Siderophilic organisms

Background

• Bacteria that are particularly stimulated by excess iron

Microbiology

• Bacteria
  • Gram-positive
    • Listeria monocytogenes
    • Others: Bacillus, Clostridium, Corynebacterium, Erysipelothrix rhusiopathiae, Mycobacterium, Staphylococcus, Streptococcus, Gemella
  • Gram-negative
    • Yersinia enterocolitica, in the context of iron chelation
    • Aeromonas hydrophilia
    • Escherichia coli
    • Vibrio vulnificus
    • Others: Acinetobacter, Alciligenes, Capnocytophaga canimorsus, Campylobacter, Chlamydia, Ehrlichia, Enterobacter, Klebsiella, Legionella, Moraxella, Neisseria, Pasteurella, Proteus, Pseudomonas, Plesiomonas, Shigella
• Viruses: hepatitis B virus, hepatitis C virus, cytomegalovirus, parvovirus B19, HIV
• Fungi
  • Mucorales (particularly Rhizopus)
  • Others: Candida, Cryptococcus, Histoplasma, Paracoccidioides, Trichosporon, Aspergillus, Pneumocystis jirovecii
• Protozoa: Entamoeba histolytica, Leishmania, Naegleria fowleri, Plasmodium, Toxoplasma, Trypanosoma

Pathophysiology

• Bacteria have a siderophore, that allows acquisition of iron from the environment
• Yersinia does not have a siderophore, but has receptors for iron-bound exogenous siderophores such as deferoxamine

Risk Factors

• Hemochromatosis