Identification and antimicrobial susceptibilities of Ochrobactrum spp.

Ochrobactrum (O.) anthropi is an opportunistic emerging pathogen closely related to the genus Brucella. Identification and differentiation from brucellae and other Ochrobactrum spp. using routine biochemical test systems is not reliable due to the high phenotypic similarity. In this study, antibiotic susceptibilities of 103 Ochrobactrum isolates were determined using Etest™ for 19 clinically relevant antimicrobial agents. Ochrobactrum strains were highly resistant to β-lactam antibiotics, susceptible to ciprofloxacin, and 97.1% were susceptible to trimethoprim/sulfamethoxazole. It was also demonstrated that biochemical reaction profiles of the API® and BD Phoenix™ 100 systems for identifying Ochrobactrum isolates can only be used on the genus level. Our in vitro data suggest that combinations of antimicrobial agents including ciprofloxacin and/or trimethoprim/sulfamethoxazole may be useful for empirical treatment of Ochrobactrum infections.