Effective Identification of Ochrobactrum anthropi Isolated from Clinical Specimens

Abstract

Received July 29, 2020 Revised 1 August 10, 2020 Revised 2 September 3, 2020 Accepted September 3, 2020 Ochrobactrum anthropi is a non-fermentative oxidative gram-negative bacillus that produces oxidase. Distinguishing a mixed culture with non-fermenting bacteria having a similar appearance and oxidase-positive is difficult, and there is a limit to accurate identification with a biochemical identification system. This paper proposes that the Matrix-Assisted Laser Desorption/Ionization Time-of-Flight Mass Spectrometry Platform (MALDI-TOF) method is useful for classifying bacteria that are difficult to identify using biochemical testing methods. As a result of analyzing five cases of O. anthropi examined using MicroScan, it took 6.5 days to the final report, which was 3.5 days more than the 3.0 days of E. coli. The pus sample in patient 5 was a mixed infection with Achromobacter xylosoxidans, and it took 11.3 days because of multiple subculture and retests. Four patients were over 60 years old with an underlying disease, and the possibility of opportunistic and nosocomial infections could not be excluded. Among them, samples collected after 92 days of hospitalization were resistant to imipenem and meropenem. Therefore, an examination using the MALDI-TOF method will be useful for the rapid and adequate treatment of patients with difficult identification, such as O. anthropi. Copyright C 2020 The Korean Society for Clinical Laboratory Science. All rights reserved.