Peptostreptococcus Infection eMedicine Infectious Diseases

Description: Peptostreptococcus infections can occur in all body sites, including the CNS, head, neck, chest, abdomen, pelvis, skin, bone, joint, and soft tissues. Inadequate therapy against these anaerobic bacteria may lead to clinical failures. Because of their fastidiousness, peptostreptococci are difficult to isolate and are often overlooked. Isolating them requires appropriate methods of specimen collection, transportation, and cultivation. Their slow growth and increasing resistance to antimicrobials, in addition to the polymicrobial nature of the infection, complicate treatment.
Itzhak Brook, MD, MSc 2008