Escherichia vulneris

Escherichia vulneris is a species of Gram-negative bacteria in the same genus as E. coli. E. vulneris is a fermentative, oxidase-negative, motile rod, which holds characteristics of the family Enterobacteraceae. This bacterium can colonize in the respiratory tract, genital tract, stool, and urinary tract. However, E. vulneris is most often associated with wounds and has been known to colonize open wounds of both humans and animals. This association gave the bacterium its species name, vulneris, which is Latin for wound. It has also been infrequently reported in cases of meningitis. It was defined as a new species in 1982.[1]

Escherichia vulneris
Scientific classification
Domain: Bacteria
Phylum: Pseudomonadota
Class: Gammaproteobacteria
Order: Enterobacterales
Family: Enterobacteriaceae
Genus: Escherichia
Species:
E. vulneris
Binomial name
Escherichia vulneris
Brenner et al. 1983

Morphology

E. vulneris is of the genus Escherichia, which it shares with the more commonly known E. coli. Its structure is rod-like (bacilli), and it is made motile by peritrichous flagella (covering the whole body of the bacteria). E. vulneris is facultatively anaerobic, and is not spore-forming. Optimal growth occurs at 35-37 °C, and can colonize on a simple nutrient medium. Colonies are generally smooth and low convex with shiny surfaces.[2]

Resistance

Susceptibility studies have shown E. vulneris is susceptible to 14 antibiotics, including third-generation cephalosporins, aminoglycosides, trimethoprim, and sulfamethoxazole-trimethoprim. Similar studies have shown they have some type of resistance to the antibiotics penicillin and clindamycin, and were also marginally resistant to carbenicillin, erythromycin, tetracycline, chloramphenicol, and nitrofurantoin.

Recorded cases of infection

Studied cases

Twelve Hawaiian patients infected with strains of E. vulneris were isolated. Except for two of the infected, evidence was found of soft tissue infections from multiple bacteria, caused by the E. vulneris. The two without soft tissue infections had purulent conjunctivitis. However, none of these cases had colonies of E. vulneris considered to be abundant or pathogenic. In one study, E. vulneris strains were injected into mice using both 107 cells and 106 cells. The 107 strain failed to cause serious symptoms in the infected mice. None of the 106 strains was able to produce persisting infections.[3]

References
  1. Brenner, Don J.; Alma C. McWhorter; Jean K. Leete Knutson; Arnold G. Steigerwalt (June 1982). "Escherichia vulneris: a New Species of Enterobacteriaceae Associated with Human Wounds". J. Clin. Microbiol. 15 (6): 1133–1140. doi:10.1128/JCM.15.6.1133-1140.1982. PMC 272265. PMID 7107843.
  2. ABIS Encyclopedia. “Genus Escherichia.” Regnum Prokaryote.<http://www.tgw1916.net/Enterobacteria/Escherichia.html>
  3. Pien, FD et al. “Colonization of human wounds by Escherichia vulneris and Escherichia hermannii.” J. Clin. Microbiol. 1985. 22(2): 283-285. <http://jcm.asm.org/content/44/11/4283.full>


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