Bacteria

Corynebacterium

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Corynebacterium, Coryneform Bacteria, Diphtheroids

  • See Also
  1. Corynebacterium diphtheriae
  2. Gram Positive Bacteria
  • Pathophysiology
  1. Non-motile, non-spore forming rod-shaped (or pleiomorphic) Bacteria
    1. Corynebacterium is derived from Greek (Koryne=Club, Bacterion=Little Rod)
    2. May be aerobic or anaerobic
  • Types
  1. Corynebacterium diphtheriae (Diphtheria)
  2. Coryneform Bacteria (Diphtheroids)
    1. Includes multiple genera in addition to Corynebacterium (e.g. Arcanobacterium, Brevibacterium, Microbacterium)
    2. Colonize human skin as well as soil and water
    3. Frequently found in contaminated cultures in hospitalized patients
    4. Community acquired infections
      1. Urinary Tract Infections
      2. Prostatitis
      3. Endocarditis
      4. Erythrasma (Corynebacterium minutissimum)
    5. Nosocomial infections
      1. Sites
        1. Surgical Wound Infections
        2. Catheter infections
        3. Endocarditis
      2. Organisms
        1. Corynebacterium jeikeium
        2. Corynebacterium urealyticum
        3. Corynebacterium striatum
  • References
  1. Gladwin, Trattler and Mahan (2014) Clinical Microbiology, Medmaster, Fl, p. 58-9
  2. Bernard (2012) J Clin Microbiol 50(10):3152-8 +PMID: 22837327 [PubMed]