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Journal of Clinical Microbiology, January 1999, p. 8-13, Vol. 37, No. 1
0095-1137/99/$04.00+0
Copyright © 1999, American Society for Microbiology. All rights reserved.

Clinical Spectrum of Infections Due to the Newly Described Actinomyces Species A. turicensis, A. radingae, and A. europaeus

Luc J. M. Sabbe,1,* Dick Van De Merwe,1 Leo Schouls,2 Anneke Bergmans,2 Mario Vaneechoutte,3 and Peter Vandamme4,5

Regional Lab for Public Health "Zeeland," 4460 AA Goes,1 and National Institute for Public Health and the Environment, 3720 BA Bilthoven,2 The Netherlands, and Department of Clinical Chemistry, Microbiology and Immunology, University Hospital,3 and Laboratory for Microbiology, University of Ghent,4 9000 Ghent, and Department of Medical Microbiology, University Hospital UIA, Antwerp,5 Belgium

Received 22 June 1998/Returned for modification 9 July 1998/Accepted 9 September 1998

Over a 7-year period, we isolated 294 Actinomyces-like organisms (ALOs) which were not clearly identifiable. Using well-defined probes coding for sequences specific for recently described Actinomyces species (A. turicensis, A. radingae, and A. europaeus), we were able to identify 128 strains. The majority belonged to the A. turicensis species. A. radingae was found only in patients with skin-related pathologies. A. europaeus was also detected in patients with urinary tract infections. The main sources of A. turicensis were genital infections, followed by skin-related and urinary tract infections. Additional clinical pictures were appendicitis, cholecystitis, ear, nose, and throat infections, and bacteremia. In a small number of patients these ALOs were found as the only pathogen. Strains of the three species were tested by two widely used biochemical identification methods. A. turicensis was easily identifiable by both these methods. We conclude that these ALOs are not infrequent pathogens and are found in a wide range of human infections. At least A. turicensis is easily identifiable by clinical diagnostic laboratories.


* Corresponding author. Mailing address: Stichting Streeklaboratorium "Zeeland," POB 36, 4460 AA Goes, The Netherlands. Phone: 31-113-216152. Fax: 31-113-233540. E-mail: SSZGOES{at}ZEELANDNET.NL.


Journal of Clinical Microbiology, January 1999, p. 8-13, Vol. 37, No. 1
0095-1137/99/$04.00+0
Copyright © 1999, American Society for Microbiology. All rights reserved.



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