Summary
A new case ofNeisseria elongata ssp.nitroreducens bacteremia and endocarditis in a 74-year-old woman who had undergone aortic valve replacement in 1992 is reported in detail.N. elongata ssp.nitroreducens differs from the other subspecies ofN. elongata in the additional reduction of nitrate without gas formation. Like mostNeisseria spp. exceptNeisseria meningitidis andNeisseria gonorrhoeae, thisN. elongata ssp.nitroreducens is usually classified in the group of “non-pathogenic”Neisseria spp. This case report indicates that the presence of subspecies of this group is significant when isolated from normally sterile sites and can cause severe disease in susceptible individuals.
Zusammenfassung
Wir berichten über einen neuen Fall von Bakteriämie und Endokarditis durchNeisseria elongata ssp.nitroreducens bei einer 74-jährigen Frau, die 1992 einen Aortenklappenersatz durchgemacht hatte.N. elongata ssp.nitroreducens unterscheidet sich von anderen Subspecies vonN. elongata durch zusätzliche Nitratreduktion ohne Gasbildung. Wie die meistenNeisseria spp. — mit Ausnahme vonNeisseria meningitidis undNeisseria gonorrhoeae — wird dieseN. elongata ssp.nitroreducens in der Regel als “apathogene”Neisseria sp. eingeordnet. Unser Fallbericht zeigt, daß die Anwesenheit einer Subspecies dieser Gruppe dann von klinischer Bedeutung ist, wenn die Isolation aus einer normalerweise sterilen Umgebung erfolgt ist. Bei empfänglichen Personen kann dieser Keim schwere Krankheitssymptome verursachen.
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Meuleman, P., Verhaegen, J., Erard, K. et al. Bioprosthetic valve endocarditis caused byNeisseria elongata subspeciesnitroreducens . Infection 24, 258–260 (1996). https://doi.org/10.1007/BF01781107
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DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/BF01781107