*1Osuagwu, C. S., 2,3Davies, A. A., and 1Oladele R. O.
1Department of Medical Microbiology and Parasitology, Lagos University Teaching Hospital, Idi-Araba, Lagos, Nigeria
2Department of Medical Microbiology and Parasitology, College of Medicine, University of Lagos, Idi-Araba, Lagos, Nigeria
3Department of Medical Microbiology and Parasitology, Olabisi University Teaching Hospital, Sagamu, Nigeria
*Correspondence to: chiomaosuagwu@gmail.com
Abstract
Kocuria species are emerging opportunistic pathogens commonly misidentified as coagulase-negative staphylo- coccus. Improvement in laboratory diagnostic techniques and the expansion in the number of patients with immunocompromised diseases has led to the rising number of Kocuria infections being reported. We report cases of Kocuria bacteraemia in three immunocompromised patients. The first case was an 11-year-old with metastatic nasopharyngeal carcinoma and Kocuria kristinae isolated from the second blood culture, but due to discharge of the patient against medical advice, the role of K. kristinae and outcome of the case could not be ascertained. The second case was a 30-year-old with acute lymphoblastic leukaemia, with fever and diarrhoea, and Kocuria species isolated from the second blood culture, but despite treatment with antibiotic with invitro activity against the organism, the outcome was fatal. The third case was a very low birth weight premature male neonate who was delivered by emergency cesarean at 31 weeks gestation, due to maternal chronic hypertension and superimposed preeclampsia. Although, Kocuria rosea was isolated from the third blood culture of the case, it was most likely a colonizer, as the clinical condition of the patient had improved before isolating the organism. This report may be the first case of bacteraemia caused by Kocuria from Nigeria, indicating that this organism should not ignored as a possible cause of bacteraemia because advancement in laboratory diagnostics will aid correct identification.
Keywords: Kocuria species, bloodstream infection, opportunistic pathogen. immunocompromised
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