Nondiphtherial Corynebacterium Species Isolated from Clinical Specimens of Patients in a University Hospital, Rio De Janeiro, Brazil

Over a five-year period, 163 strains of Corynebacterium sp. were recovered from different clinical specimens of patients from a Brazilian University hospital. Genitourinary tract and intravenous sites specimens were the most frequent sources of corynebacteria (46.62%). Corynebacterium amycolatum (29.55%), Corynebacterium minutissimum (20.45%) and Corynebacterium pseudodiphtheriticum (13.63%) were the predominant species found in genitourinary tract. C. minutissimum (24.14%) and Corynebacterium propinquum (17.24%) in surgical and/or other skin wounds and abscesses; Corynebacterium xerosis (25%), C. amycolatum (21.87%) and C. pseudodiphtheriticum (18.75%) in intravenous sites; C. pseudodiphtheriticum (33.33%) and C. propinquum (33.33%) in lower respiratory tract. Microorganisms were all susceptible to vancomycin and most of the species was predominantly resistant to β-lactams. Antimicrobial susceptibility patterns of corynebacteria were not predictable. Multiple antibiotic resistance observed in C. jeikeium was also found among C. xerosis, C. minutissimum, C. afermentans, C. propinquum, C. amycolatum and C. pseudodiphtheriticum strains. Data suggest awareness of clinicians and microbiologists to nosocomial infections especially due to antimicrobial multiresistant strains of Corynebacterium sp.