Infectious Disease Compendium

Abiotrophia defectiva (aka nutritionally deficient streptococcus)

Microbiology

Gram-positive cocci.

A. adiacens, A. defectiva, A. balaenopterae found in the minke whale, and A. elegans  Most disease is due to A. defectiva; I can't speak to disease in minke whales.

Some Abiotrophia have been renamed Granulicatella. Just to piss me off. I suspect that microbiologists like to get drunk once a year and rename organisms to annoy clinicians.

It can be difficult to grow in blood cultures; hence the name.

Was called nutritionally deficient streptococcus back in the day.

Epidemiologic Risks

Mouth flora.

Syndromes

If you get a positive blood culture, think endocarditis. It is reported to cause the occasional arthritis, meningitis,  prosthetic infection and other infections.

Treatment

Penicillin +/- gentamicin for endocarditis. In vitro susceptibilities in one study (PubMed) were penicillin 8%; amoxicillin 92%; ceftriaxone 83%; meropenem 100%; and 100% for clindamycin, rifampin, levofloxacin, ofloxacin, quinupristin/dalfopristin, and vancomycin. Daptomycin works in vitro (PubMed).  

Notes

Endocarditis does not respond well to therapy, often has emboli, a ring abscess, and valve failure.

The name means life-nutrition-deficiency.

Curious Cases

Relevant links to my Medscape blog

No Other Explanation

Last update: 12/02/19