Infectious Disease Compendium

Pantoea

Microbiology

Gram-negative rods, includes Pantoea agglomerans (formally Enterobacter), P. ananatis, P. citrea, P. dispersa, P. punctata, P. stewartii, P. terrea, P. vagans

Epidemiologic Risks

If IVDA they strain the heroin through cotton, the cotton can cause a fever either from a reaction to the cotton or can be due to P. agglomerans. Turns out that Pantoea can be found in cotton, and it gets there by way of cotton weevil and stink bug colons (PubMed). Bug poo. And it can be found in other bugs as well.

Syndromes

Nosocomial infections of all kinds.

Infections after penetrating wounds with thorns/splinters (PubMed).

It also causes leaf blight.

Treatment

Ceftazidime, cefepime (PubMed), carbapenems, aminoglycosides, quinolone.

Notes

Can have an inducible beta-lactamase that confers resistance to 2nd and third-generation cephalosporin as well a piperacillin. This resistance can takes days to show up, while the rapid susceptibility testing can be done in hours. The bottom line is that it can look sensitive to cefotaxime or piperacillin and not be.

"This species has been identified as a possible cause of equine abortion and placentitis and a haemorrhagic disease in dolphinfish (Coryphaena hippurus). P. agglomerans strains occur commonly, usually as symbionts, in insects and other arthropods. Pantoea agglomerans usually occurs in plants as an epi- or endophytic symbiont, often as mutualist. Nevertheless, this species has also also been identified as a cause of diseases in a range of cultivable plants, such as cotton, sweet onion, rice, maize, sorghum, bamboo, walnut, an ornamental plant called Chinese taro (Alocasia cucullata), and a grass called onion couch (Arrhenatherum elatius). Some plant-pathogenic strains of P. agglomerans are tumourigenic, inducing gall formation on table beet, an ornamental plant gypsophila (Gypsophila paniculata), wisteria, Douglas-fir and cranberry. Recently, a Pantoea species closely related to P. agglomerans has been identified as a cause of bacterial blight disease in the edible mushroom Pleurotus eryngii cultivated in China (PubMed)."

Curious Cases

Relevant links to my Medscape blog

I Don't Cotton to That

Source?

Last Update: 04/18/18.