
Health Dictionary
Reliable, easy-to-read patient information on common medical conditions β written in plain language, free of jargon, and grounded in current evidence. Browse the most frequent diagnoses, understand what they mean for everyday life, and learn which steps and questions help you have a focused conversation with your doctor.
Citrobacter
Introduction
Overview
Overview
Citrobacter is a genus of Gram-negative coliform bacteria in the Enterobacteriaceae family. They are rarely the source of illnesses, except for infections of the urinary tract and infant meningitis and sepsis.[1][2]
Organism
Organism
- Citrobacter is a genus of gram-negative Coliform bacteria in the Enterobacteriaceae family.
- The species C. amalonaticus, C. koseri, and C. freundii use solely citrate as a carbon source. These bacteria can be found almost everywhere in soil, water, wastewater, etc. It can also be found in the human intestine. They are rarely the source of illnesses, except for infections of the urinary tract and infant meningitis.
- Citrobacter shows the ability to accumulate uranium by building phosphate complexes.[3]
Citrobacter freundi
- Citrobacter freundi is a species of facultative. aerobic. Gram-negative bacilli of the Enterobacteriaceae family.[4] The bacteria are long rod-shaped with a typical length of 1β5 ΞΌm.[5] Most C. freundii cells are surrounded by several flagella used for locomotion, but a few are not mobile. It can be found in soil, water, sewage, food, and the intestinal tracts of animals and humans.[5] The Citrobacter genus was discovered in 1932 by Werkman and Gillen. Cultures of C. freundii were isolated and identified in the same year from soil extracts.[5]
- As an opportunistic pathogen, C. freundii is responsible for a number of significant infections. It is known to be the cause of a number of nosocomial infections of the respiratory tract, urinary tract, blood, and many other normally sterile sites in patients.[6] C. freundii represents about 29% of all opportunistic infections.[6]
- Surprisingly, this infectious microbe in humans plays a positive role in the environment. C. freundii is responsible for reducing nitrate to nitrite in the environment.[7] This conversion is an important and crucial stage in the nitrogen cycle. These bacteria also help in recycling nitrogen.[7]
- C. freundii has also been investigated for biodegradation of tannic acid used in tanneries.[7]
- For metabolism, C. freundii has an ability to grow on glycerol as the sole carbon and energy source. Within its cell, a bacterial microcompartment can be found, which is capable of processing propanediol.[8]
Antimicrobial regimen
- Citrobacter freundii[9]
- Preferred regimen (1): Meropenem 1-2 g IV q8h
- Preferred regimen (2): Imipenem 1 g IV q6h
- Preferred regimen (3): Doripenem 500 mg IV q8h
- Preferred regimen (4): Cefepime 1-2 g IV q8h
- Preferred regimen (5): Ciprofloxacin 400 mg IV q12h or 500 mg PO bid for UTI
- Preferred regimen (6): Gentamicin 5 mg/kg IV q24h
- Alternative regimen (1): Piperacillin-tazobactam 3.375 mg IV q6h
- Alternative regimen (2): Aztreonam 1-2 g IV q6h
- Alternative regimen (3): TMP-SMX 5 mg/kg q6h IV or DS PO bid for UTI
- Note: Usually Carbenicillin sensitive, Cephalothin resistant
- Citrobacter koseri[10]
- Preferred regimen (1): Ceftriaxone 1-2 g IV q12-24h
- Preferred regimen (2): Cefotaxime 1-2 g IV q6h
- Preferred regimen (3): Cefepime 1-2 IV q8h
- Alternative regimen (1): Ciprofloxacin 400 mg IV q12h or 500 mg PO q12h for UTI
- Alternative regimen (2): Imipenem 1 g IV q6h
- Alternative regimen (3): Doripenem 500 mg IV q8h
- Alternative regimen (4): Meropenem 1-2 g IV q8h
- Alternative regimen (5): Aztreonam 1-2 g IV q6h
- Alternative regimen (6): TMP-SMX 5 mg/kg IV q6h or DS PO bid for UTI
- Note: Usually Ampicillin resistant, but may be sensitive to first generation cephalosporins.
Gallery
Gallery
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Triple sugar iron agar (TSI) tested for Salmonella (H2S+) and (H2S-); Citrobacter sp. and S. arizonae. From Public Health Image Library (PHIL). [11]
References
References
- β V. Drelichman; J. D. Band (1985). “Bacteremias due to Citrobacter diversus and Citrobacter freundii. Incidence, risk factors, and clinical outcome”. Archives of Internal Medicine. 145 (10): 1808β1810. doi:10.1001/archinte.145.10.1808. PMIDΒ 3899035.
- β Badger, J.D.; M.F. Stins; K.S. Kim (1999). “Citrobacter freundii Invades and Replicates in Human Brain Microvascular Endothelial Cells”. Infection and Immunity. 67 (8): 4208β15. PMCΒ 96726. PMIDΒ 10417193.
- β L. E. Macaskie, R. M. Empson, A. K. Cheetham, C. P. Grey, A. J. Skarnulis (1992). “Uranium bioaccumulation by a Citrobacter sp. as a result of enzymically mediated growth of polycrystalline HUO2PO4“. Science. 257: 782β784. doi:10.1126/science.1496397.
- β “Citrobacter SPP”. Pathogen Safety Data Sheet β Infectious Substances. Public Health Agency of Canada. 2012.
- β 5.0 5.1 5.2 PMID 11269372 (PMIDΒ 11269372)
Citation will be completed automatically in a few minutes. Jump the queue or expand by hand - β 6.0 6.1 PMID 17224563 (PMIDΒ 17224563)
Citation will be completed automatically in a few minutes. Jump the queue or expand by hand - β 7.0 7.1 7.2 PMID 8983520 (PMIDΒ 8983520)
Citation will be completed automatically in a few minutes. Jump the queue or expand by hand - β PMID 21245529 (PMIDΒ 21245529)
Citation will be completed automatically in a few minutes. Jump the queue or expand by hand - β Bartlett, John (2012). Johns Hopkins ABX guideΒ : diagnosis and treatment of infectious diseases. Burlington, MA: Jones and Bartlett Learning. ISBNΒ 978-1449625580.
- β Bartlett, John (2012). Johns Hopkins ABX guideΒ : diagnosis and treatment of infectious diseases. Burlington, MA: Jones and Bartlett Learning. ISBNΒ 978-1449625580.
- β “Public Health Image Library (PHIL)”.
External links
External links
Editor-In-Chief: C. Michael Gibson, M.S., M.D. [1]

![Triple sugar iron agar (TSI) tested for Salmonella (H2S+) and (H2S-); Citrobacter sp. and S. arizonae. From Public Health Image Library (PHIL). [11]](https://www.wikidoc.org/images/d/dc/Enterobacteria55.jpeg)