Outbreak ofCorynebacterium pseudodiphtheriticumInfection in Cystic Fibrosis Patients, France

• DOI: 10.3201/eid1608.100193
• Publication Date: 2010-08-05T00:17:51Z
• Authors: Fadi Bittar; Carole Cassagne; Emmanuelle Bosdure; Nathalie Stremler; Jean-Christophe D...; Jacques Sarles; Martine Reynaud-G...; Didier Raoult; Jean-Marc Rolain
• Keywords: Corynebacterium pseudodiphtheriticum; DNA, Bacterial; Male; Adolescent; Cystic Fibrosis; Infectious and parasitic diseases; RC109-216; Corynebacterium; Polymerase Chain Reaction; Disease Outbreaks; cystic fibrosis; 03 medical and health sciences; children; Bacterial Proteins; cough; Humans; bacteria; Child; Phylogeny; Retrospective Studies; 0303 health sciences; Corynebacterium Infections; Research; R; Sputum; Infant; DNA-Directed RNA Polymerases; [SDV.MP.BAC]Life Sciences [q-bio]/Microbiology and Parasitology/Bacteriology; 3. Good health; Child, Preschool; Spectrometry, Mass, Matrix-Assisted Laser Desorption-Ionization; intact cell mass spectrometry; Medicine; Female; France; [SDV.MP.BAC] Life Sciences [q-bio]/Microbiology and Parasitology/Bacteriology

An increasing body of evidence indicates that nondiphtheria corynebacteria may be responsible for respiratory tract infections. We report an outbreak of Corynebacterium pseudodiphtheriticum infection in children with cystic fibrosis (CF). To identify 18 C. pseudodiphtheriticum strains isolated from 13 French children with CF, we used molecular methods (partial rpoB gene sequencing) and matrix-assisted laser desorption ionization time-of-flight (MALDI-TOF) mass spectrometry. Clinical symptoms were exhibited by 10 children (76.9%), including cough, rhinitis, and lung exacerbations. The results of MALDI-TOF identification matched perfectly with those obtained from molecular identification. Retrospective analysis of sputum specimens by using specific real-time PCR showed that approximately 20% of children with CF were colonized with these bacteria, whereas children who did not have CF had negative test results. Our study reemphasizes the conclusion that correctly identifying bacteria at the species level facilitates detection of an outbreak of new or emerging infections in humans.