Health Dictionary
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Mycobacterium fortuitum
Introduction
Mycobacterium fortuitum
Description
Description
Gram-positive, nonmotile and acid-fast rods (1-3µm x 0.2-0.4µm). Sometimes long rods with occasional beaded or swollen cells having non-acid-fast ovoid bodies at one end.
Colony characteristics
- Smooth hemispheric colonies, usually off-white or cream colored colonies. May be butyrous, waxy, multilobate and even rosette clustered (dilute inocula).
- On Malachite green containing media, such as Löwenstein-Jensen media, colonies can absorb the green dye.
Physiology
- Rapid growth on Löwenstein-Jensen media within 2-4 days.
- No growth at 45°C, but grows on MacConkey agar
Differential characteristics
- Differentiation from M. fortuitum subsp. acetamidolyticum by its ability to utilise L-glutamate and its inability to utilise acetamide as simultaneous nitrogen and carbon source. Both subspecies share an identical 5′-16S rDNA sequence. However, the ITS sequences are different.
Pathogenesis
Pathogenesis
- Different types of sporadic infections: pulmonary disease, local abscesses.
- Postoperative sternal wound infections, endocarditis, meningitis, and osteomyelitis.
- Has produced postoperative infections after breast augmentation surgury.
- Biosafety level 2
Type Strain
Type Strain
- Found world wide in soil, dust, rivers, lakes and tap water.
- First isolated from a 25-year old patient (syringe abscess) in Rio de Janeiro.
- Also isolated from lymph glands of cattle and systemic or nodular infection of frogs.
Strain ATCC 6841 = CCUG 20994 = CIP 104534 = DSM 46621 = IFO (now NBRC) 13159 = JCM 6387 = NCTC 10394.
Subsequently, this species has been divided into subspecies M. fortuitum subsp. acetamidolyticum
References
References
- Da Costa Cruz, J. 1938. Mycobacterium fortuitum um novo bacillo acidoresistance pathogenico para o homen. Acta Medica (Rio de Janeiro), 1, 297-301.]
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