Outbreak of Mycobacterium massiliense infection associated with intramuscular injections

Twelve strains of a rapidly growing Mycobacterium species were isolated from an outbreak associated with intramuscular injections of an antimicrobial agent and were identified by comparative sequence analysis of rpoB and hsp65. These isolates were identified as Mycobacterium massiliense (100% similarity).

Erythroderma due to ribostamycin

A 48-year-old man became erythrodermatous after intramuscular administration of ribostamycin, an aminoglycoside antibiotic in the same family as neomycin. Patch tests were positive to ribostamycin and neomycin, as well as to mercurials. There was no mercurial preservative in the injection solution. A lymphocyte transformation test was positive for ribostamycin and tobramycin, but not for gentamycin. Diagnostic and structure-activity relationship aspects of the case are discussed.