Mycobacterium fortuitum

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Mycobacterium fortuitum
Scientific classification
Kingdom: Bacteria Phylum: Actinobacteria Order: Actinomycetales Suborder: Corynebacterineae Family: Mycobacteriaceae Genus: Mycobacterium Species: M. fortuitum
Binomial name
Mycobacterium fortuitum Da Costa Cruz 1938, ATCC 6841

Mycobacterium fortuitum

Contents 1 Description 2 Pathogenesis 3 [Biological type|Type Strain]] 4 References

[edit] Description

Gram-positive, nonmotile and acid-fast rods (1-3 µm x 0.2-0.4 µm). 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. 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.

[edit] 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 surgery.
• Biosafety level 2

[edit] [Biological type|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

[edit] References

• Da Costa Cruz, J. 1938. Mycobacterium fortuitum um novo bacillo acido-resistente patogênico para o homem. Acta Medica (Rio de Janeiro), 1, 297-301.]