Paenibacillus

Background

Microbiology

• Genus of Gram-positive bacilli
• Closely related to Bacillus (the Latin name means "almost Bacillus")
• Environmental bacterium that usually lives in soil
• The more common species that have been isolated from humans include:
  • Paenibacillus phoenicis
  • Paenibacillus lautus
• Many other species are also occasionally isolated
  • Paenibacillus larvae causes American foulbrood, an infection in honey bees
  • Paenibacillus globratella causes deadly infections in snails

Risk Factors

• True infections are more common in immunocompromised patients

Clinical Manifestations

• Common cause of blood culture contamination
• However, can be a true pathogen

Management

• Almost all resistant to ampicillin
• Often resistant to co-trimoxazole
• Usually susceptible to ceftriaxone and vancomycin
• Almost always susceptible to erythromycin and rifampin