Chromobacterium violaceum - An Uncommon Infection

Dr.T.V.Rao MD, Dr.K.V.Susheela, MD, Dr.Kumar DNB

Emerging Infectious diseases have gained increased importance
in the last few decades. Many developing countries are at frequent threat of, unnatural calamities, poor living conditions and lack of effective Diagnostic laboratories. The CDC (Centre for Disease Control) has identified the Importance of Emerging infection as a source of threat to all living beings and propagates the knowledge all over the world. The microbes continue to survive in spite of newer generation of Antibiotics. There is a recent emergence of several viral and bacterial infections after many decades of silence, and gaining new mutational advantages in causing atypical presentations and morbidity and mortality.



We present here with a Case of uncommon Bacterial isolate Chromobacterium violaceum .A young female child of seven years presented with fever, toxicity, and found to have a very furious ulcer of the size of 4 inches on the left deltoid region with smaller ulcer above the left knee joint and with atrophic nails. Few empirical prescriptions with newer generation of Cephalosporin - Cefotoxaime failed to bring in cure, and reduce toxic manifestations , A routine culturing of the specimen from the ulcer on simple media revealed a uncommon, newer isolate and characterized as Chromobacterium violaceum, known to live as saprophyte in soil and polluted waters It is a bacterium of low virulance causing occasional localized infections., On few occasions and in immunocompromised can lead to septicemias with multiple abscesses in internal organs, urinary tract infection and diarrhea and caries a high mortality in disseminated infection. The laboratory culturing is easy and produces profuse violet pigment called vilocein.The Bacteria being characterized as Gram negative, motile, and few biochemical tests will identify the strains. making the Microbiologists to identify and report early for the effective cure. The present patient totally recovered with Amikacin as per the Antibiogram pattern.

The importance of the microbe lies with only few cases comes to lime light. A major peer reviewed study reported that first isolate was reported in 1927, out of 62 case studies 24 patients survived, 32 died and 6 had unknown outcome. There may be innumerable cases world few may be reported.

The importance of Microbiology laboratories rests with prompt identification and reporting can cure with simple remedies, as most of the emerging infections respond to several drugs and choice lies with optimal selection based on Antibiogram, as resistance is not a menace with emerging, newer and uncommon isolates, The relation of Microbes to humans was dynamic process, the key remains with our Immune system, and the environment we live. And man made ventures leading to many outbreaks of communicable diseases in the Developing world and giving way for Microbes to encroach on Humans The modern generation of Microbiologists should be familiar with Identification of the Microbes with newer generation of Technological advances

Today sharing the knowledge on Microbes through World Wide Web (WWW) helps for faster dissemination of Knowledge and many lives in the Developing world can be saved.

The present study on Isolation of Chromobacterium violaceum is done at
Jubilee Mission Medical College and Research Centre, Trichur, Kerala.India.

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