Outbreaks of Hemotrophic Mycoplasma Infections in China

hydrates in the 2 API kits, except for ribose, maltose, glucose, and sucrose. Discrepancies in results between the 2 test kits were seen with ribose in 1 isolate (M398) and maltose in 2 isolates (M124 and M397). One isolate (M380) did not hydrolyze hippurate but produced acid from trehalose and xylose. This isolate was also α-galactosidase positive, a result different from that of the type strain. All 4 isolates were α-glucosidase positive and 3 were alanyl-phenyl-alanyl-proline arylamidase positive. Some of the biochemical reactions for the 4 isolates, including all tests for delineating V. cambriense from other catalase-negative Actinomyces spp. (1), are summarized in the Table. We report the isolation of V. cambriense from 4 patients with purulent skin and soft tissue infections. Our findings contribute to understanding of the clinical and pathogenic potential of this anaerobic bacterium. Gram-positive diphtheroid organisms from wound specimens are occasionally considered to be skin commensal organisms. Clinical microbiologists should be aware of this organism and the current inadequacy of commercial systems for its identification. We have shown that 16S rRNA gene sequencing is a useful alternative to gas–liquid chromatographic analyses of cell wall fatty acids or metabolic products for identification of anaerobic gram-positive bacilli.