Abstract
Ninety percent of the 49 reported cases of serious Erysipelothrix rhusiopathiae infection have been episodes of presumed or proved endocarditis. E. rhusiopathiae endocarditis correlates highly with occupation (farming, animal exposure), affects more males than females, exhibits a peculiar aortic valve tropism, displays a characteristic erysipeloid cutaneous lesion (in 40% of cases), and is associated with significant mortality (overall rate, 38%). Comparison with other unusual gram-positive rods causing endocarditis shows that E. rhusiopathiae resembles Listeria monocytogenes and Lactobacillus species in its propensity to involve structurally damaged but native left-sided valves. Unlike diphtheroid endocarditis, E. rhusiopathiae endocarditis has not involved prosthetic valves and is not associated with intravenous drug abuse, as is Bacillus species endocarditis. E. rhusiopathiae is exquisitely susceptible to penicillin but resistant to vancomycin. Since vancomycin is often employed in empiric therapy for presumed endocarditis, prompt microbiologic differentiation of E. rhusiopathiae from other gram-positive organisms is necessary to avoid delays in the initiation of appropriate antibiotic therapy.
| Original language | English |
|---|---|
| Pages (from-to) | 317-325 |
| Number of pages | 9 |
| Journal | Clinical Infectious Diseases |
| Volume | 10 |
| Issue number | 2 |
| DOIs | |
| State | Published - 1988 |
| Externally published | Yes |
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All Science Journal Classification (ASJC) codes
- Infectious Diseases
- Microbiology (medical)
Cite this
Erysipelothrix rhusiopathiae endocarditis : Microbiologic, epidemiologic, and clinical features of an occupational disease. / Gorby, Gary L.; Peacock, James E.
In: Clinical Infectious Diseases, Vol. 10, No. 2, 1988, p. 317-325.Research output: Contribution to journal › Review article
}
TY - JOUR
T1 - Erysipelothrix rhusiopathiae endocarditis
T2 - Microbiologic, epidemiologic, and clinical features of an occupational disease
AU - Gorby, Gary L.
AU - Peacock, James E.
PY - 1988
Y1 - 1988
N2 - Ninety percent of the 49 reported cases of serious Erysipelothrix rhusiopathiae infection have been episodes of presumed or proved endocarditis. E. rhusiopathiae endocarditis correlates highly with occupation (farming, animal exposure), affects more males than females, exhibits a peculiar aortic valve tropism, displays a characteristic erysipeloid cutaneous lesion (in 40% of cases), and is associated with significant mortality (overall rate, 38%). Comparison with other unusual gram-positive rods causing endocarditis shows that E. rhusiopathiae resembles Listeria monocytogenes and Lactobacillus species in its propensity to involve structurally damaged but native left-sided valves. Unlike diphtheroid endocarditis, E. rhusiopathiae endocarditis has not involved prosthetic valves and is not associated with intravenous drug abuse, as is Bacillus species endocarditis. E. rhusiopathiae is exquisitely susceptible to penicillin but resistant to vancomycin. Since vancomycin is often employed in empiric therapy for presumed endocarditis, prompt microbiologic differentiation of E. rhusiopathiae from other gram-positive organisms is necessary to avoid delays in the initiation of appropriate antibiotic therapy.
AB - Ninety percent of the 49 reported cases of serious Erysipelothrix rhusiopathiae infection have been episodes of presumed or proved endocarditis. E. rhusiopathiae endocarditis correlates highly with occupation (farming, animal exposure), affects more males than females, exhibits a peculiar aortic valve tropism, displays a characteristic erysipeloid cutaneous lesion (in 40% of cases), and is associated with significant mortality (overall rate, 38%). Comparison with other unusual gram-positive rods causing endocarditis shows that E. rhusiopathiae resembles Listeria monocytogenes and Lactobacillus species in its propensity to involve structurally damaged but native left-sided valves. Unlike diphtheroid endocarditis, E. rhusiopathiae endocarditis has not involved prosthetic valves and is not associated with intravenous drug abuse, as is Bacillus species endocarditis. E. rhusiopathiae is exquisitely susceptible to penicillin but resistant to vancomycin. Since vancomycin is often employed in empiric therapy for presumed endocarditis, prompt microbiologic differentiation of E. rhusiopathiae from other gram-positive organisms is necessary to avoid delays in the initiation of appropriate antibiotic therapy.
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U2 - 10.1093/clinids/10.2.317
DO - 10.1093/clinids/10.2.317
M3 - Review article
VL - 10
SP - 317
EP - 325
JO - Clinical Infectious Diseases
JF - Clinical Infectious Diseases
SN - 1058-4838
IS - 2
ER -