Infective endocarditis due to Atopobium vaginae: a rare association between genital infection and endocarditis of the tricuspid valve

Fannyhessea vaginae causing bacteraemia and vertebral osteomyelitis: first report of invasive disease in a male

Introduction.Fannyhessea vaginae (formerly Atopobium vaginae) is an anaerobic organism commonly associated with female genital flora, with rare cases of invasive disease reported in females. Case report. We discuss the case of an 81-year-old male who presented with an acute history of back pain and signs of urinary tract infection in the context of intermittent self-urinary catheterisation. Multiple blood cultures grew Fannyhessea vaginae with a later finding of lumbar vertebral osteomyelitis as the cause of back pain. Treatment was commenced with ampicillin, later switched to ceftriaxone, with improvement of acute signs of infection. Conclusion. Gram-positive anaerobic organisms including Fannyhessea vaginae are possibly under-recognised causes of urinary tract particularly in older males. These bacteria may prove challenging to grow in standard protocols for urine culture; anaerobic or extended incubation could be considered particularly in complicated cases of urinary tract infection without an identifiable pathogen.

A rare bacteremia caused by Fannyhessea vaginae in a pregnant woman: case report and literature review

Bloodstream infection caused by anaerobic microorganisms continues to be associated with a high mortality risk, necessitating a rapid diagnosis and an appropriate treatment. As an anaerobic gram-positive organism associated with vaginal infections, Fannyhessea vaginae is a rare cause of invasive infections. In this case, a 32-year-old pregnant woman with bacterial vaginosis presented with bacteremia. The microbiological analysis of the blood cultures identified F. vaginae. The patient was treated empirically with 5 days of cefoperazone/sulbactam and recovered well. Here, we provide a review of the literature on F. vaginae infections, and the reported cases demonstrate the need for awareness of the different anaerobic species found in the vaginal tract and adaptation of empirical therapies, especially in pregnant women.

A multiphasic approach to solve misidentification of Cutibacterium acnes as Atopobium vaginae during routine bacterial screening of platelet concentrates using the VITEK 2 system

Skin flora bacteria, such as Cutibacterium acnes , are the predominant contaminants of blood products used for transfusion. Platelet concentrates (PCs), a therapeutic product used to treat patients with platelet deficiencies, are stored at ambient temperature under agitation, providing ideal conditions for bacterial proliferation. At Canadian Blood Services, PCs are screened for microbial contamination using the automated BACT/ALERT culture system. Positive cultures are processed and contaminating organisms are identified using the VITEK 2 system. Over a period of approximately 2 years, several PC isolates were identified as Atopobium vaginae to a high level of confidence. However, since A. vaginae is associated with bacterial vaginosis and is not a common PC contaminant, a retrospective investigation revealed that in all cases C. acnes was misidentified as A. vaginae . Our investigation demonstrated that the media type used to grow PC bacterial isolates can have a significant impact on the results obtained on the VITEK 2 system. Furthermore, other identification methods such as matrix-assisted laser desorption/ionization time-of-flight mass spectrometry (MALD-TOF MS) and PCR amplification of the 16S RNA gene were only partially successful in the identification of C. acnes . Therefore, our findings support a multiphasic approach when PC isolates are identified as A. vaginae by the VITEK 2 system for proper identification of C. acnes using macroscopic, microscopic and other biochemical analyses.

First report of a prosthetic joint infection with Fannyhessea (Atopobium) vaginae

This case describes a 77-year-old woman with dysregulated type II diabetes, presenting with a prosthetic joint infection and bacteremia. Computed tomography (CT) of the pelvis and sacrum revealed manifest periprosthetic collections, suggestive of a septic arthritis with loosening of the hip prosthesis. Synovial fluid grew Fannyhessea vaginae, identified by matrix-assisted laser desorption ionization-time of flight mass spectrometry (MALDI-TOF MS). To our knowledge, this is the first report of a prosthetic joint infection due to this organism.

Next-Generation Sequencing for Determining the Effect of Arginine on Human Dental Biofilms Using an In Situ Model

Oral biofilms are associated with caries, periodontal diseases, and systemic diseases. Generally, antimicrobial therapy is used as the first line of treatment for infectious diseases; however, bacteria in biofilms eventually develop antibiotic resistance. This study aimed to apply our in situ biofilm model to verify whether an arginine preparation is useful for plaque control. Ten healthy subjects who did not show signs of caries, gingivitis, or periodontitis were recruited. The dental biofilms from the subjects were obtained using our oral device before and after gargling with arginine solution for 4 weeks. We found that 8% arginine solution significantly increased the concentration of ammonium ions (NH₄ ⁺) in vitro and in vivo in saliva (p < 0.05) and decreased the proportions of the genera Atopobium and Catonella in vivo. However, the viable count was unaffected by the mouthwash. Further, oral populations of the genera Streptococcus and Neisseria tended to increase with the use of arginine. Therefore, we concluded that using an 8% arginine solution decreased the NH₄ ⁺ concentration in the oral cavity without affecting the number of viable bacteria, and that the diversity of oral bacterial flora changed. We suggest that arginine might help prevent mature biofilm formation.

Septic shock caused by Gardnerella vaginalis and Atopobium vaginae

Although bacterial vaginosis is the most common and benign vaginal infection worldwide, some cases of severe acute infections have been described in the literature. We report the case of a 57-year-old French female who developed a life-threatening postoperative peritonitis after a total hysterectomy with adnexectomy in the context of the removal of leiomyosarcoma. The microbiological analysis of the peritoneal fluid identified Gardnerella vaginalis and Atobopium vaginae. The final diagnosis was a septic shock induced by an early onset peritonitis caused by Gardnerella vaginalis and Atobopium vaginae. The normal flora of the genital area could lead to a serious life threatening postoperative infection and should always be in the differential diagnosis.