Wohlfahrtiimonas chitiniclastica: current insights into an emerging human pathogen

Abstract

Since the first description of Wohlfahrtiimonas chitiniclastica in 2008, a number of well described case reports demonstrating its pathogenic role in humans have been published. Infections may be closely linked to flies, such as Wohlfahrtia magnifica, Lucilia sericata, Chrysomya megacephala or Musca domestica. These insects are potent vectors for the distribution of W. chitiniclastica causing local or systemic infections originating from wounds infested with fly larvae. However, other potential sources of transmission of W. chitiniclastica have been described such as soil or chicken meat. Infections in humans reported to date comprise wound infections, cellulitis, osteomyelitis and sepsis. This review summarizes all the literature available up to now and gives the current knowledge about this emerging human pathogen. Additionally, four patients with proven W. chitiniclastica infections treated at Dresden University Hospital between 2013 and 2015, are included. Special focus was placed on microbiological identification and antibiotic susceptibility testing of the pathogen.

New Insights Into Culturable and Unculturable Bacteria Across the Life History of Medicinal Maggots Lucilia sericata (Meigen) (Diptera: Calliphoridae)

“…Wohlfahrtiimonas chitiniclastica, another source of bacteremia, has recently been regarded as an emerging human pathogen (Schröttner et al, 2017). This bacterium may be closely linked to the synanthropic flies, for example, Wohlfahrtia magnifica, L. sericata, Chrysomya megacephala, or Musca domestica (Schröttner et al, 2017). Based on our knowledge, this is the first report on the isolation of W. chitiniclastica directly from L. sericata larvae and indirectly from a 90-year-old female patient with bed sore in Iran.…”

“…Enterococcus avium, the most common enterococci in birds, is rarely associated with human bacteremia (Na et al, 2012). Wohlfahrtiimonas chitiniclastica, another source of bacteremia, has recently been regarded as an emerging human pathogen (Schröttner et al, 2017). This bacterium may be closely linked to the synanthropic flies, for example, Wohlfahrtia magnifica, L. sericata, Chrysomya megacephala, or Musca domestica (Schröttner et al, 2017).…”

The gut bacteria across life stages in the synanthropic fly Chrysomya megacephala

“…had the largest part of the identified pathogenic bacteria in C. megacephala [ 18 ]. Moreover, C. megacephala was recently found to be a vector for Wohlfahrtiimonas chitiniclastica which cause infections of human [ 19 ]. In Grahamstown of South Africa, Bacillus pumilus were none-pathogenic and abundant in C. megacephala , representing 80.37% of the total colonies [ 20 ].…”

A case of Wohlfahrtiimonas chitiniclastica bacteremia in continental United States

“…and the name of the bacteria is related to the first described vector, a species of obligate parasitic flies known as Wohlfahrtia magnifica [ 1 ]. It is known to be transmitted by other fly species, including Chrysomya megacephala , Lucilia sericata and Musca domestica , when larvae are deposited in open wounds [ 2 ]. W. chitiniclastica is a strictly aerobic, non-motile, non-spore forming, Gram-negative rod that grows best between 28 and 37 ˚C.…”