Microbiology
- Gram-positive coccus
- Notable species
- Aerococcus urinae, which causes urinary tract infections
- Aerococcus sanguinicola, causes UTIs, but sometimes a contaminant
- Aerococcus viridans, often a contaminant
- Presumed resistance in vivo to TMP-SMX, even though it may appear susceptible in vitro
- It can acquire folate from the host's urine, counteracting the antibiotic
Clinical Manifestations
- A. urinae causes UTI and endocarditis (often following UTI in older men)
Management
- Penicillin or ampicillin
- ± aminoglycoside (for synergy, based on in vitro studies)
- Can be susceptible to ceftriaxone, though MICs are higher than for penicillin
Further Reading
- Aerococcus: an increasingly acknowledged human pathogen. Clin Microbiol Infect. 2016 Jan;22(1):22-27. doi: 10.1016/j.cmi.2015.09.026. PMID: 26454061.
