Peptostreptococcus
| Peptostreptococcus | ||||||||||||
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 Peptostreptococcus spp. growing in characteristic chain formations.
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P. anaerobius |
Editor-In-Chief: C. Michael Gibson, M.S., M.D. [1]
Overview
Peptostreptococcus is a genus of anaerobic, Gram-positive, non-spore forming bacteria. The cells are small, spherical, and can occur in short chains, in pairs or individually.[1] Peptostreptococcus are slow-growing bacteria with increasing resistance to antimicrobial drugs.[2]
Pathogenesis
Peptostreptococcus species are commensal organisms in humans, living predominantly in the mouth, skin, gastrointestinal, and urinary tracts, and compose a portion of the bacterial gut flora. Under immunosuppressed or traumatic conditions these organisms can become pathogenic, as well as septicemic, harming their host. Peptostreptococcus can cause brain, liver, breast, and lung abscesses, as well as generalized necrotizing soft tissue infections.[3]
References
- ↑ Ryan KJ; Ray CG (editors) (2004). Sherris Medical Microbiology (4th ed. ed.). McGraw Hill. ISBN 0-8385-8529-9.
- ↑ Higaki S, Kitagawa T, Kagoura M, Morohashi M, Yamagishi T (2000). "Characterization of Peptostreptococcus species in skin infections". J Int Med Res. 28 (3): 143–7. PMID 10983864.
- ↑ Mader JT, Calhoun J (1996). Bone, Joint, and Necrotizing Soft Tissue Infections. In: Baron's Medical Microbiology (Baron S et al, eds.) (4th ed. ed.). Univ of Texas Medical Branch. (via NCBI Bookshelf) ISBN 0-9631172-1-1.
External links
- Peptostreptococcus infections from eMedicine.