Infectious Disease Compendium

Bifidobacterium

Microbiology

A gram-positive, sometimes branching,  anaerobic rod. There are several dozen species.

Epidemiologic Risks

Found in bowel and probiotics. The two are more alike than we like to admit.

Syndromes

Found occasionally in mixed infections with other anaerobes.

In premature infants, bacteremia can be traced back to probiotics (PubMed). Eat shit and die has real-world correlates.

Treatment

Metronidazole, carbapenems, penicillin/beta-lactamase inhibitors, clindamycin.

One series with bacteremia found "Most bifidobacterial isolates had low MICs (≤0.5 mg/liter) to beta-lactam antibiotics, vancomycin, and clindamycin and relatively high MICs to ciprofloxacin and metronidazole."(Pubmed).

Notes

Last update: 01/26/20