of ventricular septal defect and atrial septal defect, reconstruction of the right ventricular outlflow tract, and excision of vegetations. His postoperative recovery was uneventful. No bacteria were isolated from the excised tissues. He was asymptomatic without recurrence at 3-month follow-up. CONCLUSIONS: The rare pathogen such as Gemella morbillorum can be the cause of infective endocarditis and timely surgical repair is necessary if the infection is refractory or there is progression of congestive heart failure under antibiotic cover.

Polymicrobial vertebral osteomyelitis after oesophageal biopsy: a case report.

BACKGROUND: While most cases of polymicrobial vertebral osteomyelitis are secondary to hematogenous seeding, direct inoculation during spinal surgery and contiguous spread from adjacent soft tissue are also potential routes whereby pathogens may infect the spine. CASE PRESENTATION: A 74 year-old man presented with an exacerbation of back pain after a fall. His past medical history included hepatocellular and oesophageal carcinoma. Three months earlier he had undergone an endoscopic biopsy of the oesophagus for routine follow-up of his oesophagus carcinoma. He also underwent a vertebroplasty due to suspected pathologic fracture. On admission to hospital, magnetic resonance imaging revealed an infiltrative process at the level of the 5th and 6th thoracic vertebrae. Blood cultures were positive for both Streptococcus mitis and Gemella morbillorum. During his course of antibiotic therapy he developed an abscess at the level of 8th thoracic vertebrae and culture of this abscess grew Candida albicans. He was treated with antibiotics and antifungal drugs and recovered fully. CONCLUSION: Vertebral osteomyelitis may be caused by direct spread following an oesophageal procedure. Microbiological diagnosis is essential to target the specific pathogen, especially in cases of polymicrobial infection.

Gemella morbillorum prosthetic aortic valve endocarditis.

Gemella morbillorum is facultative anaerobic, Gram-positive cocci and are a commensal part of human flora. The reported patient in this case, with a prosthetic bovine aortic valve, presented with fever, poor dental hygiene, new cardiac murmur and signs of congestive heart failure. Blood cultures were positive for a viridans streptococcal species; however, the organism could not be further identified at our institution. Echocardiogram demonstrated a decrease in ejection fraction and vegetation attached to the prosthetic aortic valve associated with a perivalvular abscess. The patient was treated with a 6-week regimen of penicillin G with gentamicin for the first 2 weeks along with cardiac surgery. The results from the 16S rRNA gene sequencing of the viridans streptococcal species were available, which reported the organism as G. morbillorum. This case adds to the literature on G. morbillorum prosthetic valve endocarditis and provides additional evidence to consider infectious endocarditis in the setting of G. morbillorum bacteraemia.

Bacteremia after piezocision.

INTRODUCTION: The aim of this study was to investigate the presence of transient bacteremia after a piezocision procedure. METHODS: The sample consisted of 30 subjects (24 women, 6 men; mean age, 19.6 ± 0.7 years; range, 18.1-22.4 years) with the American Society of Anesthesiologists' physical status I. All patients had Class I skeletal and dental relationships and had fixed orthodontic treatment with the Damon system. The piezocision surgery was performed 1 week after the placement of the orthodontic appliances in all patients. Two 20-mL venous blood samples were collected before and 30 to 60 seconds after the first microincision using an aseptic technique. The samples were inoculated into BACTEC Plus aerobic and anaerobic blood culture bottles and were assessed in the BACTEC blood culture analyzer (Becton Dickinson Diagnostic Instrument Systems, Sparks, Md). The results were analyzed statistically using the McNemar test, with P <0.05 indicating statistical significance. RESULTS: No significant difference between the preoperative and postoperative samples was determined with respect to transient bacteremia (P = 0.250). No bacteremia was detected in the pretreatment samples, although Gemella sanguinis, Streptococcus pluranimalium, and Streptococcus mitis/oralis were detected in 3 postoperative blood samples. CONCLUSIONS: The piezocision procedure might be related to transitory bacteremia. Hence, orthodontists should consider the possibility of bacterial endocarditis in at-risk patients when piezocision is part of the treatment plan.

Pyogenic liver abscess caused by Gemella morbillorum.

Even though Gemella morbillorum infection (GMI) is rare in humans, it may nevertheless, cause endocarditis, meningitis, brain abscess, pleural empyema, nephritis, mediastinitis, and--occasionally--liver abscess. We are describing the case of a 64-years-old Caucasian male admitted with fever and abdominal pain. Laboratory parameters revealed inflammation signs, and instrumental examinations showed the presence of diverticula in the ascending colon. Abdominal ultrasound (US) and computer tomography (CT) showed two focal lesions in the right liver lobe. One had the characteristics of a simple cyst; the second was hypoechoic with a low density area, possibly containing necrotic material. US-guided needle biopsy was found negative for neoplastic cells, showing purulent infiltrate. Pus culture was found positive for GMI. Systemic antibiotic therapy coupled with repeated US-guided needle aspiration, induced the resolution of the hepatic abscess. Few cases have been reported of hepatic abscess caused by GMI in immunocompetent non-cirrhotic subjects.

A pesar de que la infección por Gemella morbillorum (GMI por el término en inglés) es poco común en seres humanos, puede causar endocarditis, meningitis, absceso cerebral, empiema pleural, nefritis, mediastinitis y en ocasiones, absceso hepático. Describimos el caso de un hombre caucásico de 64 años que ingresó con fiebre y dolor abdominal. Los parámetros de laboratorio revelaron signos de inflamación y los exámenes mostraron la presencia de divertículos en el colon ascendente. La ecografía abdominal (US) y la tomografía computarizada (CT) mostró dos lesiones focales en el lóbulo hepático derecho. Una presentó las características de un quiste simple; la segunda fue hipoecóica con una zona de baja densidad, que posiblemente contenía material necrótico. Biopsia con aguja guiada por US dio un resultado negativo para células neoplásicas, mostrando infiltrado purulento. Cultivo de pus fue encontrado positivo para GMI. Una terapia con antibióticos sistémicos, junto con aspiración repetida con aguja guiada por US indujo a la resolución del absceso hepático. Pocos casos se han reportado de absceso hepático causado por GMI en sujetos inmunocompetentes no cirróticos.

Pyogenic liver abscess caused by Gemella morbillorum / Absceso hepático piógeno causado por Gemella morbillorum

Even though Gemella morbillorum infection (GMI) is rare in humans, it may, nevertheless, cause endocarditis, meningitis, brain abscess, pleural empyema, nephritis, mediastinitis, and - occasionally - liver abscess. We are describing the case of a 64-year-old Caucasian male admitted with fever and abdominal pain. Laboratory parameters revealed inflammation signs, and instrumental examinations showed the presence of diverticula in the ascending colon. Abdominal ultrasound (US) and computer tomography (CT) showed two focal lesions in the right liver lobe. One had the characteristics of a simple cyst; the second was hypoechoic with a low density area, possibly containing necrotic material. US-guided needle biopsy was found negative for neoplastic cells, showing purulent infiltrate. Pus culture was found positive for GMI. Systemic antibiotic therapy, coupled with repeated US-guided needle aspiration, induced the resolution of the hepatic abscess. Few cases have been reported of hepatic abscess caused by GMI in immunocompetent non-cirrhotic subjects.

A pesar de que la infección por Gemella morbillorum (GMI, por el término en inglés) es poco común en seres humanos, puede causar endocarditis, meningitis, absceso cerebral, empiema pleural, nefritis, mediastinitis y en ocasiones, absceso hepático. Describimos el caso de un hombre caucásico de 64 años que ingresó con fiebre y dolor abdominal. Los parámetros de laboratorio revelaron signos de inflamación y los exámenes mostraron la presencia de divertículos en el colon ascendente. La ecografía abdominal (US) y la tomografía computarizada (CT) mostró dos lesiones focales en el lóbulo hepático derecho. Una presentó las características de un quiste simple; la segunda fue hipoecóica con una zona de baja densidad, que posiblemente contenía material necrótico. Biopsia con aguja guiada por US dio un resultado negativo para células neoplásicas, mostrando infiltrado purulento. Cultivo de pus fue encontrado positivo para GMI. Una terapia con antibióticos sistémicos, junto con aspiración repetida con aguja guiada por US indujo a la resolución del absceso hepático. Pocos casos se han reportado de absceso hepático causado por GMI en sujetos inmunocompetentes no cirróticos.

Bacteriological findings in radicular cyst and keratocystic odontogenic tumour fluids from asymptomatic patients.

OBJECTIVE: In this study the potential presence of bacteria in radicular cyst (RC) and keratocystic odontogenic tumour(KCOT) fluids from clinically asymptomatic patients was investigated. MATERIALS AND METHODS: Cyst fluids were collected by needle aspiration from 16 patients with asymptomatic osteolytic lesions (10 RCs and 6 KCOTs) undergoing surgery. All samples were transferred into tubes containing pre-reduced transport medium, delivered to the microbiology laboratory and processed within 1h. The cysts, surgically enucleated, were sent for standard histopathological examination. Cyst fluid samples were cultured on selective and differential media in anaerobic (for about 2 weeks) and aerobic (for 24-48 h) conditions to detect viable microorganisms. After incubation, the colonies were counted, Gram-stained and identified by biochemical tests. RESULTS: Cultures were positive for the presence of bacteria in 15 (9 RCs, 6 KCOTs) out of 16 cases. RCs and KCOTs generally yielded low bacterial counts (10(2)-10(4) CFU/ml) and were predominantly colonized by obligate anaerobes (64%), whereas less commonly by facultative anaerobes (36%). No significant differences in the detection frequencies of obligate and facultative anaerobes were evidenced between RCs and KCOTs. Propionibacterium acnes was the most common obligate anaerobe recovered both in RC and KCOT fluids. Among facultative anaerobes, Gemella morbillorum was more frequently isolated in KCOTs, whereas Staphylococcus spp. in RCs. CONCLUSIONS: Bacteria may be present and persist within fluids of clinically asymptomatic jaw cystic lesions. The influence of bacteria and latent bacterial infection within cystic jaw lesions should be reconsidered in odontogenic cyst progression.

Investigation of cultivable bacteria isolated from longstanding retreatment-resistant lesions of teeth with apical periodontitis.

INTRODUCTION: The objective of this research was to investigate the presence of viable bacteria in tissue samples from persistent apical lesions and to correlate the microbiological findings with the histopathological diagnosis of the lesion. METHODS: Twenty persistent apical lesions associated with well-performed endodontic retreatment were collected. Tissue samples were processed through culture techniques including serial dilution, plating, aerobic and anaerobic incubation, and biochemical tests for microbial identification followed by histopathological diagnosis. RESULTS: Cysts were more frequently diagnosed (13/20). Strict anaerobic species predominated in both cysts (80.4% of the species detected) and granulomas (65% of the species detected). Viable gram-positive bacteria were frequently recovered from apical lesions (cysts = 70.6%, granulomas = 84.4%). Gemella morbillorum and Propionibacterium acnes were the most frequently recovered species from cysts and granulomas, respectively. At least 1 gram-positive bacterial species was present in almost every sample (cysts = 12/13, granulomas = 7/7). No significant correlation was found between histologic findings and bacterial species. CONCLUSIONS: In conclusion, although cysts were more frequent than granulomas in cases of failure of endodontic retreatment, bacteria were isolated from both types of lesions, with a predominance of gram-positive species, suggesting that these species can survive outside the root canal and might be related to the persistence of the pathological process even after accurate endodontic retreatment.

Maxillary sinusitis after sinus lift due to Gemella morbillorum: antibiotic and surgical treatment.

Sinus lift is a predictable procedure for increasing alveolar bone height in the posterosuperior alveolar regions to allow oral prosthetic rehabilitation. Several complications have been documented in the literature and vary from sinus membrane perforation to maxillary rhinosinusitis. The authors present a case of Gemella morbillorum acute sinusitis after sinus lift surgery. The purpose of this report is to describe the surgical and pharmacological management of a patient allergic to penicillin.

Cerebrospinal fluid shunt infection due to Gemella haemolysans.

Gemella haemolysans has long been considered a commensal in the human upper respiratory tract. Commensals are natural inhabitants on or within another organism, deriving benefit without harming or benefiting the host. Opportunistic infection of the CNS by the species is exceedingly rare. In the present case, a 16-year-old boy was admitted with a ventriculoperitoneal shunt infection, which was confirmed to be due to G. haemolysans. Following antibiotic treatment, removal of the old shunt, and delayed insertion of a new shunt, the patient made a full neurological recovery. To the authors' knowledge, this is the eighth case of CNS infection with G. haemolysans. Although prosthesis-related infections have been reported in other systems, this is the first case of CNS infection by the bacterium associated with an implant. Previous reported cases of CNS infection by G. haemolysans are reviewed. Due to the variable Gram staining property of the organism, the difficulty in diagnosing G. haemolysans infection is emphasized.

[Endocarditis caused by rare Gram-positive bacteria: investigate for gastrointestinal disorders]. / Endocarditis met zeldzame grampositieve verwekkers: zoek naar gastro-intestinale aandoeningen.

Gemella haemolysans, Streptococcus equinus and Tropheryma whipplei are rare Gram-positive bacteria which may cause endocarditis and are associated with gastrointestinal disorders. We report on three patients with infective endocarditis caused by these microorganisms. G. haemolysans and S. equinus (Streptococcus bovis group) were isolated from blood cultures, and T. whipplei was diagnosed by molecular typing of an excised heart valve. The association between endocarditis caused by these microorganisms and gastrointestinal disorders warranted further examination. Endoscopic examination revealed a colonic carcinoma in the patient with G. haemolysans endocarditis and diverticulosis in the patient with S. equinus endocarditis. No gastrointestinal tract disorders were found in the patient with T. whipplei endocarditis, but this does not exclude Whipple's disease. Examination of the gastrointestinal tract for a focus of infection should be considered in patients with endocarditis caused by G. haemolysans, S. equinus and T. whipplei if no other source of bacteraemia is apparent.

Gemella haemolysans spondylodiscitis: a report of two cases.

We report on two cases of infective spondylodiscitis caused by Gemella haemolysans in otherwise healthy patients. This organism has only rarely been identified as a cause of bone and joint infection, with only two previous reports of infective spondylodiscitis. We describe the clinical features, investigations and treatment options.

Gemella morbillorum bacteremia after anti-tumor necrosis factor alpha as acne inversa therapy.

We present a case of fever, brain abscesses, and Gemella morbillorum bacteremia after anti-tumor necrosis factor alpha (TNF-α) therapy in a 21-year-old acne inversa patient currently taking long-term dapsone. To the best of our knowledge, this is the first report describing such a case. During antimicrobial therapy, the patient developed systemic varicella infection with severe thrombocytopenia.