Microbiology
Includes A. equuli (from animal mouths), A. lignieresi, A. suis, A. ureae. A. actinomycetemcomicans (from the human mouth) is now Aggregatibacter actinomycetemcomitans
Syndromes
A. actinomycetemcomicans is a cause of endocarditis (it puts the A in HACEK), head and neck infections and part of aspiration pneumonia with or without empyema. All the rest occasionally cause infections from animal bites.
Treatment
Third-generation cephalosporins, ciprofloxacin, gentamicin, tetracyclines. Endocarditis is usually treated with penicillin plus an aminoglycoside.
Notes
Sloooooow growers and can take > 48 h to pop positive in blood cultures.
Last update: 05/05/18