Rapid identification of Fusobacterium nucleatum and Fusobacterium necrophorum by fluorescence in situ hybridization.

Identification of clinically relevant Fusobacterium spp. is hampered by their slow growth, their frequent occurrence in polymicrobial culture, and the low reliability of biochemical differentiation methods. A newly developed fluorescence in situ hybridization (FISH) assay allowed reliable and rapid identification of Fusobacterium necrophorum and Fusobacterium nucleatum from culture. Preliminary results show that the method offers the perspective for direct detection of these pathogens in blood cultures and abscess aspirates.

Therapeutic efficacy of moxifloxacin in a murine model of severe systemic mixed infection with Escherichia coli and Bacteroides fragilis.

The therapeutic efficacy of moxifloxacin was studied in an experimental murine model of a systemic aerobic/anaerobic mixed infection and compared to therapies with either imipenem or ciprofloxacin plus metronidazole. Groups of 20 mice each were intravenously (iv) infected with approximately 2.5 x 10(6) colony forming units (CFU) of Escherichia coli and 2 x 10(7)CFU of Bacteroides fragilis. Iv therapy was started 24 h post-infection (pi) with either moxifloxacin, imipenem, or ciprofloxacin plus metronidazole, for 3 days. A control group of 20 mice was left untreated. Survival rate at day seven pi was recorded, mice were then sacrificed and bacterial organ contents of livers and kidneys were determined. All mice treated survived at day seven, while six animals of the untreated group died. B. fragilis was not detected in any of the treated mice. E. coli was found in two of the moxifloxacin-treated mice and in two and five of the ciprofloxacin plus metronidazole and imipenem-treated animals, respectively. The results indicate that a therapy of severe mixed aerobic/anaerobic infections with moxifloxacin might be feasible and possibly be as efficacious as current therapy regimens with ciprofloxacin plus metronidazole or imipenem.